Poor air quality compromises training, prompts Lane to get a head start on trip

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

With poor air quality as a result of the Thomas and Skirball fires in Southern California not allowing her to train outside for consecutive days, Malibu CA junior Claudia Lane made a decision Wednesday to leave early to travel south for the Foot Locker National Championships in San Diego.

Lane, and her father Rock, were scheduled to stay Wednesday with a family friend, who secured a location outside of San Diego for the reigning national champion to complete her scheduled track workout in a smoke-free environment.

Instead of her scheduled Tuesday run, Lane was forced to remain indoors, completing her workout on the elliptical bike. She was able to run outside Monday, before smoke from the fires compromised air quality and forced evacuations in nearby Ventura County.

Lane's grandmother was evacuated from her home in Ojai as a result of the Thomas Fire and is staying with Claudia's mother, Margo, in Malibu until they travel to San Diego for the meet.

More than 50,000 evacuations have been ordered due to the Thomas Fire, which has scorched 90,000 acres from Santa Paula to the Pacific Ocean and is only 5 percent contained as of Wednesday night, according to the Los Angeles Times.