Imperfect Paradise: How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time
Norco 80
LAist Studios
3.7 • 889 Ratings
🗓️ 16 July 2025
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to successfully transition out of prison and into society.
Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at SHOPIFY.COM/paradise
Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Support for Alias comes from FX is What We Do in the Shadows. |
| 0:03.9 | The final season of the Emmy-nominated comedy follows as Nandor, Naja, Laslow, Colin, and Guillermo, enter the workforce. |
| 0:10.9 | Now nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series. |
| 0:14.7 | All episodes streaming on Hulu. |
| 0:17.6 | Join us on August 21st for California Public Radio Day. |
| 0:21.4 | With recent cuts to federal funding, we're rallying together to show how much public media matters in the Golden State. |
| 0:27.1 | Donate now at laist.com slash give. Thanks. |
| 0:31.9 | This is Imperfect Paradise, the show about the gap between the dream and reality. |
| 0:36.7 | I'm Antonio Cerejido. |
| 0:41.6 | It's the middle of the summer, 2024. |
| 0:44.7 | Cesar Kejano has been out of prison for two and a half years. |
| 0:48.2 | He's a former heroin addict. |
| 0:50.1 | And he's running the San Diego 100. |
| 0:52.6 | The first 20 miles, that was the first chapter, right? |
| 0:56.4 | Let's call it beginnings. |
| 0:58.7 | The second chapter, that one, the pain really starts. |
| 1:02.8 | The third chapter, man, ultra runners call that being inside the pain cave. |
| 1:07.7 | Ultra runners are people who run races longer than the length of a marathon. In Cesar's case, |
| 1:13.4 | 100 miles in the mountains of East County, San Diego. It's a course that takes him through |
| 1:19.1 | narrow hiking trails where he might trip over rocks or tree roots, through weather that |
| 1:23.8 | dips into the 40s at night and climbs over 90 degrees during the day. |
| 1:28.5 | Past the edge of a cliff, up and down mountains, climbing 13,000 feet of elevation. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from LAist Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of LAist Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.