California Running – September 9-18

I volunteer with Curtis Cross-Country. What a treat to be able to spend a couple hours each day running with people who enjoy the sport and each other’s company. I enjoy the conversations and laughs we generate each day. I also enjoy the leadership and friendship of the two head coaches, Coach Mangrum and Coach Bird.




Each year Coach Mangrum chooses to kick off the season at a distant invitational. This year we attended the Don Bosco Invitational held at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale, California—which happened to be only a couple of miles from El Monte, where my brother lives. So I joined family with fun. I drove down with mom so she could spend quality time with my brother while I ran with the team. After the meet, I would join the family as well.



The team stayed at Anaheim Quality Inn & Suites, within walking distance from Disneyland. This location was about halfway between the Dam and the beaches. Prior to the event, we ran a couple training runs along the beach and, afterwards, swam and bodysurfed. It was awesome!



The meet was a great spot visually for running. I’m not sure how fun it was for the team. Parts of the course were sandy, parts were grass and riddled with tree roots, while parts were concrete. However, the weather was perfect and the back drop of the Los Angeles Mountains made for great pics.