Crystal Springs Watershed 20 Miles

My iliotibial band (IT Band) problem seems to have finally been solved! I had a wonderful 20 mile slow social run on a beautiful day last Saturday.

My running club organized a charity run in a closed-to-the-public area near the Crystal Springs Watershed. 21 runners (well, 20 runners and one bicyclist) participated and we've blown past our goal of raising at least $750 for a scholarship for a Half Moon Bay High School cross-country runner.




Accomplished ultramarathon runner, Jean Pommier, in front of Pilarcitos Lake.

Disneyland!

I took Claire for a short trip to visit my parents and we went to Disneyland this past Monday. I also tried out my big new Christmas present -- a Nikon D90 digital camera.

Claire was just tall enough to go on some of the big rides. We had a long fun day, in spite of the huge crowds. (FastPass is a winner, if you stack them up every two hours.) We went on:

• Splash Mountain (twice)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (twice)
• Indiana Jones
• Pinocchio
• Snow White
• Jungle Cruise
• steam train around Disneyland

I must have carried Claire (all 50 pounds of her) for at least 3 hours on Monday. I count that as a work-out!

Running-wise, I think I'm getting better. I've had a couple of hour-long runs in the last week on a soft sandy beach. Today, I ran 5.25 miles on a hard dirt trail but I sensed that the IT band on my left knee was getting tender or inflamed. It didn't hurt, but I was glad to stop. I'm seeing an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow who specializes in running injuries, for an evaluation of my left knee.

Oh, and I've signed up for:

Boston Marathon on April 20. Woo hoo!

San Francisco Marathon on July 26.

I'm thinking of trying to get into the New York City Marathon this year, too. Time to get training!