I have been involved with sports all of my life. I am lucky to have met some amazing people and seen some incredible sites all because of my involvement in sports (soccer specifically but I am a fan of all sports). While I was still playing in a competitive level, one of my favorite things was going out for a run. Despite the effort you have to put in, there is something very relaxing about being out there on your own with your tunes and listening to your own body work. Not everyone finds this to be a whole lot of fun but I always enjoyed going out for a run.

One of the things that I always wanted to do was running a marathon, at least one during my lifetime. Since moving to Phoenix we have become familiar with the PF Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon which takes place every year in Januray. A few weeks ago we had the crazy idea that it would be fun to do it this upcoming January. At the same time, I remembered that I wanted to run my marathon before turning the big three-oh. Well, it just so happens that the PF Chang’s marathon takes place on January 15th, three weeks before my birthday. How’s that for timing for accomplishing objectives? Almost like a sign from above, a little scary ;o)

Sunny skies, soothing spas and poolside afternoons await on January 15th, 2006 at the third annual P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon. Featuring fantastic running weather, FLAT courses, and live bands at every mile, this is the most fun you’ll have in running shoes. Spend your holiday weekend in the Valley of the Sun and register today.

Sarah is training to run the half-marathon with a friend of hers, while I have started training for the full 26.3 miles. This summer I have been relaxing a little too much just playing indoor soccer and waiting for the outdoor soccer season to begin so I have some serious training ahead of me. To make sure I have the proper tools, I stopped by the Scottsdale Running Company (SRC) the other day to get professional advice on a new pair of running shoes. I learned a few tricks from Andy and the Brooks Adrenaline GTS™ 5 that I decided to get feel great. I’ve only put a couple of short runs on them but they already fit better than my old Nike pair.

So expect to see some more running bookmarks and the occasional update on the training progress. We’ll be attending the group runs that are organized by the SRC to keep us motivated in the next few weeks. Would anyone like to join us for a little weekend fun? If not, feel free to send some Advil since I am sure we’ll need some in the near future.