Five Two Five Two Two

That, my friends, is my bib number for the 2010 San Francisco Marathon on July 25. 52522. Easy to remember!

I'm only running the First Half of the marathon, which will take me across the north side of SF, over the Golden Gate Bridge (yay!) and down into the Golden Gate Park. I'm so excited to run this course. It will be more challenging than the Kaiser Permanente Half, which makes it a good choice for my second Half. I'm hoping to improve my time after some speed and hill training in the next few months.

I was thinking of training for the full marathon, but decided not to push too hard and end up either getting injured or burned out. I promised myself from the start that I would only keep running if it's fun, so I'm careful not to do anything that would turn it into a chore. I think the 2011 San Francisco Marathon would be a good one for me to run. For my first marathon I'm considering the Silicon Valley Marathon in October. It's a flat course that takes me trhough trails I'm already familiar with, which I think makes it a good choice for a first marathon.

I've created a Facebook page for the event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=349438238085&index=1. RSVP if you plan to or are thinking of running the race (there is a 'maybe' option). We can share tips, have scheduled group runs and keep each other motivated and on track. Eventhough I trained for the Kaiser Permanente Half by myself, I gained a lot from being a part of the runner's community and running with others. It's part of the reasons that I love running so much.

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. - Booker T. Washington

In other words, it's not where one ranks in a race that matters, but how one prepared for the race. It's the journey that counts! The race is merely the reward!