I’m a 27-year-old gay lawyer living in San Francisco. I’ve never written a blog before, but I’ve also never run a marathon before, so the form matches the subject in novelty. I intend to update this as much as possible as my training program continues.

I’ve signed up for the AIDS Marathon training program, the completion of which will supposedly enable me to run 26.2 miles on August 3, 2008. It’s a run-walk program that consists of long group runs on Saturday and two thirty to forty-five minute runs without a coach during the week. I’m lucky that a good friend wants to train to run the same marathon, which means I’ll have a partner in crime (not to mention in complaining and hopefully in motivating).

I’ve wanted to run a marathon since I was 10 and saw a framed number and jersey that commemorated a marathon run by a friend’s father. It’s been on my adult long-term list of things to accomplish (it’s a random list that includes becoming adept at growing orchids) for years. I told myself when I moved back up here in January 2007 and saw the program’s poster on BART that I would commit this year if I was in a place to do so. Fortunately I am in such a place, and I realize that there is no time like the present for achieving a life goal.

My reasons for signing up for the program are myriad. Most importantly, I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish something requiring physical and mental conditioning and discipline, especially since I don’t feel I’ve done anything challenging in some time. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit (though no one has been surprised to hear) that I’m also a little bit motivated by the idea that running a marathon in this City might be a great way to meet a boyfriend or at least hot guys, and by the prospect of buying cute running outfits (one down, more to go).

I felt a lot of things before starting – fear (of failing, of cutting back on my social life, of commitment), uncertainty (about whether I can do this), and excitement (about the idea of accomplishing this). I still can’t believe that I’m going to run 26.2 miles in less than six months. It’s such a long distance! While driving to Sonoma last week I noticed that I’d driven about 54 miles, and marveled that this was half the distance I’d soon be running!

I think this blog, if I actually write in it, will be fun for me to read as my feelings about running change and I progress in my training. The last big thing that I did which had a concrete end date and objective was studying for the Bar exam, and unfortunately I didn’t keep a Bar blog that I can use to reminisce. I guess it’s just as well – writing about squeezing studying in between talking on the phone, watching One Life to Live, Oprah, Date My Mom, and Room Raiders, and steadying my nerves with the occasional vodka shoot in my bedroom would not have made for a very interesting blog.

Please join me in celebrating my insanity!