Happy St. Patrick's Day! Wow, what a difference a week makes. Much of last week it was 50 degrees and when I left to come to Arizona on Friday the 20 inches of snow that had fallen was mostly all gone. On Thursday in Dublin I ran in only Reebok running pants and Reebok short sleeve Play Dry shirt. I ran with my dog and two of my sons Nate (12) and Luke (9) road their bikes along with us. The Dublin paths were full of slush and puddles. We got wet, muddy and had a lot of fun as we ran, biked and played like no one was watching us. We even raced the last half mile through the neighborhood. I was 39 going on 12, and it was one of my most fun (and fastest) training runs ever.

While reflecting on that run I thought about one common characteristic all of the people I have met training for our events have, they all have "Passion". Passion for their training, passion for fun, passion for happiness, passion for health and wellness, passion for life and passion for each other. Next time you see a runner passing by you the other way, take a look in their eyes, you will see what I mean. I sat down and told all 3 of my sons this week, if you are going to choose to do anything make sure you are passionate about it. The JBR team is passionate about this event and the City of Columbus. We are working non stop with the community, the police, our medical team, our partners and our volunteers on preparations and we can not wait until April 11 when the expo and event weekend kicks off.

Today, I am heading back to Columbus from sunny Oro Valley, Arizona (Tucson) where we produce the Valley of Gold Half Marathon and Northwest Medical Center 5k. While Sunday was a bit chilly, I was able to train outside in shorts for 3 days in a row! I even had the chance to run the course on Saturday. There is something to be said about being surrounded by mountains and running through Honeybee Canyon which has one of the largest populations of saguaro cactus in the country. What a great community, a great course and a great event.

I can not wait to feel the energy around the Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to Be Fit 5k this year. To create the ultimate experience for everyone we are limiting our field to the first 5000 entrants. If you have not registered yet or your friends have not yet committed to join you, make sure you do not miss the opportunity to join us on April 12, 2008 for the 5th Annual Capital City Half Marathon Presented by Bank of America and the Commit to Be Fit 5k! Register Now!

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I look forward to seeing you in your training. If you see me and my dog (and maybe some crazy kids on bikes) running on the paths, come join us........David

We are proud to welcome the The Spice Bar as the official host of the Capital City Half Marathon Post Race Party Celebration. Included in your registration fee is free entry into the party as well as your first drink After the Block party is over and you have the finisher's medal around your neck come join us for a night out at the Spice Bar in the Arena District .

Northstar Cafe has partnered with John Bingham Racing and will provide all participants with a free entree and the expo bag made out of 100% recycled paper. You will pick up your bag at the expo, put your bib, chip, Reebok long sleeve t-shirt, and any other items you can find in our 15,000 square foot expo. No plastic, no stuffed paper inserts, no mess. Better for you, us and the environment.