A couple of weeks ago, when I shared about my experiences running the Rock n Roll Arizona Half-Marathon Relay, I briefly mentioned my hopes to train for a half-marathon this year. Well friends, I’ve found my race!

Last night registration opened for the Healdsburg Wine Country Half-Marathon on October 29, 2011. The race has both a wine harvest and Halloween-inspired theme and is supposed to be one of the most scenic courses in country. It’s also limited to just 2,000 runners (I’m a big fan of smaller races), advertises itself as having “a sip of wine and estate-produced jam” at one of its water stations (I’m a big foodie), and there is a post-race wine and music festival.

I’ll also be running the race as a Girls on the Run SoleMates participant. SoleMates is an adult charity running program that raises funds for Girls on the Run, a positive youth development program that combines training for a 5k with an interactive curriculum to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls. Those who are regular followers of my blog will know that I am currently working to bring this great organization to Las Vegas, and the money I raise through SoleMates will directly support our local council.

In case you are interested in donating, you can visit my individual fundraising page. My goal is to raise $1,000 by the end of October.

And the race date means that my husband and I will be in Wine Country to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. We plan to stay in the area for a few days after the race, so I look forward to writing more about our explorations there.