You Got Me! I'm It.

Jade Lady tagged me, so check out my answers.


1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

15 years ago I ran a lot. I wasn't into to tracking my miles or listening to music, I mean come on, Walkmans were HUGE compared to today's standard. I found that it was a way to maintain my sanity right after a break-up. (So, we got back together and we've been married for more than 14 years...) But eventually the running tapered off and eventually disappeared. 10 years ago I wasn't running in June, but in November I ran my first official 5K. With one week of training I made it to the finish line in 40:07. I must have kept at it, because the next January I ran my next 5K in 34:36 and a week later my 3rd 5K was 30:49.

Eventually the running went away again. There were several cameo appearances over the next or so years. And now with almost 3 years since the return of running to my life, I can't imagine my life without it.


2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?

My best race experience was the 2008 Women Run the World 15K at Disney World. I was preparing myself for a not so great race because I was coming down with a cold. I ran the first part of the race conservatively and turned it up the second half. I finished in 1:28:02 a 9:26 pace and I took 7:06 off my PR and course record.

I don't know that there has been a "worst" experience. Every race, and every run is a learning experience. I've learned things like:

Cotton is not your friend.

It's easier to run in cooler temperatures.

I can't control the weather.

Sometimes it's just not your day.

It sucks when you realize it's not your day at mile 3 of a half marathon.

3. Why do you run?

There are so many reasons why I run. I started running again to lose weight. I had fallen into some unhealthy habits and I wasn't exercising at all. I had also registered to run the 2006 Walt Disney World Half Marathon, so I knew I needed to train for it.

I also run to show my kids that you can do anything you put your mind to. And to set the example that exercising and being fit (or the quest to be fit) is important.

I like that running gives me energy clears my mind and just makes me feel good. My new favorite saying that I stole from a Nike commercial sums up how running makes me feel. "I got strong all day". And I think it's true.


4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?

I have gotten a lot of advice. My favorite piece of advice comes from my friend David. It's so simple but so easily forgotten sometimes, so it's nice to be reminded - "Listen to your body".

I don't know that I have gotten any bad advice. If it was bad advice, it was meant with the best intention and I probably politely listened and then filtered it out. Someone, who is portly, to say the least, told me they could never run because of what it does to your toenails - and this person loves her pedicures and my feet were disgusting. I bit my tongue and refrained from saying that I would rather be thin and fit with jacked up toenails that be a hog-body. Damn manners...



5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.

This is always the hardest question. And over the past few years I have been tagged a few times and I feel like I'm running of surprising facts to share.

I don't like grasshoppers. One of my long run routes is covered with grasshoppers in the morning. There is a chain link fence and sometimes it is covered with them. Like the fence is black with grasshoppers instead of the silver color it should be.

There are also these yellow and black grasshoppers on the ground that look like they have escaped from a mad scientist lab.


It goes without saying, I didn't take this picture.

They're huge and really scary. I am always so afraid that one of those is going to jump on me. If that ever happens I would freakin' scream like a girl!


I'm not going to tag anyone this time around, but if you would like to play, then please consider yourself tagged.

1. Copy the rules (or your version of them), and the set of questions onto your blog post, provide your own answers, and then tag 5 new people.

2. Be sure that everyone tagged knows they have been invited to play, go to their blogs and leave them a special comment letting them know, and refer them to your blog for details.


3. Once they've answered the questions on their own blog, they should come back to yours to tell you.