20 Questions About Me (Running Tag)

Remember those surveys you’d do about yourself as a teenager? You’d get a forwarded email and it says that you have to answer the questions below and send back to all your friends or you’d get 5 years bad luck? Well, those are back and this time in the form of blogs instead of email. And apparently because I loved telling everyone things like the last words I spoke and the last song I heard were as a fourteen year old, I still like to share random details of my life as a thirty year old.

I was tagged in this originally by Beth of Discom-BOB-ulated Running . Here’s my answers:

1. How long have you been running?

I ran my first half marathon in January 2009 but trained mostly by myself and on the treadmill. I didn’t fall in love with running until I picked it back up again in the summer of 2011 when I trained for the America’s Finest City half with Asia and Mike. Then I was hooked!

2. Why did you start running?

I had a half marathon on my bucket list for a while and I ended a long term relationship in the fall of 2008 and decided that the half marathon would be the perfect thing to take my mind off of it ! Plus I wanted to lose some weight.

3. What is the furthest distance you have ever ran?

26.4 miles (I always overrun the course!)

4. What is your best running memory?

There are so many to chose from but I think there are two – first has to be finishing my first full marathon with two of my closest friends, Asia and Allison. We trained together with a group (including Mike and Jeremy) and the three of us ran side by side for the entire 26.2 miles and finished holding hands. It was a beautiful day in San Diego and we were so happy to have accomplished our goal of finishing, no matter how painful those final miles were!

The second memory is our Wedding 5k. The day after our wedding, which was in Mission Bay, San Diego, we asked our friends and family to join us for an information 5k run/walk along the water. We lured people there with promises of coffee, bagels and donuts and it worked. We had a great turnout and some of our family and friends ran their VERY FIRST 5k the day after our wedding. It was also the first race that Mike and I finished together (obviously we did not race it!). It was one of the best days ever!

5. What shoes do you run in?

I’ve found Nike works best for me – I’m currently in the Lunar Glide but miss my Equalon (discontinued)

6. What are your favorite and least favorite distances to run or race?

The half marathon is probably my favorite distance as it’s challenge but also manageable to train for and fit into a busy schedule. However, I have a special place in my heart for the full marathon and probably would have told you a year and a half ago that it was my favorite distance but every marathon I run is worse than the last! Hoping to redeem myself and get the marathon back in the number one slot soon though!

My least favorite is probably the 5K. It’s such a short amount of time to wake up early for and I’m not super fast at short distances! Not to mention it hurts SO bad.

7. Do you have a running partner?

I have several! Asia is my main running buddy and we live 1/2 a mile down the street from each other which makes it super easy (and she’s moving just 1 block away soon so we’ll be even closer!). Asia and I have ran 2 marathons, 3 half marathons, and two 15ks together – besides the first marathon, we’ve never finished together (but very close – usually one of us drops the other in the final couple miles)! Allison is my running buddy too – we now run together every Friday (she lives 2 miles away up the coast so we drive to eachother’s houses). And last but not least is Mike- although he’s generally much faster than me, I’m starting to catch up! We don’t run together that often but lately we’ve been running together more. He even ran the entire Hot Buttered Rum 10k with me and we ran the Hot Chocolate 15k together this year for fun.

8. What is your favorite place to run?

Well most often I run a long the coast on highway 101 . There is one spot in particular just as you are leaving Cardiff and getting close to Swami’s that is my absolute favorite – the view f the cliffs meeting the ocean is absolutely stunning.

9. What is your favorite running accessory?

Garmin. I’m addicted.

10. Do you like outdoor or indoor running?

Outdoor! The treadmill is generally miserable. I rarely am forced to run indoors thanks to San Diego weather but sometimes I do chose to do intervalso n the treadmill (although I think it’s easier so it’s probably a cop out).

11. What is your favorite time of the day to run?

During sunset.

12. What races have you ran?

Too long to list here! I’ve run every road distance other than the 10 mile and 1 mile but mostly half marathons (11 I believe) and marathons (4). See

13. What music do you listen to when running?

Pop and country. Anything that has been played on the radio 1000 times I listen to on my runs.

14. What is the coldest or hottest weather you have ever ran in?

I’m a baby – the coldest is probably some winter San Diego mornings when it’s in the low 40s and the hottest is high 90s but that is rare. Usually I run in weather between 60-70 degrees.

15. What are some other exercises you love?

P90X! And I love Reformer Pilates and Yoga….I wish I could do it all every week!

16. Are you currently training for something?

San Diego Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon (June1) and San Diego International Triathlon (June 29)

17. What are your current or future goals?

Still on the hunt for Boston but my goal for SD RnR is to get out of my head and run the best race I can.

18. Advice for new runners?

Don’t run too fast! Start slow and take walk breaks but keep going. You will get there! Endurance builds incredibly fast. Take it one week at a time and add miles each week and you will shock yourself.

19. Why did you start making running vlogs/and or blogs?

My friend Allison told me she had a blog and said I should start one for my P90X journey. I couldn’t find any blogs about running and doing P90X at the same time so I started one. I’ve always loved to write (Ialways thought I’d become a writer or author when I was a kid) so this blog is a great creative outlet for me (I ended up in Finance!).

20. Who will you tag?

Anyone! Answer any one of the questions above in a comment!