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My Five Things I [kind of, sort of] Like About Myself

August 2, 2011 by

My real-life friend and running buddy Judi recently tagged me in a post. The task? Name five things I like about [gasp!] myself. Yikes! Judi, did you know you would be challenging me? I’m not at all into complimenting myself – I still have some self-esteem issues, I guess you could say.
I am, however, impressed with my friends who have also taken on this challenge and detailed some endearing traits about themselves – Mandy and Sarah. Check them out! Sarah at Running on Words is also hosting an Everstride Giveaway so stop over and put your name in the hat to win! I, for one, think I am going to give their products a try.
Okay, enough stalling, on to five things – deep breath – and…       
  • I [think] I am a good writer. I enjoy writing – for me it is therapy and the best way I communicate. I think I would rather write someone an email, a letter or send them a handwritten card than talk on the phone. I wish I could write professionally. Lately, I have been thinking about getting into freelancing. All my life, I was told I am a talented writer and now I sometimes wish I would have paid more attention to people and studied writing in school! I love literature and reading too. I blog about and journal about everything in my life. I won a National writing award when I was in Eighth Grade and got to read my piece at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., but that is as far as I went it seems! I did love writing papers in college – I still would if someone would ask me to! 😉 Someday I would like to write a book too.     

  • I [think] I like my legs. They are my favorite body part. I like the shape of them and that they are long. Really, I am not too happy with my physical attributes, although I am better than I used to be. My legs are one of the few things I do like. Maybe because I use them for running?


  • I like that I have a lot of traditional values that I don’t think a lot of people in my generation deem relevant anymore. I don’t believe in adultery or lying. I believe in family and persistence and friendship. I believe we should be kind to one another and treat each other with respect. I see too many people my age and younger who think society “owes” them something. I value hard work and dedication to the cause. We should not get something for nothing – we are not entitled to whatever we think we are, unless we have worked hard for it. 


  •  [This is getting hard] I like that I am living proof that you do not have to be super-human to start losing weight and getting healthy. Whether you chose to run or walk or kickbox or shoot hoops – it doesn’t matter, anyone can make the decision to make a difference! I love it that I have run five half marathons and a full marathon. I am extremely proud of those accomplishments, but I also know that everyone has the ability to do these things too! 

  • [This is getting really hard so I asked my sister for advice and happened to agree with her, I really hope that doesn’t count as cheating]…I am trustworthy and a good friend. If you ask me to keep something confidential, I will. I value my friendships too. I am there for my friends no matter what; even it means me being honest with them or them with me about things that may be uncomfortable to talk about. I don’t judge my friends because I never know when I will need a friend myself when the going gets tough! I like that I [think] I give good advice, but do not shove it down someone else’s throat if they do not ask for it.

 

So, now I tag the following bloggers – what do you like or love about yourselves?
Julia
Laurie
I wish I could tag you all! Tell me – what do you like about yourself?
Until the next mile marker,
 
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Wellness in the Woods Race Report and My First Blogger Meet-Up!

July 28, 2011 by

After such a great day on Saturday, I decided to get my race-on for a 2 Miler on Sunday. I had never participated in a 2 mile race before, but I thought it might be a fun way to race without all the pressure of ‘distance,’ plus it was two-billionity degrees outside with 146% humidity in the air so I wasn’t feeling like pushing it in the heat.
I ran a race from the Greenswell Wellness in the Woods Series at Scioto Audubon Metro Park. It is the first time I ever ran a Greenswell race, and I will definitely be running another one in the future. The 2011 Wellness in the Woods running and walking series brings together individuals, families, communities and organizations for healthy and fun activity and social connectedness at the parks around Central Ohio.
First of all, I really like Greenswell and what it stands for. It was founded by Craig Thompson with the vision to create a positive approach lifestyle company that brings individuals, families, and health professionals together into a community working in partnership to provide education, resource information and event activities to guide and inspire individuals to achieve a healthy and whole life. Their events are definitely family-friendly and cater to a wide variety of interests including walking, running, duathlons and triathlons. I like that the running/walking events offer a 2 mile option in case you want to bring children or are just starting out on your fitness journey or would even like to place in your age group for the first time. The races are also pet friendly and showcase local parks and programs – something I don’t think people pay much attention to as it is. Metro parks are enjoyable, beautiful and a great way to have a day out without spending any money.
The race was simplistic in nature, but still with timing chips and bibs, and featured an out and back course. The crowd was small – about 100 racers – which I often prefer, especially if I need a change of pace, if you will. The atmosphere was that of a gathering of friends who share the same interests – I even ran into Bobbi, which was a pleasant surprise!
The course was nice – and slightly uphill, but I wish it would have started earlier. By the time the horn sounded at 8:30 a.m. it was already hot and muggy. I found it hard to breath and I tried to finish the race as quick as possible – which didn’t quite happen, to say the least. I finished in about 28 minutes, but I enjoyed the scenery and the company of my Race Club friends. It wasn’t by fastest race, but I had fun!
Fleet Feet Race Club at the Scioto Audubon Wellness in the Woods Race
After the race, I went to my very-first-ever blogger meet-up with Sarah from Running on Words and Michelle from The Running Jewess. We went to First Watch for breakfast along with Sarah’s husband and a friend of Michelle’s. Keep in mind Sarah and I had pretty much just finished racing:
Sarah, Michelle & Me
Michelle is practically a genius and my hero – she ran the Boston Marathon. You can’t get much cooler than that, really. Plus, she’s about the nicest person you will ever meet and she took time out of her day packing to meet with smelly me! The bad news? She’s moving to California to attend Grad school at Stanford (I told you she is a genius) and we just met in real life. The good news? There are a lot great races in California and now Sarah and I have a friend to run them with!
Michelle and Sarah tagged me in a 7 Links Post, so here it goes:

My Most Beautiful Post: 
I don’t know if this post is as beautiful to me as it is to anyone else, bit I really like it. It reminds so much of my mother and the things that made her happy. Cap City was a beautiful race because I ran it in memory of her, along with so many others who are part of he Central Ohio running community.  
My Most Popular Post:
My Easy Canvas Prints post is pretty popular because I was one of the first blogs to chose a canvas prints with words on it so Easy Canvas Prints uses it as an example for others! I love my canvas, by the way!
My Most Controversial Post:
Let’s face facts, here, I am not a controversial writer by any means, but I probably should not have run this race!
My Most Helpful Post: 
I got a lot of positive feedback regarding my Hot vs. Cold Post. I didn’t know when to do what either until I started reading about it and wanted to pass on what I learned to others! 
A Post whose Success Surprised me:
I am surprised by the support I received regarding this recent post about feeling burned out and     being stuck in a rut. I am so thankful for the support I have found from the online running community – thank you!
 
A Post that Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved: 
My running friend Wendy wrote a great race review of the Arizona Distance Classic – a race I may never get to. Her review is well-written and insightful, but I don’t think it got a lot of reader responses.
The Post that I am Most Proud of: 

Okay, I cheated and it is a toss up between this race review and this race review. I think I really enjoy writing race reviews – anyone want to pay me to do that?!

Now for the fun part! I want to hear your 7 Links:
Pain, Pride, and Perseverance
Thanks for bearing with me through this post!
Until the next mile marker,
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And the award goes to…

July 18, 2011 by

I was fortunate enough to be named one of the Top 100 Running Blogs of 2011 by healthcarecolleges.net. After recently gaining 100 followers (Don’t miss my $100 Strong Body Training GIVEAWAY!), this awards just seems perfect. I’m so excited – thank you!

Here’s what healthcarecolleges.net had to say about their selections:
From sprinters to long distance runners to the casual jogger to competitive racing, running takes many forms and can be performed at any level. Runners often turn to the internet for helpful tips, information and support, but the vast array of information can send your head spinning. Here at HealthcareColleges.net, our editors have been scouring the net for the best, most reliable sources of practical and informative information to help comb through the chaos. After much research and debate, we are pleased to present the following list of sites that we have deemed worthy of earning a spot on our list of the Top Running Blogs for 2011.

I am honored to be in this category with some of the blogs I admire most. Congrats to my fellow winners! And, with all of the blogs I am not familiar with, I have a lot of reading to do! I know many of these blogs already offer motivation, tips, advice, inspiration and guidance to both new and veteran runners alike – check them out!

And if that wasn’t enough, EAT RUN SAIL was kind enough to tag me for another Blogger award – One Lovely Blog! Thank you, Elle! If you haven’t stopped by her blog – do! She lives on a boat with her husband, The Captain, for most of the year and still finds time to run, work out and cook amazing things to eat – and blog about it all! Elle motivates me a lot when I am feeling down and just goes to show that there is no excuse for not being active and living the life you want to live. If she can do it from a boat – I just don’t have an excuse except for laziness! 

So, as part of accepting this award, here are seven random things about me:
My husband walked in the room and I said, “Quick! Name something random about me!” He said, “You have a dry sense of humor.” Oh boy, this is going to be fun.
  1. I have a dry sense of humor. I had to look it up to make sure it indeed descried me. Apparently this type of humor relies mainly upon sarcasm, timing, and wit. Check. And it is often referred to as a very good sense of humor or fun where the humor is not immediately obvious at first and is usually used by someone who appears to be serious at the same time.  Check. (Although, sometimes I just think I don’t realize I am being funny because I think I am being serious…..) Moving on –   
  2. My husband said (as he is working on a photography project) “You can be annoying,” I don’t like where this game is going….So, let’s say, at times I have an obsessive-compulsive personality. I like things to be organized, especially in my work. And, I can be compulsive when it comes to cooking, which I love to do, it has to be perfect! I get really upset when it doesn’t.   
  3. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Don’t ask me what I want to do with it because I don’t know yet. Sometimes I wish I would have studies Forensic Science instead. 
  4. I won a National writing award for a poem I wrote in Middle School. I forget what it was called (the award, not the poem) because who really cares when you are in Middle School? My 8th grade English Teacher let me skip basic English/grammar because she said I was “already too smart for that.”
  5. I have an addiction to hot sauce – the hotter, the better. I cannot get enough! I have been known to eat it right our of the jar. I crave spicy foods on a regular basis. I cook a lot of curries and super-spicy dishes for my husband and I. If it isn’t cooked with hot sauce or hot peppers, it gets some put on there!
  6. I studied Mandarin Chinese in college. Notice I did not say I speak it now. 
  7. I live in Columbus and I am not an Ohio State Buckeye’s Fan. I could care less about football (let the hate-mail begin).

So, there you have it, seven things you may not have known about me. Now for my seven lovely recipients. I run with these ladies every week, but don’t know the random facts! Let’s here it, girls!

Until the next mile marker,

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