11 Things About Me

These bloggy games are so much fun. I was tagged by Amanda a few days ago for 11 Questions, but I haven't gotten around to it because of work/headaches/general laziness. Mostly, the laziness. I had to jet from work early yesterday because of my first migraine. I had no idea that four cups of large coffee and a soda were bad for me ... I learn something new every day.

I also learned today that my car needs another $1,200 of work. Coincidentally, it also gave me a headache. I've spent way too much on my car in the past six months, including a 100,000-mile tune up, airbag sensor nonsense, a new water pump for the windshield wiper fluid and other stuff I don't even remember. Now, I need new shocks, struts and a stabilizer bar. I think I'll just give up and walk to work.

Back to the business at hand. Here are Amanda's 11 questions about me:

1. Favorite race/event and why? My favorite race was my last race, which was my first half marathon. The Big Hit Half Marathon was such a cool experience. I ran it faster than I ever thought possible and proved to myself and everyone else that I can stick with it, follow a training plan and finish strong.  
2. Were you a Princess or TomBoy? Eh, neither so much, but if I had to choose, I think I tended towards the tomboy thing. I'm not so maternal, so while I played with dolls and watched Disney, I liked to swim, play video games and read more than anything. I think I was a feminist from an early age, because I can remember watching "Grease" and being disappointed at the end that Sandy changed herself to be with Danny.
3. Who or What inspires you & why? I find inspiration everywhere. I find my mom's sacrifice for her family inspiring, my dad's self-made success inspiring and my husband's dedication to higher education inspiring. I find Katie's weight-loss story and blog inspiring and I found Kara Goucher's book about running for women inspiring. Sometimes, I'm inspired by nice weather to get out there and run, and sometimes, I'm inspired by the promise of Taco Bell.
4. Do you have more “online” friends or real life friends? Real-life friends, for sure.
5. 20 Year Class Reunion….Are you going, legitimately busy or you wouldn’t be caught dead stepping in the door? I'll have to wait and see how I feel when I get there. Right now, I think I'll skip it. Why would I want to hang out with people who made me miserable as a teenager when Facebook has allowed me to keep in contact with the people I actually care about?
6. Do you prefer Flowers or Candy from the significant other or should they save the $? Candy, a million times yes. Lindt chocolate, please.  
7. If you were rich and famous and had the balls guts to name your kid something outlandish, what would that be? First and Middle name, please! First, I'd have to have kids. That would be the first hurdle. I named my dog Napoleon, so I have no issues with awesome names.
8. You’re in a marathon, in first place, on world record pace…..You have to “go”. Do you stop for a port-o-pot, and possibly lose the race and miss the world record or do you go in the street for the world to see? If it's OK for Paula Radcliffe, it's fine by me.
9. Why do you run? To kick ass. I started running to end a weight-loss plateau. While I'm still in a war with my weight, I've found a lot of peace and reward in running. And I love the bling.    
10. Favorite type of run: Group, Solo, Tempo, Long Run, Speed Work? Long runs. Me, the road and my music. Life falls into place after miles with your thoughts.
11. Most adventurous “out of character” thing you’ve ever done? I've been sitting here for a half an hour and can't think of anything that would make someone say "that chick is nutso!" but traveling with my parents in their trailer to watch a quidditch match generally makes people say, "hmm, tell me more."