Liebster Award Nominee!

My buddy Jeremy over at Confessions of an Amateur Athlete is one of those blogfriends who just kills it when it comes to helping people connect with others who have similar interests. Y'all should totally check him out; his blog is upbeat, REAL, and has tons of awesome tips about running in the crazy Arizona heat.

confessionsofanamateurathlete.blogspot.com

Yeah, I think I'll stay in Seattle!

Today Jeremy let me know that he nominated me for a Liebster Award, a super cool award from bloggers to bloggers. Being so new to this blogging world, I'm incredibly tickled that Jeremy thought of me when he created his list of nominees.

As with many things internetically related (that's totally a word), the Liebster Award has several rules that need to be followed in order to perpetuate its awesomeness:

1. Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog (done!).
2. Answer the 10 questions the blogger asked of you (workin' on it).
3. Nominate 10 different bloggers.
4. Ask 10 different questions to the nominees.

Time to get down to business!

Nominee Questions:

1. Tell us what your blog is about!  

• I'm still working on defining my focus for my blog, but it originated out of desperation. This winter, I realized I wasn't dedicated to training, I wasn't motivated to go outside and get miles in, and I was just feeling blah. I thought connecting to other runners would help me out, and holy wow it sure has!

2. What made you want to start blogging?

• Oops! I kind of answered this one in my first question! That's what I get for not pre-reading the questions. Bad teacher! Checking out other run blogs definitely inspired me; Hungry Runner Girl is one of my favorites because Janae writes in such a colloquial "girlfriends" way. I feel like I know her!

3. What's your favorite way to stay active?

• Hiking! The Pacific Northwest is just so incredible. I constantly am reminded of how lucky I am to live here.

• Races of various lengths. I enjoy a 5k fun run as much as I enjoy a half marathon!

4. If you could have dinner with ONE person (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

• My grandpa. He passed away when I was 6, but I remember him as a truly gentle soul. I would love to get the chance to talk with and learn from him as an adult.

5. Waffles or Pancakes?  Favorite topping?

• Why do I have to choose? I refuse to choose. And the best topping will always be strawberries and peanut butter. NOM.

6. One guilty pleasure of yours after a tough workout/run.

• A pint and a pretzel. You'll often find me at Redhook Brewery after a long run on the Burke-Gilman Trail. :)

7. What's one fitness activity you haven't tried, or don't do often, that you'd like to try?

• I want to get more into rock climbing. It's agonizing for your muscles (in a good way) and I've LOVED the few times I've gone, but I've never made it a part of my routine.

8. If you could only eat ONE thing for the rest of your life... what would it be?

• Pancakes. Okay. I guess I chose.

9. Describe your dream vacation.

• Anywhere with history! This summer, I'm backpacking through Scotland for a week before flying down to Paris to visit with a former mentor of mine. I love getting a feel for the people and culture by immersing myself in it, and wish I had more opportunities to do so.

10. Favorite blog post?

• This is still a fledgling blog, but so far my favorite post has been a race review of the Kirkland Shamrock Run. Dad and I ran it together, and he's just too adorable not to repost. :)

Now it's my turn to nominate some friends!

1. Lindsay over at Lindsay On The Go.
2. Jon and Don at Gametiime.
3. Janae over at Hungry Runner Girl.
4. Monica over at Run Eat Repeat.
5. Paul at Bagtown Blogtrotter.
6. Crystal at Mommy Runs.
7. David at Running Because.
8. Krissy at Shiawase Life.
9. Amelia at Entirely Amelia.
10. Michelle at Michelle the Runner.

Your Super Serious Questions:

1. Do you have a tattoo? If so, is it visible when you run?
2. What's your favorite during/post-run hydration?
3. If you could tell every runner this one safety tip, it would be...
4. What's the funniest thing that has happened to you while on a run?
5. Do you jump out of bed ready for your long runs, or is it more of a process?
6. What was the biggest nutrition mistake you made before a run?
7. Do you want some chocolate right now?
8. Do you have other places you'd like people to check out you (ie: Instragram, Facebook, Twitter)?
9. If you aren't running on a sunny day, what're you up to?
10. What's the last AWESOME book you read?

Thanks again for the nomination, Jeremy! Toodles!

UPDATE:

I was nominated again by Darilyn of Time to Just Get Moving, who is on a quest avoid the dreaded "Accountant flat-butt" (that made me laugh so hard!). Thanks for the nom, Darilyn! Here are questions she posed, and my answers:

1.  Favorite piece of fitness/exercise gear and why?

Ooh, this is a good one! I'm a pretty avid hiker, and as a bit of an "emergency preparedness nut" I always bring way too much stuff with me in a backpack (ie: several liters of water, trail mix that would last me a day if need be, first aid kit, multitool, extra socks, rain slicker, waterproof matches and case, RoadID, paracord bracelet, and on and on). My backpack was always an old school bag, which was no big deal. For my birthday last year, though, my dad gave me this beautiful thing:

Osprey Mira 26

I now understand the amazing capabilities of hydration packs. :) I'm actually taking my pack with me to Scotland this summer for a backpacking adventure!

2.  Do you like to workout in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening?

If I didn't already wake up so early for school, I'd get a workout in beforehand whenever possible. I am a total morning person, and on the weekends I'm usually out of bed by 7:30am to get my morning workout in. :)

3.  What is the goal that you want to reach by the end of 2014?

I'd like to beat my half marathon PR by the end of 2014. I also contemplated tackling my first full marathon, but knowing I'd be out of the country for three weeks this summer made me feel like I'd regress in my training too much to make it. I'm definitely planning on running the Bellingham Bay Marathon in September of 2015, though.

4.  What is your go-to post-workout snack?

Scrambled eggs, toast, and peanut butter. Usually while that's cooking, I've got fruit or crackers in my hands, too. I like fast, filling and hopefully nutritious.

5.  What has been your hardest training moment so far?

For me, battling injuries has been rough. Every few months I have something that just stops me in my tracks. I'm realizing the importance of assessing my running shoes for wear, and also taking it easy on myself when I'm hurting. Here's to a more body-conscious spring!

6.  How do you find time to fit in training?

Well, I'm single. Done.

7.  How do you train in extreme weather (cold, heat, rain, wind, etc)?

You mean the daily weather span of a Seattleite (sans the "heat")? I learned early on not to try to wear a rain jacket (hello, inside-the-jacket sauna!), and that layers are awesome until you overheat. I'm going to write up a guest blog post sometime this week on my tips for training in the rain, but my biggest tips are: hat, sunglasses, arm layer, long socks, and BodyGlide.

If I was picky about weather, I'd only make it through 20% of my runs!

8.  How do you respond to people who ask you "Why" (i.e. why on earth would you sign up for that event?!)?

"Because I can."

9.  What are you top 3 workout songs?

I LOVE classical music (always have, always will). My running playlist has "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars: Episode 1, "Concerning Hobbits" from The Fellowship of the Ring, and "Spontaneous Me" by Lindsey Stirling. Oh, and the "Game of Thrones Theme" too. That one makes me feel hardcore when I'm running in aforementioned bad weather.

10. What has been your favorite event so far?

I've enjoyed both races I've run with my dad the most. Signing up to run a race with him, training for it, prepping the night before, and then having a buddy at the race is just so different from my previously-solo adventures. I'm so proud of him, and that pride just makes me float whenever we run together.