- I have a heightened sense of hearing for all running-related conversations which allows me to eavesdrop on even the quietest of discussions from hallways away.
- I run faster if I’m angry or sad, which means I’ve run equally fast listening to Eminem’s “I’m Not Afraid” as I have listening to Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe.”
- I don’t need to run to music…I’ve gotten through several twenty-mile runs on daydreams alone.
- Some of my fastest race times have been when I was sick or uncomfortable in some way.
- When I’m training, I crave French fries nearly 24 hours/day.
- I’ve cried at the finish line of every marathon.
- I drink black coffee before every run.
- My former boyfriend used to threaten to break up with me if I ever peed my pants during a race for the sake of a better time. Note: This is not why we broke up. And I have never peed my pants during race. Yet.
- I once raced a girl all the way around Central Park who had no clue we were racing.
- I never really liked beer until I started marathon training, now it’s one of my favorite drinks and I crave it almost as much as French fries.
- I have a tendency to play make believe when I run. For example, when I run down long, steep hills I pretend that I’m a fairy by leaning forward, taking long strides, and gaining as much speed as I can until I feel like I’m flying. Also, sometimes when run on/in obstacle-heavy terrain/weather, I pretend that I’m a character in a video game.
- My relationships with running shoe brands and models have often paralleled my romantic relationships.
- If you run with me, I will talk to you the whole time—this will happen regardless of if you wear headphones or not.
- My sister is my favorite running buddy because she also talks the whole time. In fact, some our greatest heart-to-hearts have been during ten-plus mile runs.
- Sweet potatoes are my go-to night-before-a-race meal.
- I once spent the entirety of a fourteen-mile run daydreaming about what I would do if I saw a mountain lion. (To be fair, this was in Southern California where my chances of seeing a mountain lion are one-billion percent more than in NYC.)
- I have confirmation bias down to an art form when it comes to convincing myself that running is good for things it is not necessarily good for and/or that things that are not necessarily good for running are good for running. For example, I have Googled “running is good for colds” and “beer is good for running.” (I have also, on one or two occasions, Googled, “beer is good for colds.”)
- I’m terrible at eating “enough” protein.
- When I’m running in New York, I tend to smile at everyone I pass because that’s what people do in Michigan, but when I’m running in Michigan I feel weary of the fact that everyone I pass smiles at me.
- My parents don’t necessarily love my passion for marathon running, but nobody has supported me more than they have. There’s a lot of personal time, work, and willpower that goes into marathon training/running, but I would not have crossed any of the finish lines that I did if it were not for my parents, my sister, and my aforementioned former boyfriend/current friend. Note: RE #12–I am not still friends with any of my ex-running shoes.
I’m currently fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with the St. Jude Heroes. Click here to done to my personal page.
As per #9…I also race people who have no idea they are racing me…I took it one step further in a 10K I did once and shook the girls hand and said nice try! (I have the photo to prove my victory also!)
As per #12…I am more upset that my current shoe is on the endangered shoe list then my ex husband being my ex husband!