ELEVEN

So, I am sure a bunch of you have seen the 11 things post going around.  I have been reading them and have found it kind of fun to learn about those of you that have participated.  I was surprised tonight when I saw that I got tagged to do it to.  Thank you, Nicole.  She is a fellow Touch Chik! (More on Team Tough Chik in a future post.)

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.


11 random things about me:
 1. I'm afraid of horses - I have several childhood memories involving horses and someone getting hurt. Haven't gotten over my fear yet. One of my first days of work in DC, I came to the top of the escalator from the metro only to find the square in front of my office full of mounted police officers. I walked several blocks out of my way to avoid a horse encounter.



2. Having an office with a window is one of the best perks of my job.


3. Next Saturday is my 6th wedding anniversary. We were married on 2/4/6 - although according to the District of Columbia that marriage wasn't exactly legal. 


4. D proposed while we were out on a long run (five weeks before we ran the Marine Corps Marathon together). He proposed with a ring that was purchased for $0.50 in a gumball machine.


5. The Marine Corps Marathon in 2005 was my first marathon. Prior to running it I had never run a race longer than 10 miles. 


6. I've run four marathons to date. Three of the four I've run with D. I've beat him each time by 0.01 seconds. (READ: he has let me win each time).


7. Had I not gotten my current job after finishing my PhD, I would have gotten my spinning instructor's certification and taught spinning. Not the best use of a PhD in epidemiology, but it would have been fun and my legs would have looked great.


8. My knees and elbows hyper-extend; so do my brothers.


9. My brother-in-law gave D and me a case of wine as a wedding gift. We're supposed to drink a bottle on our 1st, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th anniversaries. Last year (our 5th anniversary) I was pregnant so we saved our bottle for this year. Looking forward to opening it next week.
 
10. K is named after my mom; C is named after my brother-in-law.

11. I take a shower every.single.day. No exceptions.

Questions from Nicole:

1. What is your favorite band? U2 - saw them in concert in 1997. It was awesome.

2.  Who is your biggest inspiration? Tough question --- I'm inspired to be the best that I can be to set an example for my kids; I'm inspired to do the hard things in life with a smile on my face by my good friend who is a quadriplegic and the strongest person I know; I'm inspired by all the other mother runners out there who are shooting for the stars, making time for training, staying healthy, and crossing the finish lines with smiles on their faces.

3.  Can you remember your last dream? Was it good? Yes. It wasn't good or bad. It just was. I was surprised that many of my high school friends and teammates were in it.

4. What is your favorite book? Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

5. What is your best childhood memory? Going to swim meets as a family. Pizza dinners afterwards with teammates and their families is a close second.

6.  Do you have any regrets? No.

7. What is your most prized possession? Toss up --- either my camera or iPhone

8. What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh? Texting with D while I waited in the longest line EVER at the DMV.

9. What movie can you watch over and over again? Top Gun and The Sound of Music

10.  Do you go to church? Yes - and our church is quasi-famous (it was profiled in Time Magazine in 2008)

11.  How is your day so far? Today has been a mixed bag -- had a great run, but also spent too much time at the DVM. K had a great night of sleep (big surprise); C not so much. I was up from 1:15-3am - when the alarm went off at 6:15 I nearly chucked my phone across the room.