I’ve been hit!

Ok, so it was just a tag, not a full on hit.

Jen from Toughnoodles/On the Way tagged me to find out a little more about my running. There are 5 questions that I need to answer, and then tag 5 more people.

How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Non-existent. 10 years ago I weighed 235 lbs. Then I went up to 275. About 4 years ago when I was back down to 264 I decided it was time to do something about my weight. I began exercising. Started with walking. Then I progressed to a calisthenic type work out. I used a jump-rope as my main aerobic exercise. Within 6 months (and 45 lbs lighter) I was going to a Tae-Bo class.

Fast forward to a little over a year after I started and I was down 60 lbs or so. Hovering right around 200. My brother mentioned that he was training for a half marathon. I had done a couple of running sessions and found that running wasn’t so bad. I decided to train for a half marathon too. I got my brother’s training schedule and started focusing on that.

I have been running for about 2.5 years and am holding steady at 190 lbs.

What is your best and worst run/race experience?
Best:
Without doubt my best running experience was a run I did about this time last year when I was in Long Beach, California. I just went out for a casual run just to see what I could see. No agenda and 3.5 hours before I had to be anywhere. I ran along the beach with a few different training groups as well as through town.

Worst: I don’t know. I have had a few bad experiences, but I can’t think of any one run that sticks out. The thing that frustrates me most is cars that get too close to me. If they are close enough for me to extend my arms and touch them, they are too close. I give them a good whack, but I try to be courteous about it.

Why do you run?
For me it is not so much the running as it is the exercise. I have found that I am addicted to the stuff. Running is something that I have found that I can really do for many years to come. It is also very portable.

My only regret is that I did not learn I was an athlete until I was 36 years old.

I do use running sometimes to clear my head. Especially on Sunday mornings if I don’t feel totally ready for the day, I go over my notes and then head out for a run. I don’t always think about my sermon directly, but somehow things come together during the run. Oh, who am I kidding? You know I am an ADD procrastinator. Most of my Sunday morning sermons are born out of that morning’s run.

What is the best or worst piece of advice you’ve been given about running?
Best:
That it is OK to slow down.

Worst: Just mostly the stupid stuff people say about running, i.e., that it is bad for you, etc. I have been one of those people in the past too.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
I usually am the last person in the house to go to bed and try to be the first person up. I have always done this (at least the first person up thing). Even when I am at someone’s house as a guest or there are guests at my house. I don’t want to miss any action.

Bonus surprise: This was actually a surprise for me. I was a bit of a loon in school. Always the class clown, loved by everyone, hated by only the best. I tried so hard to be “normal” in college. I even thought I pulled it off pretty well. The last few weeks through Facebook I have connected with quite a number of college friends and fringe acquaintances. I have had a few that look at my pictures and my writings and say that I am still just as crazy as I was in college. Apparently I did not hide it too well.

Rules of the game: I am now supposed to tag 5 more people and get them to answer the questions. I will pick on T3rry first and add to the list as I think of 4 more running blogging friends.

If you have been tagged, you will find your name at the end of this post. You should then, copy the rules (or your version of them), and the set of questions onto your blog post, provide your own answers, and then tag 5 new people.

Just to be sure that everyone tagged knows they have been invited to play, go to their blogs and leave them a special comment letting them know, and refer them to your blog for details. One more thing, once they’ve answered the questions on their own blog, they should come back to yours to tell you.

List of victims: T3rry,

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