Tagged again

Patti tagged me today. This meme, unlike all of the others (which I have willingly participated in) is all about running. Very FUN and Exciting! Right?

Here are the rules, followed by my reply.

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.

In this case, all 5 questions are all about RUNNING. How easy is that?

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.

Got that?

Here goes…

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
In a word: non-existent. 10 years ago, I was pregnant with YaYa. Just prior to my pregnancy, I had built a good running base (by my standards back then), and was confident that I’d be able to run through at least part of my pregnancy. To be sure that the baby was safe, I got a heart rate (HR) monitor and asked my OB for parameters/limits to follow. She gave me the go ahead with the stipulation that I keep my HR below 150 beats per minute (bpm). I found this impossible as my HR would climb with only the slightest movement (although that never stopped me from talking). Instead of running, I swam throughout my pregnancy, and took up running after my little guy was born.

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?
My best race experience would have to be when I finished my first marathon. I’ll never forget that feeling of accomplishment in realizing that I did something that I wasn’t sure that I could do. It felt great. Then I set my sights on a new goal of qualifying for Boston. I am still chasing that goal (these days, more remotely than I’d like to admit).

My worst race experience would have to have been when I was running the San Jose Rock In Roll Half-Marathon and suffered an overuse injury at mile 3. Obviously, the race was not where the “over use” occurred, it was just where the cambered road pushed my over used tendon right over the edge. I felt SO close to my Boston Qualification (BQ) at that point. I was running very well, and was full of confidence. A lot has happened since then.

3. Why do you run?
This is a good question. I am not sure that I have a good answer for this question anymore however. I used to think that I ran because I needed to. My running helped me to manage the stress in my life. Now a day, I would say that I run because I can rather than out of need. Running is just a good chunk of who I am. It is something that I take pride in because it takes a lot of dedication to get out and keep doing it even when it isn’t easy. It is a metaphor for life.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you’ve been given about running?
Best: Don’t do anything new on race day.
Worst: Cutting 17 minutes from a marathon finish is a piece of cake.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
I still cannot keep my HR below 150 bpm.

Now, here are my 5 Tagees:
• Jeff
• 21st Century Mom
• Runner Susan
• Cindy
• Anne