tagged by kelly

i was tagged by kelly. i think this is how this works...

1. How would you describe your running ten years ago? ten years ago i was a none runner. in fact, i was just finishing up with physical therapy due to a car accident that nearly took my life five months earlier. i did not start running until one year and a few months after my accident. i started to run to prove to myself that i could not do it and that i would never stick with it. after about a month i bought my first pair of "real" running shoes and as soon as i could run for 30 minutes without stopping i signed up for my first 5K. i thought that i would die but one of my daughters and my husband were waiting for me at the finish and i have been running ever since. i also had no idea where running would take me or how far i would be able to go in a race. i have completed over 25 marathons and even more ultras.


2. What is your best and worst race experience? my best race experience is by far and will always be my Western States finish. to have run with my friend George was great and my family was there to crew me. i could not have done it with out their help and encouragement. my daughter Taylor saved my race at Michigan Bluff. Taylor, you rock! my worst race was my very first ultra at Squaw Peak. i had no idea what i was doing and could not understand why they would make up a course with such big hills that you could not run. i also cracked my head on a tree branch and got lost with my husband and "girlfriend" Brad. we DNF'd at mile 26. i cried. i have since gone back to complete it twice.

3. Why do you run? i run because most of the time it is fun. i have been to some beautiful places that i would never have seen. i feel so grateful to have a body that allows me to be able to move through some crazy terrain and weather and i have great stories to share with family and friends. i have met and made some of the most wonderful people that i have ever know through my running. many i call friends!

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running? the worst advise i was given i had actually passed along to a friend who was running the LA marathon on a very hot day. i told him to take a packet of table salt and have some at mile 17 (as was told to me by another) well he did and ended up heaving his guts up for the next little while and ruining his time goal. best advise was given to me by the Gallagher's in 07. only listen to positive people, they told me and it was a turning point in my Western States training. and by Lisa Smith-Batchen "start slow to finish fast" i am not fast so i will change it to "start slow to finish strong" because that is what i love to do!

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know. i struggle with chronic fitigue due to Lymes Disease that i contracted as a child when i was bitten by a tick. this leaves me tired and and i have a hard time recovering after a long or hard run. after my first two successful 100 mile races, 101 miles at San Diego One Day and 26:24 at Rocky Raccoon, i have never been able to come back and now find myself consistently at the end of the line. i don't give up because i have met so many wonderful and supportive people. the really quality people don't care how fast i run, they just enjoy me for who i am. and for that i say "THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL A PART OF THIS SPORT"!

i would like to tag my friend Greg who just finished his first 100 in San Diego this past weekend. GREAT JOB GREG! stop by his blog and read his report and congratulate him. thank you kelly for thinking of me! LC