Hi, friends! How's your Tuesday? The weather's actually nice in Michigan today, but guess where you could find me if you happened to stop by my house - that's right, the couch! I've been uber tired lately; there's lots of craziness going on in the life of Road Again Megan, stuff that I'll talk about eventually.
But today's not going to be that time. Today I came across a neat survey about running over at Run With Jess. I thought it'd be a nice way to share a little about myself. If you do the survey on your blog, come back over and link up (at the bottom of this post) so that I can head over and read all about you and your running habits!
What's your favorite type of cross training? I'll be honest - I don't do much cross training. I know. I should. I plan to get into yoga this summer.
What's your favorite song to run to? Lately, it's been anything by Mumford & Sons, like "The Cave". I love, love, love that song.
What brand of shoes do you wear? I wear the Mizuno Inspire 6. I have two pairs, and try to alternate them on runs. I used to wear Asics, but have come to love the feeling of being a bit closer to the ground with the Mizunos. The pair in the front of this line up are one of the current pairs.
Do you wear a hat when you run? Nope. I prefer that my scalp burns to a crisp in the summer just pull my rat's nest up in a tidy messy ponytail. Hats make me look even more like this guy (because my ears stick out in them):
What temperature is your favorite for running? Give me anything between 50 and 65 degrees, and I'll be good to go. Anything warmer is difficult - too sweaty - and anything cooler poses challenges - needing to find the right combination of layers.
Do you have any big races coming up? Right now, I have the Crim 10-Mile Race in August on the docket as well as the Chicago Marathon in October. But like I said, there's lots of craziness going on in my life right now, so we'll see how that goes.
What is your favorite distance? The marathon certainly has its perks. Nothing beats the feeling I had in Detroit in 2009 when I crossed that finish line and got to wear that medal.
But I'd have to say that the half is my favorite distance. It's much easier to train for, and the mental race is much easier to contend with. Setting a PR at 2010 Detroit Half-Marathon was simply amazing.
Are you a morning, noon, or evening runner? During the school year, I run in the afternoons and evenings since I already wake up too early to get to work each day. While off in the summers, though, I tend to run in the mornings to beat the Michigan humidity best as I can.
Do you run solo or with a buddy? Usually, I'm a solo runner. I try to run with the hubs, but he's more of a 7:30-8:00 miler. Rather fast for my average feet.
However, I made one runny buddy recently: Megan from Watch MeGo Run She lives in Michigan, too, and we're actually in the process of setting up another running date this week.
What's your favorite post-run snack? Whatever sounds good. I tend to get a little queasy on runs sometimes, especially long runs, so I'll eat whatever I can get down when I return. Usually I'll have some kind of carb - a sandwich, bagel, or bowl of cereal. If I'm feeling particularly naughty on a long run day, the hubs and I will nom on pizza.
What's your favorite race? I love The Crim 10-Miler. It's a huge, internationally known race in Flint, Michigan. Yeah, Flint - one of the crim capitals of the U.S. But the course is great, and the distance is perfect - not too long, not too short. And the after party ROCKS. You can read about my 2010 Crim Race here.
Do you wear a Garmin? If not, how do you track runs? I sure do have a Garmin, and it was the best $130 bones I ever spent. I use the Garmin 305. It's super easy to learn and operate and has really helped me to improve my runs, especially my speed runs.
What is your least favorite race? I don't have a specific race to call my "least favorite", but any 10k race is really tough for me. One has to be speedy but dig deep for endurance. I'm a one or the other kind of runner - I can run really fast kind of move quickly or I can run for a long time, but doing both is hard for me.
What race is your favorite medal from? The 2009 Detroit Marathon. The medal is huge, but it has to be in order to truly represent all of the emotions I went through in those 4 hours and 47 minutes.
Who is your running idol? Kara Goucher. My husband. The woman who runs the Crim every year in a Cheetah costume, complete with a tail. Anyone who decides to get off their ass and run a mile once in a while.
How long have you been a runner? Sine 2003, I've had an on-again, off-again relationship with running due to various life factors. However, since 2008, I've been fairly consistent with training and racing. Running and I finally stopped having fights over who was going to do the dishes and take out the trash, and we've been getting along famously ever since.
Do you run with your wedding/engagement ring on? I do, but only during races. Not sure why. I think I'm always a little afraid that I'll pass out or die during a race, and Important Race People will see my ring and know to contact my husband, I suppose.
What's your favorite running workout? Repeats? Long runs? Tempo? Fartleks? It's a toss-up between long runs and speed work/repeats. Long runs give me peace of mind. Repeats make me stronger. Long runs are easy. Repeats are hard. In the end, both build character in me as a runner. So I guess they both take first in their division!
Your Turn! Complete the survey on your own blog and link up below, or leave a note in the comments telling me about yourself as a runner. I love getting to know new peeps!