Fitness Friday - 10 Running Questions

 I first saw these questions over at Another Mother Runner, but they have been tossed around the blog world pretty thoroughly after the last few days so I thought I'd play along.

(1) Best run ever? 
Gosh, how do you even pick one? My first thought was the disaster-that-almost-was 20 miler last weekend.  Admittedly, it didn't feel "the best" but was such a great mental feeling!  I had a really awesome 15+ mile training run before the Riverbank run this spring. Beautiful day, comfortable run and (at that time) really awesome distance PR.  That will be a tough one to beat, as far as the actual run goes.  Oooh, and I had seriously awesome hill workout a few weeks ago:

(2) Three words that describe your running? 
improving
uplifting
survival


(3) Your go-to running outfit? 
Anything quasi-clean?  I don't know if I'm super pick or super not picky. :) I prefer compression-type shorts. These thighs need spandex protection! And I need them on the long-side. (seriously - 1-3 inches is just... well, no one needs to see that). I used to have a Brooks sports bra I loved, but they don't make them any more and I'm still not happy with any that I have.  :( I splurged on some Brooks gear during a big sale, which I love! But not sure I can justify the price...I'm a cheap-o.

(4)  Quirky habit while running? 
Gosh, I don't know! I probably have many but since I usually run solo, no one points them out. :) I really really hate to stop at uneven mile points? If I have a 15 mile run on my schedule, I want my Garmin to click fully to 15 (even if I know I lost my signal and I actually ran 15 already).  If it's not on the Garmin, it didn't happen. But I notice that I carry this over to other parts of my run, especially my long runs. For example, I want to hit 4 miles before taking a Gu, not 3.6 or 4.2.  I suppose that's pretty quirky.


(5) Morning, midday, evening?
Morning, almost always. Lately, I've been really struggling with my alarm and have snuck in my runs over my lunch break.  Thankfully, it's starting to cool down enough to make that an option! I hate running at night. Too stinking tired!


(6)  I won’t run outside when it’s ____________ 
Snow is fine, but ice is scary. I did get some Yak Trax last year and feel fairly comfortable with those. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but rain is my cryptonite.  9 times out of 10, I HATE running in the rain. 



(7) Worst injury—and how you got over it.
Fortunately, I've been relatively injury free, but I would say my recent broken toe would be up there!  I took it easy for a few days and have tried to ease back into it. I noticed my toe/foot has been rather achy yesterday and today, so may need to rest it a bit more this weekend...


(8) I felt most like a badass mother runner when _______.
I ran in some seriously pouring rain. This is likely due to #6.  :) 


(9) Next race is __________
Detroit Free Press Marathon on October 21!!!!  So excited.

(10)  Potential running goal for 2013?
With JS joining our family last this year or early next, I am hesitant to make too many plans for next year.  I think I will need to cut back on the running after this marathon and work in some more cross training or I'm likely to end up hurting myself.  However, I really want to keep a nice solid base (20-25 miles or so).  

I am toying with the idea of trying a triathlon (gasp!) but hesitant for many reasons, not the least of which (1) I pretty much would have to learn how to swim (like, for reals) and (2) I don't have a bike.  So, that seems like a lot of money/effort for a "try it out" thing... 

I plan to run the Riverbank Run again. I'm hoping to do the 25k and work on speed (!) but if that is a bit too much at that time, I'll at least do the 5k or 10k. It's just too fun to skip.  

I have one other race already scheduled!  I'm super excited about this - the North Country Trail Run 1/2 Marathon. My first race (and real running) on trails. AND the medal is the size of my face. Serious, serious bling.  

[source: NCTR FB page]

 Anyone else want to play along??