Last week Maureen from Running On Cabernet (one of my favorite running blogs to read, so go check it out if you haven’t read it before) nominated me for The Liebster Award. Thanks Maureen!

I’ve seen this going around on some of the blogs I follow and here’s how it works:

• It’s a great way to promote new blogs as it’s given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers
• You list 11 random facts about yourself and then answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you
• Next choose 11 new bloggers to pass the award on to and tag them in your post

Here goes…

11 Random Facts

1. I won a raffle among the girls in my sixth grade class (all 12 of us) and got the chance to carry the Olympic Torch along the grounds of my elementary school as it made its way to the Atlanta Games.
   

   Carrying the Olympic Torch in front of IC school

2. I went to two different high schools.
3. I went to three undergrad colleges in four years, but still managed to graduate summa cum laude on time. I don’t believe in quitting, but I also don’t believe in staying in a situation that makes you unhappy if you have control to change it. You make your own happiness.
4. I ran cross country my sophomore year in college and actually made All Conference. Disclaimer: I could never convince enough girls at my school to come out for a meet so we never got to place as a team, and I very well may have been running in the worst conference in all of Division 3.
5. When I was little I wanted to play Little League Baseball so my parents signed me up, and along with my cousin Susie, I played with the boys for years until I finally  made the switch to softball for school ball.
6. I love puzzles and I get one for Christmas every year.
   
7. I took piano lessons for 10 years.
8. I had a basketball coach who said if we wanted to be good at ball handling we should practice an hour a day no matter how hard it was to fit in. For the next three years of high school, my poor parents had to listen to me dribbling a basketball in our basement for an hour a day every single day, often in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. I can’t even begin to imagine how annoying this must have been!
9. My brother and I built a rope ladder to climb out of his second story bedroom room onto our deck when we were probably 12 and 14 years old. After he made it down, I couldn’t reach the ladder so I put my bike helmet on and jumped into the pile of pillows we put out in case the ladder failed only I missed the pillows. Other than a swollen ankle for a couple days I was completely fine somehow. We didn’t tell our parents for a very long time. In fact, they might just be learning about it now. Oops.
10.  I didn’t eat my first cheeseburger until college. Why did I wait so long?!
11. I’ve run marathons in four different countries.

11 Questions From Maureen

1. Why did you start your blog?
   I’ve always loved writing and had wanted to do a blog for a long time, but never knew how to start. I wasn’t super happy with the job I had at the time and it was making me hate writing, so I wanted to take that back and write for myself again.
2. What is your favorite type of junk food?
   Toss up between Reese’s Pieces or sour gummy worms
3. Do you read newspaper in print or online?
   I stuck with the print edition for a long time, but finally gave up and mostly always read it online now.
4. What was the last move you saw in the theater?
   Lincoln
5. What was your favorite class in school?
   English
6. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
   Ireland – in a heartbeat. I’ve been there before, but it was my absolute favorite vacation and I would love to go back!
7. What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
   Oh man, that’s a tough question. Recently I’d say a homemade buffalo chicken deep dish pizza. I’ve had some really good steakhouse dinners. I always love spaghetti and meatballs. I LOVE eating, so I don’t know why I can’t pin down the best meal I’ve ever had – maybe there are just too many to choose from.
8. How long have you lived in your current city/town?
   Almost 7 years
9. What was your first job?
   I cleaned the rectory offices at my Church in high school, but my first real job was in Communications at the Consumer Electronics Association – a pretty good first gig.
10. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
    My parents always drilled into me that working hard and being good to the people around you will pay off in the end. It does.
11. What are you looking forward to this summer?
    Lots of long weekends here in D.C. and on the road with Ian including my first trip to Portland, Oregon!

Bloggers I’m Tagging: (Not sure if I’d consider all of these new bloggers and I know some of them definitely have more than 200 followers, but I do really enjoy reading all of them.)

Lindsay at Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Running

Molly at Heart, Sole & Cereal

Ashley at Coffee Cake and Cardio

Jennifer at A Knack for Nutrition

Sam at Yogitastic

Rana at Life, Love & the Pursuit of Running

Katie at Healthy Heddleston

Allison at Wicked Healthy Washingtonian

Sara at Magia e Pasta

Alex at The Run Within

Jess at Jess Runs

My Questions

1. What’s your favorite book?
2. Guilty pleasure TV show?
3. How many siblings do you have?
4. What’s your hometown?
5. Best Vacation you’ve ever taken?
6. What would you do if you won the lottery?
7. What’s your dream job?
8. Why do you blog?
9. Do you have any pets?
10. What’s something most people don’t know about you?
11. What are you most proud of?