Tagged!

Lauren from On the Run Tagged me, so hear you go warts and all, I will try to avoid repeating myself from prior iterations

Rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about “you are tagged if you are reading this”. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 Random Things About Me:

1. At most I usually drink one beer a week, that’s it. I used to drink wine but totally lost the taste for it 5-6 years ago
2. I have an insanely high tolerance for caffeine 3-4 espresso based drinks a day along with the same amount in drip coffee and I still fall asleep on the couch at 9:30pm
3. Swimming with fishes freaks me out, I have snorkeled and managed to keep it together, scuba diving is a total no no! This will make open water swimming fun!
4. My car has nearly 130,000 miles on it and I love it so much I don’t want a new one. It’s a VW Passat wagon but it’s comfortable has a kick ass iPhone stereo and tons of storage
5. I have given up with voice dialing on my phone by peoples names and now assign them animals, don’t be surprised if you hear me say “Call Aardvark mobile”. Odd yes, works yes!
6. I am the eldest of three boys between me and the middle one there is 2 years 2 months and 10 days, between him and the youngest there is 2 years 2 months and 10 days, our birthdays 8/28, 6/18, 4/8 cue Twilight Zone music!
7. Although I grew up with animals; dogs, cats, horses etc I have developed and allergy to cat hair?
8. I always make the bed when staying in a hotel in the morning, the rational is that you pack your case on the bed and so it’s easy to loose things when it’s all unmade. That’s my issue and I am learning to live with it #virgo
9. I put my clothes out at night, not just my running/biking clothes but all of them!
10. I hate leaving the house untidy; “what would the burglars think”!
11. Despite drinking copious amounts of coffee I hate coffee flavored food; tiramisu is undercarriage funk from the devil!

Now to answer Lauren’s questions:

1. Short shorts or long shorts? hmm compression shorts mostly which by design are longer, current favorite are made by CEP and reviewed here
2. How do you recover from a tough long run? Protein smoothie with coconut water, chocolate mile and frozen fruit, hot shower and compression clothing
3. Favorite brand running shoe? Since transitioning to mid foot running I only run in Newtons, my Sir Issacs have over 500 miles and my Distancias nearly 400 miles
4. Longest distance ever run? 98, timed out after getting injured during a 100 mile race, walked another 2 miles then was carried another 1 mile and got in an ambulance, later found out race measured 102 miles long!
5. What would you do if a rattlesnake coiled up to strike a couple feet from you? Act like a mongoose!
6. For women – do you wear make-up? For men – do you remove hair from anywhere other than your face? Yes, road rash sucks, trust me I know, so I shave my legs.
7. Do/did your parents, guardians, siblings, children run? My kids have run a 1k and 5k, they are only 4 and 7 and I would really encourage them to run more if they wanted to, right now they are all about the new bikes with no training wheels, which is just fine too! They have their fair share of Wii and iPad too but I love that they love taking their bikes to the park!
8. How many days is your longest running streak? No idea, I have never streaked, I did run four half marathons in fours days? Does that count?
9. Would you rather run in extreme heat or extreme cold? Cold, you can always warm up but it seems impossible to cool down sometimes!
10. If you had to watch the same movie ten times in a row, what would it be? Inception or Sucker Punch, brain food or cheap trashy action!
11. Vanilla or Chocolate ice cream? Vanilla…no brainer with apple pie please!

And now here are my questions:

1. Finish this sentence; “Revenge is a dish best served…”
2. If you could invite anyone who would you invite to dinner, (alive or dead) and why?
3. If you could run a race anywhere in the world, which one would would it be?
4. Sum up the bare foot, minimal running, normal shoes argument in a sentence!
5. Early morning, middle of the day, in the evening? When is the best time? To run…get your mind out the gutter!
6. Do you really read all those magazines you subscribe to, please be honest?
7. What’s your favorite race distance?
8. What does you family/friends think about your running/biking/swimming etc
9. In the style of “Jeopardy” please answer this question “yes, at least twice a day, Alex”
10. We all have our “Achilles heel” mine is my ITB, what’s yours?
11. Stretching; do you…should you?

And now the lucky recipients, made somewhat easier by a reduced blog roll!

1. Wes – A Code Geeks Tail
2. Gretchen – Daily Adventures
3. Tran – Think Tran
4. Jenn – Junk Miles
5. Laura – Frayed Laces
6. Alex – Philosopher Runner
7. Mike – Dirt Dawg’s Rambling Diatribe
8. Mike – Michael Runner
9. Aron – Runner’s Rambles
10. Becca – See Becca Try to Tri
11. Robin – Gotta Run Gotta Ride

Wow that was a long post!

Tagged!

Remember these, the blog meme of a year or so ago, well like the 80’s it’s all coming back, I like the 80’s and Rio tagged me last week. So here we go…

1. What are you most proud of accomplishing in 2010?

Well all things considered it’s been a funny year, with hindsight (of course) I totally underestimated the damage to my leg last year, in fact it’s still not really right and quite possibly may never be. I had big goals that never came to fruition. That being said there are some simple things that went well I bested my 10k by nearly four minutes and won my AG, but that was way back in February. I managed to dig myself out of a funk mid year and I shaved 10 minutes off of my 30k PR last month and then ran a really sensible Half Marathon early this month. But probably my proudest accomplishment, getting my kids interested in running and that leads me nicely into the next question…

2. What are your running goals for 2011?

Next year is all about the family on race day, expect to see me merrily running plenty of kid’s fun runs either as warm ups or cool downs. This will also mean that I am running shorter races Half's or 30kms will probably max me out distance wise. The good thing about that is that I can focus a bit more on my speed, so I hope to shave some time off some of my PRs, I would really like to get close to a 40:00 10k and a 1:30 Half Marathon…we’ll see! Maybe in the second half I’ll go a bit longer? Non running but athletic I have a gleaming gloating bike calling my name as I walk by it each day and I need to tick off the Century ride thing, I got close a couple of years ago, I also won a wetsuit this year so maybe I will have cause to use that at some point. Non work well there’s the family and work and in that order. Oh and dropping those extra pounds that have crept back on!

3. What is your favorite race?

This is easy although it’s not a race but a series and that’s the PCTR race series, I hold these very close to my heart, my first Ultra, my fastest 50k, fabulous fun times and always with good friends and that includes the Race Directors; Sarah and Michael. Next year they are expanding their races to include some in Lake Tahoe and I am sharing some ideas to create something that will include a large portion of the Santa Monica Backbone trail and may extend out to a 50 miler. If it’s your first trail race or your 100th PCTR is always one to keep at the top of your list.

4. What is your most embarrassing running moment?

Strangely not too many of these to be honest, puking at Leona Divide…always a bonus! Getting caught shot on a trail run…got TP? Ending up in an ambulance at ‘the Hood? Ok maybe I have a few more than I thought?

So there you go another little slice of me, you can find my other tagged posts here, here, here, here and here, this is what happens when you have been blogging a while!

Your turn now and so in no particular order; Penny, Bootchez, Wes, Barb and Tran.

Mutiple Hits!

I've been hit on Facebook some ten times in the last week with tag, so in attempt to get the biggest bang for my buck they're doing double duty and being posted to blogger as well (there are a couple of edits here)! Enjoy.

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. My wife and two boys are the most precious things in my world
2. I constantly debate what my life would be like if my wife and I had had children younger; it’s an inner dialogue
3. I have concluded that the first twenty five years of my life were me just practicing at it and mostly getting it wrong
4. I have two tattoos, but you’ll only ever see one
5. I have had three motorcycle crashes, I passed my car driving test first time after 3 lessons
6. Both of my knees have dislocated; multiple times, as have my wrists, a shoulder and jaw
7. I have only broken one bone; a toe – in anger!
8. I am a qualified horseback riding instructor, I moved to Holland to work when I was 17, I stayed two years and bought, sold and show-jumped horses in northern Europe
9. I spent seven years in the Territorial Army (National Guard) I reached the rank of Sergeant
10. My first trip to the US was with the Army, we went to, of all places, Alabama where I was awarded and Honorary Colonelship for the State
11. I do not have a Bachelors degree but I do have a Masters’
12. I have lived in California for 6 years and never been in the ocean deeper than my knees
13. I have traveled to six continents: Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia (if you include New Zealand)
14. I leaned to snowboard in June! OK it was in New Zealand, I have never skied and probably never will
15. I collect those fake credit cards that the banks send you, I have over 5000 of them
16. If I could do it all again I would be an architect, civil engineer or would have joined the Army proper
17. I have suffered from altitude sickness twice; both times it sucked!
18. I have been analyzed as being predisposed as a muscle type II (fast twitch) runner yet I choose to participate in type I (slow twitch) distances
19. I would like to run the Western States Endurance Race and The Last Great Race (look them up on run100s.com)
20. I am the eldest of three boys; there are exactly two years, two months 8 days between the youngest and the middle and then the same between the middle and me...spooky?
21. I am the most cynical person I know when it comes to human nature although I am totally open to being proved otherwise, but I doubt I’ll ever be convinced
22. I love traveling but hate being a tourist, I often find the journey is better than the destination
23. I am highly functioning introvert, but once you get to know me that all changes; it’s not as bad as being a dysfunctional extrovert but close!
24. I am not religious or spiritual in anyway shape or form, I am a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac and I do spend sleepless nights in bed thinking about the meaning of Dog!
25. One of the above 24 facts is a complete lie…can you tell which!

I am not tagging anyone here but if you want to play...well you know the rules!

Cornered in the School Yard!

This is a reply to an open tag that has appeared on multiple blogs I read so here’s my two cents.

How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Hmm let me think. Ten years ago I was living in London, working in HR/Recruitment and serving as a Sergeant in the Territorial Army (think US National Guard) my running pretty much was composed of maintaining a passing level of the BFT; Basic Fitness Test, this comprised of three miles and was age graded, the first half was, from memory, was fifteen minutes (10 minute pace) and was completed as a squad the second half was individual effort and I was given 10.5 minutes (6:59 minute pace). This was all completed wearing running clothes; vest shorts and running shoes and was on the road. Because everyone know that when you heading off into battle you’ll going to don you nicest matching Asics kit this test was changed to the CFT; Combat Fitness Test, three miles, a 56lb Bergen and your personal weapon and in boots. The whole thing was completed as a squad, the route was shifted to a tank trail, think mud, more mud 12-24” deep puddles, mud, more puddles, did I mention mud and you had an hour to finish it.

What is your best and worst run/race experience?
I have actually had some pretty good race experiences; my personal best half marathon at the Santa Barbara Wine Country half last May was a great run, finishing my first marathon, my first 50k and then my first 50 miler all hold special places but probably the best runs are the ones where I have a whole morning to run around the trails “out back” behind my house and for that I have my understanding wife to thank. As for the worst; getting stuck with a knee injury 10 miles from home kinda sucked, getting soaking wet in Wales wasn’t so great and overheating while on a 20 miler wasn’t much fun either but you know they may have been bad runs but there’s always a lesson to be learned and that counts for something in itself.

Why do you run?
Because golf is too damn hard! To find the limit. To see Mother Nature in all her finery. To see what’s on the other side of the horizon. To set a healthy example to my boys.

What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?
A couple of pearls of wisdom; never make decision on an uphill! If you want to run fast; train fast, a modified military one; train hard: race easy and finally sunscreen! As for bad advice; hmm a couple of bad shoes salesmen who nearly killed my feet, running is bad for you knees (a perennial favorite) and run through pain; you can run through discomfort but pain, real pain should be listened to.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
Dang, there’s really not much left…hmm let me think. I am a qualified riding (horse) instructor, in a previous life I trained and competed as a show jumper in Holland and the Low Countries.

So if you’ve just read through this and have a blog and haven’t partaken consider yourself tagged.

PS for those of you who follow such things, this year's, (this weekend's in fact) Western States has been canceled due to wildfires that are raging through Northern California, thousands of lightening strikes during the month of June on the backend of one of the driest winters on record have left many areas in tinderbox conditions. While I even cannot begin to emphathize with runners who have trained and been selected for the race my thoughts go out to the firefighters on the line working hard to save people and property.

A post of lists!

I’m it, I picked this up last month from DCRainmaker and have overlooked it, sorry bud, it’s the Lucky #7 version. First here are the five rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you; check, see above
2. Post the rules on your blog; check, eh yeah, got that one!
   
3. Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog; check, reasonably random!
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs; check, these seem like some random folks to me!
   
5. Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged; check, this is so much work!

Next for your viewing pleasure here are your seven “oh I didn’t know that facts”:

1. I used to be a professional showjumper; I spent two years riding in Germany, France, Holland and Belgium in my late teens.
2. I have bungee jumped twice, but because I never learned how to dive (think swimming) I just jumped off feet first, the biggest was only 71m or 220’! Here's a picture of the bridge.
3. I made my wife climb Mt Kinabalu on our honeymoon, after a night in a hut with damp mattresses we pressed onto the summit, despite both having altitude sickness, happy honeymoon sweatheart…we’re still married 10 years later!
4. I have had three motorcycle crashes and the only time I have broken a bone was when I was angry and kicked the bed in frustration…I broke a toe!
5. Continuing the injury theme I have dislocated both knees, an ankle, my wrists, my jaw and a shoulder…ouch!
6. I am a crackshot, in the military I nearly always got top marks for my marksmanship; so don’t piss me off!
7. If I could do it all again I would be an architect or industrial designer.

And finally it’s my turn to pass the bug on and I get to choose seven folks…eenie meenie miney moe:

• Audrey – she needs an excuse, any excuse from tidying her apartment
• Robin – coming back from injury this’ll take her mind off of over thinking it
• Frayed Laces – who was bemoaning the fact that nobody tags her!
• Melanie – who just got a new job, congrats!
• Laura - who needs something to think about in the airport lounge
• Ultra Dad – who's been a bit quiet lately so this’ll get him back online and
• Drusy – who's from the old country and is running the Flora London Marathon, go girl!

PS thanks to everyone who has cast their votes, it’s much appreciated, keep 'em coming.

More acronyms; FFF; Five Fun Facts!

Tag…I’m it! Cheers Doug, so here you go five fun facts for you!

• I am an Honorary Colonel in the State of Alabama; yes a “full-bird” Colonel complete with brass eagles. I received this award while serving in the military and on an exchange visit from the UK to the Alabama National Guard. I am not sure what it really means, maybe a free drink or better yet a “get out of jail free” card if I get caught speeding…I’m not in too much of a rush to test that theory though!

• I have two tattoos but you will only ever see one, even if I was standing there buck naked you would still only see one, and in case you wondering they’re both external…see if you can figure it out?

• When I get drunk, a rarity these days, I dance backwards and have been seen doing backward laps around the dance-floor, at least that's my excuse for crashing into things as I go around!

• Talking of crashes; I have had three motorcycles and three crashes and walked away from each one, I passed my driving test first time after three lessons, hey go figure the things in three thing!

• I leaned to snowboard in June 2000 while on honeymoon in New Zealand…in wait for it three days...I crashed a lot!

So let’s see if this works, Diva, H-Monkey, kxux, essa and OneMiletogo over to you…

Tagged, I'm it

I got tagged by Monk_Monkey, totally non-running but hey what the hell! All answers are alphabetical.

Jobs I’ve held
Business Analyst - trying to break into it (hint ;-) )
Director of Business Development
Father
Landscape gardener
Operations Director
Professional Show Jumper
Realtor
Recruiter

Movies I can watch over and over
American Pie
Black Hawk Down
Gladiator
Once upon a time in America
Step into Liquid
The Matrix Trilogy
Underworld

Guilty pleasures
eBay
Galaxy chocolate
Gadgets and Gizmos’ Blackberry, Nike+, Garmin 305 etc

Places I’ve lived
Beckenham. Kent UK
New Malden, Surrey UK
Orpington, Kent UK
Putney, London UK
Nispen, Nr Roosendaal, The Netherlands
Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and West Hills, Los Angeles CA USA
New York, NY USA

Shows I enjoy
According to Jim!
Any reality show on Bravo: Top Chef, Top Designer, Project Runway, Shear Genius etc
Anything funny that lasts 30 minutes (or 20 with a TiVo!)
Heros
House
How I met your Mother
So you think you can Dance; I feel so inflexible!
Still standing – but I’ve seen them all now!
The Office (the jury’s out on which is best the UK or US version)

Web sites I visit daily
Any on my RSS list that are updated
Athlinks
BBC News
Buckeye Outdoors
eBay – if I am bidding etc
Nike +
RocketBoom

Places I’ve been on vacation
All over the UK, Scotland and Wales
In the US: Alabama, Arizona, DC, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington, I have had road trips from: Portland OR to Los Angeles CA, New York NY to Los Angeles CA and Raleigh/Durham NC to New York, NY
Borneo - climbed My Kinabalu
Canada - mostly Alberta; Calgary and the Rockies
Crete
France - for Summer and Winter (snowboarding)
Fuerteventura
Gambia - learned to windsurf here!
Germany
Italy
New Zealand - learned to snowboard here and bungy-jumped!
Malaysia - Tioman Island
Mexico - Yucatan and Baja regions
Peru - walked the Inca Trail
Spain
Tenerife - partied way too hard!
Turkey - partied even harder then Tenerife!

I've also been to China (Shanghai) and Japan (Osaka & Kyoto), but not for vacation

Nicknames
Never had one.

Awards
Loads of business awards, most sales etc. Some ‘Best…’ awards while in the Military and I was also the recipient of an Honorary Colonelship for the state of Alabama.

Passing the baton on; Doug you're it