Jenny is one of my favorite bloggers. She lives in Florida with her husband, two kids - her daughter is in high school and her son is finishing up college - and her two gorgeous cats. Jenny runs things like a 50K race that's coming up on May 26 (good luck, Jenny!), but also finds time to lift weights and cook delicious vegan food. She also reads a lot of books and anything that gets a thumbs up from Jenny gets put on hold on my library list immediately. She blogs at Runners Fly - go check her out if you aren't already a loyal reader.
********************
Hello! I'm so excited to be included in Engie's
blogging celebration! Engie and I "met" while participating in
NaBloPoMo several years ago, and have been BBF's (best blogging friends) ever
since. I'm positive we would be friends in real life, and as a matter of
fact Engie reminds me a little of my daughter - or at least, what my daughter
could be like when she grows up. Happy 20th Blogging Anniversary,
Engie!!!
I really agonized over what to write about in this
post. As Engie mentioned, I blog about food, cats, books, random life
events... but in the end I think a list of 20 should be what a person is most
passionate about, and for me that's running. I know not everyone reading
this is a runner, but I hope everyone can find something interesting in my list
of "20 Running Favorites."
1. Favorite running quote: "A running world is a peaceful world." -
Eliud Kipchoge
2. Favorite running podcast: Choose Strong with Sally McRae. Episode titles include
"Every Failure Matters," "The 5 Ingredients of
Consistency," and one of my personal favorites, Episode #21,
"Cocodona 250- Stronger Than the Pain," - Sally explains how she
developed painful blisters AT MILE EIGHT and went on to complete the 250 mile
race.
3. Favorite OG running blog: Hungry Runner Girl. I've been reading Janae's blog for over ten years - long
before I even thought about starting one of my own. Janae is a FAST
runner who blogs about her training, races, and life in Utah with her husband
and four kids.
4. Favorite book about running: Deena Kastor's Let Your Mind Run. Deena describes the journey of transforming her
running by building a strong and positive way of thinking.
5. Favorite place to run: trails!
I have dreams of someday running on trails in Utah, California, or Arizona...
but right now I live in South Florida, where the trails are tropical and sandy.
Here's one near me that I run on frequently:
7. Favorite name for a race: "Sweat, Swat 'n Swear" is my race coming up in Central Florida at the end of May! The name cracks me up (although it also seems a little ominous, gulp...)
8. Favorite inspirational running moment: The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles- the women's marathon was an event for the first time. I watched on TV as Joan Benoit, an American runner, won the gold medal. The marathon ends with a lap around the track in Olympic Stadium. In an interview after the race, Joan says that when she ran into the tunnel that would take her onto the track, she knew that "when I came out on the other side, my life would be changed forever." I still get tears in my eyes thinking about it!
9. Favorite song on my running playlist (currently): "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield.
10. Favorite cross training: None. Ha ha... okay, if I have to have one I'll pick the stair climber. But I'd rather be running.
11. Favorite strengthening exercise: dead bugs. If you only strengthen one thing, make it your core. Everything else builds from that. [Note from NGS: I know that Jenny's favorite core workout is a short deadbug workout from Caroline Girvan. Here is the link if you want to do it. It's hard!]
12. Favorite race distance: The longer, the better. I would rather run slower for a long time than run fast for a 5K- 5Ks hurt.
13. Favorite post-long run drink: Unsweetened black iced tea with LOTS OF ICE.
14. Favorite running weather: 50 degrees and sunny. If we're lucky, we get mornings like that in the winter here.
15. Favorite psychological benefit of running: Literally moving your body while moving forward in space is symbolic- running gives you the confidence to move forward in life.
16. Favorite running spirit animal: for a while I kept seeing a tortoise on my trail runs, and joked that it was my spirit animal. But I'm going to go with wolf- they don't run super fast like cheetahs, but they can run for long distances.
17. Favorite race: the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot in 2018 where I WON MY AGE GROUP! Yes, that's the only time that's happened, and yes, I'm still clinging to it.
18. Favorite thing about having a running blog: hopefully, encouraging other people to run. Nothing makes me happier than when someone says "I went for a run and thought about you!" (But don't worry- if you don't run, I still love you.)
19. Favorite thing to see on a run: another runner! Either
that, or a deer.