Questions and Answers Again

Favorite race distance - 10 miler

Part 2 Man you people ask a lot of questions. Did I really ask you to do this?  Interesting comments following part 1 though I must admit.
Also the guy at the bike shop did not insult me. I knew why I needed a new seat.  Huge apologies to bike shop guy who spent so much time with me and got my bike so my knees don't hurt!    I was just trying to be funny!

Jim ... 50after40  asked:
1. Do you think the NEA is more invested in the advancement of teacher's, the development of student's, or being a political machine? All of the above.  

2. Why did you get into teaching? My mother was a teacher and it was always what I wanted to do.  It wasn't for the riches I would make!

3. What was your most favorite day running and why? This is a tough one.  It was probably my first marathon. That was very special especially with all my family and lots of friends there cheering me on.


Johann asked:
What is your favorite race distance? That is running distance. I know too little about cycling to ask any cycling questions. I would have said a half marathon until I ran my recent 10 Miler. I LOVED that race distance. Unfortunately there aren't many of them around.


Christi said:
If you could live anywhere else where would it be? I would probably go for the Pacific Northwest, not sure exactly where. I also love coastal Maine.


lindsay asked:
If you were given $1,000,000, (after lovely taxes of course) what would you do with it?
Invest a lot of it.  Take a great vacation with all of my family.  I would go on an Alaskan cruise and go to Ireland. 
Also - I know a million doesn't go as far as it used to but here is the immediate stuff I would want to feed my new biking obsession.
A computer, clipless pedals, clipless pedal shoes, a good bike rack for my car, a sweet road bike that weighs basically nothing, wonderfully padded bike shorts, tire changing equipment and can money buy me the knowledge to know how to use it?

With my new bike courtesy of Lindsay I will be

flying up this hill.

Richelle said:
How did you meet your husband? Truthfully  he was a friend of my brothers but enough older than I am that he wasn't in my radar. Once he was having a conversation with my mother telling her he hated winter and I thought he was pretty strange.  


cql asked:
What do you think you'll do after you retire? I'll have more time to work out, bike, run, read, see friends, vacation, just enjoy life.  But it is a ways away still.
What do you love about teaching 3rd graders?  They are a great age. They still like school.  They are somewhat innocent still, not fresh.  They tend to like you.  Their parents are in a good place because they know what school is about and aren't all frantic over everything.
What do you love about blogging? I like the relationships you develop with other bloggers.I like "chatting" with like minded people about running,biking and all that other people in my life don't want to talk about as much. I like spewing all the stuff about myself surprisingly.  I feel it adds to the whole exercise aspect of my life to share it and get feedback and encouragement from so many people.


Jenn asked:


1.) How many pullovers. Give me a number:)  I am going to have to guess this one.  I am going to say 40 but most of them are put away with the cold weather clothes. Of course not all of them!  I have actually resisted quite a few lately.  Although a new one was the only thing I bought at the Outlet Mall on the way home from Rhode Island.

2.) In your profile you say you are an older runner that didn't get started until later in life. Do you remember your first run? Do you remember what made you start runnning that day?
I definitely do! This is going to be a little long.  First I was a racer who walked.  There aren't many walking races though and those fun walks where there is no competition were not for me.  Sometimes I would enter a run and just walk.  I had signed up for a 4 mile running race with a fun walk.  I signed up as a runner so I could have results. At the starting line - when the gun went off - I thought, maybe I'll run this.  I had not run since high school in any form and believe me that was many many years ago.  Well, I ran the whole thing and finished.  The girl near me and I both were in awe because it was her first race, my first running race.  Then lo and behold I placed in my age group.  I was 3rd out of 13. I got a medal and believe me I was hooked!  From then on all of my exercising was run/walk until I worked up to just running.  I did a half marathon shortly after this that I had planned to walk but did both.  I still can remember  how I felt that day and I made many excited phone calls to tell people.  I am not a giddy person and I was giddy! No one was with me at the race to tell.
3.) I know there's no answer but I want the secret to how you have such an amazing relationship with your adult children. This is a dream for me:)
I actually get asked this a lot especially by my work colleagues. I got asked it just last night in fact. I am not sure how but I certainly do appreciate it.  I just love spending time with both of my kids and I think they know it.  When Emily moved to DC it was pretty sad for me as she went to college close by so it was a big change.  I saw her a lot when she lived near by. When I visit her I try not to overstay my welcome and so far I have been able to do that.  


Molly asked:
What would your last meal be?  Do you know something I don't? Am I headed to the electric chair?  I don't really know but I can assure you it would be dessert heavy.  I am a real breakfast person so I think I would go for Eggs Benedict and follow it with chocolate cheesecake, chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and a glazed donut from a local bakery.


Ana-Maria asked: 
1. Very few kids like to hang out with their parents during their adult years. Emily is always raving about your adventures together. What's your secret? See Jenn's questions above.
2. This is a selfish question - what books would you recommend to an almost 6 y old? We just finished Magic Tree House and the Ramona series. Did he read them or did you read them to him?  Are you looking for a series?  Let me know and I will try to think of some.  What does he like?  Did you read the Henry Huggins books by Beverly Cleary? I would def. recommend those.  Some involve the dog whom I can't think of the name for right now.
3. How did you get started with running? See Jenn's questions above.  You two think alike!

This is me as a walker in the Beach to Beacon.

The only 10K I did as a walker but 

there was not a walker division.  I look

pretty tired!