What? Huh? I'm a Liebster Award Nominee??

I was just cruising through my Twitter feed and saw that I had been mentioned in a post. So I casually click on the "Connect" tab and up pops a post from Angela at Sole Sister On the Run saying that I and 10 other bloggers had been nominated for the Liebster Award. I was both humbled and confused because I didn't know what the award was. Thankfully Angela's blog post it explained the whole concept. I'm not going to try to restate what she says because she says it so well so here's the quote from her blog:

"The Liebster Award is an 'award' that bloggers give to up and coming bloggers or to someone they think deserves recognition for their blogging. Liebster is a German word meaning dearest.  It’s also a great way to possibly discover a great new blog to read!

The requirements for this award are to provide 11 random facts about yourself, answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you, create 11 new questions, nominate 11 other bloggers in your post and of course thank the person that nominated you.

So, let me start with the last task...thank you Angela for nominating my little ol' blog! I just use it to record how my races go primarily but it's also a sounding board for things that go wrong or right in my life. Sometimes I just ramble and don't make any sense and other times I'm on a soap box for things that I feel strongly about. To me it isn't about how many readers I get, but just getting things off of my chest whether good or bad.

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, type 2 since 1997 while in the last semester of earning
    my masters degree.

2. I have "survived" many attempts to take my own life due to the effects of the bipolar. I say
    "survived" because while I usually see being incomplete in my effort there are days that I just wish
    that one of my attempts had been successful.

3. I started running in June/July 2011 as I was coming out of a severe nearly 2 full years of depression.

4. I ran my first half marathon at the TinkerBell Half Marathon in January 2012. I've run 28 total at this
    time. I did my first full marathon (Bataan Memorial Death March) in March of this year.

5. I am a huge, huge Pitch Perfect fan. I've watched the movie probably over 300 times now. The only
    reason I watched the MTV Movie Awards was to watch the Pitch Perfect cast reunion and have it
    recorded on my DVR so I can watch it over and over again. I have a Spotify playlist of songs from
    Pitch Perfect that lasts 3 hours without any repeats and yes, I actually jumped up and down and
    squealed like a little school girl when the Pitch Perfect sequel was announced to be released in
    2015. I actually apologized in advance to my Facebook friends who had to "listen" to my fanaticism
    to let them know that my written diarrhea about Pitch Perfect would be picking up again in 2015.

6. I don't know what to call it...I'm too old to be a fangirl so I guess it's more of a cougar crush but I am
    totally into Skylar Astin. Especially after watching 21 and Over (thank you for wearing only a sock
    Skylar) even watched this movie in the theater 5 times. His voice when he sings...just OMG! I go to
    sleep listening to all the songs from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack that he sings on...on multiple repeat
    on Spotify so that I am sure to fall asleep to his voice. Did I mention he's only 11 days older than my
    son? There's is just something so wrong with this obsession...not just a crush, but a true obsession. I
    mean when you have photo albums of an individual on every electronic device you own, Facebook
    and Pintrest...it's definitely an obsession. Am I right?

7. I was born on 9/11/1964. I was home sick from work on 9/11/2001 and saw everything happen live
    on TV. I cried for most of the day on every 9/11 and didn't celebrate my birthday for the next 10
    years.

8. My friend, Jeff, who is 20 years old convinced me to start doing Spartan races. So far I've done a
    Spartan Sprint and Super Spartan. In just short of 3 weeks we have a Military Spartan Sprint, then
    Spartan Beast at the end of June. Then to top off the year at the end of September we're doing
    Tough Mudder. What the heck am I thinking? I'm almost 50 years old!!!

9. I am a very proud US Air Force veteran (1982-1986). I am also a USAF wife (1983-2008) until my
    husband retired...so now I'm a retired USAF wife.  ;)

10. I have a fear of deep water and drowning. Not real good since one of the Tough Mudder obstacles
      is to jump off a 20' platform into muddy water below. I recently took a month of swimming lessons
      to try to get over my fear. It kinda worked, but not completely.

11. I am a huge advocate of stopping the stigma of mental illness. I worked as a RN (VA, military
      clinic, nursing instructor), earned a master's degree and was working on a second master's degree
      and a PhD concurrently until the bipolar became so severe that I chose to end my 22+ year nursing
      career of my own accord. You wouldn't know that I had a mental illness if we were to meet and
      spend some time together. That shows that someone/almost anyone with a mental illness can thrive
      just like anyone who does not have a mental illness.

11 Questions from Angela


1. What is your favorite herb?

    Had to think about this one since I'm not really someone who likes to cook, but I'd have to say basil. I
    just think that it is a very versatile herb that can be used in many dishes.

2. Most memorable scent from childhood?

    Fresh baked Pandesal, a Filipino bread that my best friend's mother made almost weekly when we
    were kids.

3. Favorite way to treat yourself?

     A massage and facial when I have the extra funds to do so.

4. Your dream getaway vacation?

     Going back to England, we were stationed there for 4 years, to do the sightseeing that we weren't
     able to do because I was pregnant most of the time that we were there. Both kids were born there.

5. If you could travel/participate in any sporting event what would it be?

    The London Marathon...that would get me back to England for my dream getaway vacation above. ;)

6. How many pairs of non-sneaker shoes do you own?

    Not including the ones have have bagged up to give to Goodwill, maybe 12 pairs.

7. Beach or mountains?

    I'm a California girl originally so the beach of course!

8. Favorite book?

    I'm not much of a reader (other than running magazines) but An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods 
    and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison was the first book that I read after my bipolar diagnosis. Dr.
    Jamison has a more severe type of bipolar disorder and has overcome and become a huge inspiration
    in my own life.

9. Your Go To song that makes you smile?

     As I said earlier, I'm a serious Pitch Perfect fan. I love the Pitch Perfect soundtrack but my favorite
     song that almost always makes me smile in the Treblemakers finale mashup of Bright Lights Bigger 
     City/Magic.

10. Coffee or tea?

      Tea if I really had to choose between the two, but in truth neither. Give me some hot cocoa instead.
      I can't even really stand the smell of coffee!

11. Best vacation you have had to date?

      A 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean back in 2006.


Questions For My Nominees

1. How or why did you start your fitness/running routine?

2. Do you consider yourself addicted to the internet?

3. Why did you start blogging?

4. What one cause is the closest to your heart and why?

5. Do you get along with your siblings if you have any? If you are an only child did you wish that you
    had siblings?

6. What is your favorite meal?

7. What is your favorite app on your phone and why?

8.  iPhone or Android?

9.  Which celebrity do you have a secret crush on or at least would love to spend some time with?

10. Fast food...love it or hate it?

11. What is your one guilty pleasure?


My Nominees

1. Amy at From Pumpkin to Princess
2. Heather at Run Faster Mommy!
3. Kelly at According To Kelly
4. Tina at For the Love of the Run
5. Jess at Run With Jess
6. Laura at Mommy Run Fast
7. Heather at Through Heather's Looking Glass
8. Theresa at A Change of Pace
9. Debra at Miles to Run
10. Elaine at Tri Girl Runs
11. Becka at 50 Half Marathons in 50 States