Your questions- ANSWERED!

I'm certain this is just what you've all been waiting for! I'll do my best not to bore you to tears.

Translations for non-runners? PR? BQ?
PR- Personal Record. For me, this is everything in running. The only person you are racing against is yourself.
BQ- Boston Qualify. I know I have been talking about this a lot since it is constantly on my mind as of late. To qualify for Boston at my age (27) you have to run the 26.2 miles in under 3 hours and 40 minutes. That is running an 8:23/mile average.

What is your ultimate running goal?
I have 2 ultimate goals... actually, I have 3. I want to be able to run a Boston Qualifying Marathon, I want to run a 10K in under a 7 minute pace, and I want to continue running well into my retirement years.

When was the moment you knew you were a runner?
I will never forget it. It was when I was injured for the first time. You can read about the post here. I was unable to run and I realized how much I missed it. I craved running. That's when I knew I was hooked for good. I wanted to be called "A Runner". This happened only 3 months after I had started running consistently.

Enormous cookies from Maverik: great junk food or the greatest junk food?
I've never even tried one!!!! Isn't that awful? I vow to get one in the next week or so (the next time I fill up my car) and I will give you the full report then. Right now I'm currently eating half a pan of butterscotch brownies, and I think those just might be the best dessert ever.

How long have you been running?
A year and a half, almost to the day! I began training for my first race ever (the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay) at the end of January 2010. It has been a trip since then! I did, however, run in junior high. I was pretty quick, too! I used to run the 400 meter dash in just over one minute. What I wouldn't give to be able to do that now!

Favorite distance to run?
I love to run around 8 miles as a normal workout, but I think the half marathon is my favorite race distance. It's hard and beats you up, but you don't totally want to die. Plus it's a huge accomplishment! Not very many people can say they can run a half marathon.

Favorite type of run (tempo, hill, speedwork, LR)?
Right now I am lovin' on those Yasso 800's!!! I can feel my sprinter body coming back. :)

Have you always been so skinny or do you work hard to stay thin?
I have always been really skinny. It's a blessing and a curse. Lots of people (especially in junior high) used to assume I had an eating disorder- this has never been true. I was even confronted by a teacher at one point. A group of kids in high school used to call me "Skeletor". Nice. However, for the most part, I've always been really comfortable in my skin- especially now that I know I'm working hard and eating well and doing pretty much everything I should (minus the insane amounts of sugar on some days). I've been really blessed to have a naturally thin body. The ironic thing is that I actually weigh more now since I started exercising and running than I did before. I'm very lucky that I've never had to focus on weight or anything like that.

Can we hangout in real life? When you qualify for Boston can we go together? :)
You know it! I figure our plane seats will be next to each other, right? I've just got to qualify first :)

What is your favorite activity with your kids?

I love taking my kids to fun places- Lagoon, the park, to get a treat. Any of those things. We also have a lot of fun camping and just playing hide and seek or reading books at the house. My kids are so funny!

Do you consider yourself happy? Like 85% or more of your day makes you smile? If so, why? What is your secret?

I would say, yes. I'm a simple person and I try to find joy in lots of little things. I also have things that I look forward to- just like most people do- but I try not to focus too much on that. I feel as though I have been blessed with the ability to find joy and because of that I am able to avoid the depression that befalls so many. I can honestly say that it is a blessing- a gift that I have been given by my Father in Heaven.

Although the majority of the time I am happy, I still have my days- and sometimes weeks. Before I started running I had a hard time. I have found that I really need to have something that is MINE. It used to be theater, and then it was school, and for awhile I had a break (from about 9 months or so when Annie was first born and towards the end of my pregnancy). At this point in my life I struggled with depression more than I had in my entire life since early junior high. I can look back now and see that it was because I didn't have something that was just for me. At that point I was solely a wife and a mother. I also did cub scouts, but I didn't take time to do something that I really enjoyed. When I started running was when I was able to break out of it. If you think about it, I get to spend about an hour (sometimes up to 3 hours) 3-4 times a week just being MYSELF. I don't have to be responsible for anyone else at that time. It is such a blessing in my life!

I also have come to be very loving of myself. I often repeat to myself "I'm doing the best that I can!" in a positive way. I'm not always the best Mom, I make mistakes and spank my kids and raise my voice on those rare occasions, I don't always have a clean house or a good dinner on the table, and I don't always give my husband the attention that he needs, but I also know that I am honestly doing the best that I can at the time. I don't do these things because I'm being spiteful or vindictive, so there's no reason to give myself a hard time about it when I know that I am trying. After all, in motherhood especially, there is always tomorrow!!!

Now I have a question for all of you-
A friend just called me and asked me to fill in for someone on her Logan to Jackson Hole Epic Relay team. I want to do it soooooooo baaaaaaaad. However, this takes $$$ which would have to come out of my Boston fund, and I would have to give up one of the last weekends with my husband before school starts.

What should I do?