Me Monday

This was another one of those very uneventful weeks.  Still sick about half the week, by Wednesday I started feeling a bit better.
I had about two days of feeling like I was getting over it and then I just started feeling overly exhausted, to the point that I literally don't wake up unless someone wakes me.

Then Saturday, I noticed this huge bump on my neck, I hate it and feel very self conscious about it.
I have an appointment with the Doctor today, to get that figured out.  I've never had thyroid problems, but that is a guess, as well as it could be an infection from the walking pneumonia I have been dealing with.
The good news is I have been a bit too tired to get to overly concerned at this point.  So keep your fingers crossed that it isn't a bit deal and will go away soon and my energy will come back!

BLOGGING
I did remove Intense Debate and convert my blog back to Mobile friendly.  I am really bummed about it, it was my favorite comment system.  I absolutely hated that by doing so, removed all past comments.  Please know I did not delete them, the system did.  I think I replied back to everyone before I made the switch.


Because of my very uneventful week, or lets just say past few weeks.  I don't have any fabulous news to talk about.
However, because I haven't been running in weeks *sad face*, and seriously hope I can feel up to getting back into it this week, I thought I'd share some random facts about me and running, hopefully I can come up with most that you haven't heard me mention before!

RANDOM RUNNING "ME" FACTS

* Years ago, I tore the cartilage in one knee while sitting at a desk at work when I used to fold up my legs underneath me to sit.  Because of that, that piece of cartilage flaps around and occasionally will get caught under my knee cap which makes my leg give out.  I can't walk again until I lift my knee cap and work it out again.  (I've only had it happen in a race once.) The better I build up the muscles in my knee's, the less likely it is to happen....  As I have been getting back into running this past year, it has happened way too many times, LOL

* I only display my 26.2 marathon medals and my one and only first place adult 5k finish medal.  I keep all others, in a box or in a scrap book, even all my first and second place ribbons from years past are only in scrapbooks.  Not that I don't think any race distance is a reward, because I do.  I just have this thing about my own reward wall, being more of a marathon wall and it helps declutter it in a way:)

*  I've run 39 marathons, in 32 different states and I will be devastated if I can't knock off several more states this year on my list.  It' already killing me that I had to pass on spring marathons.

* When I picked each of the races I wanted to run in each state.  I researched these two things; races that allow for up to a 5:30 finish time, (in case anything bad happens and I need the extra time.) Races in awesome locations, near National Parks or points of interest I always wanted to visit. 
From my original choice of races, I have not changed my mind... yet...:)

* When I made my 50 states and D.C. goal I determined the following criteria for myself.  1. I must finish under the races time limit, or it wouldn't count. 2. I must run a different marathon for each state, even if it crosses state boarders, it only counts for the state it started and/or finished in.

* I only ever lost one toenail, and that was my own fault for running in shoes that were too small.  Ever since I corrected that, and buy then a 1/2 size larger, I have never lost one since.

* I once was an idiot the day before a marathon and wore a new pair of shoes to walk around in, I had open blisters on the backs of my heels that were horrible and painful and I couldn't even stand to wear a shoe the night before the race.  Thanks to my dad, his superb moleskin skills and some spray glue. I managed to run the marathon and thanks to him, had zero pain, and they didn't get any worse the entire race!

* The marathon I trained the hardest for, and had a great chance of getting close to the 4 hours, I came down with bronchial pneumonia, finally the day before the race my hemoglobin levels tipped just above the (I won't die point) and my Dr. gave me inhalers and permission to run.  (He's a runner too:)
It was a tough race, especially since the last 8 miles were all pretty much steep uphill and I didn't have good lungs.  But I made it, unfortunately no where near 4 hours:(  But that's okay, it was a finish!  It taught me a lot, and because of it helped me learn how to push through pain better than anything else could have!

* I hate flat marathon courses (Yes, I know that makes me weird.)  I find them to be boring and to be honest they mess with my mind far worse than any hill could.  But if I am stuck with a flat course, I will embrace it and find things to enjoy from it anyway:)

* I love aspects of each race I have ever run, even the bad ones, and the ones that hurt the most.  I never look back after a race and say, that was miserable I wish I hadn't of done it.  I may say I had miserable moments, but no matter what happens, I own it and love all the good and bad!

* It only occurred to me about a month ago, that I should have saved a awesome special location for when I hit marathon state 50.  Because of the possibility of family and friends coming to watch me finish that one.  With the states I have left, I don't feel I have quite as many amazing destinations to choose from, right now I am leaning toward saving Cap Cod for the last.  Although Oregon is also a beautiful possibility:)

* When I finish my 50 states goal, I would like to take a year to train specifically to see if I can qualify for Boston.