Friday Five: A Running Survey

Tarpy Woods, a very short trail near my house

I'm linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for Friday Five, but I'm breaking the rules. This week's theme is Holiday Wish List, but my items are really boring (a laptop case, socks, some gels, etc.) so I thought I'd fill out a Running Survey I've seen on a few blogs. I mostly recently spotted the survey on We Run Disney. 

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I choose beach and mountains (Big Island, Hawaii)

1. Would you rather run along a beach path or on a mountain trail?

I love water, but I also love mountains and rugged terrain. I think I'll go with the mountain, as long as there is a lake nearby. Unless the beach is in Hawaii. Hawaii always wins. 

2. If you could choose the flavor of Gatorade at your next race's aid stations, what would it be? 

I like the old stand-by: lemon lime. Alex likes some weird flavors and I can't stand grape, so I stick to the classics. I also like lemon lime Nuun. 

3. If I gave you a $100 gift card to a running store, what would be the first thing that you would purchase with it? 

I'm ridiculous with giftcards. I try to get the most for my money, so instead of a pair of shoes I would probably buy a bunch of Balega socks, some Clif gels, and some sale clothing. ;)

4. Do you prefer to follow a training plan or wake up and decide then how far and fast you want to run? 

I have to follow a plan. If it were up to me I'd probably do one long run every other week and sleep in every day. I get my training plans from my running group. They come as PDFs or calendar exports so it's super simple to sync with my existing Google calendars. 

5. Would you rather start your run with the uphill and end on the downhill or start your run with the downhill and end on the uphill? 

I would say uphill first, but some of my group hills end on an uphill, and while it totally sucks, you feel pretty great when it's over. I will qualify this by saying the Medina Half had a hill at the end and I wanted to dieeeee.

6. When you can't run, what type of cross-training do you choose to do? 

I don't really do anything else (I know, I'm bad), but last winter I did some Kayla Itsines circuits and I could tell they were working. They're tough (I can't really do push-ups) and once I was able to run outside again I gave them up, but I could see a difference and believe they are effective. 

7. What's your preference --> out and back or point to point or loop runs? 

I like interesting scenery, so it doesn't really matter. Out and back allows me to zone out, which is nice, but I don't prefer it. 

8. If you could recommend ANY running related item to a new runner, it would be a...?

I always recommend getting fitted for shoes. A good pair of shoes can be expensive, but prevent so many injuries. I haven't had many issues since I was put into Saucony Omnis with Superfeet Berry insoles (I had ITBS before). 

9.  Do you ever see any wild animals while out on your runs?

Not really. Just squirrels. I saw a deer once, but that was pretty random.

10. Ever gotten lost while out on a run? 

No, I'd probably freak out. I'm very good with directions and tend to pre-plan routes before a run. I don't always plot and run a specific course, instead I have several options in mind and go with the flow when I'm out on a run. I don't run in areas I'm unfamiliar with unless I'm with running friends. 

11. If you could have one meal waiting and ready for you each time you got home from a run for the next 30 days, what would that meal be?

I eat air-popped popcorn almost every night... but that's not really a meal, is it? Probably mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and ham. So basically Christmas dinner. 

12. Capris or shorts...what do you run in most often?

Shorts. My favorite shorts are Toolbelt Rogas from Oiselle because I love pockets. I bought a bunch of capris one year and never wore them because my personal capri weather (40-50 degrees) doesn't last long in Ohio. Plus, I take off a week or two after my mid-October half. Going into this winter I bought two Oiselle pairs (for suuuuuper cheap on Amazon) and wondered if I was making a mistake, but because of the mild winter I've ended up wearing them a ton. They also have pockets. 

13. At what mile (or how many minutes) into your run does your body start to feel like it is warming up and ready to go? 

That's tough because I usually feel great for the first half mile then get bored between mile 1 and 3. I usually feel like "yes, running is amazing" around mile 4 or 5. BUT I will say my current running streak has changed this a bit. I'm on day 40 and honestly I don't even think about being warmed up. I just think "I've got to run x miles today. Let's get going!" 

I love Loveland

14. What do you do with your key when you run? 

If I know I have to run with my keys I'll wear bottoms with a pocket. Once upon a time I'd put my key in my Nathan water bottle (where the phone goes), but recently I've been running with a pocket-less Amphipod. My Saturday running group has a secure key drop-off so I don't have to worry about keys on long runs. 

15. If you could relive any race that you have done in the past, which one would it be? 

Loveland Half Marathon. I love the course and the small town. This was my second year and it was awesome. I'm really sad I can't go in 2016 because of a wedding. And I can't tell anyone in real life besides Alex because they would think I was a selfish jerk! 

Have you participated in this running survey?

What would your answers be?