the answers, part 2 ...

Are you ready to learn even more about me? Remember, there will be a quiz tomorrow. So study up. And if you missed yesterday's answer post, you can check it out HERE. Now for the second half of questions ...

Julie Stubblefield asked: Have you always been athletic, or is this a passion you have realized later in life? I have always been athletic, but I was never a runner. I played soccer for 15 years, starting at age 3 and I dabbled with the sport post-college. When I was in the first grade, I began playing basketball, which I competed in until 10th grade. And when I was in 7th grade, I picked up the shot put and the discus. Throughout high school, I was a three-sport athlete in addition to playing soccer on a travel team. And as a senior, I was voted "Most Athletic"

After high school, I went on to compete for a Division 1 Track and Field team, which meant focusing on throwing and giving up my other sports. It wasn't until 2007 that I began running, but if I was given the opportunity, I would play soccer and throw again. I really loved both.

Miles for Breakfast asked: Will you ever do a 50km race? Or a 50mi race? (not a relay) Maybe. I've learned to never say never, but at this point in time, I have ZERO interest in a 50 miler. And I have only a slight interest in a 50K and it's definitely not enough to sign up for one.

RunHapi13 asked: If you were only allowed one race event in 2012, what one race would you choose and why? A 70.3 - without a doubt. Right now, I am deciding between three events. One of them will be my race and that will be my focus for 2012.

Run with Jess asked: What has been your ONE single favorite race ever?!?! And of course, why? I have two. My favorite race is the Disney Princess Half. I love everything about that event. The atmosphere. The course. The expo. The location. And this year's VIP treatment didn't suck either.

But, my favorite course to run is the HCA 8K at the Richmond Marathon. The 8K is my favorite distance to run and the course is awesome. Fast and flat with a downhill finish. Every time I have run it, I have crushed it.

Erika asked: What is your advice for how to balance your family and their needs while training and still finding time for yourself? To begin with, find a supportive spouse/significant other. J is 100% on board with all of my training/racing/etc. Without him, I'm not sure I would be able to train and race to the extent that I do.

Second, determine what you are willing to sacrifice. For me, I am willing to give up sleep and my own "free time" to accomplish my training. I am NOT willing to give up extensive "family time." Thus, I do the bulk of my training before my family is awake. The remainder is done after the kids are in bed at night, usually while J is still at work (or training himself).

Lastly, schedule everything. I start each week by planning when and where I am going to do all of my workouts. I talk it over with J. And I commit to it. Doing this makes it much easier to accomplish everything that I need to.

Mandi asked: What is your biggest piece of advice on how to get through difficult runs? Accept that not every run is going to be fantastic. And know that you are going to get through the tough ones. Sometimes, you need to take a break. Sometimes, you need to walk. Sometimes, you need to speed up and get it over with. But, I guarantee you will never be disappointed if you man-up and finish.

Running Ricig asked: What is the best thing you've ever eaten? This is tough. I'm totally obsessed with food. But, I would have to say that the chocolate souffle from the Black Angus Grille at the Wyndham in Nassau, Bahamas. J and I had dinner there on our honeymoon and it was pretty much the best meal ever and that souffle was the perfect ending. The sad thing is that I just checked the menu for the restaurant and they don't make it anymore.

Karen asked: You always seem so confident in yourself and comfortable with who you are. Are you ever plagued with self-doubt? Most definitely. My self-doubt tends to materialize at "crunch time." I start to question whether I am really capable or if I have just bolstered myself to think I am capable. Sometimes, I can fight the doubt, but sometimes I just cave in and fall apart.

Cat B. asked: Do you ever get in a 'running rut'? You know, when you just aren't interested in the run anymore. If so, how do you bust out of it? Honestly, no. I have never experienced that. And I have no idea how I would handle it.

CupCake@ Bigger Girls Can Run Too asked: Was there ever a time when you DNF or came close to calling it quits? Why? Just one time - when I crashed my bike at Muddy Buddy Richmond in May. A separated shoulder will do that to a person. Although, since I'm being honest, I tried to keep going and if I had been able to "pop" my shoulder back into place, I would have.

Other than that, I have never had a DNF. I am just too freaking stubborn. I would probably crawl across the finish line if I had to.

Sarah asked: What race do you have your eye on (but have not registered for)? Right now, I am deciding on my 70.3 goal race for next year. As of right now, it is between Patriots Half in September, Ironman 70.3 Florida in May and Ironman 70.3 EagleMan in June.

S Club Mama asked: If you couldn't run, what would you do to stay fit? Easy, I'd play soccer.

And what's your favorite song to run to? I don't really listen to music when I run since I am almost always running with other people. But, I'm a fan of any song I can sing along with. It makes the miles fly by.

Kurt @ Becoming An Ironman asked: So many people look at running 10, 20 miles and laugh; "I could never do that!" On top of that, you've recently put up a goal of doing a 70.3 triathlon. Do you feel that there is any sport or athletic event/endeavor that you would think "I could never do that" about for any reason? Or have you gotten to a point where you think you could tackle just about anything? At this point in time, an Ironman seems impossible. Outside of endurance events, I don't think I could ever do anything related to heights - I have a crazy fear of heights. Diving. Ski Jumping. Sky Diving. Bungee Jumping. Rappelling. Rock Climbing. Trapeze. All of those things are no gos.

TNTcoach Ken asked: What did you think of your photo and article in Runner World? I freaking loved it. The picture was awesome (as were the other ones they shot) and the article definitely expressed why I dress the way I do. Plus, I got to share this once in a lifetime experience with my girls and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

~K~ asked: How long have ya been running and what's your favorite race distance? I started running in August of 2007, so just about 4 years. And my favorite race distance is the 8K.

Jenn asked: What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Do you really think I could pick just one? My three favorites are Salted Caramel, Oreo Cheesecake and Frappechino.

Lisa asked: I seem to have chronic issues with my back and my knee that flare up once a year causing some unplanned time off. Do you have any chronic issues that affect your running? If so, how do you stay sane when you can't run for an extended period of time? Fortunately, I do not have any chronic issues, but both times I have had to take off running due to injury, I kept my sanity by cross-training.

Rene' asked: I am struggling with eating/nutrition and early am running. Do you have something that you eat before you do your early runs or do you eat as you go? Also, during a race Gels? shot blocks? If my run is shorter than an hour, I don't usually eat before. But if I am running longer or wake up hungry, I have either a GU, protein/Clif bar or a banana (although, I have been known to have a bowl of cereal too).

As for during the run nutrition, I don't eat anything on runs of less than two hours, unless it's a race. On race day and on 2+ hour runs, I use GU (chocolate outrage, mint chocolate or chocolate raspberry) usually every 5 miles or 45 minutes.

eep asked: What percentage of your miles do you do on the treadmill? I would say that I average about 30% of my mileage on the treadmill. Sometimes, I will go a month and never run on it. And when J is traveling, I have been know to log 40+ miles in a week on it. I am a wimp when it comes to running solo in unfavorable conditions. I will almost always choose the treadmill over running alone in the rain, heat or cold.

Running Moose asked: What is your all time favorite running memory? All of my favorite memories are ones I have shared with my family. Crossing the finish line with J during his first half marathon, running Dizzle's first 5K with her and pacing Doodle in her first half mile race would definitely be my top three.

What do you remember of your "first run"? When I started running, I used a walk/run method. And although, I don't remember the first time I laced up, I do remember those first few weeks and how long the run portion of the intervals felt. I used a six week program for my first 5K and I never ran 3 miles straight before race day. I was completely unsure that I would be able to on race day (I did, in case you were wondering).