Hey everyone! It’s FRIIIIIDAAAAAAAY! I can’t believe this was a short week for me (I had MLK day off) – it feel like the longest week EVER. So excited to sleep in! And of course, I’m excited to be joining the DC trifecta Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for Friday Five! This week’s theme is “5 things about me” so get ready to learn some random stuff right now.
1. I’m NOT a morning person so all of my runs/workouts happen after 3:00 pm. Every run, ever. Except races, and the treadmill run last week at noon where I thought I was going to puke because it was way too early for running. For some reason I can’t handle it in the morning, but after work I’m ready to go! One thing I do want to try is a short yoga routine in the mornings to help me stretch before starting my day, but who knows if I can ever get it together enough to make that happen before coffee!
That time near the summer solstice where I ran at midnight…and felt awesome 🙂
2. I actually like winter. Which now fully explains why I moved to Anchorage, right? 🙂 I love snow and running in cold temperatures and not sweating for months unless I’m working out. I think that snow/frost is the most beautiful thing on earth. This winter in Anchorage has been warm and snow-free, but we’re supposed to get our first “big” storm (AKA more than 1 inch) today and I can’t wait!!!
So excited about our first snow of the year!
3. On that note, I don’t like the beach. Things that bother me: heat, humidity, sunscreen (I hate the smell/feel, but use it anyways because I’m so pale so don’t worry!), and murky bodies of water. Which perfectly describes an east coast day at the beach. Beaches in Alaska are good though. No heat, humidity, or any expectations on getting into the water here!
Homer last summer! Total beach town vibe, no swimming required.
4. I had appendicitis when I was 21. This came up at work yesterday and I realized that I have only met one other person that I know of who has also had an appendectomy, so I’m wondering if any of you had one too? I have a scar the size of my index finger on my left abdomen that will never go away and horrible memories of multiple IVs and a breathing tube and not being able to eat for 3 days, but otherwise I’m okay 🙂 How did I figure out I had it before my appendix exploded? WebMD of course!
5. I’ve kissed the Stanley Cup…twice. My husband AKA the biggest hockey fan on earth says that it’s sacrilegious to kiss the Stanley Cup if you haven’t won it. But I couldn’t resist! I saw it for the first time when I lived in Pittsburgh and then again when it came to Philly for the Flyers Wives Carnival. It was awesome being able to touch (and kiss!) something with so much history!
Let’s go Flyers! PS this is a throwback pic from before I was even a runner!
I hope you enjoyed my weird random facts! I love these kind of posts and can’t wait to check all of yours out too!
What’s something random that most people don’t know about you? And please let me know if you’re one of the 1 in 15 people who had appendicitis too!
Mom in the Mtns 
I love winter running way more than summer running!! I’m with you on how long this week has been. I’m ready for the weekend! Have a great one! 🙂
Good to hear we’re on the same page about running! Congrats on making it through this week!
I like winter….just not running in it! I would much rather be sweating my butt off than freezing 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Haha I sweat in the winter too which I think is totally strange. This is why I hate summer – soooo much sweat! I hope your winter is going well though!
Not sure I’m a morning person but my workouts have to happen in the morning. Scary about your appendix, glad it worked out okay.
I would totally consider you a morning person! My body does not have the ability to do anything physical before I’ve had at least 2 cups of coffee and been awake for like 6 hours.
I am a morning person, after my first cup of coffee. I sometimes think I’ve slept through my predawn run. I can’t really remember it (it’s before coffee). I don’t like murky water either but cannot resist a beautiful turquoise clear ocean.
Yeah that sounds about right – I can’t remember what I do in the mornings ever! Congrats for getting out there and running in the morning even if you have no idea what you did on the run 🙂 And I’ve never been somewhere with a clear ocean so maybe that’s my problem! Now that I live so close to Hawaii I need to head over there and see what it’s all about haha
I’m so jealous of your close encounters with the Stanley Cup! That sounds so cool. I’m not much of a morning person either but I’ve gotten used to morning runs on the weekend. Especially needed in the Summer here.
I can see if it made sense temperature-wise or to avoid bad weather late in the day. I still don’t think my body could handle it. So jealous you can do it though!
Finally, someone else who feels the way I do about the beach! It’s not my thing, and I don’t know how people just lay around all day. I get antsy and I have to do something.
No way! I thought there would be a mutiny when I wrote that, I’m so glad I found a fellow beach hater! At the beach I usually sit under an umbrella reading a book, but that only is fun for one day. So glad my family beach vacation days are over!
It sounds like Alaska is perfect if you don’t like beaches! I don’t like the heat or humidity *except* when I’m at the beach, which is once a year when we go to the Outer Banks for a week. (I’m also super jealous you live in Alaska – it’s high on my list of places to visit, and I may even try to do the Mayor’s Midnight Sun sometime.)
I’m also not a morning person (today I woke up at 8 a.m. – thankfully my employer doesn’t care) and I tend to run in the afternoon as well.
P.S. I don’t comment frequently because your WordPress comment set-up does not like my old WP log-in, but I just wanted to say I’ve been reading for a while and I’m glad things are going well in Anchorage! More light every day 🙂
That is really weird about comments – I’ll look into that! Glad to see there are more non-morning people out there. I woke up at 8:00 too! And you should definitely come up and run that race! We’re right on the water so it’s like getting the pretty part of the beach without all the sucky parts 🙂
Winter is not my favorite and I love the East Coast beaches and the sand, heat, and humidity…lol. Can we still be friends?
Haha yes! You can just hate my winter posts and I’ll hate your summer posts 😛
Kristen, I’m pretty jealous that you are so motivated to exercise later in the day, especially AFTER work – whew. I am the exact opposite! I am totally fine with waking up at 4 or 4:30am to get my run and other exercises in before I have to get ready for work; ask to me go after work, though, and the wheels fall off – ha! My husband, however, is definitely a late day exerciser which means that we rarely exercise together (sometimes, on the weekends, we compromise!). Great post; I love reading all of your things! Have a great weekend and enjoy the snow!
It’s funny because I’m jealous of your ability to get it out of the way! Somehow I just don’t ever feel like putting it off, unless I get a headache or feel sick or something. But my gym is 24 hour so if I feel better at 9:00 pm I’m not against going then! I swear I want to get into morning workouts but my body hates it.
I am only a morning person…..I can not workout late! They need to be done early! I couldn’t imagine putting it off! That stresses me out! I like to be able to get it done and then relax the rest of the day otherwise I would be so unproductive until I did do my workout!
I’m so jealous! Sometimes I wish I could get up and do it in the mornings so I’d be done, but I also don’t get too stressed about going after work unless it’s an outside run during the winter (once the sun sets, I’m not doing it outside so it’s a time crunch!).
I actually really like winter and snow as well (good thing, as I live in Vermont!), but I try to enjoy all the seasons equally because I love the variety. I haven’t had appendicitis, but I’m a total hypochondriac, so every time I have a stomach ache I assume my appendix is about to explode!
Haha that’s why I mentioned WebMD – that website always tells me I’m going to die, and it’s only been right once! So glad I caught it before it went too far! FYI you will know if it’s your appendix – it’s not crampy feeling, and after a few hours of constant stabbing pain you can feel something large and painful on your right side when you walk. It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. So don’t worry next time anything hurts, you’re probably okay!
I had an appendectomy when I was 14, and yes, I can still see the stupid scar. How did I know what it was? From my religious watching of ER on TV!
Omg that’s crazy! Yaaaaay we’re appendix buddies! 🙂
I do long runs in the morning because, well, they’re long lol! My kids have slowly morphed me into becoming a morning person; I definitely wasn’t before them! And I hate cold–so we’re opposites there 🙂
I feel like if I ever have kids I’ll probably have to change my sleeping patterns. And everything else about my life obviously 🙂 But that does make sense getting the long ones out of the way early so you have enough sunlight!
Ahh my sister had appendicitis too! Except she went to the crappiest ER ever and they SENT HER HOME without diagnosing it! She was in so much pain though so she went back a couple hours later and they found it about to burst!!!
Oh my god that is terrifying! When I went they were like “Well it’s either appendicitis, caner, or a baby” and I wanted to die. We rule out baby pretty quickly and then they made me take test for hours until they found out what it was. It was annoying but at least they admitted me!
i do work out in the morning but when i wake up i need at least 10 minutes before i can talk. haha. hope you get your big snow!
Haha I’m the same way! I can’t move or think for at least 10 minutes and then I can attempt to get out of bed 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Love about the Stanley Cup. Very cool.
I can relate to the early morning thing, but frankly, it’s the time that fits my schedule best, so it forces to run then. I enjoy the early morning runs, just not the getting out of bed part.
I wish I could enjoy it even when I’m able to do it, but my body hates it. I really am a night owl!
I actually love the snow too and am not a big beach person. Its the sand and heat. However, I definitely prefer my workouts in the morning. At the end of the day I often loose the motivation
Yay to snow and not beaches! Most people think I’m crazy when I tell them that 🙂
Knock wood, no appendicitis here. I too love winter but this year in Chicago we don’t have much snow, which is the best part IMO. Yay for the Stanley Cup!
I think a winter without snow is so boring! We got only 2 inches here over the weekend so it’s enough to cover the trails and roads for better traction but it’s still not as much as I wanted 😦
I can’t believe you don’t like the beach, think it’s so cool you live in Alaska, am so jealous that you have kissed the Stanley Cup {TWICE}, also want to get up early to do yoga, and hope you have a great weekend. 5 things for you! 🙂
Haha I love your 5 things! I know, the beach thing really surprises most people but I just can’t do it! I do like the beach in the fall when it’s colder and there’s no one there if that helps 🙂 Good luck with your yoga goals!
Oh man we are complete opposites. I like mornings and I HAAAATE winter. Specifically, snow. I don’t mind the cold, so long as it hovers not much below 40. But snow, sleet, cold rain, disgusting streets, black ice with awful drivers… hells no. Just let me hibernate right now.
Haha but the snow is so pretty! I think a winter without snow is pretty ugly. Everything is just brown and dead. But yeah, 40 degrees is a pretty good temp for running so I’ll agree with that!
I love reading these posts and learning more about the people behind the blogs I read 🙂 No appendicitis over here…however I am surprised you are just getting snow now! Very stereotypical of me, but I thought for sure Alaska would have snow all winter 😉
I thought so too! I’m pretty shocked. The good news is that the ground is frozen so each time it has snowed (5 times total now) whatever we get (like 1 inch each time) stays on the ground for a while. Apparently we’ve been having warmer and less snowy winters lately!
Alaska truly is the most perfect place on the planet for you! 🙂
I have never had appendicitis, but I know someone who has (my cousin).
Haha yeah if there was a Chipotle and a Trader Joe’s and I could drive to visit my parents it would be perfect 🙂
I am with you all the way on #1… unless it’s a race you will NEVER see me working out in the am. Can’t do it. you and Alaska are a match made in heaven!