The ABCs of Run Away With Me

Hi everyone!  And an extra special welcome to my fellow Grow Your Blog blog hop members!  Today I’m getting the chance to “meet” a lot of other Sweat Pink Ambassadors who are interested in finding new blogs to follow, and I was thinking about what I might want to know if I came across this blog for the first time ever.  And then I realized that because I’m usually blogging about running and hiking and other fitness stuff, there’s so much I don’t get to share about me with my readers.  So today I decided to share some facts about me – one for every letter in the alphabet!  Here’s the ABCs of Run Away With Me:

A – I moved up to Anchorage, AK last year and absolutely love living here!

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B – I have a slight obsession with books.  There is nothing better than cuddling up with a blanket and coffee while reading a good book, am I right?

CCoffee is a necessity in my life.  I like it either black or in a PSL  🙂

D – The 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon was my first half ever.  I dressed up like Ariel!  You can find that fun recap here.

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E – I really love to eat!  For the past 7 weeks I’ve been eating clean while doing the Whole Life Challenge and have been loving how a life without sugar (and bread, pasta, dairy, and any weird added ingredients) feels.  But once it ends on Friday I might add in some dairy again, mostly for pizza.  Pizza is my favorite thing on earth  ❤

FFall is my favorite season!  I love the cool weather and changing leaves.

IMG_6579Fall in the Yukon!

G – I have been wearing glasses since 4th grade.  But you’ll never see a picture of that because it’s really uncomfortable to workout in glasses.  Contacts for the win!

H – I’m a huge Harry Potter fan.  Going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida was so awesome!

IMG_2698Drinking a butterbeer in front of Hogwarts!

I – In case you want to connect with me, I’m over on Instagram and Twitter at @runawaywithkk

J – I’m kind of obsessed with John Mayer.  I think I’ve seen him in concert 4 times!

K – The only nickname I’ve ever had is Krissy, and only my grandpa was allowed to call me that.

L – My current half marathon PR is from the Love Run Half in Philly.  I feel like I’m on an eternal quest to beat my time of 2:30!

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M – John Muir is my inspiration in life.  If you’ve never read any of his books, go do it!  The mountains are definitely always calling me.

N – If you ever see me watching sports, it’s going to be the NHL.  I’m a big Philadelphia Flyers fan and have gone to too many games to count!

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O – I’m the oldest sibling in my family and have one little sister.

P – I grew up outside Philadelphia and spent most of my 20s living right on the West Philly border.  I definitely get homesick sometimes.

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Q – My quickest 5k was 28:41.  Sub-30s are hard!

R – This letter was super easy – I’m a runner and super proud of it!

IMG_5530Running by Byron Glacier

S – I’m kind of obsessed with snow.  It’s snowing right now and I can’t stop looking outside like a little kid!

T – I teach health education for a non profit and absolutely love my job.

U – I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh undergrad.  Hail to Pitt!

V – My favorite vacation spot is Bar Harbor, ME.  I really want to run a half there someday.

P1000531At the top of Acadia Mountain in Acadia National Park

W – I’d take winter over summer any day!

X – You definitely won’t see me in Xtratufs anytime soon because I HATE being out on the ocean.  I get seasick!

Y – My favorite color is yellow

Z – I’m not a morning workout person – I love my extra ZZZZs in the morning!

Did you learn anything new about me?  Leave me a fun fact about yourself in the comments!


95 thoughts on “The ABCs of Run Away With Me

  1. Hello from the blog hop 😀

    I love your ABC, such a great idea. Alaska looks so beautiful and must be a great place to run. I did my first trail half in the mountains in September and I’ll definitely be running it again. You are lucky to have them so close.

    I’m not really a morning work out person either. When thinking about entering a race one of the first things I’ll look for is the start time. If a race starts before 9.30 it’s very unlikely I’ll enter it!

    1. Oooh that race sounds awesome! I’m slowly trying to become a trail runner because I love being out in the mountains. Also, your stance on race start times is amazing! I ran a race last weekend that started at 11:00 am which was fabulous 🙂

  2. I really enjoyed this post!! Love the beautiful photos. Wow! So so beautiful. I’m ready to relocate lol I ❤ my coffee and books too! But def a morning person 😉 and hate winter lol but if I lived where you did I bet it's ridiculously beautiful. Have a great week!!

    1. Haha you should! We came up here on our honeymoon and fell in love so much that we decided to move here! And yes, the beauty of Alaska is probably the only reason I love winter here. It’s so awesome right now with all the new snow!

  3. Hi from the blog hop! and that is a fun intro! Alaska looks beautiful and is on my bucket list of places to visit! Hate to tell you though I am a morning person, I wake up and my head is spinning with all my new ideas for the day! 🙂 I love my morning runs too- I am in Florida, so you gotta run when it is cool! Have a great week!

    1. You should definitely come visit! And I’m only productive in the mornings if I wake up without my alarm going off. Like I’ll be miserable getting up at 6:30 for work, but happily jump out of bed at 8 if I’m feeling ready for it. And morning running in Florida definitely makes sense!

  4. Great way to do an introduction!! It got me thinking of what my alphabet introduction would be. I am a big kid with snow, just like you, but have to say I still prefer a warm day at a beach over Winter :). I am from Australia but living in Montreal at the moment. I would love to head to Alaska sometime soon, your pics are beautiful!!

    1. Ooooh I’ve always wanted to go to Montreal! I think we both need to visit each other to run races in our cities 🙂 And I love meeting people who live so far from home! How long have you lived there? How do you deal with the homesickness? Mine is better this year but it’s still hard not being able to go home more than once a year.

      1. Oooo a city-swap-race-visit sounds fun haha.
        I do experience homesickness, but, I am super lucky in that I’ve had my parents visit twice, had a holiday in new York with my partners parents, and this year alone have had 6 weddings to attend, 2 of which I traveled back to Australia for, so, there hasn’t been too much time to think about homesickness 🙂

  5. This is such a great idea and a creative way to introduce yourself! I’m not sure we can be besties, as I want to hybernate until spring! Ha! It is nice to meet you!!

    1. Haha I know, winter is not that popular. I would just rather have snow than humidity, especially with running. Nice to meet you too!

  6. Hey fellow health ed buddy =)

    ABC’s was a super fun idea! I really want to come visit you in Alaska. Your blog and all your pictures always makes me so jealous.

    1. Hey you! Yeah, you definitely need to come up here with Ellie sometime! We have some pretty sweet races. And all of our tris are done in swimming pools so if you’re interested in that let me know 🙂

  7. Love this idea, great way to get to know you and your blog! I currently live right outside of Philly! But super exciting you moved all the way to Alaska, would love to be this adventurous one day. Looks beautiful where you live.

    1. Ahh no way! I really miss Philly sometimes. Not the traffic or the blah winters and hot summers though 🙂 Are you running any races around Christmas? I’ll be home for a few weeks and would love a running buddy!

  8. I loved this ABC get to know you! I am with you on loving fall and coffee. And Alaska–wow!!! I have always wanted to visit–it just seems so beautiful there. Great getting to know you!

    1. You should definitely visit at least once! It’s the most beautiful place on earth. And fall and coffee are the best things ever!

  9. so awesome to see you through the hop! I’ve learned quite a bit more about you though I knew a lot already (H2P!!) I love your photos of Alaska – you look so happy there! I’m excited to visit Philly in a couple of weeks.

    1. Yay Pitt! And I’m so bummed I won’t be in Philly when you get there! I’m so excited to hear all about your trip!

  10. Hello from the blog hop! I loved learning more about you. Yay for Alaska! We were there a couple summers ago and it was amazing. Lucky you to get to live there! I totally agree with you on Bar Harbor Maine, too. Gorgeous there!
    I was born and raised in Chicago but lived in Europe for a few years right after we were married. It was a wonderful adventure.

    1. Bar Harbor is the best! We thought about moving there when it was time to make the big move, but I’m a city girl and need a Target and some malls nearby so Anchorage won 🙂 Europe sounds amazing! I’m hoping we stay here for more than a few years but if not I’ll have some awesome memories of our crazy cross country move!

  11. Another visitor from the blog hop (though you’re already on my Bloglovin’ feed and I’ve loved reading your posts). I am not a morning person either, though you’d never know that based on the fact that I have to get up at 4:45 every morning in order to be at work on time. Then on the weekends “sleeping in” becomes sleeping past 6 a.m.

    1. Yay so glad to see you in the blog hop! Well to be honest, waking up early for work is just what you have to do so I don’t consider you a morning person for that 🙂 And yes, my idea of sleeping in is 8! I really just like getting up without an alarm clock because it’s so relaxing.

  12. Hi, from the blog hop. It’s great getting to know you better. I love the ABC format. I live in the Heart of Dixie, so just about as far away from Alaska as you can get in the USA. I’ve been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and it is impressive. I need to return after the latest editions, though. I tried to drink my butter beer with a straw, after the vendor told me not too. What does he know? Epic Fail. It foamed all over the place. LOL.

    1. Omg I had the best butterbeer interaction! Some guy walked past the long line I was waiting in and looked confused. He asked me “Is this real beer?” and I was like “WHAT. It’s butterbeer. Like from Harry Potter?” and he had no idea what I was talking about. And he was in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I almost died. And I honestly think I would have done the same thing with the straw that you did so I totally laughed when I read that!

    1. Thanks for stopping by! I used to sleep until 10 all the time. Now I definitely make sure I’m up by 8 or 9 so I don’t sleep too much – it just makes me sleepier!

    1. Yes, giving up cheese was the hardest thing ever! I’m definitely meant to eat dairy 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

  13. I actually love these themed posts so you’ve given me an idea too.
    Fun-fact about me: I wear glasses too – everyday, all through my waking hours – and years ago, I used to take my glasses off for pics so it would be a game to find my glasses somewhere in the background in all my photos.
    I’m in the hop Round 2. It’s my first time doing it so I’m excited to find these awesome new blogs like yours. You can check out today’s blog post here: http://runwright.net/2015/11/09/lets-go-to-the-videotape/

    1. Haha I take my glasses off for pictures too! I just end up putting them behind me or in my pocket but I love that you’re able to spot them in all your pictures. Checking out your blog now!

  14. Omgosh! I have been following your blog ever since I saw that you lived in Alaska! I hope to get there someday to visit. I especially loved your post about having to be aware of moose and bears on your runs….the only thing I have to worry about here in NJ are ducks and deer,ha! I love that you did the Disney Princess race as your first marathon! My daughter was Ariel this year for Halloween! She is still wearing the costume a week later!

    1. You should definitely come up here to visit! I’ll take you to visit some bears and moose 🙂 And your daughter sounds like someone that I would be friends with!

  15. Hey girl! Glad to hear you are settling in to Alaska and loving it, I know this time last year was a little rough, hope you have a great holiday season this year! I swear it takes at least a year to settle into a new place. Fun fact about me, I was the first female varsity wrestler on an all boys team in high school (for all four years.) After that I knew I could take on anything!

    1. Yes, last year was awful but I’m really loving it now! It’s amazing what friends, snow, and lots of Vitamin D pills will do 🙂 Plus I’m going home for Christmas so it should be much easier! I love your fun fact, that is so badass!

  16. COFFEE yes!!! haha and contacts are definitely for the WIN. I look back and cant believe I wore my glasses to play volleyball all through like sophmore year of high school… what was i thinking?? I also LOVE fall and am jealous you are in alaska, it looks gorgeous!! Nice meeting you through the hop! 🙂

    1. Alaska is awesome! It’s so pretty all year round. And yeah, I have no idea why I spent so much time in glasses. I’m hoping to get lasik one day so I don’t have to worry about my eyes at all anymore!

    1. Haha it’s the best way to live! And yeah, I need to get better at training for a 5k and not just for longer distances!

  17. Hi there!! Coffee is a MUST for any fitness enthusiast for sure!! And as someone that wears glasses I definitely agree it’s not easy to work out (especially run) with them on! My husband is obsessed with Alaska, he watches shows about your gorgeous state all the time and constantly tries to find ways to convince me to move there. Unfortunately I’m too much of a warm weather girl to subject myself to the Alaska winters! I have family in Maine and if memory serves there is a half in Bar Harbor I think in the early summer!! You should definitely make a trip out to do it!

    1. Haha it’s awesome up here! Not much like the shows – although Wild West Alaska (the one about the gun store) is pretty accurate. You should visit in July when we have nice warm weather and lots to do! And I think I’m going to have to look up that half marathon and put it on my bucket list!

  18. Hello from the Blog Hop!

    Everything I learned about you is new! And I relate to loving Harry Potter, struggling with morning workouts, loving the Fall, enjoying books, and being a RUNNER! Love the views of Alaska – such amazing country up there! Look forward to interacting with you on this blog hop and beyond!

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Haha thanks for stopping by to learn new things! I’m looking forward to reading your blog! Anyone who loves Harry Potter is a friend of mine 🙂

  19. I love your ABCs idea! I may have to borrow that and do one of my own one day. 🙂 I am also a huge Harry Potter fan, and it sounds like we could be running partners if we lived closer (my fastest 5k time is 30:58 and I’m hoping to beat my half time of 2:38:xx). Nice “meeting” you!

    ~Amanda @bephoenixfit

    1. That’s awesome! I love finding people who can run the same speed as me. Everyone else seems to be so fast! Seriously, I’ve only had one sub-30 5k and I feel like it’s just the worst distance ever.

  20. Great intro! I’m excited about this little blog hop :). We have a lot in common, and I remember seeing John Mayer way back in 2003 when Maroon 5 was the opener…love me some John Mayer :). Fun fact about me? My dad was a track star in high school, so I always avoided running – now, we run together, and it’s awesome!

    1. Thanks! And that’s amazing!!! Congrats on your dream race – I totally want to do that one someday! Now I’m off to stalk your blog for a recap 🙂

  21. Hi from the blog hop!!!

    Anchorage-how beautiful!!
    Disney and Love are on my bucket list!
    Girl….my inner fat girl is screaming…YES!!! I love food!
    I love Fall…..so beautiful! is there Fall in Anchorage.
    I HATE snow!!!
    My favorite color is Orange.
    I had to become a morning person due to my kids 🙂

    Nice to meet you!

    1. Haha we have so much in common – except the snow part 🙂 I highly recommend those races! They’re so much fun and have great swag. It was nice meeting you!

  22. I love how you did your meet-and-greet post! I have a few days until mine is due but don’t have a clue how I will go about writing it! I’ve only been to Alaska once and I loved it there. I am sort of a sissy though when it comes to cold so I am not sure I could totally hang. I think it’s so great that you love it so much. Life if better if you love where you live right?! That’s cute that only your grandpa can call you ……I won’t even type it out of respect 🙂 Here’s a coffee cheers to you as I am freezing and enjoying some afternoon coffee – it’s 63 degrees today! Happy Blog Hopping! Nice connecting with you!

    1. Totally feel free to use the ABC thing! It took a bit of work to think of something for each letter but was really fun to write. The cold isn’t so bad here in Alaska, I swear! The midwest is worse. And yeah, my grandpa and I were pretty close so I let him call me that. I definitely miss it! And FYI it was 37 degrees here today so I definitely needed my afternoon coffee to wake me up!

  23. Hi Kristin, it’s so nice to drop by your blog from the hop! What a great introduction post! I am doing my very first Disney race in January and I love your outfit! Where on earth did you get those perfectly matched running tights? They are just awesome! I look forward to connecting with you! Have a wonderful week!

    1. Oh you are going to have a blast!!! What are you thinking of dressing up as? I bought these on ebay and was so excited to wear them – even though it was way too hot for pants! I also wore a plastic fork in my hair as a “dinglehopper” which got me lots of comments during the race. And my mom sewed on the felt seashells which were so cute!

  24. Love your ABC get to know you idea so fun!
    First I have to say, I love Alaska if I could spend every June there I would be in heaven! I ran the anchorage midnight sun marathon, so I know you live in some beautiful areas!
    Also, Bar Harbor, ME is one of my favorite spots too, I absolutely love hiking and exploring around Arcadia! I ran their Mount Desert Island Marathon, I can’t remember if they have a half that goes with it. But it’s so gorgeous there, you are in for a treat when you make it there for your half!
    I do love fall too, and last week it started snowing a little bit here and like you I had a hard time not wanting to just watch it out the window, there is a hypnotizing beauty to it!

    1. You should let me know when you come up here again! That race is awesome – I did the marathon relay this year and had a blast! I’m going to have to look up that race in Bar Harbor for my bucket list. Thanks so much for hosting this blog hop, I’m having a blast already!

  25. Great post idea! I too have work glasses since 4th grade and thank goodness for contacts! I have two aunts who live in Anchorage but I’ve never been! I think it’s beautiful year round and I hope to be able to go one day.

    1. No way! You have to come visit them! It’s amazing here. And I’m so glad to find a fellow glasses wearer from way back in the day!

  26. I’m participating in the blog hop. I love your ABC’s introduction! How creative! Alaska looks like a beautiful place. I would love to visit there someday. I’ve never done a Disney race, but they look like so much fun! I love your Ariel costume! I wouldn’t consider myself a morning person either, but I’ve become one during marathon training. I’m more consistent when I get my runs done early. I always find some excuse to skip my runs if I wait until the end of the day. I look forward to reading more of your posts!

    1. Alaska is so gorgeous, you need to come up here! And I hear you on the morning workout stuff. Lately I’m exhausted after work so I’ve been getting in my 10 minutes of yoga/stretching/foam rolling done before work so I can head off to work feeling better. And I’ve been trying to do my workouts at lunch. Thanks for stopping by!

  27. What a fun way to help us get to know you! I am excited to learn that you like Harry Potter, coffee, fall, and running, we have those in common. I think it is cool that you are interested in sports like NHL, I never would have pinned ya as a hockey chick! That’s pretty cool. I liked hockey, crew, and lacrosse growing but never told anyone because it wasn’t girly and I already was a tomboy. I wish I would have at least tried to play one! I also had a special nickname from my grandpa, TRUCK. lol Everyone my whole life has called my Carleeh, or car, but he had to be different. I had a lot of fun getting to know more about you!
    My fun fact would be that was in an all girls select choir in High School. Though now I hardly sing because I damaged my vocal cords smoking…oops! haha

    1. Haha yep I’m a hockey fan! It started in college when I met my husband, and I really enjoyed learning the sport. Although I’m terrible on ice skates so you’ll never see me playing it! I love how grandpas have the best silly nicknames for us! And I also was in a few select choirs in high school! And I totally stopped singing now too. I love how much we have in common!

      1. Wow, so cool! That is cool you were in a select choir too! Most people think it is weird I was. I say it isn’t like glee or pitch perfect. It was like a jazz choir! What kind do you sing in?

  28. I just love that mountain view you get to see when you run. How gorgeous! We have a lot in common, I love books, coffee, Harry Potter, etc. But I am afraid I disagree on Winter. It is my least favorite season (not to be a naysayer as Winter has it’s charms). Your A to Z’s are fun!

    1. Haha I don’t get to run with that view very often, that’s on a trail about 30 minutes from Anchorage. But I do get to see tons of mountains on my regular route, plus I can sometimes see Denali (the tallest mountain in North America!). I’m getting a lot of non-winter fans on here but that’s okay. I’m glad we have lots of other stuff in common!

  29. Hello! First time visiting from the blog hop! Fun fact, John Mayer went to my high school and my chemistry teacher is listed in his thank you list on his first CD. I also love Maine! My mother-in-law has a place in Freeport and we head up there any chance we get!

    1. NO WAY! I love him and now I’m totally jealous of your chem teacher! And that’s awesome you get to go to Maine a lot! It’s so gorgeous up there!

  30. Hi, happy to connect with you through the Grow Your Blog Hop! I ran the runDisney Princess Half this year as part of the Glass Slipper Challenge. I love the runDisney races too! Love your ABC idea 🙂 Denise @ HealthyFamilyMedia.com

    1. Oh I so want to do the Glass Slipper Challenge someday! Since it was my first half I was too nervous to take on the challenge, but now I’d love to see how I would do with back to back races.

  31. I adore this! What a cute intro and idea!! You are awesome… Also I am a HUUUUGGEEE hockey fan. But I am a New York Ranger fan (don’t hate me hahaha). I rarely meet other women hockey fans (well ones that are actually real fans) so that is so awesome! You go girl!

    1. Haha thanks! And no hate, I love all other female hockey fans! It’s so much fun learning about the sport and going to games. Since the games are live, they’re on at 3:00 pm here in Alaska so I never get to watch them anymore. But I’m hoping to catch a game next time I’m home!

  32. Very clever doing the ABC’s! FYI-I’m also a huge Harry Potter fan, too. Even more than my three kids ever were LOL. I have read the entire series numerous times…every time a new book was released, I read the entire series leading up to the new book (#HarryDork). Also, I’m the oldest of two daughters in my family 😉

    1. Me too! Did you ever go to one of the book release parties? I may have done that… 🙂 Biggest nerd ever right here!

  33. Fellow blog hopper here 🙂 The ABC idea is such an awesome idea!! It looks absolutely stunning in Alaska!! I’ve always wanted to visit. I will get out there eventually! It must be awesome to run in such beautiful places!

  34. I’m also a blog hopper. Hello! Alaska! I am itching to go to Alaska, but in the summer when it isn’t quite so cold. Have you done any distance racing up there? I’ve been eyeing the race when the sun never sets; what an experience that would be!

    1. Oooh is that the one in Fairbanks? I want to do that one too, but Fairbanks is so far away! I highly suggest the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon/Half, it’s on the summer solstice and in Anchorage we get 21 hours of sunlight with a few hours of twilight. It’s so awesome! The run is in the morning but you get to stay up late checking out the “sunset” after midnight!

    1. Haha wait did you do a post like this too? I love it! And a PSL is a pumpkin spice latte. They are soooo good but so high in sugar and bad stuff. I haven’t had one in months because I gave up sugar, but they’re my favorite fall drink!

  35. That outfit for your disney princess half is ADORABLE!!!! Fun fact: not a morning runner either! Looking forward to reading more of your blog!!! xox – From the Blog Hop! 🙂

    1. Thanks! I decided to go all out for it, and was so lucky my mom was willing to help me by sewing on those little shells. FYI non-morning runners are the best! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

  36. I ADORE your ABC’s! One of my dreams is to take my kids to Alaska for a trip. My boys are obsessed with Alaska and watch shows on it all the time. I’m looking forward to reading more from you!

    1. Oooh definitely bring them up here! It’s the most amazing place on earth. We came up here on our honeymoon and realized we had to live here! There are definitely way too many Alaska shows and most are just crazy. Anchorage is a big city with multiple malls and Targets and stuff but those shows don’t show that side at all. Thanks for stopping by!

  37. I love this idea!!!! I’m going to try this on my blog one day 🙂
    I love readying books too…do you prefer to have the actual book and turn the pages or are you more of an e-reader girl?
    Fun fact about me… T— I have a Twin sister (she lives in Jamaica but we see each other often)

    1. Do it! It was hard with some of the letters but I had lots of fun writing it. I’m definitely a real book find of girl. I recently went to Powell’s City of Books in Portland and thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was incredible. And I love your fun fact! That’s so cool!

  38. Very cute and fun idea! Glad to meet you through the blog hop! I love the layout and feel of your blog makes me feel like you have had many fun adventures especially with nature! Love your photos!

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