Favorite Things of 2011

There's just 5 days left in 2011. Less than 5 days til I begin my journey to become an ultrarunner. Well, I guess the journey started back when I signed up for the 12HR, didn't it? 2011 was quite a journey for me and it had some awesome moments in it. These are a few of my favorite things from 2011:

My 5 favorite runs:
1. The Lost Dutchman Marathon - Because it was the first marathon I ran without having to walk.
2. Day 2 of the Love Me Two Times Challenge - Because I raced smart, didn't slow down when it hurt, and gave it everything I had. Because I got major props from the guys there, I won the women's race, and went sub2. Yeah, that was a good day! If I smoked, I would have had a cigarette after.
3. The Tour of California Mt. Baldy Stage - Because I got to spend the day hiking and running with my friend Kylie on a mountain while watching fast boys on sexy bikes race in the Tour of California. Oh, baby! Serious fun that day. I put in 25 miles of hiking/running that day. Kylie ran more than I did because she was training for the Nanny Goat 24HR. She's the one who planted the idea of a 12HR in my head. :)
4. Christmas 2011 - Because I had so much fun running through the town I grew up in, chasing down Santa, going by the places I use to haunt as a kid w/some fun memories.
5. My Saturday Long Runs - This is kind of cheating but my favorite thing about Saturday long runs is starting out with the stars and watching the day break. I've seen shooting stars, a lunar eclipse, and some glorious sunrises. Way better than tv!

My 5 favorite celebrity moments:
1. Meeting Macca! - Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. Seriously, I become a 13 yr old girl when I think about that day. He was so incredibly nice, giving, funny, and humble. Plus, he has a great accent. I could have listened to him all day ;)(signed: bib)
2. Meeting Scott Jurek - One of the stars of THE book that changed the way I thought about running and running shoes...wow. Again, super, super nice. (signed: bib)
3. Meeting Marshall Ulrich - He has done some amazing things and had some crazy adventures and reading about them was/is very inspiring. Plus, he signed my copy of his book. (signed: book)
4. Meeting The FatCyclist - Totally wild that I finally met him after reading his blog for years. (signed: book)
5. Meeting the infamous Joshua Holmes - Saved the best for last. Hey, he was the only one who bought me dinner. No, really, I have to say that watching Joshua run the Vol State 500 was incredible and he was another inspiration in signing up for the 12HR so it was great fun to meet him. Although...he didn't sign anything for me. Hmmm...
Honorable Mentions - Mario Fraioli and Josh Cox replied to my tweets! (I know, I'm a geek :) )

My 5 favorite running related adventures:
1. Visiting the Charles Schulz museum & Snoopy Store in Santa Rosa. One of my staff asked if I had a shrine to Snoopy at home and she's not far off! But when Snoopy is your nickname, you get a lot of Snoopy gifts.
2. Meeting my friend Toni in Seattle and our whirlwind tour of the City - including the underground, the Troll, the Born To Run store, and a hike on Cougar Mountain.
3. Hiking through Zion with my family - totally gorgeous, got to break out my camera, and spend time with my family on a road trip - a total blast!
4. Taking the ferry out to Catalina Island - a beautiful sunrise, dolphins swimming next to us, hadn't been since I was a kid, the possibilities of the day.
5. My running shoe adventure - not a journey to a place but a journey into lighter, more minimal shoes. I've really enjoyed being able to run in really light shoes and so glad I took the leap away from big, cushioned shoes.

My 5 favorite things about Twitter:
1. The running community is amazingly supportive.
2. I'm inspired daily by what others are doing.
3. Someone is always posting links to great videos & articles about running.
4. It makes me feel...normal. :)
5. Best of all...I've made some awesome friends!

Okay, that's it for today. Just a few of my favorite runs/adventures/moments/things from the past year. I KNOW 2012 is going to be even better and I can't wait!