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<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>1. Why do you run?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="font-family:Arial;">About 10 years ago, I got jolted into seriously considering my long term health, I was beginning a new chapter in my life and the new millennium was fast approaching. I wanted to enter 2000 in good health and with good habits. So I started back at the gym, and one day, the stair machines were all busy so I tried the treadmill. I hated it. Apparently, so did everyone else at my gym because for the next couple of weeks, the only machines open were the treadmills. I finally tried running outside, and what a difference a change in scenery makes! I discovered I liked running.</span><br><br><span style="font-family:Arial;">BUT…(there’s always a but), I don’t just run. I cycle, ride a tandem with Mr. YM and I walk. And I have purposely kept it all pretty loose because I want it to be fun and not something that is work. So I don’t wear watches or race or put any pressure on these activities. I just do them.</span><br><br><span style="font-family:Arial;">Aside from the obvious physical benefits of these activities, I have discovered another great thing; my mind gets a good workout too. When I’m running or walking, my thoughts are Faulkernish, meandering like a stream, seemingly with no structure or purpose. But when I get home, I’ve discovered that I’ve solved all the worlds’ problems, or at the very least, how to fix my latest snafu at work. And when Mr. YM and I are on the tandem, we get into some really deep conversations about stuff. It’s pretty enlightening.</span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>2. What is your greatest accomplishment?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Well, I do have 3 really great kidlets, but I don’t think I can take all the credit for that. I think my greatest accomplishment is that I’ve reinvented myself 4 times in my life and I don’t think I’m done yet.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>3. What is your motto/theme song?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Motto: <i>Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun</i> AND <i>Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted</i>.</span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Theme song: Louis Armstrong’s <i>What A Wonderful World</i></span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>4. How do you deal with bad runs?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">There’s no such thing!</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>5. Do you reward yourself for good runs? How?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">No. My reward for all of my activities is that I don’t count calories or step on a scale anymore.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>6. Who do you admire most?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">This is hard to answer because I admire a lot of people for different reasons. But, I am amazed most by my baby girl kidlet. She has faced the challenges in her life with incredible courage and an intelligence and wisdom you don’t expect from someone so young. She is so very kind, selfless, generous, sweet, and beautiful (inside and out!) and now she is pursuing a career to give back to people in need. She is amazing!</span></span></span><br><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>7. What is the greatest advice you have ever received?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Gosh, this is another hard one because so many people who are so much smarter and wiser than me have given me a lot of advice along the way. Right now, I’m thinking of my Nonna, and the advice she gave me many, many years ago. She told me two very important things; <i>Always support your husband in public, disagree in private</i> and <i>Love your children</i>, <i>but love your husband more</i>.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>8. What do wish you had learned younger?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">That I really can do almost anything I put my mind to.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>9. What do you wish you could do but can't?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Oy – THIS is a long list! Sing, speak many languages, travel 365 days a year</span></span></span><br><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>10. How would your friends describe your personality?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">This question makes me uncomfortable and my gut answer is to say garlic mashed potatoes. You know, just plain ol’ potatoes but a little jazzed up. So I consulted my future business partner, and I quote, “playful, witty, smart, uber smart, uncannily unQuakerish, vivacious, generous, cooks a mean streak”. Said business partner conveniently left off nerdy and geeky. I love said business partner for that!</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>11. What do you wear running? favorite outfit?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">meh</span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">whatever’s clean</span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">my favorite shoes are ASICS and Mizuno though.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>12. What has been your favorite race?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">None, see above.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>13. Do you have a goal race right now?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">No, see above. But Mr. YM and I are still dreaming of riding our tandem in the Paris-Brest-Paris ride. We’ve got a long way to qualify, but I think we’ll do it some day.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>14. What makes you happy?</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Good health, good food, good company.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>15. Tell us one interesting thing about you that you haven't said (at least not often) on this forum in the past.</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I got locked into a park in Nice, France. The park is on the top of a big rock on the bay, I had to walk the entire circumference of the park until I found a spot with no fence and a short enough drop to the street level that I wouldn’t break any bones from jumping.</span></span></span><br><br><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><b>16. Tell us one interesting thing about another user of this forum that has not been posted (at least not often) on this forum in the past.</b></span></span></span><br><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Torque plays the bagpipes.</span></span></span>
