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Email TinaFab at: tina_garstad@hotmail.com

Sunday 11 May 2014

eep! Late for Liebster!

Ok! Clearly I am remiss is responding! I have recently been nominated for a Liebster Award from Terry, Brian, Leana, Darilyn, and ( a really long time ago) Krista! And in the last few weeks, bloggy pals Michelle and Cori have done a Libester post too! SHEESH!!! I best get answering the questions!! And I chose a mixup of the questions on a few of the bloggers! Thanks for the shout-outs my fab fellow Canadians!
1. Why did you start blogging?
I think I decided to start blogging to keep myself accountable. And, to talk about how training and doing races made me feel. I had come from heavy and sedentary to running (slowly, and faster...and well sometimes not so faster) and I thought that sometimes I might have a funny sotry or two to share. And if no one read, well at least I was getting my thoughts out there! 
2. Do you have any "furbabies"? If you do, tell us about them.
OK. This is crazy to admit. I have NEVER had a pet. EVER. 
3. 
What is a habit that you had you are most proud of breaking?
oh boy. I have never smoked...I have heaps of little bad habits. I should swear less. But dammit, I don't have the fortitude to stop. I am probably lazy. I probably used to drink too much. But I grew up. And now i feel the effects of drink if I try to run. SIGH. I don't do drugs or gambled.
I LOOOOVE to procrastinate like hell!  
I really should stop procrastinating. I will....
5. What is your favourite holiday?
Christmas. It was my Grandmothers favourite time of year. I recall her house being exquisitely decorated. And how she wrapped presents!!! Perfection! My mother still has her home decorated within an inch of it's life! I love the look and feel of that. And singing Christmas Carols. And eating turkey. And yummy Christmas breakfasts. And reading new books that one has just unwrapped. Oh, and Christmas books too! 
6. What would be your dream job?
Being a lady of leisure would be grand. Or being a food critic. Or a travel writer. I always wanted to write for a magazine or in a book publishing company....but no such places existing in the tiny part of the world I grew up in. 
7. What's the first site you check when you turn on computer?
I probably check my email. Then snoop on Twitter and FaceBook.
This is TOTALLY hilarious. And true. 
 8. What did you study in university/college? 
I studied Voice Performance. As in a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Yes. I sing like Julie Andrews and a la Maria Callais, Renee Fleming. But I felt constant pressure and I actually stopped singing for a few years. Once I was studying Literature at university, I began voice lessons again. And was singing with a women's choral group again. Over the years, I have sung with several symphony choruses - including Melbourne and Calgary. I have sung for the Queen, and a few Canadian Prime Ministers. And, two Australian Prime Ministers too. Oh I ended up getting a degree in Communications - and work in marketing and public relations. 
9. Who is your biggest celebrity crush?
mmm. Nigella Lawson or Anthony Bourdain or Neil Gaiman (who has nothing to do with food like the first two!). Authors all of them...witty, smart and fabulous imaginations, all! 
10. If you could run with anyone, who would you choose?
Maybe Gordon Ramsay would like to have a VERY slow run with me. And then give me some cooking tips in the kitchen. I would be soooo all over that! 
11. What’s your favorite workout and why?
I sometimes just like to put my trainers on and go for a run. Often after work. IS that a tempo run? maybe. I  jsut like to tune out and go. A trail run is also fairly good at kicking my ass ...and is so lovely. A good view whilst running...best thing ever! 
12. What motivates you?
Motivation is like a pushmi-pullyu for me. Fear of failure can motivate me. The desire to have fun motivates me. And I never ever feel guilt over running - unless I do NOT do it! Running is what keeps me sane. I go out 
13. Looking back over your last year of training, what would you change and why?
How do I change losing my job, getting shingles, having a bad bout of flu, bronchitis and then another cold (all in the last 8 months)? I am just ONLY now feeling better. Still not as strong and fast as I used to be. I cannot wish that away...I wish I could. I cannot. But I can work hard at being more persistent. My theme for this year is "believe, breathe, persevere". I will get there. And more. I just have to keep going. 
14. What is your favourite thing to do as a training reward?
Training rewards TOTALLY centre around food or drink for me! I so love a good breakfast - so give me  Eggs Benedict  and I am happy. But that is a rarity. A latte or good cuppa tea is often what I have. Or a smoothie. AND a big fav thing to do after a long run is soak in a nice hot Epson salt bath and read a magazine.
15. How do you get yourself going again after a “funk”?
Running is what brought me out of a funk several years ago. But in recent times, if I have ever felt blah about running, going for a run with a friend or a small group of friends (and then having coffee and good laughs) is totally a good cure! 
16. What hobbies do you have outside of the athletic?
I love to cook. I love to read. I love to take photos. I also love wine and champagne. And reading about wine and history!  I should love cleaning a whole lot more than I do....
17. What is your go-to fuel (pre/during/post workout)?
Pre run, I try to eat toast and peanut butter, or a little porridge. During long runs lately I’ve been taking EnergyBits or a gel. Trying not to have too much gels as they really upset my tummy. Post workout, i will drink chocolate milk or almond milk or a smoothie! 
18. What are you most proud of? (athletic or not)
I have trouble actually saying I am PROUD of myself. I guess I am proud of getting off my arse and running my way to losing 40 pounds and realizing that yes I can run a marathon. I'm proud that I persist when I often wondered if I really could do it. And, I think I can say I am proud of who I am as a person (thank you to my Mom and her 5 awesome sisters, and my grandparents who have shown me how awesome  it is to be loved and to have people cheer for you no matter what) because of my super awesome family. I think I am also super proud of my cousin Jim, who in his mid-30s chose to live a life of authenticity. He is a man of integrity and I love that when i spend 5 minutes with him he knows how to set me straight and give no bullshit advice. 
19. What is your most embarrassing workout story?
Oooh. You mean like the time I was doing a 10km race and with less than a kilometre to go from the finish line I really had to go. And there was no waiting. And it was pissing ran/sleet/snow so my tissues were wet so I had to go into the bushes and use leaves? (Um I have about 3 of these stories) Or that other time I was running a relay and I had gone 4 miles with NO loo...and I realized I had another 2 miles to go. And I HAD to GO. So as I ran into a spot that gave a tiny bit of cover (ok..it was a deep hill going into Lowe's parking lot with a bit of a covered garden area) another van saw me and pulled over asking if i needed help. HA! i told em i had a biffy emerg. They tossed me baby wipes and said get going!! And as I left cover...they were standing there waiting to give me high-5s and cheer me on! You gotta laugh. Wait...there is more....oh so many stories. HAHA
20. What’s something about you not many people know?
I was baptised with water from the Jordon River. When I was a baby, we lived in Libya. And our pastor used to make a trek to the Jordon to get water to baptise the parishioners. I am the middle kid (older brother, younger sister). oh. Do I karaoke? Yes. I can absolutely rock out the house when I do a barn burner version of Gloria Gaynor's 'I will Survive'. Have been known to rock Paradise By the Dashboard Lights, too. Gimme a few drinks and...you may get me belting out something from Grease, or Divinyls "I Touch Myself". If my StepDad picks the song, I get Patsy Cline.

3 comments:

  1. I thought I knew you really well but I didn't know about the voice training and singing! I also thought I had heard your biffy tales but the one where the van tossed baby wipes and hung around for a high 5 makes me laugh! Great attitude Tina!

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  2. You have never had a pet? WOW I don't think I have ever known anyone who never had a pet. Are you allergic? or just not your think?

    Fun to read all this stuff about you. I would rather drink wine and read about history than clean house too ;)

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  3. Great answers. I feel like I know you so well now!

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