Thanks for the Sunshine! (I'm So Pasty.)

I got a blog award!  Red Nomad Oz was kind enough to think of me when handing out the Sunshine Award.

This award is given to "those whose positivity and creativity inspires others on the blogosphere."  Thanks Red!  Red travels Australia, providing commentary and photos of the stunning landscape.  So when you need to see some beautiful photos and read some funniness, go check her out!

Here are the rules for this award:
A)  Thank the person who gave this award.
B)  Answer the following questions below.
C)  Pass the award on to 10 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs and let them know you awarded them.

1.  Favourite colour?  
This question has come up before and my answer was grey.

Nope. Just kidding. Still grey.

2.  Favourite animal?  
Aside from my pup, I'd say giant pandas.  I got a stuffed toy when I was 5 and the love affair began.

3.  Favourite number?  
Lucky number 13, baby. 

Just like my friend Red.  I can't help but wonder if this has any bearing on my general good fortune.

4.  Favourite drink?  
Plain?  Water.

Alcoholic? Red wine. 

Caffeinated? Coffee. 

5.  Facebook or Twitter?  I've become quite the Twitter fiend, but I'm also always on Facebook when I'm online.

6.  Your passion?  Well I'm Canadian so "passion" is kind of a strong term.  I do love to run and to draw.

Though I think we can all agree I should never do both at the same time...especially when running down a hill as I seem to be doing in this picture.

7.   Giving or getting presents?  I love finding the perfect gift for someone.  

But let's be real, who doesn't love getting presents??

8.  Favourite day? 
This reminds me of the 'perfect date' quote in Miss Congeniality:

So, that said, my favourite day is SATURDAY!

9.  Favourite flower? 
I love roses. 

And now, for the 10 bloggers to whom I shall pass this on (no pressure to post the award, but these are fun reads for me).

Mayor Gia  She's funny, sarcastic, does drawings, and is definitely for the not-offended-by-language crowd.
Cranface  He is funny, sarcastic, does drawings, and is definitely for the not-offended-by-language crowd. (You really can't have Cranface without Gia, and vice versa).
Pickleope Witty, bizarre, brilliant.  With drawings.
One Mixed Bag Bernie has a big heart, rivaled only by her big sense of humour.  I love her Wordless Wednesdays.
Watch Me Go Run Her signature 'cheeseball' grin lets you know that while she's serious about running, she doesn't take herself too seriously.
B for Bel  Bel finds some of the coolest and most fun things on the net.
The Athletarian She's a runner, a vegetarian, and promotes health without being preachy.
This Spartan Will!  She will be racing Ironman Arizona this year.  That's inspiring.
On the Road Again Megan  About to have a baby, ready to run again.  I can relate to the ready-to-run-again part.
TexaGermaFinlaNadian Moving to different countries every hockey season, I live vicariously through her.

If you saw some repeats up there from previous award posts, it's because these are the sites that draw me in with every new post.

I now have a serious request:  I know a lot of you have started hosting your own domain. Can you please share with me the benefits (and frustrations) of doing this?  Thanks!


UPCOMING POST:  MY POST-RACING ACTIVITIES

The Danskin Run: with slapping, punching and a guy named Tim

While Ann Marie did not enjoy the swim portion of the race,

she is definitely the stronger runner.  Wait.  That may make me sound like I'm a good swimmer.  I'm not.

An homage to one of my favourite SNL skits.

Ann Marie is a running machine.  So she set the pace and I just tried to keep up.  We were very surprised to see TriGuy once again taking our picture (he's a pretty fast runner too!)

Since we were in the Buddy wave, the majority of racers were walkers at this point.  We wove through lots of chatty groups and I was shocked to discover we'd finished the first mile in 9 minutes flat!  We passed by volunteers handing out high fives.

What?  I like high fives.

We hit the turn-around and once again clocked in a 9 minute mile!  We dutifully trudged up the hill on the last mile.  As we got ready to hit the corral, there was a surprise waiting for Ann Marie:

Fresh from performing surgery, her husband was waiting by the finish line!  (He will henceforth be known as Dr. Tim because he is an orthopedic surgeon...and if you don't know his name at this point, then it is Stephan.)

As we got to the very last stretch of the race, Ann Marie yelled at me to sprint to the end.

I complied with great enthusiasm.

We crossed the finish, ditched our timing chips and got our medals (I did not die, thanks for asking :D).

The lady who finished right ahead of us came up to Ann Marie to thank her for encouraging her to run at the end.

Ann Marie was glad to have inadvertently cheered on a fellow racer.

Medals acquired and photos taken, it was time for some post-triathlon burgers and sweet potato fries!

This was my final race for 2011.  A year of hard work was over, and I had bested my 2010 finish time by a whopping 21 minutes!

UPCOMING POSTS:
THE SUNSHINE AWARD, POST-RACE SEASON ACTIVITIES