Liebster Award – a bit about me

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Liebster-AwardI started reading Brie’s Liebster Award blog post and was enjoying the ride…and lo and behold she tagged me and nominated ME for a Liebster Award! I am totally flattered – Brie Like the Cheese – to be among the chosen. I’m in some great blogging company (Brie included)!

If you’re wondering what the Liebster Award is…

The word Liebster is “beloved” in German. The “award” is given to bloggers by their peers and along with it comes a handful of questions in which each recipient answers. It is typically for new(er) bloggers just starting out. Basically it is a type of virtual blogging chain letter and you get to know one another a bit better. You have the choice to accept and pay it forward OR decline and just move on.

Since I’m an only child and live for the opportunity to talk about myself, allow me to answer the standard set of questions:

How did you decide on the name of your blog?

When the idea of starting a running blog entered my mind, I wasn’t even sure where to start. My tag line – Since when am I a runner? – really sums up the whole experience of being a non-athlete who has become dedicated to running. So ‘Bradley on the Run’ just seemed like a solid title. I Googled it to make sure no one else was doing the same thing…and since Bradley Cooper is really the only other search result, I guess that can’t be all bad.

Where does your blogging inspiration come from?

I’m inspired by people who fight the odds to be successful. I’m inspired by the memory of my late Mom, who taught me to believe in myself – and by my Dad, who has supported me throughout this journey. And I’m inspired by the amazing runners I’ve met along the way – both virtually and in person – who show me their own versions of success every day.

What is it that you love most about blogging?

Referring back a question – the people I get to meet. How else could I be inspired by runners in New Zealand, Japan, the UK, the USA, and here in Canada? It’s such an amazing, close-knit community!

I also love to be able to share this part of me with friends and family. Unless you show up to cheer me on in a race, and don’t really ‘see’ what I do; running is pretty solitary in the grand scheme of things. But if I can share my experiences in writing – that’s something special.

What is your favorite food?

It really doesn’t count as food, but I adore sour cream ‘n’ onion chips.

For ‘real’ food, Japanese ten-don is my go-to meal. Deep fried tempura battered prawn and vegetables on a bed of rice with a sweet soy sauce…to die for!

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What is your favorite thing to drink? (alcoholic or not)

I can’t deny it – I love me a glass of wine. Red in the chilly winter months; a chilled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or an oaky Chardonnay during the toasty summer.

What is an item you can’t live without?

As a runner, my Garmin 220. I’m a slave to my maps and being able to track my kilometres and get a visual representation of where I’ve run. That and my iPhone, so I can tweet my results!

What are eleven random facts about yourself?

Eleven is a lot! OK…

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  1. I speak Japanese.
  2. When I was a kid, I was afraid of going down the drain with the bath water.
  3. If there’s a bowl of chips set in front of me, I can’t stop eating them.
  4. I love talking to people and I’m very social, but in reality I’m kind of shy.
  5. I’ve lived in three countries: Canada, Japan, and New Zealand.
  6. When I was in high school, I played contrabass clarinet. I wasn’t very good at it. But I was the band president for a year! I’m better at singing.
  7. We own a cat. His name is Osker. He was born in New Zealand. And we share the same birthday (a few years apart).
  8. I worked in the local public library *and* the university library. I almost went to school for library science. But I ended up going in a completely different direction – including teaching ESL, and recruiting.
  9. My first job was as a newspaper carrier.
  10. I’m weirdly interested in cemeteries. Especially old ones. I find them peaceful.
  11. I can’t ski.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’m pretty darn lucky to be living in a city like Vancouver. My ideal scenario would be to live half time in Vancouver, and half time in Kyoto, Japan. With the freedom to travel. I might enjoy living somewhere in Europe, too, but I haven’t been there yet to find out for sure.

If you could meet anyone from history (alive or dead) who?

This type of question always makes me pause. Maybe I overthink it. One of my ancestors? A historical figure? What if they didn’t speak the same language – how would we communicate? What if they didn’t want to meet me?

Ultimately, I think I’d like to meet my Grandma. My Mom used to talk about her all the time, and it sounds like she was a pretty neat lady. She died just about a year before I was born, so we didn’t overlap at all. We weren’t fated to meet.

What is your favourite outdoor activity?

I swear I’m not just saying this for the sake of the blog…but running it is! While I don’t mind a good hike now and then, a run will get me out the door, rain or shine. All my life, I was more of an ‘indoor’ person – reading, theatre, music…but running has opened up a whole new world that I love to explore!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In a new age category! Still running with heart, proving that it’s possible for a non-athlete to succeed as a runner, and blogging about my experiences! I’d love to have a condo with a bit more space, but honestly I’m pretty happy with my life right now – so I’d like it to be more of the same, with some excitement and a few challenges thrown in!

And now for my nominations:

Running ‘n’ Reading – for great blog posts and awesome linkups!

Tripping the Kenyans – for fun insights and a great sense of humour!

Running with SD Mom – for fabulous stories and such a great smile!

Taking the Long Way Home – for consistently visiting and commenting on my blog!

Let’s Run Forever – for sharing life experiences and inspiring others!

 

Special thanks to these and the many bloggers who have inspired me so far on this journey!

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4 Comments

    • bjcjapan

      You’ve been to Japan, Smitha? I guess that’s the first place I had sushi, too, come to think of it. A few years ago now, though!

      Thanks for your encouragement and support!! Keep it up!

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