Ode to Warrior Woman

It's just the time of the year. With the shortest day of the year only 5 days away no one's training and no one's posting. If you're like me you've been flicking through your usual blogs, usually not finding anything new, and the rest of the posts seem to start with an apology for being MIA or not having anything interesting to write about. Ho hum.

So what's a bored blogger to do? Find new and exciting blogs to read, of course! I promised that I would do a write-up for anyone who donated to my AIDS LifeCycle fund raising page, and being the super supporter that she is, Warrior Woman was the first to rock up. Not only that, Warrior Woman was also the only person to cough up when I asked people to support Bob Almighty's ALS fund raiser. Clearly, Warior Woman has one big heart (or one loose wallet, I'm not sure).

Why I Love Having Her Around My Blog

• Remember when I ran that marathon that I hadn't trained for? Remember how everyone thought I was nuts? You know what Warrior Woman did? She went out on a rainy day in London and ran the last 10k with me! This wasn't my idea. She told me that she was going to do it, asked me what time I thought I was going to be around the 20 mile mark, and dragged her arse off the couch on a Sunday afternoon to run the last 6.2 miles of my marathon with me of her own accord. Really, it doesn't get much cooler than that.
• She dishes it out in her comments better than anyone else. And if there's one comment I enjoy, it's the witty insult. In response to this image (left) she told me, "it looks like half of you is heading back home while the other half pushes on resolutely". When I complained about being attacked by dogs she told me to quit being a ninny, and when I didn't get her weird British slang, she emailed me a 200-word explanation of what a "big girl shirt" is. And after I called her a pussy in one of my very first comments ever on her blog (way to make a good impression, Claire), she takes every opportunity she can to tell me to suck it up, pussy.
• She is queen of the gadgets and internet doo-dads. She has helped me more than once with software for banners and getting the photos from my last marathon so that I can enjoy gems like this (right) for free. And how do I repay her? Sending her music that damn near gives her a heart attack mid-race (she knows what I'm talking about).

Why You Should Check out Her Blog

Warrior Woman's page isn't a blog, really, it's like a database! Here are some very good reasons to read her blog and read it often and look at all her sidebars:

• She's the biggest gadget geek I know, and reviews all her toys on her page. And these aren't things like socks and race belts. We're talking Polar heartrate monitors and Garmin GPS systems. She has links to training books and training sites organized by sport.
  
• She has links to more blogs than you could read in a lifetime (you have to scroll to the bottom of the page to see them) organized by continent and sport. It's practically a social networking site!
  
• 
• Homegirl's got balls! She commutes to work by running, runs while hung over after a romantic night with Stella, and she had the cojones to post a video of herself on the internet running in Kangaroo Jumps (left)
• She has lost over ONE HUNDRED POUNDS in the past 6 years. One hundred pounds!
  
• It's worth it just to read the funny English words that she uses for things. She opened her message of support on my fund raising page with the word "Blimey". Blimey! Really! I didn't know anyone but snootish cartoon characters said "blimey". However, her funny language in no way detracts from the fact that she is a very entertaining writer.
  
• She shows up at races nearly every weekend for no rewards other than a t-shirt (you can see photos of her collection by clicking on her sidebar), and sometimes the added bonus of the company of the sweep van. If you think that I have stories, you should read some of hers... Which brings us to our next section:

Posts to Get Your Feet Wet

1. The single best story I have read on a blog, ever. No exaggeration.
2. Have you ever lined up at the starting line for a race, only to realize that you have to pee... bad? You'll love this one, I promise.
3. To find out the story behind the stupid shoes (above) read this one.
4. And click this one to see the video of the stupid shoes
5. Read about Warrior Woman's first ever half marathon here. Then leave a message congratulating her.
   
6. And finally, if you don't believe me that she's one tough cookie, read about how she ran through giant shoe-sucking mud patches and waist deep puddles for 8 miles in near-freezing temperatures a couple of weeks ago. Look at the photo after the finish and tell me if YOU believe that she just ran 8 miles through mud and puddles.

Next up, Mindy! (Sorry if it takes me several days, Mindy, this research takes longer than I thought).