100 Things About Me

Apparently, there is a blogging tradition that when you reach your 100th post, you tell the world 100 things about yourself. I've had a very hard time coming up with 100 things...so, here they are.

1. My name is AJ Hansen.
2. I turned 30 years old this summer.
3. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
4. I grew up in Utah and South Carolina.
5. I attended college at Wingate University in North Carolina.
6. I attended graduate school at the University of Utah.
7. I have a doctoral degree from Illinois State University.
8. I am a certified athletic trainer.
9. I majored in athletic training and minored in biology.
10. I was three credits (one class) short of a minor in English.
11. I took literature and neurobiology classes for fun.
12. I have worked at a grocery store, a tobacco warehouse, a meat packing plant, a bank, a library, and a couple of nurseries, as well as a university.
13. I have 2 brothers, 1 sister, 2 sisters-in-law, 3 nephews, 1 niece, and 2 parents.
14. I work as a professor.
15. I love teaching and my favorite class to teach is human anatomy and physiology.
16. I love to read and am reading 3 books right now.
17. I was a 4 year letterman in volleyball and basketball in high school, as well as a 3 year letterman in softball.
18. I batted .401 my senior year and .000 my sophomore year.
19. I won a best supporting actor award in a state high school drama competition.
20. I've run 9 half marathons and 6 marathons since 2005.
21. I was chosen as an All-State volleyball player twice and an All-State softball player once.
22. I've completed 11 races this year and 5 more to go.
23. I love dogs and am allergic to cats.
24. I have lived in Utah, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, New Mexico, and Illinois.
25. I have studied at Lancaster University in England.
26. I have traveled to Italy and can't wait to go back.
27. I have traveled to 34 states.
28. I have published a photograph in a coffee table book.
29. My parents taught me about goal setting when I was 6 years old and have been supporting and helping me achieve my goals since then.
30. I've won my age group in a triathlon.
31. I love disco music.
32. I have been involved with the Team in Training program since 2006 as a participant, coach, and mentor.
33. I love to hike, but don't go often enough, even when I have the opportunity.
34. I really enjoy art, especially photography.
35. I wore a retainer in 6th and 7th grade.
36. My master's degree is in Sports Psychology.
37. My favorite colors are red and green.
38. I read the Book of Mormon before I turned 8 years old.
39. I love plants and can't wait to have my own flower and vegetable garden.
40. My favorite musical is The Sound of Music, but Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a close second.
41. I subscribe to Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, Runners World, Vogue, and Outside magazines.
42. I go to the library at least once a week.
43. My three favorite places in the world are Hawaii, Scotland, and Moab.
44. My favorite type of food is Mexican, but I also love Sushi, Chinese, Italian, Steak, Seafood, and most other foods.
45. If I ever decide to get a tattoo (not likely), I would wait until I complete my first Ironman and get a white M-dot.
46. I own many pairs of sandals and very rarely wear shoes with socks unless it's required.
47. My favorite kinds of pie are strawberry and banana cream and I don't eat pie with a top crust.
48. I love to eat french fries and chips, and will usually choose a salty snack over a sweet snack.
49. I love to visit zoos and aquariums, but I always feel sad that the animals live in cages.
50. I love to travel and wish I could go on trips more often.
51. My favorite outfit to wear is jeans and a white t-shirt.
52. My nickname as a little kid was "chatterchin" and my parents actually had to purchase a book called "Gabby" to teach me how to shut up and listen. Some would say it worked too well...
53. I love ice cream and would eat it every day if I could.
54. I think that riding on a train is one of the most relaxing ways to travel.
55. I really enjoy learning new things and look for opportunities to become more well-rounded.
56. I don't speak any foreign languages but I can sort of read French.
57. Pop tarts are my pre-race meal of choice.
58. My favorite AL baseball team is the New York Yankees.
59. My favorite NL baseball team is the Chicago Cubs.
60. I've had very long hair and very short hair and everything in between.
61. I rarely watch professional sports, except for triathlon.
62. I rarely paint my toe nails because I think the polish makes my feet look dirty, even when it makes other people's feet look cute.
63. Swimming is a very relaxing workout (except for lactate intervals) and sometimes I even feel like I might fall asleep while I'm swimming.
64. I think Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs in the yellow package are the absolute best Easter candy and Peeps are the worst.
65. I have a very hard time walking past a person who is asking for money or a hand out.
66. I don't like toasted marshmallows but I do like hot dogs cooked over a fire. Banana boats are also a great campfire treat.
67. I have a small crush on Michael Phelps. He has totally inspired, impressed, and amazed me this Olympics.
68. I want to take a cycling tour across Europe.
69. I always have incredibly odd, crazy, bad luck sorts of things happen to me...enough that people who know me well avoid traveling with me or expect things to happen.
70. I want to have an elephant farm where retired circus elephants can come and live out the remainder of their lives.
71. I love to run and I love sharing my love of running with others.
72. I taught a hamster named Harry to run through a maze and won a science fair in 6th grade.
73. I eat cereal for dinner sometimes.
74. I avoid ironing if at all possible.
75. I love summer and warm weather.
76. I can play the piano and read music.
77. I love dark chocolate and will not eat white chocolate.
78. I can blow spit bubbles off of my tongue and into the air. I've taught small children to do this trick.
79. I really enjoy doing yoga, but I laugh my head off if I have to chant.
80. Naps make me cranky.
81. I own a car named Derek.
82. I have a really good memory, which is not a good thing sometimes.
83. I am incredibly stubborn and determined and will always push back hard if pushed.
84. I have never had my ears pierced.
85. I do not want to swim with sharks, dolphins, killer whales, or any other animal that might mistake me for lunch.
86. I love James Bond movies.
87. If I were an actress, I would aspire to be a Bond girl.
88. I really like to eat cheese.
89. I have never been arrested and would like to keep it that way.
90. I used to dream of being a rodeo queen when I was a little girl.
91. I believe golf is a game that makes you angry and raises your blood pressure.
92. I'm not allowed to play golf.
93. I drank a goldfish once to win a student body election. My little brother carried on the family tradition.
94. I've had my racing bike for over a year and still haven't figured out a name for him.
95. I want to adopt a greyhound.
96. I'm the oldest granddaughter in my family.
97. I feel very claustrophobic in big cities with tall buildings.
98. I think being a forest firefighter would be an awesome job, but I'm too chicken to try it out.
99. I wish I were taller, but I'm glad I'm not shorter.
100. My favorite pre-race dinner is a burrito with lots of guac.