My next thought is, need for encouragement. I would be dishonest if I said I didn't want to at least virtually feel part of a larger community. Maybe since it is pretty often a solo activity for me. I spent a lot of time looking into running groups big and small, but I don't have time flexibility at this point in my life to go on their set time. I manage a running community on reddit, along with +Adam Conolly that has grown to around 350 people in the Chicago area, which has helped me find an additional outlet to the community. But the blog, I do enjoy seeing how others are doing, similar bumps in the road, best practices, and meeting new people.
So I guess my response to why I need a blog, part validation, an outlet and log of my time in life where I have the chance to even run this much, and find other people that are just as crazy (about running) as me.
What about you?
To you more experience web surfers, what other sports/exercises have a large blogging community such as running?
--
Now for less serious stuff, I don't spend much time on youtube outside of finding Bulls videos, but my wife does and find some funny things (explicit language warning). While not new to the internet, they are new to me and I hope for you!
The first is how I comically feel someone will approach me on my gym days:
His channel is pretty hilarious, and has gems such as How to get a girl to kiss you.
The next two videos are funny, but I wish the sample size and effort level had more balance:
Social Experiment:
- Guy asking 100 girls if they would have sex with him right now (Spoiler - 0% success rate)
- Girl asking guys if they would have sex with her right now (Spoiler, video sample 14, success rate 50%)
Cause that's all I got.
I've had a blog for a few different things over the years (journaling, cooking, style, etc.), but the current reincarnation of it started so I could document what I was doing to lose weight and get healthy, because I hoped remembering how hard it was and having a place to celebrate my accomplishments (without, also, annoying everyone in my life about it lol) would help keep me from going back down that road again. It's pretty awesome that I've been able to find a community of people with similar goals (as it's evolved more to fitness/running) and actually make some friends :)
ReplyDeleteWe started our blog for similar reasons...everyone else was sick of hearing us talk about running (and running shoes, and running gear, and running races, etc). There were lots of things floating around in my head through the day that I wanted to get recorded somewhere and I didn't care about doing a simple journal. As it is I still forget a bunch of the stuff that I come up with during my runs, but at some of it makes it to paper...ERR...blog.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen these videos before, pretty funny stuff...I don't really have time to go youtubing too often, but my 4 year old lives on it. I would share his videos, but I doubt anyone is interested in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Buzz Lightyear...
I started my blog to meet people with similar interests in Chicago but it has grown to be much more. It's great to look back over the last (almost two years!) and see how much my running improved and what races I've run etc. It's also a great tool to use when looking at ways to improve and why certain running plans were not effective. I also love the sense of community and that I don't have to bore nonrunners in my life with running stuff :).
ReplyDeleteblogtastic! Thanks for sharing fellow #wrce member
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not alone! I still forget things I wanted to talk about to! I try to remind myself through my run and only remember again the next day or something, or just when I'm not blogging.
ReplyDeleteBuzz Lightyear does fartleks could be a video right?
haha everyone should love running as much as we do right? just give it a chance.. just a hit of the high!
ReplyDeleteI started my blog because I love talking about myself......no really as a way to document my own progress and because I read some awesome blogs that really inspired me. I thought maybe I could inspire someone else. Plus it is nice to know I am not the only crazy running obsessed person out there. I also love reading about others running adventures- keeps me motivated!
ReplyDeleteI first just wanted a single easy place where I can track my progress over time, I thought I'd be describing my runs in great detail, then going back and learning from what I did. This hasn't really happened, and now, I must admit, the blog helps keep me honest. I feel like if I get the urge not to run, the world will know. I keep going, try to be a bit faster and go a bit longer because that data will be up there for the world to see.
ReplyDeleteI never really made friends down here - I had a few circles in Toronto, but I didn't really keep up communication when I left. I moved down to be with my wife, and its so easy to cocoon when you're with someone - I'm not the most social person on the best of days, so it now does sort of make me feel like I have peers - it sounds ridiculous, but it works for me.
Good answer! Thanks for responding!
ReplyDeleteThe log helps at lot to learn from past mistakes, record little details you may forget later, remind yourself how bad ass you are!
ReplyDeleteI was a runner in high school, but didn't like it and didn't give it my all. I did enjoy being part of the team and liked the girls I ran with so I stuck with it. In college, I was an on and off again runner. I made my return to more steady and serious running in July 2009. I was working in a job I really hated and running was a way for me to take out my stress and frustration since I was taking it out on everyone else. I fell in love with running again, started racing in 2010 and the rest is history.
ReplyDeleteLike Adam said, I too blog to keep myself honest and hold myself accountable. I do not want to post about how I failed to get a long run in, etc. Also, I like being connected to the community (even though it is online for me since I haven't met that many bloggers). I like to read their stories, follow them on their adventures and share mine. And, it doesn't help if I inspire someone along the way (like my little bro!)
Thank you for your honesty re: validation! I wrote about that on my blog during the winter and I don't think anyone fessed up to it. Ha ha! That is a very true reason to blog... we just have to remember not to specifically do things for validation (only). Anyway. I digress.
ReplyDeleteI started blogging to keep in touch with family when I lived in Italy. My blog has morphed a lot since I started it in 2005! At first I didn't talk about my running. But then I started weekly training recaps (almost to 200 now!) and found a lot of other cool people through the blog. In fact, that is how I've meet all of my besties! :)
Great story! Thanks for commenting!
ReplyDeleteI'd fess up! But I didn't have a blog back then or know the network existed.
ReplyDeleteBlog so everyone will love meeeeeeeeeeeeee