A Long December

It was not an exciting running weekend. I ran 17 miles on Blanchard yesterday, and then spent some time in a warm gym today, much like I did through the last week. A stick fell from a tree and hit me on the head. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. No injury. I ran into a couple sets of friends in the hills--fortuitous--probably because I ran in the middle of the day for once. It is pretty cold here right now, with temperatures rarely above 30 degrees for the last week. My friends said my hat had frost on it. There are big snow flakes dropping from the sky today.
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I have to say, a week later---I am really happy about my mental state with Western. I am already very focused, thinking about it. Thanks to everyone who called. It’s nice to have a race on the calendar to anticipate, to keep me from slacking during these cold months. Last winter I didn't have a real sense of anticipation of anything, and I felt it in my running come February. This year, because of Western, I find myself already going through that familiar mental process of thinking how can I be better, get ready, get more fit, make the most of my time? That’s so good for me, all around, and it is truly part of the “Why?” of why I do the whole ultras thing. Certain events really lend themselves to protracted favorable focus.
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So…last week I picked up a used copy of “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging.” It cracks me up, because "Before The Deluge" is definitely not a “best practices” example, on so, so many counts. I do recommend the book. For example, here are the Huff's “Rules for Great Blogging”:
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1. Blog often
2. Perfect is the enemy of done
3. Write like you speak
4. Focus on specific details
5. Own your topic
6. Know your audience
7. Write short
8. Become part of the conversation
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Checking them off….I try to blog once a week. That's probably not a lot in a Twittering world, but I don't care. I'm all about delivering the substance. Clearly a lot of substance here. Substance all over the place. My blog posts aren’t perfect--that's obvious, but at least I don't go ALL CAPS. I probably use longer words when I talk than when I blog. The devil is in the details. Satan. My topic is running, sort of, but I’m not beyond blogging about a trip, a book, a traumatic experience from eighth grade that I just need to share about. I own my topic, whatever it is. I don’t know my audience, but I do have 1 Follower. For now. I’m holding off on the Follower picture block though, because it kind of makes me think of Jesus. I probably write too long. There is no conversation here.
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So, I started this thing as part of a New Year’s resolution to get more with it technologically. For a few months, I had Technology Tuesdays. Those who know me know I have a habit of dedicating a day a week to some self-improvement issue. Technology Tuesdays was much more successful than Wasted Wednesdays and Fiscal Fridays. I have to say, a couple years later, blogging has been good for training, and I enjoy tapping the keys and posting the pics. It’s nice to have a photo album of each year, and I’m not one to make it too personal a space, but it’s nice to share with friends. I also like having a page to update with links that interest me, my own little cause forum, and posting a calendar I can aspire towards. So it's ok.