Reality Check

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It's hard to believe that it has been over 10 days since I laced up my running shoes. When I finished LA marathon, I knew the only answer to my foot issues was going to be taking some time off, and I was scared. Scared for what that would mean, scared that I wouldn't know what to do with myself, scared at ruining my training for my upcoming races...

What actually happened is quite the opposite. I'm the type of person that when I set my mind to do something, it's all I can see. I go ALL IN no matter what. This can be positive or negative. It's part of the reason I've made it to so many finish lines, but it also keeps me from seeing the 'bigger picture' at times.

As the exhilaration of actually finishing LA marathon faded away and the freedom of not having to go for a run lost it's novelty... I found myself looking around at my not-so-clean house, evaluating where I should really be at with school, and calculating how much money I've spent on running over the last year and a half, and I've got to be honest, it's not a pretty picture.

I'm not saying that I have regrets, because I don't. I'm just grateful for the chance to step back and look at things from a different perspective. Does that mean when Monday rolls around and my doctor-imposed  moratorium on running is over, you won't find me out there hitting the pavement with a smile on my face? Absolutely not. Well at least, I hope not (fingers crossed for a happy pain-free foot). 

I'm still a runner, its part of who I am now. But it's not all I am. I'm a mother and a wife too and I have other non-running goals that haven't seen as much commitment as they should have. So instead of worrying about what race to sign up for next, I'm just going to focus on what I've got on my plate right now and making sure all of my priorities are in order.

What does that mean for my race schedule? So far, nothing changes, yet. The Chiro has recommended focusing on my next half marathon, which is on Easter weekend and then evaluating which distance to take on at BMO, although he was suggesting dropping to the half. Calgary full marathon is my next BIG goal race on June 1st which I'm confident I have time to train for, assuming my foot cooperates. However, it may mean dropping Run for Water and putting my quest for Marathon Maniac status on hold for this year. Only time will tell at this point.

Balance is a struggle for everyone I think. How do you balance running with the rest of your life? Do you find it to be a challenge?

Balance

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So last night I joined a twitter chat called #blogsmarter I learned a lot and it also made me consider some things about the blog so I thought I'd share and get my reader's thoughts (not just for bloggers) on the topics.
(the questions/answers from the original twitter chat are italicized and my thoughts/QUESTIONS FOR YOU are underneath)

Q1: What do you think makes a successful and effective blog post?
A1: Something that people can relate to or learn something, if you can relate to a reader then you have their attention
What types of posts are your favorite? Are any of my posts among your favorites?

Q2: What do you think are the biggest mistakes people make when blogging? How can you be sure to avoid them?
A2: Not being honest with themselves and their readers, nobody is perfect. 
I've come across a few blogs where it just feels too perfect. I fail at things often and I'm more than willing to admit it, writing about my failures as well as accomplishments helps me process them. A lot of the responses to this question brought up having too many sponsored posts, well I don't have any sponsored posts so I guess I'm good there. There was some chatter about lots of giveaways, fair enough it's not for everyone. I have a fair amount of giveaways mainly because I'm a new blogger and all the companies I've contacted have been more than willing to send me product, even after informing them that I will be honest in all my reviews about what I think of the product - good or bad. I also only do giveaways that relate to my content. I do find it frustrating when I go to other blogs and every other word is literally some sort of product placement.  
Still it made me question how I've been managing things, how do you feel about the number of giveaways/product reviews I've had?

Q3: What do you think are the best ways to gain more readers and followers?
A3: Social media and commenting on other blogs!
How did you come across this blog (Read.Bake.Run.Repeat)? If you have a blog yourself, what are your favorite ways to connect with readers?

Q4: Do you work w/ brands on your blog? What tips do you have for successfully working w/ brands & companies?
A4:I'm not specifically sponsored by anyone and I only accept product if they'll send it to be knowing my review will be honest.
A lot of the answers sort of veered towards the same controversy as Question 2, I'm still unsure of where I stand. I definitely don't want to be sponsored by anyone, I've had offers, but I think it would affect the integrity of my posts, I guess that's what people were getting at. But I have had giveaways often, not because I want to be bothersome but because I want to grow the blog and it certainly seems to be working. I now have a regular bunch of followers who read/comment on my posts, what more could a blogger ask for?! How often should I run a giveaway?

Q5: How do you juggle blogging with other priorities in your life? What tips do you have for time management?
A5: It's been tough recently because I'm excited about all the blog ideas I have but there has to be balance.
I honestly do really struggle with this, between family time (#1 priority obviously), running, blogging, and maintaining my house things get pretty crazy. Becoming a Mom has definitely forced me to become a better multitasking person but it's certainly not my specialty. Of course all my 'brilliant' blog post ideas come to me when I'm in the middle of something else but I'm learning to write them down and come back to them when I have some time to set aside and write, hopefully not at midnight... How do you prioritize your time?

I'd love some comments from my readers, it would really help lead me in the right direction for the blog!

If you'd like to join the chat next time, Lindsay from the Lean Green Bean Blog (@LeanGrnBeanBlog) & Jessica from Run Lady Like (@rUnladylike) hosted tonight's chat!