August 15, 2008, I put up a “Hello World” post. A week later, when I was done fiddling with things, I put up my first real post. Ever since, I’ve been yacking away at the internet multiple times a week. The actual anniversary date slipped by me, but I love anniversaries of sorts, as it gives me time to do a little year in review and think about what I’ve accomplished in a year.
What this blog was supposed to be:
I had originally decided I was going to try to dedicate time to each of my varied interests – gaming, health, cooking, fashion, deep thought, etc. However, it’s pretty clear which one of those took my focus this year. Between being painfully close-but-so-far away from the end of project: deporkify, and training for multiple races and other efforts, this definitely became a health-centric blog. I talk about (sometimes single mindedly) what is on my mind. I find it hard to write passionate posts about things I’m just not as interested in right now. All the posts were supposed to be well thought out, full of links and facts, and researched. I was trying for 4 posts per week. I also didn’t figure that anyone besides maybe Zliten would read it.
What this blog is:
Moody. Goes through stages. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s seething with frustration, and sometimes it’s vacant when I get too busy to update. Very much has “shiny syndrome” just like it’s owner does. I’d say overall it’s about 70% health/fitness, 10% cooking, 5% fashion, 5% games industry, 5% posts about fun times and 5% other. If I was less lazy about tags, I’d have a better idea. Lately it feels like my little whiny/ranty place, which I hope to change soon as stress subsides and life becomes a little more simple. Apparently it gets over 100 hits a day, which is just amazing to me. Who are you mystery readers? Why do you not leave comments? I like comments. The email that pings me saying I have a new comment? Makes my day. You want to make me happy, right? 🙂
Also, it evolved from requiring each post to be very well thought out/researched/etc to sometimes including brain dumps. It’s just me. If I was trying to be a pro-writer here, I’d refrain, but some of my favorite blogs simply talk about their day or the cool new recipe they tried or where they went for dinner, or what they wore. I try to weed out the super non-productive stuff, but sometimes it is mentally where I’m at, so I feel it would be less-than-honest to go off the radar until I’m able to write contructively again.
The Health/Fitness Blogger Community:
Is awesome. After I started realizing that my main focus was going to be health and fitness stuff, I started finding other blogs to see what they were up to. Over the year, I’ve come to love The Great Fitness Experiment, MizFit, FeedMeI’mCranky, Pasta Queen, Prior Fat Girl, and many many more. At first I was very timid with the commenting (I was never really the one to speak up in class voluntarily), but I kinda learned that – hey, I really love when people read and comment on my blog and when they do, I go check out their sites and sometimes if I likey enough, it gets a place on my yahoo reader. Fancy that, if I go be active and comment on other people’s sites, they might check mine out. I certainly am not a very popular blog, but that’s ok. I don’t try very hard. I haven’t made the jump to pimping my posts on facebook and twitter. I’m not sure I want to because I feel like I might have to censor myself more. I should get over that. But – first and foremost it’s my soapbox to shout up and my creative outlet, so getting that out of it is the most important thing to me.
Me, A Year Ago:
Me, about a year ago.
The vital stats – I was weighing in around 170 (so about 15 lbs heavier than I am now). I was running 4 miles max, in about 50 minutes. I had just stepped up my workouts to crazy-town and was about to go through one of the most hellacious months ever with my parents shacking up with us for a few weeks, a huge gaming conference in town, 3 birthday celebrations, and much much more. Fancy that, I was also simultaniously about to start to experience the post-100 lb loss beating of my head upon the wall which would continue on and off for the next year. The only months I saw significant loss were December, January, and February. Funny that, those were also the months I was doing 4 workout weeks. Maybe there IS something there… hmmmm…
I was just ending a long and stressful phase of work and shipping a game, which entailed a lot of crunch food and overtime and weekends at work and squeezing in workouts when I could. I was also less than enamored with my job at the time, and still not quite sure what to do with this new found athlete-y-ness I had uncovered in myself.
Where I would like to be in a year:
Blogwise – I have no idea. I’m pretty happy that I’ve found this community of people who are just as crazy as I am (coming from me, it’s a compliment). I’m still on the edges, peeking in, but enjoying
Me now. I'd like to be this + more awesome in a year...
myself. I’d like to go back a little more to Subject posts (about one particular thing) instead of the randomness and “this is how my day went” or “I’m having this problem” or whatever, but we shall see. Sometimes, you just have to write what you know.
Health/Fitness-wise – I have ideas. Please, dear fluffy lord, let me be at a weight which I can both live healthfully at and accept myself maintaining for the rest of my life? Whether it ends up being the 155 I am now or I get my arse in gear and down to 135 or whatever it ends up being where I go – “Ok, this is where we build the house.” I want to have done another half marathon and be in training (or planning training) for a full marathon. Failing that, a triathalon. I want to look in the mirror and see all the hard work I’m putting in for all that it is. I also want to finally be able to do *one damn pullup*.
Person-wise – I’m also not sure. I need to do some deep soul searching. I’ll be 31. I’ll have 30-35 good years left job-wise. For the last two years, I have been simply coasting. I need to think about what my next move is. Do I want to climb the ladder I’m on, or do I want to jump over to another one? What do I want to dedicate my free time to doing? From the post above, it sounds like a very training-filled year, but are there any creative and personal goals I want to accomplish? Is it time to start the novel? Is it time to quit my job, sell our house, and go live on a hippie commune? I have no idea. Right now, beyond athletic pursuits, I am just coasting and enjoying myself. And that’s ok, but not ok forever.
Deep thoughts for a Friday I know. Now, I want to know about you. Where were you a year ago? What’s changed? What do you want to accomplish in the next year? Do you enjoy reflecting on anniversaries or rather not think about it?
I'm a video game producer and a lover of anything game related by trade. I'm a triathlete by hobby. I live for being on or in the water as much as I can - scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, water slides... you name it. The dichotomy between my outdoor and indoor realities are interesting, but they're all mine! Longer version