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August 2015

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If we’ve met in person, you probably know I travel for work. Sometimes I travel a lot. Usually it is to exciting places like Lakeview, Oregon and Clearlake, California–not exactly vacation-like destinations. Every once in awhile I’m assigned to a more interesting location, and there are some places I will jump at the chance to go. Central Florida is one of those places, in large part because I have family there. (My family isn’t particularly large, and since I’m the only one on the West Coast I take advantage of every opportunity I can to see them.) Central Florida in August isn’t exactly my first choice but hey, sometimes that’s how the chips fall.

This time around, I was in Melbourne, Florida. That’s about an hour from the Orlando area (two hours if it happens to be back-to-school sales-tax-holiday weekend, which it was on my way back). My initial plan was to meet a friend and hang out with Mickey Mouse on Saturday, but when work spilled over into Saturday that wasn’t an option. What’s a girl to do? Sign up for a 5k, of course!

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES
Bib, race shirt (optional), and the Bondi Band I selected (strawberries!)

First, I tweeted Running Zone to confirm their hours. (It was Friday afternoon, I was still in a meeting…so a phone call wasn’t an option. By the way, if you are ever in Florida, this is a great running store, staffed by runners. You need it to run, they have it.) Fortunately they tweeted right back and confirmed I’d make it to the store before it closed.

As soon as the meeting ended, I drove over to Running Zone. (Seriously, why not do a 5k? I had shoes and gear, and the run was football-themed, supported the local cheerleading programs, and advertised pizza at the end. How could I go wrong?) The store has a designated window/counter inside for race registration. When I looked up and saw the Space Coast series medals, I was like “oh! It all makes sense now!”

Is it Cyber Men?!??
Is it Cyber Men?!??

Bib and shirt in hand, as well as a few goodies and a stack of race flyers and some local discounts (standard issue, one per runner, pre-bagged), I headed off to carb up with a calzone. (Yes, I know, no science backing that a runner doing a spur-of-the-moment 5k “needs” carbs. Back off.) Fortunately one of my running tweeps lives in the area, and we met up in person! Unfortunately we were both wiped out from the week and forgot to selfie. So here’s a picture of a lizard instead:

Since the Running Zone mascot is a lizard, it made sense, right?
Since the Running Zone mascot is a lizard, it made sense, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the hotel for an early bedtime, since I knew I had to get up early to drive, run, drive, and shower (and coffee!) before the race so I didn’t scare anyone at work. Finally I realized the true benefit of staying in a double-queen room: an entire bed to lay out Flat Bain!

Flat Bain (and yes, I did rock two kinds of sunblock!)
Flat Bain
       (and yes, I did rock two kinds of sunblock!)

The next morning I peeled myself out of bed, plugged the address into my iPhone, and drove off to the race. It was really easy to find, with plenty of parking. Though I initially found the shopping complex confusing–there were cones and signage up for the race course, and I wasn’t sure where to drive–I eventually parked, coated myself in SPF5000 for the pale to glow-in-the-dark skin tones, and followed the crowd over to the starting area.

Sunrise over Runners!
Sunrise over Runners!

Ordinarily I complain about being up so freakishly early in the day. While I was yawning (no pre-race coffee here), I noticed that unlike pretty much every other race I’ve done, I was not at all cold. Uh-oh. I’m about to run in Florida in the summer! I must be nuts!

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Otherwise gratuitous palm tree, acting as a lighting post and bird perch

The corral was self-seeded, and people pretty much spaced themselves out appropriately. There were a pretty wide variety of runners and walkers, from the “uber-serious about a PR” to the “just out for a walk” and everything in between. There were also people of all ages, sizes, and experience levels. I was leap-frogged several times by kids who couldn’t have been older than 10.

As we crossed the starting line, there were cheerleaders making a victory tunnel on both sides, cheering on the runners. It was a really fun way to start a race!

The course itself was nothing fancy, just an out-and-back that left the mall property and went past this lake/pond. There were exotic-to-me birds, including what sounded like (but were most likely not) peacocks. I imagine I looked rather strange photographing these things (the birds managed to evade).

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This is the lake/pond/thing we ran past. The birds flew away before I could get a proper portrait.

Of course stopping to take a picture or two also gave me a chance to catch my breath. It was super-duper humid out there. (Or as Floridians call it, August.) It had rained a little on Friday, and enough on Thursday night that the local run club had cancelled the run. I spent most of the rain looking at the window and wishing I could pack it up and take it back to California.

The course had sufficient hydration stations, well-stocked and staffed, and some people also carried water. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, even though it was definitely heating up by the time I finished. Despite my total aversion to getting up before the sun, I started to see the wisdom of getting up and starting to run (heck, finishing the run!) while it is still dark.

 

Did I mention it was hot? Hot temps = I’m a hot mess. (So sorry. It’s proof I was there though, right?)

So after the race, I got an email with a link to the photos. Check it out, an unexpected race perk: free downloads! (There were also good deals on prints.) Unfortunately I hadn’t packed any super running outfits and I was sweating sweating sweating, so this is about as cute as it gets.

Finish line rules: always run, and always smile at the camera! #orangeisthenewfast

 

Part of the cheerleader line
Part of the cheerleader line

As the runners came back through the chute, the cheerleaders cheered us back in! (This is one of the Running Zone download photos. I kinda wanted to take a picture while they were all cheering, but then it occurred to me that it might be creepy to have some random adult who does not have a kid in the cheer program snapping pictures.) Immediately at the finish line, more water!

 

 

 

Big Box o' Bondi Bands
Big Box o’ Bondi Bands

 

Every finisher also got a Bondi Band. (There was an email about that too.) It’s a nice perk–a sweatless stretchy hair-tamer. There were volunteers lined up with bands on both arms, and a giant box so you could pick exactly the one you wanted. If you’re not familiar with Bondi Bands, some of them are solid colors, others are prints, and others have cute runner sayings on them. It was fun to see the kids wearing them like ninja-style headbands after the race.

The "normal" post-run food
The “normal” post-run food

 

In addition to water, there were also cups of Gatorade. Planet Smoothie dished out dixie cups of something cold and icy–it tasted good too, but the temperature was divine!–and there was a genuine runner buffet set up right in front of Pizza Gallery & Grill, conveniently alongside a shaded courtyard-style gathering space.  Of course the spread included the usual “normal” runner foods, such as sliced oranges and bagels.

As runners walked past the breakfast food side and passed the center piece, there was a pizza buffet!  As a vegetarian I was really only interested in the cheese pizzas, but there were a variety of different types of pizza toppings available. Even though I came in towards the end of the pack, the Pizza Gallery continued to dish it out, slinging hot pizzas until all the bellies were full! Since I wasn’t the last to finish, and I’m sure those adorable cheerleaders were hungry, I thought that was pretty cool.

P is for Pizza, that's good enough for me...
P is for Pizza, that’s good enough for me…

No, I did not eat an entire pizza pie. There was plenty of pizza to go around, so I did eat more than one slice. By that point I knew I had time to shower, and I’d decided that grabbing a fancy coffee drink (we don’t have Dunkin’ Donuts out west) was going to take priority over getting the hotel’s breakfast before work. I continued to drink water, and had planned ahead (I had a waterbottle and Nuun waiting for me in the car).

Since I had to get back to get to work, I didn’t hang around for all of the festivities. I did see the stage set-up for the awards ceremony (which happened after all the runners finished–something I find really fantastic, as I am usually running when the awards ceremony happens!). There were a few vendors in the area too, including the mall owner/manager who had a table with maps and other information. I picked up a mini football from this table because it was cute, and then I set it right back down. (Part of my goal to NOT bring home All The Things.) A girl, maybe 10, who had run, came over and picked one up, thanked the lady behind the table and turned to leave. She then turned around and said, “May I please have one for my little brother, too?” How awesome is that?

The Running Zone lizard!

Have you ever been on a work trip (or other non-runcation) and signed up for a run? Have you run any of the other Running Zone races? I looked at the flyers, and I have to say, I’m a little jealous of how much awesome is going on down there!

If you’re anything like me, you probably see all sorts of articles about coffee.  This week it’s good for preventing colon cancer, last week it was bad for your heart or your stomach or something. I’m going to start filing those studies and read the actual papers…later. In practice, I LOVE coffee. In moderation, of course.

Speaking of courses, if you’ve read my reviews for Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas and Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco, you know I’m not above making a java stop during a race. It turns out there are others out there who firmly believe that coffee and running (hello, coffee and anything!) are a great mix. At one of my recent races, my goody bag had a flyer for Hammer Strength Nutrition coffee. No joke! Nice to know I’m not the only one crossing the streams.

Then something crossed my social media stream called the Rook Run 5k. The logo was so cute that I just HAD to look for more information. (A little rook bird wearing a headband and sneakers!)

Seriously, is this not adorable? (Credit: Rook Run website.)
Seriously, is this not adorable?       (Credit: Rook Run website.)

A wee bit of research reveals that the run is not only a charity run for a worthy cause–The Valerie Fund, which helps provide comprehensive care for children with cancer and blood disorders–but the “Rook” part is a coffee company. If I lived in New Jersey, I’d be there like white on rice. (By the way, you can donate to The Rook Run’s fundraising for The Valerie Fund by clicking here.)

I knew right away I had to order some coffee from Rook. (You should, too. Rook Coffee turned out to be delicious!) Rook offers light, medium, and dark roasts. Since I add a little hot chocolate (or cocoa and sugar) and about as much milk as coffee, I tend to stick to dark roasts. After reading the coffee descriptions, I settled on the Bali roast.

Two very cool things about ordering from Rook Coffee: One, shipping is FREE. Two, you can choose from whole beans or ground coffee, and if you want it ground you can specify fine, drip, auto drip, french press, espresso, electric percolator, or stovetop percolater. Did I mention you can also order a five pound bag? Since I’m just testing–and I plan to be trying a lot of coffee over the next few months–I decided to stick with the 12 oz. bag.

When the coffee arrived, I was impressed to discover it had a birthdate on it! (Okay, technically it isn’t labelled birthdate. If you’re a coffee lover, you know that coffee can actually go bad, and freshly roasted coffee is way better than stale coffee.) It was roasted pretty much right before they put it into the package to send to me.

Birth date AND social
Birth date AND social

It also came with a hand-written note. Seriously, when is the last time you ordered something online and it came with a note from a real person?

A coffee love note!
A coffee love note!

The beans are a gorgeous, dark color. The Bali coffee has such a delicious scent that I kind of wanted to just sit around and sniff the bag. Actually, I could smell the coffee perfume before I even opened the package. I could have just hugged it. But I had to make some coffee with the beans! Fortunately, grinding the beans also releases that delectable scent, so I got to savor the scent as I made my first cup.

Rook Coffee before it was roasted
Rook Coffee before it was roasted

While I’m not sure I get the strawberries (go read the description), I do get the chocolate. Rook’s Bali coffee is quite delicious with just a smidge of chocolate and some milk. I can’t quite go as far as to say this is my favorite coffee, but it is definitely right in my coffee-love-wheelhouse.

In celebration of all things #CoffeeYesCoffee, why not take a trip around a few other cofffee-related blog posts? Think of it as a Coffee Shop Blog Hop. Next in line is MCM Mama Runs. Rumor has it she’s writing about coffee beans, too. (Bonus: head there next, then follow the link at the bottom of her post…you’ll eventually end up back here.)

So really, which coffee do I try next? Do you have a running-related coffee to recommend?

 

But if you absolutely insist on going out of order, here are a few other coffee-ish delights to caffeinate your Monday…

 

Disclosure: I received an Addaday Pro Massage Roller because I am a BibRave Pro. (Per usual, all opinions are my own–you should know by now I don’t need any help with that, I’ve got plenty of ’em!) Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro here. Read and write race reviews at BibRave.com!

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Photo Credit: Addaday

Kelly Starrett wrote, “All human beings should be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves.” This is one of my favorite quotes because it is empowering–I don’t need another person to take basic care of my body. Starrett knows what he’s talking about, too–he has a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, started one of the very first CrossFit boxes, founded MobilityWOD, and has trained thousands of athletes in technique and body maintenance. He’s published two fantastically delicious books on taking care of soft tissue.

“All human beings should be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves” sounds pretty awesome, but if you’ve ever tried to give yourself a massage, or work out a deep muscle knot, you know it is a bit trickier than it sounds. It’s hard to hit the right spots with consistent pressure when your arms don’t bend that way. Enter the Addaday Pro Massage Roller: multiple ways to reach those muscles with just the right stuff. The right tool really makes a difference–just ask Erica at Another Half…Please?

The Pro model has five knobby things Addaday calls “gears.” Each of them moves independently, so you can move the tool in more ways than you could if they were connected. Each of the four bigger gears is like an orb with scoops taken out of it. This design does several things. The website touts that it won’t grab hair, but I think they’re discussing leg hair there. What I noticed is that unlike a flat massage ball, the shape of these balls made my muscles feel kneaded, not just pressed on.

If you have no idea what you’d do with this tool, Addaday’s got you covered. (Though Chadd over at Running for the Average Joe found the tool pretty self-explanatory.) The website has several very helpful videos with demonstrations of the various techniques in the Quick Tutorials part of the education section. When my Pro first arrived I watched all the videos and copied the techniques. If my muscles could talk, they would say, “nomnomnom!”

The Addaday Pro is lightweight and portable, but also sturdy. During the time I’ve been testing it, I’ve taken it across the country (yes, it is permitted in carry-on luggage–though some TSA people did ask me what it is, since they were curious). The compact size is definitely a plus, especially if you’re working in a tight space like Laura over at Presently Running, need to roll in your car (no, not kidding–click here), or if you have a trip to Portugal planned, like Christine at Dr. Runner.

Carry-on approved!
Carry-on approved!

By the way, if you do carry your Addaday Pro like this, attached to your backpack, watch out for your hair. Yes, the gears don’t grab hair; but the spaces in between the gears are super into ponytails. (Especially if you have long, baby-fine, straight hair like mine, apparently. Ouch!)

Most of you reading this are probably runners, and are now thinking of this as a running tool (yes, it is great to roll out your glutes and your IT band, and that little red knob is great on the bottom skinny part of your calf muscles). But look back to Dr. Starrett’s quote; it’s not about athletes, it says “all human beings.”  You think athletes are hard on their bodies? Try driving a desk for a living!

So I’ve also taken my Addaday to work. Sometimes my poor body has to endure a week of sitting at those awful hotel conference tables, in chairs designed to stack well (and not designed to care for a human body). While I constantly hydrate, and take advantage of the breaks to stretch and move, there’s nothing like a post-workday self-massage with the Addaday Pro.

Addaday reporting for work
Addaday reporting for work

The portability of this tool makes it extra useful. Don’t take my word for it, check out what Tom had to say over at Runs and Places. You can check out some other reviews by BibRave Pros Darlin’ Rae, The Caffeinated Runner, The Sunny Side, and See Jess Run.

I have a stable of self-myofascial release tools, including a Tiger Tail, Knotty Tiger, Curve Ball, The Grid, The Nano, The Roll 8, and the full set of Yoga TuneUp/The Roll Model tools. Each of them has their own special place in my routine–er, when I am not being lazy and I get them out and do my mobility work–so I was skeptical about the weird-looking Addaday Pro. I’m really thankful I had the opportunity to test it out, as it has been especially helpful during my travels during the past month. If you’re in the market for a tool, try this one!

 

Disclosure: I received a free UV Half Buff because I am a BibRave Pro. (Per usual, all opinions are my own–you should know by now I don’t need any help with that, I’ve got plenty of ’em!) Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro here. Read and write race reviews at BibRave.com!

What’s a Buff?? If you’ve ever watched the TV show Survivor, you see tribe members with these matching cloth thingies. Some of the skinny-minny women wear them as bandeau tops, while the men tend to use them as headgear. I only ever heard the show’s host mumble the name a few times, and I had no idea what he was talking about when he asked for their buffs. Um, they have to turn in their butts? The teams are getting a new bus? What-the-what?

Maybe you have a few more clues and knew that he was saying BUFF. (That wouldn’t have helped me, as I would have been all like, “um, what’s a ‘Buff’?”). If you were in my boat, THIS is a Buff:

UV Half Buff as packaged
UV Half Buff as packaged, in Inked Yellow

Basically it is a piece of fabric shaped like a tube that doesn’t have any seams. You may have seen something like this, or even used something similar, but if you haven’t used a Buff, you don’t know what you are missing. Case in point: I belong to two distance running clubs that sell knock-off buff-like items emblazoned with the club logos. I found them hot and sticky to wear in even the slightest humidity. They reminded me of some of the polyester duds I sported in the ’70s. I couldn’t figure out how Buff was popular if it just trapped the sweat inside and made your skin itchy. But that was NOT a real Buff!

I picked a half-Buff, in part based on my past experience with the wanna-be-buff. (The other part is that this Buff provides UV protection, and I am uncertain I could get a full-sized Buff to sit still instead of gliding right off of my slippery baby-fine hair.) Turns out the REAL Buff is NOTHING like the pretender I’d previously tried.

Test Runs. To test the Buff, I took it on several runs. Primarily I used it as a hat-liner and head-band, sweeping all of my hair off of my neck and face, and once covering my ears (which I’d forgot to put sunscreen on). I also tried it out as a wristband for sweat-blotting. Not only did the Buff absorb sweat and quickly get it off of me, it also air-dried fairly quickly. Once I washed it out with shampoo, rinsed it, and hung it on the shower rod to dry overnight. It was soaked through when I hung it up, even though I’d wrung it out. It was 100% dry when I got back to it in the morning.

Construction. The Buff is seamless and has no edges. The material is a stretchy, soft knit. There is nothing to catch, snag, run, pull, or otherwise fall apart. Granted I’ve only washed mine about four times, but the print colors have not run or faded. Further, the good folks at Buff confirmed that washing does not affect the UV protection.

Fit and wear. I am not brave enough to attempt to wear mine as a Survivor-style bandeau. (It’s also not in the “ways to wear” suggestions!). I’ve got a big ol’ melon, and the Buff went all the way around, no trouble. When it was on my wrist I just double (triple?) looped it, and it stayed. I could also see myself wearing it as a headband (folded over a few times), or as a wind-protection layer around my neck when it is colder. Each time I’ve taken it off and washed it, the Buff has returned to its original size/shape.

Does this Buff make my head look fast?
Does this Buff make my head look fast?

Perhaps the best part? Even after multiple wears with just a rinse (as opposed to a washing machine wash), it does not stink. I sweat when I run, so this is a major bonus.

In addition to the UV Half Buff, there is also a UV Full Buff. Other Buff products include the regular ol’ Buff, wooly winter Buff, balaclava, Buff for Fido, and all manner of other cool stuff. For a limited time, you can score a discount with code BIBRAVE10–you’ll save 10%.

Buff was really generous and gave many of the BibRave Pros a chance to try out their products. (They also sponsored a #bibchat!)  To read more opinions, check out these blogs:

Disclosure: I presented Legal Advice for Bloggers at IDEA World BlogFest 2015 and am a member in good standing of IDEA. This post and the accompanying giveaway are unrelated to my presenter duties, and are not sponsored by IDEA, Sweat Pink, or any other entity. All opinions are my own–you know I’ve got plenty to go around!

BlogFest and IDEAWorld gave me enough to write about for a year (but not the extra hours in the week to #writealltheposts). This is just a re-cap of my top take-aways from the BlogFest portion.

Be your own flower
Be your own flower

#1: Authenticity is the new buzzword.

The word “authenticity” must have come up at least as many times as I am years old. As an undefined intangible in a culture that highly values individuality, it’s a perfect addition to the word collection that includes “disruptor” (formerly known as “paradigm shift”). Everyone said “authenticity” and no one defined it. At the risk of being glib, I would say it is now-speak for “be honest.”

One of my great teachers once said, “Be yourself. All the other jobs are taken.” (Yoga, philosophy, and Sanskrit expert and academic, Douglas R. Brooks.) It is just as true in the blogging world as it is in every other part of the world. The world is filled with blogs, but trying to imitate another blog (or another blogger) is pointless. You can never be as good as they are at being them. Why not be yourself? When I created my blog, I sat down and thought about what is important to me, who I am, and how to keep my blog in line with me.

For example, I’m not obsessed with partnering with brands or accruing swag (not going to lie, I do like both), and it doesn’t make sense to me to pretend to be something or someone I’m not in order to land a partnership. Seriously, if a brand wants a hardcore dedicated runner, they’re going to be disappointed. Even if the brand and product seem like a good fit, I will only promote products and services I use and truly believe in (my recommendation is my reputation, so why would I throw that away for someone else?). Another example is that I don’t like reading “breakfast lunch and dinner” posts (it seems we are calling them “lifecasting” today) so I’m not going to write them. I just don’t enjoy it. If you do, that’s fine–go be you!

Not everyone is going to love you, and that’s okay. Love yourself, be yourself, and remember that what other people think of you is largely none of your business.

Just like lunch, there is plenty to go around.
Just like lunch, there is plenty to go around.

#2:  Stop living in a scarcity mentality.

No one expressly stated this during BlogFest, or at any session I attended at IDEA, yet I thought about it all weekend.

There is enough of EVERYTHING to go around. No matter what you hope to get from your blog–a job, an ambassadorship, a certain number of regular readers, a pat on the back–there is enough for you, and me, and every other blogger. (This is, in part, because we are all different–that pesky “authenticity” thing–so we’re not really competing against each other.)

When I started teacher training at Yoga Kula in Berkeley, one of the teachers there used to collect information on all of the yoga classes in that style taught all over the Bay Area and put them into a single schedule including all teachers and all studios and locations. Some people thought she was nuts (“won’t that drive students to other classes?”) but she explained that (1) that is a scarcity mentality, based on the assumption that there are not enough students to fill all those classes, and (2) there is no “my students,” because you don’t own or control who decides to come to your class. The same is true of blogging. Sharing, promoting, or helping another blogger is not going to drive “your readers” or “your partnerships” away, and you know what they are not really YOURS in the first place! If anything, helping someone else benefits you; you look good for being kind and helpful, and you stick to being who you are and what you do best. Everyone wins.

I regularly tell my yoga students, “hey, I’m an acquired taste. If you don’t like me or don’t like my class, come talk to me. I’ll help you find another teacher and another class that better suits your needs.” Trying to keep every single student happy and returning to my class is exhausting and doesn’t serve me, but more importantly it does not serve my students. There is lots of yoga in the world. To help more people do yoga, the best thing I can do is help them find their yoga. The same is true in blogging. Sure, I know I’m going to keep evolving over time and things may change, but it’s not in my nature to write very short posts (I have Twitter for that!), I don’t rock a highly artistic and sensually beautiful design, and I’m not going to promote meat-based recipes (dude, I’m a vegetarian). If that means my blog is not for you, thanks for visiting. There’s a blog out there for you to read. If you tell me what you’re looking for and I know where you might find it, I’ll tell you.

A rising tide lifts all boats, says the proverb. As the blogging community grows and each of us gets better at what we do, we all win.

Rise and shine!
Rise and shine!

#3: Commit and Follow-Through:
Hard work is always in style.

Ignore the “under promise and over deliver” mantra of the “I’m too cool to sleep” decade. Instead, do what you say you are going to do. If you have time to throw in some bonuses, great. If not, don’t fret.

Personally, it is important to me to follow-through on what I say I am going to do. It is like keeping a promise: the best way to ensure you keep it is to think carefully about what you are committing to do before you make the promise, and then creating a plan to get it done. I’m always surprised when I hear that bloggers who committed to a campaign, or event, or whatever, simply flaked and didn’t do the work. What the what? Guys, unless something truly serious and unanticipated happens–thing emergency, injury, computer goes for a swim in the ocean–follow through on what you say you will do.

It’s ridiculously easy. For example, as a member of the BibRave Pro team, I am sometimes given the opportunity to test out products or services (or run races) related to running. If I accept an assignment, I know that means I am responsible for tweeting about the item/event, attending the #bibchat sponsored by that item/event, writing a blog post, and tracking my social media engagement. If I can’t do those things for whatever reason (maybe the time frame is wrong, for example), I don’t accept the assignment.  Going back to point #2, there is plenty to go around. I don’t need to do everything, but the things I do, I need to do well.

#4: So are genuine kindness and generosity.

This weekend many people generously shared their stories, their advice, their experience, and their knowledge. “Generosity” means freely giving what you are able to offer, without any expectation that the recipient(s) will reciprocate. Mom used to explain to me that life puts you in situations where you are absolutely forced to ask for help or rely on others. (This was definitely true when I was in high school and in a serious car accident that put me in the hospital for two weeks. My terrified parents came to visit me every day. While they were away, other people cooked meals for the family, did the laundry and the dishes, drove my brothers to sports practice and to pick out a new coat; it was actually Mom’s first day at a new job, and the man she was to replace stayed on longer in order to let her spend her time with me. Some of these others were neighbors and close family friends, but even people we did not know well at all–people who were friends of friends of friends–stepped in and did things.) Realistically, there is no way you will ever get to pay back all the people you “borrow” from, and in many cases you won’t even know who they are. Instead, Mom would say, you “pay back” by lending a hand to anyone who needs it when you are able to offer it. (This was long before “pay it forward.” I guess it is a similar idea though.)

During BlogFest, bloggers taught how to do many things (grow a social media following on different platforms, optimize SEO, work with brands). In most cases, this was less textbook information and more “secret sauce”-like things that these bloggers learned by trial and error and trying again. Sometimes it was specialized knowledge from experience in a specific industry, such as my presentation on basics of law for bloggers.

When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing. I don’t have a technical background, and each new thing I try to do still involves some learning and moments of painful frustration. Heck, I still run into “why does the picture keep doing that weird thing?” and “how do I do that?” I’m fortunate to have developed a nice network through Sweat Pink, FitBloggin‘, and groups like Rock ‘n’ Blog, and when I have a question, I ask.  If by some miracle there is a question I can answer, I do.

My favorite slide from BlogFest. Thanks, Melissa Burton!
My favorite slide from BlogFest. Thanks, Melissa Burton!

#5: Page Views and Followers: Not The Only Thing (Maybe Not A Thing)

If you are a blogger, you know that any discussion of blogging inevitable includes at least some mention of SEO (search engine optimization), promoting your blog, and analytics. It kind of makes sense, because most people writing a blog would like it if other people read the blog. New bloggers often find this aspect overwhelming (especially if the actual blogging is already more than enough work!). Going back to that scarcity mentality, many bloggers also worry that their low page-views will prevent them from getting the “good” opportunities.

Seriously, that can’t be the case–because I’ve scored some great opportunities and I don’t have a huge readership. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to try and review new Clif Bar products, serve as a Nuun ambassador, and be on Team Rock ‘n’ Blog. If all opportunities were based just on page views, I’d probably never have any of that because when I applied I didn’t even have an analytics widget installed.

Several of the presenters at BlogFest brought up the idea that bloggers and companies are catching onto the reality of blogging: it’s not a numbers game. One of the presenters, Katy Widrick, asked, “would you rather inspire 10 people, or have 10,000 pass through your blog?” Sure, we’d all like BOTH. But if you had to pick, which would you choose?

Bonus #6: each one of these points is applicable to the unwritten blog that is your life.

Two winners will share these goodies.
Two winners will share these goodies.

BlogFest “wish you were here” pack giveaway!

Please note that to win this giveaway you must NOT have been at BlogFest. (If you were there, you already have this stuff–so share the love! Invite your friends who were not there to win some swag.) By entering this contest, you expressly and affirmatively state that you were not at BlogFest 2015. I am obsessed with water bottles, and they are starting to take over my kitchen. Because of this, I’m going to give away the two water bottles I got at BlogFest. I’m throwing in a bunch of freebies, coupons, and swag too.

Important tip: if you win, you might have to wait a little while before I am able to ship the goods. Patience, grasshopper!
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