I started blogging on July 21, 2005 because I wanted a platform for sharing my adventures in Italy with family members. Now my blog has evolved in to so much more for me. I was actually having a conversation with Steven this Sunday night about all the things I/we wouldn’t be doing if it weren’t for blogging. It started with me saying he wouldn’t be doing autocross if I weren’t blogging, because I met Erin through her blog, and her husband introduced Steven to autocross.

What else was on the list?

If I wasn’t blogging I wouldn’t…

… have met some of the awesome friends I have / made connections around the world
… get as much varied advice/input/experience shared with me
… be staying in touch with certain people
… be taking as many pictures
… be documenting my life as much as I am
… (according to Steven) stick with running as much as I have
… be trying as many new recipes
… be improving my writing skills? (it’s questionable)
… be learning as many fun random facts
… be wasting so much time on the internets

and most importanly

… always have a place where I feel like I can express myself

What is on your “If I wasn’t blogging I wouldn’t…” list? How many years have you been blogging? Why did you start?

I just wonder because that seems to be the only way I can stay caught up. And that is with skipping the stuff I don’t feel it’s necessary for me to comment on.

I may have asked this before, but when do you read blogs?

I read them while commuting on the train. So, being in DC for a week really screwed me over in that regard! It kind of screwed me over in a lot of ways. It totally threw me off whack, schedule-wise, health-wise and work-wise (unfortunately) and coupled with two back-to-back weekend trips to Iowa, I am feeling overwhelmed and worn out. But I swear, I can see the light in the end of the tunnel!

Anyway, I am curious about your blogging habits/thoughts. I am not stressed about being behind in my reading, I just miss it!

Well, you know I do! That is kind of where my last Friday Question stemmed from – I was looking for camping recommendations (and I got them – thanks!).

I have coworkers who are traveling to Spain + Portugal*, Italy, and London this summer. Two of them have asked me to give them pointers on “must sees.”

Of course, if I was open about my blog at work, I would tell them to start here!

Since I am not, I am going to compile a list of my favorite sites (in Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona). I bet a lot of my favorite sites will be highly common ones to travel to, so I am going to have to look back at my notes and see if there was any place off the beaten path that I just loved (Santa Maria Della Concezione**, anyone? Ha ha. )

Sagrada Familia – you cannot visit Barcelona without visiting ALL of the Gaudí sites! That would be a shame

You know, I wasn’t going to add a picture to this post, but decided to throw one in, since I have so many, and people often say how they prefer posts with pictures.

The thing is, I do not prefer posts with (a ton of) pictures. One or a few are fine with me, but I really don’t mind picture-less posts. Unless the author is talking about something you would expect to see pictures of (recipes, a race, their garden, their new bike, their new haircut, blah blah blah) I don’t mind if they aren’t there.

And the posts with a ton of pictures seriously slow me down and deter me from reading. Big time. It takes forever for my small computer to load them, and sometimes, they aren’t necessary (in my opinion). I try to get around all of the photo-heavy posts and look for the content – it’s just that when there are a lot photos, I lose track of what I am reading (hmm, maybe I am the only one with this issue?***).

Of course, this doesn’t mean that I don’t write posts with WAY TOO MANY pictures from time to time too. I sure do – my weekly workout recaps, race recaps, recipes, reviews, weekend updates – these all seem to be photo heavy. And I expect people to skim them.

And remember, this is just MY opinion! I know a lot of people disagree with this, so I am anxious to hear what you think! Maybe my thinking will change!

What do you think – what is your sweet spot for posts with pictures? Do you prefer them? How many (poll below)? If you do prefer them, what deters you away when posts don’t have pictures?

I really like how Erin does her posts – one related photo at the top, then maybe more photos if she is doing a race recap or a recap of a long run. I always love Mica’s photos too – especially of Bodger! In my opinion, you can’t have too many pet photos!

*Have not been here (yet).
**A crypt made of bones.
***I think that the posts with a lot of photos tend to be more of daily-diary posts anyway, which while I find interesting to read, I do have a hard time following, because there is so much content. I feel like I need to take notes while reading. I will often leave a comment then be thinking “wasn’t there something else I wanted to say?” Again – I am probably the only one with this issue!

I am having the same Akismet issue I had back in March and in November – Akismet (my spam filter) cannot connect to my server, so it is not working. I am getting hit with a lot of spam, so activated WP-SpamFree in the meantime (which doesn’t show comments, just spams them).

It should fix itself eventually, but please shoot me an email if your comments are not showing up (kimilax@yahoo.com). Thanks!

Of course, if you are a blogger, you may run in to a similar issue, where you start to tell someone something, but then wonder if they already read it. I picked up on this on Sunday, while I was talking to my grandma. She didn’t tell me she was reading, but it was obvious, because she already knew about half of the stuff I told her (and it wasn’t from talking to my parents).

The interesting thing is, there is so much we don’t write about on our blogs. Or, that I don’t write about, anyway! Did I tell you Steven did some autocross racing with Erin‘s husband, Jason on Sunday? Nah. Did I tell you Steven’s parents are coming to see our half marathon this weekend? Nope. Have I talked about how nervous I feel about being someone’s coach at work? Nah. There is a lot we leave out, so… it is important not to judge someone by a single glimpse into their life.

Oops. Where did THAT come from? I actually wanted to write about this blurb I read in the May issue of SELF yesterday. I do have the “I can’t remember if I told you or not” problem. Sure, I think blogging messes with it a little bit, but I really think it is the HUGE amount of emails I write, confusing my brain about what was shared via the written word and what was shared in person. Anyway, the SELF blurb said:

Ever start a story, only to hear, “You mentioned that already!”? There’s a reason it’s hard to remember whom you’ve told what: the self-focus required to relay an anecdote disrupts memory processes that usually link the story and the listener in your head, Psychological Science finds. Keep your audience straight by saying a pal’s name as you speak.

Okay, so that explains what is going on when you are telling an anecdote, but what about the rest of the time? Is this just one of those signs that I am turning in to an old lady? Or is it a sign that I am too connected in too many different ways… and my mind is confused?

I’m okay. And I’m not too sick. The cold I got came and went fast (woo-hoo) and now I just have the task of blowing my snot-filled nose every 5 minutes. Bet my coworkers love that.

I am extremely worn out though and the allure of blogging and reading blogs seems to have temporarily left me. I don’t feel unhappy, just uninterested.

I think this means it is time to refocus on what my blog is. I usually love writing and reading, but I need to be careful that blogging does not have too big of a focus in my daily life. It can’t be #1, you know? I don’t feel like it is, but I do feel like I give it too much importance.

And while I haven’t been writing, I’ve been thinking about how vague and generic my writing has become. I feel like I don’t share many personal things. Not that I want to be scandalous, but I just feel like I have lost touch with what this blog is.

So, I am going to be feeling things out. Or, going back to how things were when I feel back up to it. Who knows. I do have a Friday Question written for tomorrow and am still writing my training posts. So, I’m here. Just not fully feeling it.

Do you go through periods where you lose interest in blogging?

The last time this happened to me was in August. It definitely happens.

I should be able to fix it eventually, but please shoot me an email if your comment are not showing up (kimilax@yahoo.com). Thanks!

I suppose actually eating something is more satisfying that drinking something for me, which is why it has been easy to stay away from soda.

Now, I want it to be as easy to stay away from sugary treats. Despite telling you guys about how white sugar affects your body, I have not been able limit my intake very well, even though I want to. When I get a between-meals craving, it is for something sugary. Then if I do have something sugary, I am so overloaded with sugar, that I get a craving for something salty. Ugh. It is time for all of those sugary treats to just be fruit. I don’t feel like I can handle anything else right now.

Do you get in-between meal (“snacky”) cravings? What kinds of foods to do you crave?

I tried to write some shorter posts this week. I tend to get a bit “blah blah blah” and drag things out longer than I should. And I think that we are all pressed for time, and writing posts like that just lends to skimming, which is actually why I put my little bold question at the end of the post – so you get the gist of it. At the same time though, I would love to know more about your thoughts on blog post length, and what leads you to skimming. It’s something I have been thinking about lately as I have not had much time to read!

Please answer my polls below!

Morgan is traveling this week, so I wrote a little post talking about how I try to fit in exercise when I travel. What do you think my little trick is? You will have to click over to find out…

(Yes, I know I am being cheesy. But I am having a crappy week and writing that kind of made me laugh.)

Do you want to hear my take on it? Head on over to gemfit’s Staying on Course and read my guest post about how I have finally (!!!) embraced yoga and how I feel it helps me as a runner.

Let gemfit know your history with yoga, and if you were resistant toward it at first, like me!