A year ago today (a Monday), around 9:30am, I googled “how to start a blog.” By dinner time the same day, The Paleo Running Momma officially existed on the internet with same theme and picture you see in front of you now.
To say I had zero clue what in the hell I was doing would be the understatement of the past year. At the time, I only read 2 blogs on a semi-regular basis (one paleo and one running) and my tech skills were limited to what I was instructed to do according to the top Google search results. I knew nothing about anything related to blogging.
What I DID know was that I had been through a lot over the prior 6 months, and I was 3 weeks away from running THE Boston Marathon. Emotions were intense, my brain was all over the place, and it was the first day of my taper which meant that I was basically having a nervous breakdown.
I decided to put all this mad energy into something I knew nothing about – a blog. Besides, my son had started going to school 3 days a week for 3 hours a day, which meant, relatively, that I was a free woman and needed something to do.
The past year has been one of tremendous personal growth for me and I owe most of it to the process of blogging. There is no way I would have stared myself figuratively (and literally, with selfies) in the face on a daily basis while at the same time opening myself up to feedback, and, reading about the experiences of my peers.
Blogging humbles and empowers me at the same time. It forces me to get over myself while at the same time respecting my feelings and perspective. I’m one of many but I am still one and only. I look at other people differently now, realizing and responding sensitively to what inevitably goes on below the surface. Reading so many blogs is a constant reminder that everyone has a unique story and perspective, but yet we SHARE so much more that we often realize.
To be completely honest, I started blogging thinking I knew things and felt things that no one else did. Or that I was the first person to think of a topic. That sounds stupid and naive and it really was! I didn’t have a lot of running friends and didn’t talk about issues like overtraining and compulsive behavior, taper madness, or racing tips. I didn’t have paleo friends either and figured that tips for eating socially, paleo carbs, and more paleo carbs was all new and big info.
If you look back in my archives, you’ll certainly find that I “chilled out” with my topics and my blog became less formal and more fluid and friendly over the year. In the first 6 months, I definitely wrote a lot of list-type posts that I look back on now and see them as a bit too preachy. Some of the stand out ones were:
Stop Craving Sugar for Good – 5 Way to Get there Fast
12 Healthy Practices that Aren’t Healthy at All
Paleo on a Budget – 10 Tips that Passed My Test
What is Clean Eating and How Can it Help You
Though a couple of these generated quite a big of traffic for my blog early on, I think I took that as a sign to do MORE similar posts, which wasn’t really sustainable or interesting for my blog as a whole.
In the first few months, I had yet to really understand that while blogging is communication, it is not lecture. The “listening” part is just as important as the talking part, in my opinion, and a more conversational tone for my blog is something I strive for.
Of course, in the beginning months of blogging, it’s hard not to feel like you’re “talking” to thin air or nothing at all, and even after I’d developed a community, I didn’t totally feel connected to it in a flowing, conversational way. It wasn’t until the second six months or so that I started to FEEL the relationships I’d developed with readers and other bloggers, and I began to respond differently as reflected in my posts.
I think that to be “good” at blogging, you really have to swallow your pride and break through your ego. It’s the real you that’s under there, that people want to get to know and read more of. I now read some of my early posts and cringe, it seems some of them were reflecting a tough exterior, or fragile ego, that over the course of the year I have been slowly chipping away at while becoming gradually more vulnerable both online and in real life. I started blogging thinking I had a ton of info to share, but I’m coming out of the first year realizing I really did learn a lot more than I “taught.”
A few of my favorite posts
Running and Anxiety Part II – This is something I began to understand a lot more about over the course of the year, and writing all three parts of this series was a great experience.
A Run Love Kind of Day – Nothing all that special, but my first time really expressing my love for running to the world. I always thought this was obnoxious and now I don’t know what my problem was 🙂
Me and My Friend “The Runner” – Reminds me how far I’ve come with my identity and how running fits in.
My IBS Story Part 1 and Part 2 – This was one of the most difficult posts to write, because of the shame I’d felt around these mysterious digestive problems my whole life. For all those who might question, this stuff can be very real and very painful.
My Other Obsessions – Running and Paleo might actually be the least of it!
The Things You Can’t Run From – Dealing with my daughters’ scoliosis.
Why Running a Marathon and Childbirth Are The Same Thing – They just totally are.
And a few of my favorite recipes! (Sorry my older pictures are not-good.)
Crispy Soft Sweet Plantains – I make these multiple times per week for everyone in my family!
Homemade Plantain Chips – These too!
Bacon Scallion Chicken Salad – The best!
Homemade Mayo – I make this about once per week as a base for other sauces.
Gooey Brownie Pie – My non-paleo family loved this!
Chewy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Okay I guess I’ll stop now, there are just too many that I make over and over that have become staples 🙂
At this point I do not have any real set goals for blogging in the coming year. I am at a happy place with it right now and want to continue everything that I’m doing. There are so many ways I normally put pressure on myself, and with my blog I’m just going to go wherever it takes me. So far the ride has surprised me so much, that I don’t want to screw it up by trying to control it!
So to end, happy birthday to The Paleo Running Momma, and, since my website can’t actually eat cake, I (and you guys too!) will definitely have piece of something seriously delicious to celebrate!
When did you start reading my blog?
What’s one thing you like about it and one thing you think I could change? (I won’t bite)
Wow I had no idea you had only been blogging for a year. That is awesome and you have truly been through a lot. Here is to many more blogs to come!
Thanks Hollie! Your blog was one of the first I started reading and was/is very inspiring 🙂
Cool blog! Very inspiring. Unfortunately, now I don’t have the opportunity to play sports, let alone run, but I always imagine how I put on my favorite sneakers, turn on my headphones with cool music and start running. By the way, now there is a lot of great music for running, on YouTube you can find whole ready-made playlists that are easy to convert to an mp3 file using the Tubidy platform. There is a step-by-step guide on the site, but in general I doubt that anyone will have problems.
You both are doing a great job, I am following both of you. It’s very inspire me to cook so many dishes. Thank you and lot’s of love.
Happy Blog Birthday/Anniversary! I think you should celebrate with that brownie pie 🙂
Thanks! I think I’m making cupcakes. I said it once and now my kids are all over it 🙂
You’re so right about the humbling of blogging. I felt the exact same when I started. My injury really broke that down in me and I poured my feelings into posts. It was then that I realized my readers wanted to see that side of me. I think you’re awesome and love reading your blog. Happy blogversary and cheers to many more!
Funny how we had a similar experience! I feel the same about you and your blog, amazing how we can make these connections through blogging!
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Happy Blogiversary! It’s so funny that you googled starting a blog and went from there. I started blogging after being a part of the world for quite some time, lol. I think that you have learned and grown extremely quickly, but I don’t think we should have expected anything less from you!
Yup, impulsive by nature I guess 🙂 Probably better that I didn’t know what I was getting into until I was in it! And thank you, that is too kind!!
I am pretty sure I started reading your blog right after you started it! I remember you getting ready for Boston and then reading your recap. I read blogs for years before starting my own…which I think definitely influenced me at first because I tried to pull things from all of my favorite blogs. Eventually I found what was more comfortable to me and and figured out a way to make it more of my own. I think its very wise to not make any blogging goals/put pressure on yourself about it. I think we generally put alot of pressure on ourselves with blogging just in the day to to day of getting it all done. Happy Blogiversary!!
I found you right away and blog-stalked you when I realized we were doing the RRCA course together! Clearly it was meant to be 🙂 I love reading your posts every morning and find myself relating all the time.
There really is so much pressure to just get it done on a daily basis with blogging, that’s enough of a goal.
blogging is always changing and we are always learning. You are doing great! thanks for keepin it real with us friend. we love ya!
Thank you! Glad I found you early on, you definitely taught me a lot 🙂
I for one am very glad you started this blog a year ago! You always have insightful and thought-provoking posts, which I love. My earlier posts were definitely more “preachy” and (hopefully) I’ve evolved to make them more personal, because you can’t “preach” on something you have no emotional connection to. Happy blogiversary!
It’s funny how we have that instinct to preach at first, maybe we’re worried we don’t have enough to offer otherwise? I’m glad I got over that because blogging feels really natural now. And thank you so much! You are way too kind 🙂
Happy Birthday to my “true” blog friend Michele. Don’t even remember how I found your blog, but your blog and YOU have been instrumental in my life both intellectually and physically. Life is rewarding when what we do helps people in their lives. I thank you for all your help. Have a great day celebrating your accomplishment.
So glad to hear this Leslie, makes me so happy to feel like I can help people out 🙂 Thank you!
Congratulations on one year! I honestly thought you’ve been around for much longer than that because you’ve grown such a big audience and seem so well-established! Way to go 🙂
I started reading right around when I started my blog about a month ago. I’m so glad that I did, especially since we have so much in common (Penn State and music!)
I love how you do personal posts as well as informational posts. I would be interested to see your training plans or your goals. I’m not sure if these are posts you already do since I’m a newer reader, but I would love to read about yours! Also, I would love some beginner tips for yoga, or tips on how to do it at home. I can never get motivated to do an at-home practice like I am in a studio!
Thank you! I’m just starting to figure out my running goals for the rest of this year, and when I figure some of it out I will be sure to post on it! I posted all about my training leading up to Philly in Nov and plan to do the same as I train for NYC this summer. I did a post on home yoga practices I like, but I will follow that up with something like you’re saying, regarding time/motivation to practice at home.
Appreciate the feedback and ideas very much 🙂
Happy Blog-aversary! I started reading your blog since I have transitioned to a paleo/primal diet and wanted to hear from other runners that have adapted that diet as well. You pretty much only hear from the Crossfitters, so hearing your perspective on how you’re able to train for such long distance runs and still eat a paleo diet is really intriguing to me! I especially love your post about carbs. And you’re a Penn Stater/lived in State College. I’m originally from State College and went to Penn State as well 🙂
Very cool! I haven’t been back to visit Penn State at all since college, which is just not acceptable! I miss the town and need to plan a trip. As I begin marathon training again this summer I’m sure I’ll go on and on about carbs again 🙂