ROI: Is Your Blogging Investment Worth It?

At work, I'm always evaluating what I'm working on (or what I'm tasked with doing) against the value of the outcome.  This is just natural for me. I don't like to waste time.  I also don't like to do nonessential 'stuff' just to look busy or because someone else deems it important for me to do. 

Time is finite.

We each have
24 hours in a day,

1,440 minutes. 

How we choose to spend that time defines our success ~ mentally, physically, and spiritually.  I've read in leadership books that effective leaders break their day down into 15-minute increments, which is why executive daytimers are designed this way. 

I found by planning in 15-minute increments....  

• your days are more productive and purposeful
• you can account for your time more accurately (and adjust where needed)
• you get annoyed when people and things cut into your day, wasting your time
• you learn to utilize time more efficiently, i.e. red lights, time commuting in public transport, even running (I've made many a list while running!)
• you plan more effectively (including scheduling workouts as protected time, just like a meeting)

Running fits nicely into this philosophy.  The time we put in results in not just how we cross the finish line, but whether we cross it at all. 

Often, not getting to cross it now means we'll get to later (when we're healed).   A tough, but valuable lesson, indeed.


Then there's blogging.....

I could seriously blog full-time (and would like to, eventually).

But as long as blogging is still a hobby and not my FT paying gig (yet), I have to consider the

costs/investment (25 - 30 hours a week of blogging on top of my 40-hour daytime gig), which takes away from .... 

• time with Hubs
• time to train
• time to read
• time to nap
• time to explore new recipes
• time to work on new projects
• time to work on other current projects....

The list is endless.  The time that I'm giving (and taking away from other things) is my investment. 

Last week, I enacted a  'no social media' moratorium for myself, first for 72 hours, then through most of Thanksgiving week.  Twitter, FB, and blogging, be damned!  :) 

It was glorious!!!  (A little burn-out, you suppose??)


So here are the questions I've been asking myself lately:

• Is the investment of 25 - 30 hours a week worth the return?
• What's the return on my current investment?
• Is it what I want it to be?  
• What's my purpose for writing the blog(s)?

While I certainly see blogging (reading and writing) as valuable time (and can't imagine NOT blogging), I do believe, as with all things, evaulating the time I'm putting in right now (costs)  vs. what I'm getting in return (benefits) is important. 

The most tangible return is comments.  Since they've been scant lately, I know it's time to self-evaluate.  Content?  Frequency?  Reciprocity?  

It's also time to regroup and reprioritize. 

As we wind down 2010 and look ahead to 2011, this turtle runner will spend more time with Hubs, more time running, and more time doing all those other creative things she enjoys, including writing for  her other* blogs and for Florida Running and Triathlon (online) ~ just a little here and there. 

Fewer weekly posts to clog your inbox/Reader.  Substance, yes.  Stories, yes.  Photos, yes. 

Lots more 'Doing Good' planned for 2011:  Absolutely!!  

*Eating Good Stuff  (a foodie resource, revisited)

*Own Your Journey (self-empowerment...)

How does blogging fit into your life? 

How do you prioritize your time? 

What are the benefits you seek from your blog?

Do you have a good ROI, Return on Investment? 

What do you consider a 'good' ROI for your blog?

Happy running, friends....

Robin 

Thankful 30: Catching Up

I have so many reasons to be thankful, and sometimes, when I'm feeling bummed out, I have to remind myself that there are many ....

18.   Access to healthy food and clean water, luxuries many of us take for granted

19.   Unfettered access to the internet, something not found in all parts of the world 

20.   Opportunities to interact with high school students ~ They make me LOL and keep my perspective in check!

21.   A husband who adores me... large or small (medium), cranky or chipper, lazy or productive

22.   My grandmother, who has molded my personality in many ways... an enduring foundation in my life





23.   Perspective. Fortitude. Resilience.   

24.   My '12-yr-old boy' disposition:  Silly. (a bit) Messy. Devil-may-care attitude. Laughs at bodily sounds and smells. Finds gleeful pleasure in postrun sweat and stink.

25.   Chocolate milk

26.   Being pragmatic (a quality many people don't understand or don't like...)

27.   People who demonstrate the good will of the holidays all year... kind people with good manners(!)

28.    Magazines (love, love, love them!)

29.    The rare opportunities to travel with Hubs ~ we love to explore!




And to finish out this month of Thanks.....

30.    Reinvention ~ being willing (and wanting) to change things up when needed


Taking time to slow down and reflect on the people, things, and experiences that make me who I am, today and every day.....  



Happy running, friends....

Robin
Own your journey. One run at a time.

Mon Motivation ~ Wk 47: Changing Things Up

"Discontent is the first necessity of progress."

~ Thomas Edison

Happy running, friends...

 Own your journey. What are you waiting for?

Countdown to Thanksgiving....

Turkey Trots

Feed the Turkey Virtual 5K Challenge (are you registered??)

Julia Child on the Cooking Channel

Black Friday

Small Business Saturday (new this year, w/ a cautionary note)

Cyber Monday

Cutting out early from work...

Last-minute trips to the grocery store

Volunteering time to prepare and serve meals

Christmas commercials
Lexus Christmas commercials with BIG red bows

Countless hours of  Cooking Channel, Food Network, and... HGTV

Macy's Day Parade preparations nearly complete...

TSA nightmares.  You're going to put your hand where?? Ummm... T*M*I*

Yes, the official Thanksgiving countdown has begun....

Have a wonderful holiday week, friends!

This turtle will be on blogging hiatus for a few days,  

with the customary Turkey Trot Thursday morning,

The Thanksgiving tradition began in 2008 [here]

when I took the leap into running.

In 2009, we enjoyed a much more leisurely,

social event [here] with friends (old and new),

neighbors, and lots of hugs.

This year we'll be in a different city, visiting family, 

but race day brings a local buddy, Kitzzy (nice surprise!).  

:)

Wednesday Winners will return next week. 

Happy running, friends!

Don't forget to join the

 Feed the Turkey Virtual 5K Challenge,

an awesome way to support 

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital,

 while burning those holiday calories!

How many? 

Check out this calculator, if you dare!

~ robin ~

own your journey. one run at a time.

 what are you waiting for?

Mon Motivation ~ Wk 46: Belief. Confidence.

"The race, the marathon,

is a renewal of belief in one’s self

and the ultimate expression of confidence

that you have created the foundation

that enables you to go the distance. "

~ Dolores E. Cross

Congratulations to our Turtles Tribe friends who went the distance this weekend, confidently!

Shelley in her first half-marathon in the heat AND humidity

Amy celebrates her new HM PR 

Mommaof3OnTheRun 'survived' her first HM

And a few friends who don't blog, but ran and walked their 13.1 in the Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete, Florida:  Kathy, Vicki, and Francine

Congratulations to everyone!

Founders' Day 10K Recap: A Swing and a Miss.....

Disappointment.

Yep ~ going there.....

Last Sunday, lots of us showed up early to run the Founders' Day 10K.  Excited to see my friends and to meet new ones, the cold morning offered lots of opportunity.  With no real expecations, I was looking forward to a nice 6-miler and time with friends.

My race-day strategy after the 8-miler the weekend before that left my feet, ankles, and hips throbbing (a bit too many miles and too much increase after recent low mileage training, I guess) looked like this:

1.  Walk the first mile for a warm-up (not a good race strategy, I admit, but necessary to sustain the full distance strongly, I thought, with an achy body, and with no warm-up when we arrived.  I always walk a full mile before I run.).   Go ahead: I KNOW what you're thinking ~ Robin, are you crazy??   Apparently.

2.  Run miles 2 - 6 with 2:00/1:00 intervals.

3.  Run negative splits, particularly to make up for the first mile walking. 

4.  Finish stronger than I did last year!   

5.  Oh, and one more: NOT wear my usual running hat (no real reason here...just thought I'd give it a try). 

Well, let's just say the best laid plans.....

The race began with Hubs being the generous holder of stuff (thank you!!).  We girls took off. There were four of us, two running a similar pace and the other two doing the same.

Three out of four started their race with a run.  Then there was me.  I started with my walking mile, and quickly became  concerned.  Nearly everyone passed me and my shins and fronts of my ankles immediately hurt.  I was walking aggressively and they were letting me know it.  Looking back, I should've started my intervals at the 1/2 mile point.  I didn't.

I looked back once and got really freaked out.  The only other time I've walked to start a race was for my first half-marathon last spring.  After three weeks of no training, I really had to.  This was, however, different.  Only six miles to cover, and not much time, even for a turtle runner.

Mile 1 marker: 15:09... Darn!  A full 3 minutes over my usual 12:00 pace.  I hit the interval starter and took off.  Relative term. Turtles don't really 'take off, ' do they??  *sigh* Once I began running, my shins/ankles didn't hurt. Thankfully.

The beautiful course from last year was not only reversed this year, but changed quite a lot.  Lots of twists and turns. Not so thrilled.  Lots of neighbors came out to cheer us on, though.  Thrilled.  Thank you! 

As I chugged along, I immediately began passing people in mile 2.  They had started out running, but were now walking.  Intervals and consistency helped keep me moving at a solid momentum.  

Decided to grab a sip of my water/G2 mix early in mile 2.  I drink a lot during my run, and always carry carbs to balance blood sugar if necessary.  Took a big sip and spit!  I accidentally put too much powder mix in my water. The concentrated fluid was like pure syrup.  Think snowcone syrup. A MISS.

I contined at a steady pace for miles 2 - 4, averaging 12:00 - 12:15 per mile.  Normal for me.  When I reached the mile 4 marker and saw the time, I realized that if I could pick up the pace for the last two miles by about a minute, I could beat last year's PR.  Up to this point, I had no expectations. Now, I was excited at the possibility!  I had planned to run with running buddies at a slower pace, just out for a run.  But when they took off, it became my own race and (apparently) time for new lessons.

Realizing a PR (albeit small margin) was within reach, I picked up my turtle pace for all of mile 5, running about an 11:00 mile (I'm old school, without a Garmin, so that's my estimate based on mile markers and my mish-mash math!).  I maintained the slightly quicker pace for most of mile 6, too.  Until. 

All of a sudden, after passing lots of people in miles 5 and 6 (felt good to do THAT!), I ran out of gas, and my 2:00 run/1:00 walk intervals turned into 1:30 run/1:30 walk intervals.  Not good.  Running out of steam ..... quickly and steadily. 

I chugged along.  We rounded our final corner with about 1/2 mile to go. 

The 5K race participants and their families, friends, dogs, strollers, and cars arrived. 

*And*blocked*the*10K*runners*forced*to*use*the*sidewalk* 

PLEASE MOVE!!! 

RUNNER BEHIND YOU!

Now, I'm sure my slow pace didn't impress the arriving people enough to realize what was happening.  I think my sweat-soaked shirt and grimace probably did, though.  People moved out of the way. Slowly.

Then, with about 100 yards to go, Oh My God!!!!!!!!!!! And I really meant God.  I was hollering for Him.  My left toe caught a raised edge in the sidewalk and all of a sudden, I was in mid-air flight, falling forward at a rate I didn't think I could stop.  Visions of my fall last May and EATING the sidewalk [here] came back in a flash of a second. 

NOOOO!!!!! Please God, don't*let*me*fall*!  The crowd gasped as I provided a You Tube moment. People waited to see what would happen next. 

Somehow, some way, I managed to stop the forward-motion, with my arms flailing in front of me and a freaked-out look on my face.  I did not fall.  But I felt sick. 

Please let this be over. Please let this be over. 

I finished out the remaining distance with the little teeny hill at the end that felt huge... what the heck??? Not quite Boston busters, but enough to take notice. 

I crossed the finish line a few seconds later.... missing my PR by 3:20 seconds.  *sigh*



Chip time:  1:17:46



But with a big smile on my face! 

The other three girls had already crossed.

A swing....

Beautiful weather (high 40s/low 50s... perfect!)

Finished feeling stronger than last year

Ran negative splits for one and a half miles

Wearing my running skirt (love 'em!) and a new custom t-shirt (thank you Big Frog!)

Enjoyed seeing Tobi, meeting her friends, and seeing other buddies that day

LOVED having Hubs there... truly, my biggest fan, for which I'm most grateful(!)

And a miss....

Walking the entire first mile (NOTE to self:  do NOT do that again. ever.)

Incorrectly mixing my fluid (first time i've made THAT mistake)

Running out of gas in the last mile

Tripping

Since I'm a 'glass half-full' kinda gal, I can say the positives outweighed the negatives, and.... 

the disappointment of this race  definitely resulted in lessons learned:

Need to get back to consistent speedwork during training runs

Do not walk an entire mile in a short race

Double-check my water bottle mixture BEFORE the race

Shannon, Michelle, me, Tobi

 It was a good day.  :)

own your journey. one run at a time.

Thankful 30: Days 16 & 17 Fellowship and Birthdays

Today,

                                                     for.....

16: Fellowship.  A term often associated with church, and a word my grandmother uses freely to describe meaningful interactions with others.  

Our department at work was  recently invited to participate in a holiday luncheon with another department on  our  floor.  We've been invited before, but rarely accept. 

This week, I decided to accept the invitation and join the neighboring  department.  Over 100 people attended, from multiple floors! Eight-foot serving tables laden with food were spread throughout the floor, and small tables of four were set, also spread throughout.  Scrumptious smells, lots of laughter, and lovely table settings.

How wonderful it was to get to know folks whom we see on the elevator and in the common kitchen every day.  Learning about others' families, interests, and holiday traditions was a real treat! My grandmother will be glad to know I took part in the fellowship.  :) *And the food was amazing! 

17: Birthdays of Special People. 

Today is my MIL's birthday.  I won't give away her age, but she swears THIS is her last birthday to be acknowledged, as she will be 'staying at this age.'  :)  Oh, okay!  November is also my FIL's birthday.  Both are truly wonderful people whom I feel very blessed to have in my life.  They are kind, generous, funny, and never meddle in our marriage, a quality not every in-law can claim!  Happy Birthday, Mom and Dad B!  You guys are awesome, and I am very thankful for you!

Own your journey.  Start today.

What are you waiting for?

Wed Winner ~ Meet Shawn!

Happy Wednesday!

Time to meet another Turtles Tribe friend....

This week, I'd like to introduce a new friend who's been part of the Turtles Tribe for a short while, and always shares a thoughtful perspective with her comments.  Currently training for her first marathon, Shawn blogs not only about her running, but also about her family and life in Colorado. 

    



Hi Shawn, Welcome to Wednesday Winners!

How would you describe yourself as a runner?

Slow and Steady

Casual runner

A back-of-the-pack ‘better-late-than-not-at-all’ runner

Fifty+ and feeling fabulous (pushing 60!)

How long have you been running, and why'd you start?
4 - 5 years and to relieve stress in my life


Favorite running gear?
My running skirts.  I used to wear shorts and they RODE UP!


Favorite running tunes?
Country to Classical to Gospel...... and everything in between!


What's something you can't run without?  Why?
Beautiful scenery is a must.  I've tried running on the treadmill, and it drives me crazy. 


What's the most interesting or unusual thing you've seen during a run?
A herd of Cow Elk with their very handsome Bull!  There were about 7 of them and when I turned the corner and saw them, I almsot *$#& my pants!!  **For those who don't know what Cow Elk look like (neither did I!)... a visual:

I'm thinking a change of shorts would be totally necessary!

Which race distances have you run, and which are your favorite?
I've run 5K and half marathon, and would say I like the half marathon the best because I don't hit my stride until about half an hour into my run. 


What time of day do you like to run and which do you prefer: trails, treadmill, or streets?
I like to run first-thing in the morning and always prefer trails (love the scenery!).

What has been your most significant running-related LEARNING experience to date?
Take one day at a time.  I have good runs and bad, but I try not to focus on the negative and always know that tomorrow will be better.


What advice would you give to someone new to running?
Start slow.  Anyone can accomplish their goal with the right plan.


Short term and long term goals?
Increase my mileage AND run a marathon before 10/23/2011.


Upcoming races??
I hope to complete the Chicago Marathon in 2011!


Fave race you'd recommend? 
I love the Phoenix Rock n Run... fun race and great expo.  :)  


Where can we find you, Shawn?
I blog about training for my first marathon here and about my beautiful family and wonderful life here.  Hope you'll stop by! 

Every runner has a story.

What's yours?

[Share it here]

 

Happy running, friends!

Robin

Own your journey. One run at a time.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy ...

Big thanks to Shawn over at The Becker's (Shawn and Bill) for kindly selecting me for this award recently.  thank you. thank you.  :)

Rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank & link back to the person who awarded you this.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pay it forward to 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their award.


Here are a quick 7 in no particular order, some found on my 100 Things page....

1.     I'm a disabled Navy vet, stationed in San Diego in the mid to late '80s.

2.     I'm a type 2 diabetic, diagnosed in the ER in 2006.               *game*changing*life*event*

3.     I'm a chapstick and flip-flops kinda gal.    (Parrothead!)

4.     I walk around when I brush my teeth.  Hubs STILL finds this bizarre!  (Don't judge) 

5.     I'd like to trade my SUV in for a Mini Cooper.  (love them!)

6.   Favorite part of my career in education =  designing and providing staff development and training.  Participants often describe me as  'high-energy' and my training as 'fun and useful.'  I look forward to transitioning to consulting and freelance SD & T within the next two years. 

7.   I recently experienced my first race disappointment (recap coming soon).   

With so many fantastic bloggers out there, it's hard to choose 15.  I'm passing this award on freely... would love to learn more about you.  Let us know in the Comments section if you choose to accept it and share your seven details. 

Happy running, friends....

Robin

Own your journey. One run at a time.

Thankful 30: Day 15 ~ Your Stories

                Today, 

                                                  for .... 

Your stories

of

triumph

struggles

determination

understanding

that ....

move me.

inspire me.

humble me.

Thank you.

Mon Motivation ~ Wk 45: Inner Strength. Own It!

"Strength does not come from physical capacity.

It comes from an indomitable will.”

~ Mahatma Ghandi

 

Congratulations to Turtles Tribe friends and members who recently dug deep and found their will and strength in 26.2 for the first time:  Ann, Ashley, Ask Wifey, and Manderz.  Great job owning your journeys, ladies!

Happy running, friends....

TRTL.RNR

Under Armour ColdGear Compression Top Giveaway

A quick giveaway announcement:

Happening over at  Kim's blog  

Size Large

Details in her post... [here] 

You don't have to enter if you're too busy, don't need a really cute cold-weather top, are planning your next life event, etc.....  because I really, really want to win.  :-)  But if  you do, good luck!  Not.  Kidding.  Sort of.  Okay, okay.  Kidding.  Good luck! 

Dear random.org,

pick me. pick me. 

LOL 

Thankful 30: Seriously Not Serious

So if you caught my Day 12 thankful note, you know it was kinda silly (popcorn!), but true.  LOL


Keeping the lighthearted nature of my thankfulness this weekend, and the food/beverage theme, let's go here.....   

Day 13:   Coke Zero.  Yep.  No calories and just as sweet as the real thing. Being a diabetic, this totally works for me! And the fizzy carbonation rocks my world!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff!!  (It's one 10 oz a day to my (6) 20 oz waters, so I'm not OD'ing on the stuff) Oh, and only fountain or bottle.  Cans just don't do it for me.  Odd.

Day 14:   Crushed ice.  I know. Weird.  But I will go *out*of*my*way* to get it.  Love the stuff. 

Put 'em together = NIRVANA.

I
am
so
easily
pleased. 

Frightening.

Happy running, friends....

 ~ TRTL.RNR ~



TGIF! Light Butter. Heavy Commitment.

Happy Friday, Turtles Tribe friends!!

Some weeks, Friday just feels extra awesome.  (This is definitely one of those weeks!) 

Sending a BIG shout-out to Ann over at Slow and Steady Wins the Race.  She's running OBX, her first-ever marathon this weekend, has been training hard for it, and is feeling a tad nervous.... 

You can read about it [here]. 

Let's send this lady, my friend, lots of  bloggy encouragement, tips, and good vibrations..... 

How about a comment for every mile she's running???

Good luck, Ann! 

You're going to have an amazing day!!!

And while Ann tackles her first 26.2, a handful of us will be running the  Founders' Day 10K or 5K  (a much more reasonable distance, thank-you-very-much!) through beautiful  Celebration, Florida....

Busy Running Mama will make her 6.2 debut after a year of injury and rehab.  The TRTL.RNR will be running with her, after meeting here for the first time last year. 

BRM was the amazing cheerleader as I ran my 'Redemption 10K' last November, my second 10K attempt after a WDW 10K finish that resulted in a  heat stroke a few weeks earlier.  Disaster!! 

Happy Meet-up-versary BRM!!  I'm excited to run this race with you!  :-)

Joel will be starring in his first-ever race of any kind.  Whoot!  A race newbie running across his first finish line.....Yay!!!

BRM's neighbor will run with us, and Lake County buddies are running, too.  Post-race  breakfast, anyone?? 

What's on your To Do List this weekend?? 

Isn't this great??

Day 12 Thankful 30 Note:
Fun Friday thanks for..... popcorn. Really! Love the stuff!  Low cal, crunchy, smells yummy. 

Thankful 30: Days 10 & 11 ~ Thank You.

 Days 10 and 11:


Deserving of two+ days of gratitude, I am most thankful for the U.S. men and women who serve and have served to keep our country safe.....


Some with whom we run....



TAPS and MCM in Iraq



Achilles Hope and Possibility 5-Miler



Army Ten-Miler



And some for whom we run....



On the TRTL.RNR's Running Bucket List

All remembered with gratitude, respect, and reverance....

veteranstoday.com

Thank you.