Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

I am training for a marathon. Before you all start hyperventilating with shock, it’s not a running marathon, it is a walking marathon. However, the fact that it is a walk means that I have maybe not fully appreciated the enormity of the task. Yes, it’s a marathon but it’s a walking one. Ack, why not just call it a stroll. I am going to be strolling round London, in the dead of night, no big deal. This is what I had been thinking until 3 weeks ago when I suddenly realised just what I had set myself up for. Overnight, I suddenly realised that I will be walking 26 miles! 26 miles! If I walked 26 miles in Jersey I would walk off the cliff into the sea.

 

A realisation

 

I reluctantly realised that I would need to start training again, properly. Last year I ran a 10k race that was so hilly. It was a race that caused me to curse my way round it. A race where I swore that I would never do it again. I cried all the way round and then finished; I did it in a decent time and I wasn’t last. I was hooked and for a while I was running 5 times a week and I could easily run 5k in 30 mins. Then I stopped. That was stupid because now I am having to start all over again and I am slowly making progress but I am not back to where I was. I am preparing for the walking marathon by treating it as if it was a running marathon. I hoping that the marathon will then feel like a walk in the park (see what I did there).

 

The other day whilst I was out running I had a revelation. I realised that marathon running is like blogging. There is a saying that running is 90% mental and 10%physical, the same can be said for blogging. Not convinced? Well let me show you what I mean:

 

Why blogging is a marathon

 

• Just do it. Before I go for a run my mind is already playing games - “oh it looks like it is going to rain, I have loads I need to do, is my leg still a bit twingey?” The hardest part is getting yourself out there, getting your shoes on. The same can be said for blogging - “oh I don’t have time to write a post, the computer was playing up yesterday, I have nothing to say” With running you just have to put those trainers on and go for it, with blogging you need to get the computer switched on and go for it.

 

• Visualise the finish line. Then when you start running you are already thinking you can’t continue. The same for when you are writing a blog post. Where is this post going? This is just rubbish. Those doubts start niggling. When you are running you visualise the finish line, when you are writing a blog post you visualise that finished post.

 

• The glitch. You are running along and suddenly you are hit by leg cramps. You are writing a blog post and suddenly you can’t upload photos. Take a deep breath and carry on typing/writing. You can overcome this.

 

• Nerves. Nerves can make you stop running and they can make you stop blogging. You doubt yourself. Why are you writing this post? Will anyone read it? My Dad says a lot of clichés and one that he is used to be fond of was “are you nervous? Good it shows that you care!” This time he is right. Nerves when it comes to a blog post are good. The nervous posts tend to be the best post. My most well-read post was one that I was hugely nervous about - The Domestic Feminist.

 

• Routine. When it comes to running it is all about finding your routine. The same for writing. Find out where you like to write and when. Stick to it and you will find that you are more productive. It means that you will remain more focussed.

 

• Small goals. With running you have a goal; running a marathon or a 10k race means that you are aiming for something and therefore you will have a reason to continue. You can do the same for blogging. Perhaps your goal is to post 3 times a week to build your followers or to improve your stats. Either way, having a goal can help.

 

• It’s not the outcome. Having goals can motivate you but you shouldn’t allow them to stop you if you don’t achieve them. You might run a marathon but don’t hit your target time. That’s fine, firstly you ran that marathon, next time you can improve. The same for blogging. If you didn’t hit those stats this month then there is always next month.

 

• Block out negativity. Running means that you have a very tunnel vision and the same for blogging. You end up having such tunnelled vision that this can be detrimental if you have got yourself into a bad cycle. I recently wrote about the blogger’s black cloud. If you are feeling negative then take a break or perhaps listen to some upbeat music when you blog or run.

 

• Smile. It has been proven that if you run with a smile on your face then you run better. Perhaps the same could be said for blogging. A smile will always make everything better.

 

• Remember how far you have come. With running I am always reminding myself how far I’ve come. I do not want to start from scratch again. The same can be said for blogging. Never forget how far you have come and what you have already achieved.

 

Just keep blogging

 

Blogging is not a sprint. It is not something we can rush. If we aren’t careful we can become distracted by others and it can make us want to speed up or give-up. Giving-up should never be an option. Blogging is a mind-game and there will always be obstacles to overcome. It’s how we deal with them that defines the blogger. We need to remember that blogging is a marathon, it could be a test of endurance. It doesn’t matter where we come in the race as long as we carry on plodding. However, it is important to remember that every marathon runner needs a break. They can’t keep training for marathons non-stop and the same can be said for blogging. Every blogger needs to take a break and this Christmas I will be taking a break from all things blogging. I will see you in the New Year when I will be raring to get running and blogging again.

 

 

Now I need to go for a run. Hang-on, was that thunder I just heard……..?

 

Subscribe

Fill in your details below and get exclusive news and posts straight into your inbox. I look forward to cracking open a can of fizzy pop. It’s a classy place in the Island Living 365 VIP section 😉