Shunning Asphalt?…A Running Resource Destination?
Dear A & H…My site is shaping up and it’s beyond exciting to maybe, just maybe, help others with their running, nutrition, etc. Fingers crossed. ت
Woo Woo
Yesterday, I had a kind of deja vu moment.
I was online reading a post about an ultramarathon event when something mentioned caught my eye. As happens, this led to clicking on a link which led to clicking on another.
The page I eventually stopped at was a testimonial for a running coach, a pro ultra runner based in Europe with a depth of experience (10K to 100 miles).
As he was impressive, so was his site.
Then it happened.
Deja vu…kind of.
Remembering My First Job
After receiving my RD credential, I applied and was eventually hired at a VA medical center. And, though uncommon, since two positions were being filled at the same time, I would go through orientation and training alongside another dietitian.
We both were full-time hires who would be expected to do pretty much the same work.
Similar in every way…
Except on paper.
Since she had a master’s degree and me, only a BS, she rightly started at a higher grade (GS-9 vs. GS-7) and pay (mine about 20% less).
But, it was all good. I was excited to be there, in all ways a “lucrative” opportunity since each day was one where I walked among academics since this medical center was also a teaching facility. For a person with a passion for learning, being able to walk among future doctors, nurses, physical therapists, etc., their mentors, as well as researchers, it was a little slice of heaven.
Also, as was expected, I eventually reached GS-9 status with its very welcome bump in salary ($27,000/yr to $40,000/yr). 🙃
It was only a matter of time.
Becoming a Running Resource Destination?…It’s Only a Matter of Time
And so it goes with this site, Shunning Asphalt.
As I start this journey, I’m a sapling in the shadow of giants with weightier credentials. With time, sweat and a lot of hard work, however, I might eventually reach my goal of a certain “status,” one where this site is seen as another resource for helpful information.
But, there’s the real possibility this won’t happen.
Should this be the outcome, forever being stuck on page 8925++ when someone is searching on Google, it’s still all good. Any way you look at it, there’s is only benefit, no loss.
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. – Michael Jordan
When we are true to our passions (running, working on a website, etc.), we do it because we love it. No prize is needed, thank you very much. As I write and share, the Reward is the Potential to do good in the world, far beyond what can be accomplished counseling one patient at a time.
Reward = Potential (AKA “The Journey”)
So, If I’ve reached you somehow, thank you for giving this site a chance and a few moments of your time.
Future Plans
As time goes on, my desire is to share more about how nutrition has benefited me over the years. How it actually allowed me to take the leap from distances up to the half-marathon to beyond 26.2 miles. This was something I thought would never happen since I’ve had life-long difficulties with my G.I. (i.e. my gut), so much so that, until only a few years ago, I only entered races I knew I could finish without having to eat.
Fortunately, this limitation has been lifted since developing my own energy food. Just real food based on physiology and food science. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, the background story, science, and recipe will be shared with you. As of today, the writing’s about halfway done. Stay tuned.
More Future Plans
Also, I want to share how I’ve managed a demon (lower back pain) which set up residence in my back sometime in the late 1990s. As best I can remember, it was almost like one day I was fine and the next day, not so much. From that time on, my normal for years to come was grappling with lower back pain that could be quite debilitating.
The logical knee-jerk solution would have been me giving up anything that aggravated this demon, including running but, when you love something so much, as I love running, you go to the end of the world and back to find answers. And so it happened here, though I don’t exactly know the cause…heavy lifting at a stocking job I had as a teen finally catching up to me?…running too soon after giving birth (both times)?…I found a way to manage this demon without pain medication or expensive therapy. Stay tuned for this, too.
Addendum: Find more about this here.
Stretching Personal Limitations
It’s true, part of me still lives in the 20th century.
Having grown up with a rotary phone (I still have one!), using the library to find answers, and technology only at the sophistication level of Pong, some aspects of the “modern age” are still challenging to me.
When I started on this virtual journey, it was, to say the least, intimidating. One of the first webinars I attended for new bloggers was like stepping into a parallel universe. I saw lips move, I heard English, but other than simple words like “the,” “and,” “it’s,” everything else was completely alien to me: backend, dashboard, autoresponder, email service providers (ESP), content marketing, post vs. page (it took ages for me to figure out the difference), WordPress, landing page, optin form, and on and on.
So, while this website was started in 2015, it only went live in March of this year…2018.
Sometimes the journey is long but, with time, we eventually get to where we’re going.
Yet, there’s still so much to discover and learn in this brave new world:
- I dipped a toe into social media but not nearly enough.
- Equally as important, eventually figuring out how to transfer images from my phone to my laptop. Really don’t know why I couldn’t do it the first time (it seemed so straightforward). 😕 Since it’s not really important at the moment, any images you see that aren’t public domain were taken with a camera, a trusty Lumix. It’s a little bulkier to carry but, since it captures a moment so well, I might just keep using it.
- Then there’s…
- As well as…
- In addition to…
So much good learning to be had. 🙂
Pardon, Is There Room in this Room?
Finally, though the potential of this online platform is appealing, it’s important acknowledging the elephant in the room because, in all things, there is always an elephant in the room.
What is this elephant?
It’s the idea of “expert.” The facade of one person having all the answers because of years lived, years experience, degrees earned, and so on. It would be nice if this were the case but, most times, in most situations, there are many valuable and viable approaches to most everything. Not all answers can be found in one place and no person has all the answers.
With that in mind, here are a few sites, if you haven’t crossed paths with them already, that you might find helpful:
RELENTLESS FORWARD COMMOTION: Heather, the author of this site, is a coach, wife, mom, and runner who tells it like it is. Reading her posts, you’re offered a front row seat into her world of balancing everyday life with athletic goals. It’s all there, the good, the bad, and everything in-between.
A Trail Runner’s Blog: The author of this site, Scott Dunlap, is a runner who recaps, in vivid detail, his race experiences. With words and pictures, it’s undeniable the love he has for this sport and the people he meets along the way.
MapMyRunBlog: This is the companion blog to Under Armour’s tracking app, MapMyRun. They do a good job at offering a lot of varied content, from running to cycling to nutrition, etc. Variety is good. 🙂
That’s About It
Again, as always, thanks for reading. 🙂
Much love, O.M.
P.S. Have you found this post helpful? If “Yes!,” please consider sharing, loving your body with a few miles today, and signing up for notice of new content. Thank you!
P.P.S. No spam ever. Staying away from processed is a healthy thing to do. 🙂
