Sunday, January 17, 2010

Ultrarunning and Blogging-- the Inherent Problem

Obvious to me for quite some time, but increasingly so as the problem continues to worsen-- blogging about ultrarunning is inherently difficult.

If I have time to blog, then I have time to run. Because of my schedule and a general lack of time to run as much as I'd like, if I have time to run, I need to take advantage of it. For those who don't run ultras, training runs usually take hours, and many ultrarunners get addicted to racing.

The best time for me to get runs in is in morning and early afternoon before swing shifts. Since my work is largely sitting at a computer, typing and clicking (unfortunately most physicians have to spend much more time doing this than at the bedside with patients), I have a further disincentive to blog during potential running time.

Besides, as much as I enjoy keeping this electronic scrapbook-log, running is still more fun than blogging.

Somehow, 2009 was the year that things got really out of hand, and I fell so far behind in my race report blogging, that I barely got half of my reports out, most of them weeks to months late. Most of my pending reports are actually mostly finished, but as further time passes, I am less motivated to finish them-- what's the rush? No one is interested anymore. Also, I have to get ready for the next upcoming race, typically the 2nd or 3rd since finishing the race in question. Then I figure maybe I should just wait until shortly before next year's race, like I did with my Tahoe Rim Trail 2008 report. I'm thinking of doing this with the 6+ unpublished reports from 2009 (andat lesat one from 2008 I started). Then it's winter and we go on ski trips.....

Having two preschool boys, does not help the situation either. When we are all together, I try to make them my priority. They are a handful.

Some blogging New Year's resolutions:
  1. publish more often
  2. write shorter race reports
  3. deadline goals: 1 week for 50k's, 2 for 50 milers, and 3 for 100 milers ( obviously doesn't apply to backlogged reports)
  4. decrease on-line time on facebook to increase blogging time
Okay, this is getting ridiculous-- before my kids wake up from their naps, I need to go out and run!

4 comments:

Gretchen said...

Aw, I think you should just publish the '09 reports half-written. I promise not to hold you to previous standards of humor - like, if there are no french models licking GU from your thighs, well, I'll still think you're funny. And if there's no poop, or other bodily excrement mentioned, well, I'll still know it's you're race report. No pressure!

Scott Dunlap said...

Maybe you're a Twitter guy - right away, no more than 140 characters. ?

Just kidding. Twitter drives me crazy.

I usually write when I'm wrecked the next morning after a race, or on a plane. But it's totally fine if it's late.

SD

Lance said...

Write shorter race reports. If they're unfinished that means shorter, so post 'em up anyway. You can always go back an edit them. Or serialize them. Or not. It's up to you, I just like to read them.

Layla said...

I'm one of those lurkers who rarely posts. However, I figured I should come out from under my rock and say that I like reading your blog. I haven't figured out how to run longer than 26.2 miles without needing a lot of recovery, so I'm always in awe of your running and multi-tasking life.