Possible Topics for this Blog

Any successful writer must possess two qualities, and they’ve got to carry these traits on them at all times like a locator bracelet on Lindsay Lohan’s ankle. They are a topical focus and a distinct narrative voice. I think I’ve started homing in on the former (running in general) and don’t have a trace of the latter. However, I’m convinced the best way to fix both of these deficiencies is just to start writing, and let them evolve and shape themselves.

I’ve chosen running as my topical focus because it’s an enormous part of my life, and rife with areas of focus. I’ll probably cross a lot of boundaries, but I see the related subtopics split this way:

• Psychology
• Training & Nutrition
• Science
• Inspiration
• Mental Toughness
• Life Balance
• Shoes & Gear

The best blogs are the ones that specialize in one, maybe two of these subjects. To put it in running terms, why would you go to a sprinter to teach you how to run a marathon? To put it in my own ‘dumb sense of humor’ terms, why would you ask Snookie to solve climate change?

As for my writing voice, who knows how that will develop. I expect it to be some combination of my normal speaking tone, Sportscenter catchphrases, and Calvin & Hobbes dialogue; but that's only a guess.

I have no idea where I have the most to contribute, so initially, I’ll probably discuss all of the subtopics. I want to talk about my running career, my training experience & tips, the obstacles I've overcome, my running shoes, running trails, and will probably eulogize the toenails I’ve lost. In time, I hope I have enough self-awareness to realize what I’m good at, and where I can focus to writing interesting enough prose that will help spread the joy of running.

Who Am I?

In my last post, I talked about why I’m firing up the blogging machine, and now, I think I should write a little bit about why you should care and how I see the world (or convince myself why I’m qualified to spend time on this endeavor).

• I started running about 9 years ago after I finished High School and decided it was probably an appropriate time to start shedding some of the baby fat I carried with me into adulthood.
• I'm not a lighting fast runner, I just go far. This past summer I finished my first Ultra-Marathon (50 miles), and have respectable PRs in the Marathon & Half-Marathon distances.
• I'm currently a full-time MBA student in the Northeast, but have lived and run all across the country; specifically in Oklahoma, Arizona, and California.
• I see the world with the eyes of a optimist, the mind of economist, and intellect of a medium-to-large size dog.

I'm sure theres more to say about myself, but even these four points bore me, so I'll spare you.

-John

So, I'm Starting a Running Blog!

I, like every slightly narcissistic child that grew up with Super Mario Brothers & something called "AOL" (Aye-oh-ell), have decided that I want to keep a blog. This is about my 4th or 5th  attempt to start one, as all my previous efforts ended when I ran out of intelligent things to say about my chosen focus; one can only say so many interesting things about collecting Star Wars posters or all the wonderful applications of turkey bacon. However, I keep telling myself “this time is different” for two reasons:

1. I wasn’t blessed with the god-given verboseness to hammer out 7,000 word posts every other day like my favorite sportswriters (see: Bill Simmons). I know that now, so I’m not going to be so uptight with the editorial quality & quantity of my posts. I will use this blog as more of a 'stream-of-consciousness' than 'serialized-memoir-combined-with-philosophical-opus'.
2. This is a subject I care deeply about, and feel I can discuss intelligently. Running has changed my life for the better in scores of dozens of multitudes of ways, and I hope to highlight as many of them as possible on this platform. My belief is that will provide ample subject matter.

That said, I hope you like it, and I hope I’m still here a week from now.