A Passion for Running

I learned something the other day. I learned that my blog wasn’t sending as many visitors to your blog as it could be. Specifically, I learned that my blog had what is called no follow integrated in it’s comments.

Without getting too technical, no follow is a bit of coding created, in part, to deter comment spam. The bad news is that it’s had extremely limited success with that. The badder news is that it prevents search engines (google, yahoo etc) from following the link you leave in my comments, to your blog.

And why is that important? Well, because if you are hoping for new readers, you won’t get them via a search engine that would have found you crawling around in my blog. And, not to brag, but I’ve got search engines crawling around here constantly so you’ve been missing out.

I’d like to change that so I’ve installed a plugin that gets rid of the no follow thing.

My hope is that you will get more visitors because of this change.

Does all this make sense? Please leave me a comment if it doesn’t and I’ll do my best to explain.

So, Aaron and I have been so impressed with all the RBF meetups, we thought it logical to take things to the next level. He said is so well, I’m posting his invitation below.

OK, heres the poop. The first weekend of August (5th, 6th and 7th) is going to be the first RBF reunion. What does this mean? This means that we want the family to get together to celebrate the RBF and to further develope the great relationships we have begun. Basically we want to party together, run together, and have a great time.

After the weekend we want everyone to send their RBF reunion photos with a brief write-up sharing their experience. We will post all of these on the main site for the world to see.

You know what one of the most common phrases I’ve heard this past two years is?

“The RBF ROCKS”.

I see it all the time in posts, emails, comments and when chatting with you. And you’re right – the RBF does rock and now it’s gonna rock some more.

One day, people will say, “remember that 1st RBF reunion?” as we’re all gathered around a pasta primer with 5000 of our closest Running Blog Family members.

Wouldn’t that be the rock’n-ist?

The past two weeks have been phenomenal. I’ve been stacking up the miles quickly and am always ready to go again so soon after my runs.

It’ like I’m being compelled to run. I feel like Forest Gump – without the loss of his Jenny.

I’m serious. I want to run every day and I’m sitting here wanting to go for a second run today and I’ve had that feeling several times over the past week or two.

Have you ever felt that way?

I will get an running skirt challenge update done tonight (and will respond to your terrific comments/emails) but, just so you know, it looks like we are probably up by about 8 donations and are at about 50 total donations so far.

Thanks everyone!

To let me know about your donation and get on the next update, click here and leave a comment. Here’s the growing tally of people who’ve donated or who have committed to donating. Thanks so much everyone!

1) RunnerSusan to the Monticello and Flower Mound Animal Shelters
2) Nancy from Run Big is supporting four, count’em four charities including the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
3) Dawn aka the Pink Lady from Dawn on the Run is donating to the Breast Cancer Foundation
4) Jeanne from Not Born to Run to Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong Foundation
5) FirstNations donated to WomenCare Shelter
6) jkrunning donated to the Marine Corps Association
7) After she gave me a hard time , 21stCenturyMom got on board with a donation to the Revlon Walk for Cancer
jcerunner from Spaniard Runner in the World is giving to a Church Association in Madrid
9) Jack donated to the Christian Children’s Fund
10) Rob of clatterbuck is giving to Believe in Tomorrow
11) Mia the Goddess is supporting Mike’s Team in Training effort
12) Lebeth from seemamarun to http://www.ashoka.org/
13) Jeanie Mackay – friend of Dawn and Karen’s donated to CARE International www.care.org
14) Elizabeth from Run With Me bought a rowdy dines shirt and contributed to both Bolder and Steven’s Livestrong fundraisers.
15) Karen from All Downhill from here will volunteer her time to a Calgary charity of my choice.
16) Linda http://completerunning.com/lopingloubob/ to Breast Cancer
17) Pam at Running Commentary
18) Susie at Finally Running bought rowdy dines in support of animal shelters and is also donating to Massey Cancer Institute
19 Karen http://ncmunchkin.blogspot.com/ to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
20 Beverly from One Step at a Time to the Canadian Breast Cancer Society
21) Russel is kicking in extra into his wife’s charity walk
22) Bella from Striving to Run Further is making a generous food bank donation
23) Ben from sillyoldbear
24) Elle from Runon is donating to her provincial SPCA and a local women’s shelter
25) Deene from Tenderfoot Diaries donated to this family going through a tragedy
26) Katy from ihatetoast i hate toast rowdy dines
27) Tammy from notry bought rowdy dines in support of animal shelters
28) Cindy & Christy from runningskirts.com donated to the Susan G. Coman Breast Cancer fund
29) Amy from the Masson Family Blog is donating to Tails a Waggin’
30) Jess is donating her time to Planned Parenthood. Donating your time is a-ok people!
31) Tortuluga from no jetpack is giving to food for lane county – they are involved with food banks and community gardens
32) Liam from Ramblings of an Irish Runaholic is donating to www.silentmasses.com
33) Britt from Running Stitch is looking for the right Cancer cause in her area.
34) Anne from Run DMZ is donating to Bare Essentials, a San Diego non-profit that raises money and donations for families after they leave a battered women’s shelter
35) Lara from Running in Place is sponsoring an animal for 3 months at the wonderful shelter where she got her cat
36) Louping LouBob donated to Russ’s wife’s charity walk and to Lethbridge Breast health through Runner’s Soul.
37) Mike from Love2Run Canada donated to the Cancer Society.
38) The Running Chick Dianna is donating to the Connecticut Lion’s Journey for Sight
39) Rob from RobRunner is in for an unspecified destination
40) Rebecca from Another Big Loser is donating to Avon Walk for Breast
Cancer
41) Jeff The Amazing Hip is in for an as yet unchosen donation destination
42) Bolder from Bolder in Boulder gave to Steven’s Triathlon Station LAF ride
43) Kate from Finally Past the Pudding Stage is supporting Rowdy Dines.
44) RunninMomma Michelle is donating to Vera Bradley’s Ribbon of Life for breast cancer.
45) Big Valley Strider Brendan is donating to a hospital fun in Virginia.
46) Little Miss Runner Pants a.maria is donating to Bolder from Boulder’s cause.
47) Simba’s Mom from Unpublished Opinion is donating to the International Rett Syndrome Association
48) April Anne from It’s a Beautiful Life is giving to Christian Summer Camp Scholarship program.
49) Annalisa from I am Running out of Lifetimes is giving to the U.S. Humane Society.

Well, we are basically half way there. Did I miss any of you? Thanks everyone!

via Newbirth’s Flickr Photostream

I dropped another pound and am down to 174. That makes four pounds in four weeks which seems a little excessive to me. What do you think? I have been doing a lot of running lately but, still.
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In other news, I’m continuing to test the vibram fivefingers shoes. Today was another 30 minute jaunt into the river valley – same as last time with 15 minutes on pavement and 15 on the dirt, gravel and wood chip trails. I had a blast on those trails!

I took it pretty easy today (had to after yesterday’s long run) and focused on relaxed form. The vibrams performed exceptionally well, and the bonus is that the blisters I got in them last week did not return on today’s run.

Today’s run solidifies my positive review of the shoe but – be warned because this is not a shoe you can just jump in to – you have to begin slowly with short durations of walking or running.

I always knew Chris Brogan was headed for big things and now he is. Chris has joined the lifehack team as a writer.

Congratulations, Chris. This is well deserved!

I was at Pam’s place reading about a disturbing search that led someone to her blog and…

Good grief. Jon, I think I hate you. All the work Aaron and I do on completerunning and the #1 search (right ahead of ‘running blogs’) is ‘jon needs’!

World – what is up with you? What purpose does the search ‘jon needs‘ have?

On a more positive front, Aaron is ranking #6 in the world for a certain kind of healthy breakfast munchable. Maybe he’ll get us a big fat sponsor.

Holy hell! I’m not sure if what I did tonight was smart, but it certainly was satisfying.

Today I ran the furthest I’ve run since way back when I completed my last marathon. I was out there for one hour, thirty eight minutes.

It was unplanned. Monday’s I usually run with Aaron and, in keeping with the schedule he’s got for Bloomsday, we were supposed to run 65 or 70 minutes but Aaron cancelled due to having nausea.

So, I headed out into the river valley and…just kept going. The first hour was fine, the next ten minutes after that were uncomfortable and I sucked rocks for the last twenty. According to googlemaps, I ran just under 10 miles at a 10 minute per mile pace. Pretty slow but a good, long-slow-distance pace.

I’m sitting here feeling good. Now, I really feel BACK and I’m looking forward to more.