Just about every blogger has a "Blogroll" posted somewhere on their site. I have to confess that I don't normally pay much attention to what's listed on others' sites. I mean really, take a look at mine. I have 13 blogs linked from my site and I have a difficult enough time already keeping up with those. Where the heck am I going to find time to add to that list?
Last night as I was winding down from a long day I was reading Greg's Predawn Runner blog. He's a passionate guy that does a great job of articulating his experiences, so much so that I don't notice how lengthy his posts can sometimes get. After finishing his May 26th entry, Tripped-Out Running - San Diego Style, I happened to glance over and saw his blogroll. His post was so long that I was far enough down the page to see it! :) The title "My Brother, The Thief" caught my attention, so I absent mindedly clicked on it.
I spent the next 5-10 minutes learning about about pastor and runner, Brian Vinson. I won't go into detail, but I enjoyed reading about his "running history" and found it interesting that our running abilities and experiences seem to parallel a bit. In short, it was time well spent.
I got to thinking that if not for Greg's blogroll I may never have learned about Brian. Sometimes it feels like the online running community is very small. We post on Twitter and Daily Mile each day, but we end up interacting with a fairly small subset of people. There's nothing inherently wrong with that -- it's just a fact that our free time and attention spans are finite.
I've been getting some good-natured ribbing about my I Challenge You post from a couple of weeks ago. Well, I'm here to do it again! I pledge to go out of my way once every few weeks and try to find a blog that I haven't read before. To continue to expand my horizons. I challenge you to do the same. :)
I can spend hours browsing blogs I find from friend's blogs. Much more entertaining than TV, and better for your spirit than paying attention to news.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention and the compliment on my blog, Drew (and yes, I do get a little long-winded). I think a well-managed blogroll is an under-appreciated asset on many blogs, and I too like to explore them (especially in the running blogosphere). I've enjoyed your blog as well (partly because your posts are shorter!), and am glad you found Brian through mine.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of finding new blogs, I just found yours from the Running Is Funny blog. There are a ton of running blogs out there. There are even some communities that have formed. Not to mention the Runner's World web site hosts blogs too. It is called the Loop. I am there and also on my own at http://mattw.mattjanell.com. Be warned though that not all posts are about running.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I clicked back to your other Challenge post and liked it. A running partner recently said he wants to shoot for a BQ this fall. I think it must be contagious because I am now thinking the same thing. I would have to shave 17 minutes off of my only time of 3:32 to reach the 3:15 for my age. I suppose it is worth a try. And I can blame my running partner for any excess fatigue or injury from the training.