I'm on a four-day running streak since the last post. Not terribly far, just 3-mile jaunts. But the mornings have been glorious and you've been on my mind. My usual ramblings are replaced with thinking about how each of you spend your runs. It's very cool.
The running and meditation book is due to arrive any day now. Nadine, I'm waiting patiently in line at the library for some of your suggestions. My girl A and I are scheduled to run again tomorrow am and maybe, just maybe, a little trail run on Saturday.
If our GC can get up every morning for a progesterone poke in the ass, I can certainly pound out a few miles.
Since I'm in an inquisitive mood, I have a few more questions for you.
I'm obsessed with tracking my miles. Running, walking, hell, for a while there I was even counting the walk to and from happy hour. Every little bit, right? My tracker of choice is R*nkeep*er, while compiles your days and miles (and other stuff if you let it) into cool graphs and data sets that you can manipulate to show you how far, how long, how you compared to last week, last month....I love it.
So naturally, I was drawn to this recent article in Salon about the concept of self-quantification. Counting our miles, calories, sleep time, moods...Why we do it? What do the numbers mean for us? What's the point of tacking, counting, logging, listing?
I'm working on a writing side project based on these questions, especially how they come into play here in the ALI blogging community, and I wouldn't mind a few other voices in there with me.
- Do you keep a timeline on your blog? What's it for (history of trying to conceive? Important dates as you counted down to adoption? Other?)
- Do you appreciate seeing these on other blogs, or do you find them distractions?
- If you do have a timeline posted, why? What's your rationale? Why is this information important to you?
And if you're counting other things with me, it's now 8 days past transfer. No news yet.
9 comments:
I do use a Nike+ running app to track my runs, but I mostly use it to keep a good pace. My pace can vary wildly and I need something to keep me in check. I had a running watch for a while, but I also have a ganglion cyst and the watch hurt it.
No timelines for me, but I do like seeing some of them as long as they don't get too detailed.
8 days! I'm hopeful and nervous and scared and excited for you!
We have a timeline. I liked to track it for me, because my memory is terrible, and it was useful to be able to look back at such things.
I love them on other people's blogs, because it helps me sort of connect with them over events, even if say, I was TTC, and they'd already had a child. I could know, oh, this is what they went or struggled through (quickly, without having to slog through posts. which I'd also do, but having more of a connection makes me more likely to stick it out and read, you know?).
I think it's human nature to track and count things. We are so drawn to knowing and wanting to understand that it's only understandable that we want to control or track those things that we can.
(link away if you like; I'm not sure anybody would find it interesting anymore, though.)
Yay for running! I love it,too! :)
•Do you keep a timeline on your blog? What's it for (history of trying to conceive? Important dates as you counted down to adoption? Other?)
Nope.
•Do you appreciate seeing these on other blogs, or do you find them distractions?
It doesnt bother me one way or the other; when I'm new it is helpful to get the idea of their story.
•If you do have a timeline posted, why? What's your rationale? Why is this information important to you?
n/a
I always wanted to love running. Joined the track team in highschool. Hated it. Discovered I was awesomely good at the walk race though. Sigh. Then I discovered rollerblading - yes, now that's for me!!
8 days. 8 DAYS! jogging prayers.
Paz
8 days!!! ask that woman to pee on a stick already!!!! ;)
a few reasons jump to mind. first I think we want to mark our accomplishments. miles run, pounds lost, days without whatever you want to kick, etc. each is a tangible win we can acknowledge by tracking numbers.
second, I think we track numbers and dates because it's our natural tendency to want order and control for something that is often so beyond our control. plans, facts and details are within our reach, when outcomes are not.
I kept a timeline on my blog to document my years of infertility and treatment before moving on to adoption. I did it for myself, but the adoption timeline was also with others in mind, since I was asked so often about it. when cycling I kept way too much track of the details (see #2 above), but that doesn't have lasting impact like the timeline does for me.
I usually use Mapmyrun. I can also make do ok with just a watch because I run for time more than distance and I know the distance of my usual routes anyway. However, when I have occasionally gone for a run without even a watch, I do feel like in some sense the run doesn't officially "count" because I have no means of judging it or qualifying it even though I know that is ludicrous. I know of people who won't walk to/from the gym, because they feel like it is an inefficient expenditure of their energy so they can focus all of their energy on the treadmill or elliptical so that every stride really "counts." I think that is taking it to the extreme.
Timeline on the blog - yes - I think it is mostly for readers so they can see where I am at in this journey but I guess it is important to me to in terms of recording the passage of time and treatments.
Timeline on the blog of others - I do like it, because it helps me orient myself as to where someone is in her journey. Now that I say it, it sounds quite judgmental. The important thing is relating to the thoughts expressed in the words, so I guess it is a bit ridiculous to get caught up in other peoples' numbers, but I suppose it is the quickest way to get a sense of where they are at and whether I am likely to relate.
8 days past transfer - wow! - sending tons of good vibes your way!
I use my garmin and the daily mile and I'm loving it. Tracking all those kms makes me feel so good (switch to km, it seems like your going further than miles!).
The only real time line ish thing I have is a list of all my races, but I do have some big ol' summaries on past blogs of the long and windy road to parenthood.
Today is the big testing day (I think). Thinking about the three of you!
Thanks ladies!
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