Quadricentennial!

Wow! After reading a couple of blogs commemorating 300 posts or other significant numbers, I randomly decided to see how many posts I had written and found out the number was... 399.

My next post (which is now this one) would be my 400th post!

So much for my idea of scribbling out a whiny little blurb about how stressful work is right now and how I couldn't resist stuffing my face with chocolate chip mint ice cream and tortilla chips at the office this afternoon.

It's really hard to come up with an idea that is significant enough to be a milestone post, but I am determined to do it! It's either that or get back to actual "work." So....

I began this blog on November 20, 2007, less than two years ago. I had been writing a blog about traveling in England during the summer, and when I came back from England I found myself writing about races I had been doing, and posting race reports in the England blog, even though they were not England-related topics, generally (except for this one).

I had also started finding running blogs to read on the internet. I actually had a hard time finding anything at first, but once I came across one or two that I liked, I could find others through their blog rolls or comments, and before you know it I had a whole bunch of running blog bookmarks!

Eventually I got the brilliant idea to start my own blog. And I haven't shut up since.

I have gathered, from my extensive efforts at blog reading, that many runners are also, rather like me, wannabe writers who have grabbed the opportunity to see our words in print even if they are not formally published. Many of us dream of "book deals" (though do absolutely nothing to try to further those dreams, and wouldn't know how if we tried).

I mean, look at all the blogs that have turned into published books. Julie and Julia. The Pasta Queen (that's the blog title, click for the book). Dietgirl. Hungry Girl. Around the World in 80 Dates (actually I'm not sure if there was ever a blog, or if she went straight to book deal, but it's a hoot of a book, I recommend it!). Dating Amy. The Amateur Gourmet. Chez Pim (that's the blog, here is the book).

So, do you sense a theme? Cooking, dieting, and dating seem to be the hot topics for blogs-into-books. Not a big run (so to speak) on running related blog/books, are there? Oh sure, there are runners who write books who have blogs, Dean Karnazes and John Bingham come to mind immediately—but I think both of those became known for their running and writing first, and then started their blogs (and actually Bingham just has an online version of his column, although he also has a blog-like question & answer column). There are numerous "former great" runners who have written books, and may or may not have blogs now (through Runner's World, for example).

But where are the books written by bloggers who are "discovered" online, and end up with a book deal to write about their experiences and insights? Nowhere, I tell you! It's an open field! And I'm here, I'm ready, I'm willing. Publishers and agents, send me your proposals, I'm what you've been looking for. I am your running writing blogging babe!* I can even write about dieting and cooking and food too (but not dating, I am too private** and frankly too boring for that).

I'll be waiting for your emails.


*I use the term "babe" only for the alliteration, not because I consider myself a "babe" in any particular sense!
**Although I will happily write about intestinal difficulties while running.