Another 7 miler for my Monday!
As much as my normal self loves a good plan as far as training goes, I am really loving just running whatever my body wants to each day! I get excited whenever I see my bump shadow. I finished with a 9:10 pace and took plenty of stops anytime I came across a big tree that provided a lot of shade!
Came home and got to stretching (if I don’t stretch when I’m pregnant… I can’t run so I am highly motivated ha). Brooke joined me and got to work drawing some fish.
After a quick shower, we were off to my sister’s house. My niece had an appendectomy (she is home and feeling a lot better now after her surgery) so I went over to watch the little ones. Brooke jumped in my car and saw all of these flyers from my expo race packet and asked, “Mom, did you run a race while I was gone?” Brooke must be around runners a lot because she even knows what the typical SWAG includes from a race:)
He is talking SO much right now and it is a blast.
My sister has such a fun basement for the kids. Brooke is always more than excited to go over there.
We had some lunch and then the boys came over to our house to play for the afternoon. This was good practice for me to get back into the younger kid stage again! I’m going to need some refresher courses about newborns though:)
At my sister’s house I had a corndog for lunch (with some yogurt and fruit)… my tastebuds are all over the place.
We made a stop at Costco to get our meal planning going!
And of course the samples got me again. They had grilled cheese sandwiches with garlic butter to sample and it was so beyond good I had to bring this home with me.
For dinner I found this recipe for Chicken Bow Tie Spinach Salad and I had to make it! Brooke was just really thrilled about the idea of having bowtie pasta with our meal:) I seriously loved it… this will be something I make often!
We also had Rhodes Rolls because these are also amazing.
PS don’t you love Andrew’s Garmin tan line ha!
We finished off the night with a walk and then the Bachelorette. I am SO torn on who I think she is going to choose next week. I can’t wait.
When your dog hugs you back…
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I’m coming up on SEVEN years of blogging. I am almost to the point where I don’t really remember what it was like to not share details and pictures from my life each day. I think over the 7 years there have only been about 3-4 days that I haven’t posted anything at all… two of the things I’ve been consistent with in life: running & blogging. Now if I could get that consistency to flow over to cooking at home, keeping my bathroom clean and strength training;) I’ve learned a lot over the 7 years with plenty of ups and downs (which you’ve all seen;) along the way! If there are any bloggers (people that want to start a blog or other forms of social media) I thought I would share 5 of the biggest blogging mistakes I’ve made (in my opinion… I’m sure you can think of a million more) and my best decisions too… that way you don’t have to make the same mistakes I have:)
PS remember when my blog used to look like this:
5 mistakes:
*For a while, I’m sure you remember… I did way too many sponsored posts at one time. I got carried away big time. I have a lot of products that I love and I didn’t see why I wouldn’t share them all with you. I learned that for my blog personally, it just didn’t work. I now stick to 2 sponsored posts a month (and maybe 3 if I REALLY love something else too) and that feels so right for me. I never want this blog to feel like a commercial and this way I can still share the products/things I’m obsessed with without it being overwhelming. I’m thankful to those of you that let me know what keeps you coming back to this blog and what doesn’t!
*Stressing out about writing two posts a day. I don’t know why I felt like THAT IS WHAT I HAD TO DO to keep a blog but I did. I finally have realized that my ideal set-up is one post a day (and a baby post on Wednesday afternoons). That way I can really spend a good amount of time thinking about what I want to write about and writing a post that is hopefully a little bit more interesting and also get to all of the other things on the blogging to-do list too. I think that this will help with the new little baby coming soon too… when Brooke was a little newborn I just wrote two shorter posts each day and that was doable but this time around I think this will work perfectly.
*Being TOO concerned about what I think people want to read/hear. I definitely think it is important as a blogger to obviously desire to cater a bit to what their audience wants to read but every now and then I have found myself too worried about that and not writing the way that I love to write. Or having one criticizing comment and thinking I needed to change my entire life game plan because of that. I think with blogging it is just really important to keep your personality and write/post pictures the way you want to do it:)
*I just learned this one the other day! When I talked about Andrew and I getting sealed, I had a lot of people tell me that they really enjoyed reading about my religion and different things that we do. For some reason I just thought that wasn’t something people wanted to read about (even though I love writing about it) and that is silly! I think that people want to get to know ALL of the different parts of people (not just the running and eating part) and so I am excited to share more about the different parts of my life now too.
*To let people affect the way I felt about myself. It seems silly to think that someone’s opinion that you’ve never ever met or seen from the other side of the country could effect the way I viewed myself but for years it really did. I can’t tell you how many times I called my mom to talk things through after a hurtful comment. I don’t even remember when it happened but one day I finally realized that all that really matters in this life is what God thinks of me and also if I’m doing the best that I can. Things can always be perceived a million different ways but as long as I know I’m trying my hardest and that God knows my heart… those words don’t hit me like they used to.
My best blogging decisions:
*Being open with you guys. I truly think this is why I have kept blogging for so long. I gain so much from sharing things with you, from being open and showing the good and the bad:) I’ve been able to connect with so many different people that have gone through similar things and I am so grateful for that. I love highlighting the great parts from each day but I really love being able to be open about the hard stuff too because as we all know, every human being has a whole lot of hard stuff to get through too. I learn so much from you in the comments and through emails, and during the really hard parts of life your support meant the world to me.
*At the same time, keeping some things personal. Over the years there have been a few things whether with myself, family or friends that just needed to stay personal… even though it would have been easier/felt good to share at the time. I’m very grateful that I didn’t.
*Writing about a niche that I love. From day one I have talked on this blog about three things I am passionate about… family, running and food:) Somehow those passions have helped me come up with 3,940 posts so far… I must be passionate about these things!
*Pictures, pictures, pictures. I love pictures and I love sharing them. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be able to look over the years of pictures and updates that I have on this blog. I have gone through Brooke’s baby pictures/videos on here way too many times and Andrew has been on here from pretty much the beginning of our relationship and I love that I have all of those stories documented!
*Sticking to my morals/values. I don’t even know how to explain this well but sometimes it’s easier to conform and do something everyone else is doing etc. I think for me and for my blog, sticking to who I am and what I believe has been really important for me over the 7 years.
Fun fact: it took me about two seconds to think of the mistakes and about an hour to think of the best blogging decisions I’ve made ha. Just know, I’m over here in Utah making a million mistakes every day but that’s okay, that is what brings about growth and learning. I’ll be still making mistakes until I’m 100 (I am set on staying alive ((and hopefully running)) until I’m at least 100).
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Blogging people… what are some lessons you’ve learned while blogging!?!?
What was the last ‘new to you’ food product that you bought at the grocery store? What about the last ‘new to you’ meal that you tired?
Who has had their appendix removed?
Those of you watching the Bachelorette… who do you think Rachel will select? (ps if you have any spoilers, don’t share them with me… I am too invested but I do want to hear your opinions)!
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87 comments
Maureen Feeney
I just started my blog at the end of May so I’m new to the blogging world. One thing I learned is that I need to take more pictures! Looking back at my pictures, I probably have the same amount of pictures from the past two months than I have from the past year. I’m definitely glad I’m taking more pictures to document the simple thing in life.
That garlic butter looks so good!! I’m so close to buying a Costco membership and buying it this week. Have a great day :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
I’m so glad you started blogging Maureen! I’m sure loving it and yay for more pictures! It’s so nice to be able to look back on so many different things (and I think more picture makes it so much easier for me to write! I should send you some of the garlic butter, it is so good!
Maureen Feeney
Thanks Janae! I really enjoy writing so I can look back on everything that I’ve done. I would happily accept some of the garlic butter ;)
Natalie
Thanks for sharing those insights. I LOVE writing (especially blogging), but I haven’t had much success in gaining a strong readership. :/ I wish I could somehow impact more people (and eventually make a living out of it), but I’m definitely nowhere near there yet.
I can relate to Andrew’s Garmin tan. I think I currently have the worst one in the world–it’s laughable how much of a contrast there is in my skin tone!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh Natalie I totally know what you mean! I definitely wrote for years for free before it turned into anything… keep up the awesome work! PS I loved your last post… so open and real. Thank you and I agree… those dumpster days bring us so much more sympathy for others! Thank you for sharing that, you are an incredible writer! HAHA yay for Garmin tan lines!!!
Natalie
Thank you, Janae. That really means a lot to me, and I appreciate the encouragement!
Hollie
It’s funny because I think you’re the only blogger still blogging when I started in 20120-2011 too. It’s so crazy how things have changed, I was actually just reflecting on that and planning to write a post soon too.
I think now, blogging is less relevant and Instagram is “the new blogging” where everyone microblogs.
The Hungry Runner Girl
We’ve been friends forever Hollie… now we just need to meet in real life. I can’t wait for your post about how things have changed. I totally agree with you about IG:) I just love blogging so much so I’ll probably keep doing it forever ha!
Katie
I love that you share so many things with us! <3 <3 I also might add i loved hearing about you two getting sealed! I feel like a lot of bloggers don't mention religion a lot, but I enjoy reading about it!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so so much Katie, that means a whole lot to me. I hope you are having a wonderful day and your beach picture that comes with your comment always makes me want to jump in the ocean:) Have an awesome Tuesday!
Katelyn
I appreciate your openness as a blogger, I truly feel you are one of the most genuine bloggers I read!
I think Rachel is going to pick Bryan. She just seems so comfortable with him and he wants what she wants, a proposal. His PDA is a bit much for me though, haha!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so so much Katelyn:) That means a lot! I agree with you about Bryan! I think Peter is wanting to be the next Bachelor! Wish we could all watch the Finale together!
Rebecca
A ‘different’ lesson that I learned from blogging is how to create a website and some of the other technical aspects that goes into having a self-hosted blog. I still get a sense of dread and panic whenever I have to do something on the back end though! But – the whole social media/blogging/sponsored posts has given me a wealth of information to share with my comm tech courses that I teach.
I do not blog that often anymore – my life is pretty boring (and I cannot blog about work) so a daily blog just wouldn’t work. I enjoy writing my race recaps and looking back on them a few years later!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES Rebecca… it is amazing the things that you learn about the technical side of it all! I have that same anxiety though hahah! That is so awesome that you teach comm tech courses… wow! I totally agree that it is so fun to look back on different race recaps too! Thanks for sharing and I hope you are having a great day!
Lynn
I enjoy reading your blog each day. I appreciate your openness and honesty very much. I wanted to let you know I made the cauliflower soup recipe you recently posted and it was awesome! Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
THANK YOU so much for your sweet words Lynn and for reading!! I am SO happy you loved the soup… I think we are going to have to make it again soon:) Enjoy your Tuesday!
meredith @ cookie chrunicles
it’s hard as a blogger to find that balance between sharing a whole lot and keeping some things personal but you do a great job of it!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES YES YES and I’ve definitely been off on that balance at times too haha! Thank you Meredith and I’m excited to see what you choose (or don’t choose) for your fall half marathon!!
Wendy
I’ve been amazed over the years that you kept the pace with blogging! Takes a lot of vulnerability and perseverance ! Thanks for being a part of our lives :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Well thank you Wendy, that means a lot to me! Thank YOU for letting me be a part of your life! Keep me updated with how you are doing!!!
Mollie Sweet
I am SO heartbroken that she let Dean go! I definitely think it’s going to be Bryan. I like Erik, but I don’t see the chemistry. And…I really just don’t see it with Peter either–which is kind of unfortunate because I think if she were to let go of the immediate engagement idea and let him take his time, they would end up together. Which leaves Bryan. OR, she can back track and go back to Dean! Just sayin! ;-)
The Hungry Runner Girl
I KNOW. Dean was my absolute favorite. I miss him. I was hoping that he would be the next Bachelor! I think it is Bryan too but I love your idea of bringing Dean back haha! I hope your day is an amazing one Mollie!
Kaci @ Kaci K. RD2Be
I’ve learned that my blog is most likely never going to be hugely popular with a ton of readers. BUT my family, friends, and others I know have told me they enjoy reading it and staying up-to-date on my life, so I’ll continue to blog. Plus I enjoy it and we all know that’s the most important thing :)
I think I started reading your blog back in 2012 and you’re one of the few bloggers I still follow from that time (yes, I totally remember that header!). Thank you for sharing your life with us!
The Hungry Runner Girl
KEEP BLOGGING and doing the things that you enjoy Kaci!! Thank you so much for reading over the years!!
PS I think Bailey is the cutest dog on the planet!!!
Kaci @ Kaci K. RD2Be
Aw thanks! My husband and I think so too, which means she gets away with everything :)
Vanessa | The Real Life
I’ve definitely learned to write about what I’m inspired to write about and not just what I think people want to read. When I do this right, I end up writing quality posts that truly are my voice.
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES YES YES!!! I love that Vanessa! I completely agree with you and I hope your Tuesday is a great one!
Elizabeth F
I’ve been reading your blog for about 2 years, and I love how open and real you are. It’s like checking in with a friend every day :)
I think Rachel is going to pick Bryan, but I kind of wish she’d pick Peter! I agree with her family that Bryan almost seems too good to be true, and a little over the top. But she and Peter seem to be in very different places about getting engaged…so excited to watch the finale and see what happens!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Elizabeth… THANK YOU for reading, that means a lot to me:) Keep in touch! I totally agree with you about Peter, I think he is more genuine and realistic about relationships but I also think he kind of wants to be the next bachelor. I think she will pick Bryan too but his smoothness scares me ha. I wish we could all watch the finale together. Enjoy your day!
Amanda
You are so awesome! I love reading your blog everyday :) Thanks for being you!
Hugs,
Amanda
The Hungry Runner Girl
Amanda, THANK YOU FOR READING EVERYDAY! That means a lot to me! Keep in touch and I hope you have an awesome week!
Aimee
great blogging tips Janae! I think its most important to blog for yourself first – stay true to your own voice and don’t worry about everyone else! I think also the personal touch is what keeps readers coming back – they want to get to know you!
I over did the sponsored posts when I had more of a running blog, right now I’m focusing on quality content and that personal touch and it’s been WAY more successful!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Aimee, I love what you have learned and how you have done what you needed to do for your happiness/blogging. You have the most gorgeous pictures on your blog and I need your banana bread right now! You are amazing and thank you for sharing:)
Kristina Running
I definitely remember when your blog used to look like that. I’ve been reading since 2012! I think I told you this before, but not only were you the first running blog I read but reading your blog was the first time I realized that people ran for fun and not just for fitness or to get paid as professional athletes!!!
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to just be myself. I used to think that you had to share tips every day or be an authority to get readers – and I am not an authority of anything running related except how to keep doing it when you’re not particularly good at it but love it anyway :) I think a lot of people can relate to that which is why my readership grew after I started just talking about my personal experiences!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Kristina, I always LOVE hearing from you… seriously, I feel like we are old friends:) I LOVE that lesson Kristina! I totally agree with you… people are going to go to read from an olympian about the technical running stuff, I want to read running blogs for the PEOPLE themselves! Thanks for sharing and I need that runner butter you posted about!!
Allison
I need that garlic butter from Costco….I bet it is unreal on grilled cheese!
I have no idea who Rachel will pick next week….I really think they gave her a lot of ridiculous men this season and maybe it’s just me, but she doesn’t seem “head over heels in love” with any of the guys. I think she wants to be engaged more than she wants to get to know the guy. But I hope she picks Peter, because I think he has the most realistic viewpoint out of all of them and that they get along really well!
I have been reading your blog for years now and have loved learning about you, your life, and how well you handle motherhood/being a good wife/friend/sister/person in general. So thank you for sharing for so long!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Seriously, get the garlic butter asap! I completely agree with you about the men on her season! I just wish Dean was still around:) I think you are so right about Peter actually being realistic but I also think he is secretly trying to make it so that he is the Bachelor! Thank you for your sweet words and your salmon/orzo meal made me so hungry!! Also, you are making want to try Pure Barre!
Anna
Thanks for sharing this post!! I have been reading your blog for 3 years now and its become part of my morning routine- check the news, read hungryrunnergirl, sign into work. :) I have never had a blog and don’t think I ever would, but I sure do love reading yours!
also- recently tried those mochi ice cream things… not a fan. might be an acquired taste though.
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY ANNA!!! It makes me so incredibly happy to know that I am a part of your morning routine… really happy! Oh the mochi ice cream things… you are definitely not alone on not loving those!!! I hope you have a great day Anna!
Melissa
Girl, I’ve been reading your blog since the beginning…when every paragraph was a different color. :) One of my friends and I actually talk about you like you are our dear friend- we always text each other when you have a big life event- “did you see HRG is pregnant!” Writing it down makes me feel a little crazy, but I’ve really enjoyed following your story. We have had some similar life events…I’ve cried while reading some of your posts and cheered for you and bought several of your favorite things. I think you are right on- staying true to who you are is what keeps me coming back. Congrats on 3,940 posts! :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh YES… the different colors for each paragraph haha! How did you not get a headache on that;) Thank you SO much for reading over the years Melissa and WE ARE FRIENDS. Please keep me updated with how your re doing and thanks for commenting!
Sage
Last ‘new’ meal I tried? Grapes and cottage cheese. yep, you have another convert. Eatting it on the daily now.
Good post today. I love the regularity of your posting and it seems like I’ve been following forever, and yet not that long (I do remember when the blog had the old header!)
One thing I’ve wondered about: You support yourself off blogging, and Andrew is in school. With running, and being self employed, what do you do for insurance? I mean, running needs a lot of maintenance (scraping, chiro, doctors), plus you’ve mentioned serious dental work a few times, AND you have kids and a baby on the way. How do you find a blogging/family/running insurance plan?
The Hungry Runner Girl
SAGE… I can’t tell you how happy I am that you love grapes and cc now… it is so good! Thank you so much for reading:) That is a GREAT QUESTION… insurance. We have to do self-employment insurance and goodness gracious it is expensive. For about 4 months we were on Andrew’s insurance when he was working and it was so nice to have that ha! It’s expensive to do it this way but our ex’s both pay for half of the kid’s insurance and Andrew had a killer HSA saved up from his last job (enough to pay for the baby wahooo!!!) so that has been a huge help! My insurance doesn’t cover scraping or chiro… I’ve gotten great deals on those things (i.e. my running partner does my scraping:) I hope you are having a great day!
Holleigh
Janae,
I read your blog everyday (and have for about five years) and it is the only one I read every day.
I just wanted to say that I love the posts when you share your faith with us. My faith is very important to me. Having lived most of my life in Texas I admittedly don’t know many who are Mormon. As a result, my working knowledge of your faith is low. I would love to learn more. So please share!!
As a result of reading about Mormonism on your blog, my husband and I have studied it together so that we feel more educated. But reading it first hand from you and how it works into your life is so much easier for me “get”.
Holleigh
I also wanted to add that my husband and my four kids are so use to hearing me share things I read on the blog that when I say things like, “Janae said…” they know who I am talking about. :-)
The Hungry Runner Girl
WOW, Holleigh! I cannot thank you enough for your sweet words! I would love to hear more about your faith and religion:) Maybe we should start emailing! Thank you for reading and four kids… HOW FUN! Tell them hi and thanks so much for your comment and for reading!
Katrina
I loved today’s post! I used to have a blog and I really can relate to feeling like you need to post what people want to hear. I’d find myself saying things or holding things back just because of the reaction I thought people would have to it. It is so important to be true to yourself.
I just bought coconut milk cool whip and it is amazing!!!!!!!! I got it to top my halo top, but I’ve just been eating it on its own :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Katrina, I know exactly what you are saying! Thanks for sharing and I hope your Tuesday is a great one!
PS your stuffed pepper on IG is making me drool:) I need to try the coconut milk cool whip asap!!
Paige
These are all awesome tips! I started blogging 6 years ago and have seen a lot of the same things. Readers want you to be open, but not too open, and too many sponsored posts kills an audience fast. I went through that same problem a couple years ago and am still working hard to build my loyal audience back up!
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY PAIGE… yep, I totally understand what you are saying and thanks for sharing your experience too! PS I’m going to be using your 5 year old gift guide for some Knox bday present ideas:) I hope you are having a beautiful day!
Nathaly @NathyCure
Loved this post Janae! I’ve been blogging for four years. I don’t blog everyday, but one of the major things I’ve learned is that you don’t have to listen to anyone when it comes on writing what you want to write about. You just have to follow your genuine passions and eventually, you’ll build a genuine community of readers.
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES YES YES… I completely agree with you Nathaly!!!!!! I hope your Tuesday is an amazing one!
Robin
I’ll never forget I emailed you after running my first race and you replied with a very kind, enthusiastic response. I made me feel good about myself and for that, I sincerely thank you. Your authenticity is what makes your blog worth reading and why I keep coming back.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Robin, thank you so much for your sweet words. Thank you for emailing me about your first race, I love being able to connect! Keep me updated with how you are doing and I hope you have a beautiful day!
Jenny Albertson
I think I’ve made quite a few blogging mistakes since I started. One of them is that I started as a free blogspot blog and I’m still there…I’ll be hopefully buying a domain name soon. It’s a little scary though. Which I think is another mistake I’ve made is being too scared to make certain changes.
Also, that garlic butter saved my life!! Put that on anything and my picky eater isn’t nearly as picky. She will even eat wheat bread with that on it!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I totally understand what you are saying about being scared to make changes… hence why I didn’t change the look of my blog for 5.5 years or something ha! Oh I can’t wait to try this with our picky eater too:) Thanks Jenny and have a great day!
Kathy McElhaney
I’ve been blogging for a little over 9 years and the one thing I had to learn early on was ignoring hurtful comments. I haven’t received a lot and they’ve always been anonymous, so I just try to brush it off. The funniest one was a few years ago when I wrote about Girl Scout cookies and how I dropped out of Brownies (I was a 2nd grade rebel who was bored to death!!) I received an anonymous comment that said, “You think you’re going to finish a marathon and you couldn’t even stay in Brownies.” Ha!
I’ve been in a blogging slump recently. I’m challenging myself to write more this month – I found a list of writing prompts that I’m using as a starting point.
I bought Blue Bunny Salted Caramel Pretzel Snacks – vanilla ice cream top with a pretzel and caramel, dipped in chocolate (https://www.bluebunny.com/flavor/salted-caramel-pretzel-bunny-snacks.) Buy these when you’re ready for sweets again!
The Hungry Runner Girl
I LOVE your blog Kathy and you have the BEST RECIPES… your latest one with pasta and tomatoes made me drool! Okay, that is the weirdest comment I have ever heard!?!?! What in the world!! Finding a good list of blog post prompts always helps me out too. Okay, I just looked up those treats and yep, I’m going to need those on Dec. 16, 2017. Thanks Kathy! I LOVE hearing from you!
Jessy
Hi Janae,
I have been reading your blog for a year now but never commented before. I started reading it during a really dark time in my life, which I am finally coming out of ?, and was just starting jogging as a way of coping. I found your blog and I have read it nearly everyday since. I can’t express how much your words, your positive attitude, your honesty and your happiness have helped me. Tears are coming to my eyes right now as I write this because you have been one of the bright lights that helped me find my way back to myself. Your blog has been nothing but good. Thank you so much for your bravery and kindness in your daily sharing.
Someone who owes you a debt!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Jessy, I cannot thank you enough for sharing your story with me. I am so happy you are coming out of such a hard time of life… there is so much brightness continuing to come your way! I am so happy that running was one thing that helped your cope through this hard time! You are making me tear up reading your sweet words. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life! I would love to keep in touch with you Jessy so write me whenever you can. Saving your comment (just took a screenshot of it)!
Amanda
I was just actually telling my mom about this blog last night! I read it every day, and it’s such a positive thing in my life.
I really appreciate that you talk about the hard things and the good things too. It’s important to be transparent I think because a lot of the time, other people’s lives can seem perfect, and we compare ourselves to each other.
Also I want to echo what some other people said about your posts about Mormonism. I’m not a Mormon but I am a devoted Christian Children’s Minister at a church in Tulsa. It means a lot to have other voices in my life that are as devoted to their spiritual life as I try to be… and I’ve always appreciated that about you. Even when you don’t post specifically about your religion, I know it affects what you do and how you live your life and that is one of the things that keeps me coming back!
Anyways, congrats!! ?
The Hungry Runner Girl
Amanda, thank you so so much for your sweet words! I completely agree about how important it is to be open about things… it helps us to all feel less alone! Thank you so much for sharing about YOUR faith! I would love to hear more about your faith too Amanda! Thank you for being so supportive, that means so much to me. I hope your day is amazing Amanda!! Keep in touch:)
Katie
I’ve been blogging for 6 1/2 years which is just crazy to think about, but I think a blogging schedule has been one of the hardest things to navigate. I used to blog every single day, 7 days a week, then dropped down to 5, then down to 3, now only once a week. I’ve also started and stopped a few blogs to find the brand that best fits me. I’ve definitely learned there’s a lot more going into the whole thing than I ever would have guessed before starting.
The Hungry Runner Girl
There really is so much that goes into blogging and finding the right schedule for you and your niche is so important Katie! I loved your podcast recommendations… off the vine is one of my very favorites!
Joanen
I love how open you are on the blog! That’s why I’ve been reading religiously since I started running about 4 years ago. Now I’ve had my own blog since March and loving your tips, because I get a lot of inspiration from you, both as a runner and a person! Congrats on 7 years!
I just tried a new-to-me recipe last night from Blue Apron (thanks for your recs, by the way. Pretty sure I signed up because of one of your posts!) It was a shrimp and gnocchi dish and I really liked it :) might have to try it again
Have a great day, Janae!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you so much Joanen for reading over the years… that means a lot to me! I LOVED reading about your running story… it all started with a broken bone and I’m glad the running stuck:) YAY for Blue Apron… their stuff is the absolute best! I LOVE GNOCCHI!
Alicia @Bridges Through Life
I love how you blog about everyday life and reading is like catching up with a friend. I am a fairly new follower to your blog but love it. I have been blogging for only 3 years and I love it because I love to write and connect with like minded people. I also love taking photos and having a place to share them.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you Alicia for reading! Glad you got some La Croix… that stuff is nom!!! I hope you are having an amazing day and keep up your awesome blog!
Ali
I think you are so brave to share so freely and be vulnerable. It’s so sad that people would say hurtful things to you on here.
The last new to me food/meal was sauerkraut on a hot dog. And it was good! The last new to me food product I bought was duck fat. It makes the crispest roasted potatoes and they’re so good!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Wow, thank you Ali!!! Okay… now you have me craving hot dogs again, sauerkraut is so good! I’ve had fries cooked in duck fat before and it was amazing! I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Jenny
I find it much easier to run a marathon than not caring what others think of me. Kudos to you for being a great example of getting over this. Not letting others’ opinion affect me so much will always be an ongoing process for me – I can’t imagine starting a blog, let alone maintaining it for 7+ years!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh thank you Jenny!!! Thank you for reading and for your comment:) I hope you are having a great day!
Amanda
I’m really interested to learn more about your religion. I appreciate that you keep it personal and have never “preached” towards people in your posts about it. But at the same time, it’s a huge part of who you are and I’d love to learn more! I think a lot of reasons people don’t like something or think it’s wrong is because they don’t know about it or understand it. We could all stand to learn more about those around us :) If you feel like, I’d love to read a post all about your sealing ceremony! I had never heard of it and tried googling more about it but would love a personal take on it! Overall, I love reading your blog. It’s the highlight of my lunch hour :)
Donna
Hi Janae!!!! After reading all of the comments I would just be reiterating what so many have already said. I am a long time reader, LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!! Definitely number 1 on my list! I check daily without fail the first thing I do is check your post! You are so real, caring, honest, and have such a beautiful and pure heart. I have laughed and cried with and for you. Keep doing exactly what you have been doing. The comments above all speak loudly to what a great job you are doing. SO happy for your beautiful life you are building with Andrew and for the kids. Massive Congrats on your new baby’s arrival soon. THRILLED FOR ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!
Marina @ Happy Healing
I just started blogging a few weeks ago – breaking my foot gave me the push to finally start! And I’m SO glad I did. I find that I’m learning things about blogging/myself every day. Thank you for posting about some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way – definitely helpful for me!!!
I have no idea who Rachel’s going to pick but I am SO excited for the finale next week!! I’m having some girlfriends over to watch :)
Michelle Wheeler
I still have my appendix! So excited to see the finale next week! Peter has been my favorite from the start and I hope she picks him but things aren’t looking good after last week’s episode! She has 3 good choices, will be interesting to see who she picks!
Stacey
Janae, I’ve been reading HRG for a llloooonnnngggg time, and I think you do an excellent job with your blog. To think you make a living salary off a public diary is unreal, and not a lot of people can do it, but it makes sense for you. You’re such a charming, likable person who people just really enjoy following. It breaks my heart that negative comments hurt you so much. Just remember that no one is perfect, and sometimes people take out their frustrations on others. I no longer have a blog (no time for it), but in my job, I frequently encounter people who are… less than pleasant with me. It’s hard, but I try to do what the ducks do — let it roll off your back like water! You can’t please everyone, and the happy, nice people make up for it tenfold, anyway.
I had my appendix out when I was 12. I’ll spare you the details because my case was very severe and very rare (I have lifelong issues from it), but I certainly hope your little niece feels better soon!
San
I sometimes wish you would blog less… HAHA… just wait for my explanation: because then I would be able to be caught up with all your post all the time. (Keep doing what you’re doing is what I am saying… this is totally on me!) :)
You should give Ozery Bakery Morning rounds a try… they handed samples out at the San Francisco marathon and they’re sooo good, esp. the “Muesli” kind.
Erinn
Janae, thanks for being so real all the time! It’s so refreshing :)
I’ve been reading your blog for a really loooong time – since 2009 I think!
I just started blogging in June so I’m learning new things everyday! My biggest mistake is being too much of a perfectionist with my posts so they take a long time to write. I’m working on getting more efficient and making a plan for the week when it comes to the blog :)
As for the Bachelorette, I think Rachel is going to pick Bryan! I really like him but the relationship with his mom is kind of weird :/ What do you think?!
Christina @ The Running Noob
I’ve been reading you for so long and been really inspired by your dedication to your running and to your family. I think if you always put family first, then everything else isn’t such a big deal anymore. Sorry to hear you were hurt by some comments but glad to hear you processed those feelings and your mom was able to help you through!!
Thank you for inspiring me to start my own blog and to run my first marathon! I look forward to reading your posts every day and it often motivates me to get on my running shoes when I’m procrastinating!!
Melly
Count me in as one of the people who is a Christian and really admires your Mormon faith…. but I don’t know much about it, so I also end up google searching! So I cant read more and understand what something like “sealing” is, or I have listened to some of the videos you linked to (Long ago) where the elders were teaching. I can say that I very sincerely love the moral values you have and the way you conduct yourself through very difficult situations.
Rebecca
Just want to add my voice to those who enjoy reading about your faith and how it plays out in your day to day life. My family and I are Orthodox Christian and our faith is extremely important to us, so I can definitely relate to its importance in your life, but like some others said I don’t know a ton about the LDS church and it’s super interesting to hear from people of other denominations as well as other (non Christian) religions. Please do keep sharing and being open as long as you are comfortable with it!
Bethany
Love the blogging tips and lessoned learned. I enjoy seeing what products people loved but when day after day is a sponsored post it starts seeming fake. I just tried Nuts and Mores powder PB with maple and love it! Especially with a banana and chocolate chips!
Lisa
This post was so perfect for me today! I’ve been reading your blog for about 2 years but I hardly ever comment. I feel like I will start to more now because you’ve recently inspired me to start my own blog! I clearly don’t know what I’m doing yet, but would love any feedback you have! I’ve been struggling about keeping my posts to just running, or just career, or my entire life, your words today really resonated with me as I’m trying to figure this thing out :)
Lisa
website : I-am-bender.com
Bailey
I really appreciate this post Janae! My roommate and I are considering starting a youtube channel this year and I’m trying to decide if it’s a good decision or not. I never want to feel like my privacy is being compromised, but I guess you’re right that you absolutely DO NOT have to share every little thing. :)
Debbie @ Deb Runs
I do remember your old header! That’s the one you had when I started reading your blog about four and a half years ago. Wow, has it really been that long? My daughter-in-law told me about your blog and after reading it for the first time, I knew I wanted to blog about running, too! I think I started mine about two weeks later, so thanks for being so inspiring! :-)
Shivam Sahu
Great list. I’d like to add one! ‘You write in block paragraphs and don’t reformat your post to emphasise certain messages’.
It’s true that people reading a post/article will skip through to find key messages. Why not make their life easier (and allow them to read efficiently) by making words bold, italic, using bullet points, increasing text font, in order to allow key points to emerge