Okay readers, I am going to ask you a serious question and I want a serious answer.
Do I come off as preachy on my blog?
Let me tell you why I am asking this. I hate, hate, hate, hate reading blogs that tell me I have to do ____________ (fill in the blank) to be healthy.
Example:
This is how you have to eat to be healthy.
This is how you have to exercise to be healthy.
This is what you have to drink to be healthy.
This is how much sleep you have to get to be healthy.
Etc, etc, etc, etc.
I do not enjoy reading blogs like this! When I read them, first they make me feel "less than", and then they make me angry at the pretentious blogger who dares to tell me I'm doing it all wrong.
I hope that my blog motivates you. I hope it gives you ideas. I hope it gives you insight. I hope when you read my blog, you don't think: "If I eat exactly like her, I will be healthy," or "If I exercises exactly like her I will be healthy."
Let me say it loud and clear:
My way is not THE way. It's the way that works for me.
I was trying to think of the topics I may possibly be preachy about. Here is what I came up with:
1. The importance of rest days.
2. The importance of weight training.
3. The fine line between training and OVERtraining.
I guess if I am preachy about those things, I can live with myself. But I may not be self aware enough to really think about this objectively. So I ask you readers: Do I come off as preachy on my blog? Do I make you feel less than after you read it? I hope not.
SERIOUSLY, answer in the comments. And I am NOT fishing for compliments! If I have a habit of presenting things that rub you the wrong way, let me know! I realize I can't change who I am, but I would at least appreciate the feedback on this topic!
There is a reason your blog is my favorite. You are real with us, you show us what works for you and share your experiences. I too am completely passionate about rest days, weight training and not over exercising. As you know, there was a time I worked out 2 hours a day, every day, no rest and no weight training. I felt bad, I got sick and injured and I wasn't at all toned. Learning to cut back, take days off and work out smarter has turned my life around (I know, sounds so dramatic). Doesn't mean I don't still struggle sometimes with keeping myself from those long workouts. But all I have to do is look back and know I don't want to go there.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing what you are doing. Share your experiences. Be funny & irreverent and include lots of cat pictures.
We all love you, Meg!
I think Kristina and I dominate the market on cat pictures. :)
DeleteI don't think your blog is preachy at all! I don't read blogs that are preachy. I like to read about experiences rather than rules and that is exactly what your blog presents!
ReplyDeleteOkay, good! And if I ever get preachy, I expect you to call me out on it! BEcause you're my life coach, remember?
DeleteI don't think you're EVER preachy. I think you do a great job of explaining where you're coming from when you make a strong statement about something YOU believe works, and you always back it up with "everyone is different" or something of that sort. I love that I learn a lot from your blog without feeling like I'm being told what to to!
ReplyDeleteOkay, good. Because I don't like being told what to do either! I guess I kind of like telling people what to do because I do it all day at school.... hahaha!
DeleteYou are absolutely not preachy at all. You keep it real, and I like that. I also cannot stand when bloggers think their way is the only way to be healthy. No. That's not how it is at all.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question about speed work (sorry it's taken me so long!), yes, I do speed work at least once, if not twice a week. I typically do sprints, 10 sets of 30 seconds sprinting, 1 minute "resting." I try to keep my sprints under a 6 minute pace. Sometimes, I will do mile repeats, where I warm up for a mile and a half to two miles, run three miles at a sub 7 pace with a rest period in between and then cool down with a mile to two miles.
Thanks for that info about your speed work! Your mile repeats sound similar to my tempo runs but faster and with a rest in between. 30 second sprints sounds DAUNTING. You go girl!
DeleteI don't think you come off as preachy. I think it's okay to have strong opinions about different topics - that comes from experiences and is part of life - but people who are grounded also realize that their experience is only THEIRS and isn't the "right" way. If you keep it real on the blog, readers will see the WHOLE you, not just the opinions, not just the high points but the whole thing, and that makes a blog good, in my opinion. Now is that preachy? I don't mind being preachy now and then :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely have strong opinions but like you said, they come from my own life experiences and it would be pretentious to think what works for me would work for someone else... because they are NOT me hehe. I definitely like to read blogs written by people who share their life experiences and what works for them.
DeleteNever once have I thought of your blog as preachy!! I love when you share your workouts and new programs but I don't ever get the feeling you are telling us to do exactly what you do!!! I do know the kind of blog you are talking about and I don't have any of those in my reading list - I don't want people telling me what they think is best for me!
ReplyDeleteSo obviously I am wondering now if I come off as preachy! Lol. I do not get a preachy vibe from you at all Megan. I always notice how you put in that this is your opinion or that this isn't the only way to do things and such comments like that. I feel that you are completely the opposite and I do agree with you: I don't enjoy reading blogs like that or talking to people in person like that either.
ReplyDeleteNo way you are not preachy at all! I mean, I DO feel like I am being pressured into getting that pumpkin coffee but that is IT. ;) hahaha jk
DeleteLol!!!
DeleteI don't think you come off preachy at all!!! You come off as educated and like you know what you are talking about. I always know the workouts that you share will be beneficial and come from research! You also don't say that we HAVE to do a certain workout or eat a certain way.
ReplyDeleteI never, ever thought your blog was preachy. I understand that everyone who writes a blog is trying to share their thoughts or opinions. I don't think any of them are trying to come across preachy,i think they are just trying to give tips. But then again, that's just my opinion. I may not be reading the blogs you are referring to.
ReplyDeleteYour comment made me wonder the obvious- why do I read the blog I am referring to anyway??????
DeleteI don't read preachy blogs.... and yours is in the "must reads" category in my Feedly. So no, I don't think you're preachy. I think you're well educated on the three things you listed, and therefore qualified to give advice.
ReplyDelete