My thoughts on The Marie Claire Article and what blogging has done for me

I was incredibly disappointed and angered by The Marie Claire Article that targeted Healthy Living Bloggers, most of whom I follow.  I have to say that I thought the article was poorly researched and gave a very incorrect perspective of Healthy Living blogging.  I posted a comment on the website, which I will share here (there was a character limit):

I am a blogger and a magazine reader, and I do follow most of the blogs mentioned.  I was disappointed by this story, because I felt it was very hypocritical.  Marie Claire has published articles suggesting that readers keep a food and fitness journal, yet according to this article they seem very against it.  The blogs that I follow show women who have trained to run races, because they enjoy running and racing.  That is the reason I follow the blogs, because I enjoy running and racing too.  I am currently training for my first marathon, because it is a goal of mine and I am running a marathon that supports breast cancer in honor of a family friend who died.  I am not running the marathon to lose weight.  I also enjoy both magazines and blogs for new recipes.  I get sick of cooking the same food, so I look forward to new recipes, especially if they incorporate food I don't often eat.  I noticed a negative comment about one of the bloggers making parsnip fries.  Well don't you sometimes get sick of plain old french fries?  When was the last time you tried a parsnip?  I thought the recipe was great because it involved something I wouldn't normally eat.  It is nice to get nutrients from food rather than just vitamins.  The photographs included with the recipes in both magazines and blogs entice me to try them.  Unfortunately, with any public written word, whether it be a magazine or a blog, some people will compare themselves in a negative way.  But then there are those of us who look for inspiration.  It is nice to read about non-celebrity women my age who can balance work/school/family/social-life/and especially a limited budget and still be healthy and active.

I could go on and on, but instead I decided to make a list of positive points that I have learned/gained/experienced from blogging and reading other blogs, specifically those attacked in the article.

1. Good food- Thanks to others posting delicious blogs and accompanying pictures, I have tried several new restaurants in my area as well as delicious recipes.  This is the reason I post pictures of food in my blog.  I personally do not keep a record of what I eat, but if I enjoy something tasty, I like to share it with others.  
2. Reviews-  I enjoy reading the reviews of different races or products.  Races and running gear are not cheap, especially not for a graduate student.  It is nice to get opinions before I invest my hard-earned money.
3. I'm not alone-  I like reading that I'm not the only person who is balancing work/school/family/budget while living a fulfilling and active lifestyle.  It's nice knowing that others bounce back from obstacles to succeed.  
4. More people-  It is nice chatting with others who enjoy the same things I do.  I have even made more friends through running and have joined running groups.  
5. Accountable-  Am I going to die from not running?  No.  But do I feel better when I work-out consistently?  Absolutely.  Since I started this blog, I have gone through phases where I set aside running to focus more on school/work/life, but I have always found that I feel better and more balanced when I take time for myself to run.  Posting my 2010 Challenge (to run at least 3 days a week) has helped me hold myself accountable for my goal.  I am more likely to stick with it knowing that I am keeping track of it somewhere for people to read.  No, the world will not end if I do not complete my goal, but I feel better and stronger because of my goal.
6. Journal-  Ultimately, my blog is my personal journal.  It is a way for me to keep track of my runs/posts about graduation/various goals I have accomplished, so I can look back and say, "Hey look what I accomplished?  Hard work really pays off!"  It is where I post pictures of fun events in my life, people I love, and what is going on in my life for my family and friends to read.  

I hope that you all have a great week!  I'm off to work!