The voice behind this blog… it’s mine. I write the content. And I make the decisions. And I make the mistakes. It’s my stomping grounds and just like almost anything in this online world, if someone doesn’t like it they are welcome to surf away to another site or close their browser. But on the flipside of that, I love love love that people do read my writings and ramblings and comments make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I strive to keep this site authentically Jill. I started it because I enjoy rambling about running. I started reviewing products that I bought on my own simply because I enjoyed that. I try to write them in a way so that people find them useful, but also so that hopefully other people may stumble upon them in search engines. My goal is really to help others and share information about the products from my perspective.
I have read articles about SEO and writing titles to pull people in… encouraging you to write titles that scream “X many steps to Something Fantastic” or “The Surefire Method to becoming Superhuman” or some kind of claims that are just not reality. And I can’t bring myself to write things like that… it doesn’t feel authentic to me. And when I see other sites doing that (and writing more and more and more of their posts using structure like that) I question that author’s sincerity.
I’ve thrown my hat into the ring for a couple of online gigs recently, FitFluential and the nuun Hood to Coast team. I was not picked for FitFluential in the first round. And I didn’t get selected to be on the nuun teams, but I am chosen to be an alternate. I could have written much flashier posts in my pleading to be named to those, but what I did was authentic to me. I think the perspective of health and fitness I presented for FitFluential is a positive one and is different from a lot of those in the health blogging genre. And my nuun attempt was completely honest… I was a nuun fan far before I heard about the team and I had tweeted, facebooked and blogged about them before without any promise of free product or awesome race experience. So even though I’m not flatout selected for either of those items right now, I feel okay about it because I felt like I didn’t stray from me.
I consider this a running blog first. But I also consider it a health and wellness site as well as a positive body image site. I would love to expand on those offerings in areas that are of interest to me. I love reviewing products, but if something is completely against my philosophies or standards, I wouldn’t review it… even if it was offered to me for free. I just can’t do that.
My main reason for putting this all out here is that I’ve been really thinking a lot about blogging lately. I would love to be able to spend more time on blogging and I would love to have a larger following, but I can’t do it at the expense of who I am. I lost too much of who that gal was for a long time and am just starting to unearth her again.
So I’m trying to be Authentically Jill… and allowing the evolution of what makes me authentic happen without judgment or labeling or discrimination. I am what I am… Jill.
Jill Will Run 
I wouldn’t have you any other way – but Authentically Jill.
Blog about your passion is the only way. Keep up the great work on the blog and being YOU.
Hugs!
Jill, thanks for keeping it real! I love “real” bloggers who write about what they WANT to rather than what they HAVE to in order to get more readers…
Keep staying true to yourself! I love it!
Well, whatever it is that you are doing, keeps me coming back 🙂 Keep it up and keep inspiring me to hook up with Running!
I love this! I think too many bloggers try to be something they are not.. in fact, I think that most people using some kind of social media try! It’s just so easy!
Thanks for being authentic… you were one of the very first bloggers that I started to follow…and I’m STILL a reader, so you’re keeping my interest! 🙂
Being you is the best thing you can be, and the people who are authentic have the best blogs to read. 🙂
I just found you blog today when I was googling ice baths (thanks for the tutorial, I’m filling the bath for my first one ever right now!) and I love that this was today’s posting. I just started my own running blog yesterday and this is the attitude I want to portray with my blog too!
I like to think that I only read and follow the blogs that I feel are “real”. I love the personal connection and not just reading a “review” of something or someone’s life. I think your blog is great – keep it up!!
I feel like in running, those how-to posts are pointless. Running isn’t rocket science. Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall don’t write how-to posts and I am sure they are way more qualified than any of us… So I guess what I’m saying is that I agree that those posts aren’t as cool/sincere.
Being true to yourself is #1!
And that is why I like you. I don’t really enjoy reading those blogs that use foul language and crude humor just for effect or pander to potential sponsors. I feel like I can know you as a person by reading your blog.
Stay true to you. You’re awesome, Jill. 🙂 *hug*
I am soooooo grateful to all of you, your response to me has been truly appreciated!
I love your blog Jill. Stay true to yourself. I’m not sure what those online thingy’s are looking for. You’d have been perfect for both!
You were one of the first blogs I ever read, long before I had my own. I still love you for exactly this reason- you are ALWAYS you!
Add me to the list of people who love your blog and love this post! Your authenticity is one of the things I love most about your blog, and is one of several reasons why I am very proud and honored to call you a friend. Personally, I also thought that you should have been chosen for both FitFluential and the Nuun team, but in my mind you are already a great ambassador for health and wellness without those names backing you up ❤