Blogging Slump

I think “slumps” are a natural progression of life. I can’t tell you how many different kinds of slumps I’ve experienced over the last 26 years, but in that time, I’ve learned how to deal with them. They can be frustrating, time consuming, and disheartening (depending on the situation). Swimming was where I experienced most of my slumps – losing the groove of a stroke, trying a new distance, being burnt out, or in the early years, still getting used to my body and adapting to it in the water. Even though they can be a pain, the good news is that slumps aren’t forever. Enter: the blogging slump.

This blog is something that I really enjoy. It’s opened me up to a world that I really don’t think I would have experienced otherwise. I’ve met and connected with some really amazing people and companies, and have been able to fuel and embrace passions of mine in a like-minded community. Similar to slumps, interests change, and come and go over time. Recently I’ve found myself less and less interested in food blogging, and much more passionate about running and life in general. Now don’t get me wrong, I still think about food pretty much all the time and love spending time in the kitchen, I just have come to a stand-still when it comes to recipe creation. Most of my weekly meals come from cookbooks or other blogs, or are recipes I’ve already shared. So in that situation when you have a blog that’s dedicated mostly to food, content becomes tricky.

One of the key components of writing a blog is finding your niche, which is something I’ve been struggling with lately. I’m not really a “food blogger” like I had once set out to be, nor am I a running blogger (though I do blog about it quite a bit), and I’m certainly not a healthy living blogger (pass a cupcake, please). I have plenty of ideas to blog about, but I usually get a few sentences or paragraphs in and jump ship. Most of the time I think that’s because I care too much what other people think. To an extent I should because this is a blog that I want people to read and enjoy… but at the same time, it’s mine! A big reason why I’ve been so hesitant just to post what I want is because of my blog name; I mean, hello, it’s called FOODosaurus Rex… so there should be some food element. And really, that’s why my posting has been so sporadic. One week I’ll spend a lot of time in the kitchen and dream up some share-worthy recipes, run a race, and boom – content. Another week will be less than exciting, with running and maybe a note worthy (but not newly created) meal here and there. It leaves me unsure on what I should post – there’s nothing I loathe more than a junk post (i.e. a photo dump, posts round up, etc.).

So as I continue having a blog identity crisis, I’m looking for some input from you, the reader! In the meantime I’ll be carrying on with business as usual, posting running and food related things, when and if the mood strikes!

What would you like to see more of on the blog? Less of?
Any tips to help get me through the slump?

Photography

It’s no secret that my blog pictures aren’t that great. Most of the time I snap them with my iPhone, and when they actually look somewhat decent, it’s because I’ve asked my husband to take it for me. Since I started blogging back in 2009, I always knew improving my photography skills (read: gaining any type of “skill” at all), was something I needed to do… but I never took the steps to actually do it.

Last week my husband bought himself a new camera, and so I inherited his Canon Rebel T1i (he got the snazzy Canon 6D)… meaning it was time to finally tackle photography. I’ve always enjoyed photography, and oftentimes help my husband set-up shots. However, I lack patience and have never really been able to take the time to play with settings, let alone edit the photos after the fact. But I woke up on Sunday morning with the drive to get my picture taking on.

Despite the fact that it was 30 degrees out with winds making it feel closer to 20, I set out to take a few photos in the beautiful sun. They’re my first attempts at real photography, but since I was somewhat pleased with the results I figured I would share them. These were all taken at Rutgers University’s College Avenue campus. You can click on each photo to enlarge it.

I’m looking forward to learning more about photography (my head is spinning with aperture, ISO, shutter speed…), and not only improving the blog’s content, but taking pictures I’m proud of!

It’s All Fun and Games Until…

I try not to get too personal on the blog, simply because I don’t feel the need to bore you all to tears. But, since something that’s going on in my personal life is affecting food, I feel like it’s appropriate to mention. I mean, the blog is FOODosaurus Rex, after all!

For quite some time now I’ve been experiencing some, ahhem, bathroom issues. It’s something that has started as a gradual process since about middle school and has gotten increasingly worse over the last few years, with the worst starting about a year ago. At first, I assumed it was because of the increase in running – everyone’s heard of runner’s trots, and I was training for my first marathon. Eventually, though, I realized something was off but couldn’t put my finger on it. Being the stubborn person that I am, I refused to go to the doctor, despite my parents knowing an awesome gastroenterologist.

Eventually my parents decided to make an appointment for me, and so on Thursday, I finally made it to the doctor’s office that my parents had been suggesting I visit for over a year. I knew from the second I walked in the door that things would work themselves out – instead of going into an exam room, I met with the doctor in his office, and we talked. He asked me questions, and I talked about my bathroom habits with a complete stranger.

While he has a few ideas as to what it may be, we still have to do some tests. You guessed it – endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound… all the fun stuff! And to rule out any lactose intolerance, I can’t have any dairy in the meantime. This wasn’t something I expected, so of course I’m stocked with milk, yogurt, cheese, and milk chocolate. It’s amazing how much you want something when you can’t have it. I’ve also come to realize that I really don’t know what is in my food, and I was shocked when reading the labels how many things have traces of dairy that I never would have suspected. The doctor doesn’t think the cause of my problems are lactose related, but he wants to rule it out – fingers crossed!

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So, I’m currently on a quest for dairy-free eats (suggestions welcomed!!), and unfortunately won’t be eating much over the next few weeks. It isn’t going to be easy or fun, but I know it can’t be any worse than I’m feeling now. I’m hoping that everything will be squared away by mid-June, and won’t have to worry about stopping multiple times during a marathon, what I’m eating, or where the nearest bathroom is.