April 03, 2012

One Year Blog Anniversary

It's 9:00 pm and I just now realized that it's my one year anniversary of starting Runs for Cookies! I'm bummed that I didn't have a special post all ready to go. So I'm going to wing it--I feel like I have to write something in celebration.

First, I'll write some stats:

I've written 344 posts.
I've accumulated 1108 followers, and 2319 subscribers.
My blog has gotten 1,708,612 page views.
My most-viewed post is actually my very first post: FAQ#1: How did you lose the weight?
My most-viewed blog page is my Photos page.
My biggest traffic source is from Pinterest.
I have gotten hits from people in 143 different countries.
My running over the past year:

My weight at this time last year was 139. Today it was 142. I'm not happy about the gain since I started marathon training, but I am very happy that I'm so close to where I was a year ago. Maintenance is going well!

Some funny/strange Google searches that led to my blog:
"kale crap smell"  ---Been there, smelled that!
"ugliest cats"   ---Poor Estelle. She fits the bill.
"treadMILF"   ---Heck yeah, I am!
"two bottom cheeks hanging below his navel"   ---huh?
"unflattering runner"   ---thank goodness there are no mirrors where I run
"are there sharks in Lake Erie?"   ---No. I assure you, there are no sharks.
"cookies make you happier"   ---Duh!
"cookies with a fuckload of chocolate"   ---Just point me in the right direction.
"eat like a horse at night"   ---So? I can't be the only one!
"giddy after arch bars removed"   ---Yep, pretty much.
"guy third leg"   ---Jerry said "they must be looking for me"
"hot naked men of arizona"   ---Maybe they were searching out The Boring Runner? ;)
"husband says stupid things"   ---Everyday.
"marshmallow fluff in my pants"   ---Are you SURE that's fluff???

The original title of my blog was "Half My Size"; but I changed it when I couldn't budge the last 5 pounds. I didn't feel honest having a blog with that title since I wasn't technically half my starting weight.

The original blogspot domain was theycallmeslimkatie. An Eminem reference.

It's been SUCH a great year, and my blog is so much more successful than I'd ever imagined. I always expected this to be my private little corner of the web, but it's been fun. I hope to keep blogging for many years to come!



If you've read something you've enjoyed or found helpful over the past year, of if I've responded to your e-mail, or comments, or if you've just enjoyed the blog, I would love for you to take a minute to vote for me for the Best Weight Loss Blog at Fitness magazine. I'm nowhere near winning, but I would love your support if you haven't yet voted!



I would like to offer a huge thank you to ALL of my readers--you've made this past year so enjoyable for me, whether you have commented or e-mailed, or even if you are just a "lurker" here. I appreciate your reading!



47 comments:

  1. Woohoo go Katie! It was because of YOU, I found YOUR blog, I have been motivated to run. DO you remember when I emailed you and said I've lost 7lbs? Now it's 23! Don't thank us, thank YOU for keeping me and I'm sure others so motivated! I actually just blogged at www.laurelraab.com about my weight loss so far with update photos. I feel like I'm getting a fun, youthful life back. I only wish there was something I can do in return for you. Thank you Katie. :)

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  2. Congrats what a difference a year can make, your like famous!

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  3. Congrats what a difference a year can make, your like famous!

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  4. Congrats what a difference a year can make, your like famous!

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  5. Mary LewisApril 03, 2012

    Congratulations on your one-year bloggivesary!!! :) I made your version of the southwest salsa chicken tonight and it was sooo good...improvement on my salsa + chicken only. My kids even loved it...yay!!!

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  6. Happy anniversary!!! I can only hope to even come close to your success in many ways! Here's to the next year! I can't wait to read all about it!

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  7. Nicky (nah_85 on SP)April 03, 2012

    Oh my word, the things people look up on the internet!!!! LOL Even though I haven't been commenting as much trust me...I read your blog every single day :) I love hearing about your day, even if it's just normal every day things. Weird I know! I've been running on and off for a year and have finally been bitten by the running bug. I've been stuck at only doing 5ks and in May I'm doing my first 5 mile race, which will be a stepping stone for longer ones. My goal is to do a half marathon, possibly in September already (!!!) and I love hearing about how your training is going. Congrats on your anniversary Katie :)

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  8. Happy Blog Anniversary! I am glad you started and I am glad you are still here. You rock!

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  9. I seriously almost pee'd on this one "cookies with a fuckload of chocolate." New swear word to me alert!

    Happy Happy Blogiversary! Many years to come!

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  10. Happy blogiversary. (Is that a word?) You've created something pretty darn meaningful and inspiring here! Congratulations :)

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  11. Congratulations on your one year blog anniversary! I am one of the many readers that found your blog via pintrest, probably about 2 months ago now. I thoroughly enjoy reading your daily updates and am inspired by the life changes you made and continue to maintain. I also started reading Mary's (asmallloss) and Carly's (carlyshrinks) blogs after your introductions to their unbelievable progress and look forward to their updates as well.
    And by the way, for not having anything prepared you provided an excellent post! Thank you for doing what you do. I do have a question though: how do I go from just a reader to a subscriber or follower?

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  12. Congratulations on your blog anniversary! Sometimes, the hardest thing about blogging is just keeping at it.

    With your recent weight gain, I was wondering (and maybe missed the answer to this, if so, sorry), are you just using your weight as your guide? Or are you also doing a body fat percent? Because it sounds reasonable to me that your weight would go up when training for a marathon because of the muscle you would be developing- giving you a higher weight, but less fat percent.

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  13. Hi! I've been "lurking" on your blog for probably the last four months. I read it every day but have never commented. Reading about your training has honestly helped me so much in training for my own half marathon, and I just wanted to personally request that you keep posting (even when you hate running) because I use you as a major source of motivation in attempting my own long runs. Thanks for sharing your story...I can't imagine how many people you have inspired :)

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  14. i love your blog- read it every day...got here from pinterest a few months back. i have been blogging for 6 years and i love looking back at my old blog posts. your blog is great! keep it up! you REALLY inspire me!!!! happy blogoversary!

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  15. wow only a year?!? Good work!

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  16. Well, I found you through SparkPeople's Facebook post of your 1 year anniversary video way back in June. Once I hit play and heard All American Rejects 'Move Along' as the soundtrack to your transformation, I was crying. It's the first song on my running playlist and it keeps me putting one foot in front of the other. It was the song we used for our first Relay For Life, a song of hope for people who hear they have cancer and need to push forward through all sorts of obstacles and adversities. So, as I listened to the lyrics and saw photo after photo of your milestones and successes I cried, actually KNOWING how proud you must feel for JUST DOING IT. For once, I'm not jealous of someone's success story, because now I'M a success story!

    Just from clicking on SparkPeople's post, I started following your blog. Inspired by you, I started writing my own accounts of life while trying to maintain my weight loss and continue running, and now look where I am. I'm on the RR team made up of more people with inspiring success stories, created by you and Rik, something I had discussed with my husband but never thought I would do. Look where a year (nine months actually) can take you. Thank you Katie.

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  17. Happy Blogoversary! Thanks for all you do to inform, motivate and entertain;) all of us followers,subscribers and lurkers. I enjoy checking in on you every day and always find something to use on my own journey of weight loss and healthier living. Your story of DETERMINATION is inspiring!
    Peace - Lynne.

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  18. Happy 1st year! Thank you for sharing your journey and motivating so many people.

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  19. Does your original blogspot domain name mean that you love Marshall Mathers? Because I love him. Very much. In a creepy, if-I-could-find-where-he-lived-I'd-sit-on-his-front-lawn-until-he-married-me-kind-of-way. I knew I couldn't be the only one :)

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  20. I really would say that you were the reason I started blogging about my weight loss. I love your blog, I found it through pinterest and it wasn't until I was ready to start losing weight and I identified with several of your feelings about having all the weight on you.

    You have been an inspiration!

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  21. LOVE your blog! Here's to another year!

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  22. I don't subscribe or "follow" your blog but I check up on it every day (so i'm sure your #s are higher than you think). It's so refreshing to have a person talking about health and fitness that wasn't always a health nut and isn't a total calorie nazi.

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  23. Thank you for your blog! It has been an inspiration and a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for answering my emails even though you don't know me at all. I read your blog everyday without fail. Happy Blogiverssary!!!

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  24. Congratulations on 1 year, and all of your recent running successes! I love reading your blog every day!! Thanks for the motivation and entertainment :)

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  25. I find you such an inspiration. I look forward to reading your blogs.

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  26. I started following you a little over a month ago, via something someone had pinned of yours on pinterest. That led me to your blog, and I became a fan. A couple of days ago, a friend posted a pic of her and her running buddy and it was you!! I then looked you up on SP and sent you a message. Thank you for inspiring us all!! Congratulations on your one year!!!

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  27. CONGRATS on your blog's anniversary! So glad you keep writing and sharing your journey! Followed you on SP now here! Here's to another year of writing and adventures!

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  28. Congrats :) Love the blog! So glad I found it. Thank you for the continued inspiration and here's to many more years of writing :)

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  29. Congratulations :) A reader from NZ here - I still have your gocket on my key ring :)

    Love reading your blog, I'm constantly checking for new entries. Katie, you are awesome!

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  30. Happy Anniversary Katie! BTW - LOVE your old blog name! It made me laugh right out loud! Now I have that song stuck in my head - thanks. HAHAHA You really ARE famous - your blog is so personable that I feel like I know you! You gave me the courage to start running and reading your posts and seeing all your happy pictures gives me the kick in the butt that I sometimes need to keep going! Thank you for who you are and all that you do! You are an amazing woman!!

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  31. Happy Anni!

    Your responses to the search terms gave me a great ab exercise! Thank you for that!

    I never get weird search terms! I am jealous!

    I will for sure go give you a vote!

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  32. Your link does not work for the contest and I cannot find it by just going there. Can you re-enter the link maybe?

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  33. Happy Blog-a-versary!

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  34. Happy Blog Aniversary and here's to many more!! Keep up the good work love reading about your journey.

    I can realate to you feeling frustrated about 142 when your running and training. I began this year at 140 and about 6-8lbs are my muffin top, jiggly arms and legs and boobies. Since January I've been running and eating wayyyy better than I was. However I sand before you now looking slim and firm and feeling pretty darn proud until I step on those blasted scales and I weight 142.... to recap I gained 2 lbs in the past 3 months of training(my body is gaining mussle but because I'm training apparently it's hording carbs like the crazy lady across the street:). I've learned how much my past life revolved around a number on the scale instead of understanding why the reasons might be for that number on the scale.

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  35. You get a "Standing O" ...great review of the year! The section with Google searches was hilarious. Kudos to you, Katie!

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  36. Congratulations on your first bloggoversary! (I never know how to spell that...). I totally forgot mine until it was too late. And then I forgot to celebrate 100 posts. And I'm not quite up to 150 posts yet, but I can bet you bottom dollar I'll forget that, too!

    Love your funny search terms. One of my favourites on my blog that comes up disturbingly often is "tiny little emos" (I once made gingerbread men with bite marks in them, and iced them to look sad, and wrote that the next time I made them I would give them black emo hair covering one eye).

    Thanks for being such an inspiration to so many, and here's to another year :)

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  37. Happy Belated Blogversary! I know I have said it before, but thank you for all your honesty and inspiration!

    Dede

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  38. Happy Anniversary Katie! I started reading you on Sparkpeople, back before you broke your jaw. Then when you started this blog and began posting daily, I couldn't believe my luck.

    I've been really busy with work and graduate school but I still read your blog every day. I am still running (albeit slowly) and have maintained my small loss. Now if I could just cure my sugar addiction. :)

    You rock!!

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  39. This isn't really related to your post, but after I started reading your blog I have been looking for cookie butter EVERY time i go to Trader Joe's, and months later, they finally have it! It is so good! Your posts remind me that I am capable of running, so thank you! :)

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  40. LoveAnAnimalApril 04, 2012

    Happy Blog Anniversary!

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  41. Happy Birthday Blog!! I'm so glad you a part of my life!!!

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  42. LOL..wtf, I must be tired. Or you could just read the above post like I'm trying to be Madea or something LOL!

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  43. I'm late to your anniversary post, but not late following your blog. I've been following you all year, and even before you became Runs for Cookies, ever since I found you on Spark. I'm loving your daily posts and look forward to reading about your life every single day. As I told your Mom, you have a light that shines right through the Internet!

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  44. I recently found your blog and I have to say I really enjoy reading your posts. Happy Blog Anniversary!

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  45. Happy Blog Anniversary, Katie!! You are an inspiration!! And funny, too. ;) Loved the responses to the search phrases.

    Here's to many more years of Runs for Cookies!!

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  46. Congrats. Only one year old? I must have started following you from the beginning. I'm mainly a lurker who appreciates your insights. Keep up the great work. :)
    rozie

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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