Normally this is a day I look forward to every year because
it marks another milestone in this blog’s history. This time, however, I post
with far more reluctance than I imagined.
Eight years ago I started this blog on a Wednesday night
right after the family shared a spaghetti dinner at our then-home in Scripps
Ranch. I christened it Run-DMZ to marry my favorite avocation with my then
vocation, which was working full time in information security. My techie
friends thought the title was clever.
Blogs evolve over time and this one was no exception. I
shared – and overshared – far more of myself than I originally intended. But,
really, those are the best posts, aren’t they? And because I was the same in
the real world, strangers sometimes recognized me and some said they immediately
related to me. This I consider my greatest success as a blogger.
I have met both online and in person some amazing people who
confided in me and who gained my own confidence, saving me untold thousands of
dollars in professional therapy. And I was able to keep my friends and family
informed without too much intrusion. Now I'll have to add notes again in Christmas cards.
Thank you to the 100,000 of you who stopped by, left
comments, lurked and left me in your blogrolls. Some of you contacted me by
email and some of you invited me into your homes. Some asked me to review their
products or help promote their cause. If I hadn’t responded lately, now you know why. (I will make one exception because I believe in this one and want this guy to succeed.)
I’m not the same person I was eight years ago. None of us
are. There are the physical changes that come with normal aging, and then there
are the intangible changes that come with time. Wisdom works that way.
I started this blog as a marathon runner and end as someone hoping
soon to run around the block. Which is one of several reasons it’s time for me
to bring this project to a close. I’m starting to feel like a bit of a fraud
writing about running when it’s no longer as big of a focus for me. And I’m
craving a smaller digital footprint. I
also now work very long days and need more distance from the computer.
That said, I still plan to record my workouts and post
photos and videos at DailyMile, at least until that forum runs its
course too. I’m also still providing my 2 cents on books I’ve read (and could use
a few more reading friends!) And I know I will miss this blog, especially when
I’m doing fun things like Bay to Breakers in May and vacationing in Morro Bay
this summer. So I will still create travel videos and maybe contribute to
travel Web sites to satisfy that craving.
I did an audit of the bloggers I followed the first year I
became one. None is still active. It's close to nil for the second year too. Most just left up their last post as if it’s
still open ended. Maybe that’s because they might be back.
I am not going to do that. I’m going to end it here with one
last thank you to each and every one of you (and you know who you are) and with
a heartfelt and maybe even heartsick good-bye. And that, as they say, is all she wrote.
