Interview with a Blogger

So I came late to the Interview A Blogger Party happening over at Citizen of the Month... but when someone bailed, I offered to step in. Neil shot me an email with a link to a website, and I couldn't find a contact us page, or an email addie, so I left a comment which to this day has been unanswered....

Along comes Nat. She tells me, "We are to interview each other for The Big Interview Project." And so we did!

Great fun to meet a Canadian/Canadien. She's an interesting gal, and turns out we have a lot in common... except she runs! in winter! in Ottawa! brrrr. I live in sunny Southern California, and if I make it out for a mile walk, when its 56 degrees farenheit, I'm feeling SO proud of myself.... and rugged.


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Nat's a bit heartier. And was most gracious in answering my oddball questions, including the one about the vegetable. I've always wanted to ask that of an job applicant but.....
and quicker on the draw in posting her interview with me.

Why do you blog? and Which came first, From Nats Brain or See Nat Run?

I started blogging a few years back with a blog called Afraid of Diving. But I decided to scrap it, it lacked direction and really wasn't going anywhere. I was a reporter at the time and it felt like work. Now I don't write so much for work. I talk to people a lot. So now I feel the need to explain the world as I see it. It's my personal soapbox.

From Nat's Brain came first, but I started running more seriously -- and didn't think the running stuff fit in with the other silly things I write about. I find that no matter how far I run, or how I work out there is usually something to say. Maybe it's because it's such a physical thing that the mind wanders. Who knows...


and speaking of running... I read one of your posts from last year
where you mentioned you finally considered yourself a runner. How long
have been running?

My first "run" was in November 28, 2004. I went less than 2 miles. I am a bit pudgy and hated running in school. In fact, they called my mother in Grade 8 (Secondaire 1 in Quebec) and told her I was being uncooperative in gym class. I refused to run the bridge. But as I got old older, I became fascinated with the idea of a marathon. It seemed like a superhuman thing to do. The zen of me and the pavement. And the idea really really made me laugh.

I met a trainer in Nov. 2004 who said she could train me to run the marathon here in Ottawa in May 2005. I did it. But it was ill advised and it took me a year to recover. I started running seriously again in early 2006. I learned that I really need to have confidence in what my gut is telling me. But I digress. I am slow as molasses in January but I love it.

how much do you run daily/weekly?
I run three or four times a week. Right now I'm marathon training so I run about 4.5 miles three times a week plus a long run. When I'm not training I run 10 to 15 miles a week. I'm hitting peak marathon training so last week I did 30-odd miles, this week is a "recovery" week and I only ran 18.

how many marathons have you done?
Just The National Capital Marathon in 2005. It was an amazing experience. All these races are. I am training for the Shamrock Marathon in March. The famille and I will be piling into the car and driving to Virginia Beach. It's less than a month away -- and I am only freaking out a little bit. The goal is to do one marathon a year and a few halves. (I love the Half I have run many.)

How many shoes do you wear out when you're in training for a marathon?
I'm hard on shoes. I switch them every 250 to 300 miles. I'm on my second pair for this training run. Weird things hurt when they start to go . I always buy the same brand (Brooks Ariel size 9.5B). I love these shoes. Love them. Speaking of which I need to buy a new pair.


and what's your post run shoe of choice--obviously not high heels.
I am big barefoot fan or big socks. At work I do have to wear appropriate footwear which does means heels from time to time. But around this point in marathon, it's about putting as little stress on my feet as possible. So I wear Docs at work.


(On the heels thing -- Katie Holmes apparently did the New York City Marathon. Many people are of the impression that she cheated and only ran part of it. I tend to agree. There were two things. (1) She ran without a sports bra -- she would have had so much chafing her nipples would have bled and (2) she was seen at a movie premier that night wearing heels. If I had to I suppose I could but usually your feet are just tired, heels are hard on them.)

Back to Nats Brain... you mentioned you are a child of the 80s.
Thats funny because I was thinking we were the same age (sort of) but
I consider myself a child of the 70s (I'm 43) So, what does being a
"child of the 80s" mean to YOU?
Wow. Good question. I'm 37. And remember little prior to being 10, it seems to be the first decade where I see my place in the world. I remember the recession and people having to sell their homes as interest rate went through the roof and people had to move and how hard it was to find work once I completed my degree. In Canada, it was a time of budget cuts and of my mom (specifically) being worried about losing her job. You work hard, and then when got there you work harder. I'm not sure we see that so much anymore.

But the 80s were a time of excess. I formed my opinion that we need to help our fellow human and brought me to a place where I could truly explore alternatives to the mainstream way of thinking. It also means I have the lyrics to some truly bad songs imbedded in my head. George Michael will always be from Wham! Michael Jackson had a career and a nose.

How did you come up with the Flakey Friday? (maybe I'm a little
dense... or that glass of wine with dinner is kicking in) I don't get
the theme of Flakey Friday. Or maybe thats it. Anyway, explain
please!
Well I wanted to write about Pierce Brosnan. And the time, it struck me as a stupid thing to write about. I was being a flake. (Really the entire blog is flakey.) The concept being that I would discuss something lighter and a bit on the ditzy side. Stupid stuff like my ode to the Buttertart. I am actually not sure I am going to keep it to be honest. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

How many posts a week do you do ? and how many blogs-- besides
Citizen of the Month-- do you read?
My running blog is really where I post the most. So I post there after every run and include mileage, and all that (about four or five times a week.) In theory I'd like to post to FNB three or four times a week. But time... motherhood. I try to keep it positive.

Well, I signed up for Google Reader so it's a bit of a long list. I'll go update my blog roll and people can go check it out. I subscribe to about 50 blogs as well as four news feeds. A lot of running blogs and a few this and that blogs. Big blogs, little blogs, in between blogs. Most people don't post every day.

And here's from the marketing side of my brain: do you know who reads
your blog? where they come from? how many readers a day/month?
I think I know about four people in RL who read my blog. A part from that many are people who have followed me back from a comment and the like. In general terms, I'm not sure where the rest of them come from. I have little blog. The running blog is read mainly by runners. Most of whom found me through the Runners' Lounge (I think.) My attitude to blogging is that it shouldn't be work. So I don't really worry about readership too much. I reckon if I'm doing blog related stuff and it's fun to me. Then I'll keep doing it.

And is it true PR people laugh at us marketing people?
No. No. We aren't laughing. We would like to reassure the marketing people that at no time would we be laughing at marketing. We were .... indulging in... some vocal exercises that's it.

or from my smart alec side... is it true that PR people are really
just frustrated reporters?
Too funny. I think it depends. PR pays so much better the hours don't suck, and you don't have to call parents and say stupid things "Hi Mrs. Smith, your son Billy died in a horrific crash. Can you tell us about him?" I think that's wrong. In my present job, I get to say no. "No, you cannot speak to Mrs. Smith. No you cannot hang around the ED. It's a weird thing how into our lives reporters and media are. So that bit I don't miss. I do miss talking to people and hearing what they have to say. It's the whole tell me your story. (Which is why I ended up doing three interviews for Citizen of the month.)

Now the folks I really worry about are the folks who have ONLY ever done PR. It's all they know. As one of the best writers/communicators I know said to me. They can't teach you communications and public relations. You either get it or you don't.


or from my even more smart alecky side... is it true that PR people
and Reporters are really just frustrated novelists?
Reporters definitely. I know more reporters who are waiting to write The Great Novel.
PR people not so much. We are too busy coming up with excuses.


Seriously, do you consider yourself a writer?
Like you, I think writing is one of the few creative outlets I have. I am a writer by trade. It's a large part of what I do. (Debatable how good I am at it. Some days I suck.) The problem I find is that every one thinks they can write. In fact, few people can write well and keep it entertaining. Words have to flow. They have a rhythm. I love words. I love talking about words. Language is just such a gift.

And finally.... if you could classify yourself as a vegetable, what
would it be?
A Turnip.


Thanks for playing Nat! and like I said in my email... come on down for the Rock and Roll Marathon if you must run... I'll take you to dinner.