When one hears ‘Half Marathon’, we usually think of running or walking. Well, my first half marathon was different and about something that I have come to love – blogging. I participated in the Blogchatter Half Marathon and this is my 10th & last post for the challenge. Though apprehensive if I could do 10 posts over 15 days, I still took it as a challenge and signed up for it.
My Reasons For Participating In The Blogchatter Half Marathon
– Blogchatter is a well-known platform and helps bloggers network.
– This challenge gave me a great opportunity to practice writing & posting consistently as I usually tend to post blogs very irregularly. It also meant I had to write about something new every day, which in itself was exciting.
– I would get to read interesting posts by some wonderful bloggers.
– I would also get to network and engage with fellow bloggers.
– I could learn some great blogging tips and tricks from others that will help me grow–.
I was excited to start this journey and I am happy that I was able to write & post consistently. However, I overshot the first deadline due to a small kitchen accident in which I injured my hand and hence was not able to type easily. But I am glad I was still able to complete the challenge within the extended deadline.
Though I had registered on Blog Chatter some months ago, I had not shared much on the platform. I had done 3 book reviews and shared one other post (now you know what I meant when I said I was not consistent when posting blogs). So this Blogchatter Half Marathon posed a few challenges. I tried to first understand the platform and the rules of the challenge so that I could give it my best.
Photo by Alysha Rosly on Unsplash
Tips That Worked For Me During The Blogchatter Half Marathon
– First, understand the platform and the rules of the challenge.
– Familiarise yourself with how to post and tag correctly so that you don’t lose out on posts.
– Draw up a schedule for writing, posting, and reading. Spread this out equally so that you have some free time to relax or catch up if you have fallen behind on anything.
– Write quality posts. Don’t publish just to tick a number on the counter. Remember, your readers are brilliant writers too. Value their time and hence make the effort to write properly.
– Proofread to keep your posts free of errors. That way your reader will also know you are serious about your blogs. If possible, get a friend or family member to help with proofreading as others can identify mistakes that you may have missed out on.
– You can also keep a couple of posts ready in advance so that you have a backup if something untoward happens. I learnt this the hard way after my hand injury as I could not write for a couple of days and fell behind on my schedule.
– Participating in a challenge like this requires engagement. So read up the rules beforehand and understand what is required of you. When other bloggers read and support you, return the favor and give them your support as well.
– Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the journey. It is not only about winning but also about participation and learning and having fun.
Overall, I am happy with the progress that I have made through this challenge and my growth curve as a blogger. To read my previous blog challenge experiences, click here.
As a reader, I haven’t been able to read all the posts by the others participating in the challenge. I have tried to read at least one post by every participating blogger. But I plan to complete reading the others too in the following weeks and fulfill my commitment when I signed up for the challenge. For me, this journey was all about supporting each other and building up the wonderful blogger community. I have learnt, grown, improved, pushed boundaries, and connected with some wonderful bloggers because of the Blogchatter Half Marathon. And yes, I had FUN as well while doing all this!!!
This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.
This is a good summary of the challenge! I too am not consistent. I do hope this challenge has helped me get back into regular blogging…
That’s so great that you had fun! One of the reasons I participated was I needed a push to be consistent too. It’s hard beyond a challenge to match the discipline of writing, reading and engaging. So glad you were able to finish it despite an injury.
Wonderful well wrote and blog chatter is awesome. Great to find the post about the half marathon challenge.