A blog to-do list

As if my life isn't already riddled with to do lists I've got one going for the blog too. At least this I can accomplish while comatose on the couch.

Traffic has been way up lately, woohoo! (A coincidence closely aligned with the fact that I've actually been posting.) I had 4,388 hits in May, and ten days into June I'm at 1,495. Wonder if I can hit 5,000?

But there are a lot of things on my blog that are deftly out of date. I'm going to:

• Get rid of the three other pages and replace them with a new race results page, a bucket list page, oproducts and companies I like/and I dislike page and a bio/contact page Someday I'll do bucket list and products but that's enough for now
• Replace the background image that I used as a placeholder a year ago and never fixed Not sure about the wine glass but can't figure out custom image
• Change up the widgets on the side (I like the basic layout.) Find a featured post widget instead of the top 10 and an upcoming races widget.
• Possibly find some widget for this other thing I'm working on.
• Update blogroll
• Update tags in recent posts
• Delete drafts I'll never finish got all the recent ones, I'll get all the past ones eventually

Then there are a number of posts I want to do, which may or may not get done (crossed out when written, deleted when posted). 

• I'm so sleepy -- why training is tiring but worth it
• Keuka Lake photos
• Garmin 310XT review 
• Green tea is heavenly
• My lazy vices
• Enjoying Kershaw Park 
• Para athletes 
• Review: Powerbar fruit squeezes
• Performance cycling 
• Loving the Scootadoot ladies
• Overview of special thing I'm working on 
• First entry in special thing I'm working on 
• Gooseberry hydration pack review
• Asics cumulus review
• SPI belt review
• Cheap water bottles
• Blogroll

So perhaps since I've put it down in writing...

Update 6/14
Blog improvements I'd like to make in the future
Do a bucket list and product review page
Go back further and update tags, delete drafts

Hello potential employer!

I'm kind-of sort-of poking my nose around for a new day job.

By "kind-of sort-of" I mean that I'm happy with the job I have now. Really happy with it, actually. But I'm thinking that it may be time to take that next step up.

If my resume is in your hands, you've probably found your way to my blog through a Google search, trying to figure out a little bit more about the woman with the obnoxious Italian last name. Welcome, you've found my personal blog! While you're here poke around a bit. It won't take you long to figure out the following:

• I like to write
• I play with data for fun
• I like to bargain shop
• I'm a textbook Type A personality
• I'm ambitious
• I'm an awesome writer
• I like my smartphone
• I'm a team player
• I like shoes (preferably the kind that lace up, but I'm not afraid of a clunky heel, either)
• Most of the music I like was recorded before I was born
• Did I mention that I'm a really awesome writer?

In case you're wondering about the blog, I started blogging on a private weight loss forum when I got the silly idea to train for a 5K in 2010. When I advanced to the 10K I transitioned to a public blog. I kept it going as I trained for a 10-miler. Then a marathon. Then through getting certified as a Spinning instructor. Then another marathon. Then another. Do your knees hurt yet?

Mostly I write this blog so friends and family can keep up with my training, but I do a few things to boost traffic, just so I can experiment with what works.

The blog gets about 2,000 hits a month. I do consider search engine optimization when I write. I do this by trying to think what Google search terms will drive people to the posts, and I also try to mention as many brand names as possible. Most of my blog traffic comes at around 8 to 10 a.m., with 8 to 10 p.m. also seeing traffic boosts, and Saturday afternoons. I like to set things to auto-post during these times so they're fresh in RSS and Facebook feeds.

Most of my traffic is driven by searches for events such as the Warrior Dash, the Flying Pig Marathon and the Tough Mudder, and also searches for specific brands of shoes. Strangely, "oolong tea" is the top search term of all time.

Thanks for reading! It's very much a work in progress, but feel free to check out my professional blog here for links to all my stories.