Too many rules?

<Editor’s Note: This is one of those blog posts I find myself nervous to hit “publish” on but I’m going with my gut on this one and just doing it. I hope this rambly post makes sense in some form or fashion!>

I’ve been thinking a lot about this fitblog community of ours. Both how amazing this community is – so full of support and jam-packed with inspiration. But a teeny tiny part of me also wonders if we inadvertently place too many “rules” on eachother without really meaning to.

Let me explain:
…if you’re a “fitblogger” and you post about anything other than your workouts for the day or week, are you still a “fitblogger?”
…if you’re a “healthy living” blogger, and you write about a bang-up weekend you had that included a few too many indulgences, are you still a “healthy living” blogger?
…or if you’re a runner, and you run by your own pace, your own style, your own approach, are you any less of a runner because of it? 

I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: do we inadvertently place “rules” or “labels” on ourselves based on what others in this blogging community view as “proper” or appropriate based on the labels we place on eachother? 

I was thinking about this in relation to running this morning as I rolled this blog post topic around in my head while making breakfast. It feels like the “proper” approach to running, especially when training for a race, is to run no more than 4, *maybe* 5, days a week to avoid injury and burnout. And for the most part, I totally agree with that. But what if one day I wake up bursting with energy, my legs feel great, and I just want to run even though it’s not a “scheduled” running day and would push me into the 5x/week category for running that week, does that make me a “bad” runner or one that’s going into overtraining mode? See? I don’t think so, but I would guess that some of you might call that overtraining in your own rule-book. And that’s where the little voice in my head says “hmm.” 

To me, I think we should live by our own set of rules that we learn and create by our own unique experiences and what’s right for our own selves. Not just because another blogger (or friend IRL) does it a certain way. Nor should we approach blogging (or our IRL lives) a certain way because we’ve given ourselves a certain label.

Sure, I consider myself a fitblogger. But the sole reason for that? I freakin’ love to workout and writing about that aspect of my life comes so naturally, so fluidly, so from the heart. I would never blog about it if I didn’t feel strongly about it. But I don’t *only* write about fitness. I also cover deeper topics on occasion (like this very blog post, who knew?), and much lighter topics – like my obsession with good wine, good friends, date nights’ with my husband and anything in between.

Same goes for running. I tend to run by my own rules. I don’t run with a garmin. I don’t know what my actual pace is, just an estimate based on how long it takes me to run xx miles. I don’t run with music. Ever. No playlists will ever appear on this blog. I definitely don’t run by a training plan, other than my own. Heck, I barely know the difference between a tempo run and a regular run. But guess what? I’m still very much a runner, I’m still staring down 13.1 in just under three weeks. I run for me, by my own rules. And I blog about it here. And it works for me.

So this is my rambly way of saying – blog for you, blog from the heart, but also live by your own set of rules, always.

Do you guys agree with me on this? Do you find you get sucked into the “rules” and “labels” here and there in this little blogging community of ours? Or am I just making up this whole “rules” and “labels” thing entirely? Be honest! 😉