Why is getting you blog’s header “just right” so important.
It is usually the first thing that people see when they visit your blog and it can provide them a pretty good idea of who you are and what your blog is about.
I have chosen to go with a more personal blog header, since A Veteran Runnah is about my running and my thoughts on different running experiences or reflections. It seemed appropriate to have pictures of me doing what I love in my header.
Each one of these pictures have a special meaning to me and I explain that below:
Past
1974 – This is the only picture that I have from this era that is good enough quality to be here. It shows me before a Cross Country meet in my Senior year, against Greenville High School. It was probably either my last or one of the last Cross Country races I ran in, because I injured my Achilles tendon fairly early that year and didn’t finish the season, due to that injury.
This photo also shows that I was a runner even way back when.
1983 – A picture of me during the Marine Corps Marathon in 1983, which I finished. I am still very proud of that achievement and it is here to remind me of my goal to run the 2013 MCM, thirty years later.
Present
January – This is a picture from the January 2012 Thaw in Belgrade, which was my first race in several years and was a part of my road to recovery after my knee surgery last year. You can see that I was a lot heavier back in this picture and it is there to remind me of how far I have come.
May – I used this picture taken in May that shows my progress and the changes that occurred, it was my best comparison picture. This photo might not be here when I get another race picture that shows the difference better, since I have lost even more inches and pounds since then.
Track Photo – This photo is from the start of the 24th Annual Joseph’s 5K Race on April 28th, that starts and ends at the school where I used to teach and is the last road race that I participated in this year. This spot in the header will rotate as I get newer action shots of me in more recent races.
The Big Grin – This is after finishing the Bond Brook 5K Trail Race in Augusta. I was happy that I started the race and very pleased with how I did. This race was also my first Trail Race, since I ran Cross Country in High School. Even though I have run trails for a long time, I had never had done an actual trail race.
This photo shows who I am – laughing and having fun most of the time.
The Reality is that
I used PowerPoint to make the header and while it isn’t perfect, I like it.
Also since I created it, I know how to make changes when I want to update the photos, so it will not be a static header that stays the same forever. Which would have been the case if I had taken a couple people up on their generous offer to Photoshop a header for me.
Stop and think for a moment, when was the last time you looked at and updated your header? Are you still happy with it? Does it “show” who you are now and what your blog is about? Think about it for a minute.
Yes updating a header can be a lot of work, but in my opinion, it is something that needs to be done every so often to update or freshen up our blogs.
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Alex Bridgeforth (@alexbridgeforth)
July 18, 2012 at 10:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I Updated my header recently from just the title of my blog to a picture. Let me know what you think. Yes, I am very happy with it and it does show me and my fiance and us running. Think it really does my blog justice.
Harold L. Shaw
July 19, 2012 at 9:39 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I noticed the change the other day and it looks great! Now which legs are yours? hehehehee only kidding. Thanks for commenting Alex
Kymberly Williams-Evans
July 18, 2012 at 11:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Great decisions about your header, plus I enjoy reading the decision-making behind each picture. You get a lot across in a short peek. Run, run, run! http://funandfit.org/2012/07/the-klout-workout-perks-circuits/
Harold L. Shaw
July 19, 2012 at 9:36 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks Kymberly, I like people to have an idea of why I chose the pictures otherwise they have no context.
Carrie
July 19, 2012 at 12:07 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I like it! That’s kind of what I was going for when I changed my header a few weeks ago. While it’s not a past/present comparison, I like having the opportunity to change out the pictures to keep it fresh, but also to have something that is recognizable, consistent, and relevant to what I write about.
Harold L. Shaw
July 19, 2012 at 9:32 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks Carrie, Your’s turned out great! I thought the Past/Present was appropriate for an old guy
. I agree that being able to change certain elements is a good thing and helps things remain fresh.
Week In Review 7/22/12 | A Veteran Runnah
July 22, 2012 at 8:21 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
[...] a little housekeeping on the blog and its appearance Yep A New Theme–The Old One Wasn’t Me and New Blog Header and What the Photos Mean before I left. I really like the changes and believe that A Veteran Runnah looks a lot better now [...]