Saturday, December 5, 2009

Can you help my web name?

As you can clearly see, I've been dinking around with my blog - thanks, in part, to very snowy Meg's blog (for a California chick, this is pretty good stuff!). I'm one of those that just can't leave well enough alone and as reported in the intense "I hurt" blog, I'm a pretty determined girl, at least with silly gadgets and apparently, blue snowflakes.

Did I mention I know nothing about HTML? My daughter had a semester in high school learning this stuff so she's pretty on top of it. Sorta. She's been impatiently helping me. Let me stress the impatiently part!! I'm grateful for her fancy, ridiculously over-priced Catholic education, even if she rolls her eyes at me constantly and grabs my laptop and will not show me what she's doing. Oh well. It's a work in progress, please don't think this snow angle here is sticking around in the current state she's in...but we're making ground. Abbey's currently not at home or I'd be making her fix this mess...so I'll just blog instead.

So anyway I need help. Beyond advanced psychological help.

I'm a running coach, amongst 3 other jobs I have. I have a client here and there; right now it's slow as races are all winding down and all but it will pick up after the Jan 1; I already have two new clients :). Anyway, I need to build a website. More of a running website but I also have a personal training certification and have had a couple weight loss clients in the past and do not mind this avenue, though I do want the focus on marathon or half marathon training.

With all that in mind, I need a name.

I have a practice website out there that a friend helped me with a lot earlier in the year (if you haven't quite figured it out yet, I am very computer illiterate!!). Initial thoughts were to use this site but the more I dove into it, the more I didn't like it. Nor the name. Well, it's time to re-register that name and I don't like it (trainwithjill.com). I don't want anything even remotely associated with my name in it. I want something inspiring but also maybe fun. Related to running but also not necessarily. Short and to the point so that too many keystrokes aren't going to be an issue.

The major problem is, most good running named websites are not available (and I have very little creativity). You can check availability on domainname.com but anything that I really like is taken. Which is to be expected...but it leaves me in a panic as I really need to get this puppy started before the end of the year.

Any ideas???

One I've considered is: mileswithin.com

It's available. A friend has offered to help me with website (did I mention I can't do a whole lot on the computer? :) ) and is off work the last two weeks of the year (like me :) ). He likes this name. I'm not so sure anymore. Anyway, I'm begging for any suggestions that you guys as runners would be drawn to!! Any and all suggestions are appreciated! THANKS in advanced!!

In running news: I blew off early morning run this morning with a girlfriend. I should have gone; I was a mess all morning and the conversation of a good female running pal would have been good for the soul but I was able to sleep in a bit more, which was also much needed. I dropped off Brendan at boxing this afternoon and went for a very hilly 6 mile run. Pace: 8:49. I wanted to go MP (faster) but because of the continuous steep hills, I'm ok with it. I could not, however, get my mind in a happy place and upon return, had a mini-meltdown and the tears started. I am worried about Tucson. I've GOT to this this mind under control and get my head on straight. Tomorrow I'm meeting running friends Dennis and Matt for the tail end of their 8 miler. They are super speedy and the last thing I need is to trash my legs 5 days before the marathon by running their fast 8 miler. But a couple miles with them would be good. Hopefully it will also help the ole mind to be around other running mates. Maybe they'll slap the crap out of me and scream GET OVER IT, JILL!!!! And similar get-your-act-together loving comments.

And oh, I am on an antibiotic for the sinuses. Yep, it's definitely marathon tapering time!! I don't even have to tell my doctor my symptoms, he just asks: What antibiotic do you want now? I really need to get this sinus stuff surgically cleaned out - springtime is a total nightmare for me. I dread it. But that's not going to happen, due to insurance issues, anytime soon.

Very excited for bloggers running CIM and Vegas marathons tomorrow. And a friend, Adam, doing Palm Beach!!!!

20 comments:

mdphoto said...

I like mileswithin.com. The obvious one is milestogo.com, but I'm sure that one is long gone.

Good luck in Tucson!

Mark

Anonymous said...

I like your pretty snowflakes! You know I am not creative. mileswithin.com works. Sounds like you are making some progress! Meg M-T

Rookie on the Run said...

I like mileswithin.com. Coming up with names for things is not my gift so I have nothing else to offer you.

Your blog is starting to looks pretty! The snow angel did make things difficult to read so I'm glad you don't intend for it to stay. :)

Tim F said...

I like mileswithin.com. That seems very cool. I also wish I knew something/anything about HTML.

Laura said...

I like mileswithin...or milesanddrivewithin ?
I am a blog/website idiot.

Jennifer said...

I enjoyed reading your blog, I guess mileswithin.com sounds like a good title. I have done a bit of website work and find that the biggest mistake people make is to add lots of bells and whistles and that can make the important information hard to find. easy navigation is the key!

Unknown said...

Ha on the antibiotics comment, been there! Boo hoo on the running taper stuff(that was a soft slap by the way...not painful). Jill, you are tapering...resting! Nothing you do today will affect your race..you worked hard already, you're strong, you're ready!! GOOOO! No beating yourself up! Rest and have fun with your website...how about www.funfitandfast/or fastfunandfit/or keepingthepace/or pacewithjill(I know you don't like your name in it but Jill is such nice short name)...runwithjill/ fitfunfit/...just trying to pull in your sense of fun and wit. I could actually play with silly names like this all day so please stop me!!! Ahhh!
Ok, take it easy today and chill in your chill weather.

Anonymous said...

hello,
mileswithin.com is a good name.
i like runwithjill. its short and to the point and people will remember it.

and cool graphics. love the snowflakes.
and i shouldnt be saying that because i live in canada and we have 5 month of snow and i probably just jinxed myself and we will have snow tomorrow. hahahah. jokes. fingers crossed we dont get snow today.

i know nothing about computers either.

have a good sunday

Anonymous said...

Runningwithjill.com

You're selling a brand. Your brand is Jill. It's easy to remember, it tells what you're doing, and it's close enough to your web site name to keep that assiciation.

runnningwithin seems kinda generic to me. you're not generic. You're Jill. Sell it! If I met you and you said runningwith i'd forget. If you told me runningwithjill I'd remember. In my book it's better to be to the point than terribly clever.

(If you believe in subliminal advertising, Jill is close enough to Jillian that you could get warm and fuzzy residuals from it.)

Runningwithjill.com. They'll be running. with. Jill. What could be better?

(Warning: I have a marketing degree but slept through most of my classes. I have NO idea what I'm talking about.)

Anonymous said...

I think Margerine has picked out a good one, Jill. RunningwithJill does sound good and easy to remember. New Year's is right around the corner, and all the New Year resolutioners will be signing up :)...

12 degrees in Colorado? Brrr.. I really like your page and all the snowflakes, but then I'm a flake. Have fun on your run tomorrow. TRY TO RELAX and have fun. Taper hell is almost over lol...and don't worry, you will ROCK! ... the chick..

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

Your day is getting so close. I'm excited for you!

I hope the sinuses are are cleared up before the race.

I like the mileswithin but I will give it some thought and let you know. I am rather creative some times. (I make hand made greeting cards with custom poems. I have a web-site but don't use it. I really only do local business but I thought the day might come when I'd have more time?!? holy cow cards dot com if you are ever really bored.)

Glad to see some else is running hills too! They are just the BEST fun! ;-)

Christina said...

Mileswithin is a good name. Its unique. I guess to help come up with a name I'd like to know do you have any mantras you tell your athletes? Do you have special training workouts that people love or even hate? Are there any favorite running stories of your own or of your athletes? Maybe there is a great name within those that will have you standout from the others.

Davide (The Artist Formerly Known As Moose) said...

Can I agree with Garbanzo here? If I were to be a prospective customer I think I would really like something like "trainwithjill", it's so catchy and personal.
But then again, if you really loathe adding your name to the website maybe there is something better than "mileswithin", which sounds quite impersonal in my opinion... if a good idea springs out I'll let you know! Ciao :)

Jenn said...

Sounds like me. I am completely computer illiterate and always need to get my tweenage daughter to help me out!! Good luck coming up with a name-I hate stuff like that. I asked my girls for ideas when I was trying to put a name on my blog. I thought being from MN maybe I could have something with "running" and "snow". My youngest suggested "Frosty Runner". My oldest suggested, "The White Witch" I got a good laugh out of that one!
You will do great in the marathon and you are totally ready. I wish I could have been blogging during my taper time. I was an absolute basket case. It'll all come together race day :) Hope the sinuses clear up!

Anonymous said...

Ooooh. Is it too late to change my vote to "The White Witch" for the site? That has a ring! And gives you that ruthless coach mystique!

Denise said...

I like the mileswithin.com!!

cool to know you're a PT. Which cert do you have. I'm slowly chipping away at studying for mine right now, too. Just hard studying on top of working full time and working out!!

Jill said...

Abbey, bless her heart, came up with this latest slowflake artwork....sorry, honey, I don't really like it. My aunt just emailed me that she's not a fan also. Since it's a whopping 5 degrees right now at 10:30a.m., I'm wondering if I need a sun-filled beach scene!

Thanks for comments/suggestions on the web name. I think I'm warming up to the "Jill" idea...

Anonymous said...

totally dig mileswithin.com - doesn't that exactly grab what we have to do? dig deep. find the guts to keep going. it all comes from within - otherwise i'd never run!

Tina @GottaRunNow said...

I like 'jill' in the name and 'running', too, easy to remember.

Adam Culp (Crazy Floridian) said...

Thanks for the mention Jill. I didn't realize you were posting out here and not in FB. Sorry for that.

I will think of some domain names. (that's my business, so I will search a bit.)