It has been over a month since my last posting. I doubt anyone follows my blog close enough for that to even matter but I thought I would post something related to, yep you guessed it, the New Year!!! Why do we wait until the end of the previous year or the very beginning to look at how we need to change our lives or the way we go about each day? Why don't we do that on March 8th, or May 15th, or October 5th or some other random date? What is so special about waiting until the end of the year to figure out what we need to change in and about our lives and then try to apply it to the beginning of the next? Is it because we eat a lot during the holidays, feel bad about it and decide to lose weight? Is it because we have had some time off and a chance to reflect on the past year and determine the things that need to be changed? Why do we do it? I admit, I do it just like the rest of the world does it; I was just curious as to why?
At the end of this year, I actually took some time off from training and exercising and decided that I needed to spend some time with my family and shore up a lot of things at work rather than off somewhere doing some off-season trail run, swimming endless laps, or biking endless hours in spinning class. I must admit that it was nice and I enjoyed the time off, but guess what? I told my family that I would be starting to up my training again as the New Year approached. Well, here it is the New Year and I have kept to my word; I have started increasing the running and swimming, not so much with the biking just yet, but that will be ramping up soon too. I actually gained some weight which was expected, but because I didn't gorge myself this Holiday and stayed smart and really focused on trying to eat good foods, I actually maintained quite well. To me, losing ten pounds or so is so much easier after losing the large amount from before. Ten pounds is manageable and even justifiable with my eating habits (clean eating or not). The thing that doesn't let me worry is that I still love exercising, and I know that ten pounds is not the most overwhelming weight loss challenge I have ever attempted and as long as I don't let it get anything more than that.
Now to get back to the New Year's Resolution thing. Yes, I put together a list of races and other goals that I want to accomplish in 2013 (I will add that list to the next posting this month). I even cleaned up my office (only a little), did some organizing of old papers at the house, donated some old stuff to Goodwill and even bought a new 8-pack of underwear (really going all out in 2013!)
So, in a sense, we always try to find a way to start fresh, to start new, and the New Year always seems like a perfect time to do this. We even do it during the week. For example, we usually organize our schedules from Monday-Sunday or maybe Sunday-Saturday, but almost never Wednesday-Tuesday. Why is that? I think we have to have a designated beginning and end for something to feel absolutely complete. If we start back to work on a Monday, maybe that is the right start of the week, just like when we start a New Year, that is the time to start fresh.
Heck, I even started my weight loss journey as a New Year's Resolution so, two years later, I am still doing the same thing, starting off fresh at the New Year, trying to figure out what I need to do to become a better husband, dad, son, friend and colleague. I am simply doing what a lot of people do at the beginning of each year, trying to figure out how in the world to become a better person for those around us and ourselves. So, to close out 2012, I will say goodbye to last year, I've learned a lot, both good and bad (like when swimming in the nasty, disease and bacteria laden Ohio River, try to keep your mouth closed when turning your head upstream ~ ya think?)
Anyway, here is to a great 2013! I hope everyone reaches their goals, challenges and dreams this year! You have to start somewhere right?
Starting 2013 off right, by running, just running...
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