Resolutions Revisited

Hard to believe January is about over.

February is tomorrow.  Yeesh.

I posted a vague post  about my resolutions earlier this month, when the year ahead was filled with wonder and excitement and hope.  I still feel like 2013 will be a great and exciting year full of big and positive changes but I have decided to tweak and share my resolutions a bit now.

My first resolution was to lose weight (womp womp.  Really exciting) and be healthier.  Part of that resolution was to cut out booze for the month of January.  For the most part, I did that.  I went out once (once!!) in Texas and had a couple of cocktails, but other than that it was H20 for me.

And you know what? 

It felt pretty good.  It was hard at first to be surrounded by friends, colleagues, people in general sipping cocktails and beers and wine while I had plain old water.  But now I have decided to carry this "no drinking" thing into February, with a minor change--I will have a drink here or there, but not just because it is a Friday night or because I had a long day or because we are out to dinner.  I will have a drink if it is well deserved, if we are going on a pub tour, if we are celebrating something.  Furthermore, since I feel so clean and clear without having any booze this month, I thought I would cut out processed dairy, like crap yogurt and cheese.  *This I GUARANTEE you will only last a month, but I am excited to try it.  I really want to jump start some healthy changes (and see the number on the scale drop) and I think eating more "whole" foods and eating cleaner will help.

Another resolution I had was to make 2013 the year I ran a marathon.

I was too scared to say it to too many people.  "What if I tried and failed?"  "What if I told a million people and then backed down?"  "What if I ran it and it took me 6 hours?!"

After a lot of back and forth, I decided not to run a marathon this year, and I finally feel like a strong and competent woman.  I wanted to run the marathon to prove to myself and to others that I could do this.  

Turns out, maybe that is not such a good reason (for me) to run a marathon.

Every half I run I tell myself I am never doing this again.  Running does not come naturally.  It is hard. It is often a struggle.  I am not athletic.

I need to remember that just two years ago I could not run 1 mile without stopping.  Two years ago the thought of running more than a 5K was crazy.  

I can now run.  I am a runner.  I signed up for a half marathon on a whim (eek) and have 6 weeks to get ready.  I am confident in my running now.  I will never be fast or athletic or a marathoner most likely, but I am a half marathoner, and I am proud of that accomplishment.

And right now that is good enough for me.

As for my other two resolutions, those remain personal for now.  But I am sure as we get more comfortable with the idea of them I will begin sharing more.

Happy almost-February :)