Hello, Goodbye.

The last day of 2012 started with a 75-minute hot yoga class at Be Yoga. During class, I imagined all the negative experiences of 2012 leaving my body with every drop of sweat (and there were a lot). Aside from helping me mentally and physically prepare to welcome 2013, it also took my mind off the fire I felt in my biceps and glutes throughout class – yowza. Later that night, Mitch and I spent New Year’s Eve with my family, as we have for the past four years. The only difference was Mel Gibson decided to join this year.

2012 certainly had trying moments, but it was also a year filled with new & exciting experiences. We bought a new car, moved into a house, became godparents to a beautiful little girl, and celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I left a job that made me miserable for one that I look forward to going to each day. I ran a 5k, then a 10k, and then a half marathon where I officially came down with the race bug.

While ringing in 2013, I thought of the New Year’s resolutions that I made last year; those I followed through with (more yoga, less stress) and those that could still use some improvement (more blogging, less wine). Is it okay to blame those failed resolutions on all my  stress over the world’s imminent end in 2012? No?

Apocalypse jokes aside, at the end of the day only I am accountable for my successes and failures, and I am determined to make 2013 an unforgettable year. I will run a race every month. I will learn to play a song on my banjo. I will blog multiple times per week. I will incorporate headstands into my yoga practice. I will be more conscious of what I put in my body (after I finish this pizza and champagne). I will work on chipping away at our debt so we can start seriously saving. I will step outside of my comfort zone – not just with fitness, but with food, music, traveling. And when in doubt, I will turn to Pinterest.

How about you? What are your goals for 2013?

New Year’s Resolutions Realized.

One of my most important New Year’s resolutions for 2012 was to be more active. While I loved going to our local gym, I never considered running an option for exercise; I was born with hip dysplasia and dealt with off-and-on issues with my hips through my teenage years and early twenties. I could do the elliptical, hike the nearby trails, or take spin classes till my heart’s content but the thought of my feet hitting the pavement terrified me.

In March I decided it would be fun to participate in the Atlanta Color Run with my husband and our friends. In the interest of full disclosure, I really wanted to do the Color Run for the awesome pictures that would undoubtedly come out of it. I envisioned myself walking most of it and then joyfully running a few yards through the color zones before going back to walking. The morning of the Color Run, my friend Josh turned to me as we were waiting to cross the start line and said, “So we’re running this, right?” I shrugged and thought to myself, “Might as well…”

After crossing the finish line after 3.2 miles of slow jogging and walking, I realized that maybe running would not kill me after all; my hips felt fine, my legs felt great. Could I become one of those people that could feasibly describe themselves as a runner?

Days after the Color Run, I found out I had received a number in the Peachtree Road Race along with my BFF Novelette. After three months of consistent training with solid running playlists and the Galloway walk  breaks method, I ran my first Peachtree in 1:24:01, crossing the finish line triumphantly holding hands with Novelette.

We felt so good after running the Peachtree that we shook hands (after a few Fourth of July beers) on doing something crazy: running 13.1 miles. I went from casually running 2-3 days a week to running 4-5 with lots of delicious yoga in between.  My zero-to-60 adventures in running in 2012 culminated in my first half-marathon, the Savannah Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon. I had no other goal other than crossing the finish line, which I did in 2:37:54. Slow and steady might not win the race, but afterwards, I felt invincible.

I am excited to see what 2013 brings for my two feet. I have a 5k, a 10k, and another half-marathon lined up in the first three months of the year with a half-marathon in mind for September. I plan on blogging regularly – for real this time – as a way to hold myself accountable for training, to chronicle my journey as a newbie in the running world, and maybe even to connect with some like minds along the way.

Here’s to another year of firsts.