New Years Resolutions

[caption id="attachment_1986" align="alignright" width="193"] 2291 Calories right here - Xmas dinner. That doesn't count seconds. Or More wine. Or dessert.[/caption]

I have always found News Years resolutions to be a bit... Annoying.  In one way, it makes an immense amount of sense.  What better time to have a "new beginning"  - than an actual new beginning?  Personally, I see some major flaws in that idea.  We have just finished our most gluttonous time of the year.  We (on average) in America put on two pounds of weight - on Christmas day alone.  This doesn't even consider all the Christmas Cookies (Yum! Peanut Butter Blossoms!), The Candy, the office parties or left overs. Then 7 days later, we move into New Years Eve.  Another day dedicated to gluttony.  We eat more horrible-for-us food, and wash it down with an endless supply of alcohol.   Do you realize how many calories are in most alcoholic drinks?  Miller Lite is on the low side of the calorie count (And taste count) at 96 calories per can.  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale moves up to 175, and Pit of Guinness (mind you all the previous drinks have only been 12 oz) is 210 Calories!  Wine, isn't much better with a 6 oz glass of Merlot (147 calories), Riesling ( 144 Calories) or Champagne (159 for 6 oz) still leave you with high calorie counts in a several hour party.

I actually didn't mean for this post to turn into a calorie-intake posting!  Woops!

If we look at those numbers, it becomes evident that we have an entire week (or more) that we spend "to busy" (see me holding that mirror up to myself?) to exercise, but certainly not to busy to eat more calories in a week, then we should in twice that time.   Then we end that period with "resolutions" to change everything about ourselves we don't like that last a week a month if we are lucky.

Looking at the blogging community (specifically the blogs I read - dedicated to running, fitness and exercise), I would imagine that we are more likely to be successful with our resolutions than your average person.

Why would I say such a thing?  Is it simply an attempt at patting ourselves on the back for an un-earned appearance of superiority?  Not at all. (Its earned.)  In all seriousness, if we look at your average running blog (and I don't mean the people winning races), you have someone who posts fairly frequently, which can increase the accountability.  In addition, we as runners - set goals (PRs, Increasing Distance, Changing Diet, running one more mile/block/minute/step) fairly regularly - and work to achieve them.  For God's sake - we run up and down hills, or do repeats on tracks simply to lower our time by 10 seconds!   Now, I'm not giving us a free pass.  We are just as able to set un-realistic goals, after all there is a reason that the phrase "too much, too soon" is so common in our chosen hobby/lifestyle/addiction (lets be honest.. That is the path.  We start out running as a hobby.  Then it becomes a lifestyle.. then we NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED it..)

[caption id="attachment_1991" align="alignleft" width="300"] Only 749 miles to go to reach my goal![/caption]

So with that in mind, I have been thinking about my "New Years Resolutions" or, as I like to refer to them, My new batch of goals.

1) Avoid injuries that would prevent me from FINALLY running the Marine Corps Marathon.  At this point, I have collected two very nice mock-turtleneck shirts, that I have in no-way earned.  I would like to be able to wear them (or the third one I will get in October of 2013) and be able to say I had actually RUN the Marine Corps Marathon - all the way to the finish!

2) 750 Miles.  That is my count I would like to be able to reach in the New Year.   While a non-runner would see this as an "impressive" number, the fact is that if I run 15 miles a week (and don't take six months off), I will hit this goal with no effort toward it.  I suppose really, if I reach Goal #1, then Goal #2 is a gimme.

3) 25 pounds.  That is what I want to lose.

4) A Wii-U.  I would like to convince my wife that we should have one, and get one - before the end of the year.

[caption id="attachment_1993" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Because not all goals can be running-related.[/caption]

These are four I have come up with, and it seems to me that if I get one of the first three, then all of them are almost guaranteed.

In addition to the "New Years Resolutions" - I am putting together my race-list for next year.  I figure they kind-of count as goals as well.  This is still in process, and will probably be a blog posting all on its own.  So I'll mention no more on it for now.

So, what resolutions are you looking at? Or do you find them to be a waste of time?So that is my view New Years Resolutions.  And yes, I still plan on drinking my Christmas present from my grandfather - a bottle of Mouton Cadet Bordeaux - on New Years.