A Resolution a Week: Week 1 – Run 3X a Week

After beating my goal time of 30 minutes in a 5K,
thanks to running a regular, better planned
running routine this fall. Time to get back to that!

Last week, I outlined my desire to take a new approach to New Year’s resolutions.

The idea is to introduce a new resolution a week, all of which will contribute to one of the following three broader goals:

• Staying fit.
• Being happy & productive in my work.
• Being more adventurous.

The idea is to tackle a simple and realistic resolution each week, rather than say broadly “get healthy” or “lose weight.” I’ll then build on that week after week and hopefully feel like I’m more fit, happier and more adventurous at the end of the year than I was at the start of it.

I’m going to start my nontraditional approach to New Year’s resolutions with a kind of cliché resolution: exercise.

For my first week, I am going to recommit to running three times a week.

It’s not a wild resolution. I was doing this before Thanksgiving, and it’s been sporadic from then until New Year’s. The problem is it’s been a little too sporadic.

This is how it’s always been for me: I have spurts of exercise. But back in August, my husband started running regularly. He was inspired by the runners at the Leadville Trail 100, which our friend ran and we supported.

I started running with him to support his renewed interest in running. I went reluctantly. But I went for long enough, following a plan published by Runner’s World magazine, that I started to lose weight without really even trying. It was great, and I felt good. Now that I have been running less regularly, I’ve started to see the weight come back.

I’d really like to avoid reverting, so my resolution is essentially to keep up the good work. To get back on schedule, and to for once in my life keep doing something I’m supposed to be doing to keep my body healthy.

But not getting ahead of myself, and keeping measurable goals in mind, I will run three times this week, and build on that success next week.