Yes, I’m still talking about New Year’s Resolutions. I’d rather talk about that than the weather. Did you hear? It’s cold out today. Weird, since it’s winter and stuff…
I still ran this morning, despite the brisk wind I could hear plowing into the windows all night. I went to Central Park for five slow-moving miles with an unhappy stomach and a frozen face.
The alarm went off at 5 am. I don’t remember that. It went off again at 5:15. Don’t remember that either. Eventually Brian was like, “Time to get up. Do you want to run?”
I then remember whimpering a little bit, and then putting on a huge, cozy sweatshirt that I took right off Brian’s back (Girlfriend of the Year right here), and then thinking that the bed was so much warmer than the 13 degree temperatures — 5 degrees with wind chill — outside.
But Brian wanted to run, and I wasn’t going to let him break a morning sweat without me. So I layered up and we headed out.
I tried to act excited about it, too.
Thank you, Hamptons Marathon for the sweet fleece hat. It seemed ridiculous at the time — giving away a fleece hat at a summer marathon? — but today I was quite grateful for it. My head stayed nice and toasty.
Now, let’s discuss the title of this post: The Resolutions I Should Have Made But Didn’t Because They’re Too Hard.
My resolutions this year are all things that are challenging, but attainable. Shaving 14 minutes off my marathon PR will be difficult, but I’m confident that if I put the miles and determination toward that goal, it’ll happen. That’s just an example.
There are other goals that I know I should make. I don’t, though. Why set myself up for failure? These are things that would make me a better human, but I’m not really willing to put in the effort in order to make them happen.
Yes, I am willing to run outside in the bitter cold, but I’m not willing to limit my chocolate intake.
Here are the other resolutions I will not be making this year:
- Do planks regularly. I would love to spend time daily doing regular and side planks, especially since one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to hold a 5-minute plank. If I have time at the gym at night I’ll usually do a plank or two, but I don’t really enjoy this exercise, even though I recognize its benefits (um, flat abs, apparently). I just know this won’t happen. So when it comes time to attempt that 5-minute beast, I’ll just give it a go and see what happens. I believe that’s called “winging it” or “being stupid.”
- Stretch after every run. I run in the mornings, so by the time I’m done I have to rush to get in the shower and back out the door to make it to work on time. There’s never time for stretching. That means my entire body is always way too tight. I know that stretching is so good for me, and I know it’s important, but I just never do it, except at the end of spin class when we do those cool-down stretches. I like those.
- Foam roll daily. I love foam rolling. I don’t make enough time for it. I probably foam roll three times a week, but I know I should make it a more regular habit. Maybe I’ll work on this one. Maybe.
- Stop spending money on workout clothes I don’t need. It’s gross how much exercise attire I’ve accumulated over the past few years. I love workout clothes. I love them more than regular clothes and just as much as sweatpants and pajamas. I realize that I definitely don’t need one more tank top or pair of short shorts (Lies! I always need more short shorts!) but I can’t resist buying the brightest colors I see in the gorgeous window displays every season. Someone stop me. I actually can’t afford this habit…
- Stop watching those damn Kardashians. I don’t know when I started watching this show, and I always feel really dumb when it comes on and I don’t change the channel. Watching the show is very much like watching a slow motion train wreck, especially considering how slowly those women talk. It’s like pulling one word at a time out of their mouths when they do their little chats to the camera. It pains me to spend time watching these wretched people when I could be doing more productive things. You know, like volunteering. Or stretching. Or foam rolling. Or buying more workout clothes.
- Keep track of my spending habits. I did this for a few months once and then I stopped because it was too much work. Yes, Ali, it’s too much work if you’re swiping your debit card all over Manhattan. But I needed those chocolate covered almonds at Duane Reade, right? They were important to my well-being.
- Limit dessert to once per day. This will never happen, because I crave chocolate after every single meal. Breakfast included. Actually, chocolate is an integral part of my breakfast. Thank you, Entenmann’s, for being so nutritious.
- Be nicer to people on public transportation. I tried this one year. It didn’t last. If you refuse to move into the subway car while people are plowing through the doors, you deserve my yelling and dirty looks. (My mom thinks I’m going to “get myself killed one of these days,” but I think she’s just being dramatic.)
- Don’t listen to my music so loudly. I am not doing my eardrums any favors when I’m blasting my boy Pitbull and making myself deaf to the outside world. But I like loud music. It energizes me. And then I don’t have to listen to all the people coughing and snorting and sneezing on the subway.
- Stop taking cabs. I wish I could resolve to do this. I hate spending money on cabs, but I also hate walking all the way to the subway at night when it’s really cold and I want to go to bed. I’m pretty good about not taking cabs during the week, but on the weekends I tend to indulge too much.
I think that’s all for now.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RESOLUTIONS TO ADD? What are you not bothering to do this year?
57 Responses
I could never limit dessert to once a day! Definitely a good resolution NOT to have 🙂
Keep track of spending is on my list too!
Yup. Planks, (I’m trying though) training clothes and automobiles (taxis) are my “should but won’t.” I live in Astoria. The trains stink at night! 😀 Good job running.
I love this post … you are spot on, there are a number of resolutions that I keep internal, secretly cross my fingers and hope I accomplish. One of the big ones is to run in the AM. I am so inspired by you girls who run before 8am. I wish that I could get it together to run before the kids wake up at least 1 time per week. Maybe one of these days you can swing by my street on your way into the park and yell at me to get outside 🙂
Yeah, I need to stretch too. But ever since I stopped stretching and going to yoga regularly I have had zero injuries, so maybe its not such a bad thing. I always pretend to resolve to sit up straight, esp at work, but it doesn’t really happen.
Stop taking cabs is definitely on my list! Maybe if I move out of NY I will see some progress?
I agree with you on the no stretching thing though. I don’t stretch after runs…maybe when it’s warm out I stretch at some lights while I wait, but now it’s so cold that I’m pretty sure I’d freeze right there. I figure one yoga class a week is worth all my run stretches. At least, that’s how I justify it.
P.S. Work blocked your blog so I can’t comment as much anymore. I am sad. (The filter has blocked a selection of blogs, but not all of them! Wish I could say that it’s because I read your blog so much they blocked me from it because it interferes with my productivity!)
My resolution I am not making is to beat myself up over not being perfect. This week my goal was to workout daily. Then work got crazy. It happens. I have to learn to not let it ruin my day!
Oh my gosh, I also need to stretch, and foam roll, and do planks…and stop watching the Kardashians. Right now I’m watching Kim and Kourtney Take New York…and it’s just awful. I can’t believe Kim and Kris ever got married. It’s awful, yes, but I can’t stop watching.
I’m an ab girl too, so you should probably check this out! http://randomabs.com/today/ And if you’re ever race bound to AZ let me know!
Most of those match my non-resolutions 😀 I mean who needs non-workout clothes? Claire is right it’s much easier to do a plank whilst watching tv…. you could watch the kardashians whilst doing it (no point trying to do the all in one go!
By the way love your blog!
thank you for being real. some blogs are a little too picture perfect for me. i really enjoy reading yours!
I have a suggestion for your plank! This is the trick I do to make myself do them. There are several steps.
1. Unroll yoga mat on floor
2. Place laptop on floor in front of mat
3. Open pinterest
4. Use iPhone as stopwatch and place on laptop next to trackpad. Scroll through pinterest while holding plank (very delicate maneuver, must be very very close to laptop or t doesn’t work)
5. Be all done with planks before you know it!
Okay, I am so glad I am not alone with the whole Kardashian thing. Seriously, it is like a disease. It comes one and I can’t stop watching. I mean, I spent three weeks in Scotland over the summer and would anyone like to know what I found myself watching at one in the afternoon instead of going out and doing something? Um yeah, Kardashians. It is WRONG people. WRONG. But I can’t look away. And the workout clothes? I just took over another dresser drawer with tank tops and capris and it is 10 degree out. But the colors…oh the colors….
Two things!
1. Foam roll/stretch while watching the Kardasians!
2. Sign up for Mint.com it’ll track all your spending for you with minimal effort on your part 🙂
Reading through your post and the comments makes me so happy to see there are so many other people with the same workout clothes addiction! makes me feel better about myself. Also, not sure how you stay motivated to run in the cold in the AM, every day. major props!!!
I’m not going to try to limit my social media time. I like being online.
Haha When I scrolled down over your first photo I swore your caption was going to be ” I’m crying because I couldn’t wear short shorts”
I love your almost resolutions. Especially the stop spending money on workout clothes one. That would be my boyfriends for me. I thought about it and then decided that since I pretty much live in them other than when I’m at work, it totally justifies it. I mean how many work outfits do you really need…. like 7 right? Just enough to not wear the EXACT same thing every week…. right? My closet needs to be filled with work out clothes.haha
I’m totally working on foam rolling… but to make it doable I said ” foam roll more” instead of setting the daily in there. That was never gonna happen and then id just get frustrated and do it even less.
BTW I never thanked you for the info you gave me about running in central park when i visited a long while ago. THANKS! It was amazing and I cant wait to get back 🙂
stretching smetching. planks shmanks. i know i should do em, but i would rather drink a few glasses of wine. another anti-resolution – shave my legs more often – nope, it’s the winter time, and i hardly wear skirts or shorts anymore. the boyfriend can deal.
Wow, I’m really glad you wrote this post. I think we all have those resolutions that we’re too afraid to make. Blogging is wonderful but it makes us accountable and that can be scary because if you put it out there, you feel the pressure of doing it. So good for you!
And I have to agree with Shannon above…one of my resolutions was to get my boyfriend to run a race with me. His response? “Maybe this summer, it’s cold outside.” Thanks.
And I’m with you on the foam rolling.
Reading this makes me wish my boyfriend would get up with me in the mornings to go for runs. You are very lucky that Brian is so awesome!
I always think that I’m treating myself to a cab late at night, but then I realize how much that “treating” really adds up to…and that’s a lot of running clothes! Gah. I should do planks too (or any sort of strength workout?), but I don’t. Oops.
HAHAHHAHA this made me LOL. People may be staring at me at work right now, but that’s okay. agree with everyone of these. Last year, I made it a goal to do lifting/core work 2x/week, and that lasted about a month. I’ll do it when I want to, but I’m really not going to make the effort to do it or force myself to, so why pretend like it’s a good goal? Not worthy of the ink in my pen to even write down (or, uh, fingers on the keyboard).
Your description of the Kardashians is spot on. I hate to love it but can’t stop. Especially during marathons that I continue to watch despite the fact I’ve seen the episodes 9292393 times already and I’ve got stuff to do.Just gotta own it.
Drunk brunch soon? Yessssireeeee.
I will also never be nicer to people on public transit. Not gonna happen. Whoops, you stepped on my foot? I might accidentally shove back into you with my giant bag. I mean, sorry.
I will also never bother resolving to cut back on dairy, routinely wake up at 6 a.m., or take a photo every day. Tried ’em all; not worth the inevitable failure.
Girl…try to get stretching in! I was bad about it too and my hamstrings felt weird. I told my trainer that when I stretch my hammies, sometimes it feels like they just need to “pop.” She said I was one step away from having IT Band and hamstring issues which would mean no running for a very long time. She told me best time to stretch was right after a run. Do it for yourself!
OMG. I want to stop watching the Kardashians too! Why is it so hard not to??? I was also just thinking today also that I should try to be nicer and more patient on the subway after I almost got fiesty with a pusher.
I’m glad you wore tights this morning – it was SO COLD. I was actually wondering if the bathrooms are still open this early by the tennis courts and thought “hmm, Ali would know. I need to ask her. and also run with her soon.” Let me know about both things, please. 🙂
You bet the bathrooms are open. The ones by the tennis courts have been opening a little later, but usually by 6:15. I’ll do more research.
You should check out Mint.com for managing your finances. I attempted once to keep track of my spending via an Excel spreadsheet. That lasted 1 day. I hate accounting, which is why I am not an accountant. And now I have mint.com to tell me just how much money I spend each month on unnecessary amounts of workout clothing (I love it too!).
I spend way too much on workout clothes. There always seems to be a new color that I HAVE to buy. It is bad.
Ugh, I, too, need to stop buying workout clothes. But it’s too hard! Yes, I don’t NEED them (although I can always invent something I don’t have enough of, or the right “weight” of)…but I know they will always be useful and will always be worn. So that has to count for something. Right?
I for some reason just started watching the Kardashians over the break, and I kind of want to kill myself for letting that happen. I’m glad we’re in this shame together.
Damn, girl, it’s effin cold outside!!! Props, huge props!! I need to stretch more too, like whoa! With you on that. And workout clothes? love affair. I would hate that resolution haha.
Some things are not worth beating yourself up over. For instance, stretching. Stretch in the shower or while the water is warming up. Find pockets of time for it. And the Kardashians. Keep watching. That kind of mindless tv takes our minds off of our own hectic lives.
Um, why DO those Kardashians make my mind melt but I still can’t take my eyes off of them? It’s one of the universe’s strangest ailments and I’d like to be cured as well…
I’m incredibly impressed you ran outside today! Especially that early in the morning! Even though I’m from Minnesota, these temperatures are down right cold and I’m not having it!
I have the same problem with the running/athletic clothes! It’s pointless to make it a new year’s resolution when I make the same resolution repeatedly throughout the year with a complete inability to keep it! I have the same problem with bags…… HELP!!!!! Thankfully I have to go out of my way to go to Athletica or Lululemon (unlike some blogging east sider).
I will pretend that I did not read that you watch the Kardashians, so that I can keep reading your blog. 🙂
Noooo, never stop reading Linda! You’re my favorite! I’m sorry about the Kardashians. I’M TRYING TO QUIT THEM!
i spend more money at lululemon and fleet feet than i do at legitimate clothing stores. its a problem that i dont intend on fixing.
I briefly considered not wearing yoga pants or sweatpants outside of the house (except when working out). But then I came to my senses – no chance of that. None.
I was thinking about making “showering daily” a resolution, but then I decided it was way too much work. And a waste of time, especially if I am planning to work out in less than 12 hours! No point, I tell you, no point.
I have plenty of things that I would like to not do.. like eating only one chocolate square at night… or taking just one dose of my gummy vitamins instead of 2.. or 3..4..
Those are the ones I make in my head. And then break rather quickly. Although I am going 4 days strong on only one serving of gummy vitamins!
Stretching is totally something I should do but don’t. Also being on top of things. I’ve resolved to do ALL of my reading for school this year when it’s actually due, instead of falling behind and then having to read 500 pages in one sitting. Is that going to actually happen? Maybe, maybe not. More likely not. But I guess it’s the thought that counts, right?
I agree with everyone, Mint.com is the best! It will do everything for you & you can check it on your smartphone. You can create a budget for athletic stuff & it will automatically put your purchases from athletic places into that budget & tell you you’re over budget. 🙂 And I need to get on the planking bandwagon as well…
if it werent for dark chocolate covered almonds i wouldnt survive a single work day. keep at em!
More foam rolling, less Kardashian watching…I’m with ya sista.
mmmm I love Entenmann’s! I resolve to not take 3 bagels every time we have free bagels at work with the justification that they are free and therefore I should take 3. We had them today…so far I’ve had one. Fingers crossed!
I was SO good about not taking cabs in the warmer months, but sometime in November, things changed and now…my hard earned dolla bills seem to be making their way into the hands of taxi drivers. Sigh. On the bright side, making out in the back of a cab is much more fun than making out on the subway with the crazies and homeless peeps. I mean, WHAT! Did I just type that? Yes, yes I did.
I like your list of anti-resolutions. I will not be giving up my Starbucks or Chopt salad addiction, because even if it makes me a little poor, it makes me happy and saves time!
p.s. Miss you.
Definitely Not spending money on workout clothes in on my list. I cleaned my entire closet this weekend and it was gross the number of work out clothing I had.
Also, I really want to weight lift more….but that will probably not happen.
I need to make the no more spending money on exercise clothes resolution too… my sweatstuff is taking over my dress stuff…
If you foam roll while watching the kardashians you kill two birds with one stone: foam rolling and less kardashian watching (because you’re partially focused on the rolling) just sayin.
I need to cut down on cabs, too. And carbs, but likely ill just up that intake. Whoops! And by whoops I mean yumm!
I love this idea. Tonight it’s me, a foam roller and Jersey Shore.
OH! You should absolutely sign up for mint.com. They track your spending for you. You link all your accounts (including loans and any monthly payments) and they just send you lovely little emails saying something along the lines of “god damnit you went over your budget again” (except much more polite than that, though sometimes I think a yelling email ala Harry Potter would be more effective). Anyway, it has the security of a bank website so nothing to worry about it and its truly amazing. Now if only they would hire me to do all their marketing.
Bahahahaha. I had a similar line of reasoning. “This resolution seems like it’s too hard to keep, so um … it’s not gonna make the cut.”
It’s awesome that Brian is so down to run in the freezing cold of the morning! Good for you guys for making each other better. 😉
About halfway through the run I was like, “Brian is a good man for getting me up,” but I didn’t say it out loud. Mwahaha.
Safety first! Take those night cabs!!
First, I am so glad you wore pants today! Second, we have a few things in common. ” I realize that I definitely don’t need one more tank top or pair of short shorts but I can’t resist buying the brightest colors I see in the gorgeous window displays every season.” – ME ME ME ME SO ME. I’m glad to know I am not alone in my money wasting insanity. Also, Mint.com will keep track of your spending habits and email you a weekly report so you don’t have to do any work. I’m also the same way about desserts and chocolate. Every meal, yep. And as for planks… come back to Refine! The class has changed SO much since you were there, it is amazing! I also never stretch and I lost so much flexibility from July to now with all the running and no stretching.
OH yeah also the same with cabs. Feel guilty for spending money but then I remember it is a convenience of living in NYC and might as well do it when we need to.
mint.com is the best thing that ever happened to me! i was always an OCD budgeting freak but this took it to the next level