Life in 2018

I’m really excited about 2018.

I have a few New Year’s Resolutions. Nothing groundbreaking, just checklist-y things I want to (I will) accomplish this year. And since I believe everything good comes from putting your big dreams out there, here are mine:

1. I will put myself first. This is something I realized I need to prioritize after my trip to California. It’s not always fully possible, but I plan to set my intention on it and do my very best.

2. I will bring live shows and events to the Ali on the Run Show! I’m in the process of planning live episodes for this year. They’re going to be fun. The guests are going to be amazing! (No, really. You’ve asked for them. It’s happening.) And, if all goes according to this big plan I have, they’re not all going to be NYC-centric. (And make sure you follow me on Instagram and like the Ali on the Run Facebook page, because I’m going to be doing a lot of live content there, too! It’s going to be fun and interactive!)

3. I will stop waiting and hesitating. Every time I get annoyed about something, I realize it’s because I waited or hesitated. I have a lot of good ideas, and I sit on almost all of them for way too long before taking action. This year, I will constantly take action, even if it means “failing” a million times along the way. That’s OK. (“In order to fail, you have to try,” I once said while very high on anesthesia.)

4. I will run on the Long Path. I said I’d do this last year, and then I didn’t do nearly as much running as I’d hoped. Life, man.

5. I will announce a New York Road Runners race. I really want to do this. I first came up with this dream last year and I want to make it happen this year. I think it would be so fun. I love races and I love seeing runners cross the finish line and I want to yell their names and make them smile even bigger as they have those triumphant finishes. I obviously have no experience doing this, but I’m going to figure it out and make it happen. WATCH ME.

And that’s it for now. I love the freshness and excitement of a new year. It always feels so positive and hopeful, and especially coming off many months of being sick, I’m just so excited to feel great right now and to want to channel all that energy into productive, happy, community-building, life-changing actions.

Here are a few other thoughts on life lately…

If you haven’t taken the Ali on the Run Show listener survey, do it now! It’s fast and fun (like a 5K, but you probably won’t feel like barfing at the end!), and it’s helpful for me in terms of getting a good feel for who’s listening to the show. I have good instincts, but it’s nice to get feedback about what people love, don’t love, or want more (or less!) of. Plus, everyone who fills it out is entered to win a $100 Whole Foods gift card!

I feel really healthy right now. I am enjoying this so much. It’s absolutely amazing to be able to do what I want right now — and I don’t just mean big things like going on a worry-free road trip. I mean simple things like being able to walk Ellie in the morning without panicking about the possibility of having to run back inside for the bathroom, or eating before I leave the house, or going on dates with Brian, or actually recording podcasts since I’m not confined to the toilet. It’s freeing and amazing and I love every single minute of it. Yay!

I’m going to Bermuda next weekend! Speaking of being able to do things, many months ago, a group of friends decided to go to Bermuda for the Bermuda Race Weekend. I opted out since, at the time, I was too sick to do all those things I just mentioned (walking Ellie, walking myself, generally being away from a bathroom for more than 12 seconds). But now I’m healthy! So I’m going! (There’s a mile race, a 10K, a half, and a marathon. I really want to race the mile all-out to see what I can do. I’ve only raced a mile once and finished in 6:23. It’ll be fun!)

I saw Pitch Perfect 3. Twice. The plot is so, so silly, but I don’t care. I loved it so much. Both times. And I’ve been singing Freedommmmmm! Freedom!!! nonstop ever since. (PS If anyone can find where I can buy the dress Emily — Hailee Steinfeld’s character — wears during the final performance, that would be great. I Googled until I fell asleep last night and got nothin’. Help.)

I finally bought the Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel” spice everyone raves about, and yeah, it’s pretty good. Brian ate an actual handful of it the other night — not on something, just a handful of spices — so clearly he’s a fan, too.

I’m working on putting together a 30-day challenge that I’m excited about, and I want you to join me! Stand by for details. It’ll be fun and we’ll do it together and be best friends and at the end we can have a party where we all pat each other on the backs and eat snacks and stuff!

DO YOU HAVE ANY 2018 GOALS OR RESOLUTIONS? Please tell me about them so I can cheer you on!