Resolutions for 2008!

It's time to welcome in a New Year and with that comes the inevitable resolutions that everyone seems to make. Some take root, some fizzle out, some are repeated year after year. I've given a L-O-T of thought over the last several weeks as to what I plan to resolve to do or not do this coming year and figured the best way to commit myself to keeping these resolutions was to put it in writing, tell everyone that cares to hear what my intentions are, and be accountable to those people as well as myself.

So here you all have it, my New Year's Resolutions for 2008!

1) I intend to eliminate sugar from my diet with the exception of special occasions. Anyone who knows me knows that my sweet tooth is undeniable and overused. I have a love-hate relationship with them in that I love them, but my hips, glutes, and thighs do not. So I've decided it is best to eliminate refined sugar from my diet to become more satisfied with myself and end this love-hate cycle. In order to break my cravings for sweets I intend to avoid all refined sugar whatsoever during the entire month of January. My hope is that after a month of nothing sweet I will have lost the desire for sweets therefore not feeling any "need" to indulge other than a very rare treat, like for Bethy's birthday in February, or something extra special like that. This is a big commitment for me so I want you all to keep me accountable. Don't be afraid to check up on me and keep me honest, OK?

2) I intend to increase my cardio and ab workout time. With my teaching schedule I do get in about 9 hours of cardio a week but sometimes I don't get to focus on my cardio as much as I'd like because I'm busy focusing on other people's form and going around the room making corrections or whatever that interrupts my workout. And that's fine. That's what I'm paid to do. So I need to change my mentality and quit thinking that teaching class is my personal workout time, because it's not. If I weren't teaching I would be working out at a higher intensity, but in order to teach I have to be able to talk and if I can talk through a workout then I'm not working the cardio hard enough for as much of a personal benefit as I need to. So I need to devote time in my schedule after or before class to my personal workout which will increase my cardio. In addition, I plan to incorporate more ab time to two of my classes each week, and during the rest of the week I plan to do more ab work on my own at home. Getting back to the cardio and making time on my own to add that in leads me to my third resolution.

3) I will begin training for, and will run in, the January 2009 Disney World Marathon. James and I have both been talking about this recently and have decided this is a huge deal for us both, something each of us feel strongly that we'd like to do. James has always been a runner, but I have never so this is all foreign territory to me, but something I'm determined to accomplish. James is going to begin training himself while still in Iraq, and continue his training when he comes home, to compete in the full marathon, some 26 miles. I, on the other hand, being such a novice, plan to train myself for the half marathon, a little over 13 miles. This way James will be able to be with the girls while I run the half on one day, and then we'll swap places so he can run the full the next day. It'll work out perfectly, logistically. Now I just need to commit myself fully to the training and figure a way to work the needed runs into my schedule, without overtraining myself with the teaching I already do. I'm sure it will be a matter of finding the right balance so I don't injure myself, or suffer burnout or exhaustion, but I'm confident that my desire to achieve this will carry me through. I don't know when I've been quite so excited for anything in a very long time. And I don't know when something that is so foreign to me hasn't scared me away entirely, but this hasn't. Maybe it has to do with our love of all things Disney. Maybe it has to do with my desire to be a running partner with James. Maybe it has to do with all the sweets I've eaten way too many of and need to burn off. Maybe it has to do with proving to myself that that which does not kill me will make me stronger. Maybe it has to do with trying and succeeding at something most people will never even consider.

Whatever the reason, I tell you now, God-willing, I will make this happen. I can not wait!

Happy New Year! May 2008 be a wonderful, blessed year for you and your entire family!
Kris

Finally, please take a moment to pray for a tiny, young family member of mine named Rachel who is in desperate need of your prayers and God's Healing to help her little body. Thank you.