“Happy F-ing New Year!” (Martha Plimpton in 200 Cigarettes. Photo credit: risabg.com)
As 2014 approaches, we’ll be watching our ALL-TIME FAVORITE SISTA FILM: 200 Cigarettes (trust us, you need this NYE tale – which also contains every celebrity on the planet – AND takes place in the ’80s – what more you could possibly WANT?!)
Oh, and thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Right, that. Both of us feel that the New Year is an incredible opportunity to reset and recalibrate. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true. It’s hard to adopt new rituals and make major lifestyle changes all of the sudden. But the New Year brings renewed purpose and perspective. And we don’t want to let it go to waste.
We decided to highlight one goal each for 2014: a goal that we can track throughout the year, whether via our Twitter and Instagram pages or in entries down the road in 2014. Here they are!
JENNIFER: RUN LIKE THE WIND…OR JUST RUN
In 2014, I want to make running a bigger part of my life. Simple, right?!
Yes. You lace up and GO. But the simplicity of placing one foot in front of the other didn’t stop me from making plenty of excuses in 2013. “But the margaritas are only five dollars on Tuesdays…”
Self-deprecation aside, this year was a step in the right direction. After a decade of 5K races, I ran my first 10K race alongside my boyfriend in November. It was the happiest day of my year. What took me so long?! Plus, I had the chance to volunteer with Girls on the Run, an incredible organization that coaches elementary and middle school-aged girls toward a 5K. Those bright young things reminded me that running is FUN (if a half hour game of freeze tag can’t teach you that…or give you a cramp the size of Alaska…then I don’t know what will).
I feel happier and healthier when I run. Time to go big(ger) in 2014. Step one: I’m registered for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in April! (I didn’t just do it for the Tiffany necklace that finishers receive…I SWEAR) And I’m EXCITED. But I’m not sure I would have had the guts if one my of my fitness inspirations and friends didn’t register with me. Fortunately, I have some badass friends who accomplish incredible athletic feats on a continuous basis. They insert “positive peer pressure” into my life, and are fantastic resources when I have a question about running shoes, cold weather runs, or how to train for a long race. My best friend Molly keeps a running blog and is working toward her first tri this spring. My friend Phil completed his first marathon this fall and helped motivate me (once…) to wake up before 6 for an early morning run by the Capitol. THANKS, GUYS!
And thank YOU. This blog has been an outlet for me to focus on being a better person, running included. I am grateful to everyone who encouraged Kathryne and I to realize this dream in 2013 and who has read our silly words and enjoyed our ramblings and recipes. See you next year!
KATHRYNE: FINDING CONSISTENCY IN MY INCONSISTENT WORLD
You know how, at the end of every year, you’re like, “No more excuses!” That those extra ten pounds are really coming off this year? Cut to you spraining your ankle, sitting alone in front of your TV watching Steve Harvey tell you how to wear horizontal stripes the RIGHT way, and stuffing your sad face with a bucket of expired egg nog ice cream. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Don’t overdo it, girl. Let’s talk about it.
I have all the pieces I need to make for a healthier lifestyle. I am a great cook, I know how to make healthy portion sizes, enjoy walking and doing pilates/ yoga videos at home, have a pretty wide knowledge of nutrition and indeed used to work at a weight loss clinic. I know how to make good decisions. The problem is, I don’t always. I don’t have a 9-5 job. I have auditions, rehearsals, meetings, days of writing, random gigs, callbacks, more meetings, and then shoot dates that are scattered all over the place and sometimes on the fly. Sometimes I am just at the mercy of the job. And that’s OK. I know I tend to stress eat and when I get overwhelmed, I go to my good ol’ food friends.
My resolution in 2014 is to simply be more mindful. I want to be able to make better decisions in an increasingly changing environment. I don’t have a personal trainer or nutritionist, but taking 10 years to really study these things on my own, I need to be able to rely on myself more to make healthier decisions. If that simply means taking the stairs, doing squats on my break, drinking more lemon water, parking farther away, packing an almond butter sandwich as opposed to partaking in the fries on set…I mean, these are things I CAN control, and want to more. I, in a nutshell, want to become the captain of my health again, and not put that faith into a pill, a meal, a person, or an event. I want to be healthy everyday, not just when it’s fashionable. Sure, maybe it IS cliché, but this year, I am not getting married to a number or a size or an ideal shape. I’ma do what feels right. FOR ME.
