Yup, like everyone else I am jumping into 2014 with a full list of New Year’s Resolutions. I figure why not make them public… that way maybe one or two will stick. lol Yeah right. Every year I set out on a great new adventure with a list of resolutions and by April I’ve forgotten what they even were. So, this year my resolutions are short-term goals instead of long-term life changing events!

2014 – New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Run a 5K – Yup, I’ve purchased some new workout clothes, got a brand new pair of running shoes, and have verbally committed to running my first 5K (in 15 years) on February 8th. Now I just need to get into the gym and start running so that come February 8th I can cross the finish line 🙂 I don’t expect to do great – BELIEVE ME!!! I am hoping to finish in 45 minutes. Okay, yeah that is slow, but seriously… it has been 15 years since I have run that far. 15 YEARS!!! Why so long, you ask. Well, many years ago… I ran every day. I actually ran twice a day, once in the early morning hours and once in the mid-late afternoon. I would run anywhere from 5 – 10 miles each time. Yup, I LOVED to run. Then one day I hit a pothole the wrong way – I guess I wasn’t watching what I was doing – and I hurt my knee… I continued to run on it for weeks because I was stubborn and well – my commanding officer told me I had to! Anyway… after a few weeks my knee got worse and worse. After that for years… whenever I would run more than two or three miles my knee would swell and be in pain for a week or two. I gave up running because it wasn’t fun any more. I am hoping that this many years later has given it enough time to heal so that doesn’t happen any more… we shall see!!!
2. Run a 10K – Yeah right… this is the one I probably won’t do, but I’m putting it on the list anyway because if I do the 5K successfully then I plan to fun a few more and work my way up to the 10K. However, I do recognize that if the 5K doesn’t go well and if my knee doesn’t hold up then the 10K is out of the picture. Maybe at that point I’ll take up bike riding or swimming… maybe not.
3. Publish my 3rd book… Yup… As you know I’ve already published 2 books and I have a 3rd on the way. Okay, this New Year’s Resolution doesn’t seem to off kilter. I will get it done and probably in the first few months of the year. The book is already written and with the editors. I am just waiting to get it back so that I can make edits and send it back for another round of edits. That cycle goes on for a while… then the book will become public. Want to purchase a copy of my first two books? You can get them on Kindle or in paper back at http://www.amazon.com just follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=nina%20soden&sprefix=nina+sod%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Anina%20soden
4. 6 Week Ab Workout – What is the 6 Week Ab Workout? Well, I started it this past Monday so I am on day 4! Basically it is a series of exercises (sit-ups or crunches, flutter-kicks, squats, calf raises, lateral leg lifts, and knee raises) that you do each day. The first week you do 40 every day, the second week you do 55 every day, the third week you do 70 every day, etc. Each week increases by 15 reps until finally during week six you are doing 115 of each of the exercises every day. It is painful… but in the end VERY REWARDING! I did it twice in a row (12 straight weeks) last year (2013)… I would love to be able to say I did it straight through 2014, but I’m not going to get crazy… I’m shooting for 3 times in a row this year. If I could do it twice last year why not shoot for a little more this year?!
5. Join a gym – Okay so I actually already did this, but I haven’t really used it. So, although I hate the “A New Year – A New Me” attitude I’ve decided to subscribe to it this year. The thing is I think to many people do it for the wrong reason. They do it because they feel like that is what society says they should do. You eat a lot at the holidays… gain a little weight… the new year comes and you feel bad or guilty so you vow to lose all the weight. But, here is the thing – I’m the “Thin Bitch” right? Okay, wait – you might not know that… check out my other blog at http://www.thinbitch.wordpress.com So, I actually weighed myself the other day and I, without knowing it, have finished loosing all the “baby weight” from both of my pregnancies. That’s right… I AM BACK TO MY PRE-PREGNANCY WEIGHT!!! So, I don’t actually want to lose any weight. In fact, if I gained a few pounds (muscle of course) I wouldn’t be upset. So, I’m going to go to the gym – not for society – but for me!!! Not to lose weight but just to tone and feel better about myself and gain a little extra energy. They say a healthy body makes for a healthier person… I want to see if that is true!
6. Blog a little more – I’m gonna shoot for once a week. Yup… It’s been a while so once a week is going to be hard, but I’m gonna try.

Okay, so there you have it… my 6 New Year’s Resolutions. I’m sure I could think of others I might want to list… but these are my top 6!

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?