Resolutions

[ksmith]

Folks are posting theirs.

What are mine?

To keep up with running, while taking care not to injure myself...so I can keep up with running. I ran my first 12-minute mile the other day. I know that sounds pathetic after two years of this. But I was never consistent. I stopped for weeks at a time when working on the book, and when Mom was sick. And I've worked through knee issues and foot issues that also led to stoppages. I can see the improvement in my conditioning, though, even with this scattershot approach. I used to have to jog at 4 mph because I when I tried to walk at that pace, my legs couldn't take the pounding. They can now--I can walk at 4 mph, and run at 5 mph. I've lost weight, my legs are stronger and more muscular, and my butt has elevated about three inches. All good. If I can manage a couple of miles, 3x a week, I'll be doing very, very well. I don't want to run in races. I don't want to be one of those runners who is always checking their times. I just want to be fit.

To gradually declutter. To dump, and organize. I did a lousy job with my files this year, and I want to do better in 2008.

To avoid time crunches where Gideon is concerned. To write regularly, and consistently. Like kateelliott, I'm going to have to reduce my time online. That's going to be hard, but I really don't have a choice.

To make time for fun.

To always have fresh flowers in the house.

To plant tomatoes. I don't have time for a full-blown garden, but I would like to try one of those single-plant pots that I can keep on the deck.

Comments

[affinity8.livejournal.com]

I think a 12 minute mile is a great accomplishment, and no easy thing. Perhaps the fastest I ever got was 10 minutes, but now I'm probably around 14 if I were running on the street. I can do a 12 minute mile on the elliptical, though.

A tomato garden, no matter how small, sounds lovely too. Good luck with it and with the running and with 2008 overall.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

At the time, I was just trying to manage 10 minutes at 5 mph. But I played "Lucretia, My Reflection" on the iPod one last time, and that helped me bull through.

So I'm up to a 27 minute run--5 minutes at 4.2mph to warm up, 10 minutes at 4.7mph, and 12 at 5mph. Then a cool down for 5 min at 4 mph. The next goal, which I hope I can accomplish in less than 2 years, is two 12 minute miles in a row. I'm not sure how much more time I can shave without my knees acting up. I bought one of those patellar tendon straps, and am keeping it in reserve just in case.

I am looking forward to trying the gardenette. I got an organic seed catalog in the mail, and they feature varieties that I've heard are very good. I'm just so disgusted with supermarket tomatoes, even the heirloom varieties. No flavor whatsoever.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Having never managed a 12 minute mile myself (am still at a 4.5 mph pace, and it took work to get to that), I don't think that's pathetic at all. Impressive, more like. :-)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I compare myself to the wrong people--some of the runners in the runners list, who all seem to be training for marathons, and my coworker, who routinely runs 7 minute miles. I need to get over that, and give myself credit for how far I've come. I never thought I'd ever run a mile.

[janni.livejournal.com]

I'm still in the "amazed I can run at all stage." :-) (And it took about three months to get so that I could do a slow jog for a half hour--and I used to think those slow jogs weren't any work!)

But yeah, running seems to draw intense, goal-oriented folks--I figure there will always be folks way ahead of me at this particular sport!

(I did manage to run a 5K at my nearly 14-minute-mile pace. Fun, that. Fascinating mix of folks there, too, from very intense runners to some folks who were just glad to be alive and able to be there racing at all.)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I would love to run a 5K. A year ago, I ran/jogged three miles consistently for the first time, and was looking forward to maybe running a 5K in the Spring or Summer. Then my knees went south. I'm hoping that I can build them up to the point that I can think about it again.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Haven't done three miles more than a few times yet ... but that's on the goal list, too! :-)

[anisosynchronic.livejournal.com]

Fresh flowers in the house... I've bought some as presents for friends. As for myself, I keep buying (and alas mostly killing off] plants. Both bathrooms are festooned with plants. There are plants in the kitchen. There is an orange tree in the entryway by the front door.... I am contemplating taking some of my purchases into work, where the south facing wall is window from less than three feet up, and my cubicle is next to the south wall (or rather, the aisle that runs between the wall and the row of cubicles), except that the place gets extremely dry over the weekend.