Got back to L.A. late last night after a wonderful time in D.C. with family, old friends and lots of amazing eats. Every day I had a balanced diet of cheese, pie, cake, candy and cappuccino. Is there a better way to ring in the new year?
Speaking of new year, everyone talks about resolutions at this time. I make the same one every year: Surprise myself. Do something I’ve never done or imagined doing. Even if I fail spectacularly, it counts, because I don’t sit around imagining spectacular failures.
My old college roommate already helped me accomplish this on New Year’s Eve. We had plans for lunch but she said she had to run a 5K to raise funds for diabetes first and then we could go eat. She invited me to come cheer her on. When I got there, I somehow got roped into running with her, even though running is as much fun to me as having monkeys poke sticks up my nose. Did I mention I was inadequately dressed and it was freezing, rainy, and muddy?
But run I did, which was the last thing I thought I’d be doing on New Year’s Eve. More surprises: my time wasn’t completely atrocious and I didn’t die in the process. Though my legs ached a little afterward, I was exhilarated my friend convinced me to run a 5K on the spur of the moment, helping me push the limits on what I think I can do. I also enjoyed replenishing my strength with a large plate of fries.
Happy New Year, everyone. How do you plan to push your limits?
12 Comments
norma
January 2, 2010 at 3:17 pmHAPPY NEW YEAR PCN! This year I plan to continue as I did this year to take time to know myself as the Delphos Oracule says. I did it last year and has giving me surprising results. I learned things about me that I didn´t know. I will continue on that direction. Learning more every day.
EIREGO
January 2, 2010 at 6:55 pmVery cool of you to actually run that without any prep. I am being a bit more practical by training before I tackle a really crazy event in April. It’s called Warrior Dash. It’s a 3.2 mile obstacle course involving rope swinging over a ravine and crawling on your hands and knees through mud. It’s being held at various locations all over the U.S., and when it comes to Northern CA, I plan to participate.
Just by crossing the finish line, you get a Viking Helmet! Talk about motivation!! I mean, where’s the down side?
Wish you the best in 2010, PCN.
Shell Sherree
January 2, 2010 at 9:46 pmGood for you, PCN! If I find myself in a similar situation this year, I’ll think of you and give it a whirl, while imagining food treats awaiting me at the other end to spur me on. {But if someone pulls alongside me with a Vespa and sidecar, I’ll be sorely tempted to climb aboard.} Spending more time doing and less time thinking is one way I want to push my limits this year.
Wishing you a New Year abundant with all that you dream of and aspire to, PCN!
Jen Forbus
January 3, 2010 at 6:11 amOh are you brave. I don’t run unless something very big, ugly and extremely scary is chasing me! I have however, dusted off my weights and treadmill. Last week I got up at 4 every morning to walk on the treadmill and this weekend I started lifting weights again. I found muscles I had forgotten about.
My biggest challenge for myself this year is going to be that theme week, though. Yee gads! 😉
le0pard13
January 3, 2010 at 10:43 amWow, a 5K on the spur of the moment! You’re in better shape than I, that’s for sure. I do that and I’m in bed recovering for the first week in January. Me? I plan on doing some tennis with me my kids this year. If you see me on crutches at the Festival of Books, you know what happened ;-). Happy New Year, PCN.
Red Arrow Tats
January 3, 2010 at 4:10 pmPCN, I’m so impressed! On the spur of the
moment you run a 5k, while I, still in my holiday induced coma, buy a Wii on the Home Shopping Nerwork. God love the flex pay plan! As soon as the brown truck arrives I will be the owner of the Wii Fit Plus–complete with the board, yoga mat, controllers, and who knows what else. Maybe they’ll throw in a snuggy or shamwow.
I’m also vowing to gossip less, remember compassion, be kind, use my turn signals, listen to more Burt Bacharach written music–Dionne and Dusty rock, and post here more often!
Ybnorml
January 3, 2010 at 9:23 pmCongrats PCN on actually running the 5K! That must be one convincing friend. The thought of running for fun is right up there with listening to monkeys play a concerto of classical music by scratching their fingernails on a blackboard. Joy.
As for 2010, I vow to accomplish something everyday from start to finish – no procrastinating. Today, I started the year by getting laid off from work. Okay, not exactly the idea I had in mind, but it now gives me free time tomorrow to clean, de-clutter and organize my office so I can be more productive and get new clients. Or I may just sit in the middle of the mess and start re-reading old books I find in the pile of clutter. That still counts right?
Pop Culture Nerd
January 4, 2010 at 2:26 pmnorma—when I was in Greece, I wanted to visit the Oracle in Delphi but didn’t get a chance (so many beautiful things to see there). Hope you make many more exciting discoveries about yourself!
EIREGO—I’m not nearly in good enough shape to participate in that Warrior Dash but you’ve got me intrigued. I love swinging from ropes and want one of those Viking helmets! You’ll have to send a pic of you wearing one. Or maybe I’ll see you there?
Shell—if a Vespa with sidecar had pulled up beside me, even if I wasn’t running, I would’ve jumped in immediately. I’ve always wanted to ride in one, with a helmet and goggles! (What is it with me and helmets?) I like your resolution. I spend way too much time thinking and then get overwhelmed by my thoughts.
Jen—normally, I don’t even run when there IS something scary chasing me. I’d just throw it a piece of food and hope the animal likes eating that better than eating me. Kudos to you for treadmilling and weight-lifting, two things I’m no good at. And your detective project is huge!
le0pard13—haha! I completely expected to be in traction afterward. I think the prospect of fries kept me upright. Good luck with your tennis. I was on the tennis team in high school, ranked 13 out of 14 players. Once, I served a ball right onto another player’s head, and she was on the adjacent court.
Red Arrow Tats—I’m coming to your house as soon as that Wii Fit arrives. I don’t have one but been trying it out at other people’s homes. I got one thigh left to tone but ran out of relatives to freeload on. And I’m going to hold you to your vow to post here more often!
Ybnorml—I’m so sorry to hear about your being laid off. Hope you get de-cluttered and find new clients soon. I get distracted reading old stuff I find in piles, too. Thinking about starting a de-cluttering project with friends: Throw out one thing a day for a month. What do you think?
sophie littlefield
January 4, 2010 at 11:42 pmhey PCN…I too want to do some new things in the new year. I don’t know what they are yet. I think I want to resolve not to be scared of them. Well….maybe to be scared of them and do them anyway. That would be good.
Glad you’re back!
Pop Culture Nerd
January 5, 2010 at 1:54 pmThanks, Sophie! Every year on my birthday, I try to do something super scary. I tell hubby to surprise me with something terrifying that doesn’t have a high chance of death because after I do it, I feel I can handle anything the rest of the year.
Julien
January 13, 2010 at 4:19 amHappy New Year Elyse, I wish you all the best in 2010! 🙂
Great books and movies, enriching encounters, lots of good surprises and plenty of posts (from you) and comments (from us) on your awesome blog!
I thought of you on New Year’s Eve since I was wearing one of your dragon tattoos on my neck! I hope I can get a picture from my friends to send you!
As for pushing my limits, I recently joined a sport club to learn French boxing a.k.a. “savate” (a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques) and my goal is to find enough strength and courage not to quit the lessons before the end of the year! (For the record, I’ve never really practiced any sport in my whole life and I am everything but a fighter, so that is a quite a challenge for me!)
Pop Culture Nerd
January 13, 2010 at 8:11 amBonne année, Julien! (Did I say that right?) I’m so flattered to have been thought of on New Year’s Eve in France! I’d love to see the photo of you with the dragon tattoo. I’ll put it with the photo of our Aussie Shell wearing the tattoo as well.
I’m really interested in your savate, something I’ve never heard of. Can you please tell me more about it? I have a brown belt in tae kwon do, which I absolutely loved doing. I’m not a fighter at all in real life (I don’t even like beeping at people who cut me off in traffic) but for some reason, I really got into fighting! I guess it’s where I let out all my aggression. I also got into the best shape I’d ever been in. If you ever feel like quitting, e-mail me and I’ll motivate you to keep going.