TriVeggies

Happy New Year, friends! It’s one of my favorite times on the calendar: The world is brimming with hope and optimism, new goals and new plans for the next 365 (or in the case of this leap year, 366) days. It’s such a wonderfully forward-looking time, and I just love all the promise a new year holds.

If you’re like most people, getting fit, getting “in shape,” or maybe losing or gaining some weight is on your list of resolutions for the new year. Though I’ve been training consistently for more than 15 years now, it’s always on mine as well. We could all stand to improve ourselves and our physical condition, and I am definitely no exception. I personally would love to lose 10 pounds this year and maybe shave some time off my half-marathon PR. I’m sure I’m not alone!

There’s a chance you’re just beginning this fitness adventure. Maybe in a fit of excitement (or too much champagne on New Year’s Eve?) you signed up for a 5K, 10K, sprint triathlon, half-marathon or maybe even a – gulp! – Ironman. Maybe now in the cold light of day you’re sitting around wondering why the heck you did that when you haven’t even been to a swimming pool in a decade. (Been there. Thought that!)

Take heart! There is room for you at the gym! Or in the pool, or on the treadmill, or on the bike trail. Whatever your new fitness goal for the year, rest assured you are not in this alone. So many of us have walked the same path over the years – oftentimes again and again! – and we all just want to help. It can be daunting to pull up to your local Y for the first time; maybe the lockers have a “trick” to them, maybe you’ve gotten into the shower area and realized the towels are three rooms away. Maybe you’re walking into the treadmill area for the first time and you think the whole room is staring at you. I can assure you: They’re not. Most of us are way too fixated on our Garmins, or getting our podcasts to play properly, or adjusting the treadmill speed when we really mean to adjust our earbud volume. I can assure you nobody is paying you a lick of attention.

But if you need something, or if you have a question, I have yet to visit a gym where people aren’t willing to help you with anything you need. Can’t remember how to get to the pool deck? Ask! Don’t know how to use the assisted pull-up machine? You and me both. (I have to inquire every single time – which probably means I should use it more than once or twice a year!) But somebody else does, and they’ll be happy to show you.

Trying something new is daunting. But you are AMAZING for venturing outside your comfort zone! We’ve all been there – and if we keep living, ideally we keep finding ourselves there as our comfort zones get wider and wider. Need an accountability buddy? You’ve got one now in me. Ping me any time and let’s make friends. 🙂

May all your 2024 goals become reality! And may you have a ton of fun along the way.