This is my year

I'm tearing myself away from Pinterest to give some much needed attention to my blog. Argh, Pinterest, you've destroyed my 9-10pm reading hour!

We're now well established in 2012, but it takes me a little time to work up my resolutions. Furthermore, this is really the first time I've had the schedule, budget, and desire to set exciting goals. When one is in grad school, one does tend to be utterly focused on getting the heck out of grad school. That and sleeping.
So. 2012. Here are some things I want to accomplish this year.

1. DO A PULL-UP. I've been working on the assisted pull-up machine for a little while, and I love it. I also regularly hit the free weights to work on my arms and shoulders. Boy howdy, I have to work really hard for upper body strength. It simply does not come naturally. Leg strength? No problem, broseph. But the biceps, deltoids, pecs, traps and lats...ugh, it's a battle. If I crank out one good, clean, unassisted pull-up in 2012, I'll be pleased as punch. My general plan is to work on the assisted pull-up machine at least twice a week and just keep increasing the difficulty. I'll continue my regular free-weights workout, but incorporate more push-ups.

2. BUY A ROAD BIKE. I've been teaching spin for a few years now, and have been going to spin class since sometime in the middle of college. I even have a pair of amazing Sidi cycling shoes (graduation gift from Dad, I think in the hopes of me getting out on the road). It's really silly that I don't cycle for real. But hey, bikes are expensive and cars are scary.  But hey, now I have a job and why am I afraid of cars when I ride 1200-lb unpredictable animals over obstacles? I've bought a book and called my Dad (he worked for corporate REI and cycled for most of his life), and decided I want a good quality, entry-level road bike. This is a big purchase for me, so I'm going to take my time going about it. I want to hit the roads (or maybe the Silver Comet to start) by late spring.

3. JOIN A CYCLING GROUP. While I love my friends, I'm always looking to make new ones. I just remember my Dad going out with his boys for long rides, and how much fun he had with them on the road. I know this will take me some time - finding the right group, the right level, and just getting the general feel of riding in a pack (horseback riding in a pack often goes terribly awry). I'm shooting for early fall on this one.