Happy New Year!

It's going to be a big year. Eug!

The first, last, and only time I ran on the track at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. Context for this photo will make sense soon. Keep reading. (And yes, I was last off the line.)

Hi! Happy 2023!

We’re six days in, and so far, so good.

The first week back after the holiday break is often tough. I’m always eager to get back into a routine. I thrive when my life is structured and scheduled.

I always dream of spending the first week back at work after a break to be a dreamy display of to-do lists (on this paper, always), fresh notebooks (my favorite), new inky pens (my favorite) and ready-to-be-filled calendars (I can’t live without my color-coded Google Calendar, and I use a dry-erase calendar for a visual display of current and upcoming podcast guests and sponsors).

The reality, though?

It’s usually chaotic.

For Annie, my four-year-old daughter, heading back to school is rarely seamless. She loved her “home days,” and so did I! For two weeks, we had no routine, no schedule, nowhere to be. We spent entire days in our pajamas. We lingered in bed (often a shared bed) longer than usual, we subsisted solely on Christmas cookies and Chex Mix for at least 48 hours straight, and we rarely had anywhere to be at any specific time.

It was wonderful. (I even took a break from working!)

Now, bedtime (I’m trying desperately to get us back on that 7 PM “time to head upstairs” schedule) is a struggle, she’s having trouble falling asleep, she’s wandering into “the big bed” somewhere around 4 AM, and making the switch back to meals instead of just snacks is a fight I’m only willing to fight roughly 20 percent of the time. Getting out the door for school? Well, we’ve all had our share of meltdowns by the end of the week.

We’re all adjusting.

Still, six days into 2023, and I think I like it here.

I’ve recorded three podcast episodes to kick off the year: a solo episode, a conversation with Lauren Fleshman about her forthcoming book, and, today, a two-hour chat with Ellie Kemper (you know her as the ever-lovable Erin, from The Office).

My inbox is a disaster, my calendar is already over-booked, and my to-do list, well…I’m adding exponentially more than I’m crossing off.

I love it, though.

I love the energy and the hustle of what feels like a fresh start.

I love reflecting on the past, and dreaming about the future.

My big focus for 2023 is on relationships.

I want to deepen my relationships with my friends and loved ones.

I want to find “my people” now that we’ve truly put down roots here in New Hampshire. We have a home, and I want to fill it with people who make me happy.

I want to be a good, better friend.

I want to show up for the people who make my world better.

I want connection. I want closeness. I want girls’ nights and dinner parties. I want Annie’s friends running around the play room.

And I want to do the big things, or at least try the big things!

For me, right now, that means doing the thing I wasn’t sure I’d do again…

I’m running a marathon this year.

The Eugene Marathon, specifically.

(Use code ONTHERUNEUGENE and get $10 off your race registration! Come run with me! I’ll also be doing a live show while I’m out there. Details TBA.)

I was supposed to run this race in 2012, as my second marathon, but I got injured and then I got sick, and I never made the trip out west for my second go at 26.2.

Now, I’m ready to try again.

This will be my seventh marathon: I’ve run the Hamptons Marathon, the Manchester City Marathon, the Steamtown Marathon, and the New York City Marathon three times.

I’ll keep you updated on my training every week, right here in the newsletter.

I’m not working with a coach. I don’t have a training plan figured out. My earliest thoughts are that I’ll add mileage, but not intensity. I don’t have a time goal. It’s been seven years since I’ve attempted a marathon, and I want to keep it fun.

I want to do long runs with friends.

I want to enjoy the training.

I want to stay healthy.

After several months of later-in-the-day runs, I’m finally back to my 5 AM runs, and I’m happy to be there. It’s my favorite way to start the day, even if it is very dark and very cold.

Soon, the mileage will increase.

And I kind of can’t wait.

This week on the Ali on the Run Show: The 2023 State of the Ali on the Run Show. It also happens to be Episode 600. I always kick off the new year reflecting on the past, present, and future of the show, so that’s what you’re getting here. Key takeaway: 2022 was about fun. I’m not sure yet what 2023 is about. I’m excited to find out.

What I’m watching: Emily in Paris, Season 3, again. I half-watched it the first time through. Now I’m re-watching it while doing my little 10-minute Peloton strength classes. (Mute the instructor + crank the Netflix.)

What I’m reading: Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World, by Lauren Fleshman. I actually read it a few weeks ago, but this book comes out next week, and I recommend getting your hands on a copy. Lauren talks about her road to becoming a professional runner, and what it looked like when she actually went pro. It is at times heartbreaking, at times frustrating, and at times joyful. Lauren even admits that the reader may not like her very much at different times in the book. It’s a tremendous reminder of how complicated life can be, how multiple things can be true at once, and how sending the email (!!!) can make all the difference in the world.

What I’m listening to: “How to Break Bad Habits and Build Good Ones with James Clear” on Girls Gotta Eat. I admittedly haven’t read James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, but it comes up often on the Ali on the Run Show, and this episode was great. Lots of helpful takeaways if you’re looking to commit to better habits (whatever that means for you) in 2023.

On the run: I’m training for a marathon this year! My goal is to have fun, stay healthy, stay injury-free, and get to the starting line. (Ideally, I would also like to get to the finish line!)

And so…

Take good care of yourselves. Take good care of each other.

Here’s to a new year and fresh, perfectly inky pens.

Love,

Ali