We are excited to share this blog from RADrabbitPRO Brandon Birdsong. Brandon has a great perspective on the New Year, resolutions, and setting goals.  This is a great read, so enjoy!

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As the leaves have gone and fall has dwindled, so have my Tour de France dreams. I have traded mountain views for sweat-filled shoes on the stationary bike. Instead of chasing KOMs, I am chasing power, which is pretty irrelevant when you don’t know what it means…. But with one quick Google search, the World Wide Web tells me that I should probably switch to cycling and although I’m no Chris Froome, I am getting stronger!

Isn’t it crazy how injuries can lead us to finding a passion for something that may not have been on the radar in the past? It provides hope. Hope of something new… Hope to run again… Hope of gaining strength and fitness…. Hope of roundhouse-kicking Lance Armstrong as you roll past him in the French Alps! Did I mention this might be false hope?

In all seriousness, it has been beyond exciting to put one foot in front of the other (just slightly quicker than what would be considered a walking gait) again. 4 days a week now… High five! When not running, I’m on the ElliptiGO or stationary bike chasing down the grandma beside me as she effortlessly pushes one pedal stroke after another. The stationary bike can be lonely, but the New Year is near. This means an eclectic view of people that are about to start piling up on the bikes beside me. Those chasing their new fitness goals means the peloton will only grow stronger! Let’s hope it lasts because it can be a lonely road, or lack there of.

A new year means new resolutions. If it isn’t the exercise enthusiasts that you follow on Instagram, it may be the daunting statistics that over 66 percent of adults are overweight, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I don’t want to be a pessimistic “Patty” that is going to tell you that your efforts will only diminish slowly until you are back to your old self again. Instead, I want challenge those that are setting resolutions. I challenge you to set short- and long-term goals. How will you get there?

The physiological and psychological state of the human body does not change over night, but it can adapt over weeks, months, and years. It isn’t a short-term fix, but instead, a lifestyle change. A delicate balance. It can be achieved after “YOU” decide you can do it. A decision that turns into habit. Habit that turns into routine. Pretty soon you will be lean and mean!

If you believe your life sucks or that you are unfit, you can do something about it. “You” are the common denominator! I believe in you and you too, should believe in yourself.

January 1st is neither an end nor a new beginning. Life will go on and it is important that we all take what we’ve learned and apply it to the future. A future of wisdom. Cheers to the New Year and an opportunity for us to make a difference. If you need motivation or someone to chat with, you can find me in the spin room. I’ll be the one wearing a helmet!

- Brandon Birdsong, RADrabbitPRO