It’s going to be 77 degrees here today.  Dang; Sports bra weather.

So remember how I was inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project?  And remember how I came up with a big list of New Year’s Resolutions?  And how every month has a new resolution focus and all resolutions are cumulative throughout the year?  Remember how I was all aquiver?  Yeah, well…

So Ms. Rubin started out in January with a focus on feeling more energetic.  Her rationale was that more energy would help her accomplish her other resolutions.  I decided this was a great place to start for me too because I usually feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck at some point during the day.  Right, and I told you all about these resolutions for some accountability.

So the month in review:

1.Plan for 8 hours of sleep a night with a weekly schedule.

Planning: check.  I made a lovely schedule with lots of small writing.  And I did a good job actually sleeping 8 hours a night up until Bandera (January 8).  I had trouble sleeping after the 100k.  It took about two weeks to get back to sleeping through the night.  So nice plan, poor execution.  I’ll keep the planning up next month, though I imagine Rocky will wreak havoc with my beauty sleep too.  I’ll have to make some resolution involving soporifics later in the year.  The planning is a big enough step for now.

2. Swear off food that makes me feel lethargic.  (Goodbye tortilla chips and alcohol.)

I did well with this one.  I had a bit of alcohol here and there (New Year’s, post-Bandera), but nothing compared to my previous lush-like ways.  And it’s certainly been easier to get out of bed in the mornings as a result.  I’ll keep the teetotaling resolution, but give myself leeway around special events.  (February 2: Groundhog’s day!)  And the lack of tortilla chip comas also quieted my “I can’t believe it’s already morning” grumbling.

3. Swear off eating habits that leave me feeling lethargic or grumpy.  (Goodbye caffeine crashes.  Only one cup of caffeine in the morning.  And goodbye meals fit for a giant.)

Only having one cup of coffee a day was HARD (I did have a few two-cup days when wasn’t sleeping after Bandera), but not having the caffeine crashes was great.  That resolution had the greatest impact on my energy levels.  And it was fairly easy to eat appropriately portioned meals this month.  I credit the sports bra challenge and my vanity.

4.  Drink some water on the hour.  (I hate drinking water.  I’m chronically dehydrated.  This is dumb.)

I really tried to drink water hourly.  And I’m drinking so much more water than I ever have —  but not on the hour.  I’m going to set an alarm for myself this month.  Obnoxious, but I want to see what it feels like to be consistently hydrated.  Maybe it won’t feel any different and I can resume my desiccated ways in 2012.

5.  Maintain my current weight.  (Like most everyone, I gain weight and then spend energy losing it again and again — and again.  It tires me out.  It tires the people around me out.  I’m taking the year off.  This will be a hard habit to break, so, to help myself, I told Eliot that 2011 was the “Year of the Exposed Belly.” Time to invest in some pretty sports bras.

Yeah, I did well with this one.  I highly recommend the sports bra challenge if you’re vain.

So more energy as a result of all these resolutions?  Meh.  I’m more reliably even-keeled.  But I don’t know that I would describe January as energy-full.

Greater happiness?  Double meh.  It’s been a hard end to the month.   I don’t think anyone would describe me as seeming ebullient, — or even happier.  I have felt more peaceful on the inside though.

So next month: All of the above and some more, which I’ll regail you with later this week. Right now Asa needs an air tank for his makeshift firefighter’s SCBA.  (Steel water bottle in the Camelbak.)