Have I ever told you about my brother? Not the littlest one I visited in Australia. And not the Philly-based one, he’s the oldest (though I really still consider them all my baby brothers.) Nope, this is the middle brother, the middle child, Con.

After you’ve taken a moment to chuckle at my dad’s silly face in the background, you can admire that stud of a brother (my genetic pool is like… stupid good looking. I get it.) And then, you can reflect on this:

This 24 year old man is, and has been for the past 18 years, the most intense human I have ever met in my life (his first 6 years were pretty mellow.) When he wanted to pay his way to his high school French trip, he exceeded fundraising enough to get a digital camera for the stay. When he wanted to switch weight classes in wrestling season, he spent more time in the gym than any kid on the team, some of them combined. And whether it’s work, eating, going out, or hitting the gym…. he goes hard. He’s a finance bro to the core and, if you know any of them, you know the type. It was no surprise to me, then, when he and his friends committed to this concept. Something totally foreign to me. But something I’m finding pretty appealing at the moment.

It’s simply called Mar1.

It stands for March 1st, but it really stands for so much more. It’s subjective to the participant but, at the core of Mar1 is this: Until March 1st, each individual committed to Mar1 lives a particularly Spartan lifestyle. They work hard in the office and harder in the gym, often opting for two-a-days OR two hour sessions. They aren’t overly indulgent because it’s sweater season. They’re eating clean, living off of salads and grilled chicken breasts. They’re not on juice cleanses, but they’re also not going out during the week. Instead of bears hibernating, this band of bros hitting the ground harder than before. And they’re my inspiration. See, the thing is, I may be a little bear-like in nature. When the weather gets cold and the days grow shorter…. I just want to climb into a cave full of blankets and emerge when it’s time to “spring forward”.  I’m no good at getting to the gym when there is darkness as I leave the office. And, though I’m definitely a morning person… where are the Zumba classes at 7am?! (Spoiler alert: they’re not at my gym!)

But, though the austerity of a full dedication to Mar1 might not be in my wheelhouse…. I think I can confidently commit to a modified version. A Jan1 or “JanWun”, if you will. My dear buddy Claire and I (you might remember her from A BUTTLOAD OF MY LIFE) are kicking this JanWun off accordingly this week with a 3 day health kickoff. We’re getting started with the help of some TJs cold-pressed juices, a lack of dairy products (farewell, sweet cheese), a commitment to exercise each day (see you Wednesday, November Project), and a general “Just say no” to processed foods.

Yeah, it’s no juice cleanse. And we’re not the hardcore finance bros that have any interest in spending 2 full hours at the gym…. but I think we’re both ready for a little kickoff to remind our bodies that just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean we can let our inner bears out (I’ll try to refrain from my standard nickname of Claire-bear for a little while).

I’m not going to set any weight-related goals. I’ve done that in my life before and, while it’s effective, it turns me into a person I don’t necessarily want to be. But I AM going to commit to this. There’s been a lot of food and beers lately, but not very much sweat. And, come on, I wouldn’t write a blog about ALL THREE if they weren’t equally important! Right?

Right.

Good talk, I’ll see you on the other side.