HL/WWSG - Week of March 13

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey gang: our regulars, lurkers, and visitors, welcome to the next installment of the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group. This month is tending to be more of the lion and I can’t wait for the lamb to show up. What a wild time we’ve had (at least off the thread) with weather and family lives but there are still lots of good reports being had and plenty of positives to be emphasized. With that said, I’ll also comment that it seems like last week’s thread was a little quiet (quieter than things have been in the past couple weeks) but I hope that can be attributed to travel and being mum about relative inactivity.

Thoughts from the last week or so that have stood out among the group include:

SUCCESSES! - .Jacki moving from her office at work (or was it her whole office moving?); Lisa finishing her class (the 10th); Karen and a great last moment dinner for MIL and family
Family life - as best I can tell everyone is back in battery or I should say healthy; Karen’s DS #1 getting started on his orthodontics :( ; Sarah and Ella having fun at Aqua Babies; Jacki’s DH birthday dinner party; my dealing with a change of jobs (movign to a new command) in December and the discussion with LW about the move.
Stressful living - me ignoring my tooth, I need to get to the dentist to have the thing worked on; Jacki dealing with her move (and getting it done); my making a decision to stay on active duty in the Navy for until mid-2007; an upcoming frenetic week for me.
Healthful living - Sarah getting started with her running group and having a great run (BTW - what did you take for the group?);
Missing in Action - Jackie O, but I think she may have been traveling last week. Then there are Leah and Jennifer (who we haven’t heard from in quite some time) I hope the big day for Leah that‘s approaching isn‘t being too daunting.

Healthful living this week all workout plans subject to change based on a bunch of business and leisure events on tap:
Sun - cross train with weights
Mon - Run/elliptical
Tue - Elliptical or run
Wed - Run
Thu - Elliptical or bike
Fri - Off
Sat - Race - Shamrock 8k (should be a gas)

Healthful living - (1) Keep working on doing my PT exercises, not doing as well this week as past weeks. (2) Keep making progress or at least not slip back on weight management, I think that I‘m still doing well but I have to be intentional in eating habits as I get to longer miles in training.

Just wondering... is there something that people would like to see change with the thread? Are we keeping it interesting enough to have people come back week after week?

Well, I need to close out so I can head to the gym to help my legs and ankle get happy (they are still a little sore after running 22 miles yesterday). I hope that some of the folks who look in on us take the time to drop a line and let us know how we’re doing. Take care and I’ll see you later tonight.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-I think you do a great job with the thread. If I come up with any great ideas, I'll pass them on to the gang. I agree with you...it has gotten quiet around here, but I'm betting it is not the thread turning people away. It's probably just alot of busy schedules. Did you make your legs and ankle happy???:)

I biked this morning, did some weights, a few abs, and a I got an exercise ball for home which I play around with a bit(the kids would like to as well, if I let them....but this ball is all mommy's!:D ). Anyway, we all went to "Hucklemania" this afternoon. Afterwards we did Costco and dinner. Since there were no messages on the machine when we got back tonight, it looks like we did not win a basket this year:( . The kids had fun, though.

This week is a bit hectic with alot of kid-related commitments, so I won't make it to kickboxing everyday. Tomorrow I will swim and kickbox. Tuesday and Wed. the kids get out of school early for parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon. Tuesday morning I also go to DD's class. Then on Thursday DS#1 has his second go around at the orthodontist for bands/molds. and in the afternoon DS#2 is in a school play. I will be baking for the post play cast party. Friday DH is off, so I should make it to my class that day. I will still get my swims in each day, and perhaps a bike ride or more.

Have a good week everyone,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - If I had to guess I'd say that life has overtaken the thread a little too. There are days but it is part of my unwind and (virtually) be with real people time. DRAT! ;) No coffee basket this year. What am I going to do about coffee for the next couple months... ;) Oh well. I did finally get my feet/ankles and legs happy - sometimes nice to push a little weight around to get things back into the groove as it were. Funny thing after running yesterday my lower back/upper gleuts were sore. That's really odd for me because I'm never sore or achy there. I wonder... May there be peace around your house this week as you deal with all the perturbations of your kids schedules.

I'm sure you'll come through with flying colors and get swims and kick boxing in - as long as the snow doesn't show up up there.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend and I hope we'll hear from folks in the morning (but I remember that Sarah probably won't check in until later what with DH out of town).

Until morning - peace,
Les

[tmsl]

Hi gang, back from snowy Snowshoe, WV. I had not been skiing for 3 years and that was before I started working out. What a difference muscle tone and stamina makes!!! I did much better and while my calves are slightly sore, I still plan to run tonight. We have several busy weeks over the next few weeks leading up to my race on April 2. Hopefully, I will continue with stamina.

My plan for the week is to run M-Th and Friday we go out of town for the night to celebrate a friend's birthday. I am doing good during the week with food choices, but weekends are more tempting with restaraunts and such.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week planned. I will try to pop in later in the week.

Laura K.

[karen w]

Laura K.-Glad to hear you had a great time skiing. I have also noticed the same thing with regard to my stamina etc... since resuming swimming several years ago. And adding on the kickboxing, biking, weights has really helped out alot, too. And another bonus...my legs don't look so stinking skinny in shorts anymore:D !
Good luck with your runs this week.

Les-Well, if it is any consolation, there was no coffee/tea basket this year anyway. So even if I won a basket, there would have been no java to speak of. I guess you just gotta go to the store this time around!:( I hope the gluts/behind are less sore today!:D

I had a pretty typical run-around kinda day. I had an OK swim. It would have been much better, if I did not share a lane with the "flailer" today. But the pool was packed this morning, and it was better than being one of the ones standing on deck waiting for a lane.:rolleyes: I did make it to kickboxing this morning too....barely. I did the grocery shopping beforehand and ended up buying some frozen foods(ice cream:D ), so I raced home to throw it in the freezer before dashing back out to class.

Tomorrow I go to DD's class for center time in the morning. The kids are home at noon tomorrow because of parent-teacher conferences. I will not have any except maybe one via phone with DS#1's teacher.
I'll get my swim in early, but that'll be about it unless I sneak in a bike ride and/or weights in the afternoon.

Have a good night everyone,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Laura K - Glad you survived skiing this past weekend. It's been way too long since I've been skiing but considering my current status regarding my ankle I'd bet skiing isn't a good thing for me. Of course, I like tubing more than I like skiing (not as far to fall if you dump an inner tube). I wish you good and productive runs and like Karen agree that being in better physical condition overall makes a big difference when doing things like skiing.
Karen - I'm probably better off without more coffee from up north. So it's a good thing there were no coffee baskets this year. Sorry that you were in the lane with the flailer but like you say it's better to be in the lane with someone than standing on the deck waiting for a lane. May your Tuesday fall into place for you too.

Today - would you believe it. When I got to the gym at 6 pm there were 18 people on the 18 ellipticals, 12 people on the 12 treadmills, and 8 people on 9 bikes. So I was relegated to a bike which all things considered may not have been a bad thing. I rode for an hour and felt pretty wobbly by the time I was done. Now I know why they call the transition between the bike and running in a triathlon "The Brick"... because you've got bricks for legs once you've ridden like that. And oh, my gleuts felt better today but still a little stiff. I guess I'm running with all parts of my body on my long runs.

I hope that we can hear from some others - even if only to tell us they're still alive. Oh well...

Until morning - peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-I guess it's just you and me again. HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!! WHERE IS EVERYBODY????? Anyway, like you said yourself...it's better to get a lane(or a bike), than to be the one waiting in the wings. Good to hear the gluets are recovering, too.

I had a good swim this morning without extra wave generation from the "flailer":D too. Spent the morning with DD in her class for center time. The kids were home by noon(half day for conferences). They all did there reading, writing, homework etc... and wanted to go to Tae Kwon Do this afternoon, so we had a "Mom's afternoon out" with the kids. We went early so I could go to one of the "Kickboxing express" classes(~10 min. shorter class than the morning ones, but more intense i.e. less time on warming up/mirror work and more time on bags). It was good and sweaty. Then the boys had their class next. Half way through their class, DD and I went next door to Subway as I promised them if everyone behaved themselves, they could have that for dinner. I'm pretty anti-junk food/fast food, but I can't deny them everything. They've never had any other fast food i.e. Mickey D's, BK, etc... so we compromise on Subway(and they don't get it often) as long as they get the baked chips. We brought everything home so I could make dinner for DH and I. I also cut up some fruit for them to go with with their "junk:D (that was the mom in me coming out!:D ). Anyway, they licked their chops, and are happy clams now.;) Oh and DS#2 has been so enthusiastic lately at Tae Kwon Do that one of the instructors gave him a letter inviting him to join their "Dream Team." Of course, that means more $$$$(a one-time fee). DS is very excited, but DH and I may hold off just a bit. He just joined the Black Belt Club this past week, so we'll see how he does and we can always sign him up at a later date.

Tomorrow I will swim and try to get to my class later in the morning. I'll just have to hurry home to grab lunch quickly before the kids get off the bus(another half day for conferences tomorrow).

Hope we hear from some more folks out there!

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by karen w
Les-I guess it's just you and me again. HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!! WHERE IS EVERYBODY?????
I'm here... weird day but I'll mention that later. But it looks like it's just you and me for today.
I had a good swim this morning... DD and I went next door to Subway as I promised them if everyone behaved themselves, they could have that r dinner. I'm pretty anti-junk food/fast food, but I can't deny them everything. They've never had any other fast food i.e. Mickey D's, BK, etc... so we compromise on Subway (and they don't get it often) as long as they get the baked chips... Oh and DS#2 has been so enthusiastic lately at Tae Kwon Do that one of the instructors gave him a letter inviting him to join their "Dream Team." Of course, that means more $$$$ (a one-time fee)... Tomorrow I will swim and try to get to my class later in the morning. I'll just have to hurry home to grab lunch quickly before the kids get off the bus(another half day for conferences tomorrow).
All good news for you and your family. Good swim (sans flailer), good kickboxing (on turbo) and good Tae Kwon Do for DS1 and DS2. That's great to hear about how well DS#2 is doing in his class that he's made a good impression on his instructor (sensi I believe which of course is Japanese and probably Karate and not Tae Kwon Do). Gee - Subway counts as junk food. Hope you don't ever hit my neck of the woods then ;) because if I don't eat in Subway is about the only place I eat. But I'll hand it to a lot of the other fast food places and they really are trying to be more healthy (YUCK on hamburgers or fried stuff). I mean I've heard that the grilled chicken at McD is actually fairly good for you and I've had the veggie burger at BK (without mayo) and that's pretty decent and no artery clogging goop. But like you say, always better to not get started on those kind of places then you don't ever have to break your kids of a bad habit. I hope that tomorrow goes as (relatively) smoothly as today did.

To my day... I spent 2 hours at the dentist (on a walk in). X-ray and exam led to an Endodontist appointment on the 28th (only 30 minutes worth) to check out a molar for a root canal. YUCK! But I've been nursing this tooth (with a possible crack) for about 4 years so I'll count my blessings really. After finishing that extravaganza at almost 11:00 and based on the pain in my ankle (yes, the residual from Saturday) I took today off. My ankle needed the rest and I need to be faithful to myself and my promise that I'd not exercise if it really hurt. So I didn't (I'm proud of myself). I spent the evening at a church board meeting and had the opportunity to discuss my ordination process progress (yes that is correct - no typo). So in all, I'd count today as a win even if I didn't work out.

I'm with Karen folks - we need to get some more people chiming in or others may talk. ;) :D

I hear my bed calling and I'm ready to answer so until the morning... Peace,
Les

[tmsl]

I'm here with you guys!! I have had a couple of good runs this week but my calves are protesting slightly. I keep telling them they can rest this weekend and hope to get 1 or 2 more runs in this week.

Les-sorry about the tooth. I have had a root canal and while they are not fun, sometimes they are necessary. I hope your ankle recovers and allows you to proceed with your training. When is Boston? I guess I could look on their website, but I'll let you tell me!!:D

Karen-It is great you are teaching your kids such good eating/working out habbits so young. If only more people would do that, we wouldn't have childhood obesity.

Hi to all who are lurking.

Laura K.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Laura K - Glad you're out there. Boston will be run Apr 18th and I'm looking forward to it. But I can tell you, based on my run from this past weekend I'll probably never run that far after finishing Boston - way too much residual pain three days later.

Back to work...
Les

[Sarah428]

I'm baaaack:), and glad to be so!

We had a busy couple days with lots of traveling here and there. Although I had a wonderful time with my DD I'm was glad to come back to work today and have some sort of a routine. She also has been asking "where's daddy?" a thousand times a day and it's driving me crazy! Brian comes home tonight after she's in bed so she'll get to see him tomorrow morning - yea!

I'm ashamed to say that I've barely moved over the past five days and have consumed some crazy food items...pringles...I never eat chips:o!

I did manage to take a few walks with the dog but it was too cold for running with Ella and for some reason no babysitter wanted to come over 5am for me to meeting the weekday running group! So again, glad to back to a routine.

Les - Root canal, yuk! I've been ignoring a crack in my tooth for three years now, sooner or later that will catch up with me too.

Karen - As always you sound super busy! I'm the same way about Ella and fastfood. Although she's had it I add fruit, top a burger with spinach and tomato, etc. And no happy meals, I make my own!

Laura - Hope the calfs start listening. Glad your skiing went great and what a bonus to feel in such great shape!

I'm hoping to get to the gym tomorrow but think I might want to stay in bed with DH! I promise to be there friday and meet with the running group for a long run on Sunday.

Happy Hump Day!
Sarah

[Leslie Ferguson]

Welcome back Sarah - glad to hear you had a good weekend and that DH is back ;) at home soon. It is always tough on the kids when Daddy is gone plus you do get a little break from the whole "mess" of life w/o your partner. I'd put money on you not making it to the gym first thing tomorrow but I may be wrong. ;)
Laura K - I hope you don't develop a calf "thing" too - it seems like there is a lot of that going around right now. Thanks for breaking in on Karen and me too. :D

The remainder of my quick check in is to report that I did 60 minutes of elliptical today, not feeling the need to exacerbate my ankle issues right yet (lots more miles of running before Boston) and I think that was the right call. I'm feeling like I got a good "run" in and my ankle doesn't hurt so... bonus.

Back to work now and I'll see you in the evening.

Les

[karen w]

Glad to see a few more faces today(nothing personal, Les!;) ).

Laura K.-Your calves and my shoulder. I think I tweaked it a bit or I slept on it funny. It's not too bad, but I know I have a shoulder.:( It has not stopped me from my activities, however, so that's good.

Sarah-Welcome home. Sounds like a whirlwind few days you've been having. I always look forward to returning to my rut....um, I mean routine, too:D . Glad DH will be back soon. Gee, I wonder why no one wanted to baby sit at 5 am???!!!:D

Les-A big YUCKO on the root canal, but I hope it releives your discomfort. Good for you for taking it easy on the ankle. And it must be so exciting to be discussing your ordination!

Pretty mellow day for me. I started out with an easy going swim to baby my shoulder. Although, once I got going doing laps, it actually felt better. The pool was crowded again today. I did make it to kickboxing, too, but I did not go whole hog on my left hooks or jabs(it's my left shoulder that's acting up). That's the only side that ever bothers me on occasion, and I think it may have to do with how I sleep(on left side). It usually resolves in a few days, and fortunately has never been anything too debilitating or painful. Like I said, I'm just aware my shoulder is attached to my body!:rolleyes: I had to rush home to quickly grab lunch as the kids were due home early(noon) again today. DS#1 had a field trip, too. This afternoon they played very nicely together. They spent most of the afternoon doing arts and craft projects at the kitchen table. At 4 pm I told them to clean up, and when I came downstairs, everything was cleaned up!:) They can be angels!;) Later they went out to play in what snow remains in the yard.:p

Tomorrow I take DS#1 to the orthodontist in the morning for his bands. I will drop him at school after his appt. In the afternoon, I have to go to see DS#2's St. Patrick's Day Play, "Irish Stew." I'm also in charge of helping out with the post play cast party. I made "Shamburgers" today to bring in tomorrow(they look like hamburgers, but are made with a sesame seed sprinkled sugar cookie bun, a peppermint patty burger, red & yellow frosting for ketchup and mustard, and green tinted coconut as lettuce). They really look cute.:) I should be able to get in my swim and maybe a bike ride, but kickboxing is out tomorrow.

Have a good night. Happy Hump Day!

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - The funny thing about talking about ordination is it is exciting and "butterfly in the stomach" all at the same time. I'm jazzed to be headed in a direction that I really feel I'm supposed to be headed but the unknown - even if you know that's the place you're supposed to be - is an scary place to be (is that circular???). I know what you say about your shoulder. For years I slept either on my right side or on my stomach (with my right arm over my head) but since I developed arthritis in my right shoulder I can't sleep anywhere except my back. And if I try to sleep on my stomach I can only last for about an hour then I'm awake with a sharp pain in my shoulder and I'm not fight all day. So I've had to develop a means to force myself to sleep on my back (propped up on 3 pillows) and that's the ONLY way I can sleep. The shamburgers sound really funny and like they'll be a real treat. :) It's not surprising that your shoulder felt better once you got started swimming - I know for the most part that I'll work out all the kinks with a good (and gentle) workout. Heck - give yourself the off day tomorrow - only workout 2 times instead of 3. ;) Hope the remainder of the school things works out and that DS#1's bands go in without issue.

Not much more to talk about and I hope that we hear from Kacki and Jackie O soon - it's been a while for J.O.

Until tomorrow - peace,
Les

[Sarah428]

Happy St Patty's Day

Les - I forgot to tell you what I made for the running group. I loved your granola idea but didn't have anything on hand for that (might make it for this weekend) so I ended up making a roasted red pepper dip that went over very well.

Well I did go to the gym this morning (Les, you owe me;). I ran 60 minutes, 40 minutes of speed intervals and 20 minutes with some incline. Tomorrow will be a lifting day, Sat walk the dog and Sunday the long run.

Got a call from a friend inviting me out tonight for a few St. Patty's day drinks and appetizers. I usually don't like going out on weeknights but after my looong days with DH being gone I'm taking her up on the offer.

DH got home a few hours earlier than expected and was able to read Ella her bedtime stories. It's soooo nice having him back.

Karen - Your Shamburgers sound so cute, how creative. Take care of that shoulder!

Gotta run!
Sarah

[ellery]

Wayward thread member checking in...

Where does the time go? I don't even have kids and still feel like I never have a moment to myself... it's been very busy at work and me not having access to a computer 97% of the time except for rare moments like today has put a serious cramp in my BB time.

I'm still plugging along, though, with 8 weeks to go until the big day. Ack! Weekends have been spent doing wedding-related errands or household related errands as we're redoing our bathroom, so I'm sorry I've been neglecting the thread. My diet has paid the toll, unfortunately, so while I'm still working out as much as ever, the stress-eating caloric intake seems to be slightly outdoing the exercise caloric expenditure. So nothing has changed with me. ;)

I just did a brief skim of the thread as I need to get back to paperwork but just wanted to check in and say hi. I think about you all but unfortuately my thoughts don't have access to an internet connection usually.

:)

Leah

[Sarah428]

Leah,

:) OMG! :)
I seriously gasped when I saw you posted!
Thank you for checking in...you have no idea how worried we (ok, mainly Les and I) have been about you!

Well I figured wedding stuff had taken over your life. When it's all over you'll wonder what to do with all your free time. Thanks for checking in and if you have a minute I'd love to hear some wedding details!

Sarah

[ellery]

Aw shucks... :o

Bad Leah, Bad Leah. Must put down the Girl Scout cookies and log on to the BB at home more often. Make that my St. Patrick's Day resolution!

:D

p.s. as far as what to do with that free time once the wedding is over, well, that's what the TTC thread is for. :D ;)

[Laura]

Semi-wayward member checking in...

I lifted hard on Monday, and since I really wasn't able to move until today, I didn't post. I did get in three miles on the treadmill though and did lower body weights. I have kind of given up my goal of keeping my conditioning around 10 mile long runs. I just don't have that kind of ambition unless I am training, so I have lowered my goal to keep my long runs at 6-7 miles. That is an hour+ for me and very doable.

Les, sorry about the root canal, but honestly, my root canal was no worse than a filling.

Hi to everyone else. Leah, glad to see you back. What did you guys decide for the location of your wedding?

[karen w]

Originally posted by Sarah428
Leah,

:) OMG! :)
I seriously gasped when I saw you posted!
Thank you for checking in...you have no idea how worried we (ok, mainly Les and I) have been about you!

Sarah

Wait a minute!!! I gasped, too!!! And as a mother and fellow BB crony, I did my fair share of worrying!!!!!!!!!

That aside....Leah-Thanks for stopping by to say hello! Do it more often if you can. We miss your wit and humour! :D

Les-I hear you on the butterflies and excitement at the same time...I take that as a sign that this is really important to you. And I think I solved your insomnia problems....man do you go to extremes to find a comfy position to sleep in at night!:( It's no wonder you fall asleep at all. Last night DH massaged my shoulder before bed(and a few other places:D , but we won't get into that kinda talk). It felt a bit better today.

Sarah-Have fun tonight. Drink a green one for me! But don't come home green!

Laura-6-7 miles at a time is pretty darn good in my book. And don't forget...it's better than nothing!

I had a nice swim this morning. I kept it fairly easy, but I picked up the pace just a bit from yesterday. It felt good, and the pool was not as busy. After DD and DS#2 got off to school, I squeezed in a 30 min. bike ride, some crunches, and hand weights before taking DS#1 to the orthodontist. That only took 15 min. Afterwards I dropped him off at school. His teacher called today for our conference. Seems his effort is waning a bit lately, and he has not been performing to his capabilities. I had a talk with him after school, and he knows the attitude IS going to change or certain things will take a back seat for awhile(i.e. game boys, TV's etc...).

Anyway, I went to DS#2's play this afternoon. The kids were very cute, and did a super job. My "shamburgers" were a big hit, too. DS#2 ate enough sugar for the next year in one sitting!!!! :p Fortunately, I was there to stop him after his third or fourth BIG cookie! DD also had some super news today. She just got her next set of vocabulary words, and they are the first set of....FIRST grade words!

That's about it for me.
Tomorrow I'll swim and try my shoulder at kickboxing again!

Have a good night,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by Sarah428
Well I did go to the gym this morning (Les, you owe me;).
Guilty! :o I'm glad you proved me wrong but then DH threw a wrench in the works by coming home 2 hours early. ;)
Originally posted by Karen W
Les-I hear you on the butterflies and excitement at the same time...I take that as a sign that this is really important to you. And I think I solved your insomnia problems... man do you go to extremes to find a comfy position to sleep in at night! It's no wonder you fall asleep at all. Last night DH massaged my shoulder before bed(and a few other places , but we won't get into that kinda talk). It felt a bit better today.
I think you've hit the nail on the head about the butterflies etc. You are right too - the whole ordination thing is very important to me. And I'd bet you don't know the half of it on getting to sleep. All of that is the down side of an active childhood and getting older. :) I like your fix for a shoulder problem too. ;) Congrats to DD for her first vocabulary list - another sign she's growing up. I hope you didn't have to nail DS#2 down after all his sugar.

Welcome back to Laura and Leah - we've missed you and I understand your tension, Leah, about your wedding. But I believe it will be the best event you can imagine regardless.

Myt workout today and the trials of getting there. I really didn't feel like working out this evening - didn't have any pop - but I forced myself out of the dry sauna (that was hard) and onto the elliptical. Once I got started (about 10 minutes into the workout) I was jazzed and had a good and fulfilling 60 minute workout so the moral of the story is sometimes the hardest thing is getting started.

Oh well - the midnight hour approaches and I better get some sleep tonight because tomorrow may be a reasonably sleepless night being the night before a race.

I'll see you in the morning so everyone take care.

Peace,
Les

[helios7]

Popping in from Paris -

Hi all,

We got here midday Weds, and haven't done much but find the nearest boulangerie and fromagerie and buy a bottle of wine. Now its Friday am here and I'm just waiting for DH to wake up. We're both exhausted still, but my friend lives next to a school so once the kids arrived my sleeping time was over. And of course my vacation is begun with a mild cold... awesome!

But we're here, excited to start exploring and enjoy our time. It feels SO GOOD to be away... DH really needed the break. He arrived home 5 minutes before the car arrived to take us to the airport - his job has really been keeping him busy. So... yay. Think of us. I'll probably be posting more on vacation as I have time, and my friend has internet access at home (we're staying with her) so you might actually see more of me now then at home! :)

Our healthy living goals?
Wine
cheese
chocolate (that would be my goal... can't wait for my first french hot chocolate)
cheese
bread
more wine

That's a good start for now. I think DH wants to try some of the French cuisine, but me being vegetarian always makes that tricky.

Hi Leah - glad the wedding is coming along and sorry to hear life is so crazy! But I understand... oh do i.

Hi Karen - your cookies sounded great. I'm glad the kids enjoyed them.

Les - sorry about the tooth but glad to hear things are moving forward with your ordination goals.

Hi to both Lauras -good to see you!

And anyone else I missed... hi!

au revoir
heather

[Sarah428]

Heather - Thanks for checking in and enjoy your vacation (i'm green with envy).

Les - You have more umph than I do, good for you on just getting started and making it a wonderful workout.

Karen - Glad your sugar overload cookies were a hit. Vocabulary lists, boy does that bring back memories:).

Laura - I'm with, 6 or 7 miles is the distance that I prefer to run as well. I'm starting to "freak out" a little knowing the 1/2 is just over a month away followed by the 25K...what am I going to do with all my time when I'm done;).

Enjoyed my night out with the girls last night. Had two drinks and some yummy grilled chicken and steamed asparagus, the only "green" on my plate for St. Patty's day.

Well I managed to forget to set the alarm this morning so now gym for me today. I figure this past week has been a wash and I'll start fresh on Sunday with the running group.

We have another busy weekend (work, long run, yet another birthday party)...I need a vacation!

Have a great weekend!
Sarah

[karen w]

TGIF!

Les-Sometimes those workouts when it is so hard to just get going are the best ones for me too. I love it when that happens! And DS#2 was OK last night, but tonight he has a tummy ache...gee I wonder why. Although it is probably not related to yesterday's sugar overdose, I can certainly do some parental brainwashing to make him think it is!:o :D

Heather-I'm so jealous! Have a marvelous, relaxing vacation. I love those healthy living goals. And don't forget lots of walking and sightseeing.

Sarah-Even though you overslept this morning, sounds like you made some pretty darn healthy choices dining out last night. Good for you!

I had a very good swim this morning. My shoulder is almost back to normal. Unfortunately my back is a bit off, however, as I have not been able to sleep on my shoulder:rolleyes: . Les, you and I should write a book on the maladies of sleeping. DH says I'm quite the thrasher! Anyway, DH was home today, so I had a bit more freedom to get my things done while he did the school bus runs. After breakfast I did some bed linen stripping/laundry;then went to kickboxing at 10 am. Like I said, my shoulder was better, but the back is a bit stiff. Not too bad, though. Class was good. By next Wed. I need to get all the kinks out since that is when I test for my blue belt.
This afternoon I took a quick trip to TJ's and then picked DD up at her friends house for her ballet class while DH took the boys to Tae Kwon Do.

Tomorrow I'll do my biking/abs/weights. The kids have Tae Kwon Do and swimming. In the evening is the Pinewood Derby(rescheduled from Feb. when it was cx'ed due to a snowstorm). Nothing much for Sunday for us beyond religious school, and I plan on making my Hamantaschen this weekend(Purim cookies).

Have a good one everyone,
Karen

[JackieO]

Originally posted by Leslie Ferguson

Not much more to talk about and I hope that we hear from Jacki and Jackie O soon - it's been a while for J.O.

Until tomorrow - peace,
Les
Hey, I've been here in spirit, if not in participation! I've just had a busy couple of weeks with travel and I spent last weekend in Madison (I took four -- count 'em FOUR -- teen-age boys to a tennis tournament and wound up at the state finals girls BB championship tournament game at the Kohl Center last Saturday night! Our girls team, which was totally unappreciated by the sportswriters all year, won the championship and finished the season with only two losses.) Since I lacked a weekend at home, I ended up playing what seems like an eternal game of "catch-up" this week.

But since we are supposed to be snowbound by tomorrow morning, maybe I'll find myself caught up.

When I've managed to get to the gym, it has been for short bouts of cardio. The strength training has really fallen by the wayside, but I'm not beating myself up over it. All things in due time, and time is something I'm lacking at the moment.

One of the "best and brightest" in our organization died last week -- a brain aneurysm (sp?). Scott was beloved, only 47, and he leaves behind a widow and two young daughters, ages 8 and 12. The tragedy put me into a funk....so I stayed away from the boards for a while for that reason as well.

I'm hoping that the weekend will give me a chance to review the last couple week's threads and get caught up with everyone.

Cheers.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by JackieO
One of the "best and brightest" in our organization died last week -- a brain aneurysm (sp?). Scott was beloved, only 47, and he leaves behind a widow and two young daughters, ages 8 and 12. The tragedy put me into a funk....so I stayed away from the boards for a while for that reason as well.
(((((Jackie O))))) Sorry to hear about your friend from work. I can fully understand your funk and staying away from the boards. My prayers go out to Scott's LW and DDs. And to all of those who were touched by him and his joie de vivre.
...and I spent last weekend in Madison (I took four -- count 'em FOUR -- teen-age boys to a tennis tournament
You're a better person than I - my hat's off to you. I hope the tournament went well.
...State finals girls BB championship tournament game at the Kohl Center last Saturday night! Our girls team... won the championship and finished the season with only two losses.
Congrats to them and everyone else at the school. I hope you don't get all the snow that the forecasters have mentioned but it may be good for you so you can dig yourself out (as it were) from being gone. Take care of yourself - ok?
Heather - Paris sounds like just what the doctor ordered. :) It sounds like it has turned out to be a trip that was both really needed and a wonderful time. Take care.
Sarah - May as well have taken the day off. Especially considering DH's return the other day. I'll be thinking of you when I'm out racing (in about 8 1/2 hours).
Karen - We really should co-author that book. :) I hope that your back squares itself away and you get some good sleep tonight and have a relaxing and recuperative weekend.

Not much to add - I'm not kidding about racing in a short while. And my coach wants me at the starting line a little early for the marathon start (they start 30 minutes before the 8k) because we're (Hampton Roads Galloway Team) hosting a team of 14 from Atlanta for the race. That only sucks because I wasn't planning on getting up that early - to get to the starting line at 7:15 (it's 35 minutes to the beach and who knows how long to the starting line from the parking area) so it looks like I'm getting up at 5:30 again. Unless I gaff off a part of my morning routine for a little sleep and streamline my pre-race preparation. That may be the right answer.

Oh well, the trials and tribulations of being an assistant coach on a race weekend. Until tomorrow - peace,
Les

[Laura]

(((Jackie))) That is so sad. Peace and prayers to Scott's family and friends. I am impressed with you trip to Milwaukee with the boys; so those trips can be tiring, but I love being involved in my kids' lives like that.

Les, enjoy your race! I hope you were able to find a few extra minutes of sleep. Since I took the kids to their dad's last night, I went to bed a 9:45. Heaven!

Karen, I hope you back starts feeling better soon. As one who has struggled with a bad back for many years, I know it can be irritating even when it isn't that bad.

Sarah, I haven't made it back up to the six or 7 mile distance, but I am comfortable staying there. Right now, I can't even fathom a 1/2. If my friend who was going to my first half with me (but had to back out due to injuries) wants to try again this year, I can see myself doing the Boulder Backroads in September. Other than that, I am not motivated to go beyond hour long runs.

Heather, how wonderful that you are in Paris. I am thinking of taking DD there next year and having her stay with my friend from college who lives there to help her French. If she is going to double major in French and History in college (her current goal), I think it would be beneficial.

Laura K. I hope your calf muscles feel better soon. The kids and I are going skiing Wed and Thurs of next week. I hope I hold up.

Have a great weekend everyone. It will be quiet around here, but it will allow me to get some needed Spring Cleaning done.

Laura

[Leslie Ferguson]

Laura - In bed at 9:45 - I don't know what I'd do except be up at 2 am. :) I hope you enjoy your "time off" with the kids at their dad's house.

I did enjoy my race today - it was almost perfect conditions and I actually finished in better than "needed" time. I was trying to use the race as a 3:40 marathon predictor (37:06) and actually came in at 35:22 - I'm happy with that time and think it will put me in good stead to know I'll be able to run Boston at a "reasonable" speed and still have a lot of fun. :D

Hope everyone else is doing well and I'll check you later tonight (need to go out and try my new tires and the tuned up bike :) ).

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Jackie-I'm so sorry about your co-worker. That is such a tragedy. I'm sure staying busy helped you through, but I hope you get some R and R over this weekend. It's nice hearing from you....even if it is not often enough!;) Do take care of yourself.

Les-Woo Hoo on the great run! I hope you had a good ride, too!

I had a good ride this morning, but the scenery was a bit monotonous(did not change channels on the TV :p ). I also did my crunches and a few arm weights. My shoulder and back feel back to normal today.:)
Not much else happening at the moment.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,
Karen

[JackieO]

Originally posted by karen w
Jackie-I'm so sorry about your co-worker. That is such a tragedy. I'm sure staying busy helped you through, but I hope you get some R and R over this weekend. It's nice hearing from you....even if it is not often enough!;) Do take care of yourself.
Karen
Thanks for your well wishes, everybody!

I'm not going to dwell on the ups and downs of our family's last night with a moody teen-age son, although let's just say all's well that ends well. DS was allowed to host a poker party/NCAA/WI state tournament BB game watching party last night. His friends had a great time, but DS got too nostalgic for our old community and started down the "What if we hadn't moved" road....:rolleyes: Only to be expected, I guess, and those moods only seem to last for a few hours, not long stretches. Situation, normal???

At the risk of sounding like Blanche from "Street Car Named Desire," I really <DO> appreciate the kindness of strangers....you, my virtual buddies, are NOT strangers in the sense of that play from the 1950s. But I find myself much more open and candid about my life with you than with the people I share an office with -- and I am <NOT> in any means, a clammed-up individual. I so much appreciate the opportunity to express myself here.... thanks, guys & gals!

Oh, and back to our regularly scheduled thread. Did 40+ minutes on the ellpitical today and did lower body/glute workout. I think I'm getting back into the routine!

:)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - Thanks - I was pretty happy with the run. The ride went well too. I really like the tune up and tires. It was a good test of the new set up (changed the height of the handlebars too). Still tough to ride into the wind but in all a grand ride. I'd have appreciated about 10 more degrees of temperature though (it was only in the middle 50s when I rode).

Not much more to report from today - looking forward to a new week.

Peace,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Jackie - we were posting at the same time so I missed this in my last post so...

Originally posted by JackieO
I'm not going to dwell on the ups and downs of our family's last night with a moody teen-age son, although let's just say all's well that ends well... but DS got too nostalgic for our old community and started down the "What if we hadn't moved" road....:rolleyes: Only to be expected, I guess, and those moods only seem to last for a few hours, not long stretches. Situation, normal???
Yes. Having moved more than my fair share of times growing up (love the Navy for that - no really) I remember going through that phase after most of the moves after 4th grade (5 times between the end of 4th grade and graduation - with the last between 10th and 11th grade :rolleyes: ). There's nothing to worry about and it will pass - believe me.
...you, my virtual buddies, are NOT strangers in the sense of that play from the 1950s. But I find myself much more open and candid about my life with you than with the people I share an office with -- and I am <NOT> in any means, a clammed-up individual. I so much appreciate the opportunity to express myself here.... thanks, guys & gals!
Thank you for the affirmation - you may know it from our past posts on and off thread but that means a great deal to me. I'm glad that we can provide an outlet for you that is safe.

Peace,
Les