Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group - Week of June 4th

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings friends, both long term and new additions to the community. As is my tradition I’ll open with an explanation about what this thread is all about. I welcome you all to the next in our weekly installments of the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout support group. For all new people, visitors, and lurkers, what the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout Support Group is all about: This thread is a weekly chronicle where the participants share their journeys in the world of healthful living in today’s hectic world. We share stories of our cooking experiences and family trials, tribulations, and successes. We also share our workout goals, successes, and failures. You will find all types of workout folks here - some that are just starting, some that are getting back into a workout routine, and still others that are using experienced workout programs. There is no requirement nor expectation for a participant to be “a runner” - in fact most of the people on this thread do non-running workouts: mixed cardio (aerobics, cycling, and elliptical), kick-boxing, swimming, and a myriad of other non-running events. One of the more interesting things about our thread is we try to remind each other that sometimes not working out is as healthful as working out. So if you are new to Cooking Light Community or if you’re getting back to your workout routine - welcome and please join us.

Summer’s here and I’m not sure I’m quite ready for it. Heat is on the way and if these past couple days are an indicator it won’t be a nice summer like last year. Lots of rain all over, New England (like they needed more), thunder and lightening in the Southeast, and heat in Colorado - none of us have avoided the “fun of summer” so far. We’ve had some new members to the thread, some “old-timers” have returned with a vigor, and I know there are a couple lurkers out there who want to participate. I hope we can provide people a means to keep honest with themselves - both working out and being healthy (i.e., not working out when required). With that said, over the last week or so things that have stood out include:

Terri - Job getting better and working with her boss to get some time to learn the ropes; did well in her 5k race yesterday and made both her goals: finishing and finishing running; looking for a couple running partners to help buoy herself in future events; avoided the rain for the most part; getting back in the swing of routine life after her sister and 2 nieces visited.
Laura - The wheels came off the wagon with swimming and the stuff associated with meets; school year winding down; no news (which I’ll count as good) about her back; starting to burn the candle with her new job and the kids and swimming. I hope this week is better for her psyche.
Quilter Kathy - Lurking often but not posting (I know this from some back-channel discussions). Trying to get herself into workout routines and get ready for the Rock ‘n Roll half marathon in September.
Karen - Missed a swim day because of a power outage at the Y; still plugging along with kickboxing; headed to the mountains to receive this years orientation for summer camp for DS#1, DS#2 and DD; school year in the final couple weeks (out in mid-June I seem to remember); vegetable garden going in (thanks to DH); top off the orientation with final purchases for camp clothes and gear.
Laura K - Missed her this past week. Hope she’s ok and getting over her sinus stuff.
Me (Les) - Getting over my race last weekend - the ankle pain hung on longer than I expected; rode my bike a ton in two days with my car in the shop; :eek: learning how to take better care of my person (not working out but listening to my heart in addition to my body).

I’ll have a typical week except that I’ll be at a retreat Friday afternoon and Saturday morning so I’ll miss running with the group on Saturday. There may be a couple other evening meetings that might impact my workouts but I think I’m just going to “force” myself to workout at lunch. Might ride more to give my ankle a little break as it were.

Healthful living - I’ve been learning a lot about sweating the small stuff and perfection (or lack thereof). I’m starting to appreciate that things are going to be good however they turn out (especially at church). Perfection is something I strive for but shouldn’t beat myself up because of missing that mark - my best is good enough.

Off to the gym to lift today. I wonder if my coach will be there or if I’ll lift alone. No biggie either way. Until evening -

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Thanks for starting, Les. I had a relaxing day today and even took a little nap (unusual for me) after church and going to lunch with a friend. My legs were more sore than I thought they would be after yesterday, but I'm feeling restless to work out again and am actually looking forward to spinning tomorrow morning! Otherwise, I've spent the afternoon making greeting cards (a craft hobby/passion of mine) today. Also did a bit of cleaning so as to not be totally embarrassed if someone should drop by this week.

My healthy goals for this week are to: 1) start the running program that I found on (I think) runnersworld.com in order to get ready for the Va. Beach rock n roll half marathon. In lieu of that, I may train for the Army 10 miler, which is in October (or may try for both, but I want to see how my body holds up running in the summer heat). My second goal for this week is to start eating healthy and healthier portions again. I'm finding myself falling back into bad habits of a lot of snacking and that needs to stop. I've put back a few pounds that I had lost and am not feeling good about it. It's amazing how much better I feel when I eat right.

Les, rest your ankle! It's only going to get better with some rest! You all must be getting more humidity than we are in Northern Virginia. I even turned my AC back off yesterday and today because of the beautiful days. However, you know I tend to be on the cold side, so I'm sure anyone else would be dying coming into my non-AC place for any length of time. I love having the windows open. My place backs to woods, so I sit out on the porch and watch all the birds.

Karen, do you have basil in your garden? I have some growing in a pot and there are white flowers growing on the top. Normal? I would think that it's going to seed, but maybe those are just new buds? Not sure. Need some expert advice.

I hope everyone has a good evening! I'll check back in tomorrow.
Terri

[karen w]

Karen, do you have basil in your garden? I have some growing in a pot and there are white flowers growing on the top. Normal? I would think that it's going to seed, but maybe those are just new buds? Not sure. Need some expert advice.
Terri

Do I have basil!!!!!???? Hah!!! Do we ever!!!! Several kinds, too. Each year DH typically puts 12-18 basil plants in the garden so that by fall I have a freezer full of pesto among other things for the winter. As a matter of fact I still have ~2 1/2 batches left from last summer in the deep freeze(of the probably 10 or so I initially made :eek: ). The white things are flowers. You want to cut those off. Just snip them off with a scissors. Your plant will grow bigger/lusher if you keep snipping the flowers off....preferably before they actually do flower.

Les-Thanks for starting our week off again. Tell LW we missed her this past week. She should "visit" more often!

We just got back from Massachusetts this evening after spending the day at the kids camps. It was a very good day for all, but we are all tired now. The kids are actually already sound asleep. The 2 boys have decided that they want to go for the whole summer instead of just one month. I'll take that to mean they liked what they saw today. DH is willing to do this for them, but I have a few reservations, yet. Let them try it first. That and this is this their first summer away at camp, plus we have lots of "stuff" scheduled for when they get home(DS#1's braces, dentists etc...). DH said he'd deal with all that, but we'll see...... :confused: Next summer I would have no problem sending them for two sessions if they enjoy their first experience this time around. Anyway, drove home late afternoon and stopped for dinner when we got back into town.

Yesterday we went to the neighbors party. Unfortunately the rain did not behave, so it ended up indoors with ALOT of people in the house, but it was lots of fun. A magician came for an hour to entertain the kids(and adults!). He was quite good. More of an entertainer than a magician so that he really appealed to all age groups....even the adults. Food and company was good, too.

I did my bike ride yesterday, and still more labeling of clothes for camp! :eek: Today we left too early in the morning to get in a ride etc...., but we did ALOT of walking around the camps(hilly, too).

Tomorrow(and the rest of the week) is going to be fairly typical for me....swim and box most days. Kids have alot of end of year stuff. DD's last ballet class Tuesday, dress rehearsal on Friday, and recital Saturday(in-laws will come for this if MIL's health is OK), DD and DS#2 have their end of year "play day" at school, DD has her "authors tea" at school, I have a new parent tour/orientation at the middle school(DS#1 starts that next year....it's 5-8th grade) etc....etc...just to name what I can remember off hand! Looks like another busy week!

Have a good week everyone,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Terri - Sorry your legs aren't up to par today - that happens the day after races almost without exception in my book. Good luck on your preparations for RnR half marathon. That will be a fun race, even if it is hot out (and it might be). I've run it 4 of 5 years (one year I was in Newport RI on race day - a long story) and as long as I'm not really racing it (for a personal record) I normally hae a good time. When you get here we'll have to set something up - this has been my year to meet Cooking Light folks IRL. :cool:
A couple recommendations for running outside in the heat: (1) running earlier is better than later (that should be a no-brainer). (2) When you run try to consume 8 oz. of liquid for every 15 minutes of exercise. That may sound like a lot but we did a non-scientific study here last year and that amount of liquid kept people from sweating away too much liquid but not so much that they were bloated or over-hydrated. The funny thing is it didn't really matter how fast you ran (I ran at ~8:45 miles and another guy did 11:30s and we had to drink liquid at the prescribed rate to keep from losing weight during the run. It sounds weird but it really works.) (3) A little slower is always acceptable when it's really hot out. If you'd like I have a little table with a rule of thumb about how much slower you can expect to run in heat and humidity. (4) Sunscreen is very important as is lube (BodyGlide or Aquaphor are the biggies down here) to keep from chafing.
As for humidity, it is more humid down here in general. Norfolk/Virginia Beach is on the northern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp and there is a lot of water to be had. FWIW, the average humidity today was 75% (high of 100% and low of 51%) and the average humidity for the month (all 4 days of it) is 82%. Right now we're down to 81% humidity (and your neck of the woods is atbuo 45%). As much as I dislike closing the house up and running the AC the humidity makes things sticky and makes it hard for me to sleep so I go about drying out the house with the AC and keeping it cool that way. What's odd about my ankle (and I should probably just keep quiet about it) is there often isn't any rhyme or reason to why it hurts/aches. Even with the run last weekend it shouldn't feel like this. But there was 45 miles on the bike which could impact it. But my bottom line is I have stopped trying to predict when it will hurt and just try to mitigate the pain. And in the current case it might not hurt that I hit a couple roots "oddly" at the trail on Saturday - nothing too bad but still odd.
Karen - Sounds like a busy weekend/Sunday. Glad you made it home safely. Sounds like DH is willing to deal with the kids but... you never know. ;) Sorry about the rain but the magician/entertainer sounds like a blast. Entertainment "Magic Tricks" are always fun for all. I'll let Kathy know that she's more than welcome to visit on her own. ;)

I had a good day lifting and I'm feeling pretty good right now. But I haven't started to tighten up a little per my normal. I know I forgot something this morning - I'm going to be awarded for my last command. And even better LW will be there for the ceremony. Not that I do the Navy for the medals/awards (because I don't) but it is nice to get some recognition - it makes the self-inflicted torture worth it. ;)

Time to hit it - an early morning today and yesterday and I need to be chipper in the morning for my award.

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Karen: Thanks for the info on my basil plants. I'll cut the flowers tonight when I get home and will watch for future ones. The camp for your kids sounds like a blast! I never went to summer camp (one of 7 kids and grew up on a 40 acre horse farm - it was like summer camp every day!).

Les: Thanks for the hot weather running advice. I'm pretty good about my water consumption, but didn't really think about upping it for the hot weather runs. I'll keep that in mind. I hope your ankle is doing better today. Weird how you can't pinpoint the reason for the pain.

I did my spinning class this morning. I'm feeling very tired and my legs were really heavy so it took me a little while to get into it. It was a good workout, though.

Have a good day, everyone! I actually have some work to do, so I need to get to it.

Terri

ETA: Les, I forgot to say congratulations on your award ceremony! That's awesome!

[Laura]

Well we survived the swim meet weekend, but it was crazy. On Friday when I was supposed to be picking up food at Sam's dd calls and says her car broke down. It was only loose battery cables, but still had to run down south about 15 miles of where I was to get the situation handled. Then Sat. a.m. when I am at the swim meet she calls me to tell me that she can't find her admission ticket to the SAT, so I had to drive that down to her. DS really swam like cr@p this weekend. But I told him you aren't going to get any faster by going to practice one to two times a week like he has been for the past month. Then this a.m. I was going to work out while he was lifting with the HS coaches, and I realized I had left my wallet at the market yesterday! :eek: All of us need our heads screwed on a little tighter. I got another PT session in with my friend. I think I need to find a way into his office; I hate making him do sessions on the weekend, but my sacrum is really screwed up. I am seeing improvement, but I know this is going to take time. I finally was able to try out the new scooters this afternoon. I *think* I like them; I am fearful of a hot spot that may develop once I get back into longer runs, but I am just trying them out on the treadmill for now to see what happens. Actually, I don't notice it when I run, only when I walk. Hmmm...

Karen, I think I would go along with your thinking in only sending the kids to one session of camp right now, but I am sure you and your DH will figure it out.

Terri, good job on the spin class after your race. I agree with Les that races always seem to tire your legs out in a way that regular runs never do.

Les, enjoy the ceremony; you have given a lot to the Navy and deserve the recognition.

Tomorrow DS has to have oral surgery so I am going to try and get a run in while he goes to early morning practice (6:00 a.m. :eek: ). I might as well be productive. Have a good evening everyone.

Laura

[karen w]

Les-Congratulations on your navy awards. I'm sure they were well deserved, and I hope you wear them with pride(I know you will! ;) )

Terri-Wow! 7 kids and a 40 acre farm....no wonder you did not need summer camp!

Laura-What a whirlwhind weekend for you. I'm glad everyone came out of it in one piece! What kind of oral surgery is DS having. Wisdom teeth?? or something else. I had to have oral surgery at 12 y.o. so I've been there; done that....YUCK! Then had my wisdom teeth yanked at 16 y.o. ...double yuck!

Well, I may be chilling out a bit in the upcoming weeks, but not by choice. :( :mad: The day started off well with a decent swim, a trip to Target for some miscellaneous camp stuff, and kickboxing. Before class I was talking with someone and relating a funny story. I stomped on the ground with my right knee, and really did something BAD! At the time it hurt a bit, but did not bother me throughout class. It was not until about 2 this afternoon when it started blowing up like a balloon to the point that I could barely walk. Unfortunately, that is the knee that was not operated on so there is still dead bone tissue there. I know when I stomped on the ground that I hyper-extended it so either something tore or a piece of the bone has become dislodged. Tomorrow I go for an MRI, so we'll see. Meanwhile I have elevated it the last few hours and the swelling/pain has gone down. I'll probably take a pool break as well tomorrow, but if I do go in the morning I will just use my arms(or for that matter I may be restricted to just arms when I do go back....which I've done before and is not so bad). Anyway, I'm a bit bummed right now, and hoping this is nothing. Kickboxing will be out, of course, until I get this figured out or it goes away(praying for that!!). :eek:

Sorry to end on such a downer....I do hope everyone had a better start to the week.

Have a good night,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks all, the ceremony was great and move me just a little. It was amazing listening to the run down just what I did in three years at my previous command. And I know that the stuff that was in the citation was only part of what I did. LW was there and beaming. I think the better part was being congratulated by my Admiral and the comment under his breath along the lines of "Wow, that's a lot of stuff," and "Thank you for doing the things you did." I also was touched when a guy I'd never met shook my hand (after I escorted LW out - there was a SECRET brief that she couldn't stay for) and congratulating me on the things I did. WOW. :o

Terri - No sweat about the summer running tips (no pun intended). I've been there (summer runs in the heat) for most of the past 11 summers having lived in South Texas, deployed to Bahrain for 6 months into the summer, and now in Norfolk for most of the past 8 summers so I'm accustomed to the heat and humidity. I'm with Karen - 7 kids and 40 acres of horse farm sounds like summer camp every day. I know that isn't the case having done a summer at my uncles farm and ranch, once you start "having to" do things it becomes chores as oppsed to love. But I would still bet that horses very rarely become chores (not like toting bales of hay and lugging irrigation pipe). As for my ankle - the short story is I have chronic pain in my ankle and there are a number of things that set it off from time to time. Over-use in any one exercise (with the possible exception of swimming) can exacerbate the ache/pain. Funny, some weeks it oculd be an extra run that does it while the next week there are no issues with running but biking is the culprit. I know it sounds odd but my ankle is fairly tempermental so I spend a lot of time switching exercises (more so than I would have in the past) just to help prevent or mitigate the pain. It's typically not unbearable (1-2 on a scale of 0-10) but it's normally there.
Laura - It sounds like you had a terrible weekend. :( Sorry all the stuff kind of fell apart over the weekend. If there is a light at the end of the tunnel it would have to be the relief of the pain in your back. I know how you feel about not taking treatments on the weekend but I'd bet that the therapist wouldn't offer if it was a problem or inconvenience. In my experience walking in running shoes leads to blisters or hot spots. I tore up my feet walking in the Rock 'n Roll half marathon a couple years ago (and my feet don't blister at all - not even in new shoes). If your feet don't seem to be bothered when you run then I'd bet the shoes are just fine.
Karen - Take care of yourself. We don't need you to fall out on us. Seriously, I hope the MRI doesn't show any terrible things and the doc just tells you to take it a little easy on elliptical and kickboxing for a week or so. I'll pray that you get the news you need to get from the doc tomorrow.

Felt like a bike ride today - even after lifting weights yesterday (don't ask I don't know). It was a little breezy and downright pleasant. I'm glad I got home before the temp dropped a little because it might have been a little chilly to be riding in shorts and a tech-tee with the conditions being what they were. Anyway, picked up just under 1:10 in the ride and found a few more side streets that I hadn't been on ever in Norfolk. Go figure - I've lived here for 8 years and I'm still finding streets in common places that I've never been on.

Until tomorrow -- may you all have peace and heal nicely,
Les

[TerriAb]

Les, congratulations on the award and the accolades. I'm sure they were well deserved, obviously if the Admiral is making comments! What a great day for you!

Laura, your weekend sounds chaotic and horrible! I hope your DS's oral surgery goes well and the recovery is quick.

Karen, I cut my basil flowers off last night. I looked for others, but there were just the few white ones at the top. I'll keep an eye on it. I have a couple of mint plants growing, too and had to cut them way back because they were so tall they had fallen over. I love chopped mint in my summer fruit salads. I'll be praying for your MRI today, too! I hope it's nothing serious. I guess you need to stop telling those funny stories, or at least avoid acting them out when you do!

I got in a 2 mile run on the treadmill this morning and then took the weight training class. I've kind of dropped off of weight lifting in the past few weeks and am trying to get back into it. I'm also playing nine holes of golf tonight after work (love the long daylight hours). I'm a pretty bad golfer, but love getting out there and walking the course. Sometimes I even hit a decent shot to keep me coming back.

Have a good day everyone! Everyone take care of their injuries!
Terri

[karen w]

Les and Terri-Thanks for the good wishes today....they might have worked! I had my MRI this morning(one advantage of being the radiologists wife is that they add you into the schedule on a moments notice:D ). And the other advantage.....you can go back to your DH's office after the study and sit with him(and his partner who is the "MRI guy") to get a reading right away!! :D ). The good news is that my osteochondritis bone(OCD bone) appears to be intact and in place, so it was not likely that I flicked off a piece of that. The ligaments, tendons, and cartilage all are OK, too. Those were the most worrisome things for me. If it was my OCD, I would have needed surgery and been out of commission for months! So PHEW!! The bad news is that I will still be out of commission for a week or two. I have a moderate popliteal muscle bruise and Anterial tibial bone bruise along with a nice effussion. And those injuries all go along with a hyper-extension injury which is exactly what I did. :( Anyway, this morning I slept in(no swim!!!!!), and I will likely not box all week, and maybe next, too. BUT...I will probably head back to the pool tomorrow. I've done laps before without using one or both legs, and it's not so bad. That should help keep me somewhat sane, anyway! :D The other good news is my swelling is way down this morning as is the pain. In my book this is all a pretty good thing since it should be a very short term injury. Another Phew!

As an aside, the kids were great last night when they realized mom could not walk/was in pain. They helped me make dinner, clean up etc.... and were real troupers about pitching in....now I gotta milk it a bit with them!!! ;) Tonight I will not be around. After getting DD to ballet(last class), I have to go to DS#1's future school(next year he begins middle school...5th grade) for tour/open house etc.... He had a field trip there yesterday, and already announce that he would be getting alot of detentions next year for being late etc... :mad: Why does this kid do this??? He sets himself up to fail before he even begins something???!! GRRRRR!!! I hope he's wrong(I'm afraid he might not be, though)

Terri-Keep snipping off any flowers as they pop up. This applies to any herbs. That will keep the plant lush. And I'm sure you already know this, but just in case....careful with the mint. It is a total weed!!! Not much you can do to kill it. But don't plant it in a garden or anywhere you care about. It will take over and spread everywhere. We keep ours over at the edge of some woods/rocks far away from the garden, and it comes back every year no matter how severe the winter has been.

Les-Sounds like a fun ride last night. I love discovering new things, especially when you think you know the area like the back of your hand! Oh yes...FYI...DS#1 goes on a field trip tomorrow to West Point and a boat ride down the river. Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain, but they do not cancel this trip unless the water conditions are too rough.

Have a good day/evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

I'm glad to hear there's nothing terribly wrong with your knee Karen. But now I can act like Mom (or Dad) and tell you to take care of yourself. No need to press yourself back into service and make things worse. But I know that you'll take it easy if you need to - you're more level-headed than I am. It is definitely good that the swelling is already headed down. I'm sorry that DS#1 is already preparing for detention and being late for school. But I bet if he does a bunch of detention that he may change his tune. I can think of a few other methods that my parents chose to use to get us to school on time. They may not be totally "with it" these days but I'm willing to dredge them up if you need them. <<Jokingly>> Better going down the river into West Point than up the river. ;) I hope he enjoys his trip on the river and even if it rains. Just thinking about going sailing makes me stand a little taller. I'm surprised how much of Norfolk I really haven't been to in 8 years but that's not too unexpected really - and it is fun to find places that have been there all along "just under my nose."

Terri - Thanks for your comments and observation. I think the biggest thing to me with regard to work is that those above me recognize the things I do. I'm certainly not doing the Navy for monetary reasons (it's not bad but i could be "doing better" in the outside world). Bad golfers of the world unite! (I count myself in that group too) I hope you enjoy your golf this afternoon and the rain stays away for the round. It also sounds like you had a good run today. BTW - that's how you get to really enjoy running - by doing it - even 2 miles on the tread mill. We'll get you brain washed sooner or later. ;)

Workout today was an oddity -- I ran at lunch (~8.4 miles) and it felt pretty good. Not perfect mind you but certainly good enough for the present. And it's a great thing that I ran because it rained and poured most of the early afternoon (good call Les). The busy part of the week begins tomorrow: church tomorrow night (playing guitar :cool: ), practice on Thursday night for Sunday, Friday evening and Saturday morning is our retreat, Sunday is an outdoor church service (pray for good weather) and a reception for an adopted baby (adopted from China by a friend of ours). So you can see - tonight was the last one of any kind of sanity. Oh well, just the beginning of a busy month it looks like.

Take care all and I'll see you tomorrow. Be good to yourselves and ta ta.

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Karen: I'm glad that your knee is not as bad as feared! Sounds like a bit of rest is in order to get back to full use. I do know about the mint taking over everything. All of my plants are in pots on my porch, so I may be surprising my downstairs neighbor with some mint sprouts this year or next (he's on the ground level) from any droppings over the balcony, but my area should be fine.

Les, good luck with all of your upcoming activities this weekend! My church is like that, too - I go for a month with so many things to do and things going on and then it calms down for a bit (although the calm parts are usually less time than the busy parts!). Have a good retreat. Our women's retreats are usually in the fall, so I'm already looking forward to this one. It's a great way to calm down and reflect. I have a friend (a woman) who goes to a Catholic monestary about twice a year with the silent monks (I think you pay a nominal fee and get fed three times a day and get a bed), but it's a silent weekend. She loves it and it gets her back in tune. I'm thinking I might try that sometime.

Golf was fine - beautiful evening, but buggy. Ended up with a huge bug bite behind my right ear. It's a beautiful shade of purple now. I didn’t play all that well, but I never expect to play well and then when I do, I’m all the happier for it!

Went to spinning this morning. Like Monday, my legs started out feeling very heavy, but they adjusted and I got a good workout in.

Everyone have a good day!
Terri

[Laura]

Morning everyone!

No workouts to report here, but I hope to get a run in with DD as soon as she gets up (but seeing that she did not get home from work until 11:00 p.m. last night that could be awhile).

DS' surgery went fine. He had a frenectomy which is fairly minor procedure, so minor in fact, he slept through it! :D. He had been to swim practice that morning so he was exhausted. The periodontist said that was a first!

Karen, I am so sorry you hurt your knee, but I am glad it is nothing too serious. Quick healing thoughts are coming your way.

Terri, I am glad you enjoyed your golf round but sorry about the bug bite. I always seem to get bites in odd spots like that. Although CO can have a fair amount of mosquitos, Colorado Springs, where I live, doesn't seem to have as many.

Les, I am glad the ceremony went well. Great job on your mid-day run. Enjoy the church activities this week even if they do keep you busy.

[karen w]

Laura-Thanks for the quick healing thoughts. I'll take as many as I can get! Glad DS's surgery went smoothly.

Terri-In spite of how active I am daily, I think my legs always start out a bit heavy each day at kickboxing....that kinda started at about 40 y.o. It's a b*tch getting older, ain't it!??? :rolleyes: Glad golf went well, but sorry about that nasty bug. Don't touch it....and it will go away. Now you're supposed to reply, "Yes, mom." :D I think DH and I are probably the only two physicians in this country that don't golf AND drink coffee!! :eek:

Les-Wow, you do have a busy few days coming up. I'll put in that prayer for good weather this weekend, and I hope the guitar stint goes well, too. DS#1 did not enjoy his river trip to clear water, West Point. For one, it poured all day long. He said it would have been boring even if it had not rained. But, of course, we're talking about the opinion of my "Mr. Attitude" so I'd take it with a grain of salt. I did give him a full body poncho to wear which he no doubt did not so he came home soaking wet. TYPICAL! :mad:

This morning I slept in a bit(from the usual 5 am) and got up to get DS#1 to school at 7am for his field trip. Then came home to feed and get the other two on their buses. After they were off I ventured over to the pool to test the legs/knee in the water. I must say it was an absolutely enjoyable, soothing swim. My knee felt great in the water. I either dragged the right one or kicked lightly at times, and only used the left to push off the wall. So it's good to know that I can still swim for the next few weeks. I swam for an hour and then soaked in the jacuzzi for 10 min. since I had no time constraints to get home. :) Now the knee is aching a bit as is the left side from overusing that one, but I have the right in an immobilizer and they are both up in the air. I went into the kickboxing school and blocked off a two week period on my attendance card so I will get credited for that time. I hope to be back by then, but I'll have to take it day by day. This afternoon I went to Costco. I have to get some stuff for this weekend. DD's recital is Sat. and the in-laws are visiting.

Tomorrow I will swim(early this time), got to hit Walmart or the likes for some camp stuff and b-day gifts(DD keeps getting more invites :cool: ). I don't think the kids have anything scheduled for tomorrow for a change, either.

Have a good night,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Foiled this evening. The best laid plans of mice and men and it's 11:30 already. :(

Hightlights and wishes:
Laura: great about DS and his procedure; hope you got your run in and your back continues to feel better.
Terri: it sounds like you had fun golfing; don't pick on the bug bite (from the habitual bite picker); I golf better the first day back because I'm not trying; I'll post more about my thoughts on the retreats etc. tomorrow; dead legs - Monday is always dead legs day around here.
Karen: DS#1 - what will you do; 40 isn't any fun but still a great age :cool: ; DD going to parties :cool: (TTU); REST your knee and legs - there's always tomorrow. Coffee - if you have more I'llgladly reimburse for shipping this time. ;) :D

Guitar stint went well - always have a great time playing guitar. Remind me why I don't do it more often. :rolleyes: Always recharging (at least these days) to play and especially when I have a good "audience" and such fun playing.

I rode today and almost got in extremis while riding. I was almost forced to dump my bike because I couldn't get my foot out of the pedal and I wasn't really in a position to go around or roll the stop sign without a little luck and fortuitous riding. It seems that my right pedal is sticking again and tonight I was rolling up on one of the busier streets in our neck of the woods. Ran out of real estate and speed with my right foot down and not enough momentum to get my left foot kicked over either direction. Luckily there was a break in traffic :eek: or else it might not have been any fun. Thank goodness for wearing a shirt and wafety gear every time I get on the bike. I probably wouldn't have been badly hurt but I bet a little scraped up. Did about 55 minutes. My favorite part of the ride was "racing" the little girl on her trike. ;) I found it hard to go slow enough to race her and let her win without going around but I was successful in the end. What a great thing to see that look on a 2-3 year old's face. Makes it all worthwhile.

Got a note from Nettie - she's well and working through her pain as best she can. I'll pass your thoughts on to her. Has anyone heard from Lisa? Last I saw she was retiring from teaching this year (I think we knew that).

Peace to all and I hope everyone had a great hump day.
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Terri - I've heard of the silent retreat center up your way (I've got lots of friends in the DC area, my father went to Seminary at Virginia Theological Seminary and I grew up nearby). I've heard great things about going there and spending a week in silence. I don't think I could have done that years ago but might be able to do it without "going mad" in the silence (although there is never silence in my life due to my tinnitus [sp?]). The retreat this weekend is a working one - the governing body of our church is having it's formation retreat for current and newly elected members (~1/3 of the members are elected each year to a 3-year term). The only up side of a working retreat is the location - at a place called Chanco on the James [River] in Surry VA - a beautiful place.
Laura - I love being able to sleep through procedures especially at the dentist/oral surgeon. But they tend to take a dim view of my sleeping during dental work. :rolleyes: But I got very close on the day they installed my permanent bridge. Most of the time I can't sleep in the dentist chair but then 2 or 4 hands in my mouth tends to preclude my sleeping. ;)
Karen - In case you're wondering I can't remember what TTU is supposed to mean. It made sense last night (at 11:30) but for the life of me can't figure it out now.

What a day. I thought I'd be smart and bring a running shirt in (because I thought I had left one out of my bag yesterday). Lo and behold when I got to work today and was getting ready to go and workout I found I didn't have shorts either. :rolleyes: So the other day I brought shoes and socks to work so I could run -- not a good plan in retrospect. That's what I get for bring stuff in a new bag. :rolleyes:

Heading home - 4:15 and my run is calling before my music meeting this evening. So I'll be seeing you all in the funnies...

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les, Les, Les-Averting what could have been a catastrophic biking accident, forgetting your workout gear, and this TTU thing???? :confused: What is a mother to do, my boy!?? :D Seriously, I am SO glad that you are safe and in one piece. Your story sounded scary to me(and I don't scare easily). Enjoy a SAFE run tonight and your music. P.S. sorry no coffee at this time, but I always keep you in mind if any should happen my way. P.P.S. DS#2 has expressed interest in playing the guitar. We are going to wait until 4th grade since next year he plays the recorder at school. But hey, I'll take the guitar over drums anyday....I think??!!(he might be talking about one of those electric jobbies, afterall! :eek: )

I woke up at my usual time this morning for my swim. It feels so good to get in the water and do laps with my knee. The knee is feeling better every day, so I am very relieved that this is just going to be a minor(SHORT-TERM!!) setback. After getting the kids to school I did ALOT of errands to get ready for the weekend with the in-laws, make returns, buy(MORE) b-day presents etc... etc...

Tomorrow I will swim as usual, get a head start on Sat. dinner since most of Sat. will be at DD's recital, and do some house cleaning. Tomorrow evening DD has dress rehearsal.

Have a good night,
Karen

[TerriAb]

Hi All! Whew, it was a crazy day and I never had a chance to check in. I guess the famine at work is over and the feast has roared in! Not that I mind, though. I'm much happier being crazy busy at work than sitting at my desk checking the bulletin boards to see if anyone posted anything!

I had a strange sort of workout this morning. I started a treadmill run (I'm finding I don't mind running on the treadmill as much as outdoors, now if I had someone to run with outside, I'm sure that would be a different story) and then had to get off the treadmill for a nature call (sorry, I know TMI), which has never happened to me (hey, I'm only just over 40, I'm too young for this to be happening!). Anyway, I couldn't get back into the running groove, so I took the Pilates class that was starting. It was fine, just not what I had planned. I was hoping to take the circuit training class tomorrow morning, which is about the hardest workout I do, but I have to be at my desk early for an early check in meeting, so I might try to get the run in tomorrow instead.

Karen: Glad your knee is improving. I thought of you last night when I saw a friend of mine who came in the door limping. When I asked her what happened, she said she didn't know, her foot is really sore and swollen. The doctor is thinking gout or a stress fracture. She's a small woman and doesn't have other symptoms of gout and it's only in her foot so all of us doctor wannabes diagnosed her with a stress fracture. Oh, and yes mom, I have been good about not touching my bug bite. It's still very red behind my ear, but the itching has pretty much gone away.

Laura: I thought you were kidding when you said your DS slept through his oral surgery! The dentist does not bother me (a whole mouthful of dental work and then some), but I can't imagine falling asleep in the chair! Like Les said, 4 or so hands in your mouth at the same time doesn't induce much sleep! I'm glad the surgery went well, though.

Les: I'm with Karen - that was just a scary story about your bike ride! I've heard that can happen and have never gotten clips on my shoes for that reason. Be careful out there! I did have to laugh at your story about forgetting your workout clothes. Before I started going to the gym every day, I'd forget work clothes often and not just minor stuff like a belt or socks, which usually you can get away without for a day or I'd forget my towel for the shower and have to use my sweaty t-shirt to dry off (yuck!). My evening packing is like clockwork now, so it's been awhile since I forgot something, but I do know how you feel.

Off to do some reading and bed. If I can't check in in the morning, have a happy Friday everyone!
Terri

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - I knew you didn't have any coffee - I was joking about you not drinking coffee (boy my humor is lost over the airwaves isn't it?). I don't figure that coffee will make it's way into your house except by accident. I'm still perplexed with TTU unless it was suppose to be "that time of year" (TTY) - having to do with all the birthday parties. Maybe... I'm glad your knee is getting better and I'm not going to have to sic my bouncer on you. :cool: :D Guitar is a cool instrument and if it's me I'd start DS#2 on an acoustic vice electric guitar. More versitile in the long run. Have a safe and sane Friday.
Terri - Actually, I'm quite fond of my cleated shoes and pedals. I normally don't have a problem with them and I've gotten prety good at emergency uncleating. I've gotten so good with them that I haven't dumped my bike in the year that I've owned it and have had to emergency stop more than a couple times for cars that didn't stop. Work picking up - a good thing in my book. I laugh about packing because I normally pack my workout gear first thing after I come home. And my "normal" gym bag is so huge that I have at least one pair of shorts, two pair of socks, a towel, and a couple shirts (one short sleeve and one tank right now but will add a long sleeve in the late fall) but I got derailed because I was trying a new bag that basically holds my shoes, socks, shirt, and shorts along with a water bottle (I normally have a towel at work in my locker) and I just haven't gotten in the habit of checking it before going to bed AND before I head out the door. After having run for over 13 years and being in my early 40s I fully understand the running issues - not talk for genteel company but it happens to all of us. One good reason to run on the treadmill or (in my case during the week) know where ALL the facilities are around most of my routes. :D Hopefully your outdoor run tomorrow goes well. Have a good Friday!

I didn't run but rode again today and luckily no close calls. In fact I was mentioning to LW that I actually only had to uncleat and put my foot down twice (and only ran one stop sign) in about 16 miles. I got hooked up with the lights and my speed and although I had to slow down some I didn't have to stop but twice. Always a good thing since I really loathe uncleating (especially since I'm never sure if the right foot will come out now :rolleyes: ).

It's raining now and probably will most of the day tomorrow. Not a bad plan except that I'm going retreating for an over-nighter so I'd like to run tomorrow (since Saturday will be pretty much a bust). We'll have to see.

I'm going to be realtively busy in the morning then one of our Enlisted folk retires tomorrow late morning. Then it's off to the overnight retreat so who knows what kind of day it will be then. But for now it's beddy bye time so until tomorrow I wish you all peace,

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Terri-Good to hear work is picking up for you. And as for the strange workout....hey, it's STILL a workout!! And sounds like it was quite a good one, too.

Les-Well, I have never forgotten my swimsuit for the pool!!! :eek: Mostly because I put it on before I leave the house. :D BUT. . . since I do put on my suit at home, I have on a (rare) occasion or two forgotten to bring underwear and/or socks to wear home!!! :o Fortunately, I can go home after my swim to get some. I know others at the gym who aren't so lucky, and have to go panty-less all day long at work!! :eek: Glad you had a good ride today with no close calls! Have an enjoyable retreat this weekend.

I had a really super swim this morning. The pool was a bit quieter, and my knee is steadily getting better. I was able to do some light kicking today. I even suggested to DH that I may try our elliptical by Sunday on the easiest settings, and kickboxing by late next week. He, of course, wants me to wait another full week. He keeps reminding me that the bone bruise was pretty significant on MRI. I will not overdue it, though....I promise, Les. I'll play it by ear(or knee). :) Rest of the day today...more returns(Target), a bit of cooking for tomorrow's dinner with the in-laws, DD's "Author's Tea" at school, and DD's dress rehearsal for tomorrow's recital.

Tomorrow-DD's recital!!!! DD also has a b-day party in the evening(Duck Pins bowling) with pizza and cake. She is going to be one busy gal. The in-laws are visiting for the day. I WILL REST(even if it kills me!!!) I do have to make the cake for tomorrow night in the morning, anyway. :p And for Sunday...???? something outside. It is supposed to be nice for a change.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - Somehow I bet I could forget my suit even if I dressed before leaving the house. :rolleyes: :eek: ;) OOOOH - Duck pin bowling, that brings back memories from my childhood (and later LW stepping through the gutter at a party my brother hosted at a dp bowling alley a few years ago but I won't go into that). I hope your knee is better and I'm sure that resting didn't kill you and that you will rest when you need to. ;) I also hope that DD had a good recital today and the party went well. How is you MIL? Her name keeps "popping up" on my list and I keep meaning to ask how she is. You can consider her on the list until you tell me otherwise though - if nothing I'm methodical. I hope you get something fun in tomorrow outside. Maybe a family bike ride (assuming you have a non-stationary bike) or a good walk at the beach or something.
Terri - I can't agree more with Karen - a completed weird workout has the two operative words in it - completed and workout. I hope you had a good Saturday/weekend.

It is always nice to go to the countryside here. The view is so beautiful overlooking the James River. And there are so many neat critters there - we saw a big doe bounding through the woods this morning as we were walking to breakfast. She took off like a shot (wish I could run like that) and disapperared into the wood - such agility and nimbleness - I'm impressed. This retreat was actually fairly relaxing and relaxed, especially compared to the most recent one. :rolleyes: I got home later than planned but the weather was such a nice spring day that I couldn't pass up zipping around for just over an hour on my bike. Boy-o-boy, the wind was gusting quite a bit at times too - dropped my speed when I was going into the wind by almost 5 mph. :eek: But still it felt good to ride after having been closed up for most of the past 24 hours.

Tomorrow will be fun - more guitar playing at church. We're having our end of year service in our "riverside pavillion" - we actually have a portion of the church property that overlooks the Lafayette River - so I'm leadign with my guitar. That will be followed up by a potluck - we're taking spinach salad with sun dried tomatoes, mandarin oranges, croutons, and ceasar salad dressing (Ken's). It should be tasty and tangy. Then tomorrow afternoon we're going to a "Red Egg and Ginger" party for our friends and their adopted Chinese baby. It is my understanding that the red eggs and ginger have special significance in Chinese folklore. That should be a lot of fun but will have an impact on my lifting session tomorrow so... I'll probably take a bye tomorrow.

I hope the end of the week is good for all and I'll see you tomorrow at the start. Peace,
Les