HL/WW Support Group - Week of July 23rd

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings friends, neighbors, visitors, and lurkers and welcome to the next installment of the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout support group. We’ve had a busy week on most fronts - but there hasn’t been a lot of communications on the thread, mostly because lots of folks are traveling these days. Before I recap the past couple weeks (or so) I’d like to make a pitch for those who are just visiting for the first time or who might have been lurking for a while - please join us and help up keep our (and your) lives and workouts moving in a healthful and sane direction. Thank you one and all. With that said, over the last week or so things that have stood out include:

Terri - “departed” the pattern and headed to Salt Lake City for a rubber stamp convention, spending time with her sisters in SLC; probably looking for a new job and all the associated stress when she returns; making progress on her “100 class challenge” at her gym; getting back into biking.
Me (Les) - had a great visit with my father Friday and Saturday; looking forward to most of my family being in the area next week; sleeping more and actually getting rest and feeling more perky (not a chance on that one :rolleyes: ); growing daily into my future call and employment following retirement; a little institutional issue with my retirement request (can‘t say much more in public forums); got my new hearing aids after fits and starts this past week - love them.
Karen - DS#1 and DS#2 at camp but returning today; DD (early) birthday party w/Martha Stewart cupcakes ;) ; successfully completed her Bo-black belt test; starting to get prepared for monthly tests with the kickboxing master in preparation for her black belt test this fall/winter.
Laura K - MIA - hope she’s ok and that DH is enjoying his new job and that FIL et al are recovering from his tumor removal surgery.
Laura - returned from the Seattle area with DD; DD selection of Western Washington University as her choice of schools visited - now she has to satisfy admissions requirements (shouldn’t be a problem though); DS made 2 more state swimming times at a meet yesterday (100m and 200m backstroke).

So far this week has few things of import scheduled that would impact my workouts and healthful living. On the healthful living front I’m headed to the Chiropractor tomorrow morning to see if I can figure out why my back is so whacked out these days (it’s keeping me up at nights once in a while). I also have one evening meeting - church with my guitar on Wednesday (sanity check involved :D ). The only other machination in my schedule is my coach going to run in the San Francisco marathon this coming week. That will mean that I’m responsible for shepherding the crew this coming weekend - not that hard but a little nerve wracking and time consuming. So for all that I should be able to get a full set of runs/rides in as the weather allows. We’re scheduled for rain/thunderstorms for the first part of the week (but we were supposed to get some yesterday and didn’t so...) and who really knows for the remainder of the week.

Need to get working to get to the gym on time (hopefully my coach will be there this week). If there happen to be any other lurkers out there - please drop in and chat, we love having new people come by for a visit.

Until later friends, have a great week -

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Thanks for getting us started. I am going to try to be brief tonight as I am up to my ears in laundry. Actually the dirty stuff is all clean now(after about 8 loads total give or take a few). I just have 2 loads to dry and fold left. PHEW! Glad your visit with Dad was nice, but I would not thing it would be otherwise. It is wonderful you have such a close knit relationship with your folks. I hope the retirement "issues" work themselves out in a way that is suitable for you. I hope the chiropractor can work some magic for you. And BTW...it sounded so adorable hearing that you fell asleep on the living room floor yesterday....just like a tired little tot who has played himself silly and collapsed right on the spot! ;)

As I alluded to already, the boys are home and the laundry is well underway. They both had a blast and look good albeit a few pounds heavier(which neither really needed...but alas....austerity and home living sets in now! :eek: ). DS#2 had a bit of a time tonight. I found him crying in his room. What was he sobbing about.....that he missed camp!!!! :cool: we hugged, we talked, we all sang a few camp songs together, and I told him about how I went through the same thing when I used to come home from camp. It's not easy! I'm just so thrilled they had a good time.

I managed to bike and ellipticize yesterday;today I just ellipticized and did some abs/weights. Tomorrow DD goes to her day camp in the morning and has gymnastics class in the evening. I'll swim early and take the boys with me to kickboxing after breakfast. The rest of the day, we'll have to come up with "stuff" to keep them busy. When the weather is decent, I'll take them to the beach. We also have to go shoe shopping and "back to school" clothes shopping at some point soon.

Have a great week,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les-... I am going to try to be brief tonight as I am up to my ears in laundry. Actually the dirty stuff is all clean now(after about 8 loads total give or take a few)... Glad your visit with Dad was nice, but I would not think it would be otherwise. It is wonderful you have such a close knit relationship with your folks. I hope the retirement "issues" work themselves out in a way that is suitable for you... it sounded so adorable hearing that you fell asleep on the living room floor yesterday....just like a tired little tot who has played himself silly and collapsed right on the spot! ;) ... the boys are home and the laundry is well underway. They both had a blast and look good albeit a few pounds heavier(which neither really needed...but alas....austerity and home living sets in now! :eek: ). DS#2 had a bit of a time tonight. I found him crying in his room. What was he sobbing about.....that he missed camp!!!! :cool: ... I'm just so thrilled they had a good time... we'll have to come up with "stuff" to keep them busy. When the weather is decent, I'll take them to the beach. We also have to go shoe shopping and "back to school" clothes shopping at some point soon.
It really sounds like the boys are back - 8+ loads of laundry makes my head swim. I assume they gave you a hand folding their clothes once they were dry and putting them away. That's only fair. I really am blessed to have a great relationship with my parents and both of my siblings, my brother has taken a few years to get to a normal place (after 15 years of sibling rivalry) and my sister and I have always been close. Sadly, I'm afraid the retirement issues won't be finally resolved for a while and I'm praying for the best. Yep that's me - the little tot :cool: expiring wherever I am. The couch (which would have been my norm - kind of slouched over) wasn't comfortable so I slid off onto the floor where I could be reasonably comfortable (not that it mattered too much - I was sleeping wherever I was). I'm glad both boys had good times at camp and the story about DS#2 is so heartwarming. I'm glad he had such a good time and I'm also glad that you could be there to let him know it's ok to be a little sad about being away. I also think that was brilliant to have him sing camp songs to bring back the memory of camp (his happy place) - hopefully he remembers that technique later in life. I'll put my pitch in and hope that you spend time at the beach this summer - we need good weather on this coast this year. Back to school??? Didn't they just get out yesterday? (no that was over a month ago :rolleyes: ) When do you all start back to school? I think we're late down here - something after Labor Day if memory serves me correctly. Good job on your workouts yesterday and today and good luck getting your life back to a semblance of sanity now that this weekend is over.

I had a good afternoon at the gym. Lifted and will probably pay a little in the achy muscles tomorrow. :rolleyes: Just the thing I need before going to the Crick-Doc. :rolleyes: I learned a couple new rotator cuff exercises that my coach is working on with a couple of his clients. It is amazing how little weight some of the simpler exercises take to make your muscles tired quickly.

I think that's it - time to hit it so I can be bright-eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow. So until later - looking forward to hearing from our other HLWWSG buddies.

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Good morning! I'm back! Had a great time in SLC with my sisters and at the convention. Learned a lot of new stuff, both business-wise and stamping. I'm ready to jump-start my business, but not able to quit my "real" job yet. :( I'd love to be able to do that at some point.

So, I'm back to the work grind and still frustrated. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of the weekend stressed about coming back in this morning. I hate being like that, but it was always in the back of my mind. I'm meeting w/ my manager tomorrow to discuss either getting more work or letting me find a new position.

I did work out a few days last week. The hotel had a really nice gym and one of my sisters did work out with me. There were some late nights, so it was hard to get up as early as I normally do (and I WAS on vacation after all!). I did get to spinning this morning, though and will get back into my morning routines this week. I think I'm going to be really tired tonight, though!

Karen: Glad to hear that your boys had a great time at camp! I can't believe they are back already (although probably didn't feel like "already" to you!). Sorry to hear about all the laundry, though. Whew! Hope you had a great vacation - I haven't read last week's thread yet. I'll go back and do that and get the scoop.

Les: Sorry to hear about problems with the retirement. I hope that it all works out well and in your favor. Hard to believe that retirement could cause problems. I hope your chiropractor appt. goes well and they can determine what is wrong with your back.

Have a good day everyone!
Terri

[tmsl]

Hi gang! Sorry to be MIA last week, it just seems like the weeks go by so fast anymore. I did manage three days of cardio workout last week and hope to do the same this week. I am trying to start counting WW points again as I really need to watch what I am eating amd make better choices.

DH is settling into his new job and it is going well. A much needed change in that direction. His dad has been moved to a nursing home and is healing nicely. He should finish radiation treatments today. Hopefully our life will be calmer for a while.

I'll try for more cardio at least three times this week and will have knitting after work on Tuesday. This will be a class, but normally it is just a sit and knit with other people. I have been knitting for about 2-3 years and enjoy it for the relaxation, not to mention the fashion. :D

Have a good week and I will try to check in later.

Laura K.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Good report post chiropractor's appointment. He twisted and torqued me and I feel better. A little lingering hip and ankle pain but I know why my ankle hurts (because it is) and I think my hip will be the long pole in my back induced pain. He still wants to see me when he comes back from leave (he's a military doctor and has a couple weeks off now) but I'm confident that he'll be able to get everything working as well as it can.

Without making it too difficult (or letting too many of my colors show) potential retirement issues stem from a numbers standpoint and the total amount of Commanders (like a Lieutenant Colonel in all the other services) on active duty. Beyond that it would probably make your head hurt (and I'm certain my colors would show - unprofessional at least) so I'll just leave it there.

Terri - I'm glad you got back from SLC ok and I hope that your meeting with your supervisor goes well. Honestly, I'd hope they let you take on more at your current job rather than letting you go and having to hire someone new.
Laura K - Glad to hear that things are shaping up well in DH's now job and with his father's recovery. Great to hear that you are doing well exercise-wise too.

Need to get back to work but thought I'd let you know how the Dr appointment went.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Good evening,

Looks like we have a crowd here this week. Yay!! I had a great swim this morning. I took the boys with me to boxing(DD went off to her day camp). They read and played their game boys during my class. Today I swapped my plain bo-black belt for the one that was embroidered with my name and date I tested for the belt. I can't beleive it came in so fast! It felt good wearing it during class, too! ;) After lunch the boys and I did a few errands. We went to Famous Footwear and Target for shoes among other things. They should be set for school as far as their feet are concerned now anyway. (School starts just before Labor Day for us). Then this evening I got DD from camp and took her to her gymnastics class. She still seems to be enjoying it and looks to have improved. Unfortunately I might be getting the crud she had a week or so back. My throat has been very sore today and I have that heavy head feeling. Yuck! Hers never turned into much more than a stuffy head/cough thing. It never impaired her energy level, appetite etc... so I can only hope for the same if this is my fate.

Les-I imagine retirement issues in the navy cannnot be a simple thing! Not when you're dealing with a government body...that's for sure. I'll focus some positive thoughts/energy toward a good outcome for you. Good to hear the Crick-Doc twisted you in the right directions.

Terri-Welcome home! Sorry it has to be to a stressful job, but it's good to hear you had a good visit with your sisters. And to top it off you managed to get in some workouts! You rock!

Laura-Good to hear DH's new job is going well and FIL is healing nicely. Good luck with WW/points. Unfortunately camp food was too good for my boys(even thought they said they hated it!). Austerity is going to set in for them as they both gained weight there! I don't want to even imagine what it might have been like if they DID like the food!!! :eek:

Have a nice evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sorry you're under the weather a little Karen. (remembering that we don't have any kids) It always seems like LW and I get whacked the best when we're around kids - there's something in their stuffed heads and chest junk that always wipes us out. It's good that DD is having fun at her camp. I laugh about DS's and their take on the food at camp - it was bad. I seem to remember that we always used to say that too - even when we were the cooks. Your new belt sounds nifty and you have good reason to wear it proudly. :D I hope you don't come down with the crud like DD - I'll send positive waves your direction - sound good? When the bureaucracy gets involved nothing makes sense, that's for certain. And this case is no different but I have faith that it will all work out for the best. Have a great remainder of the week with the boys "underfoot".

I hope all are well and staying cool (not like here). I went exploring this afternoon on my bike. I made it to some new places in South Norfolk. I was impressed with the ride - the roads are fairly smooth (especially for Norfolk) and there is little traffic. Even better, no one tried to run me over today. ;) I'm not sure I'd be too comfortable riding over there later in the day but today I got a lot of waves and very little "what is that weird guy doing?" looks. Did 16.5-17 miles in just over an hour - pertty speedy but that's what happens when there's no wind to speak of and you aren't dodging stop lights and cars. I also had a good Chiropractor appointment this morning - I definitely needed it and I'll be going back once he's in town in late August (he's going on leave until the third week of August).

Until later - time to turn in so have a cool and hydrated Tuesday.

Peace,
Les

[tmsl]

Happy Tuesday!

I made it to the gym for cardio last night. It feels good to be getting some decent exercise again, and hopefully I can do as well as last week. Did pretty good with the points yesterday (it just takes planning which I have done little of lately). DH stopped by a farmers stand over the weekend and we had a shrimp, spinach and cantaloupe salad for dinner last night. It was yummy and healthy.

Karen~At least your boys are still growing!!! They will settle into those pounds quickly, I'm sure. Too bad the same can't be said for us adults. Congrats on the new belt. Hope the crud moves on down the road.

Les~I got my bike back from maintenance last week but haven't had a chance to ride. Hopefully DH & I can this weekend. Don't know if I mentioned but I did nix the idea of the MS150 ride. Just can't commit to the training schedule right now.

Terri~good luck with the job issues. It is hard to be at work if you are bored or not happy. I'm sure the exercise helps keep your sanity.

Laura K.

[TerriAb]

Hi Everyone!

Not much to report today - got about 15 min. on the elliptical this morning and then took the weights class. It's been two weeks since I lifted any weights (other than my suitcase!), so I'm sure I'll be good and sore tomorrow.

I met w/ my boss this morning to talk about my future, but it never really came up (I set up the meeting). He sat down and started talking about how he had a couple of things for me to do and then he had to leave to go to another meeting. We have another meeting scheduled for Friday, so hopefully I'll get some time in then. It's really hard feeling like I add no value to the organization. I came from a position where I was highly valued. The only reason I took this job was to learn something new. That'll teach me. :rolleyes:

I'm heading off to the dentist again in a few minutes. This time only for a cleaning - hopefully!

Laura - good luck w/ your WWs! I just started again on Sunday, too. I only have about 5 pounds to take back off and wanted to nip it in the bud before it got too bad. I always think 5 pounds isn't too bad, until I pick up a 5 or 8 pound dumbbell and think, this is pretty heavy! Weight Watchers has always worked well for me. If I'd just stick with it, I'd be fine.

Karen - here's hoping that the crud has not hit you and you are feeling well today. I think it was probably laundry-crud, since you had done so much of it!

Les - glad to hear your chiro appt. went well and hopefully you'll be on the mend soon. Been there with the hip problems (SI Joint for me) and it's no fun. It still flairs up, mostly if I sit for long periods of time, but I've sort of learned how to work it out.

OK, need to go floss before my appt. Have a good day, everyone!
Terri

[Leslie Ferguson]

Just a drive by to say...

It was raining today at lunch!!! :cool: :cool: So I HAD to go and run even though it was a little late in the morning. I think the temp was about 78 and of course the humidity was 90% but the nice drizzle was cooling none the less. I pulled off my 8.6 mile course and did it as a negative split - came back in 1 minute faster than going out. Considering the temperature and the ride from yesterday I'll take that as a good run.

I'll comment and check back later but thought I'd make this little announcement now. See you this evening and until later -- Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Sounds like a nice run today(but as a non-runner, what would I know, right!?) Hey, but if you say it was; then IT WAS! :cool: Also good to hear the chiropractic doc is doing the right thing by you. We are also getting a return of the heat and the humids, but no rain today.

Laura-Fresh summer fruit and veggies will really help get you started on the right track with WW. Good luck. I know you'll succeed.

Terri-Sorry the meeting with the boss did not go as planned. I hope you can make more progress on Friday. Good luck. Hoping the dentist was uneventful for you, too.

As for me...I'm hoping today is not the calm before the storm as my throat feels fine today! I had a great swim albeit not my "usual" lane as someone had taken mine dragnagget!! :mad: But I think I actually swam better in the new one..."think" being the operative word here!! :rolleyes: :p After breakfast I did a bit of gardening. I picked some more beans and our first cuke which went alongside lunch and was oh so crunchy, fresh, and yummy. Our garden got planted later than it should have this year for a couple reasons so things are a bit behind, but looking pretty good nevertheless. Then I did the elliptical, weights/abs, and reviewed my self defense moves. This afternoon was a bit more crazy. DS#2 had a friend over and I was trying to make some spaghetti sauce for dinner, but the phone would not stop. One of the calls was from DD's camp. It seems she was complaining of an earache. I had to call DS#2's playmate's mom to let her no I had to leave the house for an hour and possibly drop him at home to get DD. She was OK with the boys being at home for the hour, so I set off for DD. I took her to DH's office since her camp is right by his hospital. We had the ER doc look in her ears. (One of the perks of being a doc and the wife of a doc ;) ). Sure enough...she has an ear infection. I asked DH to pick up her meds on his way home since I did not want to leave the boys home any longer than I had to leave them. So we headed home. The boys were fine, and aside from her earache DD is actually OK, too. She has no fever etc...So if her ear is better in the morning, I'll still let her go with her camp on their field trip tomorrow which is to a nearby water park!

Tomorrow DH has the day off. I will swim, box, and try to get most/all my shopping done so I don't have to tow the kids along with me later this week.

See you tomorrow,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Now that things are a little more sane (I only use that term loosely when speaking of me mind you).
Laura K - I'm with Karen, fresh fruits and veggies are great to get your eating plan jump started. For the most part I've always counted fruits/veggies as "freebies" as long as they are fresh. Sorry you're skipping the MS150 but based on your posts here and PMs I can fully understand why. Have a great workout week and I hope things continue looking up for you.
Terri - It almost sounds like we work for the same person. Is your boss a tall-ish guy with a funky moustache (kind of salt and pepper) who likes to fly airplanes? ;) If so send him back to work down here. But seriously, it's never fun to get usurped by a meeting especially when you're looking for "hard answers" but I think you'll be fine and I pray your meeting Friday is more productive than todays.

Karen - Almost any run in the rain is a good run (spoken like a true Oregonian :cool: ) even if the humidity is pretty high. Sorry DD has an ear infection but it sounds like it isn't too terrible and if my experience with ear infections is normal, it appears she should be back ready to rock and roll very soon. If you thought you swam better then I'd bet you did. Grat job.

Worked on stretching a lot this evening - I'm having a little rebound from the chiro yesterday topped off with my run this afternoon and a wild night last night. Let's hope for a good night tonight and another good day tomorrow. As for this little grey duck I'm calling it quits and heading to the nest.

See you in the morning and peace,
Les

[karen w]

A busy day for me today starting with my swim and then boxing. After lunch I tried to cram as much shopping as I could into the afternoon since DH was home. This way I won't have to drag the boys everywhere. They are SOOO bored! Next year, they definetely go to camp for the entire summer. I make the half dozen constructive suggestions of things to do for them and when that does not work my response is. . . "go bang your head against the wall!!" :D Unfortunately it does not help that it is hot and humid here again without much releif in sight. :( Fortunately DD was good to go this morning with her second dose of antibiotics on board. She went on a field trip to a local amusement/water park with her day camp. She had a blast. Next week all three are home(UGH!), and the following week DD goes off to her sleep away camp for the week. At least DH has that week off, and is planning to take the boys on one or two day trips. We might all take a day in the city, too, visiting a museum.

Tomorrow I will swim. I'm trying not to box every as I drag the boys along with me. They do behave well there, though. It also keeps them occupied for the hour with reading and their gameboys. But in the morning I will decide whether I am going to go tomorrow or Friday(or both! :D )

Happy hump day,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hi Karen, trying to find something productive for DSs to do that doesn't require adult supervision or attention. Too bad they're as old as they are because they'd probably catch you giving them "play" to clean the house or something like that. I do remember years ago that Mom convinced us to buff the Johnson's Paste Wax on the hardwood floors by sliding back and forth in rag wool socks, and we fell for it. What about something that has a hidden educational temor like reading National Geographics or Smithsonians then figuring out where the places described in the stories are or where the subjects are. Another thing would be to have them do science projects - like building homemade volcanoes (using baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring) or something like that. What about hobbies (besides Game Boy)? Another thing might be building a fort/tepee in the yard out of branches (like a Boy Scout/Cub Scout project). I'm not very creative with little kids but I seem to remember those things keeping me and my brother occupied (besides going to the local pool we belonged to). I hope next week is better in the weather department so the kids can go outside. What kind of museum would you be going to? Maybe I'll join you... ;) Hope the remainder of your week goes well and without major issues with the kids.

I did something a little different today - I rode my bike at lunch (it was hot but on the bike and in the shade was reasonably bearable). I logged about 16.5 miles in ~63 minutes and did the ride on base. I've forgotten just how much I miss riding on the base - little traffic, fairly well maintained roads, mostly flat, and wide roads (you've got to be able to haul pretty big things on the streets on a Naval Base). This afternoon I spent some time going over some of the issues identified in my psych assessment - it's going to be fun exploring what makes me tick (I might get scared if I search too hard though ;) ). Then to top that off I played guitar at church this evening. I'd call it a trifecta for the day. And to top it off my surprise plans are marching along for my upcoming anniversary. I've got a coule things up my sleeve and LW isn't much the wiser (she has a couple guesses but I'm not going to confirm her suspicions). All in all I'd call it a great day. Now all I need is a great night's sleep - and that should happen based on my feeling after my afternoon meeting.

But this isn't getting me any closer to sleep so TTFN and I'll see you tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Sounds like your Wednesday was a success...a great bike ride, some good introspection, and an evening strumming the strings...a great trifecta, indeed. I hope today was just as successful. You have some pretty good suggestions there for the boys, however, as the overly practical mom, I would have to veto some of them...uhm...unless, of course, you'd like to meander up here after the boys(and I mean THEY ARE TRUE BOYS in every sense of the word!!!) get done making and executing a volcano!!! :eek: Seriously, DS#1 had a play date this afternoon so that helped out a bit. But it is still just way too hot and humid to do too much outside, and this trend is predicted to continue through next week...real dog days of summer. UGH! They even have me feeling....well....UGH! :( As for the museum we are thinking of going to visit...Natural History Museum in Manhattan.

My swim was pretty decent this morning, but the rest of the day I just went through the motions. I did go to kickboxing with the boys, but I did not have my usual "oomph." Aside from that, I really did not conquer the world today for a change. :o :rolleyes:

Tomorrow I will swim and may take a break from boxing to ellipticize or bike. If the boys don't arrange play dates, we may go shopping in the afternoon for a few things for them in the clothes dept. DS#2 discovered "boxers" at camp and now wants to change over to just wearing those. Frankly it will make life easier when doing the laundry since DS#1 still prefers briefs! O.K. enough undergarment talk for one night! :D DH will be working tonight, tomorrow, and through the weekend so we will lay low around the house.

Good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Ok, the volcano was an afterthought and I didn't really expect you to let them build one (but the little boy in me always hopes :D ). But most of the other ones were pretty neat when I was growing up - even built a tepee with bamboo (had tons of that at our house) and part of a surplus parachute. As for other thoughts about creative things - using a couple magazines to make a collage that tells a story and they have to actually write the story down - that way you hit all the creative things... glue, scissors, paper... :D Anyway, it was nice for DS#1 to cooperate and find something to do out of your hair. That was pretty funny about DS#2 and boxers. :eek: The Museum of Natural History in DC was a favorite - probably second to the Air and Space Museum. I remember all the "that's the way things work" exhibits at the Natural History Museum so I hope you all have a lot of fun in Manhattan. Maybe DH laying low is a good thing for all involved ;) having him take care of the kids for a while, take care of... I hope you get both your workouts in tomorrow and that the boys find other to play with.

Today was a little discombobulated. I was headed out about 10 am for a run but by the time I got to the door it was like a sopping wet blanket and the humidity was moving up as was the temperature. Considering I didn't have the appropriate hydration set up I skipped running before lunch (and that was a good idea because by the end of lunch the heat index was near 100). I decided I'd ride when I got home but as I was picking my road bke up to push it outside it made an interesting "clunk" sound when the back tire came down - FLATTER than a crepe. I tried to inflate it (hoping it had a slow leak and not a big hole). But alas, the tire didn't hold air for 15 minutes. I rode down the street ~200 yards total and the tire was losing air so it was my backup plan - rode my mountain bike. I hadn't realized until today that I really like the road bike position and cleated pedals. Oh well, still had a great ride in the blustery winds. They were predicting thunderstorms but I don't think they'll come in yet - and we could use the break in humidity.

That's a wrap for me. I've dropped a line to Nettie and I'll let you know how she's doing when she responds.

Take care and have a wonderful Friday and weekend!

Peace,
Les

[fuzzbo]

Hi all-

I've been lurking for awhile, and thought I'd jump in today. Of course, today is the day that I overslept - missing my 5am wake up call to go work out. I primarily workout at the gym; it's my one place (and time) I can workout by myself and just be present without thinking about anything else...or maybe that's because I'm still half asleep - I'm not sure. I have an almost 3 year old, so getting out for a run or walk is a coordinated effort timed around naps and weather conditions - not to mention she's 35 pounds, which makes for an extra strenuous workout (and I really don't like running while pushing a jog stroller!) The ONE time I ran by myself last year I took about 4 minutes off my 4 mile run.

I've run one marathon, which was a lot of fun; I've contemplated doing it again, but I may wait until I can train by myself - let the body break down a few more years before trying again - ha!

I've FINALLY gotten back to my prepregnancy weight after almost 3 years. Of course, I didn't really 'try' to lose it until this last year. I started at 155, worked my way to 127-130 and stayed there for a good year, then lost 7 pounds before the holidays and most recently dropped another 4, so I'm back to a place that I feel good about - give or take 1-2 pounds. My current goal is to maintain my weight at 115-117 and continue working out. It took me more than a year to get back into a regular exercise routine.

I seem to be rambling. I look forward to hearing about everyone's workouts. It's very motivating to hear what people do to live a healthful life- long runs, bike rides - encourages me to continue my little gym workouts :)

Have a great weekend!

Jean

[tmsl]

Hi Jean!! Welcome to this motley crew!!

I've managed pretty good this week for my return to healthy living. I should be able to get my 3 days of cardio in this week and I'm doing about an hour each time which is good for me. DH & I ran some errands last night so we did eat out but I think I'll be ok with that. We have a project of painting the garage door on tap this weekend and picked up the paint last night. It should be fun with the humidity and heat to stand out there with paint roller. :eek: As we don't have too much on tap for the weekend, I plan to have a knitfest and try to finish up a few projects that have been hanging on. Hopefully it will be a quiet yet project filled weekend.

Les~I had a crash in Philly and came home to a flat tire on my bike. The extra tube we had managed to have a hole at the stem, so a third tube was needed. Do you carry extra tubes on your bike? We have a seat pack that we carry them in, just in case.

SuperKaren~Taking a day off from conquering the world?? Are you allowed?? ;) Boy all this heat just drags the body down after awhile. Glad you had the time to recharge, so you can conquer again tomorrow.

Have a good weekend everyone and try to stay cool.

Laura K.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings Jean! I hope you continue to spend time here and as Laura K mentioned we are a pretty interesting (I like that over motley :) ) crew. Funny thing about marathon training, I seemed to get stronger and faster as I got older but I can attribute it to becoming more aware that I needed to actually train for the event and not just go through the miles. Having an almost 3-year old must be a challenge especially with respect to working out but it sounds like you have a plan and a place that you can get your workouts in and let your 3-y.o. do their thing. I probably haven't mentioned it in a while, it is unfair to compare your own (in the collective not specifically you) workout to anyone elses. I think it would be unfair for anyone to compare their workout to mine (or Karen or anyone else for that matter) because I'm in a unique spot - I'm in a job that requires physical fitness (military), and has required me to exercise on a daily basis during the week, and I have been exercising at my current intensity for nearly 10 years. With that said (and trying not to preach) it sounds like you do quite well for yourself in your "little workouts." Again, welcome and it sounds like you'll be able to add a lot to our merry band.

Laura K - Luckily my tire went flat while my bike was sitting in my house because I don't carry extra tubes (I don't have any extra actually). I know I probably need to have something that I can use to patch or at least fill my tires with when I ride around town so I'll have to attach my carry pouch to the bike now. I hope you get your painting job done this weekend but I hate painting in Norfolk in the summer - too much humidity and too hot (both make the paint not adhere well).

Today will probably be a rest day and a day to repair my road bike tire.

See you all later and welcome Jean.

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Hi All! Sorry, I've been kind of lethargic about posting this week. It's been one of those weeks - feeling blue about vacation being over, work, etc.

Jean: Welcome to the board! It's a fun place and you'll get some good laughs and support here. Good job on your weight loss - especially with a 3 year old around!

I did manage to get my workouts in this week - 8 classes toward the 100 class club! (I did three abs classes this week and those count as a separate class). I really think I'd call in sick if it wasn't for wanting to come in and work out in the mornings.

On the work front, I did talk to my boss this morning and told him how I was feeling (and did tell him I'm not a whiner and I do have to be at the end of my rope before I do something about it). He was very understanding and did give me some direction, so I'm feeling much better than I was when I walked in this morning. Hopefully my whining here will cease now (until I get too busy and then I'll be whining about that :rolleyes: ).

Nothing on tap for me this weekend. I was supposed to go with a friend to her vacation house in the W. Virginia mountains, but her husband threw out his back and she's home playing nursemaid to him. That's ok, it's so hot, we wouldn't do much outside anyway and it'll be nice to have a weekend home to relax. If it's not too unbearable tomorrow, I'll probably hit the pool for a bit.

I hope everyone has a good day and weekend! Hope you can stay cool!

Terri

[karen w]

Busy day on this thread and VERY busy morning at the pool. At 5:31 am all lanes were taken! Fortunately I got "my" lane. I really had a great swim, too. I did take a break from boxing this morning, but rode the elliptical instead. I tried going up to the next level on our unit and had a good 30 min. ride. I did notice, however, my left(weaker, previously operated on) knee was not as happy at the higher level, so I may return to my previous one. Rest of the day was again pretty mellow. This heat and humidity has all of us pent up inside the house and a bit stir crazy. The boys were in and out a bit which I did not get angry about as the weather is just not conducive to staying outdoors prolonged periods. I never went to the store with them as planned as we got some torrential thunderstorms that came through the area today. The rain was literally coming down in sheets. Kinda cool, too! There is an outdoor art fair that DH wanted me to check out, too, as he saw something there he wanted for the house. We decided it was too hot for me to trek up there with the boys, and the show ended up being canceled for the rest of the day when the skies opened up. We might get up there to see it tomorrow.

Fuzzbo(Jean)-WELCOME! I love your pen name. Where does it come from?? I agree with the others....it sounds like you are doing a good job fitting in exercise around a toddler. I have three kids(ages 7[next week!!], 9, and 10) so I can relate to it being difficult planning your life around their schedule(s). I exercise at 5:30 am every morning(swim 1 1/2 miles) as well for the very same reasons...it's my "me" time like you discovered or like you mentioned, it might be just that you're not awake to think about the hour! :D Now that my kids are in school full days, I added kickboxing 2 years ago. I just got my bo-black belt last week! :) On off days, we have a stationary bike and an elliptical at home. Fortunately, weight loss has never been a problem for me(just the opposite really). I'm just a type A compulsive person who gets addicted to any thing that I begin! :D And to be honest, I twitch alot so the exercise keeps me out of trouble....sort of! And heck...I feel younger and more energetic! O.K. rambling has gone on long enough now! Welcome again and congratulations on getting back to your pre-preggo weight.

Terri-I do hope your boss takes your comments to heart and there is some improvement for you at work. SOrry about the busted weekend, but it sounds like it might have been for the best. Congrats on the 8 classes.

Laura-Please don't tell on me(taking a break from conquering the world)!!!! My reputation will crumble! :eek: Seriously, I'll blame mother nature for all my lackluster of late. I'm sure we will be dreaming about some warmth come February, but right now it is just brutal. Great job on the workouts, too. Enjoy your painting and knitting this weekend.

Les-The magazine/collage suggestion has one problem, Les(for DS#1 anyway), and I am not trying to pick apart all of your suggestions as you have come up with some pretty good ones. BUT....DS#1 write when it is not a school requirement. ABSURD!! PREPOSTEROUS!! OUTLANDISH!!! EGADS!! you get the picture. ;) DS#2, on the other hand, might just go for that idea.
Sorry to hear about your flat tire. I hope you were able to get it fixed or replaced today. And I hope it was a good rest day as I am sure you have a nice run planned for tomorrow.....???in the swamp??? Stay cool and hydrated!

No special weekend plans. Biking/ellipticizing for me. DH working. We may visit the art fair tomorrow afternoon. Saturday is pizza night at our house along with movie and popcorn. :D Next week I need to get DD packed for her overnight camp!

Stay cool everyone and enjoy the weekend,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Ok Karen the writing was a pipe dream but the collage still applies. When I did my collage recently I didn't write anything down but had to tell a story about why I chose the things I did. Be careful with the elliptical because if things aren't properly aligned (that would be with your body) you can exacerbate injuries (like I found out with my shoulder). I'd hate to see you when you were something other than lackluster - YIKES! ;) Torrential downpours - I'd love to see one of those just about any time. I bet the pool was full this morning because of the heat and folks not sleeping well - just a bet. Have a good weekend and I hope pizza and a movie night is a hit (I'm sure it will be).
Terri - It sounds like you had a productive day at work with the discussion with your boss. I think things will be better because he knows what things are bugging you. Recognition of an issue is the start of fixing the issue. Good call not going to WVa this weekend - I have a feeling it's going to be a scorcher out there but I'm sorry your friend is being nurse-maid.

Oh how I wish it would be a swamp, or at least more muddy, tomorrow. It will definitely be steamy - right now it is 85 and the heat index is 94 (and it is almost 11pm :rolleyes: ). It's supposed to be a chilly 75 in the morning - probably something in the neighborhood of 95% humidity though. I did get a patching kit for my tire and I'll try to fix it tomorrow (it shouldn't be that hard to fix, I've only been fixing tires since I was 10) but this is a high pressure tire (100 psi is the inflation pressure :eek: ).

Time to turn in - my coach is in San Francisco for a marathon so I'm leading the group thus I have to put the "bucket" out with water and Gatorade. So no break for the weary and I'll be getting up about the same time I do every other day during the week.

See you all tomrorrow and have a good weekend.

Peace,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Just one last note to close out the week. It was a great day (but hot and humid -- DUH). I had a decent long run this morning and logged 14 miles today (1 more than I planned). The other fast runner bailed last night at 10 pm so I went alone. But we had lots of folks in the slower groups which was fun seeing them plug along the trail. I wish the rain had come like predicted but no such luck. And I can claim bad conditions today (like normal actually) -- it was 77 deg/84% humidity when I started (the humidity wasn't taken at the trail but over by the beach so I'd imagine the humidity was higher in the swamp) and finishing conditions were 81/71% humidity. Felt like a wet rat but it was nice to truck out for 14 miles.

I think that will cap me for the week - tomorrow starts a new week with plenty of more fun things going on. So until then --

Peace,
Les