HL/WW Support Group - Week of August 15th

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings friends, neighbors, visitors, and lurkers and welcome to the next installment of the Healthful Living and Weekly Workout support group. Look out -- summer is coming to an end soon. Hard to believe we’ve gone from talking about summer plans and kids being out of school to ramping up for the upcoming school year already. I don’t think I’m ready for it to be fall yet but could use the break from the oppressive summer in Norfolk. We’ve had a busy week on most fronts and things are starting to become hectic again (if they’ve ever not been hectic for some).

Over the past couple weeks we’ve been having good discussions and lots of folks both new and old have been coming back for a dose of healthful living. It has been a good family time for the past month or so - plenty of emotions to go around both good and not so good. I hope that folks are experiencing the break in the weather that has been predicted - we can all use it. With that said, over the last week or so things that have stood out include:

Terri - Had a good run yesterday and found out that she likes having someone with her; found out her training partner is pregnant; work is... I guess still work; she’s becoming the runner and preparing to go to the Outer Banks half marathon in the Fall; and she’s still making progress on her “100 class challenge.” WOO HOO!
Laura - Summer will come to an abrupt end as her kids go back to school; DS starting High School this week; DD starting her senior year in HS; resolved to not do Rock ‘n Roll half in San Jose; will spend more time with her Father (in his 90s); planning on some trips in the fall/winter (looking for a bag boy for her trip to Scotland ;) ); enjoying the reduction in stress since she’s postponed her half marathon.
Jean - Making good progress on her eating goals and not eating late or without purpose; getting out for her exercise even with her 3 year old in the stroller; being our unofficial movie reviewer of the week last week (thanks); having a Birthday on MONDAY (Happy early Birthday!)
Laura K - Working well with WW and getting her weight to a place that she’d like; missing some workouts but having stress energy spent to make up for them; DH having his High School reunion this coming weekend and she’s getting stoked for it.
Karen - DD away at camp; DH had the boys away in NYC, at the Battleship Massachusetts, and in Mystic for the Aquarium; spent some time doing “me things” and got a lot done from her to-do list (then put more stuff back on the list); getting the kids ready for school to start shortly; and on top of that still swimming (with and without the Flailer), kickboxing, stationary biking, and ellipticalizing (if that’s a word).
Me (Les) - No birds this week; :D got a clean bill of health from the doc during my physical; working on better sleeping habits; trying to maintain balance in my life including (flat) workouts and personal and spiritual growth; and had a great time with a portion of my family a couple weeks ago; rededicated myself to ankle PT exercises and am being very good at doing them regularly.

Workout items: lift today (as always) then run and/or ride this week. Depending on my schedule (which might not support early runs this week) I’ll probably ride 3 times this week.

Healthful living - I’m still working on getting more sleep (and alluded to above, I’m doing better). I’m also working on being more intentional about the things I do when interacting with people (part of the skills I need to bring back to the forefront for my believed call to ministry). Working on not sweating the small stuff and focusing on the things that are truly important. My ankle is bugging me again and reminding me that I haven’t been doing my PT exercises :( so reenergize that part of my daily regimen.

Well, that pretty much sums up as best I can remember. I hope we all have a good week and I look forward to the spirited discussions to come. 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-Good evening and thanks for getting the ball rolling again. What would we do without you!? ;) Sorry to hear the ankle is bothering you again. I guess there has to be some unpleasant reminders to let us know we are getting older and have limits along with reminding us to do our PT more religiously. I hope things ease up this week. The boys had a great time at the BB gun derby yesterday(and yes, the whole thing is set up around the infamous Christmas Story show....they even give all the scouts a patch with "Ralphie" on it at the end of the day....well, it is supposed to be him, but it really does not look that close except the glasses, of course.) Anyway, I am glad they did not take first prize as that was literally a "red rider BB gun!!" And in case you were concerned, Les, no eyes were poked out! :p

My weekend was productive and mostly quiet. I did my elliptical both Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday I did a bit of gardening and baking. Last night DH and I did get in our movie and popcorn night. Today DH went in the morning to pick up DD from camp. They got home this afternoon. She had a blast, but needs to tone back down to home volume and manners; not camp stuff. She already has announced she wants to go for the whole summer next year. I know the boys will do that, but she is still a bit young for 8 weeks! :eek: We will definetely send her the 4 week session; but 8??? We shall see?? She even lost a tooth at camp. I must remind her to write the tooth fairy a note as she literally physically also lost the tooth! :( They did make a big deal about it at camp, though. No money, just alot of fanfare.

Kids all got the teacher assignments in the mail this weekend. For the most part they are happy and it is good news. I'm a little bummed in that DD's teacher is the same one that BOTH DS's had. Now she is not a terrible teacher and the boys liked her. DD is also a very good student, but geesh....there are 10-12 teachers per grade....can't we have a fresh one this year!!?? :rolleyes: The important thing is DD is fine with it, and she will do well.

Tomorrow I plan on swimming and shlepping the kids with me to boxing. We have a few things on the agenda for the week: Petco to pick up the free fish DD got from the b-day party favor bags(she missed the actual party which was when she was at camp), gymnastics for DD tomorrow evening, finish labeling school stuff(have 2 weeks yet for that); finish DD's camp laundry(well underway as we speak), DD needs haircut and to try on shoes I bought while she was away to see what stays and what gets returned, Tuesday is a meeting for DH and I with our financial advisor, Wednesday is the oil burner maintenance for the season, and shopping for next weekend when MIL and FIL come for a visit/dinner along with all the usual weekly stuff with the kids at home.

Have a good week,
Karen

[TerriAb]

A real quick check in before I turn in. I'll check back in in the morning.

Les - congrats on your 4,500 posts (I just noticed that)! Sorry to hear your ankle is on the outs again and that it's spreading. Take it easy!! By the way, yes it's a good thing that my running buddy is pregnant. She has two boys at home, had a miscarriage about 4 months ago and now is pregnant again. We are praying that this baby is healthy and goes full term! She's an exerciser, so it's not unusual for her to be running at this point.

Karen - glad to hear DD made it back from camp in good shape. Sounds like your kids have turned into true campers this summer! I hope the tooth fairy is good to DD, even with the missing tooth!

I'll check back in after my run in the morning. It's going to be an interesting day tomorrow - I'll explain then.

Have a good night everyone!
Terri

[fuzzbo]

It's my birthday on Monday??? I had no idea ! I must have made some mistake registering - oops :o I'm a December birthday and I still count my age like a school girl (I'm 36 and a half!) so I don't want to get there any sooner than I have to.

Karen- camp must have been fabulous if she's wanting to go for 8 weeks. I'm not there yet, but I think I would be sad to send my daughter away for 2 months! It's great that she enjoys it so much.

Les - get that sleep! I say that as I see it's 11pm and my alarm will be going off at 5am.

Terri - have a good morning run! Great way to start the day.

I'm taking off with my daughter on Tuesday to visit my parents - really hoping the airports have settled down a bit. We have an early flight and I'm going to press my luck a bit and arrive just a little more than an hour early. It's a small airport, so we should be okay. My goal for the week is to keep up my daily walks, find a gym for the resistance part, and stay away from those home, comfort foods. BTW-down 1 lb since I amped up my workouts :)

Have a great week everyone.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Terri - I'll be interested in hearing about your interesting day. A old friend of mine ran until her 8th month with her first child so I'm used to seeing women "with" on the run or at least on the go.
It's my birthday on Monday??? I had no idea ! I must have made some mistake registering - oops :o I'm a December birthday and I still count my age like a school girl (I'm 36 and a half!) so I don't want to get there any sooner than I have to.
I think the mistake is mine. That goes to show you what happens when you've got a couple threads running in your mind all at the same time. I know someone has a birthday tomorrow... now I need to figure out who. :rolleyes:

Karen - Sounds like you've got a full household again. I'm glad that DD had a good time at camp and I hope she comes back to "reality" or at least doesn't get her hopes up for an 8-week stint next year. Since I want to take Jean's order to heart I won't fill the page with a response and beg for tomorrow to respond.

Good lifting today - changed up a little and did some single leg exercises (always a burner). I'll remember all those muscles in the morning but good for this evening. Tomorrow - a weird day... go to dig into my subconsciousness a little more; going to a baseball game with my whole division (it's supposed to be a nice day all day tomorrow and cool too). After that, everything else is gravy or at least trimmings.

So I guess it's time to head to the shed and I'll catch you all tomorrow. Until then... peace,

Les

[TerriAb]

Good morning! Good run this morning with only two unplanned (one minute) walk breaks. Other than that, I pushed myself up those blasted hills. It was a short run this morning (2 miles), so I think that motivated me a bit. I have a question, though. Do I maintain my turtle pace on the downhills, too? I'm assuming that I try and keep it fairly steady, which works for me. I naturally want to go faster downhill, but is that that best thing?

Jean - happy half (or so) birthday! Good luck with your travels tomorrow and have a fun trip. I heard this morning that they've lightened up the restrictions a bit, but you do have to take your shoes off through security, so you may want to wear something you can slip on and off easily. Can't imagine tying my sneakers with a 3 year old in tow. Good luck staying away from the comfort foods, but maybe treat yourself a bit (you are on vacation, after all!).

Les - Have fun at the game today. Hope your legs aren't too sore from your lifting yesterday. And, I hope your head isn't too sore from digging into your subconscious :eek:

I'm meeting with a director in my organization this afternoon. It's not my director, but someone who got wind that I wasn't busy enough. This person is going to try to resolve that. When he called me last Friday, he told me that this is part of his job - to make sure that all the resources (people) are doing what they should be doing or otherwise getting it worked out. Hopefully this is the light at the end of the tunnel. I have my mid-year review with my director right after that, so it'll be an interesting day.

Happy Monday, everyone! :rolleyes:
Terri

[tmsl]

Hi everyone!! Seems like all are checking in early this week.

Les-the reunion was for my high school, not DH. He manages to enjoy my reunions as he can cut up and not worry about knowing anyone. It was an interesting weekend.

I did get a good workout in Saturday with a 3 mile run, bike and some arm weights. This week will probably be a bust as far as working out. I am meeting my sisters for dinner Wednesday night and Thursday after work, DH and I are going to the beach for the weekend. After being gone this past weekend, I have a lot to catch up on tonight and tomorrow.

Sounds like everyone has a busy, full week planned. I'll try to check in later with more comments.

Laura K.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Well, well, well... it looks like my mind is going south these days. First the birthday (it is on the VRB thread - 2Hungry) and now the misplaced reunion. What is going on up there? :D :rolleyes: But I guess that all things considered I do a pretty good job of remembering things from week to week.

Terri - Good luck with your meeting with the HR supervisor (that's what the person sounds like to me). It may be just the ticket to get you better utilized in your job. My only "issue" with the subconscious is the processing it takes after the fact and trying to relate what is going on with LW without overwhelming her. Great job with the hill run too! Making it all the way is great.

Laura K - Have a good week and I hope you get sufficient things done so you don't feel overwhelmed when you're at the beach this weekend.

TTFN - the fun begins soon...

Les

[karen w]

I'm sorry I am going to be breif and a bit of a downer tonight. I had half of my post all written when I the phone rang. I just don't have it in me right now to post my original thoughts for the day. I would like to request ALOT of prayers for my dad, however. I don't have any details at this point, but he had a stroke today and was transferred to a larger facilitly in Central WI as he was at my folks summer home in the Upper peninsula of Michigan. My mom's cousins are driving her down there this evening. Please keep hom in your thoughts for me. Thanks,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

(((((Karen))))) No sweat about being a little brief and a bit of a downer - that's wholly understandable. I'm sure that by the time you read this you'll have already received my note. Regardless, my heart and prayers go out to you and your family (and DH and his family too). Pleace let us know if there's anything we can do. And take care of yourself that's important right now.

On a more mundane note:
I think the therapist likes my dreams - or at least they aren't the run of the mill dreams that he's used to hearing. But then I really am unique anyway. Even more mundane... I ran this afternoon and it was hot but I was able to combine the wind and the shade for most of the run to make it bearable. It wasn't stellar but felt a lot smoother than Saturday (but that doesn't say much). In all I ran for about an hour and am pretty happy with it - I felt like I had a bit better flow and finally got things loosened up on the way back home. Maybe that will be the first of a string of good runs in the very near future.

Peace and prayers for strength and healing,
Les

[tmsl]

((((Karen)))) I am so sorry, I hope it wasn't too severe. You and your family will be in our prayers. Will you travel to Michigan??? If so, be safe.

Laura

[TerriAb]

Karen - I will be praying for you and your father! Let us know how he is doing!

Like Les, everything else seems pretty mundane. I did a TBC class this morning. 80 pushups today. Someone on the treadmills actually applauded when we finished!

Les, glad to hear that your run went well, or at least better. Hopefully that will keep up!

My meeting yesterday went fine. It wasn't with HR, but sort of the HR liaison with my department. I think my workload will pick up, but that remains to be seen.

Have a good day everyone!
Terri

[karen w]

Hi all,

Thank you for the hugs and prayers. Unfortunately, I still don't know a whole lot. I finally spoke with my mom this afternoon, and it seems like it is going to be a wait and see game. As the swelling goes down in his head, we will have to see if and how much he recovers. She told me to stay put and wait it out a few days as my brothers are all there with her now. So that is what I am doing for the time being.

I really don't feel too chatty, otherwise, but suffice it to say, I am trying to keep to my routine for both my own sake and the sake of the kids who for all practical purposes don't know anything except DS#1. DH was off today so his company at home was nice. As a matter of fact I had him take the kids out for dinner tonight so I could have a bit of quiet time. I did my usual exercising etc... today, but it kinda feels like I'm on remote control operating in a fog. I suppose that is better than not functioning at all. I don't want to bring the mood down too much so for now I just want to continue to thank everyone for the positive thoughts and prayers. Let's hope they do the trick.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - Thank you for the update (I dropped you a note off line). That was a God send to have DH take the kids to dinner. This must truly be a difficult time for you - I can only imagine what waiting is like. Please take care of yourself and let those around you help you these days. I'd bet many people are willing to help (if they aren't already). As I mentioned elsewhere - my prayers are continuing to be lifted for you and your family and the doctors. Thank you for the reminder that we need to be aware of those around us that we love and (in my case) not take them for granted. Peace be with you.

I rode today and it was a little nice to get something different in even if it was just under an hour of riding. But I'm still having issues with the heals of my hands and something at the base of my ulnar nerve (as best I can figure) when I ride for over about 45 minutes - my hands and fingers get numb. Right now the heals of my hands are actually quite sore from riding. :( That's not a good sign. Funny thing, I seem to have but one speed when I ride, especially around rush hour. I'm always cranking hard so riding is almost like a track workout except that I'm not running... But then, I'm also trying to keep alive on the streets around here. :rolleyes:

Late start tonight so I'll call it quits and head to the shed. Until tomorrow...

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Good morning!

Karen, understandable that you don't feel like chatting. I would be the same way, just want to be left to my thoughts. Routine can be good for times like this, but make sure to take care of yourself. I'm still praying for you and your father.

Les, sorry to hear about your hands. Not sure where the ulnar nerve is - neck? spine? Things are not good if your hands are going numb in your rides!

Spinning today. My last spinning class until after the 1/2. :( The Spinathon is next Tuesday, so I will do that, but for now, I will focus on running and lifting weights to prepare. I'm going to have one of the trainers in the gym set up a weightlifting program for me. I do find that my arms get tired when I run, so I obviously need some upper body work. My classes have become so routine for me, it's going to be hard to do solo workouts for the next few months. It's a great challenge for my body and am already seeing changes (good changes), so I think it'll be good for me all around.

Not much else to report - a bit of work today and I have a bible study class tonight, so it'll be kind of a late night for me. I love the class, but it does make for a couple of long days for me.

Have a good day everyone!
Terri

[Leslie Ferguson]

Terri - The portion of the ulnar nerve that I'm thinking about is in the hands/wrist/arm (pinkie side of the hands). Because you asked I looked it up and the nerve connects in the spine near C8 and T1. But in reading about the nerve and compression of the nerve causing pain I'm not sure that it's the ulnar nerve that's impacted. It may be the radial nerve because my pain is in the heals of my hands and not the pinkie area. I guess I'll have to see a chiropractor or sports med person about my hands. It's not uncommon for bicycle riders to have issues with their ulnar nerves, especially if the setup of their handle bars isn't just right. If you'd like I can send you some information (I'll really do it this time -- no kidding) about weight lifting for endurance runners since that's what I do in the weight room. Ok so I can get it off my chest this is the information I had put down (at least the initial salvo) for lacing:

One recommendation - start with snug but not tight laces and run a little. Something in the 1/4-1/2 mile range and then check your laces. If your shoes seem a little loose then loosen them and retie them a little snugger wherever you need to tighten them.

http://walking.about.com/cs/shoecare/l/aa120600b.htm

http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/a-running-shoe-guide-for-.shtml

For me today - it rained last night so it's a little humid this morning but it looks like it's going to rain again so I'm going to try to go out for a run.

See you all later.
Les

[Laura]

(((Karen)))
I am so sorry to hear about your dad; I will keep your entire family in my prayers. I know how difficult it is to be far away when a family member is ill.


Les,
Do you have any carpal tunnel issues? I have it in my right hand and there are some stretches that a PT gave me that have helped. You might want to consider asking your PT when you see him/her next.

Terri,
I understand missing your spinning class. I must admit that it feels a little freeing to me not to be training for the half. It is such a great feeling of accomplishment though, you will be so happy you did it when the time comes.

Jean, I hope the airports weren't too crazy for you and that you have nice visit with your parents.

LauraK. The beach? I am so jealous. Although I live in mountain country, I am really a water girl at heart. Have a great relaxing weekend.

As for me, I have been mixing up my workouts between running, lifting, and Pilates. I hope to get a spin class in this weekend. Have a good mid-week everyone!

[TerriAb]

Les, thanks for the lacing techniques. I will try them out. I haven't seemed to have any problems in the past few runs, so it may just have been getting used to things. I have a soreness on the ball of my foot (right at the base of my toes), but that's not from running and it doesn't bother me when I run. I had it a few years ago, too, which is why I have the orthotics. They never did figure out what was wrong (both podiatrist and orthopedist) and it seems to happen in the summer, so it could be my summer shoes. Like I said, it doesn't bother me to run, but if it does, I'll go have it checked again. I will take whatever weight workouts you want to throw my way. I used to lift regularly, but it's been awhile since I have.

Laura, thanks for the encouragement. I'm thinking I'll only miss spinning for a few months and then can go back to it at least one day a week when the half is over. Do you like Pilates? I've enjoyed the few classes that I've taken, although I usually end up with a pretty sore tailbone for a day or two.

Have a good afternoon, everyone!
Terri

[fuzzbo]

Hi all. I hope the week is going well for all.

Karen - I, too, am sorry to hear about your father. Our family went (and is still going) through the same thing. I wish your father the best during his recovery.

The travels went well, thank you! I ended up packing very light so I could do carry-on if need be. I ended up exercising that option (about the only exercise I've gotten these last few days!) b/c the baggage lines were much longer than the security lines. I probably could've made it, but I get nervous about things like that. Granted having a carry-on, a stroller/car seat combo, dvd player, snack bag AND a little person was a bit much when it came to getting on and off the plane, but I managed.

I just got a week pass to the local gym so I'll be able to get back into my routine very soon, and as a surprise my husband set up and paid for a massage for Friday! Can't wait!!

Terri-I'd love to hear what your trainer comes up for you as far as a resistance program goes. I'm in the beginning of a new routine, but I'm always looking for ways to shake it up.

Enjoy the day!

[tmsl]

Happy Hump Day! Short week for me :p as I get to pack tonight since we are leaving right after work tomorrow. I am also meeting my sisters for dinner as one is close by for a speaking engagement. That should be nice, since I haven't seen her for a while. No workouts yet, but am trying to eat healthy. DH & I had the Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad from this months CL and it was good. I caught him eating seconds, then thirds, so I guess he liked it. :D

Terri~on the resistance training, I am sure they will tell you but be sure to stretch afterwards consistently. The weight training can make your muscles tight and if you do any leg weights you will definitely need to stretch.

Karen~again, lifting family up in prayers. Hope things are better today.

Jean~Massage!! What a sweet husband. I have a spa day planned in a few weeks that was a bday present from my Mom. My bday was back in May, though, it's taken awhile to get it scheduled.

Laura~don't be jealous!! There is some tropical system trying to brew off the coast and I hope it doesn't lead to a rainy weekend. Oh well, just hearing the waves and getting some sand in my toes sounds good now.

Les~Do you wear gloves when you ride? I've heard they can help but you need to find the correct pair for you. My hands have only done the tingling, numb thing once and it was after several days of riding.

I probably won't get to check in again. Have a great rest of the week and weekend.

Laura K.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Quick check in before getting back to work...
Laura K - I do wear gloves but I'm not sure if they're the best kind for me. They feel pretty good when I wear them and they are a lot better than the ones I wore originally. There might be an issue with the stem height on the bike (especially since I changed the stem recently and made things worse :rolleyes: ). Even though it's probably after you've checked off have a great time this weekend and have a great dinner with your sister.
Terri - I'll have to get my copy of the weight routine I use from my at-home computer. Stretching is a big deal and the mantra for lifting is lighter weight and more repetitions. I do 3 sets of 15-20 reps on almost all my exercises. The great thing about the routine is there is upper body stuff (yes, you need to do upper body work especially lats and traps for endurance running) and lower body stuff that is good for runners.

Another run today. Muggy and a little daunting but still felt pretty good until my stomach got a little off while drinking warm-ish water. Once I could put a little more cool water in my system I felt pretty good. So I logged my 8.6 mile course today and will be done early tonight. Maybe I'll be a good boy and hit the shed early tonight too. In my best Monty Python voice... Not bloody likely.

Back to work, see you all later.
Les

[karen w]

Les-I love Monty Python! :D Anyway, as far as your wrists/hands are concerned, carpal tunnel is the most common/most likely culprit which would be median nerve, but then again....with you.....it might be some other red herring! :p Seriously, I hope you can find someone to figure it out for you and provide you with some releif. Sounds like you had a decent run today. Yay!

Terri-Good luck with both the spin-a-thon and the 1/2 training. That spin-a-thon sounds kind of interesting. What exactly is involved?

Jean-Glad your travels went well. Boy that was brave to take carry on luggage with the way things are at the moment. Enjoy that massage and give your DH a big fat kiss and hug for being such a sweetie. He sounds like a keeper!

Laura K.-Enjoy your travels/visit.

Today was a bit better here. I think getting a restful night of sleep has helped me immensely. The news overall is not much better or different, however. I talked to mom this morning. Dad is apparently still pretty out of it....not aware of people etc..., but his pupils are reactive etc... The neurologists seems to think his memory/speech etc... should recover, but he likely will not get left upper extremity recovery. He is, however, moving the left leg. Like I said to mom, I'd rather see him be able to walk. He does magnificent stained glass work, though, so I know he'd be devastated not to be able to continue that anymore. Anyway, the neurologist also mentioned the # 40% chance of recovery. I'm not sure if that means survival vs. function. Again, this is going to be a long drawn out wait and see thing. The first 72 hours after this type of thing is the worst/most critical time period, but it takes weeks for the swelling to completely subside. The doctors have said that if all stays the same or improves, they may be able to transfer him to Milwaukee in about a week. Meanwhile my mom has people helping to shut down their summer home right now. Her cousin is getting their boat out of the water and she had the cleaning help go over to clean up the place/clear out the fridge etc... so that is a big releif. Right now she is staying at a hotel a block away from the hospital. I hope she can get him to Milwaukee soon. If they can transfer him there, then I might be able to take a few days and go there. As for more family news, DH's mom is back in the hospital again with another fever. :( Boy aren't I just Mrs. doom and gloom this week. Unfortunately it seems like her hospitalizations are just getting more and more frequent. One of these days she will get the fever/infection, her body just can't handle with her leukemia and it looks like she is getting closer to that point. I am going under the assumption that they will not make their planned visit to us this weekend at this point.

On to brighter stuff...I have been having really great swims this week despite everything. I think I've been putting all my emotional frustrations into my swims and oddly it does really feel good to get it out in the pool. And the water temp. was back down so it was more conducive to lap swimming. It was getting almost jacuzzi-like there for a few days, and then you feel so lethargic in the pool. I did not get my own lane today(the flailer graced my lane! :( ), but he did not bother me too much.) He is definetley not getting any better, though! :rolleyes: I had to stick around the house for most of the rest of the day as the oil company was coming to do their yearly maintenance on our oil burner, so after breakfast I ellipticized, did abs, and reviewed my self defense DVD(progress testing is next Thursday!). I also finished labeling the kids school stuff, made a big batch of pesto, did some gardening, made some yummy paninis for everyone for dinner , and overall just tried to keep busy with little stuff. That seems to be the answer for me right now. It was a gorgeous day here, too, so the kids kept busy outside...found a snake, more frogs etc.... man my two older ones are pure boy! And DS#1 has still been such an angel lately. I don't know what has come over him. This started well before the events of this week. As a matter of fact the two younger ones don't know. DS#1 knows Dad is sick, but that is about it. I think DS#1 might be campaigning for something....DH thinks a laptop(hah!!!). But I'm not sure...ususally if he wants something, he is not so subtle. He'll come right out and say it. Anyway, I gave him a dollar for all his vacuuming yesteday, and a lot of praise for his good behavior overall.

In an effort to try not to be so depressing on such a wonderfully upbeat thread, I will try to keep the medical news to a minimum from here on in, but I do so much appreciate a place to come and "vent" so to speak. Right now, aside from my family and DH nobody really knows around me.

I hope everyone had a good hump day. See you tomorrow.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

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Karen - Thank you for sharing all the information about your Dad and MIL. It looks like another set of names gets "bumped up" on the list tonight. But seriously, I'll do my level best to offer a few direct prayers for your family and extended family. It's not too surprising that you're taking your frustration out on the pool - I do the same thing with my runs and really hit the trail with a vengence (and run like the wind). Love getting my hands on critters too - frogs and snakes, it sounds like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom up there. ;) Whatever DS#1 has up his sleeve don't knock the help, just another piece you don't have to worry about for the time being. What? Something that isn't like normal on me? You'd think that I was a medical anomoly or something. ;) Of course I've got doctors in 3 cities scratching their heads over me so you might be right. :D I'll definitely have them check for carpal tunnel syndrome - I really don't want to see that either.
Jean - I'll swap you just about anything for that massage on Friday. ;) Of course, I've got a GC from SpaFinders.com for a visit to a spa. I might be a good hubby and give that to LW for our anniversary and then again I might be "self-centered" and spend it on myself. I'll probably lean towards the former as opposed to the latter. You are a trooper with your flying over the past few days. I'm not sure I'd even venture into the airport right now. Sorry to hear about your family's medical issues too. But it does sound like you're farther along with recovery. Peace be with you.
Laura - Thanks for checking in.
Terri - As promised I've attached the basics of my weight lifting workout. Like the workout says, form over weight is the key as well as keeping the weights lighter so as to not tweak something (don't lift like I do these days - but since I'm not training for a race a little heavier is ok as long as I don't pop something).

Basic Weight Training for Endurance Running

1. Begin with between 10 and 12 minutes of brisk walking. Not enough to be out of breath but enough exertion to raise your body temperature.
2. Stretch your lower body, concentrating on the hamstrings and quadriceps for between 3 to 5 minutes.
3. The sequence of exercises is relatively important - attempt to execute the exercises in the order listed. The weight should be light enough to execute 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions with good form.
Basic lower body exercises:
1. Leg press
2. Walking lunges (see note below)
3. Leg extension
4. Seated leg curl
5. Calf raises
6. Seated calf raises
More advanced exercises:
7. Inner thigh
8. Outer thigh

Basic upper body exercises:
1. Upright fly
2. Shoulder shrugs
3. Abdominal (3 groups of your choice)
More advanced upper body exercises:
4. Triceps pull-down
5. Bicep curls
6. Lat pull-down
7. Upright rows
8. Back extension (only 1 set of 25 without weight to begin with)
9. Shoulder press

Lunges note:
1. Be VERY CAREFUL when executing lunges. It is very easy to injure your knees.
2. Proper form:
a. Make sure your steps aren’t too long. The stride should be of moderate length.
b. The lead foot should be pointed straight ahead - never off to either side.
c. When descending the lead knee should never exceed 90 degrees - e.g., it should never be more than parallel to the floor.
d. Balance is more important than speed. It is wholly acceptable to pause in the fully upright position (both feet side by side).
e. Make sure that you keep your head and shoulders erect to prevent over-striding.
f. Until you are totally comfortable with the lunges start with no (or very little) weight. Each of the 3 sets should have 30 steps (15 with each foot) before resting.

Caution - you may experience a “heavy leg” effect the day following this routine. It is recommended that you not attempt a speed workout on the day following this weights routine.

If you have any questions about the exercises or if you'd like a little more info on the types of lifts I do for the different body parts I'm willing to elaborate.

Time to call it quits for the night - busy day and I need my beauty sleep. Until tomorrow -- peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Good morning!

Karen - Come in and vent anytime you need to. That's all part of the "healthy living" piece, isn't it? I'm glad to hear that you're keeping up with your workouts and I'm not surprised either by taking your aggression out in the pool. That's probably a pretty normal response. The spinathon is basically a 3 hour spinning class, although you do it in teams (if you want), so I'm on a team of 3, so we will each only bike for 1 hour. Doable for me, my teammates have only been to spinning once or twice. They won't be able to sit for days after :eek: One of my teammates may have to back out, in which case, I may do the first and last leg (2 hours, but a break in between).

Les - Thanks for the workout info. I'm pretty familiar with lifting, so these workouts all sound familiar to me. I did set up an appt. with a trainer for Monday (it's free at our gym, so I want to take advantage). She knows that I'm training, so I'll see how close she comes to yours. I'll probably incorporate both for a little variety. How many days per week do you lift? I was thinking two.

Jean - glad to hear you made it safely and that the airports were do-able. I'm not travelling (flying) until October, hoping it'll be somewhat calmer by then. Nice gift from your hubby! Enjoy your massage!

Laura K - I know it's too late, but if you check in, have a great trip!

I had a pretty good 5 mile run this morning. The first three miles felt good (even conquered the dreaded first hill, which kept me going). The fourth mile was a bit hard. Still some hills and by this time I was getting tired, but I plugged on. Walked a bit, but did push myself. Starting into mile five was a lot of downhill so it was good. However, about 1/2 mile into it my legs (hamstrings) started to cramp a bit, so I walked the rest of the way back. That last 1/2 is uphill (slight) and I power walked, so I didn't feel like too much of a slacker. My time was the fastest I've done yet, so I can tell that I'm walking less and running more. Still not liking it, but not dreading the 7 miles I have to do on Saturday (yet, at least :rolleyes: ). Got a good stretch in back in the gym, so I'm feeling pretty good. I do have to go get some water, though.

Have a good day everyone!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - Come in and vent anytime you need to. That's all part of the "healthy living" piece, isn't it?
You bet -- one of the reasons we got started and that I keep coming back. Les - Thanks for the workout info... How many days per week do you lift? I was thinking two.
I'd recommend 2 days just to keep the workout reasonable. I'd also recommend doing the legs portion after your long run, either the next day or the day following that. You'll want most of the week for your legs to get back into running mode after lifting (even if you lift light). I'd also recommend having a couple days between upper body and your long run. So assuming you long run on Saturday I'd do legs on Sunday afternoon or Monday and upper body no later than Wednesday on most weeks.

I had a pretty good 5 mile run this morning... My time was the fastest I've done yet, so I can tell that I'm walking less and running more. Still not liking it, but not dreading the 7 miles I have to do on Saturday (yet, at least :rolleyes: ).
Congratulatoins and not dreading your long run on Saturday is a good sign.

Need to work but drove by to say hi!

Les

[karen w]

Good evening,

Quiet day here today. I had my swim and went to boxing, but I think I'm just on automatic pilot today. Oh well. Anyway, I ended up doing some gardening this afternoon and making the tomato basil tarts I had planned for Sunday when the in-laws were supposed to come. I plan on doing the rest of the menu as well for the weekend. I figure it will keep me distracted to some extent, and .....nuts.....we've gotta eat, too! DS#2 had a play date today. He went to the beach with his friend. I gotta do that with the kids, too, but this week it just did not happen. Not sure what's on tap for tomorrow besides my swim. I'll see what I feel like in the morning.

Les-If your wrist problem does end up as carpal tunnel, I would not sweat it too much. It is a very short, simple, straight forward operation and does not require general anesthesia.

Terri-That spinning marathon sounds pretty tough. When I bike for 30 min., I get sweaty and tired. I can't imagine 1 hour, let alone two! :eek: Good luck! Good job on the run as well.

That's about it for me tonight. Have a good one,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Karen - Small victories these days are victories. It's not like you have nothing on your plate... 3 kiddos, summer vacation, MIL's health, father's health, and a ton of other "normal" things. I know you are happy with what you do - please keep in mind that distractions should be expected and that not doing something is ok. When everything plays out you'll be just fine. I'm glad that CTS surgery isn't too difficult. Personally, I'd like to avoid the "s" word again - those few I've had recently were no fun even if I was only under IV sedation and happy drugs. :rolleyes: Have a great day tomorrow.

Today's run (or lack thereof) was derailed for a good reason. I ended up precipitating my 60 minute session with my advisor into an almost 2 hour session. We covered a lot of ground and arrived at some interesting insights (the meeting has a lot to do with my preparations for post-Navy employment and my ongoing screening). It was a very charging time and I'm starting to learn about eniagrams (I'll see if I can post a little like for them tomorrow). They are interesting and I'd guess based on my cursory reading that they describe me quite well. :rolleyes: Still, I got home and opted for a 40 minute spin on the bike trainer. It was good to just spin and not have to worry about dodging traffic and obeying stop signs. And I didn't have to ride on the handlebars so I gave my hands a rest for another day - hopefully the pain will go away soon (it's 90% gone today).

Up in the air about tomorrow but I'll probably rest because it is Friday.


That's about it - life was a little taxing mentally today so I'll pass to bed and see you in the morning.

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Good morning!

Rest day for me today, so I slept in for an extra hour. Traffic wasn't horrible, so it made it worthwhile. Tomorrow I will do a 7 mile run. Not sure if I will be running with anyone, I'll find out tonight.

Karen, glad your day was quiet yesterday and you're staying in your routine. The tomato basil tarts sound great. I always find cooking a great distraction.

Les, sounds like you did some mental exercise, rather than physical yesterday. It all sounds fascinating to me, although when I get down to it, not sure if I'd want to go through that! I always feel like I'm such a simple person that there wouldn't be much to extract from my head! :D Happy to hear that your wrists are feeling better. Are you planning on riding this weekend?

Jean - enjoy your massage today!

Kind of a busy weekend planned for me. I'm having the girls over tonight to do some scrapbooking. It usually turns into a big gab and laugh fest, so it's fun. Tomorrow, besides my run, is a free day, so if it's nice, I may spend some time at the pool. Sunday I have church, a baby shower and a baptism to go to. I don't like busy Sundays, but what can I do?

Have a good day everyone!

[karen w]

Well, working out and cooking seem to be my best distractors lately. Don't know if that is contradictory, but....hey...it works for me! :D Besides I've never been concerned about too much weight so I guess I'll keep the ovens stoked! ;) Anyway, I had a really awesome swim this morning. I can tell alot of the energy is coming from stress, but it still feels so good to get it out in the water. I was so absorbed in my swim that I never noticed the gentleman that hopped in the lane with me at one point. Apparently, I was approaching him head on when he realized that I had no idea he was there. He starts yelling, "I'm sharing a lane with you!!" Finally, at the last moment just prior to collision, I pick my head up 'cause I think I hear some yelling, and I'm looking at him eye to eye! :eek: I guess you could say my mind was elsewhere! :o Anyway, after breakfast I felt like a bike ride and since I had some house work to do, I hopped on the bike for 35 min. and did my abs before tackling the housework and a bit more cooking. The kids played with the neighbor for part of the day, and generally behaved well.

Last night I did get to speak to mom again. Dad was doing a bit better yesterday. While he is not speaking at all at this point, he is apparently recognizing people/commands and responding with hand squeezing/thumbs up signs etc... His breathing also improved. (They almost had to intubate him night before last). Unfortunately they had to start TPN on him as they could not pass a feeding tube orally or nasally(he has a huge hiatal hernia which was getting in the way), but that is not really that big a deal. They may eventually have to surgically put in a feeding tube. I guess that's probably more info. then you guys need or want to know, but that is where things are at now. They did say they may be able to transfer him by ambulance to Milwaukee next Monday or Tuesday if he remains stable. DH also spoke to MIL who seems to be doing a bit better for now as well.

Terri-Hope you had a good rest day and enjoy your scrapbooking/ladies night tonight. Have a good run tomorrow.

Les-I hope you had an enjoyable rest day, too. Glad to hear the wrist pain seems to be subsiding for you.

My weekend is a bit up in the air as well since our original plans(in-laws visiting) will not be happening. DS#1 is going to a b-day party tomorrow. He also has a cub scout picnic on Sunday which he originally was not going to go to because of the in-laws. Now it looks like he(and the rest of the family) can attend. I have to finish up a few "projects" I started today in the kitchen. I'll also do my exercising, of course! ;) The rest we will take as it comes!

Have a good weekend.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Terri - I hope that you had someone to run with on Saturday morning - long runs are more fun with someone that without. Scrapbooking sounds interesting, do you all have a theme or are your books just a little bit of today? I don't really like busy Sundays either but with my (hopefully) chosen profession Sunday's should start becoming really busy in the future (moreso than they already are). I hope you have a nice day for the pool on top of your run.
Karen - Mind on vacation... body in the pool... that is a great pair. Good for your unknown lane partner being aware enough to alert you that you were going to swim into him. Thank you for the information about your dad and MIL. I don't think it's TMI either. Turn about... I know that I've been a little graphic or precise about things in my medical past so feeding tubes and intubation are par for the course around here (and really, that's part of your life and by nature of our relationship our life too). I'm glad you're always so flexible by nature or this weekends purturbation would be maddening. I'll pray that your dad continues to improve and gets to move to Milwaukee very soon.

Funny thing, after all these years you'd figure I'd have myself figured out. Au contraire... just when I thought it was safe to go back into the pool I keep finding out more about myself. But on the up side, the things I'm finding out, although they're hard to swallow sometimes, are very helpful in facilitating my transition from the Navy to real life. I mentioned at my sing-fest tonight, while we were sharing, that I very often find myself at the end of the day saying, "can I get off, my head is full." or "stop it hurts! ;) I can't shove anything more in my head!" But the introspection has helped me find the true little kid in me. As for riding this weekend, I'm not sure. I've got a long meeting (that I leave for inn about 7 hours) that will last unti labout 2:30 so I may not be home until 4:30. So I'll probably relegate myself to riding as long as my wrists feel better tomorrow too.

Speaking of leaving at 6:20 that means I need to hit the hay. So until tomorrow, have a great weekend...

Peace,
Les

[TerriAb]

Happy Saturday everyone!

Did my long run this morning with my friend. It was my first run in true humidity and I was so surprised at how sluggish I felt. Of course, some of that could have been only 6 hours of sleep. It was hard, but we finished. I've been kind of tired and sluggish all day and a bit of a headache. I've been drinking tons today so I don't think I'm dehydrated. Actually, once I took some Advil around dinner and ate a big dinner, I felt much better. I'm about ready for bed, though.

Other than the run, nothing much doing today. I did a few errands and some laundry and I did go get a pedicure. Felt good on my tired legs and feet and I had a few good calluses that needed to be taken off.

Had a great time with my scrapbooking buddies last night. Everyone just brings their own stuff to work on and we just chat and laugh and eat a lot. It did get to be late, though, so next time I'll have to plan it on a different night than Friday night before my early Saturday mornings.

Karen, glad to hear your dad is responding well, or better. Not TMI in my book about his feeding tube, etc. My mom has been through multiple surgeries, so I've seen a lot with her.

Les, I hope your meeting went well today. I'm glad to hear your wrists are feeling better, hoping that if you rode tonight, they cooperated.

I'm off to do a little reading and then snooze.

Have a good Sunday, everyone!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Terri - Good job plugging through the tough conditions. I've found that when I get a little electrolyte imbalance especially when running in the heat and humidity, I get a little wonked by the end of the day. And drinking water really doesn't help that much. What I've found that works is something with a decent amount of salt in it - pretzels, udon, turkey sandwiches - anything that gets some salts or has some salts. I hope you rest well tonight and have a good day tomorrow.

I'll claim no run today. Not that I wouldn't have if I had been in Norfolk at a reasonable time. Most of the set up for and travel to the meeting today went without a hitch. I was really appreciative of someone else driving because it allowed me to get a ~70 minute nap (I can sleep anywhere thank you). The meeting (that went as long as scheduled) was good too but the drive home - oy vey! It took us ~3 hours to cover 100 miles. And there weren't any accidents just a ton of traffic on I-64 eastbound. It was backed up from east of Williamsburg until Newport News (stop and go for most of 30 miles). Anyway, I didn't even get in the house until 6:10. By that point in time I wasn't in any condition to run (food stores were way down, dehydration was way up) so I bagged my run today. Hopefully I'll get something going tomorrow or if not tomorrow then Monday for certain.

Peace to all and I'll be in touch.

Les