Much ~ma for Grandma Mary.

Timelies all.

Fay - I'm bookmarking that running site. I have to do something to get in shape and maybe K-Bug will be willing to do that with me. Always nice to have a partner. I've been slowly gaining back some of what I lost and that needs to stop.

DH has a job interview today, so any interview~ma anyone can spare would be GREATLY appreciated.

eta - Health ~ma to Grandma Mary (that is my mom's name too)

Fay, I went from not running at all to training to run a 1/2 marathon last year. I had been doing some cardio, a little weight training, and pilates for a little while before I started running but I was not particularly active and certainly did not consider myself to be athletically adept at all.

I started out doing long walking/short running intervals which helped because I could change the intervals slightly, like adding a minute to the running interval, and feel like I was making progress QUICKLY.

When I had tried to run in the past I always gave up right away because I'd get shin splints. So when I took it up seriously last year the first thing I did was go out and buy real running shoes. Expensive but very much worth it. ALSO expensive but so so worth it--hardcore jogging bras.

What also really helped keep me motivated is that I was running the 1/2 in honor of my best friend's good buddy and colleague who had died suddenly and way too young earlier that year. He was a kid who'd been super unsporty, always picked last for the team etc., who took up running and got really into doing triathalons and who was always incredibly supportive of his friends' athletic endeavors. So when the running was utter torture (as it often was and sometimes still is) I'd just think of him and how he would have been cheering me on.

I did find that the pilates helped me out a lot with posture and, to some extent, breathing while running. Actually yoga helps even more with the breathing and for stretching out the tight muscles. So I've been trying to do at least one class of each every week (I know I should do more but too much other things to do usually...like work).

Good luck!

Timelies all!

Good luck on the running program, Fay.

~ma and prayers for Grandma Mary, health, friendship, and peace to her.

jobma for Suzi's DH. I hope he gets this one, and quickly.

Be kind to yourself today, vw.

The babies are on the bus and heading for school. Aidan seems to be just fine but Kara still has a bit of a croupy cough. They've been out 2.5 weeks, which is way too long. Kara didn't want to go and told me, "I think I will be sick all day today so I can't go to school." I'm sure she'll improve that story over time, but today it didn't work. She hates the school food so we packed a lunch of cheese chunks, baby carrots and grape tomatoes, her choice, and she only cried a little when she got on the bus. I called her teacher who is very nice and said that she'd try to leave Kara alone to settle in again today.

Aidan's teacher was so excited that he's coming back that she squealed. She told me that he may, however, be transferring to the local public school program in February. He has to be tested next month to see if he can hack it with the big (3 year old) boys.

Health ~ma to Grandma Mary (that is my mom's name too)

Same here, on both counts.

I've bookmarked that site Fay. For the past 20 years I have walked and not jogged. I did 4 marathons at a walk pace. Lately I've been thinking that jogging at least some portion of a race would be so nice. 7 hours straight of strolling along with a few thousand strangers is a whole lot more fun than you would think, but I would love to do it in 5 instead.

I've been alternating the jog pace with walking on the treadmill, but not in any consistent manner. Same with my weight training. It has been very random which isn't very helpful.

Deena! I had a dream that I was trying to call to talk to Aidan and Kara, and I realized I was calling from a hotel room phone and wanted to call from another phone. Needless to say, Kara was NOT impressed with my mad dream phone skillz.

job ~ma to the MG DH.

Thanks for the ~ma, everyone. She sure needs it.

Fay, other people have given you fantastic advice already, so let me just add by way of cheerleading that when you find a program that works for you, you're going to find that you're not exercising in order to get to some mythical outward state where you're gorgeous and self-confident -- rather, the very fact that you're doing it gives you that confidence (and helps you to grok that you are the fantabulous creature that we already know you to be).

This isn't a matter of how much weight you lose or even how far you can go, but of realizing that you can do something -- and it's not something easy -- that you couldn't do before, under your own power and by your own will, and you (okay, sometimes not until after the fact) feel better than you did before.

I think a lot of us here were the last ones chosen for the team; now's your chance to tell the old school bullies to EAT IT.

Nora! My dream last night had David Bowie dressed as he was in Labyrinth, but he was a pirate. I think mine was more fun.

If'n you ever want to call and talk to Kara, you're more than welcome. Aidan is afraid of the phone. I think he thinks something will come out and eat him.

This isn't a matter of how much weight you lose or even how far you can go, but of realizing that you can do something -- and it's not something easy -- that you couldn't do before, under your own power and by your own will, and you (okay, sometimes not until after the fact) feels better than you did before.

This! Exactly!!!

Interview-ma to your DH, MG. Hey, what are you doing on Saturday?

I want Deena's dream.