oh my goodness Bugs. good for you. I thought you weren't feeling well. I didn't end up running today- cleaning the house won out. I'm kind of letting myself off the hook since I know very soon I have to get focused on Myrtle Beach. To answer your question Bugs, a medicine ball is a weighted ball- some have handles, others don't. They start at 3 lbs up to 10 lbs. I don't know how much they are... When I use them, I use the ones at the gym. I don't have one at home. If you don't want to get one, you don't "need" one to do an effective ab workout. They just provide added resistance to give you a more intermediate or advanced workout. If you have an 8 or 10 lb. dumbbell that would do the same thing but the mechanics are a little trickier. Questions like this are good for me.... because at the gym, I just show people the answer. So, this is making me have to describe things in writing a little bit more. I forgot to add that using one of your kids balls would probably not do much for you. I guess it would depend on the ball, but it's likely too light to really do anything for you.

Questions like this are good for me....

phew phrases like that can be dangerous in this group!

Kimmie, Thank you! I thought it was just about balance good form. BTW, I am terrible for exercising while sick. You missed my whole hospital stay for cardiac problems when I kept running with bronchits last spring. I WILL NOT BE THAT DUMB again, but dam these colds drag on forever. Dgb, XTing is your friend. Maybe you need to find some different XTing, something harder to make it more exciting??? Do you have a punching bag? Turn on some great music punch and kick the hell out of that bag...but don't hurt your knee. Cash, You're the man. Back at work today... everybody hitting me up for work to get done but you guys are my first priority.

THEN GO RUN!!!!!

That would be a mistake. I rushed back a little after my marathon and ended up sort of quasi-injured (knees, shins are sore and even walking is a bit tweaky). I'm trying to be patient. I'm just venting a bit.

Dave, I also think you're smart for taking it easy. I just suggested a hard XTing so you don't go crazy, being a military guy and all I assume you have access to guns, and I would like my mail delivered on time please, so don't go postal on us. I think it was pfritz's book that said we should all take at least two weeks off a year with NO running (jogging for us streakers). I personally think mentally you need a break after marathon, not just from the race and training. Plus there is your family who has done nothing but rearrange their lives so you can get your precious run in, pay back time, make dinner for the wife, clean the house, blow out the leaves (apparently no snow for you yet???? - UGH.) My noon run got canceled for a work luncheon. F#@$#$@#$. Oh probably as well, I'm still not quite 100% healthy yet. My poor little seven year old was sick this morning. I asked him if he was going to school, "Mom it's Wednesday and I'm suppose to have lunch with my teacher and be the librarian's helper, we only have library on Wednesday's Mom." Poor kid got overdosed on tylenol and marched on. Poor teacher and librarian have no idea they are about to get the worst cold ever.

Have I mentioned we're pottie training my 3-year-old? Any of you who have been through this know exactly what this means. Just tell me it ends at some point.

I've heard boys are harder but I have no experience with them. They do it when they decide to do it. My day still ends putting my sleeping 3 year old on the pot so that she makes it through the night.

I'm up to my eyeballs in it this weekend. Not sure if I can fit in a long (or any other sized) run. Tomorrow I'm doing a medium/long run. I might try and get a longer run in on Friday before work. I seriously don't want to do that and I seriously don't want to miss my long run.