Eliz - okay so first an animated turtle and now a sea turtle? see & you didn't think anyone noticed. I like them both, but that animated was too cute!! Kevin - cute pic! She looks VERY happy!! Teresa - how did your 5.5 mile run go today? wow on the consistency, that is pretty cool. I run all over the place too, but mostly due to my breathing. Deb - How's it going the last few days? I've been working like crazy this week so haven't had time for posting or exercise either. But the tax provision is all done now, so back to the exercise!! My dad is actually doing pretty well. Although he was having problems again, but the docs did some more of that office visit cutting & heavy antibiotics a couple of months ago. He's not driving anymore because the eyes are shot from the Diabetes & bought himself a motorized trike to get around. Now he's walking his dog on that thing.. I think the thing that upset him the most about his feet & not being able to drive to the dogpark - is getting Sophie some walking time. TM time FINALLY today - I did 3.50 miles - 1 mile walk, 1 mile run, 1/2 mile walk/run/walk - so 1.50 run/2 mile walk in total! yay!! I feel better now...

Linda--I like the sounds of your runs. Hope it remains this consistent so you can keep improving. Theresa--great runs that are getting longer and longer. 6 miles will feel easy soon. I'm up waiting for DD to get home from seeing "Rent". a birthday present from her BF. He treats her nice and is TOO generous. We try to get him to slow down on the presents, but DD argues against it go figure. Spent the day cross-installing new refrigerator and dishwasher. They're the fruits of a nice Christmas bonus. after 25 years we thought we'd replace the fridge before its signs of age catch up. the dishwasher baskets were losing pegs and it would cost at least half the cost of a new one to get new baskets. We don't make too many big purchases so we're pretty excited. Tomorrow DD is back at her early work hours so I'll be out for an early run over the hills and through the woods. hoping for 7 miles. Also hoping that they're go as nicely as the 5 over the same route on New Year's Day. Should have clear paths. Kevin

Thanks for the encouragement! Today is a rest day. Tomorrow we're supposed to have a big snowstorm, but I'm hoping to get a 4-mle run in before it gets too bad. Teresa

Hello Everyone, It sounds like everyone is doing well. rinda, congrats on your one hour work outs. Teresa, Nice work outs. sounds like you are making great progress Kevin, Appliance wrestling counts as cross training. Debbie, In your cave? Jem, Nice run. Laurie, I hope you and your daughter are feeling better. How's her knee? 5 miles for me today. I kind of fell of the wagon this past month and skipped a few workouts. This is the first weekend up to me full 5 days and 23 miles. (yay) On my warmup walk around the block, a group of the neighborhood brats were out playing street hockey. When I walked past them, one of them took a slap shot and hit me in the calf. they laughed. When I ran past the nearby intersection later on they all started laughing and making cat calls to me. GRRRR! They are so lucky I'm a nice guy. I ignored them. Fortunately they were apparently inside when I finished my run. I had decided that any more taunting from them was going to get their parents an earful from me, right in front of them. Cheers everyone! Mike

I'll work my way backward & see how far I get. -) Hi Jem Is DD4 the bookworm? Mike, yes. it's nice in here. I have tea. how's your calf? I'm so sorry you had that happen. I hope they aren't around much. did you say your weekend had 5 days? congrats on your 23 miles! Linda, yay! that's so great. I agree, don't worry about the speed. I'm going really slowly too. too bad your dad's been having problems, but that's so nice he can walk his dog now. things like that make so much difference. i'm not making much progress with the running/walking part, but the elliptical has been going a little better. 24 min. today, then 45 min. on the recumbent bike. meant to swim after but i'm still a little sick & was dizzy on the elliptical. decided that was enough. the fact that i hate swimming there had nothing to do with it. well, actually i don't think it did, but when I decided against it I was so relieved! It was getting a little late too, DD is pretty sick & I made some light soup for her before I left & gathered up things I thought might help her to drop off after working out. Since I slacked & read in bed with my coffee before I got busy, i didn't get to the gym till 7:30. Kevin, I had the same reaction as Jem. she's gorgeous! & so happy. you have to smile right back at her. cross-installing can be very interesting. how do you & dw like the new models? how was your run? Eliz, nice avatar. what's going on with you? Teresa, you're doing great! . When i"m on the TM I usually do about 10 min. walking, then run as long as I can without too much pain, sticking in a little walking when my little small voice says I'd better. then a walking cool down, although I'm not sure I need that. I have to get better at stopping sooner regardless of the mileage. How's the pace bunny? i dont dare sign up for that, LInda would yell at me. although i'd really like to do 1000 miles this year. Hi Roberta!

Back home again after a trip out of state (my elderly mother was hospitalized, and we went to check on her). I'll get back to running tomorrow. All of your stories (rindaroo's times, too) encourage me to keep at it, and I have to remember that I DO feel better when I finish. The first mile, though, has been strictly a head game since last fall. Just finished watching the two NFL games today - neither of which ended like I had hoped. Roberta

Good morning Everyone, Debbie, I wish my weekends were 5 days long. Roberta, I hope your mom is doing OK. Kevin, How's the knee? Rest day for me today. Cheers Mike

Deb, sorry you and your DD have been/are sick. Is it the same bug? You do know you're supposed to take it easy, right? Dizzy = not good. Yes, my dd4 is the ultimate bookworm. We are attempting to help her form an exercise habit. Kevin, hope you've just got a temporary owie and not a lasting injury. Awesome 7 miles anyway! You New Englanders have some wicked weather. Lots of x-training opportunities! I grew up in Massachusetts, and spent 15 years in Chicagoland. The contrast to the climate here in n. Va, even though it's not really "south," is striking. Though we've had some cold weather, I feel like winter is just beginning. And once March comes, it will be almost over. I don't mind a bit. But I'd like some snow for the kids. Roberta, hope your mom is doing well. Hi to Linda and Theresa and Eliz and Mike. Laurie, good run. I don't know anything about ITB, but hope you take it easy. And all I know about hills is that when I ran a hilly route too much last summer I messed up my achilles tendon. But that's not your issue. Hope you figure it out. I ran 5 very relaxed hill-free miles at lunchtime today, 43 F felt chillier than that with the wind. The pace bunny and I are tied right now - I didn't plan it that way! Jem