Enough of the lurking. It’s long overdue that I tell you how much I love your posts. The gun issue is an interesting one for our family. My Dad is a careful, but devote owner and collector of guns. Husband hunts birds,but not too savvy on the whole idea of introducing yet-to-be created child to firearms. I think respect and education is key. I love your photos and your workout is enviable. Went to Nordstrom for a new jogging outfit….think that will do it???? Thanks for sharing your life with us.

I”m going to stay out of the guns discussion because I learned from my uncle with dead animal heads on all walls of his home that it’s best to keep my mouth shut when it comes to things I don’t understand. Now, jogging, that is my area of semi-expertise. It will suck for a while. I find that morning jogs suck more than evening jogs, but I don’t have a kid to deal with so I can change my schedule to suit my ever-changing unpredictable needs. It will eventually stop sucking at which point you will convince yourself to lengthen your distance or train for a marathon, and then it will suck again. That’s the fun of it. Joggers look intense because we are insane crazy people.

Son of a……. first post and I say devote…how about devout? Sorry.

I love running. But, I always have. There is never a day that I go for a run and think “oh, this sucks.” I hated running in my teens–picked it up freshman year in college and LOVE it.

My advice is go when it’s your normal exercise time–if you try to force yourself to do something that you hate at a time that you also hate, you will never do it. I will never, ever, ever, ever be a morning runner–EVER. I am an evening/night runner and always will be. Even on Saturdays, if I get up at noon, 1pm is way too early for a run.

Also, get an earband. Even when the temps are mild, your ears will get cold. I wear mine when it’s in the low 60s because, well, that just hurts.

Also? Be sure to take music, if that’s what keeps you going. I cannot run without it!

Good luck. And take care of your knees–pavement and concrete are BAD.

One perk re: AM jogging– by the time you wake up, you are halfway finished!

Also, later in the day when you think, “I gotta work out later…” It’s “Oh yeah! Already did that!” Best feeling ever.

I would suggest WALKING first. And once you get in the habit of waking up and walking WITH EARBAND AND TUNES, then do Coolrunning.com’s Couch to 5K program b/c I don’t care how in shape you think you are, running will always kick your ass and make you feel like a loser. Don’t know why, but it does. So go slow! Nope, even slower. If you’re listening to good music, you won’t care so much how silly you look.

Also, you’re really funny. I like you.

I hope Riley’s not contemplating truck-surfing in that last shot.

Dude, thanks for letting me know about the pants, I wasn’t sure.
And the reason I carry a gun? So I don’t have to run. LOL.
That was a joke ya’ll.
And Riley and JB, good lord those two are the cutest. Same lips too.
And some day, Riley will be sitting in a bed, with some other women saying pet the kitty nice, but I bet SHE won’t be squacking like a parrot. And hopefully he won’t be pooping in the following minutes……….
I am so sorry for this post.

Living in Roanoke, there has definitely been much discussion at my workplace about guns in the last week. I will say that although I am not necessarily ‘pro’ gun, we do own several firearms and I am okay with that. Growing up, my dad was (and still is) very pro-gun and we had several pistols as well as a few assorted hunting rifles in the house. However, we were definitely taught to respect the guns and that they were not toys–I’m pretty sure that we never had toy guns either. I feel pretty much the same way with my little boy–in order to properly respect the guns, you can’t have toy guns. I think it sends the wrong message.

Re: the running. Yes, it will get better if you stick with it. When I used to run, when I would first start, I would feel like I needed to throw up after only a mile (and half of that would be walked). Over about a month or so, it slowly got better until I was able to run almost three miles at a stretch and if I didn’t run, I would be jonesing for a run. If you can stick with it until those running endorphins kick in, you’ll enjoy it so much more.

I am with Rachel. coolrunnings.com couch to 5k is AWESOME. I think it’s probably the best way to ease yourself into the jogging.

I choose Lamprey Eels. :)

Sundry, I seem to recall lots of “cowboys and indian” gun moments in my childhood and an obsessive attachment to violent Bugs Bunny cartoons and we kids turned out ok. I’m not sure play guns are the problem.

All (harmless) play, in any case, is learning and expressing and being creative.

It’s obvious that you and JB are well adjusted, committed, loving parents and that’s the key to well adjusted mentally healthy kids (unless the kid has a chemical imbalance or genetic predisposition to schizophrenia or the like and that’s another subject altogether).

JB’s a gun dude but he’s a great guy, right? He would also teach Riley discipline and rules and rights and wrongs. If Riley grows up with a social conscience, he’ll be ok whether he runs around the house when he’s five going “bang bang” or not.

P.S. I also recall we’d cock our hands and thumbs to make them look like pistols.

Btw, running does suck. I used to run and tried and tried to like it and I think I had two good days where euphoria took over. Otherwise I bunged up my knees and had to give it up.

If you really can’t stand it, try power walking. It’s just as effective. You might also want to look into Nordic walking (the poles) as these burn twice as many calories, apparently.

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, the running/jogging/crawling slowly on your belly down the sidewalk will get less sucky over time. I ran 12 miles today, and only the last two really sucked. (Mind you, up until eight weeks ago I had only ever run half that distance. In my whole life.)

Keep doing jogging/walking intervals for as long as you need…it’s actually your body’s way of finding the right pace. There’s nothing magical about running continuously. 5 min jog, 5 min walk, 5 min jog is perfectly acceptable. (Or whatever combo you find works for you.)

I’m afraid to jog in public because I need to take so many walking breaks, that I worry people driving by are mocking my out-of-shape self. But that might be a whole other issue entirely.

Good for you though for trying. I always power walk. Less stress on the joints. Still good cardio.

And also? Joggers really are an insane group of people. The dedication! On the weekends! In the heat! Or cold! It boggles my mind. So you really just have to ask yourself, “Am I that type of insane?”

Running gets easier. It does it does it does. Promise. And the intervals idea is a brilliant suggestion–keeps your body guessing, which makes it work harder without *you* necessarily working harder.

I respectfully disagree with anyone who says that our generation grew up playing guns and watching violence and we turned out okay. In my opinion, we, collectively, did NOT turn out okay. We have turned into a society that kills one another on a whim, engaging in shooting sprees in schools, for chrissake, and don’t even get me STARTED on the war. Things could have been done better. A lot better. Playing violence, in my humble preschool teacher opinion, does not equal okay.

My mom was determined not to buy me any toy guns, either, until she discovered that I was just picking up sticks and using them as pretend guns. If Riley wants to play with pretend guns, he will, regardless of whether you buy him toy ones. That said, that doesn’t mean you should give in and buy him some, it’s your choice.

On another note: Awwwwww! Riley and Cat sitting together! Awwwwww, so cute!

The running will definitely get easier if you stick with it. Take walk breaks when you need to, start small (15-20 minutes), and work your way up. Maybe check out a Couch to 5K running plan (like this one: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml) to help you work up to 30 minutes of continuous running. Good luck!

A year ago this month, I think, I tried “jogging” around my block. I joked because I didn’t know what to call it – because I jogged to the next street (25 yards?) and then had to stop and walk the next leg of the .8mi square. Essentially I was jogging .2 miles, walking .2 miles, jogging .2 miles, walking .2 miles until I went the entire .8mile loop. And I remember being proud I didn’t die. It was THAT BAD.

I took a suggestion from someone to get my body used to “jogging” On a treadmill because it’s a little easier on the body. By Septmember of last year – I was up to running 3 miles on the treadmill and my Dad came into town and I ran my first 5K with him.

So – yeah – I’m proof you can do it. I’m hella slow. It took me 45 minutes to run that 5K, which is 15-minute-miles. But do you want to know what I’m doing next Saturday. I’m running a damn marathon. I can’t believe it. It sucks. It hurts. I’m hella slow. BUT – the sense of pride I’ve felt as I’ve increased my distances all year is amazing. So yeah – physically? It gets better. But mentally? It gets amazing.

I am as anti-gun as you can get. Seriously, I think we should melt every last one down and make some lovely public-space art. If Mia were going to be playing at your house, I would want to be told that you are gun owners so that I could be assured that you were the responsible type who kept them under toddler-proof lock and key rather than, say, fully loaded under the bed. However, I would also want to know that you did not keep opened bottles of bleach in the toy box or razor blades in the Legos, and I don’t think you are actively required to inform me of those things. So, I would say it is your responsibility to make your house safe for your own child and any other child who might visit, and it is my responsibility to intelligently assess you and your house if we are invited over to insure that you are they type of person to make sure your house is safe. So yes, I would want to know, but no, I do not think you are obligated to inform me, because I am ultimately responsible for my own child, not you.

Re: guns: As a parent of two young kids, I would like to know if there are guns in the house of my children’s friends. That way, I can remind my kids about the whole gun safety issue when they go over there to play. Riley is too young for that now, but my kids are 6 and 3.

Re: running. About 4 years ago, I decided I wanted to run a 5K. I had alwyas HATED running, but I wanted to change my workout, so I tried it. At first, it SUCKED. Then, I tried a treadmill, and it still sucked, but not as badly. Eventually, I grew to sort of like it and I did complete the 5K. I still run occasionally, but I prefer Turbo Jam type workouts. Also, I downloaded the Cardio workout music from itunes and that really helps when I run.

Get thee some New Balance running shoes. I put those suckers on and I can go, go, go because it feels like I have springs on the bottoms of my feet, lovely cushioned springs that make my tired feet weep with joy. Seriously, they are the most comfortable expensive-ass shoes I have ever owned in my life.

Also, am staying out of the gun discussion because I don’t know enough about the subject to ever open my mouth on it. I wouldn’t mind knowing how to use one, just in case, but owning one? I am still on the fence.

However, video games = evil time-wasters. Eeeeevilllll. I look at how much time my husband and I spend staring at our computer screens, and guess what! It’s too much! We should be doing SOMETHING ELSE. The most my poor pathetic kids will ever own is those $5 fake hand-held vidgames from Target. Sorry, future kids.

I have never commented before, but I had to say that you get a LOT of credit for why your blog has less “is that a little crazy you have on your face?” responses because you write INTELLIGENTLY and it’s hilarious. I waste a lot of my life in front of the computer reading blogs, it’s a trainwreck really, but your blog renews my interest in the internet and other people’s opinions. KUDOS to you!

“Or is the reason joggers always look all intense and shit because they’re trying to hang on to their will to live?” HA! ha ha ha! good one :)

I don’t run even if there was an army of men with spears behind me… I’d take my chances. So I have no advice there.

I’d want to know if there were guns. Sadly, people like you would tell me, and I’d know they were kept locked away safely. But the people you have to worry about would deny it or not offer it, or get really indignant if asked. I don’t know anything about guns; i just trust people who seem to know, I respect some people who keep it safe. Sidearm in your end table, not so much. I’m just not comfortable with that. I’m not comfortable with people who tell me they heard a bang downstairs and pulled their loaded gun out and headed down the steps all waving the gun around.

I think this is the first time I’ve posted but I am a long time lurker. And I owe you a thanks for introducing me to that weirdo Steve Ross (what is that creaking sound he makes? gross) because I think yoga makes you younger and I had been having a hard time fitting it in.

My ex husband and I used to own guns. After we had my son I insisted they all go, didn’t pass my risk/benfit analysis. And I wish we had strong gun control laws like NOW. I didn’t let my son have guns. Of course, he made guns out of forks and bananas but I was still making a statement about how I fellt about them. I do want to know if you have guns in your house if my kid comes over. If I think there is a posibility of that, I’ll ask.

Re: running. I am a pretty avid runner now, started as an adult. For me, it totally sucked for a whole year (and I wasn’t sedentary when I started, I had been working out in otehr ways). But it doesn’t anymore (unless I try and get on a treadmill which is like sticking needles in my eyes). I love running. I love the simplicity of it. All you need is shoes. It’s the best fitness bang for your buck in terms of time (running for 1/2 hour is like biking for 1 1/2 hours) I listen to audiobooks. I can only run in the morning, but that’s my natural workout time. So great to get up before everyone else when the air is clean. I am now training for the Nike women’s marathon here in San Francisco in October. Can’t wait!

Good luck with the running. And you look marvelous (I’ve got 10 lb to drop before the marathon and you’ve insoried me to go to ww)

insoried=inspired. Jeez.

Guns n playdates: If my kids are going to be at someone else’s home without me, I ask. It is usually something I find out over a regular discussion (like through talking about daily news events). I do not volunteer the fact that we own guns to parents of kids who come over for a playdate. (“Sure, we’ll be playing on the swingset and maybe have some cookies for a snack and, oh, by the way, we have two rifles locked up inthe back of our master bedroom closet.”). And I have never ever had a parent ask me- except while we are in discussion mode as stated above.

What always amazes me is how around here folks just seem to drop their kids off without any clue about the parents or households. Since we are now on the birthday party circuit with the 9 year old, it boggles my mind. You have 20 parents just dropping thier kids off at someone’s house who they only know that the kids are in the same class at school. When asked, most parents don’t even know the names of both hosting parents or the names of the siblings! To me this is *so* bizare! So, yes, I play the autism card and let them know that I am not comfortable with drop off parties and can I stay and help them out. Most parents almost kiss my feet in gratitude. I usually just hang back and take lots of photos (that I later email to the hostess) and generally lend a hand. . . . . Sorry- I’m getting off track. But my point is I think parents should get to know other parents insteadof being thankful to dump your kid on a free babysitter for a couple of hours.

Toy guns: We did not have any issues with it untl recently. Background: Both my 9 and almost 4 year olds play playstation and the shoot ’em up stuff is hard to avoid (Incredibles is their current obbsession) but guns were not an issue until arecent playdate. The 10 year old (also high functioning autistic, by the way) made giant guns out of — what are those wooden building toys with teh wood wheel and sticks- ah! I am blanking out on the name. Anyway then he ran around shooting “machine gun shooting sounds” at all of us. I had to tell him repeatedly that we do not play with guns or play that game here and finally I put all that toy in time out. When the parents came to get him and his sister I made a point of telling them that I hope he was not too upsetthat I put those in time out but we do not play with guns here. They just laughed and said he liked to do that with all kinds of things. (not to self: they can come here but no playdates at their house).
NOW both my boys are making guns out of sticks or legos etc. It is a constant “we do not play with guns. Guns are not toys. You know that a gun can hurt people; why would you shoot at your brother?” discussion at least a couple times a week.
*sigh*

The running? It gets easier, but not for a while. The first couple of weeks will suck and you think your legs and lungs are going to explode, and then after the first few weeks you’ll still be tired, but you’ll be able to breathe.
I ran my first 5K yesterday with my sister, and I thought I was going to die, but when I crossed the finish line, after running the entire thing, I was more proud of myself than anything and wanted to do it again.
The point is to just keep running. Even if you are running slower than you could walk your route, keep running!!

Okay – I recently lost 90-ish pounds and recently took up running/walking/jogging/hoping my heart won’t explode also. I luck out and through work I have access to a personal trainer. This is how she started me out – just so you know when I started I couldn’t even run a minute and can now run 30 minutes straight. Oh! and I run on a tread mill – I’m in Minnesota and the weather has just become decent enough to go outside. I’m hoping to make the transition to running outside soon

She had me walk at a slow pace for 3 minutes (3.0), up the speed and walk for 5 minutes (3.3), go back to your original speed (3.0) for 3 minutes, up speed and jog for 5 minutes(3.4), back down to (3.2) for 3 minutes, repeat this for a half an hour. It’s butt ass slow, but it’s improved my stamina and has helped a girl who HATED running as a child enjoy it as an adult. As you get better you can increase the time you are running. Good Luck – Hope this helps!

when i got married, my husband had guns. without me even asking, or him even telling me, he sold them. actually, he did it when we started dating SERIOUSLY. he grew up with guns, went hunting, lived on a farm, yadda yadda, and knows how to keep them safely and securely etc. but he knew i was nervous, i guess, about guns in teh house. (i’m not totally against them, but i have reservations, yanno?). my son is a teenager now, but still, no guns. living in the city, and not hunting, and having no friends who hunt or target shoot, it’s really not such a big deal anymore. probably when our son is grown and moves out, we will have guns again, just for fun. but until then, it’s not really an issue. as for the violent video games and such…it was pretty much a non issue with us. my son never had any interest in the shoot-em-up type games when he was young. he was more into science etc. he only started playing those games when he was about 13 or 14, and we already knew what kind of personality he had and weren’t worried about how the violence in the games would “influence” him.

*seque into other topic*

running? totally sucks monkey hole. there is only one exercise that i have ever enjoyed, where i could actually enjoy and forget it was GOOD for me – swimming. unfortunately, i am now the size if Shamu, and wouldn’t be caught DEAD in a swimsuit…so…no more swimming for me. i actually don’t mind lifting weights too much…but you can’t JUST lift weights…you still have the whole cardio thing to deal with if you want to get fit. so, i just avoid the whole thing. YOU on the otherhand, are looking totally totally HOT! woohoo! you are doing soooo well! *is very proud of you*. and, i think you look really hot in those jeans ;)

Yeah, running is crappy. I decided that I was going to run a 5K for my 30th birthday. That’ll be in 6 days. I’ll let you know if I’m still alive.
I don’t actually like to run, but I like the idea of liking to run. I’m trying to see if somewhere the two will meet.
To make matters even more irritating, The Economist t(boyfriend) LOVES running and is constantly asking me when I’m going for my next run and looks sadly at me when I say “none of your business”, which means. I hate running.
Good luck!

You definitely can’t beat running for its convenience. But after enough running-related issues (gak, shinsplints and knee problems and lower back stuff), I ditched running and started riding my old beat up bike. Then I graduated to a nicer bike, then to a lightweight racing bike, then before I knew it I was riding my bike across the country. I don’t know if it would work for you, but I do believe you’re close enough to the Sammamish trail and the Burke-Gilman so you might be able to get out early and ride 15-20 miles before breakfast. I love bicycling because you can choose how tired you’re going to get (flat route today or hills?) and you can gear it up to a hard workout, or gear down and spin faster for more cardio. Plus you cover more ground so the scenery isn’t so boring! One of my favorite bike rides is out-and-back to a fantastic coffeeshop. And stopping at the coffeeshop for the mid-way reward!

Just another option to consider. If you’ve not really been a road-rider before, you’ll need to get accustomed to dealing with traffic and pedestrians and “bike rider ettiquette” but if you go early enough, there won’t be as many obstacles in your path as you learn how to do it.

ahh toy guns. such a tough subject. i dont think i will buy them either for my kids. then again the six year old i babysit makes guns out of zoobs.. yeah, fantastic toy though! the idea is somehow implanted in childrens brains. i dont know about the gun thing in peoples homes. it seems quite odd to me asking if someone has a gun, etc. i have an uncle who kept all guns in a safe and that was ok with me. i grew up in boston proper and my family isnt big on guns so i cant see myself ever owning one then again things change. thats a tough call.

couch to 5k as mentioned above i think i’m going to start this today. it was completely one of my new years resolutions and will be a welcome break from the huge test im studying for today. boo.

first picture: rileys feet look HUGE! haha.

Running has always sucked for me. I applaud anyone who does it. I just broke out my bike again for the first time in 3 years and am looking forward to some trail riding this year. Gotta drop some weight for the summer so I don’t look like the idiot next to my stunning wife. Every summer she looks like 5 million bucks and everyone thinks I’m her old dad or something. I guess it’s what I get for marrying a total hottie. Note to self, dye gray hairs in beard. :-)

One thing we just did was go out by a Wii. I hate spending 250$ on a console when we hardly play games, but I’m sure Juliet will love it when she get older. Anyway, it comes with a Sport package that lets you box, play tennis, golf, etc. In the mornings now I slap on some 10lb wrist weights on each wrist and ankle weights for the legs and go for 30 minutes. Especially the boxing or tennis. It’s a great way to get going in the morning since I do my real workout in the evening when the little one goes to bed and my wife is scrapbooking or whatnot. It’s really a lot of fun and can really make you sweat.

Btw, I truly hope I didn’t offend anyone in the comments of the last post about guns. I didn’t realize how vehement I could be until I started writing. I guess I’m just passionate having the ability to be self-sufficient when the need is there. Boy Scout motto. Always be prepared. Both our cars carry emergency kits with food, light, clothes, flares, water, etc. To me a gun is the same. A tool used to take of my family. I’m actually not a gun nut or anything. I have a hunting shotgun, a target pistol and my carry piece. That’s it. I’ve never felt the need to own a machine gun and I don’t even belong to the NRA. I just feel that the world sometimes rains crap and I can’t always depend on others to scoop up the poo for me and I demand the right to carry my own scooper.

Anyway, I hope I didn’t offend anyone with my long monologues and if so, I deeply apologize.

Adorable father-son moment, or dueling lamprey eels?

What, it can’t be both?

Oooh, I agree with Rachel. I totally forgot about Couch to 5K. And starting with walking. :)

1) I think your shirt rivals Riley’s for cuteness.

2) I thought that was such a good point about toy guns. I had never thought it out like that, and I completely agree.

3) The gun/playdate thing is tricky. I tried to think about how I’d feel, and I’m still not sure. Would I freak out to learn that my kid had been at a house that had a gun and I hadn’t known about it? Would I freak out more/less if the parents said ahead of time that they had one? I THINK that I would rather the parents mention it, and that I would take it as a sign that they were responsible and understood the dangers and were extra-careful–as opposed to people who would sling a gun in an endtable drawer and not think it was a big deal. But I would also be more nervous about letting my kids go over there, because I think kids can be so very, very stupid and I’d worry that mine would be so stupid he’d manage to get past the safety set-up and shoot himself. So it would help if the “gun reveal” included a lot of information about how very, very impossible it was for children to get at the gun, and how very, very supervisory the parents were during playdates. Something like, “We keep the gun in a safe guarded by vicious attack dogs, and I personally stand in front of the attack dogs during the entire playdate.”

4) Jogging does indeed suck. I love the concept of “being a runner” and so I keep trying it, and I keep finding it very unpleasant indeed. I once gave it an entire summer, and never got to the point where it didn’t suck. It did get easier to do the sucky stuff for a longer period of time, but that’s it.

5) I love the way Riley curls his foot down.

the gun discussion has been a great one. Lots of layers, always will be, and you’ll never get perfect consensus. That’s America folks! But discussion is the important and valid point.

I don’t volunteer the information about guns being in our house. They’re locked up, AND unloaded. I know they’re safe. But if the subject goes from the FOUR hunting dogs we own; to hunting, the subject of guns always comes up and then I volunteer the info. I think I owe it to the parents to tell them then.

It is kind of sad, but entirely understandable, that my older sons have to keep their hunting talk to barely audible whispers at school because of school’s hypersensitivity to gun issues (which I entirely understand and endorse). It is unfortunate that even the safe and conscientious people have been driven underground. I wonder if that might cause more problems because the good examples are not allowed to show their good example-ness; so it is harder for non-gun people to learn that shooting sports are not for crazy survivalists. Ugly circular logic, isn’t it?

Riley is just adorable. That smile is just my kind of baby-evil. But then again, I AM partial to boys!

Back to guns for a sec……has Riley ever made a banana or a piece of bread with a corner bitten out of it into a gun? As much as we have banned toy guns in our house, I swear it is genetic that boys will take something vaugely gun-shaped, point it and say “bang.” When they turn 13 or 14 they suddenly develop the ability to identify any car ever manufactured by the tail-light assembly. It is genetic, I swear! I have had two boys do it right on schedule and I am just waiting for #3 to develop this savant-like talent!

I am ashamed to admit that I don’t have time to read through all of these comments or the previous entry comments, so maybe this has already been said or you said it somewhere yourself but: I would think that if all of the guns in your house were locked up in a special cabinet with a key while kids were there, then it might be fine to let other parents know and show them the cabinet & key.

As for the running, it will get easier. I know because as an exercise-hating non-runner, I had a couple of months a few years ago where I started jogging around Green Lake. I was like what you describe at first, hating, LOATHING every second of it. But I kept on and by the end of a few weeks, I realized that I had actually jogged the entire way around the lake–3 miles–without stopping, and I wasn’t tired! I had achieved that elusive “in the zone” experience that I’d heard about but never understood. It was so cool. Then I moved away from the lake and my jogging days were over.

I hope it’s not too late to offer encouragement on the running. It really can suck, but it DOES get better. And when it does, it is soooo satisfying. I’ve always been good at running, but nonetheless if I go too long without running (outdoors), the next time do it, it’s definitely harder. So if you’re challenged by running, it’s not just you! I think that running is one of the most difficult workouts. And don’t worry about stopping if you need to walk a little. You’re endurance will increase if you keep at it, and soon you won’t need to stop at all.

I suggest getting a watch with a timer so that you can keep track of how long it takes you to run a particular route. It’s very satisfying when you notice your time start to drop without even trying to run faster. Also, my iPod has TRANSFORMED my running. It’s soooo much easier and more fun now, even though I resisted the idea at first because listening to music while running somehow seemed wimpy, or less Serious. What-EVER! It’s so much better!

GOOD LUCK! Keep us posted. :-)

Just a quick note to say that my husband and I are gun owners as well (he hunts here in Oregon, I stay away from them), and I tell friends that come over with children that there are guns in the house. I feel it is the right thing to do. We have all of our guns in a gun case, and I usually tell them that we have guns, that they are locked up, and offer to let them see the gun case should they want to. It is way to make sure that they know we are responsible gun owners and that their children are safe.

I imagine that some people might judge you, however. I guess we have been lucky in the few times we have told people and not had to deal with that.

:)

Oh I cannot say this strongly enough: Check out ChiRunning. It’s all new-agey and stuff, but if you’re handling the yoga you should do fine. It’s all about allowing your body to move in the ways it was intended…which makes running much less sucky and surprisingly less injury causing. I’m a big girl and pounding a couple hundred pounds into the pavement has been much less painful since I started.

Here’s some links (even though I know this’ll throw me into “review” land. :)

The official website:
http://www.chirunning.com/shop/home.php

Piece about it on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6070170

Good Luck!

Oy, vey. I didn’t comment on the last post because all that was going through my head was that Eddie Izzard bit where he says “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people, and monkeys do too (if they have a gun).” Too much? Perhaps. Anyway, today I have something to say that doesn’t make me seem like quite so much of a flippant asshole, so I might as well say it.

I really, really hate violence, but there are so many evil people in the world who really just need to be fucking shot back at. I honestly don’t think any amount of legislation could take away the problem of people shooting other people just for the hell of it, or for whatever reason they have, because those people don’t give a shit about the law anyway. Maybe I’m just jaded. Did I mention that I named my M16 “Bungalow Bill”?

AND, I do think that people who choose to carry personal weapons need to speak up about it to their non-weapon-carrying friends, because I was giving a friend of a friend a ride down to Florida from Georgia once, and it wasn’t till I had almost been pulled over for speeding that he nonchalantly mentioned, “Oh, yeah, I have a gun under your passenger seat here.” (!!!)

Please Keep Jogging…it will suck and then it will suck less and then out of nowhere, you will get that runners high one day and even though some jogs will still suck, you will love it being a part of your life. As others mentioned about themselves, I am not a born runner and I had always hated jogging/running and then I got out of a crappy relationship and began jogging for fitness/clear-headedness…and then it became my own thing and got me in shape and is an awesome way to see your neighborhood and feel alive…I only ran 3-5 miles or so a few times a week but that was enough to make me feel really alive and like I could check that “execise~often” box at the doctors office!

At 9+ months pregnant I daydream about jogging again, I know it will be soooo hard finding the wagon again, let alone getting on it and will be a long time before it feels semi-effortless but I can’t wait to get at it again. My two “musts” for a good jog routine are music music music and wearing gear you feel comfortable in…I wear almost the same clothes everyday (washing every so often of course ;-) but there is nothing worse than trying to wear something new or hip and then spending 30 minutes chafing on a run. Good luck and can’t wait for the day you say ‘man, I love jogging…” it will happen. Jogging, along with your turbo jam and yoga will also transform your body more than you can imagine over time, which is really cool to watch & feeling healthy is also such a great natural high :-)

Running, as others have already said, does in fact get easier. I didn’t start running until I was in my early 20s and haven’t run for a while. I really, really need to get back into it because I remember that when I was running religiously it felt crazy good… I miss that. That runner’s high where you feel like you can run forever is totally worth it.

Here is some advice for running:
1_ Start *always* by stretching first and then walking fast for at least 2-5 minutes. Warm-ups are important.
2_ Breathing. I breathe in through my nose and use stomach muscles to push the air out through my mouth. It helps me get into a breathing rhythm and prevents those nasty side stitches. I usually do this when I do my walking and continue for a minimum of 5 minutes or more.
3_ Don’t kill yourself at first. When starting out, do a walk/run combination and work up to more running less walking. Don’t forget about the breathing!!
4_ A distraction. Bring your favorite music with a good beat that inspires you to run. Some of my favorites: Everything But The Girl “Missing”, Days of The New “Enemy”, Golden Earring “Twilight Zone”… you get the point, a good beat to run to is imperative; not too fast, but not too slow. And, music that makes you happy and diverts your attention away from the task at hand.
5_ Figure out your best time to run. I could never run mornings; my joints were too tight and I felt like Frankenstein when I ran. Late afternoon/evenings worked for me, when I felt my body was fully awake and I had worked out the kinks.
6_ Lastly, invest in really good shoes. After I recovered from a stress fracture on my tibia from bad shoes, I went in to Super Jock ‘n Jill near Green Lake and they had me run in front of them to help me choose the right shoe. That helped so much.

Best of luck, sorry my reply is so long but this topic is near and dear to my heart. Let us know how it goes. I seem to recall it took me at least a month of running before I felt like I wasn’t going to hack up a lung. :o)

PS) I am sidelined right now with post-partum nursing hooters (I used to be a C or D cup but now I’m not sure how big they are). How the HECK do you run with these things?! I tried running with my most hefty Nike sport bra but it doesn’t do a thing and it hurts so much. Any suggestions you might have for making it work or for that perfect sport bra, would you be so kind and let me know at telegirl at email dot com? I would greatly appreciate it. Linda, I hope you don’t mind my plea for help.

The best thing you can do for yourself to help jogging be easier is to get a good pair of running shoes. Go to a running supply store (runners are friendly- the staff with be awesome) and they will look at your feet and arches and what your feet to when you run (pronation or supernation) and tell you what kind of support and cushioning you need. It will make a huge difference and go a long way to avoiding injury. Plus if you only let yourself wear them when you jog (which is what you are supposed to do) it gives a little extra motivation to want to wear them.

Good luck! I started running in college because the danceline at my college sucked. Then I sucked at running, but have gotten better over the years!

My ex-husband owned guns, because his family shoots geese. I don’t hunt because I don’t eat weird meat and I see no point in shooting something I’m not going to eat.

I do not believe in toy guns either, for the reasons you mentioned. My husband does not have these compunctions. He has a 9 year old who thinks violence is fun. Hubby bought him a pocket knife for Christmas and yesterday, a BB gun. Apparently, a boy must have guns and knives, or…what? He’ll be gay? I object to the gun but hey, not my money, not my kid. I’m still smarting about it. I feel your pain.

With respect to visitors, I think you should tell them because I would never think to ask. People around here don’t have guns, I think. Hmmm….

Thanks for the first paragraph, it was nice of you to say. As for toy guns? It’s all about knowledge. If kids are taught the rules, and the difference, I suppose it doesn’t hurt. My daughter, having grown up with guns around, doesn’t allow them in her house – real or toy. Nothing wrong with that. YOU are the boss. Actually, I’m more worried about the games, rap, and the crap the can see on TV. When my grandaughter lived with us, from age 14 through high school graduation, I could not believe the amount of shit I had to lock on TV- and the inspections I had to have to confiscate and destroy THE foulest cds I’ve ever heard. And trust me… I’m no prude. She was here because she had some issues at home, and we agreed to take her because I didn’t like the alternative. It worked ok, I think. She’s off to college now. But at least she has a chance. It is unbelieveable how young these kids get into sex, drugs, booze, rap, gangs, etc. And we’re not exactly living in public housing. It’s everywhere. So, you pick your battles carefully and do the best you can. But it’s not about guns. It’s about society. I don’t think education, good solid education, has ever been as important, or parenting as difficult, as it is today. (Every generations’ battle cry, I think)

That’s why you have to keep yourself in shape. It will take a lot of work. How’s that for a segue?

I agree with the above posters about good running shoes. Go to a place that will look at how you run and make suggestions and also will let you run around outside so you can get a feel for them.

I also think a mistake a lot of people make when they start a running program is not learning how to run correctly. I see people out jogging and all i can think is “ow, ow, ow . . . ” I used ChiRunning last year and I found out that I was putting way to much energy into going up and down and not enough going forward. Also, how you land on your feet makes a big difference to your knees. I think if it hurts, then something isn’t right. BTW, before last year, I didn’t run AT ALL. In fact, I hated running because it was too painful.

Definitely try doing the interval thing to work up to a comfortable 30 min. of jogging. It will take a few weeks but it’s a good way to not overdo it.

Re: the gun debate — another Canadian checking in with an outsider’s opinion (although ultimately, it affects all of us, doesn’t it?) — I understand the feeling of wanting to protect yourself and your family. But does anyone really know how often those who have guns in their homes were able to use those guns for their protection? And in the case of those who say that if the professor who was shot had been armed, he may have been able to save the lives of others. But would you really want every professor/teacher to be armed for that possibility? Only in colleges? High school? Elementary?

And on a MUCH happier note: my god, those pictures!! You have the knack of capturing priceless expressions and, in the case of JB and Riley, utterly touching moments.

Jogging totally sucks–it really does, but it gets easier if you keep doing it. There’s really no shortcut to the getting easier part, but whenever I’ve gotten on jogging kicks, what helped me get through a run is listening to music–it’s distracting enough that you almost forget you can hardly breathe.