A New Normal

Now that Dad is home again, we are continuing to put one foot in front of the other, and take his recovery day by day. It is agonizingly slow, but we are praying that clot is shrinking daily. I am so proud of my Dad for working so hard, for trying to so hard to be positive, and for keeping up the fight. I think this is one of the hardest things he's ever done.

There are a thousand times a week I still think, "I should call Dad and we can..." or "I bet Dad would like to..." and then it all settles over me again. It's hard to get used to his limitations, but I am thankful they aren't permanent . I am trying to think of ways to bring his favorite things to him until he can do them himself again.

One thing I don't want to return to normal, is this new awareness I have of every moment with him, with my family, with friends. I am hyper aware of how easily someone can leave you, and how quickly life can change. I have been so much more thankful for small moments and every day things. I don't want to loose that-instead I want to soak up EVERYTHING.

On Monday, it was my Dad's 58th birthday. I stopped by my parent's house just for a few minutes so the boys and I could give him birthday hugs. It was so nice to see him smile, watch him watch my kids, and tell him I love him. I am never going to see my Dad and not tell him I love him ever again. You never know when it might be your last chance, and I want him to know he is LOVED.

Home and Birthdays

My Dad is back home from the hospital. Again.

And I am so, so, so glad. I know probably every kid thinks their parents are the best, but I truly know that my Dad is one of the BEST Dads ever. He was such an awesome example growing up of how to be an honorable, trustworthy, loving person. He taught me integrity and how to serve others with a joyful heart. In the hospital, he continued these lessons by treating every nurse, tech, doctor, and therapist with respect and cheerfulness, calling each one by name, even when he felt at his lowest. I love him for all of these things, and for his spunky personality. I am so happy he is my Daddy, and that he is home again. I want to have many more years to laugh and learn with him. I am SO lucky to be his daughter. SO lucky.

It is my Dad's birthday on Monday. The best of birthdays is a birthday that you almost didn't get to have, and we are rejoicing that we get to celebrate this day with him.

It is my handsome Jeff's birthday tomorrow. We are going to welcome him into middle age with white cake with white frosting (his favorite), some very inspired presents, and his favorite foods for dinner. I haven't mentioned on this blog lately how adorable he is, and how great of a Dad he is, and how much I love him, but he is and I do.

I am beyond blessed to have these two men in my life. How did I get so lucky as to have two of the best men on the planet in my life? I can't wait to spend their special days with each of them.

Depressing

The doctors found a large clot in the left ventricle of my Dad's heart today, which made it impossible for them to complete any of the other procedures they had planned for today. He will now need to take blood thinners for 2-3 weeks to try and dissolve the clot, and then they will try again.

He is so depressed about this development. I wish there was more I could do to lift his spirits. I wish that I could take away his frustration, and go through this for him. It is the worst thing in the world to have to watch a loved one struggle.

I just want my Daddy back. I want him to be healthy and happy. I am willing to do anything to get that back.

Back in the Hospital

My Dad had to go back in to the hospital last night.

After many tests today, the doctors have discovered that as a result of the damage done by the heart attack, he has developed an arrhythmia that people typically display during a heart attack. It can be fatal, as it can cause cardiac arrest with a heart attack. They are going to do a procedure tomorrow morning to try and convert him to a normal heart rhythm. They will also remove a small section of the heart that can sometimes send irregular electrical impulses to the heart.

The doctors think the original open heart surgery he went in for in the first place was not successful, and that now he needs an internal pace maker. Unfortunately, they can't do that for another 2 months so that his heart can heal. Even if they convert him tomorrow, he could at any time go back into this arrhythmia again, so he will have to wear something called a Life Vest for the next two months. The vest senses when the heart goes into the arrhythmia and it shocks the heart to get it back into normal rhythm.

It looks like he will be back in the hospital again for awhile. I am really nervous about the procedure tomorrow. His heart is already so weak, and it makes me anxious to have them messing around in there again.

Prayers for my Dad are greatly appreciated right now. I know that all things are possible through our Lord Jesus, and I am putting Dad in His hands.

I FINISHED!

I did it!

I read the Bible, cover to cover, in 80 days. I pushed through to the end today, and read the last 6 day sections in one day. The writings of Paul, Timothy, and the other disciples at the end of the New Testament were riveting for me. It was easy to keep going until the end.

This may sound cliche, but it really was life changing for me. In June, when I started, I felt God calling me strongly to do this. Looking back on the events of the past month, I really feel he wanted me to be immersed in the scriptures as my family and I went through this challenge with my Dad. It was so comforting to feel God next to me every day, and to hear him talking to me through my daily time in the Word.

I learned SO MUCH. Before I read the Bible, I knew bits and pieces of scripture, and didn't know much of the "big picture". So much makes sense to me now, and I have a clearer idea of what I need to do to be a follower of Jesus. I learned so much about my roles as wife, mother, and teacher. I feel closer to Jesus. And also? I feel JOY.

Thanks so much to Amy at Moms Toolbox, for leading this challenge. I am so thankful for your leadership and guidance, and for providing us with this opportunity.

I would love for all of you to join me this winter at Moms Toolbox in reading the Bible in 90 Days. That's right! I'm going to do it again! I know there is so much more God wants to say to me, and I am going to be able to study more deeply on my second time through. I am also going to serve as a mentor to other readers. I am passionate about sharing this experience with others! Pray about it...I would be so excited to read with you!

Life Update

Oh my poor little blog! How I've missed you! Life has been like a freight train lately though, and it has been a struggle just to keep my family fed and clothed. Thank goodness for Labor Day weekend, because I finally had the chance to deep clean my house. I won't describe how badly it needed it, because you would probably throw up.

Another reason that I had some extra time this weekend is because MY DAD CAME HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL ON FRIDAY!!!! After a LONG 24 day stay in the hospital, he is home. Friday was my day for hospital duty, so I had the absolute honor and privilege of getting to drive him home and help him walk into the house. I cannot put into words how emotional that experience was for both of us. After going through a time when we thought we would never get to see him alive again, tell him we love him, joke around with him, or enjoy family gatherings with him at my parents home, helping him walk through the door was amazing. My heart wanted to burst with thankfulness. My Dad looked around and could just say, "This is wonderful. Just wonderful."

He still has a long way to go in his recovery. He is using a walker to get around, and just a trip to the bathroom wears him out, but we are seeing gradual improvements to his strength every day. He is having trouble retaining fluid as his heart heals, but the doctors tell us this will slowly get better. He has nurses checking in on him at home regularly, and we take his vital signs twice a day and send them in via computer to the nurses station. It's nice to know we have a medical team behind us while he is at home.

Remember over the summer when we were agonizing over whether their new house was the right choice? After all of this, we all recognize that it was God's choice, and He provided it because it is absolutely perfect for my Dad. The layout and size is perfect for his mobility issues. There is no way he could have gone home to their other house filled with stairs. The fact that the house is two seconds away from mine have allowed me to easily take care of things around the house for them, and to help out if Mom and Dad need anything. There have been so many things, large and small, that took place before all of this happened that have made all of this easier on our family. It has been so awe inspiring to see all of the ways that the Lord is taking care of things. It has been the ultimate lesson in trusting His plan, not ours. He truly does know what is best, and will handle things how they should be.

This weekend, I am thankful. For so very many things. Even through trying times, the Lord blesses us, and I am just so thankful for His love and care. We're going to make it through this, and I think we will all be better for it.

Bible in 90 Days: Check in 10

I am almost to the finish line! There have been several times during the last few weeks when my Dad has been in the hospital that I have been behind, but God has always provided a time to catch up. Sometimes it has been hard to use that extra time for reading instead of sleeping or just vegging on the couch, but the blessings I have received from reading have helped to keep me focused.

Today, I just finished Day 83, in 2 Corinthians and Galatians. On Thursday evening, I really felt God calling me to push ahead in my reading this weekend. I have been reading 2-3 days worth every day since. My goal is to read Days 84 and 85 today as well.

I love Paul's writings. I am learning SO.MUCH. I have been using my highlighter to mark down things that jump out at me while I read so I can go back and study them further later, and I have definitely used a lot of ink in these sections!

I am going to finish this week! I will write out more of my thoughts on what an amazing journey this has been when I do. This is the best thing I have ever done for my relationship with God. I sincerely encourage each of you to read the entire Bible, cover to cover, as well. God will work amazing things in your life when you do! To check out the Bible in 90 Days program, visit Amy at Mom's Toolbox.com

Bible in 90 Days: Check in 7 and LOTS of other stuff

This has been one of the worst weeks of my life. Truly.

My Dad had an open heart procedure done on Tuesday morning. It was done to help correct problems he has had with atrial fib (when your heart gets out of rhythm) since he was 27. The procedure went fine, and the surgeon was just counting instruments before they closed all the incisions when my Dad had a massive heart attack on the operating table. It took the doctor a minute to figure out what was going on, but while he was trying to work through possibilities, he shocked my Dad's heart to try and restart it. Nothing. He tried massaging the heart with his hands. Nothing. So they put him on a heart lung machine, and did an emergency double bypass surgery. Unfortunately, since he didn't have time to discover where the blockage was located, he had to guess while performing the bypass. That night, we were SO THANKFUL that he was still alive. A nurse called my sister from the hospital right after the heart attack to tell her to get to the hospital right away because our dad wasn't going to make it. The doctor didn't think he would make it through the surgery. I felt so bad for my sister that she had to pass that message on to the rest of our siblings. My Mom was in such shock in the waiting room, she couldn't make the call herself.

The bypass only treated one of the two blockages my Dad had, so that first night he struggled mightily to keep his blood pressure up, and his heart still had to work so hard. They couldn't sedate him or give him much pain meds that night because it would make his blood pressure fall further, so he was aware. He had a vent in, so couldn't communicate with his voice, but at about 2:00 in the morning, my Mom figure out he was writing letters on his bed sheet trying to communicate with us. He spelled out HOT, THIRSTY, and also I WAS AWAKE. "What do you mean you were awake?" my Mom asked. "During surgery?" He spelled out SHOCK. We figured out he was aware of it when the tried to defibrillate his heart with the shock paddles. My Mom asked him if it hurt. He shook his head no. When we have told medical professionals about this, they are amazed. It would/should not have been possible for him to be aware of anything then between sedation and having no blood pressure and low oxygen. We are pretty sure he had a near death experience, especially since he did not feel pain when they shocked him.

The surgeon discovered the next day that another blockage was still making his heart work too hard, so they did an immediate angioplasty and put in a stint. Thankfully that took care of the blockage. His heart was so shocked after everything though, his blood pressure was still low, so they put him on a machine new to the US called an Impella machine to help his heart beat. He was the first patient in the hospital to ever use it! He also had a balloon pump located under the heart to help it pump.

As of today, he still has the vent, and the balloon pump, and he has been sedated since Wednesday morning. He has a temp this morning, so they are checking to see where/what kind of infection may be forming. His kidneys aren't quite up to par either, so they are keeping a close eye on that as well. We have been praying incessantly for the past 5 days. I have truly felt God's presence in every moment.

Needless to say my Bible reading got off track for a few days during all of this, but with the exception of today's reading, I am all caught up. I am reading Jeremiah, which has not been terribly comforting. To be honest, I really struggle with the Old Testament. It is hard to see the loving God I feel everyday with the God who was constantly wiping out the Israelites. I wish I was reading the New Testament through all of this trial in our lives. I am going to keep on track as much as I can this week.

Please pray for my Dad.

You can read more about the Bible in 90 Days program by visiting Mom's Toolbox.

Bible in 90 Days: Check in 6

Thank you to all who said a prayer for me last week that a new TA be hired for my classroom! God was listening, and has blessed my room with a TA who has been a teacher for 40 years, 23 of them in 1st grade! I can't wait to get to know her.

I am still on track with my reading. I am reading Day 52 today. Over the summer, I read the Bible in the mornings. Since I am back to work today, I will be switching to a evening, after the kids are in bed reading time. I am going to miss starting my day off with God time, but I just can't pry my eyes open any earlier than 5:30, which is my school day wake up time. This is going to be the critical week for me! I feel that if I can make it through this first week back at work and stay current on my reading, I will be able to finish the program on track! Only 36 more days to go, and I know I can do this for a month.

The New Testament is coming up in less than 200 pages, and I can't wait! Please visit Amy at Mom's Toolbox if you would like to learn more about the Bible in 90 Days program.

Bible in 90 Days: Check in 5

I am still up to date in my reading this week. I just finished Day 45 today, which means that I am now half way through the Bible. I am so proud to have made it this far!

With the news last week about not having a TA to start the school year with, I am really nervous about my reading once school starts. My work load has doubled, and most of that will be taking place at home. We shall see how everything works out! Please pray that God sends a wonderful TA to my classroom this year.

Today I finished Psalms. I loved reading this book, and it was amazing to me to discover how many songs we sing at church that take their lyrics directly from the Bible. There is so much wisdom packed into the pages of Psalms it was a little easy to get bogged down in the reading. I had to try not to ponder every line too hard, or my reading took forever!

I am really looking forward to reading Proverbs next! As always, you can check out Amy's blog at Mom's Toolbox for more information on the Bible in 90 Days program.

Pine Beach

In July we drove up to northern Minnesota to Lake Belle Taine. This is our family's favorite vacation spot. We stay at a family lake resort called Pine Beach. I am so lucky that my kids feel the way that I do about sun, sand, and water. These are the only things we need on vacation to have a wonderful time!

We stayed in this cute yellow cabin...



My parents, brother, and aunt rented the cabin next door to us. The boys all loved running back and forth from Grandma and Poppo's cabin, and having the freedom to get a treat and a hug from them whenever they wanted. You can see in the picture that the beach and the lake are literally right outside the cabin, just off the deck. This makes the deck an amazing place to drink your morning coffee, read the Bible, and appreciate the beauty God created for us...



I loved it in the morning when the water was as still as glass, there were beautiful colors reflected from the sunrise, and a cool mist was hanging over the lake. It was breath taking.

We spent every second possible in the water swimming. The swim lessons Charlie and Sammy took every day for a month before we left were so worthwhile. They were like fishes.



When we weren't swimming, we were lounging in the warm sunshine on the beach. The weather in Minnesota in the summer is perfect. It never got above 83, and there was no humidity. Ever. This is so different from Omaha!



The resort also offers lots of other activities. Sammy and Charlie loved the playhouse, feeding the goats that wander the resort, and the swingset. My Dad and I loved having some fierce shuffle board competitions in the evenings after dinner.







Evan loved the fishing. He is the only one in our family who enjoys this, so often he fished off the dock. My Dad took him in the boat a couple of times, and ended up having to get the fish Evan caught off the hook, which is another notch for him in his quest for most awesome Grandpa award. My Dad is a great lover of fish, and it pains him to trap and kill them.

I am in love with this picture of Evan. I had it enlarged to a 16x20, and I am going to hang it somewhere in the house. So peaceful and innocent.



My Dad took the boat out almost everyday. I love this picture of him...



My Dad? He is the best. I love him to pieces.

And with beauty like this...



Is it any wonder that we are already planning our trip for next year? I am already counting the days until I am back, relaxing on this beach.

Sadness

I am filled with sadness and worry this morning.

For the past seven years, I have been ever so blessed to teach with one of my dearest friends, Linda my Teacher's Assistant. She filled my day with camaraderie and humor, patience and love. She made coming to work each day something to look forward to.

Linda called me this morning to tell me that she will not be returning to school this year. Her mother is very ill, and Linda will now be caring for her Mom and her mentally challenged brother. I feel so awful for Linda, who has a tough road ahead. I am praying hard for Linda and her family. I wish there was something I could do to make this time easier for her.

Change and I? We're not good friends. Knowing change is on the horizon sends me into a worried tizzy. I hate this about myself. I wish I were better about meeting new challenges and changes like an adventure, excited for what lies ahead. I am filled with knots when I think about teaching this year without my friend at my side.

I am going to do my best and turn this worry over to God. I know that His plans are always better than mine, and I need to remind myself of this. What the Lord has planned for both Linda and I on our now divergent paths is better than anything I could ever dream up. I am going to shoot for a positive outlook on this.

Still, I am going to miss Linda so very, very much. My heart aches for her.

Bible in 90 Days: Check in 4

I am still on track in my Bible reading! I still haven't missed a day, and I am happy that I will pass the half way point before returning to work. I am saving my two grace days for when I am back to teaching, as I am nervous how my work schedule will affect my reading. So far, so good though.

Today I will be completing Day 38. I am in the middle of the Book of Job. Job has been an interesting read. It's a bit depressing, and this may not be politically correct to say, but I see poor Job as a bit of a whiner. I know he was in a terrible situation, and a lot of pain, and maybe that made it hard for him to see what God had in mind for him. It is reminding me of a friend I know, who recently gave birth to a stillborn baby. Though she is enduring great emotional pain, and is probably every bit as miserable as Job was, she is holding tight to her faith. She sees God in so many moments throughout her day. Instead of moaning and groaning about what has happened to her, she is praising God. I can't stop thinking about her and her faith as I read one of Job's speeches. I am hoping at the end, Job will find the same grace and clarity my friend has.

I am loving Amy's reflections on our daily readings. She is so good at getting meaning out of the verses, and relating it to her own daily life. I am not doing very well at this. Because it is all new to me in many sections, I am only able to read for the overall story. I am hoping to do a second read of the entire Bible when I am done. Hopefully the second time around I will be able to dig a little deeper.

You can read more about the Bible in 90 Days program here!

5 Years

5 years ago today, I married the love of my life.



Five years! I just can't believe it has been that long. I am still in awe that we found each other, and that God has blessed us with this time together. Marriage is not easy, but Jeff makes it all worth it.

And even though these five years have sped by, it has been long enough to create this...


Taken outside our cabin on our recent lake trip

The family I always wanted. From the time I was very young, I knew that God wanted me to be a wife, a mom, and a teacher. I felt these callings deep down in my heart, and I spent a lot of time dreaming about them. And now that I have these people to love and call my own? Awesome. I am so, SO blessed!

Happy Anniversary Jeff! I love you more than you will ever know. Thank you for walking through life with me!

Bible in 90 Days: Check in 3

We're back from vacation! It was an awesome, relaxing week filled with sun, sand, family bonding, swims, and....Bible reading! I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the reading schedule while we were away, but it turned out to be my most prayerful reading time yet. It was so nice to take my Bible out to the deck, drink my morning coffee, look at the beauty of the lake, and spend time with God.

As a result, I am still current on my reading, and today will read day 31. I am going to finish 1 Chronicles today. This book has by far been the most challenging for me to stick with. The list of names that goes on and on is confusing, and to tell the truth, not as exciting as the previous parts of the Old Testament I have read. The overwhelming thing I have noticed is the early Israelite's intense need to record genealogy. I wish I knew why this why important to them in a cultural context.

Nonetheless, long lists of names or not, I am going to keep reading! I was excited yesterday to note that I am a third of the way through my goal! It's been a great experience so far, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead.

Don't forget to check in here if you would like to learn more about this program-I highly recommend it!

Vacation pictures are coming soon!

And...We're Off!!

I have spent the last two days washing load after load of laundry, packing, sorting, and collecting items from all over the house. When I was finished, I looked at the mountainous pile sitting next to the front door and sighed. It was going to be no easy task to fit all this crap into the car.

It was like playing a giant game of Tetris, but our van is now loaded. To the brim, but loaded. Evan will just barely be able to stuff himself into the backseat, but I don't think we'll have to resort to tying any of the children to the luggage rack.

The new GPS system is installed and waiting to direct us to the Pine Beach resort in Nevis, Minnesota. And the kids? They are beyond excited. We are anxiously awaiting seven days of lakeside living. We have many sand castles, afternoon swims, nighttime games of Kings in the Corner, and boat rides planned. I can't wait to unplug with my family at one of my favorite places on Earth.

See you next week! We are off to relax, and enjoy each other!

Lovely Birthday

I am having the nicest of birthdays! I have been overwhelmed with the number of "Happy Birthday" messages and phone calls I have received today. I am feeling loved, and what is better than that?

I was folding laundry when the UPS man rang my doorbell. Is there anything more exciting than when that lovely package man rings your doorbell on your birthday and you know you didn't order anything? I got a tingly feeling, as I just knew it was a present! And what a deliciously wonderful present it was! My TA at school, Linda, sent me the most beautiful framed picture. It has our last name in large beautiful letters, and behind it are the names of all of our family members. It is so gorgeous, and it is already hanging above our fire place. One of the very best parts of coming to work at my school was getting to meet this woman who has become one of my very best friends. I am SO SO lucky to spend all day at work with one of my favorite people!

Evan is feeling under the weather today with a stomach ache, which isn't good, but it does mean I don't have to sweat it out at a swim meet tonight, and instead I can enjoy a yummy birthday dinner and some cake. I am thinking of frying up some chicken, y'all. Everyone knows you can't gain weight on your birthday, right?

Not having to go to swim practice this morning also means I am getting a head start on the laundry and the packing that I need to accomplish before I load my four handsome guys into the car on Saturday morning for our road trip to Minnesota. All in all, it's been the best of days.

Birthday

It's my birthday tomorrow. I can't figure out why, but I am feeling so anxious right now. I think some of it has to do with the fact that I am going to be 33 tomorrow. Can you believe that?! Thirty three!!! 33 is firmly entrenched in middle age. UGH. You might even say I am in my mid 30s. Double ugh. I still feel 18.

While we were packing up my parents house a couple of weeks ago, we were looking at picture albums of my siblings and I when we were little. My dad pointed out that I am now older than he was in many of the early pictures. Yeesh!! How in the world does that happen? Only yesterday I was graduating from high school. Except it turns out that yesterday is really 15 years ago.

I think the other thing bothering me is that I am wanting the calendar to sloooooow down. I am so enjoying my kids this summer. I have no desire to go back to school. I love being with my family all day. I sure wish I could find a million dollars between now and August.

At any rate, I am going to try and focus on the positive tomorrow. I am going to enjoy a morning run. I am going to marvel at my two youngest children who have gone from non swimmers to swimming 50 meter laps in only three and a half weeks of daily swim lessons. I am going to take a nap and snuggle with my Sammy. I am going to watch Evan speed through the water in his last swim meet of the summer. And I am going to buy myself a birthday cake and have my boys help me blow out the candles.

Although I can't believe I am 33, I am so thankful for every second I have had to celebrate life. I am so thankful for my many blessings.

Reading the Bible in 90 Days: First Check In

Today, Amy at Mom's Toolbox, the online leader of my Bible in 90 Days reading group, has asked each of us to do a quick introduction of ourselves, and update in the progress of our reading. So, for those of you who are regular readers, or who know me in real life, I hope you don't mind a "reintroduction" to Christy.

I am 32, (soon to be 33 in two days) and the mother of three active, energetic boys. My oldest Evan, is 11. Charlie and Sammy are Irish twins who were born 10 months and 10 days apart. Charlie is 4, and Sammy is 3. Needless to say, they all keep me on my toes. I have been married to my best friend Jeff for 5 years this month. I consider it the greatest honor and joy of my life to be wife and mother to these 4 incredible boys.

I decided to read the Bible in 90 Days because I feel very unfamiliar with large sections of scripture. I have been raised in the Catholic church, and while we hear three different scripture passages at every church service, I don't feel like there was very much emphasis placed on reading, memorizing, or understanding the Bible. I know the highlights of the old testament, like Noah and Moses, but that's it. I am so excited to know scripture in detail, and in a more personal manner. I am excited to read quickly so that I can get a historical perspective.

Although today is the official start date, I am already on Day 17 of my reading. I ordered the Bible in 90 days Bible to use, as it's in large print and contains less foot notes to distract from reading. (It is not an abridged version). When it arrived in the mail, I was so excited, I just couldn't wait to start! I am currently through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. I already know so much more than when I started, I am absolutely amazed. I am also coming up with lots of questions, and I am excited to share these with the online reading group.

This has been an amazing experience already, and I can't wait to see what comes next! Thanks for listening to my journey! You can click here to read Amy's post today.

Another New Project...

On Sunday night on Twitter, I learned about a great program called Couch to 5K. It is an amazing program that uses interval training to take you from being a couch potato to being able to run a 5K in just 9 weeks.

I just started back up at the gym last week, trying to run myself into a more healthy weight. I did okay, but I think I started into things too quickly. After running my knees and ankles hurt, and the next morning after a workout was filled with stiffness and pain. This program couldn't have come at a better time for me!

It utilizes periods of running/walking to help you work up to running a full 3 miles without stopping. I started with Week 2, since I had been running last week. Week 2 features 90 seconds of running alternating with periods of walking. It was the perfect pace for me. I never thought I couldn't do it, and afterwards....there was no pain! That is huge for me, as the aftereffects are often what stop me from running. I downloaded the Podrunners podcast featured on the site, which was really helpful. It provides upbeat music and tones that help you know when to walk, when to run, and when to cool down.

If you would like to join and you are also a Twitter user, there is a group of us who are using the program together to offer support. Just tweet after your workout, and use the hashtag #runningtaters

I am off to the gym right now...can't wait for day 2!