Resolutions

[houseelf]

Anyone who knows me knows that I am BIG on New Year's resolutions. I'm starting to culminate ideas now but I'd love to hear your suggestions. Remember, try to make them quantifiable if possible!

Go ahead, 'fess up.

Kelly

[SueC]

Good idea Kelly--somehow I forget to do this every year.
1. I made a work schedule for myself (not a strict one, it just has which job tasks I should do each day) and I'd like to stick to it since it seems to be working well and keeping me on track.
2. I'd like to organize my days so that occasionally when my 2 year old naps I can devote some one on one time to my 4 year old instead of working while parking her in front of the TV).I just re-read that these should be measurable, so how about if I knock off 30-45 minutes early on MWF (don't have to T,Th since they are both in Mother's Day Out).
3. Plan a date night with my husband at least once every other month.
4. Eat out only once a week.
5. Make a budget that includes savings and giving more to the church and actually sticking to it.
That's all I can think of right now!

[samssugarmomma]

So far I am aiming to stop being late! I am going to start mentally adding ten minutes to my travel time (instead of saying it takes me five minutes to drive to work, I'll say it takes 15) so that I leave the house on time and don't have to speed everywhere!

[houseelf]

I have formulated a few resolutions so far. I believe in making incredibly manageable goals that are easy to stick to, so don't be underwhelmed by how small they seem.

1) Be less of a consumer. Go through house once a month and recycle/donate/pitch 25 items. Buy coffee out only twice a week. Take credit car out of wallet and leave it in lock box. Try to make gifts instead of purchase them.
2) Take son to Sunday school at least once a month.
3) Eat family dinners together at least twice a week.
4) Read to son in English 20 minutes a day and in Spanish 20 minutes every night before bed time.

I'm thinking of a few more. By the way, I'm very proud of myself because I met all of last year's goals this year. Big sticker for Kelly on her homework !

Re: Resolutions

Remember, try to make them quantifiable if possible!

Go ahead, 'fess up.

Kelly

Kelly, I feel like I am doing my annual performance review -- make goals quantifiable and measureable.
I always start the year making resolutions...and a month or two down the road don't remember them. I like some of these ideas, though. Like being less of a consumer. And making gifts. I used to do more of that and would like to get back in that habit.
And Sue's idea of having a date night on a somewhat regular basis.
Another possibility: we usually eat dinner together at night but we would both like to have a Sunday dinner (more relaxed and more of a sunday family meal sort of thing).

Good ideas so far!

[BonBon]

Good idea, Kelly!

1) Run my first marathon this October
2) Get back into my old(read: pre-baby) clothes by May
3) TRY and make a healthy dinner at least 3 times a week (We eat out WAY too much, and when I do cook, it's usually hamburger helper or some such thing...)
4) Read at least one "intellectual" book a month.

We'll see how well I do - my first baby is due in January and I have no idea what that will be like!

[houseelf]

Chris!

Which Marathon!?!?! I'm so excited for you! It will be a day that you will always remember.

I will warn you that it *might* be hard to nurse full time and pull 18 mile runs. Go to http://www.runnersworld.com, click on forums, and choose the women's section. Lots of women will be able to give you valuable advice on how to manage this. I was only able to run minimally while nursing because I always had milk supply problems. Also, check out http://www.runningonfull.com.

If, for whatever reason, you decide to postpone the marathon goal until post infancy, I'm planning on running one Fall 2005---preferably NYC, if I can get in, but more likely Twin Cities. I'd love a buddy! Mental reminder to all members here...don't even get me started on the running conversation, you'll be sorry!

You go girl!

Kelly



Kelly

[BonBon]

Kelly -

I haven't decided yet - it's between the Wineglass Marathon (in NY wine country) and the Casino Niagara International Marathon (from Buffalo into Canada then back into the US at Niagara Falls.) They are both in October. The terrain for both is pretty flat , so it will be rough deciding.

I've been wanting to do this for years, in fact I had started training for this past October but then I went and got pregnant. I'm so tired of time passing me by and not accomplishing my dreams, so I am determined to do it this coming year. I didn't give any thought to the milk supply dilemma, I'll have to check out those sites. To be honest, I don't think I will be breastfeeding for long...I plan on milking these babies every chance I get so I can build a stockpile in the freezer. Supposedly it lasts for 6 months frozen, so I am hoping to wean at about 6 months. (Yeah, I know it's unrealistic to want a 6 month supply of breastmilk in my freezer, but I can try!)

I'm *hoping* to be pregnant again by Fall 2005...can I run a marathon while pregnant? Actually, I think I have heard of women doing that. 8O I'd love to run the NYC and the Boston...just so I could say I did! (too bad you have to actually qualify!!!)

If you have any training advice, I've got wide open ears. The most I've ever done is 6 miles twice a day. It is going to be tough to build my endurance back up. I've tried going on walks while pregnant, but I get such bad cramps that I end up hobbling like an old woman. I am so darn eager to get back out there! I got a baby bjorn so I can start with some daily walks with the kid.

I enjoyed reading about your marathon experience. It got me psyched up for my own. Hehe, how about an ultra marathon?? (not a chance!!)

Hope all is well with you -
Chris 8)

[houseelf]

Chris,

I hate to be the naysayer here, but I would not recommend running long distances while nursing or pregnant. Yes, lots of women do it, but most do not. I hope that you are one of the fortunate ones who are able to negotiate this feat. My OB is pretty liberal on this topic and has had several patients run marathons in the first trimester. I would be interested to see what other OBs say.

I'm giving myself fifteen months after the birth of my next child to run a marathon: a year to nurse and run moderately to light and three months to do the long runs necessary to achieve a marathon.

Besides the difficulty of managing the physical aspect of marathoning and caretaking of an infant, you will not be prepared for how much you will love another human being and will not want to go out for long periods of time. Seriously, get ready to love like never before.

I hope that this post isn't overly negative, because believe me, I want us all to accomplish our marathon goals. I personally just need a little more of a conservative time frame between conception/pregnancy/nursing and ramping up for a marathon. I wish you all the best, however, because completing a marathon will change your life. You will always have this accomplishment for the rest of your life.

Best of luck to all of us.

Kelly

[SueC]

I'm jumping in on the marathon topic--I would train while nursing, but not while pregnant. I know some women who have done it, too, but I think training is a lot to put your body through with a baby on board. I did train for a marathon while I nursed my first baby. I only ran once or twice a week (which isn't probably the best way to train, but I had a baby at home and didn't have time to do much more than that) so the only time it really affected my milk supply was on the long run days. I would nurse the baby at about 5am, then go run. I wore a really supportive bra and was pretty full by the time I finished a long run so I'd go home and nurse again. The lactic acid in my breast milk never seemed to bother my baby so it seemed to work out fine. She was 10 months old when I ran the marathon so I probably started my training when she was 6 months old or so.

[BonBon]

Oh gosh, I was joking about a marathon during pregnancy. I remembered reading in a book about marathon training about how some ladies will do it, it made me laugh because there is no frickin way I would!!! (or could, really, I am just too tired and cranky and pukey in the first trimester.)

Some ladies may hate me/think I'm a bad mommy/etc, but I really don't want to breastfeed. I am going to for 6 months, unless I find that I really love it. I feel so guilty admitting it - the climate seems to be such that you are considered abusive if you don't bf for a minimum of a full year. I have just had such a rough pregnancy...all I want is my body to be mine again and to have control over what goes on with it. But that is another topic.

Since I am in such bad shape right now - I huff and puff going up a flight of stairs - I am going to start out very slowly. I figure it is going to take me 6 months to get to the point where I can even do my 6 mile run without dying. I plan on doing my 'hardcore' training after I wean.

You're right, Kelly...I have no idea what is in store for me emotionally when this baby is born. My SIL tried telling me it is a love like you have never imagined. I still can't fathom what it will be like - I'll find out soon enough!! I may not want to be apart from him, but Kevin plans on shipping me out every now and then anyway so he can have some alone time with him. (Will I be grateful or annoyed by that??)

I hope I didn't come off as sounding cocky or naive . I truly don't know what is in store for me - regarding marathon training or motherhood. To clarify on Boston and NY - I *hope* to run those someday, but that is a goal far, far in the future. It's going to take me forever to be able to achieve a time that qualifies me.

There seems to be a few of us who plan on doing marathons in the future - I am wondering if we should start a separate training thread?

OK, I have hijacked the resolutions thread enough.
Anyone else have resolutions?

[DCJenn]

Well, I have been pondering this since it was first posted.

I think these are my resolutions:

To exercise 5 days a week. (minimum 30 minutes)

To floss daily. (I HATE to floss but I hate the idea of all of my teeth falling out even more)

To send my grandmothers a postcard from my weekly trips- I plan to stock up on postcard stamps so that I can mail them from the airports. There's always a mailbox I have discovered.

To save more money. (add another 50 bucks to the automatic deduction to the savings account that we have weeklyl)

That's it!

Jenn

[Auspicious]

My life is currently replete with bad habits, so coming up with some resolutions is no problem for me (someday I hope to evolve to the point where I have the kind of resolutions that are about accomplishing things, rather than cutting back my bad habits Not this year.).

1. Use "replete" in a sentence more often because it's a fun word. (just kidding)

Really,
1. Floss daily
2. Bring my lunch to work (avoiding the expensive and fattening cafeteria)
3. Cut calories (my actual goal is more specific than this, but this is the short version)
4. Start working out (see #3)
5. Be on time to work (or early) every day
6. Leave work on time every day

I've been working on these a week and I'm already feeling frustrated. The only one I get a big gold star on is bringing my lunch to work. 2 & 3 are off to an iffy start (picture a rickety airplane barely taking off as it shakes and the engine repeatedly stalls--it's kind of like that). 1, 5, & 6 are just being ignored. And a lot of these are interconnected--I'm unlikely to get a workout in if I don't leave work on time, etc.

I'm at the phase where it feels like much work for little results. If I remember right, this phase lasts about two weeks. I'm totally up for any motivational ideas anyone has.

(My boyfriend, also cutting calories but still eating way more than me, lost 4 pounds this week. That jerk. )

Ok, I'm done being negative now and back to sucking it up.