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Well, I’ve started on my exercise program in earnest now! My friend Annie and I are jogging every day, with the goal of working our way up to a mile at a time. This could take a while. So far, I’m puffing before we’ve gone a block.

It’s embarrassing to realize just how out of shape I’ve become. Apparently my usual exercise regime of lifting weights (babies, laundry baskets and soup pots), bending exercises (cleaning up after the dog and picking toys off the floor) and short dashes (to rescue breakable items that Lizzie and/or Farley are about to topple) hasn’t done the job of keeping me movie-star-toned. Strange!

The runs are exhausting, but I do feel better afterward. It’s good to get out of the house and breathe in the cold, fresh air. Annie and I usually go through the park on our route, and on nice days it is a lovely run. Of course, now that we’re committed to this, every magazine seems to have an article warning that jogging is high impact and can damage leg and feet joints. Annie must have read the same articles, since she has now suggested we go to the pool at the Y twice a week for a few laps instead of jogging every day

I thought this was an excellent idea – until I dug out my bathing suit. I can see this exercising gig is going to be expensive! Annie and I have already bought new jogging suits and ridiculously expensive running shoes (whatever happened to the good old $5 canvas ones we wore and loved as kids??). Now I need a new bathing suit as well.
The trick will be to find one that looks good with pasty white winter skin. No, actually the trick will be to find one that looks good, period!

John wouldn’t agree, though. He’s always telling me that I look fine and am far too self-conscious about my body. He may be right. I’ve never yet gone shopping for a bathing suit and not come home depressed. This is probably why I haven’t bought a new one since Michael was born!

In any case, whether we do go swimming as well or just stick with jogging, I’m determined to keep exercising until I’m back to my pre-Lizzie weight. So if you see a couple of red-faced women puffing past your house some day, be sure to wave! Annie and I need all the encouragement we can get.