Ran the LiveStrong 5K this morning with my BCBS peeps. Finished in 31.33 minutes - shorter than I expected. I count myself so incredibly lucky to have this cool group of friends to motivate and inspire me. Ready to sign on to the next race...

Invited Jeremy out to talk to my Brownie Girl Scout troop. Great to teach them the value of fitness and stretching. They did some squats, med ball lifting, run ladder work and then a little challenge at the end. Great to try to teach them health and fitness at a young age-- and many of these girls have moms who go to boot camp in the a.m.!

Happy Birthday Jeremy.

We ladies of the LP BCBS hope you have a great day and schedule your trip thru the trees soon. Have fun!

Ok - this is my first blog attempt. Jeremy talked me into this -- let's go!

My name is Julie Ward. I'm a 39 year old mother of 3 girls, ages 3, 9, 11 and step-mom to a 21 year old son. I've been working out with Jeremy (and sometimes Michael and Zachary and Carey) doing the CFC thing since February '07. As I start this blog, I'm starting month 9. My buddy Irene talked me into joining boot camp - I thought she was crazy to ask, and I crazier to say yes. My first class was on a Monday at St. Stephens and afterward, I knew the remainder of the day and the next would not be fun. I could hardly walk, not to mention sit down - more like, fall back ungracefully.

On Wednesday, I made it to camp - but thought no way I'm doing any squats, but of course, Jeremy had other plans. Squats, lunges, indian runs, and med ball tosses. I about tossed my breakfast. But I recall telling Jeremy - one day, he'd want to put a body by Jeremy shirt on me... I was determined to tough it out. So - here I am -- 8 months later. I'm down 50 pounds, down 16% in body fat and have lost 37 inches, mainly in the waist, shoulders and hips. I've dropped 4 dress sizes and found some self esteem and motivation that I've failed to find before in other programs and looking within myself.

What is the difference I wonder sometimes. Why did it take me into my late 30's to get here? What a shame I didn't do this for myself twenty years ago - when coming out of high school being overweight and out of shape... which just got worse in college and then kids... blah, blah... excuses, excuses...

Well, I give it up to my boot camp buddies -- Irene, Sarah, Holly, Karen, Noelle, Carla, and the others who come and sweat beside me. I give it up to Jeremy who has a gift to motivate -- to will me to push for the max, and to push myself where I'd not go on my own. And I am thankful that my family is supportive -- my husband, Don, is 110% behind me and my kids are proud of me. What more can a girl ask for?

Well, I guess I can ask for a continued decrease on the scale, on the measure tape and on the fat pinch calipers. I don't know what the magic number are. So, I need to think of goals -- and so I don't get a Jeremy lecture, they won't be scale numbers. I'm going to run in the LiveStrong 5k challenge. My motto used to be "I don't run unless something is chasing me..." Oh how times have changed...