Buddy System

The half-marathon is over.

There is Halloween candy in the house.

I'm a bit burned out on the idea of running.

I like to eat.

What's a girl to do?

Find a buddy. That's what.

When you read blogs written by friends, you get to see an honest glimpse into their lives (if they are indeed letting it all hang out for the masses to read). I tend to be very transparent in my posts - although, reader, you should be aware that while you may believe I'm documenting every detail of my life, causing you to wonder if I'm being a bit too out there with the world, you are mistaken. I filter. Sorry, but it's true. I may be a fan of transparency, but I'm not an idiot.

Recently I was reading on God and Everyday, (written by a very talented friend from my teenage years - props to Facebook for the reconnection), about a goal the author has to be fit by forty. Go on over and check it out.

It made me think about accountability and whether accountability can happen in the cyber world. So, I took a step of faith and responded to a need I felt she had expressed by agreeing to be her workout buddy from now until Thanksgiving . . . which I will then push to Christmas (just a warning, Debbie)! No, we don't live in the same state. No, I've not even seen her since were, what? 17? Even so, she got an email from me today simply stating, "Did it. 20 minutes of Jillian Michaels. Now, three Mary Kay appointments!"

In return, I got a super encouraging reply, a nice pat on the back, and the motivation I need to do the same tomorrow. Plus, my buddy detailed her exercise plan for the week so that I know what to expect out of her for Week One.

Funny what tight khakis (for her) and tight favorite jeans (for me) can do to spur on a couple of 40 year old mamas (me, already there, and her, almost).

Want to join us?

It's not P90X hard. We are simply going to be attempting 15-20 minutes a day of something physical at least 5 days a week. Here's my plan:

Monday: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred
Tuesday: Same, or Pilates
Wednesday: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred or Yoga class
Thursday: Tennis Lesson
Friday: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred
Saturday: 30 minutes of running

I did indeed workout with Jillian this morning and it was hard. While I can run 13 miles over 2-plus hours, I found that 20 minutes of Jillian and her strength, cardio and ab intervals, while not as severe as on The Biggest Loser, is still intense.

It's Jillian Michaels. There is no cheating. Even when she's not physically in the room.

Want to join us?

Just leave a comment sharing your commitment to do 15-20 minutes, 5 days a week, until Thanksgiving. However, it is important to HAVE A PLAN, so outline what you will actually do each day or you'll just sabotage the effort.

And if you want to go even further, how about joining the Pittsburgh Moms challenge of dropping 10 pounds by Christmas? Just an idea.

It's just 20 minutes.

You spend more than that on Facebook everyday.

Come on, let's start with some transparency about how we waste our time everyday. I'll start.

"My name is Joline, and I waste time on the internet everyday. I'm going to give 20 minutes of that wasted time back to my body. And my favorite jeans."