pilates and tae bo

So I've been trying to go running on a regular basis since like March now. Some weeks it goes well, some not so well. But I try. And I only run like 2 and a half miles, so it's not even a big deal. I pretty much am annoyed at myself after every run though that I can't run as fast as I did in high school. Oh well. Those days are over.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago I wanted to run but it was real cold out, and I also didn't have a whole lot of time. So I decided it was time to try out one of the work-out videos I'd seen on the basement shelves forever. I grabbed the Pilates 20 minute full-body work out tape, took off the plastic seal that it's been in on the shelf for several years, and put it in.

Ever since then, I've been addicted to Pilates. And I got Sophie in it too, so now we do Pilates together in the basement with Mari Windsor. We like to make comments back to Mari and her little team of Pilate-ers a lot. Such as, "Shut-up Mari I can't reach any farther!" We've come to be good friends with Mari, Susannah, Dina, Brendali, Roger and Dagney. You're supposed to watch Dagney if you have any "delicate issues" or something like that, because she doesn't go full out. So we will tell Dagney that she's terrible every once in awhile because it makes us feel better about how bad and unflexible we are. And we don't like the other girls because they're too good. But we like Roger, even though it's still weird to us that he's one of the instructors.

Anyway, you've gotta see the tape sometime. It's an event for us.

Then today I wanted to run again but was too stressed out with school and didn't have much time AND it's cold. So I thought I would try a Tae Bo video I found in the basement. It turns out it's just a preview video, so it was really lame. But it did take me back, because the only other time I've done Tae Bo in my life was for weights class my senior year of high school.

That was the class I had with my friend Anthony Smith, who passed away in January. I will never forget watching my 6'8 somewhat lethargic basketball playing friend attempt to do Tae Bo. It was hilarious. If you knew him, picturing that image should make you laugh.

And while we're remembering Anthony again, I will also always remember him (and his brother Antoine) asking me "How you livin?" They taught me the correct response to that question is, "Large and in charge." Much more true for them than me, but that's okay. Much love to the Deez.

And much love to Mari Windsor and her Pilates crew. But not the same kind-of love. And not nearly as much.