Who's With Me? (The Killers)

A few recent reports from the field indicate people are off to a bit of a slow start, but things seem to be picking up for some (Dave). I know how people feel. I am just getting into the swing of this round and starting to focus more on my runs. Sunday was my big turning point when I went to the gym for a quick pre-brunch workout. I was going to The Killers concert that night and decided to listen to my favorites from them to get myself ready for the big show. When I got on the treadmill at the end of my workout, it was like magic - I ran the fastest mile I have run in years. When I started this round, I hoped all the fast miles would get me to a 7 minute mile. Well, I already beat that, so I think I should start focusing on 6.

One person who does not seem to have trouble staying motivated is Michelle. She is focused on her marathon training and has started a website. Check it out: www.MichelleRunsNYC09.com

What are you up to?

Who's With Me? (Honest People)

We are just about one week in and we are off to a strong start. Michelle said it best when she wrote "I am sickeningly excited for this round." I am with you, Michelle.

Thanks to some fantastic music* that keeps me running fast on that treadmill, I am still on track with my goal of sprinting.** I hit a small hiccup when I realized Saturday morning I had lost my new iPod. Fortunately, someone had turned it in at the gym and all I had to do was get myself to midtown to pick up my motivation and I was back on the treadmill by 1pm.

In case music or my weekly emails are not enough to keep you motivated, here is an anonymous update to inspire "The good news is that even though I didn't finish the first round with the biking, I did eventually quit smoking - it's 4 months now."

One quick housekeeping note - if you are on Facebook and are willing to be my friend (don't worry, I don't update all that much and when I do the updates are incredibly witty), you can join the Who's With Me? group and I will send updates through Facebook.

Keep up the good work.

*"Fantastic" also means "embarrassing"
**As Billy and Todd learned on Friday, I use the term "sprint" loosely. In the case of my WWM goal, "sprint" means as fast as I can run.

Who's With Me? (This is a revolution, not a resolution)

As a wise man said in the beginning days of Who's With Me? "This isn't a resolution, this is a revolution!"

We are just two days away from the start of Round 3 of WWM and, given the timing works so well with the start of 2009, I have a feeling this is going to be the best WWM yet. If you are like me, you have spent some time over the past few weeks thinking of what you want to accomplish in 2009, but have spent less time thinking about how you are going to accomplish your lofty goals. Well, I have a good solution (at least for 74 days) and it is easy to get started. Send me an email with your goal - that's all you have to do and then you are on your way.*

After a week in the mountains doing little more than eating and watching the fire, I am looking forward to getting myself moving again on Monday. Who's with me?

*If you have declared your goal and I have not sent you the link to the spreadsheet, I will do that later today or tomorrow.
**If you have friends who should be with us, encourage them to declare a goal by Monday.

Who's With Me? (A Flat Stomach)

So Round 2 has come to a close. For some, this round was a big success - people lost weight, kept their apartments clean, ran, read, sat up, pushed up and made themselves just a little better. For people like me, this round was a bit of a struggle. I got off track multiple times, I focused my time on other things like work and sleep and I did not reach my goals (and I took off quite a few weeks of email writing - sorry). But it is not all bad news - my stomach is flatter than it was in September and I think I could hold my own in an arm wrestling competition with certain people named Lydia.*

I spent some time disappointed with myself for missing my goals and then my wise friend Katherine chimed in:

I don't know. Goals are good… without them, I'd spend the vast majority of my life lazing about in bed eating pudding pops and watching documentaries about people who have three legs on Discovery Health. But, still, not all goals need to be reached every time. If I/you did that… it would just aggravate the rest of us to no end. Cut yourself some slack! The job and the holidays… just a lot going on!

Katherine made a good point and got me thinking about Round 3 (yes, there will be a Round 3!). I have a good feeling about Round 3 - people are already talking about New Years Resolutions and Who's With Me? is the perfect way to make sure we stay focused on our resolutions (at least for 75 days at the beginning of the year). Two people (Jocelyn and Travis) are officially in and I am excited to see who else comes on board. Given the holidays and my own travel plans, Round 3 will start on Monday, January 5th and will end March 19th (the last day of Winter). The same rules apply (they are included below in case you want to send them along to someone else). So declare your goal, tell your friends and get ready for January 5.

*When I say "hold my own" I do not mean I could actually win.

THE RULES:

The basic rules for picking a goal:
Our goals must be measurable and challenging (300 miles run, 4000 pages read, 3000 sits up sat up)

Our goals must involve an ongoing activity (losing weight is not an activity)

We must be able to achieve 100% of our goals even if we miss a day here and there (quitting smoking is out)

Our goals must be positive (visiting every bar in Tribeca is not positive and it is not challenging, trust me)

Our goals can't depend on other people's actions (Sorry, guys, 'three dates per week' doesn't work)

The point is this: We all have at least one thing we have been talking about doing for a while but have not actually done anything about it. The time is now.

Other things you should know:
1. If you wish to participate, you must declare your goal (to me) by Monday, January 5

2. The challenge runs from January 5 through March 19 (through the official end of Winter).

3. When you complete 50% of your goal, you will reward yourself with a small prize (piece of jewelry, new clothes, fishing trip). Lissa pointed out three months is a long time and we need a mid-point reward.

4. When we complete our goals, you should take yourself out for a nice dinner at a nice restaurant. Again, this is Lissa.

5. Once you declare your goal, I will make you a spreadsheet so you can track your progress and see what other people are doing. Some people think this is the best part of the whole thing.

Who's With Me? (Injured People)

So I am finally back on track and within range of my goal. All it took was 770 crunches on Sunday. My stomach kills. Don't worry, I am not that impressed with myself. I am impressed with Michelle and Steven. They sent in some great updates this week.

Steven: So I have had knee, ankle, foot and hip issues to point of limping around but I will finish.

Michelle: So I was talking with Laura and we were both bummed about not doing anything with our goals. My last day running was 9/16. I re-sprained my left ankle playing football, and then tore the ligaments in my right ankle, also playing football. So for the past 7 or so weeks, I've been doing my whole rehab thing, which basically consisted of not running and NOT playing football or softball. And now I up and at 'em again and running and feeling great—I was actually smiling on my run yesterday, because it felt so good to be back outside. Anyway, I just updated my spreadsheet. I changed my goal from 287 miles (which would have been a challenge while I was training for the half-marathon for 10/19, but I was determined to reach it) down to 50 miles (which is a challenge now, considering that I have to run wearing ankle braces and may or may not be healed yet, but I stopped listening to my doctor and physical therapist about 6 weeks ago). Either way, I'm back on track and glad that you did this for all of us! And next time around, I am going to have a bigger goal and finally be injury free!

While I certainly don't want anyone to get hurt in pursuit of completing a Who's With Me? goal, I have to say I am impressed with Steven's and Michelle's intensity. Keep up the good work.

Who's With Me? (People Who Don't Think They Can Catch Up. They can.)

Once again, I apologize for missing last week. If you are one of the lucky people who get to see me every day at the office, you know this has been an incredibly busy two weeks.

Most of the updates I have received recently are from people who are a bit behind on their goals. I am with those people. Between my vacation and work, I have fallen behind on the push ups and sit ups. I am still determined to catch up, but, as I learned yesterday, doing 500 sit ups a day is not a good strategy for catching up. My stomach kills today. So what can we do to catch up and stay motivated? If I were a sports fan I would list all the teams who came back against all odds to win. I am not a sports fan (just ask the other people in my Fantasy Football League), so please insert your own list here. Are you inspired now?

My plan is double up on the daily sit ups and push ups until I am back on track (if not ahead). I made these goals knowing I would get distracted, have busy times at work and lose some motivation. I am still holding myself to my goals and I hope you will do the same.

We are just past the halfway point. A great time to refocus yourself and think about why you started this in the beginning.

Who's With Me? (The Beach)

I apologize for missing the update last week. I was busy getting ready for a big trip. Vacation was not all play. There was some work involved - work in the form of push ups. Push ups on the beach, push ups on a floating dock, push ups on a bar, push ups at a wedding.Don't believe me? Check out the picture of Lissa, Lara and me.

If we can make time for push ups on vacation, you can make time for your goals in every day life. I hope everything is going well for you.

Who's With Me? (Hartford)

I am fresh off a big victory in Hartford, Connecticut - I ran my fastest half marathon ever. I give credit to a few different people and things - the perfect weather, Amy pulling me along, my original 300 mile challenge, the fifty or so people I made cheer for me during the last quarter mile (seriously, I cheered at them until they cheered back), seeing Lissa along the way and Eddie Money.

As I may have mentioned before, push ups is a pretty popular goal in our group. Not surprising, a lot of the updates I get are related to push ups.

Jess: My office is a ghost town for the holiday . . . so I'm so tempted to shut my door and bang out my push-ups and sit-ups. But how embarrassing would that be if someone walked in?? : ) This better NOT make it into your update, or I'll have to kill you . . .

Abbie: would it be weird if I closed my office door to do pushups?

Blake: If Porter* climbs up on me to sit on my back while I'm trying to do push-ups, do those count for 2? She's heavier (and squirmier) than she looks.

These updates raise some interesting points:

1. A side-effect of WWM is the urge to work towards your goal at work.
2. If you send me an update, I will print it even if you threaten to injure me (sorry, Jess).
3. It is not weird to do push ups at work if you have an office with a door.
4. I can't judge what counts towards your goal. If you want to double count given the added challenge of Porter on your back, you can make that call on your own, Blake.

I am sure some of you non-push up challengers have some good stories to share. I will be seeing some of you over the next few weeks and will no doubt pull some inspiring stories from you (especially those of you I will see after you consume a few drinks in St John). The rest of you should send along some updates - tell me what you are working on, even if it is just ideas on how to make the R2 party a success (Kylie).

*Porter is Blake's dog.

Who's With Me? (A Pool Table)

I am going to keep the update short and sweet this week. It's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow to make it to the gym for some cardio and sit-ups. My third goal is push-ups, but I do those at home. As some people know, I am not yet comfortable with public push-ups.

Other Who's With Me? participants are quite comfortable with public push-ups. Take our friend Abbie, she did push-ups on a pool table on Saturday. Seriously, she did.

Some updates from the group:

I heard from Jess that Missy blames me for her decision to train for a half-marathon. I think you should thank me, Missy.

Pryor - i am taking a 5 week leave from my job to work for the obama campaign. have been told that the hours I should expect are 8:30 a.m. - 11pm, 7 days a week. def no cooking classes for the next month, but hopefully i can squeeze in yoga here and there. i need to if i'm going to be able to survive. plus, what undecided voter wouldn't vote for obama after watching one of his staff explain obama's environmental policies while standing on his head with his legs in lotus pose? that's right - not a damn one.

So that's it. The rest of your really should send me an update. I know you are busy with your goals, but you have time for a quick email.

Who's With Me? (Musicians)

I hope your first week is off to a good start. From the looks of the spreadsheets, a few people have made some real progress. I was particularly inspired on Monday during a weekly dinner group formed to discuss current events* when Lara and Jess broke from the conversation to do some push ups and sit ups in the living room. That's dedication.

At this point, you may be wondering who the other people are and what they are doing. Here are some facts about the group:

• 56 people are With Me (I expect a few more late entries this week)
• 30 people are from Round 1 (clearly, Who's With Me? works)
• Most people have an exercise related goal
• Practicing guitar is the second most popular goal
• 1 person is pregnant (different person from last time)

You may also be wondering why people are With Me.

• "Public shame works."
• "Can't really think of any excuse at this point why not."

If you have a different reason for joining (which I can't imagine - those two cover it) or if you would like to share a story about your progress, send it along and I will include some updates in the next email. Also, if you are having trouble with the spreadsheet, please let me know and I will see what I can do.

*When I say "to discuss current events" I mean "to watch Gossip Girl"

Who's With Me? (A Few Amazing People)

I hit my 300 miles yesterday after a fantastic 8 mile run with Dennis. Poor Dennis had to suffer through running next to me while I yelled "300 Miles!" and waved my hands in the air. It's a good thing New York City is not that crowded, otherwise he may have been embarrassed.

The big celebration party was today and was not as big as I expected. There are a few reasons for this:
1. I may not have said whether or not we were meeting on Saturday or Sunday.
2. I am not be as popular as I pretend to be.
3. You spent the day doing fifty sit ups each hour to complete your goal.
4. You do not live in NYC.
5. You live in NYC and were at an after-after party last night with Drew Barrymore.

The crowd may have been small, but we were strong and had a great time.

A few housekeeping items:

• If you have already declared your goal for R2 and have not received an email with a link to your spreadsheet, please let me know and I will resend it (or send it for the first time - I do make mistakes).
• If you want to declare a goal, you have until tomorrow. (Unless of course you fit into a certain category of person for which I am willing to make an exception)
• If you do not declare a goal, you will stop receiving emails from me. You may consider this a good thing, but you should not.

I am excited to get going on R2 tomorrow. Who's with me?

Who's With Me? (Beer)

I will be hitting the 300 mile mark this weekend (just in time).

After I take my west side highway victory lap, I plan to drink a few beers and recount some adventures from the past 93 days (who can forget the time I hurt my foot? or the time Kate claimed she ran on a business trip? or the time you figured out how to access the spreadsheet?). I remember them all and I can't wait to hit 300 hundred and drink my first beer in 93 days. I'll be at the White Horse Tavern at 3pm.

Who's with me?

PS - You have until Monday to commit. Don't delay.
PPS - Let me know if you plan to join so I can email you if plans change.

Who's With Me? (Smart People)

So this is it - the last week of Round 1. I can't believe it. For some people (including me), this is a fight to the finish. Other people are already past 100%. A few people won't reach their goals, but they still did some impressive work over the past three months. And then there is my favorite group - the people who have already signed up for Round 2. These people are smart.

If you are one of the smart people, I have started work on the spreadsheets and will send out the links over the weekend. Sorry for the delay.

I know everyone on this email is smart. Everyone can commit to a goal. You should commit to a goal if:

• Your name is Dave and you have convinced family and friends to participate
• Your name is Laura and you say "I have to declare my goal" every time I walk by your desk
• Your name is Eitan and you were one of the first people to commit to Round 2
• Your name is Todd and you are sitting next to me right now
• Your name is Sally and you are my mom
• Your name is Tanya and you secretly participated in Round 1
• Your name is Jessica Campbell
• You purchased Camo at Gander Mountain this weekend

If I can't convince you, this update from Cory should do the trick:"so, the dr told me to take it easy, which means no eliptical or exercise... :( don't want to mess up your statistics! but, will likely not be able to complete the goal for now... anyway, when you publish your book, you'll need a disclaimer that stats unfortunately reflect pregnant ladies who want desperately to complete their goals, but aren't allowed and are really frustrated. in more positive news, I'm definitely in the best shape of my life and people are noticing! I have gained all the appropriate weight for the baby, but managed to maintain my own figure! yay!"

In case you haven't been paying attention (or if you are on this email for the first time), I am including the rules below. Read them, understand them, declare a goal. I promise you won't regret it. Who's with me?

Who's With Me? (Inquiring Minds)

Due to popular demand, I am moving the weekly update back to Sunday. You are welcome.

We are officially at the two week mark. 15% to go. That's it. You can make it.

Now that we are nearing Round Two, I have received a lot of questions from people who are getting ready to declare their goals. Rather than answer the questions individually, I decided this is the perfect forum.

Frequently asked questions:

Q: How long does this round last?
A: 90 days. Three days shorter than last time - things went so well for everyone in the summer, that I picked a shorter season this time.

Q: Can I invite other friends to join?
A: Absolutely. I will never get on Oprah if I limit this to people I know. Also, working towards your goal with 200 people will be much more exciting than just 58 people.

Q: How do I declare my goal?
A: You email me by September 22. It's as easy as that.

Q: Can I declare multiple goals?
A: Sure. I am confident you are strong enough to achieve more than one goal.

Q: How will I stay on track for 90 days?
A: Once you have publicly declared your goal (see above), you will feel compelled to make it happen. As a wise man once said, "the prospect of embarrassment trumps accountability to self." Also, I will make you an easy-to-use spreadsheet and send weekly emails with updates from other people.

Q: With Lissa pointing out all the rewards, I was thinking more like she buys me some jewelry or takes me out for a nice dinner for once. I mean, I give and give, and what do I get?
A: You get a better life, Blake. Lissa will only be buying herself jewelry. Nice try.

There you have it. Keep the questions and the goals coming. Two more weeks to reach your goals and two more weeks plus one day before we get to start on our next set.

Who's With Me? (New People)

A few big things are happening right now in the world of Who's With Me? - we are closing in on the two week mark, people have started declaring goals for Round Two and the early indications are R2 will be much bigger than R1.

Some great updates from some people with great attitudes:

Lissa - I have fallen off the wagon in a major way. I need a Labor Day buttkicking this weekend. Can I run 200 miles in a month? Probably not. But I at least want to get to my jewelry goal!! Getting ... back ... on the horse. NOW.

Patrick proudly reported he dropped a chest size. Nice work, Patrick.

Caroline - The training is going well. I've officially started training for my 1/2 marathon and am learning so much about running. A month ago, I had no idea there was such a thing as interval running or tempo running! My initial goal in doing this was to increase my energy level and I have definitely achieved that. I've already started thinking about what my goals will be for the fall- I've enjoyed the running but want to add in some new things.

Right now, you might be asking yourself why you should commit to Round 2. The reasons are endless, but I will share a few:

• If you are going to complete your R1 goal (or come close), you will have to work hard to maintain everything you have done since June 21
• If you are not going to complete your R1 goal, you have a chance to go for it again (maybe with a different goal)
• If you have been able to put up with my emails for three months, you must believe in Who's With Me?
• If you did not participate in R1* (because of poor judgment or because you didn't know about it) you have the opportunity to make a small (but meaningful) change in your life
• If you work hard from September 22 (must declare goal by then) until December 20, you won't have to think about a resolution for January 1
• I have updated the rules to make R2 different (see below)

Stop searching for reasons. Declare your goal. I am going to finish my 300 miles and I am ready for more. Who's with me?


There are a few basic rules about picking goals:

• Our goals must be measurable and challenging (300 miles run, 4000 pages read, 3000 sits up sat up)
• Our goals must involve an ongoing activity (losing weight is not an activity)
• We must be able to achieve 100% of our goals even if we miss a day here and there (quitting smoking is out)
• Our goals must be positive (visiting every bar in Tribeca is not positive and it is not challenging, trust me)
• Our goals can't depend on other people's actions (Sorry, guys, 'three dates per week' doesn't work)

The point is this: We all have at least one thing we have been talking about doing for a while but have not actually done anything about it. The time is now.

Other things you should know:

1. If you wish to participate, you must declare your goal (to me) by Monday, September 22.
2. The challenge runs from September 22 through December 20 (official start and end of Fall). We can repeat this in the spring (and every season until I end up on Oprah).
3. When you complete 50% of your goal, you will reward yourself with a small prize (piece of jewelry, new clothes, fishing trip). Lissa pointed out three months is a long time and we need a mid-point reward.
4. When we complete our goals, we will go for a nice dinner at a nice restaurant. Again, this is Lissa.
5. Once you declare your goal, I will make you a spreadsheet so you can track your progress and see what other people are doing. Some people think this is the best part of the whole thing.

Who's With Me? (Ben, Lara, Abbie, Paul)

I am going to keep it short this week - I figure I should spare you since next week I start in on planning for Round Two. It is going to be great. In case you hadn't noticed, we have less than a month left. I can't believe it.

This week was a big week for me (and hopefully for you, too). While on a killer run with my friend Ben, I hit the 200 mile mark and then I went for a hike with Abbie and Lara and then went for another run with Paul (that's right, Blake). This was spread out over two days, but still...

And the only update for the week comes from someone who is kind enough to keep the music conversation going:

There is no better running song at the moment than, "I kissed a girl and I liked it."

Though Dolly Parton is the all time champ. "9 to 5" could get a corpse moving in the morning.

Make sure to send in your updates and let me know what you are doing to make it to the end (and get ready for Round Two). That's it. Really. Nothing more.

Who's With Me? (Olympians)

Seems Who's With Me? is a trendsetter (not that you had any doubts). The Today Show did a segment yesterday on what Olympic athletes listen to on their iPods. I wonder if they like Dolly Parton songs as much as we do.

Here we go (anonymous as promised):

1. bailamos??? by enrique. seriously. is fantastic.

2. Do you think you're better off alone (club mix, as if there were any other) - Crizz LeeNu Nu (Yeah Yeah) - FannypackNow That We Found Love - Heavy D and the Boyz
If I could find my monster ballads CD, it would be so much worse than this!

3. "Escape" by Enrique Iglesias

4. Don't judge me. I listen to J Lo when I run. I've never said that out loud before - but it feels so freeing to be honest!! Can we also share the music that actually rocks our playlists right now? Because - and you know I don't like to brag - my Nike Half-Marathon playlist was pretty awesome. Just the right mix of Steve Earle, Justin Timberlake, Panic at the Disco, Bob Schneider, Flight of the Conchords, Shakira ... and J Lo. And Dolly Parton. Don't worry, you're not alone. That song about Travelin Through? It was made for running!!

5. Miley Cyrus - I Learned From You. It just took me 10 minutes on the Web to figure out the name of that song. My daughter put it on my iPod, along with some other Hannah Montana songs, a while ago. I'm embarrassed to say that I have left this one on there and listen to the whole thing when it comes around on rotation. Tell Todd there is nothing embarrassing about Perry Como and Ricky Nelson.

6. who needs music on the elliptical when you've got an us weekly (yes I traded in my new yorker subscription for this one!) and the olympics on tv?!

7. I, for one, will not let you stand out there alone. So here's my secret pleasures that help me on my walks: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Bette MidlerFriends - Bette MidlerIt's Raining Men - The Weather Girls ....and the piece de resistance Trickle, Trickle - Manhattan Transfer How can one give up when you listen to those great lyrics - Trickle, trickle; slop, slop; got to see my sweet gum drop? Okay so the lyrics are an embarrassment but you should pick up the pace to the music!!!!

8. The RENT soundtrack is a must in my running mix

9. What's more embarrassing than Dolly Parton? American Idol, Jason Castro, singing Dolly's "Travelin Thru"

So there you have it. I am not the only one.

Who's With Me? (Dolly Parton)

Welcome to the second half of Who's with Me? Nice work.

I hit the 50% mark this weekend while on a 9 mile run. I had a great run and I can give credit to three things: great weather, caffeine and my ipod. You might think running alone for nine miles could be boring, but not when you have the most amazing mix of music to keep you going. On my run, I started thinking about the songs I have added to my running playlists over the past few years and realized what I think is amazing others might call hysterical.

I am sure most of you listen to some pretty uncool music while you workout (except you, Paul). Here is a challenge within a challenge - let me know your most embarrassing songs and I will publish a list (anonymous, of course).

Here are some highlights from my playlists:
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
Let the River Run - Carly Simon
Maniac - from Flashdance

So either you will write back with some funny songs or Todd just convinced me to embarrass myself and live with the ensuing ridicule for the rest of my life.

On to regular business with a few updates from the group:

Paul: This needs more man goals. I'm going to play golf or go fishing this weekend to celebrate my first 5 mile run. Maybe then I could celebrate going fishing by learning how to enter my progress in the Who's With Me? spreadsheet.

Eric: I finally inserted my scrap notes/paper (of how many pages I've been reading each day/night) into the spreadsheet online. I knew I was behind where I should be at, but, I've been catching up on weekends at the beach and at a coffee shop down the shore for a morning coffee and some reading. So, for all those days I did skip altogether...I'm not as behind as I thought I would be....which is encouraging in itself. I'm going to go really hard over the next 2 weeks to try and get ahead. Will keep you posted. :)

Dianne: There are 9 people in my Fibromyalgia Support Group who are doing their goals and this has been great for them.

Caroline: My dad and I ran in the Pig Run the other weekend which was my first ever 5K and it was awesome! I did 6 minutes better than my goal time (although I'll admit my goal time was pretty slow!) and even got a great beer mug with a giant pig on it for finishing in the top 100 females! I've now signed up for another 5K, a 10K, and on October 19 will be running my first ever half-marathon! Crazy. I'm a little behind my goal but am hoping that by being up in Lake Placid I'll be able to make up the 8 or so miles. I am totally loving this whole spreadsheet thing. I can't tell you how many times I've been running (often after 9 pm which totally breaks my former rule of no exercising after the sun goes down) and thinking to myself, there is no way in hell I'd be doing this right now if I didn't have to enter a number into a freaking spreadsheet!!!

Thanks for the updates and thanks (in advance) for your songs.

Who's With Me? (Who cares? I look good)

In case you haven't been paying attention, we will hit the halfway point this week. Some people are on track and some people are behind. You still have plenty of time to finish what you started on June 21. You just have to decide to make it happen. Oprah and I are counting on you to make this happen.

After the foot fiasco, I am behind target, but still committed to completing the goal. I ran 15 miles this weekend (thanks for the help, Abbie) and will hopefully be caught up by the halfway point. One thing keeping me motivated - the people who tell me I look better than I did when this first started. Of course, they are all telling me this after I ask "Don't I look better than when this first started?" but I am sure they are being honest.

Here are some stories to remind you why you are doing this:

Michelle: Since we started this, I have been consistent (not as much as I'd like, but still) in sticking with my goal of doing Pilates. More importantly, the challenge made me decide to go for one of my biggest lingering goals, which has been to run a marathon. Happily, I am on my way, running about 15 miles a week at the moment (I've never run more than a mile!). I'm doing the Nike+ 10K with Meg and Laura on August 31st and have become so obsessed with running that I am convinced I will be able to do the Nike Women's Half Marathon on October 19th. To top it off, I've already picked a charity to run for in the 2009 NYC Marathon.

New Todd: I've never run 9 miles in my life until trying to catch up on "Who's With Me?" - you've created a monster!!

Jenny: My update is that I had a minor bike accident. I was going through some uneven terrain cause by road construction and I totally bit it. Then Augy fell off trying to avoid running over me. With both had some nice asphalt burns going and I banged up my knee pretty bad. After about 10 days of ice and Advil, I'm back to working out-- I'm way behind but hoping to catch up!

Lissa: The race was awesome!! Missed my goal time by 2 minutes, but the course and the crowds were fabtastic and even the weather cooperated. Best of all - first long race in a year with no knee pain and no lost toenails - could it be that I was actually prepared for this one?

If those stories aren't enough (they should be), you should think about the people who are already asking about round two. The emails are starting to pile up. Eitan, an early round two participant writes, "I really like what you're doing here. Its sort of like pay it forward, but everyone feels better at the end because you are actually helping yourself instead of some stranger."

Speaking of helping yourself, remember Lissa's rule about the 50% mark - you get to buy yourself a little present. Sally is thinking about a mani/pedi. Gemma, Luisa and I are meeting up for dinner (and I may soon own a new pair of jeans). What are you going to do for yourself?

PS - I am kidding about the subject line. Sort of. I do look good.

Who's With Me? (The Treadmill)

First, I have to apologize for the delayed update. I was stuck at the airport yesterday evening and the only email I was capable of writing would have been filled with four letter words and very little information about the great work we are doing.

Beyond multiple reports of weight loss (won't reveal names here), I have some good stories to share:

Cory is excited to have worked out three days in a row - something she claims to have avoided since back-to-back softball sessions at camp. We were much younger then and she was less pregnant - so nice work.

Kate is proud to have run while on a business trip in Austin. I will give her credit for the running in Austin (never easy in the heat or with the temptation of queso and tequila), but I am not falling for the "business trip" line. Just like walking around in exercise clothes does not mean you are exercising, spending time with work people does not mean you are working.

I have heard reports of Joe's quality performance at the NYC half marathon and know at least one other racer is in our group. Once she recovers I am sure she will send along an update.

Sarah writes "I have to tell you that this has been great for keeping me on track with my training for the 3 day walk. It is very satisfying to see progress towards the end goal daily!!! (not to mention that it brings out my competitive side)"

Amy has convinced Katherine, Joe and me to run the Hartford half with her in October. By then we will be a few weeks into Round Two and focused on new goals.

In more important news (news about me), you can stop worrying about my foot. I took it a little easy and now I think I am cured (and only a little bit behind). Thanks for your concern and wise advice (Dianne). I was so inspired by Jessica's tale of a seven mile treadmill run that I pushed myself to do five (four more than I have done on a treadmill in at least four years). This was a much better option than facing the Arizona heat (only bearable when by a pool and a bar - trust me).

I am apparently facing some brand competition. I have been told a story of another email titled "Who's With Me?" making it around. Apparently this person is trying to stop the wedding of her ex-boyfriend. Certainly not in the spirit of what we are trying to do. I am also shocked someone else thought to string together the same three words.

Keep up the good work. The halfway point is in sight.

Who's With Me? (My Left Foot)

Four weeks in and things are going well for the group. I spent the weekend up north and went for a tough run around Lake Minnewaska with Paul and Todd. The amazing views made it worth the pain (sort of). I also drove a pick up truck and went for a ride on an ATV - nothing to do with the challenge, but it was cool.

If you haven't been checking out the spreadsheet (Paul), people are putting up some pretty big numbers. I received anonymous reports of at least one participant increasing the goal because the participant felt the original goal was too easy to achieve. Quite impressive.

In less positive news, I may have hurt my right foot. Right now it is nothing a few advils can't cure. Lissa - what was it you said about us either being totally hot or crippled by September 21?

Who's With Me? (A Six Year Old)

We are about 25% of the way through and have completed 17% of our goals as a group. We are definitely on the right track. I ran in three different states this week and spent time with some of our friends in Boston (this crew is serious about their goals).

I got some great updates. Here are a few of the highlights (the spreadsheet was a big theme):

Chris: Well Becca Gordon, I'll tell you what I've been up to. I just rattled off workouts on 12 consecutive days...and I'm feeling like a champ.

Lissa: My body says "please stop and go back to the beach" but my internet says "nice job"

New Todd: I finally logged in and updated my sheet - I'm slightly behind goal, but will get there after today's run. It was fun to fill in the cells and see that I'm actually close!

Gemma: the rest of the family finds it very funny watching me do my sit ups... and Logan (seb's 6 year old niece) started doing them after me!!

Ben: I run in the evenings 3-4x during the week, rain or shine.

Missy: Thanks Gordo! Got it and have updated. I am a little behind but will catch up!

Keep the updates coming. I love it.

Who's With Me? (Emily's Grandfather)

As a group, we are almost 11%* of the way to our goals - a little behind schedule, but we'll catch up. Our friends Caroline, Elizabeth, Dianne, Sally (my mom), and Todd are all staying on schedule and keeping me on track. And isn't keeping me on track what this is all about? Patrick has suggested I title my never-to-be-written book "Getting Off Your Ass: How the Prospect of Embarrassment Trumps Accountability to Self"

In personal goal news, Emily reports she is two books closer to her reading goal and notes "I read a first edition of the book that belonged to my grandfather in Mexico." Pretty cool. And Jane is looking for someone to run with her around the reservoir (a good way to stay on target). Anyone?

What have you been up to?

*I did not include the people who have yet to update their spreadsheets. I hope you guys are still with me.

Who's With Me? (The New York Times)

This week has been great. Collectively we have completed at least 4% of our goals* and a few people have shared some interesting developments with me:

• Abbie learned about www.freerice.com from Dianne
• To keep on track, Todd went for a run at 10:30pm, Sally went for a walk at lunch and Gemma did sit ups after dinner (and two glasses of wine)
• Leora learned more about using spreadsheets
• Danae fell in love with google docs
• Laura and Michelle signed up for a 10k
• The New York Times kindly printed a map of Central Park running trails with the distances.

What have you been up to?**

In spreadsheet news, I added a chart to the first page of the spreadsheet showing the % of your goal(s) you should have completed by each date (thanks for the suggestion, Abbie).

*some people still can't access the spreadsheet. Sorry about that.
**If you share your stories with me, I might bring you with me to Oprah.

Who's With Me? (51 People)

We officially have 52 people participating. Pretty amazing - I don't have that many friends on Facebook.*

I hope your first few days are off to a good start. I did two runs this weekend - on my Saturday run I saw another one of us on the West Side Highway finishing his first run and on Sunday I ran with another one of the original three in Central Park. I have talked to a few people and seen some updates on the spreadsheets. I can already tell we are going to have a great summer.

A few things:

1. I will not be bothering/amusing you with emails every other day (I do have other things to do, like work). Going forward, I plan to send an update email on Sunday. If you do not want to get the email, let me know. I will not be offended. I find myself annoying. I will post my emails at whoswithmechallenge.blogspot.com

2. If you have an inspiring/funny story you would like to share with the group, you can send to me and I will include it in my Sunday email.

3. I had to create a second spreadsheet because the first one filled up at 40 pages. If you would like access to both to see your friends' progress or to satisfy your competitive nature, please let me know. I am trying to figure out if I can link the two docs to show the completion percentage of everyone in both docs. Let me know if you know how to do this in google docs.

4. If your spreadsheet does not work, please tell me and I will try to fix it.

That's it for now. See you out there.


*Kidding, of course.

Who's With Me? (My Mom)

(from 6/20/2008)

It all starts tomorrow - the running, the writing the exercising, the yoga, the saving, the biking, the sit ups, the lifting.Twenty-one people are with me. Who are these brilliant people? Three are moms (including my own), they live in New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, California, Ohio, Texas, and our nation's capital. Two are named Sally (including my mom). Some are my closest friends and a few people I don't know (yet). We all have at least one thing in common - we are going to have a great summer.

I take my first step towards 300 miles tomorrow morning. Twenty-one other people will be with me. Will you?*


*You have until tomorrow to declare your goal. Why wait until tomorrow - do it today. You declare the goal and I make the spreadsheet. It's that easy.

Who's With Me? (A Bunch of People)

Critics agree "Who's With Me?" is the blockbuster of the summer...

"Get. Fired. Up."
"This is awesome"
"I love love love this idea"
"Knitting sounds cool."
"catching on like wildfire"
"I need an ass kicking. God knows it's gotten big enough"
"Who is Rebecca?"
"I was hoping you were just asking for some kind of sponsorship for a charity...that would have been so much easier than spending the last 12 hours searching deep into my soul"
"Can't wait to be on Oprah as a founding participant"
"This isn't a resolution, this is a revolution!"
"Few emails require such a rapid response as this one."

In 24 hours, ten people have already declared they are "With Me". Dozens more have indicated interest and will declare shortly. Others have forwarded to friends, family and coworkers. What are you waiting for?

Who's With Me?

As some of you know, I have decided to run a total of 300 miles between June 21 and September 21. For a while now, I have been saying I need to get back into shape. I have signed up for (and run) a few half marathons in the hope the training schedule would get me back on track. Unfortunately, I have found I can still run a half marathon in a respectable time without following a training schedule or maintaining a healthy diet. I have basically been rewarded for my laziness. Running 13.1 miles on one day is not enough to get back into shape, but running 300 miles over 93 days should be.

I decided a few weeks ago I would only complete the 300 miles if I started telling everyone about my goal. The more people I tell, the more the fear of embarrassment will force me to get up for my morning runs. If you work with me or if you been with me on one of my 500 weekend trips out of NYC over the past few months, then you have heard me talk about my plan at least ten times. The rest of you are probably hearing this for the first time and are shocked I would actually tell a story more than once.

Over the past few weeks, Lissa and Abbie have wisely decided to join me. Lissa made a few other wise decisions that may entice a few more people to join us. More on that later.

Because not everyone wants to run 300 miles and because people have other important personal goals, I am inviting you to pick your own goal for the summer and we can track our progress together.

There are a few basic rules – our goals must be measurable and challenging (300 miles run, 4000 pages read, 20 sweaters knit), our goals must involve an ongoing activity (losing weight is not an activity) and our goals must be positive (visiting every bar in Tribeca is not positive and it is not challenging, trust me). The point is this: We all have at least one thing we have been talking about doing for a while but have not actually done anything about it. The time is now.

Who’s with me?

Rebecca


The Rules:
1. If you wish to participate, you must declare your goal (to me) by Saturday, June 21.

2. The challenge runs from June 21 through September 21 (official start and end of summer). We can repeat this in the fall (and every season until I end up on Oprah).

3. When you complete 50% of your goal, you will reward yourself with a small prize (piece of jewelry, new jeans, bag, massage). Lissa pointed out three months is a long time and we need a mid-point reward.

4. When we complete our goals, we will go for a nice dinner at a nice restaurant. Again, this is Lissa.

5. Each participant should create a system for tracking his/her progress. If you would like to use the group spreadsheet I have created, please email me.