Nov 08 Judy's diet and the runs or "A bee in her bonnet"

After 15 years of newsletters, it’s about time to devote an edition to the wife.

The bee in Judy’s bonnet
A bee in her bonnet or an obsession– call it whatever you want. Judy has it. One thing to know about Judy-when she puts her mind to a task, it’s going to get done. Hell, high water and any other impediments are swept aside powerless in the face of Judy’s will. There are no obstacles. Why do I say this? Well...

Previously in an Isaacs newsletter…
Despairing at the stagnation of the digital ‘needle’ of the weighing scales, despite her devout adherence to a mean weight-watchers diet, at the beginning of the summer, Judy embraced a walking regime to burn the calories necessary to return her cuddly dimensions to Twiggy proportions. Every night she walked for sixty minutes, completing six circuits of the slightly hilly one-kilometer “inner ring road” of our neighbourhood. However, the digital needle of the weighing scales didn’t budge.

Two weeks later, Judy upped the stakes - 12 kilometers (two hours) a night. Still the needle didn’t budge.

Two weeks later, Judy thought, “This is getting boring and not taking me anywhere. I might as well jog the down-hills”. Was that my imagination or did I hear an electronic needle creak?

Two weeks later, with some not so gently prodding from Ari, Judy started running the up-hills. The needle veritably quivered.

Two weeks later, after adopting contradictory advice from different Internet sources, Judy went back to walking the up-hills but started running parts of the flat. The needle moved.

Last night Judy completed an amazing 18 kilometers in less than 2 hours 23 minutes, running well over half the distance. The needle on the scales is down 6 kilo (over 13 pounds). Judy looks terrific (although she is quick to point out that she still has a tummy) and feels energized and vital.

Runs in the family
Judy’s runs are family occasions. All of us, from Ari down to four-year old Elisheva, accompany her when we can. In the 20 years since Ari was born, Judy and I have never spent so much time together (we’ve also never shared a pastime).

I think I-con I think I-con
Judy has become an inspirational icon in Elkana. She paints a pretty figure running around the yishuv of an evening, with one hand clutching her hat to prevent it flying off in the wind, and with the other hand grabbing her now-droopy skirts that threaten to drop to her knees.

Say Yes
I asked Judy to run a half-marathon (21.1 kilometers), taking place on December 11th in Bet Shean and I hope she says Yes. She says she’s not coming, but I know my wife. When she really doesn’t want to do something, she has a way of making it absolutely clear to you. Now, she’s making excuses about how will she get the children to school in the morning and who will look after them in the afternoon or what if she doesn’t finish before the roads are opened. These are excuses, things that have to be solved, not real objections.

If I haven’t burnt myself by daring to make this prediction in public, I hope, in my next post, to tell you about Judy’s first half marathon. Because, as I knew, on that evening in January 1987, I know now, she’s going to say “Yes”.