The Knee

Pain. I ran yesterday despite the pain and ouch. I know, if it hurts, don't do it. But I am struggling with that.

I am set to run with Gordon again tonight. Hopefully it will fair better.

The doctor's office finally called yesterday, my orthopedist appointment is Monday, maybe I will find some answers.

I just have to make it through the 19th for the 5K. Then I can rest it a little.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Feeling a bit better

Why doesn't the scale move after one day of eating right and exercising? LOL. Just kidding.

But, honestly, yesterday I had a good day. I watched what I ate (and logged it) and worked out hard. My knee is acknowledging that today.

While I was at the doctor last week I talked to her about my left knee. I mentioned it at the beginning of September, it was rebuilt and now, it keeps putting me in pain.

I thought at first it was the specific exercises I was doing. But now, no matter what I do - run, bike, elliptical, squats, etc - it hurts like hell. Now, a normal person would say, "I better not exercise". A formerly obese, currently overweight girl, she just can't. I didn't run last week or do much of anything else and that doesn't work for me. I have to keep moving and cut calories to take off the weight.

Anyway, my doc took an x-ray of the knee and not surprisingly, found arthritis. But we agreed, that's not what this is. In fact, it feels like the back of my knee is broken, across the width of my leg. It's sore, sharp, throbbing and slips all at once. Yes, I know, ouch.

My doc is supposed to set-up an appointment with an orthopedist; if they haven't called by tomorrow I will call to remind them. I had joked about really pushing my knee so it actually hurt when I went in. (I didn't want mechanics syndrome, you know, "No, I swear, it makes that noise." But never in front of the mechanic.)

Ironically, I can't make it stop hurting this time and I haven't even been rough on it. That's mainly because I realized I at least need it to last until the 5K on the 19th.

Other than the knee though, I am in a better place. I plan to work on doing better everyday.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Tomorrow is the Walk From Obesity

I go before people like myself tomorrow. There will be people who have lost weight. Want to lose weight. Can't control their eating. Have tried everything. Workout constantly. Eat healthy. And some who may have had surgery. That is the only thing I haven't done with regard to my weight.

I am tipping the scale at 167 right now. That is 18 pounds higher than where I was at the end of May. It is 27 pounds higher than I would like. It is 32 more pounds higher than my original goal. It is unacceptable.

I have had people remind me that muscle weighs more than fat - it does. But muscle is not what is making the buttons want to bust off my pants right now - it is fat. Fat that I swore I would never let come visit again. Fat that has no place in my life. Fat that I can blame no one but myself for - I have failed me.

As I slid back into old eating habits (huge portions and high sugar), I also started to slow down my exercise. That's a 1-2 punch to the gut - literally. I now am living proof of what I have preached for a very long time - "This is forever. It's a lifestyle change. You can't go back to the way you were before, it won't work."

I am feeling very hypocritical as I prepare to stand before these people tomorrow. Some will be looking for hope, some for inspiration. I plan to give them both and I will be looking for both for me as well. I expect I will find it in stories and struggles that sound startlingly like my own.

Yours in health, Kate

P.S. - I have already been proactive - my brother and I are now training for the Des Moines Marathon 5K. Since I refuse to be slower than I was last year - I guess I have no choice but to skim off some weight and get running again.

How to Accidentally Run a 5K

It was my second day back at Fitness World West. I warmed up with 10 minutes on the bike, did some abs, pull-ups, weights and inner/outer thighs. Time for the treadmill, I figure I will hit it for 20 minutes to complete my 30 minutes of cardio and head back to the weights.

I get on the brand spanking new treadmill at the far end. I used it yesterday and I like it - it feel a lot like running on the ground AND there's plenty of room to swing your arms. I tend to really pump when I am running and was always hitting myself on rails, now I am cool. (Of course, it also has an LCD TV like every other piece of cardio equipment at FWW, so if you want to catch up on CNN or SoapNet, you are set.)

Anyway, I notice it has many fancy setting including one marked 5K. I think, 'interesting, I am training for a 5K'. I decide to push the button to see what paces it puts me through and figure I will bow out at my planned 20 minutes.

-A two minute warm-up and it pushes me up to 6 miles-an-hour. O.k., I can do this, I have been working my way up to this speed all winter during what little time I spent running.
-Five minutes go by, not bad, I'm pretty good at this speed.
-Another 5 and it's time for a one minute walk to regulate my breathing.
-Back up and going and 6 more go by. I realize if I stop at 20 I will only have run for 17 minutes, so I have to go to 23. All right, 23 it is.
-I hit the 20 and have to slow down for a minute. Whoops, just added another minute I need to run. On to 24.
-24 ticks onto the timer, well, I might as well make it even at 25.
-25, hey, I've made it well over two miles already. A 5K is only 3.1, what the hell, let's push through.

So, I did. Two more 45 second bouts of walking and I finish the run in 34:42. That is a 1 minute, 37 second improvement over my race time in October. I have just proven two things - I can still run 3.1 miles and I can do it in less time.

The thing yet to be proven? Can I do it on the rolling terrain South of Grand? That remains to be seen.

Yours in fitness, Kate

The Next Challenge

I teased on Sunday that I have picked my next 'thing'. That goal I believe everyone should put out there to improve their fitness.

It's the AIDS Walk/Run 2008 to benefit the AIDS Project of Central Iowa. It is happening April 12th at 10 a.m. and it starts at Des Moines University. I will be running the 5K on the "hilly" course.

That last part is the most important one. Hills, running and me. Frankly that threesome has never been my friend, so that will be challenge #1. Challenge #2 is shaving time of my personal best. O.k., I have only run one race, but hey that was my best! (Here's a link to remind you.)

I ran it in 36:19. So, my goal is to beat my time by 1 minute. That may not sound like a lot, but when you haven't been running much, it feels like a lot. That's taking about 20 seconds off each mile.

So, I have already started running again. The stairs will become a once in a while thing until I get closer to the 801 next year. One of my favorite things about this race is that, once again, it is for a great cause. Who doesn't feel great doing good things for others while doing good for yourself?

Yours in fitness, Kate

The Day After

It is the day after my personal triumph in the 5K at the IMT Des Moines Marathon. You would think I would be sore, but I feel great. I thank Traci and my time training at Fitness World West for that.

So, feeling good (and after a stressful day) I head to FWW. I hit the treadmill to warm up with a run before I meet with Traci. I put in a 20 minute run/walk and am surprised how great if feels, I thought there would be some remnant of pounding on the pavement, but it feels fine.

Traci grabs me and we head into the private training room. She proceeds to have me work every major muscle group. We put in a lot of time on upper body and core.

I love working out with Traci because she pushes me to places I would never even attempt on my own, let alone actually do. Today it was modified "crunch like" sit-ups with a medicine ball. That would be hard enough, but once I get up into a sitting position I throw her the medicine ball and then go down. Then it's back up to catch the ball. Um, hard. I had to stop a couple of times and admittedly whined a bit through the first set of 20. But by the second set I had a rhythm and it was easier.

Afterward I always feel great. Today is no exception, I put in a kick-butt workout on the heels of a kick-butt race performance. I feel a bit like I rock right now, I think I will enjoy this day after.

Yours in fitness, Kate

A MAJOR Milestone

Last May I was talking to my sister-in-law to be and I mentioned that I was thinking of doing a 5K somewhere along the line. I wanted it to be one of my fitness goals. She instantly said I should do the one that was part of the Des Moines Marathon. She would be doing the half-marathon and we could make it a family event. When she said it wasn't until October, I thought that was a reasonable amount of time to train. So I went straight home and signed up online.

You see, I wasn't a runner. By May I was a fast walker, but running was something for the "skinny" girls. I still had plenty of weight on (183) and my knees still tweaked when I hit more than 3.5 miles an hour walking. Despite that, I had faith that I could do this.

My brother Gordon said he would do it with me and then my brother Casey agreed to do the half-marathon with Annette. So it was truly a family affair.

I trained slowly but surely and going into Sunday I knew I could finish and I expected it to be in about 42 minutes or almost 14 minute miles. (Trainer Traci had full faith in me being faster.) I thought I would be at that pace because I had been training inside only for the past couple of months. When you add in wind and pavement, you tend to slow down.

So, it's race day and it's chilly. (Since I have lost weight, I am always cold.) I line up and realize I have forgotten my watch. Gordon says he will punch his when we cross the line to keep our time.

The gun fired and we were off.

The first mile, even being an uphill grade, goes by smoothly. My time spent increasing the incline on the treadmill at Fitness World West has paid off.

Another half mile in, BAM. Every muscle in my body is cold, achy and sore. I want to stop, but my brother is behind me somewhere and I know it and everyone is watching. I keep chugging another quarter mile and then finally cave to walk. Gordon catches up and says I am doing great. I think I moan something like 'yea, right' and start running again.

A quarter of the way through the third mile my jogging legs feel wobbly and I slow to a hard walk. Again Gordon catches me and says I am faster than I think. A bit inspired, I run.

Just before the end of the third mile my breathing is off and I am panting, so I slow down. Besides, I figure maybe Gordon will catch me again for that last push. He does as we head onto 3rd Street for the last .2 miles. He says, "Let's finish strong," and starts sprinting toward the finish line. Somewhere deep in me the competitor, who once knocked girls down on the softball field, kicks in and I run too.

I finished in 36:19.

That's almost 6 minutes faster than I thought I could be. That's a pace of 11:43 per mile. That is a long way from where I was in May. That is a major milestone and I am proud.

Yours in fitness, Kate
(Is that sign-off better?)

Saturday Night Training

You have to know I am dedicated to this exercise and weight loss thing. I am going to be meeting my brother, Gordon, on Saturday nights to train for that 5K we have agreed to do in October. So, instead of sitting my butt in a theatre chair and seeing a movie or a play, I will be walking/running my way through the East side of Des Moines.

And you know, I really don't mind. Not only will I get a chance to get out and sweat for the day, I will also get to spend time with my brother.

I see my youngest brother almost every day because I care for his son. But I only get to see Gordon once a week, because we both work so much. So, this will be a great chance to catch up. I am also hoping to take his severly overweight dog for a walk each week as well, man does poor Milo need it.

Remember people, our animals depend on us for not only food, but exercise. Sadly, obesity has become an epidemic for not only people, but pets. (I'll put my soapbox away now and tie on my rinning shoes.)

Best always, Ms_H
Weight - 179 Pounds

Ready to Run

The last 24 hours have gone a long way toward following through on my stated plan to run a 5K in October.

First, I chose and registered for a race. It's the 5K that happens on October 21st in conjunction with the Des Moines Marathon. Here is the Des Moines Marathon site. So, I have plenty of time to train.

I will have at least one training buddy. I am excited to say that my brother Gordon will be joining me in the race. He, like every other member of my family, struggles with his weight. He is currently quite overweight and I have been trying to find gentle ways to get him motivated. I was VERY pleasantly surprised when I asked him if he would do this with me and he said yes. We will train separately and meet up once a week to run and keep each other on track.

Annette, my sister-in-law to be, will be running the half-marathon that day and my brother Casey, her betrothed, has decided to join her. So, it will be a real family affair. The only downside is we hoped to get Caelen, my 4 year old (by then) nephew, into the kids fun run, but you have to be 7. He's fast, he could probably beat them all in the 1/4 mile race, but I guess we'll never know. ;)

Second, I went to the mall today and purchased my heavy duty sports bra. I ended up, after seemingly endless research, going with the Enell. Honestly I was avoiding it because a number of celebrities had endorsed it, including Oprah. Now, while I completely respect and admire (and in some ways aspire to) all that Oprah has accomplished and does for the world, I was bristling at having her help me pick a sports bra. But the more I read, the more I was convinced that if you have an ample bosom this was the only realistic choice.

I tried it on, which takes some doing because it has like 15 hooks, all up the front and found it comfortable. I will say, despite knocking two cup sizes off of me to control "the girls", I didn't feel as confined and squished as I have in bras with less support. While I had it on I jogged really hard in the dressing room and got minimal bounce, I was impressed. The real test will be later in the week when I have enough time to take a run.

That's going to be my real challenge this week, finding time to workout. I work at 3:30 in the morning this week and then I have Caelen all day. He gets picked up about 5:30 p.m. and then, well I should probably should be winding down to go to bed at a decent time to start it all over again. But I am going to workout instead, I think. I just don't think I will work as hard this week, so that I am not flush with adrenaline when 8 p.m. rolls around. That's my self-imposed cut off to finally start heading for bed, since I have to be up by about 2:45 a.m.

Speaking of my lovely schedule I had better go eat so that bed will happen before 9 tonight.

Best always, Ms_H
Weight - 183 Pounds