Tired

I am tired. There are several reasons:

- I still have not completely recovered from covering the floods, etc. (And it keeps pouring today - argh!)
- I am having my 'girl time'. O.k., period. I love being a woman, wouldn't have it any other way, except during the first three days of this lovely week every month. I am so tired, it nearly knocks me out.
- I keep trying to have a life and letting sleep slide to do so. (I know, bad Kate.)

As I sit here typing and yawning I keep thinking about a nap, not working out. But as I bagged a hardcore workout yesterday (which I regretted within minutes of leaving the gym bag at home) because I was tired, today that will not fly.

So instead I am typing this as a hand to eye warning - "Kate, you will move your butt today!" Now, I am going to find caffeine and head out to a remote broadcast, followed by that much needed workout. Which will hopefully wake me up!

Yours in fitness, Kate

Extreme Advice Giving

You know from reading this blog that almost daily I dole out advice to people who seek 'how to lose weight'. It's always the same answer - control your food and up your energy output. Or as they say in the diet industry - calories out should be more than calories in.

When friends really push I will tell them to add in walking and cut their calories by a couple hundred a day and start slow. I have NEVER said - "extreme exercise classes are a great way to start a weight loss journey". But recently that is what a friend heard me say. When he is done losing weight I am sending him to get his hearing checked.

What really happened is this - he got a new job in radio and I suggested that one of the first things he should do was seek an endorsement deal with a gym. Then they could get him with a personal trainer and he could work his way into exercise and proper eating. This of course would lead to a slow and maintainable weight loss.

Not Radio Boy, he went straight to a place that offers extreme body shaping and got them to take him on. He went to the weigh-in, got the primer on what would happen and was ready for the first class.

He's in the first class warming up and things are going well. Then they actually started to work - he excused himself and went to puke... he comes back, starts working hard again - he excused himself and went to puke... he goes back for a third round of work and puke... he goes back to a fourth round - he maintains his composure (or he had no lunch left) and finished without puking again.

Lesson learned here? Even if the doctor clears you and the workout place cashes your check, it doesn't mean you won't puke. It's hell on your body to go from sedentary to training for "300". For most people baby steps are the right move or you (and your gut) will hate the workouts and not continue them.

Radio boy? I am proud to see he keeps going back for punishment. The simple act of puking three times and going back into that gym told me he was likely to. No man pukes from exercise with another man's knowledge and goes back if he's not committed. So, while I wish he had tested the water before he went off the 100 foot high-dive, I am glad he is getting moving none-the-less.

Now, for the sane people reading this, PLEASE consider easing in to exercise. No matter what the ads say, a hard body is not won overnight.

Yours in fitness, Kate

PS - This is a good time for a gratuitous picture of Gerard Butler as King Leonidas in "300", since I mentioned it in the post. ;)

The CrossFit Date

It's hard to believe it was 17 days ago that I tried my first CrossFit workout with Bret. On the other hand it feels like months ago. However, because it was both challenging and fun, I remember it well enough to go ahead and blog about it now.

I went over to Bret's, he has a very nice house with a gym attached to it. Inside is everything you need to workout. It's very nice, he teaches Judo to friends and acquaintances as a way to keep his personal skills sharp. I like him because he likes to challenge himself and I thrive on that too.

He talked me through some of the basics about CrossFit and then proposed a workout. He took it down a notch for me, since I haven't done one before and he kept it standard for him.

Me -
-3 jumping pull-ups
-7 push-ups
-10 body weight squats

Him -
-5 pull-ups
-10 push-ups
-15 body weight squats

We did it each minute, on the minute, for 21 minutes for a total of 20 sets. In between we got between 18-20 seconds rest. It felt awesome. I didn't even hurt the next day. Bret did a little, but he also did more than I did.

I enjoyed the workout enough I am willing to try other CrossFit workouts as well. I will say however, it's not for beginners. It's really a form of working out to take yourself to the next level or face down a new challenge.

As for the rest of the date, you curious bunnies, it was very nice. We showered (separately, thank you), went to dinner at Torrocco! and then to a movie. Afterward we talked until early in the morning. It was very relaxing and interesting.

Well, tomorrow it's on to that friend's adventure in extreme body shaping. Might I suggest, in advance, that you not eat your lunch right before you read the little story.

Yours in fitness, Kate

The Last Two Weeks or so

Looking back at my last two posts I found word errors, my lack of sleep was already showing. Starting June 9 and going through Last Tuesday, June 17 I was in flood coverage mode. Three-a-day press conference, tracking leads, writing reports, updating web pages and recording news reports. Those last three days were the come down period, but I was still working at least 18 hours a day. At the peak I averaged 4 hours a night. My least was the night I slept 1.5 hours fitfully waking up every 10-15 minutes waiting for disaster to strike.

This last week I also coordinated a fundraiser for flood relief for the Red Cross. It was started by a handful of radio stations in Minnesota and bloomed into a 12 city, 15 hour radiothon and website. So far we have raised over $45,000, not too bad considering I helped them throw it together in just 4 days with no budget. We brought things to a close here in Des Moines on KIOA raising a good chunk of that in an hour.

On Friday at 7 p.m. I was able to finally exhale for the first time in really 15 days and look at life again.

During those preceding days though, I was only able to workout ONCE! Last Monday I crammed in a short run, some weights and then later a CrossFit workout. It was good timing as I didn't realize that the next morning the fundraiser was going to broadside me and send me back into 18 hour days.

But let me be clear - I may have worked my ass off, but every second was worth it. I love my job, I love that by getting the facts out to people I can help keep them safe. I love that I can direct people to the services they need and help the authorities to reach thousands of people at once. And I love helping raise money to aid in the recovery - I plan to continue to do that until it's no longer needed. So, despite the lack of workouts, sleep and private life, those 15 days fed my soul in a whole other way.

Not only did I lack sleep and exercise, I also ate like crap. Combine the three for a 9 pound weight gain. Ah, yes, the old Kate rears her ugly head. I took stress eating to a whole new level.

It's over now though. We are truly into recovery mode. The rains have stayed away and my city and state are drying out. The first fundraiser is behind us and Saturday I escaped to Minneapolis for 18 hours. And yesterday I started over.

From the first thing to the last thing I put in my mouth yesterday I ate healthy. I even hid away for a long run and weights session. I have reset. Today I will continue my transition back into my 'normal' life, in fact I am headed to the gym in about 15 minutes. But this whole thing has reminded me, nothing is ever simple and everything requires vigilance.

Tomorrow I promise to start blogging about the things I promised on the 9th. Until then...

Yours in fitness, Kate

Flooding

The flooding and potential flooding in Des Moines is taking all of my time. I didn't even get to workout yesterday. But then, public safety has to be the first concern. As news director for DMRG, that is my job, to get the facts straight and keep people safe.

Because of that I can't promise a post over the next few days. If you want to follow flooding in Iowa and sort of see what I am up to, check one of our websites. The links are to the right on this page.

I better go, I have a press conference in 40 minutes.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... I don't like it

Beginning tip - If you don't like it, you won't do it. So, for example, if you don't like to run, it's a poor choice for your cardio. Find something else you like and will stick with.

I was talking to a lady in the park last week. I was stretching mid-run because my calf was a bit tweaked. I stopped at a bench and she looked up at me and smiled. I took the mp3 speaker out of my ear and smiled back with "hello".

Her: You're pretty in shape, huh?
Me: I try.
Her: I hate to run, that's why I don't exercise.
Me: Running isn't your only option, there's lots of fun choices. Have you tried (fill in _________ with litany of options given by Kate, met with head shaking by woman)?
Her: Don't really like to exercise.
Me: O.k.

I put my ear bud in and gear up to go. She waves at me to take it out again, I do.

Her: Any other ideas on how to lose weight?
Me: (Trying not to chuckle) Uh, no.

And I ran down the path. She didn't want exercise ideas, she wanted the magic pill everyone else does. I don't have it for her or anyone else. What I do have is simple advice: If you are willing to add movement to your life and easy reasonably, you will see improvements in weight and fitness.

You can not take that first step in fitness by doing something you hate. You will not stick with it, you will burn out fast, injure yourself or make excuses about 'not having any time' until you lose your breath and pass out.

This may sound basic, but if you don't like it, don't do it. When I started, the very idea of running made me want to puke. But I enjoyed walking, even if I couldn't get very far, very fast. So I walked. As I hit my peak walking speed I realized there was a next step that made sense for me, so I started running. Not everyone makes that jump, but it is possible to become more open to something you hate.

But when you are starting out, you have to choose something you like, so that every day you look froward to doing it.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Preview of the week: Tomorrow it's my CrossFit adventure on my date; Wednesday it's a friend's adventure in extreme boding shaping; Thursday is a recap of my work for the week so far; Friday is a look at my first week of swimming.

Sunday Inspiration - That Oprah

This episode actually aired in November, but I didn't see it then. I watched part of it as I did stairs earlier this week at the gym. It was a great motivator for two reasons - it reminded me of where I had been AND these people did it the right way, reassuring me I had too.

All of these people lost their weight through modifying their eating habits and exercise. They are heroes and should be revered for not 'taking the easy way out' with surgery. (Too painful too be easy, frankly.) Or taking pills that would damage their liver or soil their pants. They make have been down the fad diet road before, but believe me good sense and Bob Greene (Oprah's trainer) won out this time.

These people did what I have done and what anyone can do, if they care enough, saved their own lives. Read their stories at Oprah's Website.

Yours in health, Kate