801 Grand Power Climb

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Power Climb a great success. 828 climbers came out today and have so far raised over $130,000 for the American Lung Association of Iowa.

That includes Annette who didn't feel well and still finished in a respectable time. As you know I had to skip the climb this year because of this stupid knee of mine.

It was so fun to see the behind the scenes parts, last year I was too busy climbing. Man were there a lot of gorgeous firefighters there. Even if I wasnLt committed to the cause, that would motivate me to be there.

I'll be there next year, climbing and organizing.

Yours in health, Kate

Another Weekend at Work

I am very tired. Yesterday was a 12 hour day at work. Now, I am back at work. In fact, I got here at 5:30 a.m. and will be here until noon. I have a lot to do in that time. I am very glad to be employed, especially with recent layoffs here, but I am still getting kind of burned out.

It doesn't help that I woke up with another sore throat and achy. I just did two rounds of antibiotics, all the crud should be gone.

I really can't afford to be sick. I can't afford to have my knee throb like it is again this morning. I just got back into the swing of working out and eating right.

When I am stressed I want to eat. Luckily this week I have been too busy to really overeat. But when I am this tired, I get lazy. Hopefully I will be able to work my way through the brambles and stay on track.

As for the knee, I plan to ice it here in a little while. Then later this afternoon I will put on my knee brace and workout anyway.

I was feeling great earlier this week, I had energy again. I felt like the old me, bouncy and able to face off with any challenge. This morning I just feel ick. Maybe I just need coffee. :)

Yours in health, Kate

Finally, the end of the day

This will be very short. I have worked 12 hours, I am going home.

Did not get a workout in because of work and the fact that my knee is throbbing. In fact, the knee is bad enough I might not have gone to the gym, even if there had magically been time.

That being said, after working from 5:30a to Noon tomorrow and going to a lunch for my step-grandmother's birthday - I am going to the gym - period.

Now, I am going home to my turkey burger.

Yours in health, Kate

bodybugg

I love mine. I am becoming addicted to know how many calories I expend in a day. This sucker keeps track of calories burned and steps taken. I plug it in and bam - I know where I am for the day.

Add that to my religiously logging food (a.k.a the FLog) again and I am on my way.

Just two weeks in to my recommitment to me and I have more energy. Thank goodness, because it was getting brutally hard to work 10 and 11 hours day every day. At least now when I walk away I still have energy to go home and get dinner before passing out. :)

Didn't get a workout in today, because work ran so long. But that's o.k. I have every intention of making this my one and only day off this week.

Yours in health, Kate

P.S. - Lori fixed an extremely low cost, reasonably caloried and very tasty meal last night for dinner. I will ask her to post it on her blog and link over.

I'm too tired to overeat

This will be a very short post. I am on hour 11 of my work day. I dipped out for one hour to meet with my new trainer. I'm exhausted.

If I don't sleep well tonight, I have no idea what is wrong with me. Right now my problem is lack of spelling and typing ability, hence the briefness.

Actually worked out hard with the trainer today. I liked it.

Now I need food.

Yours in fitness, Kate

New Me on Monday

That's a little omage to one of Lori's favorite bands, Duran Duran. But then again, there were very few of us who escaped lusting after John Taylor.

Today was the beginning of week two of getting back in touch with my health. I am eating right and exercising, now I want a professional to back me up. So, I am paying for a trainer to kick me in the pants with both.

My new trainer is Desiree. She got her start working at Curves and decided helping people make real changes was a calling. She's petite and fit as hell. She may be shorter than me, but I am pretty sure she could take me. That's what I need - fear. Nah, just kidding.

But it is nice to have someone ready to answer my questions, guide me and want my success as much as I do. Honestly, I will miss trainer Traci, because she became a friend. But new gym and a new trainer may be exactly the remedy to my tailspin.

Today was just get to know the program and online service for logging foods. I also went ahead and bought my friend Lori's Bodybugg. It's an armband that keeps track of energy output.

I am hoping that between the bugg and a trainer I should be able to figure out what works and what doesn't for me. The gym subscribes to the Apex system. They say there are five elements to success - food intake, cardio training, supplements, weight training and personal assistance.

I felt a little like I was in boot camp when trainer D told me I need memorize those. However, she assured me she isn't Jillian. LOL. Hopefully that is the case, I can't imagine I would take that well. No matter how much I want to do this right. ;)

Yours in fitness, Kate

Biggest Loser Update

Up to this point I have been encouraging everyone else while eating cookies. This week I took the reins and am back in the saddle. (My love of horse is showing.)

With eating right and exercising back into the daily habits category I was ready for today's weigh-in.

I ended up with a 2.6 pound loss. That's not bad. The super-control-freak in me wants more.

So I will have to work harder.

Everyone in the familly is doing well. But Gordon is kicking all our asses. LOL. That's to be expected, he's even more competitive than me.

Yours in fitness, Kate