7Sar Winner and other Randomness

We have a winner! Congratulations to Julia who is the winner of my 7SAR adventure race giveaway. For some cyber space reason her comment in MIA, but I know it was there in the beginning. :)

If you didn't win, and would still like to come out and play I have discount codes:

3 mile course: $35 off with code BLOG35

7 mile course: $70 off with code BLOG70

I set up a team called "Running from Failure" if you'd like to run with Julia and I. We are planning to be in the 10 AM heat. They will put teams in the same heat. Trust me, I know it's scary to do your 1st obstacle course race. I KNOW! Just give it a shot.....

Other Randomness

I havent' been sleeping well lately. Not really sure why. The start of the school year is always stressful. I seem to be taking way more to bed with me lately. For the teachers out there I have been dreaming about Read to Self and doing data analysis on math problems. No good at all.

I am taking 2 rest days this week. Last week I wrote about how much I hate exercise right now. Exercise makes me feel better, but not when I have so much resentment towards finding the time. Today is a school day, training after school, and then open house (8:00 AM-7:30 PM kind of day). I chose to not get up at 5:30 and run. Hopefully I'll be able to walk the track for a bit at my lunch today. 

Eating has been ok with the exception of the new candy bowl in my room. First thing on the list today is to put the candy bowl up high in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind. My water intake has been reduced in the last few days and I am noticing a difference in my skin. Starting the day off with a full water bottle.

Kids are busy with sports. Sissy is doing swimming twice a week for 2 more weeks + soccer on Saturdays. Bug is doing soccer twice a week with yours truly as his soccer coach. I have no idea what I'm doing, but we had fun at the first practice. I figure they are 5 and 6, so having fun is all that matters. 

I'm off to get my day started.

How are you?

~Kari

Functional Fitness

Search for functional fitness on the web and you'll find:

functional fitness

Web definitions

1. The ability to perform normal daily activities around the house or at work, without undue fatigue.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Somewhere in my journey it became less about losing weight and more about "functional fitness". More about being able to go on rides at the amusement park. More about fitting in to booths at restaurants. 
   
   
   
   
   On Friday we had an emergency at school. The actual cause of the emergency doesn't really matter, but at one point we had 4 ambulances, 3 fire trucks, 40 plus sick kids/teachers and news reporters over head. I teach at a big elementary school (around 500 students). Kids were sitting with their amazing teachers, paramedics were assessing kids, parents were starting to arrive after hearing all the emergency vehicles. 
   
   
   What did I do? 
   
   
   I ran.
   
   
   I ran to each line to make sure everyone in that group was ok.
   
   
   I ran to get kids whose parent's had arrived to take them home.
   
   
   I ran to check on kids/teachers that were with the paramedics.
   
   
   I ran to get water.
   
   
   I ran to carry tables. 
   
   
   I ran to check on my own children that were safe.
   
   
   I ran to print directions to the hospitals.
   
   
   I ran.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Was I tired at the end of the day? As Sissy would say, DUH!
   
   
   My fatigue wasn't from all the running, it was an emotional fatigue from the day. My calves cramped up that night, but they carried me through the day. 
   
   
   The ability to perform normal daily activities around the house or at work, 

   without undue fatigue.

   
   

   While this wasn't a "normal" day, I was able to perform the necessary activities because of the priority I have made in my life to fitness. I assure you that I was not the only one running that day, but I was one.
   
   
   ~Kari
   
   

Race Entry Giveaway- 7SAR

What are you doing on October 12th? 

Me? I'll be participating in the 7SAR adventure race in Seattle (really it's in McClearly), WA. Never heard of 7SAR? Here's a description from their website:

7SAR - 7 Summits Adventure Race simulates the experiences and challenges from the continent's highest summits into one single 7-mile obstacle course race, including an optional 3-mile course.  Competitors will attack multiple obstacles including Elbrus' barbed-wire crawl, Carstensz's Pyramid zipline flyover, and Everest's Khumbu Ice Fall's ladder.

At first glance I said NO WAY to a 7 mile race. I could totally run 7 miles, but not with things in my way. Thankfully I kept reading and saw the 3 mile option. 

Reasons to get excited about this race:

- It's the 1st time in Wa! You will be a part of history.

- Free mud!

- Cool themed obstacles based on the different continents. The 3 milers only get to see 3 continents.

- Over 20 obstacles in the 7 mile race. Based on the course map it looks like there are 6 obstacles in the 3 mile race. 

- A medal if you complete 7 miles. I thought about the 7 just for a cool medal, but am playing it safe and only doing 3 this year.

- Mega bragging rights! 

- Another opportunity to prove to yourself how far you've come. 

COME RACE WITH ME!!!!! 

The race directors have given me a free entry to this race for myself and one of give away to one of you! This one is easy to enter. Tell me where you'd like to travel if you could visit any continent and you will be entered to win. I will draw a name at random next Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 8 PM PST. 

But there's more! (In my best infomercial voice) I also have discount codes for people that don't win or don't want to wait to win:

3 mile course: $35 off with code BLOG35

7 mile course: $70 off with code BLOG70

What are you waiting for????

~Kari

* Please note that there is a $15 required insurance. Winner is required to pay this fee.

Is Onederland Possible???

In weight loss world reaching Onederland seems to be one of those BIG goals. People cheer. Something magical happens when you are suddenly, or not so suddenly, below 200 pounds. I had to dig deep into my blog to find that magical day. I finally found the post on January 10, 2011. 197 pounds. I was 30 pounds away for a "healthy" BMI. 

Do you ever go back and read old posts? I think it should be a requirement for bloggers. :) There are a few of you that have been reading my blog since the beginning. Looking back at those posts from 2011 made me laugh. I was complaining about the same things- fluid retention, I hate recording, why can't I be skinny. 

I continue to record my food, I'm still diet coke free, I've replaced my yummy creamer with plain old milk. I'm down to 209 from my highest gain of 216. Good things are happening and yet it's still not enough. I want to be under 200 again, BUT I want to be under 200 without having to starve myself. I want to be under 200 without getting dizzy all the time. I want to be under 200 and still be able to go out with friends without worrying constantly about the food. I want to be under 200 and live a normal life. 

Is that possible? 

I got down to 193 eating 1200 calories a day and exercising 6 days a week. My hair was falling out, my nails were brittle, I was under nourished, I survived on wheat thins and cheese sticks. 

Is it possible to be in Onederland while maintaining a normal calorie range and healthy (non obsessive) exercise routines?

Let's find out together.....

~Kari

Confession: I hate exercise right now

Life is crazy busy! I feel like I could tattoo that on my forehead and just point when people ask me how I am. School is back with full force. Sissy is in swim lessons twice a week . I've had several late night meetings over the past two weeks. Soccer for Bug starts next week (I get to be the coach). Birthday celebrations last weekend along with my Free to Breathe Run. Making lunches in the morning sucks. Something is leaking under my sink and I can't figure it out. It's hot. Recording food takes time. I'm busy. MANY of you are busy. I get it. I'm living it. Even good stuff can be EXHAUSTING!

I love to exercise, but right now I am so tired that the thought of making time for exercise is exhausting. I know that if I squeeze it in that I will feel better. I know that it's important. 

Today was a rest day. Rest from exercise. I still had 2 meetings after work and wasn't home until 7 PM.

I'm tired. 

Tomorrow morning I am going to get up and run before work. Why before work instead of after school   ? It's simple. I don't want to HAVE to do anything after school so it is easier to get my workout over with before anyone else is even awake. It's not the exercise that i hate, but just the additional drain on my time. 

I don't want to resent my exercise time, but at this moment I really do. 

SIGH....

I'm tired.

~Kari

Free to Breathe Run with Family and Friends

It's my birthday weekend! It just so happens that there is a Free to Breathe run in my town on my birthday week/weekend. Nearly 4 years ago my dad passed away from lung cancer. Free to Breathe raises funds for lung cancer research. For the last 3 years I have run in my dad's memory. Last year Baby girl and my brother ran for "papa". Yesterday my entire family, along with some good friends, ran/walked with me. 

This year was especially emotional. I'm not sure exactly why, but I was very reflective on this run.

I was on track for a PR when I ran into the husband and the kids. They were planning to do the 1 mile course. Apparently the 1 mile course was a different route and they ended up on the 3 mile course. I caught them at the 1 mile marker. Those silly kids created their own 2 mile course. :) Seeing the kids required stopping, getting hugs, and making promises of granola bars at the end.

I finished strong (right around 37 minutes) and ran back to cheer. My amazing friend Julia had already finished so I found her on the sidelines. We waited...then what do we see???? There is Baby girl running her heart out!

I love that look of determination in her eyes. She's got this! I see me. Last year when she "ran" this she had to be carried/dragged the last mile. Here she is running in the last 1/4 mile. I handed my camera off to Julia and ran with her until almost the finish line. SHE DID IT! Best of all she beat the boys. She called beating the boys "unnatural", but I assured her is was the most natural thing she could do. Next up were the boys. They were good sports about the extra mile and also ran in the final leg. SO proud of them. Bug is convinced that he won. You did Bug, you did. :)

I miss my dad. Terribly. There are times when I feel like he is still on a trip and will be back soon. My run yesterday allowed me to be close to him again. Even if it was just for an hour. My family and friends being a part of this even was the best part. Sharing fitness with others brings me such joy!

We run for Papa. Who could you run for? It's too late to run at the event, but Free to Breathe has events all of the US. Have you run in one before? Check them out!

Also, if you can't run/walk, but would like to donate my donation page is still open. :) 

One more just cause he's so stinking cute! 

~Kari

I think about losing weight

Always answer No! Why do people start a conversation with "Can I ask you a personal question"? I had, for the first time ever, a stranger ask me about my scars at the water park this weekend. It went like this:

Complete stranger: Can I ask you a personal question?

Me: Of course

C.S.: How did you get the scar on your arm?

Me: Oh! I lost 165 pounds and had an arm lift. (Baby girl added- "And she has scars on her tummy too". Thanks, honey, thanks)

C.S: That's what I thought. I need to lose weight. I've thought about losing weight. How did you lose your weight?

Me: Through food journaling and exercise. It took a long time. I lost 2-3 pounds a week for a year and a half. Some weeks I didn't lose anything.

C.S: I need to lose 100 pounds. That seems hard. I think about losing weight. Do you feel better?

Me: Yes (Then I went on, and on, and on about all the things that I can do now that I am healthy)

C.S.: I think about losing weight.


Whew! We made it to the front of the line. Down the slide we went!

Here's the thing.... You need to do more than just think about losing the weight. It takes work. It takes commitment. It requires doing the same things day after day, even when you don't feel like it.

Today will be a challenge for me when it comes to food- PMS, first day of school (super busy), not enough sleep last night, Red Robin for dinner tonight. I could just blow off today, but I won't.

I continue to make the right choices because I want to be able to go down water slides so that complete strangers can ask me about my scars.

What steps are you taking today towards a healthier version of you?

~Kari

Phew!

This is been a crazy week. School is getting ready to start on Wednesday and, as most teachers around this country, I have been busy with trainings, meetings, and classroom set-up. My job is to work with teachers. I get to see their dedication and commitment to being the best that they can be for your child, for my children. Be sure to thank a teacher this week. :)

Last week I posted about a 6 pound gain and how very frustrated I was feeling about not being able to stop gaining. I went back to what I knew- recording. I added some friends on My Fitness Pal. Thank you so much for people that added me!!! I started the NROLW again. I tracked everything I ate.

I lost 7 pounds this week!

Ignore the tweet from @Irisheyes1982 She photo bombed my screen shot. :)

Don't worry that I am starving myself. I'm still eating. I promise! Check out my diaries from the week. I've been eating 1400-1800 calories a day depending on my workouts. The husband reminded me that 2 days before my minor freak out post last week that I had gone out to Mexican. Sodium is not kind to my body. I am sure that a large part of my loss this week was due to increasing my water and flushing out all that sodium. 

I won't give water all the credit. I worked hard this week. I weighed food again. I measured out portions. I listened to my body's signals and stopped eating when I was full. I even recorded on a Saturday which is usually my "cheat" day.

My favorite thing from this week was the arrival of our new fridge. Forever I've wanted a fancy fridge with ice and water in the door. We have one now! :) I love it for many reasons, but most of all because the kids are drinking a ton more water. I'm looking forward to making smoothies with ice as the base. I've always done frozen fruit, but love doing fresh fruit and ice. 

Your jobs this week:

- Hug a teacher (at least a nice thank you)

- Come be my friend on MyFitnessPal: fergukj

- Pat yourself on the back for helping me. This blog is such a great outlet and support for me. I can't tell you how often I think about my blog friends when it's hard and people around me are sick of hearing about weight loss/fitness/my new recording app. Thank you! :)

~Kari