Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Just for Today

What can I do?
How can I help?
Is there anything that you need?


I'm struggling with food.
I'm struggling with drinking enough water.
I'm struggling with oversnacking.

 
I have amazing support systems.
I know what to eat.
I have all of the tools that I need.
 
Here's the thing- my behavior doesn't match my goals. I want to be strong and have the defenition in my body to prove it! I want to be faster. I have this nagging goal to PR in my next 5k. I want need my clothes to fit.
 
So why doesn't my behavior match my goals?
 
I feel better when I record and eat in my calorie range.
I feel better when my clothes fit comfortably.
I feel better when I'm lifting and am sore the next day.
 
Why doesn't my behavior match my goals???
 
*Dusts self off and gets off the floor*
 
My goals today are:
- Record my food
- Swim
- Drink 64 oz of water
 
I only have today. Today my behavior will match my goals.
 
~Kari 
 


Sunday, July 27, 2014

Miss me???

Eeek! I haven't posted in nearly 2 weeks. Life has been hopping around here in all good ways.

After my triathlon things got really busy. My son had his 7th birthday party. He may be the cutest kid in town. It was a Minecraft party that this mamma somehow (with a huge nod to Pinterest) was able to put together.  



Then it was time to pack! Over a year ago, my mom and I booked a trip for an Alaskan cruise. The kids were staying home with daddy. I spent the week making lists, cleaning, and trying to make the home as "mommy's gone, what do we do" ready. 

The cruise was amazing. People told me that I would love it, but I had no idea. (Side note- I did puke the entire first day. Did not love that part. I block out that day when talking about the cruise.)

We saw beautiful sights, ate too much food, and spend many an hour lounging poolside. I did get in a few runs. There was a  running track on the top of the boat. Running has taken me to some pretty cool places, but this view took the prize. When I ran I saw this:


On the cruise I read a few books. I'm not a reader, but found that when I have nothing else to do that reading isn't that bad. ;) The one that is fitness related is called Eat and Run. Have you read it?! This guy is a vegan and an ultra marathoner. Reading his book I was really challenged to think more about my food and how it fuels me AND how it makes me feel after run. 

Lots more to say, but I gotta run and wanted to check in with everyone. 

How are you????

~Kari



Tuesday, July 15, 2014

I Earned This

Standing at the starting line of my latest race I heard comments like this:

" I haven't trained at all"

" I did ride my bike 10 miles the other day, but that's about it"
" This is my first race of the season, I should have started working out sooner"

I stood there terrified about what was about to happen. I thought about all of my training. I thought about how far I've come.

Part of me got super irritated with these people who didn't need to train. They didn't spend hours a week preparing for this race. They weren't terrified about coming in last.

For the swim leg I stuck with a group of athletes. Some had trained. Some decided last weekend to do a triathlon. We all came from different places. We all had our own story to tell. It dawned on me about half way through the swim that I had earned this race. I worked hard to get to a place where I can compete in a triathlon. I'm not a natural athlete. None of this comes easy to me. NONE of it.

Getting upset with people that do not need to train is not helpful for me. Nothing positive or helpful can come out of dwelling on what comes easy to others. Them not needing to train does not help me reach my goals. The feeling of "it's not fair" does not move me further towards my goals. There are things that do come easy for me (being social, relating to others, showing compassion) that are not easy for others. We all have our strengths. Just because fitness does not come easy does not mean that my goals, your goals, are not obtainable.  

I met my goal for the race, but was disappointed that I wasn't faster. WHAT?! I MET MY GOAL! Comparing my successes to that of others creates in me a feeling of failure that isn't helpful to anyone.

My goals. My story. My success.

~Kari

Monday, July 14, 2014

Lakewood Summerfest Triathalon Race Recap

You train. You plan. You set out your gear. The race starts. The race ends. You get post-race blues. I'm writing today in a yucky place, but wanted to be sure to get out my recap before I forget stuff. 

Choosing a local tri was a great idea! We got up around 6 AM with a plan to be at the lake to rack my bike by 7. The kids were having a sleepover at Grandma's house so that the husband could take me to the starting line. I love having him there while I wait for the start. It's nice to have a familiar face in the crowd. 

This race had a split transition, which was a new experience for me. We dropped off our bikes and swim gear (bike, helmet, headband, sun glasses, goggles, cap, fuel, socks and shoes). Then we drove to T2 and dropped off what I needed for the running leg (tshirt with bib # pre pinned- my best idea of the day!, fuel belt with another bottle of water, and hat). We have had high for us (mid/upper 80's) temps and I knew I'd need extra water. They promised extra water stops, but you never know what that will mean. 

Back to the lake. Our timing was perfect and we only had to wait for like 25 minutes before getting on wetsuits. Wetsuit on! Pre-race meeting. The guy talked a lot about the bike course, but I couldn't concentrate at all on that. I was staring at this: 



The buoys were so far out!!! My friend, Andi, pointed out that there were 4- red, yellow, red, yellow. The reds were straight and the yellows were a turn. 2 turns. I have to turn twice. I started repeating red-yellow-red-yellow. One buoy at a time. We got in the water and warmed up. My wetsuit was amazing! Back on the shore for the start. I had a plan- wait for all the crazy people to start and then I'd start. No need to get kicked in the face! My plan worked. I started out once the rush was over. Red buoy down- feeling strong, still doing crawl stroke, face still in the water. Yellow buoy- the turn got a little harry, lots of bodies, turn complete. 2nd red buoy- people are getting tired, I've still got this. Final yellow- this turn was easier, THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND ME!, feeling amazing. Straight swim to the orange finish buoys and I'm done. Not going to lie, I was tired, but felt so.much.more confident than my swim a year ago. I had already won this tri. :) My unofficial time was 21 minutes on my watch. That's 6 minutes and a whole lot less stressful than my swim a year ago. I was through the moon excited. 

T1 was uneventful. I saw people hopping in to their bike shoes while I was busy drying feel and lacing up. I think I am going to start clipping in. THAT scares me.

Next was the bike course- 14 miles. It was a fairly easy course with a few ups and one HUGE down. On the down part I looked down at one point and was going 28 MPH. WHEEEEE! That was fast. My bike did great until the last half mile. I had down shifted in to first for a big hill and then it wouldn't go back in to 2nd for the last little bit of the course. I decided to not force it for fear that my chain would fall off. Thankfully there was only a half mile left and I made it work. 

The bike took right about 1:10 minutes. I'll come back and put in official times as soon as they are posted. :)

T2 was a breeze. That's the bonus of riding in running shoes- no need to change my shoes. Swapped my helmet for my hat and I was off. By this point it was HOT. I wasn't too tired, but the heat was definitely getting to me. 

The start of the run was brutal! The first half mile (totally just a random guess form a girl that was already an hour and a half in to her race) was straight up a giant hill. The run was in a grassy/gravelly/paced field around a lake. If I had known the run terrain then I would have brought my trail shoes. My road shoes didn't love the gravel. 



I spied a guy in the distance that had been just a little bit ahead of me during the bike leg. My goal was to keep his pace. When he ran, I ran. When he walked, I walked. He had no idea I was watching him! 

At one point I finally caught up to him. He looked like he wanted to quit. I told him he couldn't cause then I'd be quitting. He mentioned that he couldn't because he'd cramp up. I totally got that and reflected back to when I stopped during my first half to stretch. SUCH A BAD IDEA! I was excited to see that guy cross the finish line just a little after me. He told his wife that I was his pacer. I guess we helped each other. His wife took a picture of us together. Totally random and such a great example of why I love this running community. 

I heard another runner say that we had a mile left in the run. Ok, I can do a mile. I started counting one one-thousands up to fifty one-thousands. Over and over again. Each time I got to 50 one-thousands I'd switch between running and walking. I don't know how many times I did this, but it got me to the finish line. As I rounded the corner I saw my family, my friend Andi that was also competing, and my running partner Julia who came just to surprise me at the finish line. She asked me earlier that day my goal for finishing. My goal time was 2:15. Look at what I did! 

Beat my goal by a whole 8 seconds! 

Hugs and kisses for everyone! The sad part was that due to some photo difficulties we only got one good picture. It was of me and Andi. She ran a great race herself and beat her goal time by 5 minutes. SUPER proud of her. 

Post race- We did it!!!

I loved, loved, loved this race.

Things I loved:
- being local
- great on course support (signs, water stations, people giving directions, lots of arrows)
- bike course rocked!
- not super competitive
- very friendly

My mantra's during this race were:
- I am strong than this challenge
- Just keep pedaling

This is definitely one that I will do again!


I'll leave you with a funny story- After the race there was a festival. Of course the kids wanted to go-go-go and play-play-play. We took them over and started the playing. I totally forgot about my bike and gear. Ooops! 2 hours later and I remembered. I ran over to get my bike and the guy was almost done tearing everything down. There was my lowly bike. I apologized profusely. I am sure he thought I was insane! Next year- must remember to get bike after race. 

~Kari


I mentioned earlier that I had the post-race blues. This recap actually helped me to process them a bit. I'm considering a time goal for my next 5k that scares me a little bit. I'll share more about that once I have the specifics in place. 






Friday, July 11, 2014

Stronger than this challenge?!

Last summer I *almost* signed up for the Lakewood Summerfest Tri and then I watched their promo video. In the video there are fewer than 200 (maybe even 100) participants. I knew that my first tri had to be BIG. A requirement was that I could get lost in the crowds. I got lost in the Iron Girl crowds. It was perfect! 

Confession- I love triathlons so.much.more than half marathon or other running races. 

I feel better when I'm tri training. Balanced. I don't get bored with my workouts. I push hard, but don't have to worry about the fatigue/sickness/time required to train for distances more than a 10k. 

Iron Girl was not in the cards this year because of vacation plans. That left me with a tri hole that had to be filled. I remembered Lakewood. I knew I couldn't get lost in that crowd. A friend was signing up. She's way faster than me. I can't hide. Looking at last years times I am pretty sure I will be in the back of the pack and possibly last. I've never been last.  

The husband will stay with me until I get out of the lake and then he'll go pick up the kids and they will meet me at the finish line. I figured it would be a good lesson for Sissy to see me finishing (even if it's last) to help prepare her for her first triathlon next month. 

I signed up. I'm doing (participating in? running? completing ) the Lakewood Summerfest Tri tomorrow morning. I've trained. I'm WAAAAAY more comfortable with the open water swim than I was a year ago. I am ready!?

I saw this on Facebook this week:


I am stronger than this challenge.
This challenge is making me even stronger. 

Not going to lie- I am terrified to be last. I know that people won't laugh at me. I know that doing my personal best is all that matters. I plan on having fun. I'm still scared. The swimming is hard for me. Once I'm out of the water I'll be able to breathe again. I have 3 hours to finish the race. Last year I finished Iron Girl in 2:15. Even if I have a REALLY bad ride, I'll still finish in 3 hours. 

Tomorrow, and really every day, the challenge for me is being OK with where I'm at and not comparing my success to the success of others. 

I've got this! (Right????)

~Kari




Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Running with Sissy- Take 2

My first attempt to run with baby girl FAILED in huge ways. HUGE!

She's training for her first triathlon.

We had to TRI again. ;)

Before this next run a few things changed:

- Baby girl got new shoes
- She changed from pants to shorts
- We ran early in the morning to avoid the heat
- We agreed on a 2 min/30 sec walk/run interval (Jeff Galloway would be proud!)

No biking today, so "we" (really me with a super encouraging voice) decided to do a full mile instead of half a mile. 

We started off and she was on fire. After the first run segment she announced that we could probably do a 45 sec run. My heart skipped a beat. I decided to stick with the 30 sec run this time and told her we could try 45 seconds next time. 

1/2 mile mark. Everyone is feeling strong. She set the pace. We were 10:30 min in to the run. Turn around point- HURRAY!

The second half of the run was a roaring success. The pivotal conversation was this:

Sissy: "Mommy, I know that even if I'm last that I will still win. Do you know why?"

Me: (GRINNING from ear to ear) Why Honey?

Sissy: "You have a magnet on the fridge it says something like 'The miracle isn't that I finished, but that I started'. That means that just doing it is winning. Right?"

Me: RIGHT!

We finished in 18:30. We had a negative split! We noticed that we both have pink Nike shoes. We made plans to get matching laces. We ran a mile. We rock!



~Kari





Sunday, July 6, 2014

Those darn voices (The Sissy version)

Negative self talk can be a beast when working out. Sissy is training for her first triathlon. We were doing a 1.5 mile bike ride and a .5 mile run. After the first rotation of her pedals I heard:

- My pants are too hot.
- It's too hot.
- Why didn't we train in the morning?
- I'm already tired.
- My hands are sweaty.
- This is too hard.
- Why are you making me do this?
- This is a stupid idea. 
- Of course you are faster, you have experience.

Then the bike ride ended. 

I never answered a single complaint. I answered every concern with:
- I'm so proud of you.
- You're so strong.
- You can do this.

Next was a half mile run. The plan was to do a 2 minute walk/1 minute run for a total distance of half a mile.

The complaints continued...
- I'm too tired to run.
- This is too hard.
- My pants are sticky.
- I don't want to run.
- I can't do this.
- I'm dying. 
- See, I can't even run for a whole minute. (I was too ambitious and should have started with a shorter interval. Next time we'll do 30 second runs.)
- What if I fail?

Mommy's answer: "You won't we always finish"

There it is. What if I fail?

We finished the workout. She was hot and super sweaty. I was SO proud of her. She vocalized what all of us have felt on long workouts, but she didn't give up. Truthfully, I am surprised that we didn't end of sitting on the sidewalk having  a pity party. I have been known to text hubby that it's too hard when I'm too tired. My hope is to build on today's success and continue to push her. I told her that to grow we must get a little uncomfortable. There is such a delicate balance with kids.Today I am thankful that I can be out there with her getting a little uncomfortable. 

Honestly, I'm scared to scare her away from fitness. I try to make it fun and more "game" like, but she sees right through that stuff. I'd appreciate ANY and all suggestions. 

~Kari




Wednesday, July 2, 2014

But I Can't Touch

I shared a little bit the other day about how I had to be super brave and put my face in the water. Well, my brave meter was increased by about a 1000 percent thanks to a good friend. 

Andi has been attended a few OWS clinics and offered to take me out in the lake that we will be swimming in for our next Tri. I couldn't pass up that opportunity! 

It was packed when we arrived at the lake. Any time it gets over 80 degrees in Washington people flock to the water. 

We got on our wetsuit (people stared and mumbled about how we must be scuba divers......ummmm, no.) and started to wade in to the water. Last time I swam it was always, always, always where I could touch. Andi kept walking. Very soon we were in water where I could no longer touch. Eeeekkk!!

We went past the official swim area to the DEEEEPPPP water. I really couldn't touch at this point. Andi mentions that she is life guard certified. Oh, good, she can drag me to the shore when I start downing. 

From buoy to buoy it's 50 yards (at least that is what Andi said....). We started to swim between the same 2 buoys. The first time I think I only did crawl stroke twice and breast the rest of the time. The good news is that I never once had to flip over on to my back. When the boats would start coming in it was really hard to not swallow a ton of lake water. Each time we stopped I was reminded that I can't touch. I can't touch and it's OK. 

Every "chunck" of swims I noticed that I was able to do more and more crawl. I got to a place where I would do crawl for 3-4 breaths and then breast stroke for 5 strokes. It worked for me. :) 

It's not pretty and I'm still not fast, but I have a method that will get me through my 1/2 mile swim next Saturday. Andi offered to take me out again next week so that I can get a little more time in the lake before the race. I'm feeling so much better about the whole situation, even thought I can't touch. 

Just keep swimming!

~Kari


About Me

My photo
On June 19, 2009 I started my weight loss journey. It has become quite the journey! As of today (2-1-11) I have lost 162 pounds and have gained a whole new life. This blog is a continuation of my journey. I hope to inspire and encourage others through my process.