Numbers not words tell the story....

Let me be completely honest - I SUCK at math. The sight of fractions makes me want to hide under the covers. Balancing my checkbook, ummm...not so much. It seems like the only time I am a pro with numbers is when I figure out how much more time I have to sleep before I absolutely HAVE to get up and get ready for work.

So it was extremely difficult when I actually had to sit down and crunch the numbers to see what it would take to not only loose the weight I gained, but accomplish my goal of completing this half marathon. When it came down to it, I had 65 pounds to loose. And, I needed to run about 200 miles or more to make sure I could finish the half marathon. At the 7 week mark, this is how I fair:

Weight Lost: 15.25 pounds
Need To Loose: 49.25

Miles Ran: 90
Miles to Go: 110
*BONUS: I added another 75 miles of walking in for 165 miles total traveled on foot! That's like 1 round trip for me to work plus an additional 45 miles.

So really, crunching all of these numbers will equal 1 healthy, happier, more confident me.

Sweatin' to the Bikram

I love my friend D that lives in Vegas. I have known her since the 5th grade. She has this electric personality. You know how some people seem to walk around with a rain cloud overhead, well instead of a cloud, D has a sun. Not just the normal sun, but the rays that shine down if you happened to be sunbathing on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil on the equator. So, it's fitting that she lives in one of the only cities that you can apparently see all lit up from outer space.

I am mentioning D because she told me about this yoga class she tried a while back where you do yoga in a super hot room. She said that it was her goal to just stay in the room the first class. At first, I was like, woman... are you nuts? First of all, you live in VEGAS... it's a zillion trillion degress there already! You could just lock yourself in your car for like 10 minutes and get the same effect.

But then I started to do some investigating. I like yoga. I had several "do it yourself" yoga DVDs throughout my life, I even have a yoga book for babies, and yes... one for cats. I will say that the cats didn't like it so much. Nonetheless, I hopped on line and did some digging. What I found totally surprised me.

Birkram Yoga is a series of 26 yoga poses developed by a man from India by the name of Bikram Choudhury. The neat part about this type of yoga is that it's done in a room with a temperature of approximately 150 degrees and 40% humidity.

So why the crazy heat? It is said that the heat is a major part of what makes this yoga so special. It was explained to me that the heat takes a lot of the trauma out of the stretching allowing a person to go much deeper into the stretch in a shorter amount of time, thus accelerating the results. Also, it helps flush all of the garbage out of your body.

So after all of the research, I found a local Bikram yoga center in Grosse Pointe Park. I made a commitement to go last night, the 7:30 class. As I pulled into the center's parking lot, I was trying to convince myself to go. I admit it, I was nervous. I hate heat. I love air conditioning. Thoughts raced through my head, what if I pass out? What if I barf? But I remembered that D didn't barf, and it was her goal to make it through the class. So I said to myself, if she can do it... so can I.

I will tell you that it's not a lie... it's hot. However, to me, I found the heat to be relaxing. After paying my fee (which included a little extra for a mat and a towel), I stepped into the room, laid my towel down, and myself as well, and just laid there. I immediately began to sweat. But again... it wasn't as bad as I thought.

The class went by pretty fast. You spend about 30 minutes warming up, working on breathing. The next 30 is spent doing several standig poses that are way too difficult to describe. However, even if you are a beginner, there are ways to do the poses and still achieve a successful workout. However, I will say I started to get a little dizzy during the standing part. I was happy to learn that the last half hour was spent on the ground. At least if I was going to pass out... I wouldn't be that far from the ground anyway.

All in all my first Bikram Yoga experience was outstanding. I haven't ever sweated that much in my life, but I felt really good after. I am sore this morning, but not as sore as I thought I would be. So, they offered a "come as many times as you want for 30 days special for a great price," so I purchased that and will take it from there.

So, if you're curious... check out the place that I went to http://www.bikramyogagrossepointe.com/ . They post thier class schedule on line... and really their fees aren't that bad.

Motivation

My apologies once again for being rather sparatic in the posting lately. I have had a lot of writing to do for work, so the last thing I have wanted to do lately is write for fun. Furthermore, I have been more focused on training more than ever. Walking for an hour on the path at work, then to come home and run or strength train at night. The extra walking and weights are starting to pay off not only on my waistline but also in the distance I can run without getting tired.

Ultimately, my goal for this half marathon is just to finish it. And I think at the pace I am going now, I will definately finish it. I can focus on time for the next one.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, there are several motivating factors that are contributing to my success.

1. I will not, look and feel the way I have felt for the past 2 years when I turn 31 in September. I have already accomplished that goal by weighing less now than I have in the past couple of years. And with the outside looking better, I am starting to feel good on the inside as well.
2. I want to set a good example for my daughter. And this is probably more important than number 1. She is now getting to the stage where she will imitate everything that I do. So it is important that she views mommy as a strong, determined, confident woman. This will help shape her to become a strong confident girl. Not dealing with image issues that I dealt with my entire life.
3. To prove the naysayers wrong. Now, this one isn't really at the top of the list of motivators, but it sure is important. I am the type of person that when someone tells me I can't and never will accomplish something, I decide from that moment forward that I am going to prove them wrong.

But, I think that there is more that drives me than just the above three. I was walking with a friend on Saturday (the walk was actually suppose to be a 3 mile run, but it turned into a 7 mile walk because we hadn't seen eachother in about 12 years), and we were discussing the reasons why we each decided to commit to a healthier life style. My friend explained that they saw someone else doing it on television and that inspired them to get into shape. I think my friend hit the nail on the head: other people's motivation drives your own.

I completely agree with that. I think other's successes motivate us for several reasons. Maybe the person was just like you and you feel that "If he/she can do it, I can do it" connection. Or, maybe it's that subconscious drive to be better than the last person, I'm not sure.

So with that I think I will add a #4 to my list of motivating factors: I want your success tomotivate me. And I hope my success motivates you :)

9.8 down ... 56.2 to go!

Happy Fantastic Friday! Today is my "weigh in" day at the club (Weight Watchers), and I was surprised to learn that I was down an additional 5.6 pounds for a total of 9.8! So that means only 56.2 pounds to go! While that may seem like a lot, I am really trying to take this journey one pound at a time, and one mile at a time.

The group leader - who is this super cute grandma (who really doesn't look like a grandma) touched on some excellent points today one of them being the importance of eating breakfast. I will be honest, before this whole change in thinking I was probably the chairwoman of the anti-breakfast party. I hated it. Not only did eating breakfast make me feel like I wanted to barf, but at the time it made me hungy for things I shouldn't have been eating. But, now that I am doing it the right way, this is what I have learned - eat a balance of complex carbs and protien for breakfast ... everyday. And I know people screech at the sound of carbs, but I am finding that carbs (the right ones... not the 2 glasses of Charodnnay I had on Saturday) can contribute to healthy weight loss. I am finding it gives me more energy throughout the day, especially on my running days.

This week I also proved to make progress on the running side... I completed my first 4 mile day! I will tell you, I was beat at the end, but it was a great accomplishment. I also found that by walking on the path at least 2 miles during the day and then running at night helped my energy level as well. I was hoping to cover blisters and sunscreen this week, but they will have to wait until next week because my blister healed too quickly and this weather has been a little tricky to try out my new sunscreens.

Really, my two take aways from this week would be exercise, and breakfast. I think if I didn't stick to my gun and have a decent breakfast and really incorporate that extra exercise, I wouldn't be this far ahead.

12 miles and counting

Well week 1 wrapped up with 12 successful miles completed and an introduction to the walking trail (Kudos to Anne for being a fantastic tour guide).

I think I am going to start walking the trail every day at work. And let me tell you, this isn't some baby trail either. One time around = 1 mile. So I can use the trail as a good prelude to my running in the evening. Plus, the trail has brigdes that go over the little creek that runs through the property, so the walk will actually be quite a recharge. Plus I look super hot walking the trail in my tennies and my dress of the day !!!

This week I mix in a couple of 4 mile days with my 3, and I am also incorporating weights on my off running days. I think the weights will help build my stamina when I'm running, from what I hear, I lack it. :)

I will confess something... ready??? I have never run farther than 3 miles in one run. So this will really be taking it to the next level for me. I think I can do it though. I mean I really don't have a choice right?

So, on the blogging docket for this week, photos from the trail, my search for blister relief, and the best sunscreen for an outside workout.

Kickin' it ... in my new kicks :)

Sorry for the lapse in posts, I was wound up in a web of words for work yesterday. So many words in fact they were coming out of my ears.

My first day of training Monday went smoothly. But, I have decided that I am a really weird runner. When running, I have to focus on just running and breathing, running and breathing, if not, my mind will wander, and I will begin to remember just how tired I am. So, the TVs that they have attached to the treadmill serve as a nice distraction. Something to concentrate on so my mind doesn't begin to wander away from running... breathing... running ... breathing.

Yesterday was a rest day according to my schedule. But I think I am going to incorporate strength training into my days off. Just because I think that would help my stamina.

Prior to the start of my training on Monday, I treated myself to a new pair of running shoes. I had no clue what kind of shoes I needed, so I thought I would turn to the experts. Running Fit is a chain of stores in the area that will work closely with you to find a shoe that will maximize your potential. I stopped in there and with a few short questions I found a shoe that really made a difference in my running. First of all, my feet didn't throb the next day. Also, I think it helped my back as well. Their shoes are reasonably priced, and you can order online too. (www.runningfit.net). What I thought was also neat, is that they offer classes in running as well. Classes? Who needs a class to run. I won't be taking one, but what they offered seemed interesting.

So, I settled on a moderately priced pair of New Balance. The sales associate said that running shoes are good for about 300-500 miles depending on the shoe. That made me laugh. What are they tires?

Anyway, off for another night of training. Let's see where the road leads me tonight.

Haters....

From time to time, PR professionals encounter naysayers, or those trying to toss a wrench into a perfectly spinning wheel. And, as a professional, you always prepare for those situations with a list of talking points or a way to take that negative and turn it into a positive. It's part of the craft, and if you do it well, you come out smelling like a rose, and the other person has no choice but to open mouth and insert foot.

Well, this can happen in life outside of the profession as well. Take for instance my self challenge of losing all of this weight and tackling this half marathon. Some call it far fetched, not possible, or outright stupid. Look, I like a challenge. For me, taking something that it almost impossible and making it possible is what drives me, makes me tick. I have been known to put myself in situations that seem almost imposible to get out of, and force myself to trudge through them, so that I learn. Maybe, I don't do it the fastest, or have the most stamina in the beginning, but I do it. And I learn from it. And that's the most important thing.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I know who you are, I don't know how you found my blog, but listen and listen carefully: I will do this. I will lose the weight I need to lose. Oh, and the half marathon. I will run it. And I will do it for ME. Not YOU.

"Only one who can see the invisible can do the impossible." And guess what buddy, I have great eyesight.

- For those that are wondering I lost 4.7 pounds last week, and today begins my official training. Three miles today.

...Up in the gym workin' on my fitness...

A component of the Katy 3.0 relaunch includes a commitment to fitness. Why? For obvious reasons, I'm running a 1/2 marathon people... I need to run. But, seriously, you need to include more than running in your routine to be successful.

For the past 3-4 months I have been taken somewhat of a transient approach to acquiring a gym membership. I have tried out every one of the gyms you can think of. I wouldn't put it past them to have all collaborated and put up a "WARNING: DO NOT GIVE A FREE PASS TO THIS GIRL" poster... becasue I was pretty much not likely to commit.

I seriously had a ton to evaluate when choosing a fitness facility. I needed a place that was accessible when I could get there - either early in the morning or late at night. I needed a place that wasn't a zillion miles away from home. Someone available if I needed to ask a question (I'm not that good at just "figuring out" what the machines do). I also wanted to go somewhere where "normal looking" people go, not uber muscular or crazy thin. Finally, I have a budget to stay withing, So, the place where I ended up couldn't cost my life's savings (which honestly isn't that much right now... thank you stock market).

After searching for what seemed like an etermity, I think I have found a place to hang my tennis shoes and call home. Anytime Fitness is a 24-hour fitness facility that caters to busy people. It offers state - of - the art equipment, free classes, private showers, changing areas and even tanning 24/7. Most importantly: IT'S AFFORDABLE!!!! They had a couple different packages to choose from (and I am assuming the offers vary by location). Mine included an extremely reasonable enrollment fee and I don't have to start pating until September. Plus when I originally went in to inquire about membership, they were really low key about pushing a sale on me.

I will tell you though, Lifetime Fitness took a close second. But, I think that is a place that I will eventually graduate to. They weren't as cost effective for me at this point in my life, and it was a further drive. And, I need to give myself as little wiggle room as possible to make excuses.

So, if you're curious, check them out at www.anytimefitness.com.

Anyway, off to make myself "Katylicious"

Food: 101

Food... one of the things that gives us life and can also take it away. I'll be honest, I won't lie... I think about it a lot. In them morning, throughout the day, even at night before bed. There are so many fantastically wonderful things about it, but there are also so many not-so-wonderful things.

So, I took the initiative to commit to "going back to food school." I needed a refresher course on what to eat, how to eat it, and when to eat it. Since I am going to embark on this training mission, I need to have the tools to survive. So, I decided to sign myself back up for WeightWatchers.

Why WW? The WeightWatchers program is proven time and time again to guide people on how to eat better... for life. Thier plans are simple, easy to use, and you can choose one of 2 routes, the points system, or a plan similar to the Eat Clean regimine which is also popular. Plus, that little orange fuzzy guy is so adorable in his little commercials hiding in bookcases and under desks... how cute is that.

Ok, Katy, back on track... Seriously, I think they provide the best education and tools around for the price (a meeting is about $14/week, you can purchase package deals which are pretty affordable) and they have this kick ass online tool where you can look up every food imaginable or figure out it's points based on calories, fat and fiber. And, since my Blackberry is an additional appendage, they have a mobile tool as well. Plus, if you have super good insurance, you can get reimbursed for up to $150/year in some cases.

I've been on the WW plan before and started using thier online tools when they first launched back about 7 or 8 years ago. I found it to be really helpful, and held me accountable. And, it's totally affordable. If you joing in conjunction with meetings, then you get 2 free weeks, followied by a nominal monthly fee afterward. Plus, I have enough points to where I can really go "all out" if I have to. For instance, we have had cake for various reasons at work the past two days. I was able to work it where I could still have a small piece each day and not go over my points allotment for the day. And keeping me from cake is like keeping a stripper from a stack of $20's :)

So, again, this is what is working for me... if you're interested check it out for yourself at http://www.weightwatchers.com/ :)

@ 10,950 days....

September 16, 2008. The day I turned 30. Approximately 10,950 days old. (Give or take a few days if adding in the leap years)

With that came a rush of several emotions ranging from OMG... I'm 30! :) to OMG... I'M F*@K!NG 30! Where did the time go? How could I be 30? How could I look and feel like this and be 30?!!!

Before you go all, "You're beautiful no matter what size you are" on me, grab a cup of coffee and let me share something with you. Look... I am tired of my thighs rubbing together when I walk. I am not happy with wearing the largest size on the regular size rack, or going into the "other store." It's just not for me. Plus, I know I am lazy and will continue to be lazy until something changes.

So, I have taken these 10 months to create a re-launch plan. As any good PR pro would do, I have sat down and scribbled out a plan to reinvent myself. I think if I follow the same type of metrics I do in my professional life then I should have no problem succeeding. I am now to the point in my plan where I can work on creating a stronger, healthier Katy. And if you know me, I tend to take and all or nothing approach to things. So with that, I have decided to sign up for the Detroit Free Press 1/2 marathon.

This blog will serve as an ineractive tool for me to chart my progress, and will hopefully serve as a motivator for others. That if I can do it, anyone can. I am the most unathletic, easily distracted person you will ever meet.

As a reader, I encourage you to post comments and make suggestions. In no way am I a medical and/or fitness professional so take my ramblings for what they're worth: they work for me, which doesn't necessarily mean they will work for you. And, if you find what I am doing works for you, or a slightly tweaked version of that... let me know and I will post it as well.

Official half marathon training for me begins monday.