salsa1877

Karla, I would pack up and move out of this HORRIBLE place that I live to work a Wal-mart. That is how much I despise this place. The new charter school would be run by the same principal how I have now...and he is AMAZING. This is my third school with him. There are some major issues with this English guy...first he is our co-director (though that means jack sh!t because he gets paid the same as I do) and he has told all of his advisees that science and math are pointless. Plus, he was the main recruiter for this school. He knew from the beginning that he would be coming on when the charter school opened. So him and the social studies teacher began recruiting students to the charter school (before we had a gag order placed on us). By the time I was hired we were already at the cap for the year. As a result we have a HIGH proportion of students who think that science and math are pointless. When we move to the new school, we will most likely NOT be hiring teachers from the district (mainly because most of them oppose the school going in). That means that none of us will know the students and we will have a clean slate. We have found that in our current situation, those students that didn't know any of us are managing the best. There is no favoritism shown. Besides...I DESPISE the town I live in. It's too cold (and I don't drive in the snow) and its WAAAAAAAY to small. I want a big city! Okay enough about work. I am in a LOT of pain today. Mostly my back. I swelled so much yesterday and then had to sleep on my back. That combination did not work well together! Let's just say that from last night to this morning I lost 8 pounds. Obviously I was very swollen. Well I am going to work on some school stuff for a while after I eat Breakfast.

The school in Tigard (Portland area) could open as soon as September or as late as Sept 2012. But we are also in the process of writing a grant to open one in New York City. If we get that grant we will open Sept 2011. If the NYC opens first I will go there, if the Tigard one opens and then the NYC...I'm not sure what we will do then...probably end up going to both. My boss tells me on a regular basis that I am the only one doing it right. He is NOT impressed with the rest of them. We are having a lot of problems with the other teachers. They are LAZY!! Well I've gotta go blog. My walk tonight wasn't very good. I got all 2 miles...but it kind of wore me out. I think most of it was from sitting so upright at work. Even when working at home I kind of slouch down on the couch so my tummy doesn't have as much stress placed on it. But at work, I don't have that luxury...I'm going to have to lay down during parts of the day. That should be fun since I don't have time to breathe most of the time...guess I'm gonna have to find the time!!

I am coming here to vent so as to not eat. You will all be getting an idea of why my eating has been off (since you all know I eat when I am frustrated!) But this time I am not going to eat...I'm going to vent here instead. I DESPISE the f'ing English teacher here. He is an egotistical pompous A$$HOLE! It would take me a hundred pages to fill in everything that I can't stand about him. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...he just makes me so angry I could scream! But at least I'm not eating my frustration...really want to...but I'm not. Before, I would just go and eat to numb my anger. Obviously it wasn't good for me! I HAVE TO GO TO THE NEW CHARTER SCHOOL SOON!!!! We got a grant to open a new one in Portland. Now more constant freezing temperature, a MUCH MUCH bigger city and NO MORE GREG! Okay rant done.

:tt2:I was NOT getting hooked on Sangria! I did get drunk twice...which means that I have been drunk exactly TWICE in my entire life!!!! And I have NO desire to do that again any time soon!!!

So I added my healthy eating challenge to my signature. I did really well yesterday and feel like I am on my way again this morning. For me I am defining a successful day as: 1. between 1500-1700 calories, 2. The foods eaten to stay in that range are healthy, healing/running enhancing foods. So for me it isn't just about the calories....I have to make sure that the foods are quality too. Well I need to write my student teacher's letter of rec and do her evaluations so I had best get moving! At least this student teacher was phenomenal!

You can break the carb cycle...you have in the past and now is no different. So you had a pity party yesterday...don't keep it going today. Today is a new day. Look at my signature, copy the healthy eating challenge portion, and start making yourself proud! Oh and I wanted to mention something about the gym. I LOVE the gym but there are times when it gets boring for me too. I got to a VERY small gym and there aren't a lot of machines or things to do. But what I do sometimes is only spend 10 minutes on any given machine. I run 10 minutes, eliptical 10, bike 10, stair climb 10. You could even break it down further and do each for 5 and repeat. As for the parent working there...when I first started at my gym weighing just under 200 pounds BOTH of my principals went there AND we went at the same time. The used the elipticals that are immediately behind the treadmills. I was just starting to run and as WAY out of shape. I am sure I looked like a bowl fully of jelly huffing and puffing 0.1 miles before dying and having to walk. The entire time I was pretty self concsious. However, I finally said I didn't give a damn and if apparently they didn't care because they kept coming. Pretty soon I was running 3 miles and didn't give a rats a$$ what they thought about me. The parent that works there should be happy that you are doing something to ensure your health and can educate their kid in the same manner.

I'm glad we didn't have any celebrations! I managed to skip out on our office Holiday party. They had it the Friday before I had surgery and Lee and I made plans to go to WA so I didn't have to go. I REALLY don't like going to parties because I have this overwhelming urge to eat. Since I don't drink and everyone else does I want to fit in and be doing something...so I eat.

My upper TT cost about 6700$ but there is a bit of a discount in there because my insurance paid for a significant portion of the anesthesia and hospital part because of the breast reduction. If I would have had the TT done separately it would have been about 7500$ And I did have A LOT of lipo. She fixed up a lot of areas that needed a little touch up from the first surgery. Most of my lipo came from the mons area, hips and bra roll area below the armpit. Then she fixed the original scar because I had a bit of a dog ear and fixed my belly button because she said it looked like the Grand Canyon. This surgery I thought was actually much more painful than the first one. I am still pretty sore and on top of having a fair amount of insomnia it is also hard for me to sleep because I can't get comfortable. I have to sleep flat on my back which is tough for me because I am a side and tummy sleeper. Because I have to wear some sort of support on the breasts and I have to wear a binder there is some irritation to the incision so I am back on antibiotics and have to use antibiotic cream. Work is going to be interesting! So I did go to the gym tonight. I rode the bicycle for a half hour at a horribly slow speed and then walked 1.10 miles. It is TORTUROUS to walk that slow:cursing: but I'm not pushing it. Then I came home and started my blog. The website for it is A Runner's Journey Through Pictures food wise I did great today. I'm at about 1400 calories and I'm going to go have some SF Jello. Check in tomorrow.

Force him to go to AVATAR. It is AMAZING. Be prepared to cry in that one though too. I teared up even after the movie was over. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good.

Love the picture (minus the snow!!) and LOVE the attitude. So far I am doing quite well. All healthy carbs have been paired with low fat Proteins and I'm just at that 1000 calorie mark. My trainer told me to shoot for 1600 calories while healing. She figures that is what I would have to eat to maintain and no one really wants me to put myself in a calorie deficit while healing. We are having homemade tacos for dinner so I will be maintaining the carb/protein pairing with some veggies as well! We are going to the gym at our regularly scheduled 6:30 time. I can't do much but I can do more than just sitting on my butt all the time! I think I am going to do the project 365 thing that is going to be focused on my running. it is where you take a picture to represent that day. I am going to start a new blog. When I set it up I will give you all the link. We went out and got a new Enell sports bra (best sports bra ever) because it was on sale at the local running store. Then we went to Barnes and Noble and got the marathon running book that I wanted. Well I will check back in with full details. Oh...we put together a menu for the week and we all know how well I can follow a menu. With Lee not working (he got laid off 4 days ago) it will help with the cooking and sticking to the menu!!

Well I called and talked to my mommy tonight and then came here and read these posts. While I am not proud that I have had the EXACT same problems, I am really glad to hear that I am not the only one. My weight is way up...20 pounds over my smallest. While my doc and my personal trainer agree that I will never and should never get to that weight again, that doesn't mean that I can't get down to a healthy weight. So beginning right here and right now I am saying that I am going to only eat foods that benefit me. If there is no benefit to me eating them, I will refrain from doing so. This isn't about food, this is about me being good to myself. I have a lot that I want to accomplish in the next year...primarily training for the Dopey run in Walt Disney World in Jan 2011 (5K on Friday, Half marathon on Saturday, and Full marathon on Sunday). I have to prepare my body to run 42 miles in 3 days. I can't do that when I eat foods that harm my body. I can't do that when I'm letting work get between me and the gym. I can't do that when I eat foods that don't help build muscle strength and endurance. So while I can't participate in any sort of weight loss challenge because I am gaining and losing 5-8 pounds per day from swelling, I can be in on a challenge of eating healthy foods only. I can no longer be complacent. I no longer want to be complacent. Guess what...that one or two bites DOES hurt. Love you all...And I'm REALLY going to make an effort to be here more. I need the support. I need the love...and I need the ass kickings!

Janet - I just sent you an email. I don't have your phone number since I switched to my new phone. Can you please check your email and respond as soon as you have time. Hi to everyone else. Janet will fill you in later.

Okay, I haven't been here in a while because I have been trying to work, play board games with DH, and heal. Everything is all better though. I was given clearance to workout today and start running tomorrow. She wanted me to try a gym workout before I started running to make sure things didn't start cramping up. But all went well this morning. So it is back to training tomorrow. Pretty much have to start at the beginning weeks and I will worry about catching up with the training plan later after I have made sure that there are no problems. Well I have to get moving. I have a dentist appt to get a crown this morning becuase I have a cracked tooth. Then on to work.

Good morning, I didn't want you to think that I had fallen off the face of the planet again. Just been busy trying to recover from my "incident" at the 3Day. It really was an amazing experience I was so excited to meet Steph. However, it did a really number on my body. I have been to the doctor numerous times trying to get my electrolytes back in balance. I've had 3 IV's this week but I'm finally feeling back to normal today. It turns out my ankle wasn't tendonitis at all, but rather just cramping due to dehydration (and I did drink..ask Steph). In fact, all of my problems, including my swelling feet that made my toenails jam into my shoes and cause incredible pain, were all due to my lack of hydration! But the ankle is fine, it no longer feels like hamsters are chewing through my hamstring, and my head finally feels like it isn't going to roll off my shoulders! We won't talk about the scale situation right now, because everything is so out of whack that, well, they are numbers I haven't seen in a LONG time. Well I gotta get to work this morning. No gym for me for 3-4 days. Went to the trainer yesterday but my hamstring was still in such bad shape that all we did was stretch. For the first time since Friday I can walk without serious pain. So it was well worth it. Then I went to the doctor for my last round of IVs (just a precautionary measure) and she said that she wants me to just take it easy for the next couple of days and do no load bearing exercise. I can swim if I want, but our local pool is closed until Sept 28...so that is out! I will try to check in later and see what you are all up to. Just wanted to say hi this morning.

Really? 5 pages since I was here last??? I try to make it everyday but between workouts, school, AND trying not to ignore my husband like I have been the last few days, I don't always make it. School has gone AMAZING the last few days. So excited to meet Steph tomorrow. Okay have a ton of stuff to do before I go to bed. STILL haven't packed for the walk. I told my biology kids today that we will probably talk about the anatomy of a blister on Monday! LOL!!!

Janet, my trainer doesn't like sissy squats. She says they are too hard on your knees. Different trainers have so many different techniques and they all think they are right. I just think it is so cool that she actually tailors my routine to benefit my running. Plus she says I only need training for 2 months. She is always there if I want to come back for some refreshers but she wants her clients to try it on their own and only if they can't keep improving to come back to her. So I am paid through this month and then I am going to try it on my own. Each time she teaches me a new routine she makes notes and tells me how to know when to improve. When all of the routines become easy (I can do three reps with max weights...which she writes down...then I am to come back to her and get a new set of routines). She said some people can't do it with out her, but she thinks that I will be able to. I am going tomorrow morning to do my routine on my own. Normally I do it on Wed and Fri but since I will be walking 21+ miles on Friday, we decided that it would be best to do my workout on Monday. I am really using the 3 day walk to get back into my running routine. I have only run a couple of times in the last few weeks because of injury but I am ready to get back on track. Well I am going to bed so that I can get up early and go to the gym. Chat Later, Karri

I can already tell that the weight training is helping with my running. We actually don't use any machines. Just the free weights and my own body weight. She has tailored my strength training rountines for running. Everything that she has me do has a specific purpose and she tells me how it will help my running. OMG...I must do 100 sets of walking lunges. Okay not really, but it feels like it. Walking lunges without weights, walking lunges with medicine ball and rotations, walking lunges with overhead press using 15 lb dumbbell. Then Friday it was one legged squats with over head press using 15 lb dumbbell followed immediately by one legged jumproping. Then repeat on the next leg. HOLY CRAP!!!!!! When I started running again after my injury I could tell the difference. My balance is better and my endurance is much better. She tells me all the time that I have shit balance and shit posture (my mommy will agree on that one) so we are working on that as well. Well I htink I am going to try and take a nap and then go to work. I have to make some videos and doing it tired just makes me angry cause I make too many mistakes. Chat later!

Good grief this place is busy...I can't keep up. Janet the teeth look great. I am sure it will take getting used to though. I think you looked perfect before, but if this makes you happy then keep them! Phyl, thank you so much for Steph's numbers. I am glad to hear that they are progressing you. I know how bad my knees hurt after the marathon. I can't imagine how it would feel to have surgery on them. Karla, sorry to hear about the mortgage, but I would try and call and see if they would work with you. They worked with my brother. Okay I know I missed something but we have had some issues with our building at school so I have been back there moving furniture. I would love to tell you that it has all worked itself out, but we won't know until Thursday. I told my trainer that I was doing the walk and she thought that was great. But then she redid my workout to rest my legs and we focused mainly on upper body.. OMG...I could hardly move this morning. The only thing that we did on the legs were 1 legged squats and 1 legged jump roping. The rest of the day was arms, arms, arms. HOLY CRAP!!! Well I am off to the store to get something to drink.

Thanks Phyl... Okay I am officially nuts. This will be a true start to my marathon training!!! I didn't run a half-marathon when I was in Dallas. I was just visiting a friend. I have been battling an injury all summer and have pretty much been prevented from running. However, my doc wants me walking so I guess this will be perfect!! I have been given clearance to run again, so I will be fine for the walk. I do have SEVERAL half marathons planned next year over then next 20 months though. Dec 13: White Rock Half Marathon, Dallas, TX Mar 6: Valley of the Sun Half Marathon, Mesa, AZ End of June: Slacker Half Marathon, Georgetown, CO Labor Day Weekend: Pocatello Half Marathon, Pocatello, ID Early November: St. Louis Half Marathon, St. Louis, MI And the grand daddy of them all...The Goofy Run! Early January 2011...Disney World, Orlando, FL....Half Marathon on Saturday, FULL marathon on Sunday. Yup...I'm CRAZY!!!

Steph...I need you to contact me ASAP!!! I'm walking it! I sent you my phone number in a facebook message.

Steph if you check this first, you have to let me know when I have to tell you if I can come. Posted on Facebook too. It will just kind of depend on how things go at school and when exactly the accreditation people are showing up. I will talk to Lee about it when he comes to pick me up.

Classes haven't started yet. I am going to have to post a video or something about the school because it is WAY to hard to explain. It is SOOOOOO different from anything that anyone else has experienced so to understand it is kind of difficult. In fact, I'm not sure we totally get it. However it is making a huge impact on students in the most positive way. School doesn't actually start until Sept 8 and today we had over 35 kids in the building already working on classes...we only have 150 students total so that is a HUGE percentage. My biggest class will be 19, but that will all change as we adjust the schedule to accomodate the pace of students. That class will probably be broken into 3 different meeting times for students moving at three different speeds. I can't explain how unbelieveably happy I am there!!!!

About the not being able to absorb vitamin b-12...some people just can't absorb it. Turns out my vitamin b-12 levels have probably been low my entire life. No amount of pills that I would take would help. Before I started getting shots, I was taking 100,000 times the normal dosage and my levels didn't change one bit. After 1 shot they had doubled. Some people just can't absorb it through the intestines at all.

I'M BAAAAAACK! So I am all done with the necessary stuff for my classes so I am totally back here. I got the basic run down from my mommy on everything that is going on and I am going to go and try to read a few pages. The first thing I saw though as I logged in was about Vitamin B-12 shots. OMG...they are the BEST thing ever!!!!!!!! I have had so much energy, been in a better mood, and despite working unimaginable hours feel very little stress. DH says I am in a much better mood and I feel amazing. There are some vitamin combos that I can take too if I want to, but right now we are just focusing on the b-12 and the calcium. So...I haven't fallen off the bandwagon. Just been so busy that I didn't have time to be on here. But I am going to make time now. People better start kicking my heiny if I am gone too much!

Good morning, I figured I would check in while I am waiting for DH to get ready to take me to work. We left my car at the school and considering that it is really hot out already, I don't want to walk. I am still alive and actually feeling better and more alive than I have in a while. It is funny to say that because I have some medical issues going on. Turns out that because of the rapid weightloss, some body functions kind of shut down. It is called adrenal fatigue and it is what is making me so overly sensitive to cold, making me not sweat like I should, go to the bathroom like I should, and causing my hair to fall out. It is also why I am always so tired. So I have been getting Vitamin B shots, been on my thyroid meds, and now am taking this concoction of vitamins that was put together by a local pharamacist. As a result I feel VERY energized. I wanted to let you all know that I AM still alive and do think about you. I should be able to be back on here regularly at the beginning of Sept. Between now and then I will be working 14+ hour days (sorry mommy...I gotta get this done). The thing is though...I love it. I don't hate it or feel like I am trudging through. I am up at 5:30AM WITHOUT an alarm and ready to go to work. I can't explain how wonderful I feel when I am at work. I am still making time for me. IN fact I won 60$ at a poker tournament last night. We have hosted and gone to several game nights. DH has been pretty supportive most of the time. He gets a little annoyed every now and then, but for the most part, he is okay. He is spending more time at work now. So he doesn't miss me quite as much. Well we are going out to breakfast this morning before I head off to another 15 hour day. I love and miss all of you and I PROMISE that when school starts and I return to a normal schedule I will be back. BTW...I have maintained my weight, am still running, and eating healthy. Love you, Karri