S90D Month 3

So... Sunday I hurt my back and took most of the week off. Did some X Stretch and Yoga X late in the week. Dove right in yesterday and did Shoulders & Arms + Tabata Inferno. Burned over 1100 calories. Looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Nutrition is still a little off. Having trouble avoiding the cookies. Otherwise my fat burner percentages are just about right and my calories are low. Probably lower than recommended. Not seeing much change on the scale but I can feel it in my body. Once I get my adjustable dumbbells I believe I should really start seeing some changes. Getting excited for P90X. I'm already incorporating some of the workouts into my routine. I'll check back in a couple of days.

Home Workout

So... I've done it. I've moved to Colorado and it's cold in the mornings. No running for a little while. I was hunting P90X for Christmas and came across this program at Bed Bath & Beyond. It is based on the same principles as P90X which includes muscle confusion. The program is set out with three strength workouts each week and two cardio workouts and a core workout each week. Three weeks on, and a week of "recovery" that includes a total body workout, a core workout, and a cardio workout. Then change to a different combination of moves and videos for the next month: three weeks on, one recovery week and return to the first plan for the final month. Very similar to P90X - heck even the strength workouts are named the same and focus on the same combinations of muscles. Chest/Back, Shoulders/Arms the first month and Chest/Shoulders and Triceps, Back/Biceps the second month. One thing that this program has that is not found at Beach body is Tabata Inferno which is designed to incinerate fat. 20 seconds on, 10 second rest for 4 minutes, rest a minute, go again for 30+ minutes - WOW!
The workouts are shorter. The longest video with Supreme 90 Day is 42 minutes long and that includes the warm-up and the cool-down. I have been doing Supreme 90 Day for 3 weeks and can definitely feel the difference. After the completion of the first month I am adding some extra to my program, in order to work up to P90X which I got in the mail. On strength days I am adding a Cardio workout (Cardio Challenge, Tabata Inferno, or Cardio X), and on Cardio days I am adding a core workout (Ab Ripper X, or Yoga Abs from Bob Harper's Inside Out Method DVDs), I figure that by the time I complete this program at the end of February I will be ready for the Big Daddy! If I stick to my plan I should be ready and ripped just in time for the summer.

Week 3 - Training Camp

It's so hot! Sweat is pouring off my face! The towel beneath me is soaked! There is sweat on my feet! It's 95 degrees in here - on purpose! 95 degrees! I am attending a Core Power class in Colorado Springs. This one is Power Yoga 2. High to low plank. Inhale - upward facing dog, Exhale - downward facing dog. Inhale. Exhale.
I have been here for two weeks. Training camp is well under way. I have been running, cycling, doing circuit workouts, and attending as many yoga classes as possible. I just signed up for a week of classes at Core Power. They have two studios in Colorado Springs and an iPhone app that tells me what classes are available at which location at what time and with which teacher. They offer a free week of classes and classes that get progressively more difficult. There's Core Power 1 at 85 degrees, there's CP1 Heated at 95 degrees. There's CP 1.5, CP 2 at 95 degrees. Then there's Hot Power Fusion at 100 degrees, and Hot Yoga 60 minute and 90 minutes at 105 degrees. Tonight I attended a class that is the exact opposite of these classes called Core Restore which was slow, unheated, and doesn't include muscle activation. We held our poses for 3-5 minutes. It was very, very relaxing and quite a complement to the flowing, heated class I had taken just before that.
For the Next week I am taking as many Core Power classes as I can. There is a class every morning at 6:00. Then picjking up with the running. I've worked up to where I will be running 5 miles each run day this week and 7 this up-coming Saturday. I've gotten to the point that I only want to run and do yoga. I don't want to pump iron, I don't like circuit training, or kettlebells. Just yoga and running. Remember - keep your head up, breathe deep, and keep running!

Training Camp

So... Here we go. I'm working out of town for about a month and taking the time to work on muself. I am trying to look at it like training camp. I am all by myself 750 miles from home. I brought my workout videos, my weights, my kettlebells and my yoga mat. I have designed a schedule that allows my to build muscle, strength, endurance, and get lean. The training regimine starts today.
The plan is like this: every weekday morning starts with a workout video, followed by either a run or a bicycle ride. Everyday will include some sort of yoga. Progressively, I will be adding miles to my running. Saturday will include longer runs but without the workout video.
Friday I attended Yoga in the Park a couple of miles down the road. What an awesome class. There were, like, thirty people gathered around in a circle doing yoga under the early morning blue sky. I could hear the birds and feel the breeze. In complete contrast, I took a class last night at Core Power Yoga. This place has studios all around Colorado and other places around the country. This challenging class took place in a heated room that was heated to 85 degrees. Sweat was pouring off of me. There are also a couple of other studios that I want to check out. My hope is to learn more about my yoga practice and increase my endurance towards longer running and drop these stubborn few pounds. I am a certified personal fitness trainer and a sport yoga instructor but I want to look like it.

Today was the day...

I am not defeated but I am not ready. Today was going to be the day that I participated in my first Sprint Triathlon. However, I wasn't ready. I have had a lot going on in my personal life. I am leaving my job, moving out of my house, and moving my family into my in-laws' basement as we examine the next step. I am learning what it means to be patient and how to handle not having the answers. This has led me to resort to my old stand-by: comfort food. Although my meals have remanined relatively healthy, my portionb sizes and snacks have escalated through the roof. I feel like I have made peace with the future by not looking too far forward and not expecting anything. By doing this I have taken back control of my life by letting go. Today, this is where I am.
Financially we are needing all of our money to make our steps come true and the triathlon would have cost $65 plus gas and a meal out plus some sort of lower body covering that would not hold too much water. I figure it would have been over $100. There will come a time for me to complete this type of event but today was not the day.
On another note I ran the longest distance of my life yesterday. My pace was relatively slow at 12:46 but I ran 6.70 miles. It took me almost 90 minutes. I felt great. My pastor, who is also a runner, told me that after 5 miles, "It's just adding miles." Meaning that 5 is the hurdle, after that it's easy. He said that I should be able to run 10 miles if I can run 6.
So, this morning I did a kettlebell workout and followed it with a short run. My oldest daughter is on the volleyball team here at the High School. As part of their workouts they run what is commonly called "The Circuit." The Circuit is a 2-mile distance that leaves from the High School track/football field, runs up and down several hills through the middle of town and edns back at the weight room at the High School. The other day she mentioned that she was able to run the whole thing without stopping, and was excited to finish in just under 20 minutes. I decided to dee where I am. after my kettlebell workout, I ran the Circuit in 23:23 with a pace of 11:31. This is a pretty good pace for me. I'm not sure how fast the other girls on the VB team run it, but - for me - to be only a couple of minutes behind my super-fit daughter makes me feel incredible!
Well next week is upon me - This wek has me doing the Cardio and Strength workouts from the Inside Out Method twice each, then Yoga for the Warrior - which I love. I am getting stringer and I can tell! We'll see where this whole topsy turvy thing ends up. All I know is that if I keep running and stay focused I'll be ok. Stay loose and Happy Running!

Hot Town, Summer in Missouri!

It's #*^!ing HOT!! It's so hot that running has become less important. Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to run. I feel like I have been neglecting the rest of my body as I ran. I have been doing the BOB Harper Inside Out Method. This morning I ran. Just 4 miles but I loved it. It felt great. Rejuvenated for the next week. I may have to postpone my Triathlon, but I will fill you in on the details as soon as I know them.

Training Update

OK. So... I went off the deep end with the eating this past weekend. One thing that I decided was that I was not going to feel guilty about eating. One thing that I had noticed was that when I eat too much I feel bad about it and that makes me want to eat more. So, I gave myself permission to eat whatever... And I did!
I have adjusted my training regimine to include some circuit training. I am going to follow Bob Harper's Inside Out Method Training Plan. I am going to alter the plan a little by easing into it and leaving out Bob's workout and adding Bob's Kettlebell Videos.

I started today by beginning with the Strength DVD, Pure Burn Super Strength. The program starts with a 20-minute introduction workout. The strength DVD also has a full-length workout which is 67 minutes of complete exhaustion-inducing exertion. I start with the short versions this week. Strength on Monday, Cardio on wednesday, and Yoga on Thursday and running in between.
I LOVE running and thoroughly enjoy the way that it makes me feel, however I have been losing the rest of my fitness. I need to spend a little time working on the rest of my physique. By the edn of a month I will be working out for an hour everyday of the week. I have started this plan before but I am hopeful that I will be able to stick with it until I have completed it. Previously, I have been also trying to progress in my running. The squats and lunges involved in doing these workouts leave my legs feeling like Jell-O. I will probably not be able to run miles and miles while I am doing this plan. I'll keep you in the loop.