Too Fit for P90X?

I completed Tony Horton’s P90X. I have to admit I approached the first workout with a fair amount of fear and trembling. I’ve seen the infomercials. I read the blogs and comments on the Beachbody site posted by current and former users. Most of all, I have completed Shaun T’S Insanity and I have felt the pain.

Given that Insanity is primarily a cardio/aerobic program, I anticipated the resistance/anaerobic system of P90X to be grueling at the least. Disk one is a fifty plus minute workout that focuses on arms and chest, with a little work for the back as well. The routine consists of a warm up followed by a stretch, then the main circuit of exercises followed by a cool down and a final stretch.

Like any program you do at home, you only get what you put into it. So, one can complete this workout, and presumably the entire program, and not work too hard. This morning I took it easy, perhaps too easy. I didn’t sweat very much and I didn’t ache afterwards. That’s not a bad thing. However, I confess to be from the “no pain, no gain” generation. Here’s the thing, after Insanity, I repeated the first thirty days of the program in a half-marathon training hybrid. My fitness level, core strength and balance are better than ever.

This solid foundation helped me to have a strong first outing with Tony Horton and the gang of P90X.

Bring it!

Tom

Fitness or Fun?

Greetings! I’m not a gamer, but I see adds for exercise “gaming” systems on TV (I fear you have to be in your 40s to get the reference). Nonetheless, I have talked to coworkers, friends and read reviews of Kinect Fitness and Wii Fitness. Let me say this first, this blog advocates fitness above all else. I encourage people to do whatever gets them moving and their heart rate elevated.

However, understand the limitations of a fitness “game.” Adults and children have the idea that we are entitled to entertainment at all times. My favorites are the presence of TVs, music and more at sports venues and restaurants. Customers and patrons demand a never-ending barrage of stimulation and it has to be FUN.

In many the postings on this site I’ve talked about stiffness, soreness and straight out pain from various styles of exercise. In short, in order to get truly fit you have to make a mental paradigm shift and decide that exercise in and of itself, with all of its ups and downs, is fun. Yes, this may well be as hard as it sounds. Try to think of jogging or lifting weights as entertainment. If that enters the realm of ridiculous for you, then you have to at least believe that looking good and feeling great is downright amusing.

Otherwise you are in for a tough road. Why torture yourself? If you don’t increase your heart rate, it doesn’t matter how much fun you are having, which TV shows you watched, books you read or music you heard. Your body, health and fitness level will not change. Of course, altering your calorie intake via diet is a different matter. It has its pros and cons, but for now we are only discussing exercise as a method to change bodies.

If it’s entertainment you seek, you can always play a real sport with real people. Most things that happen in a rink, field or ring are quite entertaining and really engage your muscles. On a final note, I must say that in my experience I have found the “athlete’s high” and “runner’s euphoria” really exist. Give exercise a spin. I think you’ll find it a lot more fun than a game station.

Tom

Plantar's Pain

On March 17, 2010, I posted a blog about the unfortunate and terribly painful resurgence of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. A couple of years ago I attended a talk about preventative maintenance and sports injury recovery. Dr. Perry Julien works with athletes of all calibers to help with sports-related pain and injuries. Following his lecture he gave away copies of his book, Sure Footing.

I turned to the book when plantar fasciitis again reared its ugly head in my life. I found Dr. Julien’s suggestion to sleep wearing an orthotic boot of great value. I have discovered that in the absence of an orthotic boot, sleeping while wearing a running shoe very effective. I noted in my earlier blog that the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevate) method works great for plantar fasciitis as well as other aches and pains. However, here's what I've found to be a semi-panacea: roll your foot on a tennis ball. You can use a golf ball as well, but I garnered the best results from the tennis ball.You can do this while sitting, but for really good results roll the ball under the arch of your foot while standing. Dr. Julien suggests a similar method, but he combines the strategies of ice and rolling. His technique calls for freezing a paper cup of water and rolling it under your foot.

I must tell you that after the first time or two of rolling your foot on a tennis ball for at least five minutes your foot will be a bit sore later. Don’t let that stop you, as you will be on the road to recovery. At long last my plantar fasciitis pain has diminished. I highly recommend the rolling procedure after a run, any cardio exercise or a long day where you were on your feet at work.

Exercise for life and listen to your body.

Tom

100 Posts and Counting

At our annual June gathering a few years ago, I reminisced with my pals about a couple of the running adventures I have had while on vacation. My dear friend, Kim, suggested I write about some of the experiences. She planted the seed and it took five months for it to germinate. In November of 2009, I finally settled on a blog as the best method to share some of the stories related to running and my exercise Streak.

This piece makes the 100th post since I began. Over this last year I’ve had a wonderful time making mental notes while on the road, jotting reminders immediately following running adventures, and virtually reliving trips and events via posting words and photos. Along the way you guys have shared tons of great feedback and amazing ideas with me. I greatly appreciate it.

2011, no doubt, holds great adventures and fun runs to come. Shannan and I will visit Morocco, and we have a trip planned to return to the sublime state of Alaska. I don’t yet know all the destinations of our weekend or day outings, but I know for sure they’ll be interesting. Regardless of where we visit, I’m enthralled at the idea of discovering new places and people. Based on previous excursions I feel certain each will provide fodder for future blogs.

Kim, I thank you for the suggestion, and for your friendship.

Tom

One last run by the river

In proximity to our house, only the nearby five-lane highway has sidewalks suitable for running. Otherwise the narrow, winding and hilly roads in our area are dangerous at best. Our county has a number of nice parks, but with severely limited walking and running trails. Near our home, though, is a riverside park with access to trails which are not maintained by the county recreation department. Carved from bikes, horses and ATVs, the path runs along the river and behind several homes and subdivisions.

Alas, when it rains these rutted trails easily flood and hold water for days on end. Over the years strong storms have toppled numerous trees, clogging the trail. In that the path is not officially property of the park system, no one clears the debris. Nowadays more than half of the trail is no longer open for running, biking or anything.

Last winter proved to be colder than the norm for the south. I allowed the chilly temperatures to limit my outdoor running (weak excuse I know). The year also had more rain than usual (a fair excuse for not running outside). During the summer I went for a run for the first time in months at the river. I found the trail wildly overgrown in most places and notably washed out in others. Many trees and other obstacles lay strewn here and there. I struggled to get in a four-mile run. Regrettably, I guess that will be my last run by the river for a while. I’ll miss the beauty of the wooded trail and serenity of the water.

Tom

Wonders of Running

What a great day to be alive! Today the running clinic logged eleven miles. Best of all, we ran seven of them on the Alpharetta Greenway. Even with temperatures just at 40 degrees, the Greenway had moderate traffic. Our numbers as a clinic, however, had dipped. About a quarter of the initial group turned up for the morning long run. That notwithstanding, splashes of fall colors brightened the peaceful winding path along Alpharetta's Big Creek.

Sounds of rushing water and creatures of the ground and air made for a glorious morning. One magnificent twist of the course opens to an expanse with no trees. The sun shone above low-lying fog and made for a majestic image photographers would clamor to capture.

My tolerance for cold is very low. As I ran, my hands ached and my chest tingled. I tried to focus on the magnitude of phenomenal natural beauty. Sweat beaded and turned my already frigid body into an air conditioning coil and my lungs burned from breathing the chilly air. These physical sensations brought on by the cold served as grand reminders that I was, in fact, alive. How great it is! It really was a perfect morning to be alive (as are all the others).

Winter is on the way. Dress appropriately and enjoy the sensations of cold weather running.

Tom
* this piece was written in mid-November

Miles of Memories in Morrow

Roaring bonfire, toasted marshmallows, Christmas lights, and a gifted story teller all made for a magical evening in Old Towne Morrow. Shannan and I went back to our former homestead for a lovely community holiday event. After the festivities we had some time before the Sister Hazel concert we planned to attend (more on that in a future blog), so we drove around the city and reminisced on when we called Morrow home. Tons of grand memories came to mind and smiles painted our faces.

Surely Shannan grew weary of me going on and on about the terrific running routes I enjoyed around town. Morrow is a fabulous place for running. I literally ran thousands of miles while we lived there. There are many nice parks, especially the Reynolds Nature Preserve and Clayton State College, and the city has sidewalk on nearly every road. Morrow always provided safe and beautiful places to jog. I knew I had it good then, but as it goes, I had no idea how good it was.

In the years we lived in Morrow I trained for many interesting races, established all my personal records and ran two consecutive years of the Atlanta Track Club Grand Prix Series, 21 races each year. Along with running, I played a role in establishing a 4 mile road race produced for Morrow’ D.A.R.E. program, the Tar and Turf 5K, as well as a 5K that took place in the city, Run for the Rainbow, which benefited Rainbow House.

It was good to go home and remember the good times.

Thanks for the memories, Morrow.

Reviewing Resolutions

Way faster than I can run, 2010 is rapidly approached its finish. Reflecting on the previous twelve months I realize was a phenomenal year, personally, professionally and athletically. In my list of goals for the year I set out to complete a new athletic event. To that end, I ran a five mile race on a mountain bike trail, Battle at Big Creek. Other highpoints include joining the Atlanta Half Marathon clinic and running a nice race on Thanksgiving Day. Best of all, I am in the best physical and cardio condition of my life thanks to completing 60 days of Shaun T’s Insanity this summer and I’m ten weeks into Tony Horton’s P90X.

On a personal level, Shannan and I celebrated another magic year in our marriage. We enjoyed many amazing travel excursions. Teaching my young and adult students went fabulously well. I learned mountains of information as we studied Arabic, attended numerous lectures and visited loads of museums. A real high point of 2010 is that Shannan and I found a new spiritual home.

I have drafted my new goals and resolutions. Across 2011 I hope to run a few 5 and 10 K races. I have a haunting desire to eclipse my personal record times in one or both events (middle-aged crisis I guess, but it’s a lot cheaper than a sports car). I’m also interested in running a new type of race. The bike trail run turned out to be a ton of fun and has encouraged my friend, Lee, and I to run a half marathon on very hilly hiking trails of a state park in the spring of 2011.

Otherwise I resolve to keep exercising, keep up this blog, and I’ll strive to make 2011 the best year ever on all fronts.

Tom