A Break and the First Look Toward 15 Years

Less than a month remains before The Streak moves into its 15th year. Some days I am confounded by this interesting and fun accomplishment. Others I dread the unfortunate day it ends. Most days I think of The Streak as a normal part of life, like brushing my teeth.

This weekend will mark the second Rest and Recovery phase in the P90X2 program. Though I struggled a bit to get back into the groove following the last week long break, I still plan to go for a change of pace. Shannan and I will visit central Florida for a four day weekend. Weather forecasts for the area are picture postcard perfect. I plan to enjoy glorious mornings running in the sun.

Exercise every day just for the fun of it.

Tom

Wrestling or Running

While working on a research project I noted scholars and sport advocates have a long and contentious debate over what is actually the oldest athletic event in the record of human history. Division exists within the scholars and the fitness gurus. Some suggest running and other maintains the designation belongs to wrestling. Both agree the two physical activities are ancient by all measures. Other areas of common ground include the supporting data that neither running nor wrestling requires gear, specific training or an exceptional physique. Both combine mental and physical endurance.

Wrestling in its purest form has a technical component as it is like a game of human chess with moves, counter moves and expectations of the opponents moves. Running can be solo sport or a competition against one or many. It tends to be much less of a guessing game. Both activities have merit as the oldest sport.

In present time, and for my purposes, wrestling is a great means to exercise and have fun. It's also amusing to watch at the collegiate and professional levels. Running can be done anywhere and at any time, without concern of an opponent, which comes in handy to obsessive exercise enthusiast like me.

Wrestle. Run. Engage in Sport.

Tom

Paying for the break

After four weeks of P90X 2 the program recommends a Rest and Recovery week of stretching and yoga. I didn't do so much of the stretching. Instead I lightened the load and engaged in 30 minutes of cardio each day. I welcomed the break. It was a nice change of pace as my shoulder had felt the toll of the brutal hour long resistance with balance routines of X2.

Sunday, I moved to phase two of the program. Yikes! Mentally and physically it took me a while to get into the groove. I am feeling the ache now. I need a recovery from the recovery week. Losing the edge due to the lighter load was difficult surmount.

Back to the grind. No pain.......

Tom

Mixed Messages

February 2, Puxatawney Phil, Pennsylvania's famous ground hog and weather prognosticator predicted six more weeks of winter. Little more than a half an hour later Beauregard Lee, Georgia's furry forecaster, indicated the opposite and his handlers proclaimed an early spring.

Here in the home state of the southern seasonal seer, our winter has been particularly mild. Lately we’ve had a fair share of rain mixed in with sunny warm days. This has the grass and daffodils in my yard terribly confused. They are growing like it's spring already.

Shannan and I took advantage and got out and enjoyed the unseasonably warm days over the weekend. We were not alone. A visit to a city park found lots of walkers, runners, and people out appreciating the sunshine. In the Atlanta area we often have a nice day or two in February, but rarely is it 62 after sundown. I love it.

Any way you look at it we are on the countdown to spring. Bring it!

Tom

Running Past & Present...It keeps getting better

An hour of nostalgic exercise made me very happy. Last fall during a reunion weekend in Decatur, GA I ran routes new and old across the first hour of morning light. This is the city where I first went out for street runs. Prior to that I had only been jogging on the high school track in Clarkston. Interestingly, lots of places, roads, and buildings had undergone some sort of change, closed or were just gone.

Overall the area had improved since I used to frequent it. Albeit my stroll down memory lane was not exactly the same, and who really expects that after 20 years? I found delight in the time I had spent there previously and in the moment. With regard to the changes, I, too, have changed over all this time. I hope mine has been mostly good as well.

Run and remember.

Tom

Ouch!

Frustration broke me. Really. Like its predecessor, P90X 2 has a cardio-core move called the Dreya Roll, named for Tony's friend and one the "kids" in P90X videos, Dreya Weber. Her move has you stand straight and then fall back on your gluteus maximus, roll back on your shoulders and then reverse the roll back to your feet. In the original P90X the version of the Dreya Roll allows for the use of your hands to push off the floor to return to an upright position.

Core P90X 2 takes it up a notch. While doing the Dreya Roll you hold a medicine ball, thus your hands are not available to assist in getting back to your feet. I cannot do this version. On the third week, I finally admitted defeat and dropped the ball. My goal was just to get to my feet without using my hands. The modification didn't help. The result remained the same. After several attempts I grew very frustrated and pushed back harder to increase the roll back speed. Still no success. Then I rolled too hard and lost control. I ended up with my full weight on my bent neck. Ouch!

Modify. Take it easy. Exercise another day.

Tom

Annoyed in Naples

Going on two years ago I ran in Naples, Italy. I had a nice run, but did not love the scenery. Last month I ran in Naples, Florida and had a very different experience. To no surprise super early morning running in the dark is not nearly as fun as being able to take in the surroundings under the light of day.

My recent trot in Naples, FL was good for exercise, but not the best for enjoying the lovely scenery. With the limited vision I was able to make out four rabbits along the trek. What I did not see, but did hear and feel were water sprinklers. I'm not sure seeing would have helped. I was right in the middle of an array of sprinkler heads when they began their scheduled spray of cool water.

In more ways than one, this turned out to be an invigorating start to the day.

Tom