Not P90X

Just a quick post not about P90X. Time for something refreshing.

I am asking all my followers to send me positive and calming thoughts for the morning on Thursday. I "get" to go take my every so often, never regular, polygraph exam that is associated with having the jobs I have had and currently enjoy. As some of you well know, these are NOT a pleasant experience, the examiners job is to make you feel guilty about EVERYTHING and try to find something wrong with you. If you come out smiling, they have not done their job well. So, in that vein, my weekend starts as soon as I am done with this fun and excitement of the morning. I'm thinking a nice hard workout in the morning, followed by a gallon of coffee should spike my blood pressure enough to add some fun to the stress and anxiety of the day. Then, I'm thinking maybe a second workout afterward may be in order to center myself before pool league in the evening. Don't expect a post tomorrow unless I find a need to bitch a bit and get it out of my system.

3/28

Needed the extra hour of sleep this morning as I tossed and turned most of the night away, so arms and shoulders after work today!

Tue

Oops, just realized I didn't post yesterday......

This morning was quite the adventure. I had to dig pretty deep to make it through my third round of Plyometric jump training. Not only was it a tough workout, it felt like I was smoking a pine tree the whole time. I had windows open most of the day yesterday and the hurricane force winds blew in an ash full of smoke from the multiple thousand acre fire across town. It was hard enough to sleep without coughing, imagine sucking wind from a hellacious workout into bunt tinder laden lungs. ooooof!

Nuf said, I made it, achieved enough oxygen intake to survive and thrive. Week three, still going strong.

Sunday is Fun Day!!!

Workout is planned for later today. But first, I'm taking the boys to see the Hunger Games movie. Josh and I have both read the book and are looking forward to seeing it. Danny could take or leave it, but will come with us anyway. Saturday's workout was changed up by me, so that I could spend that time outside, in the sunshine and 70+ degree weather. It was AWESOME!

Finding that after almost 2 weeks I need to search deep within myself for that spark to keep it going. It's there, I just have to dig a little deeper to find it. Wish me luck past this small hump in the road as I keep it moving forward.

Saturday

For those three of you following this, I apologize for missing Friday's post. Here's what happened. I got home from pool very late, so I decided to workout after work and sleep an extra hour. No problem so far. While at work, still early, I was very nauseous and had plenty of hours in, so I left Ill and came home. I then slept from 8:45 to 2:45. Man did that feel good. After that long nap I was pretty much spent, so I decided Friday would be my day off for the week instead of Sunday. So here I am at Saturday, having slept in until 8, now drinking my first cup of caffeine working out my plan for the day. Taxes are number one on the list, a workout is not far behind.

I slept with the window open for the first time in a while, that felt good. Getting ready to attack my day and leave behind a wake of chaos.

Thursday

I apologize for no afternoon post yesterday, it was a rough one without the endorphins of the day to get me through. But, I found my excuse to ensure I got my workout in after work and was successful! This morning was yet another one, today; yoga. I did my best, but some pain in my feet stopped me earlier than the rest of my body wanted, so I promptly switched videos, got on the floor and did the abdominal exercise.

Weighed myself before my shower, I am down a total of 6 pounds in less than two weeks! Still loving it, pushing through a minor plateau, and making it happen.

March 21

Have a meeting with my program VP this morning at 6:00, so workout deferred until afger work today. Here's to keeping the motivation and hitting it later today.

March 20

Sipping my berry banana protein shake reminds me of the vacation trip when Linda and I took the boys to Mexico for a week of fun in the sun. I'm gonna need to do something like that again as a reward to myself before too much time flies by. Second run at Plyometrics this morning......Oh yeah, feeling the burn. I can already tell that things are changing, I am getting fitter, etc. My lungs are working better and my muscles are recovering faster between exercises.

Tomorrow may be a struggle. I need to be at work for a 6:00 am meeting. If I wait until the afternoon, then I will find excuses to not workout. If I workout in the morning, I will need to get up and hit it even earlier. Stay tuned for the decision in the continued saga of Stu and P90X.

Day 8 (Week 2 Day 1)

WOOHOO! Another week starting out! I hit it HARD this morning. Chest and back workout, same one as last Monday, but I was able to do more, last longer, and bring more intensity to the game. One week in and progress is being made. You want more evidence? I am down 4 pounds in this week! Go me!

That's a Week!!

It's 5:29 am on a Saturday morning. Sane people are still in be sleeping or some just getting home from a very late night out. But me, oh no, I am crazy good today! Alarm went off at 4, and I was so tempted to roll over for another hour. I was awake for an hour or so in the middle of the night so I wouldn't have blamed myself too much. Instead, I took a few deep breaths, rolled on out of bed and did the P90X KempoX workout. Lots of shadow boxing, kicks and punches, a great cardio workout with some shoulder and leg hammering in the midst. SWEET!

Now I'm drinking a protein shake listening to the coffee maker go through it's final throws of water through filter. What a great way to start a great day! John and I have a tee time at 8:42 this morning for 18 holes of golf in spring weather, mid 70's today. With this workout first, I should be primed and ready to whack that ball for the first of 2012. Then tonight, another party bus ride to Loveland to cheer on some friends while they dance and perform in a vaudevillian burlesque night of fun! Good thing tomorrow's workout is optional/stretching, I should be able to sleep in and still do well with that one.

I am feeling great, loving the motivation and endorphin rush, looking forward to progress in many life aspects.

Five!

Just late yesterday my legs finally stopped hurting so much from the Tuesday workout, then today I hit them hard again for legs and back! Woohoo! I may not keep up with them and I may not do all the reps they do. YET! But, that's the way it starts, and I can already feel a difference. Kempo X tomorrow, a cross between kick boxing, taibo and what have you, it should be another good one. Regrets on kicking in to this, NOT A ONE!!!!

Day 4 Still Rocking!

Four days in, four workouts completed. Yesterday was an adventure it stiffness. The lactic acids had built up in my legs and hip area from the Plyometric day so I was quite the gimp, especially if I sat too long. Then add in stairs up or down, wow! What a great pain, knowing that it's all because I actually worked out hard and my muscles are rebuilding themselves for the next time. I had forgotten how much I love and hate it. The hardest part is actually the first 5 seconds of the alarm clock. After that, I get my head in the right place and go, then the rest of the day I get to feel self righteous and great about myself, and there ain't nothin' wrong wit' dat!

Day 3

I am coming to realize rapidly that I need a whole lot less sleep when I a working out like this. Yes, it is hard to get my backside out of bed at 4 am, but then I get the endorphins coursing through my body and I'm set for another great day. I head to bed roughly the same times as before, but alas, don't really sleep until later. Maybe this is my key to getting more done......

I absolutely LOVE starting my days this way!!!! Heart pumping, sweat pouring, muscles screaming. It all puts my head in a good place for the day, and has me starting each day doing something for me. I'm an addict, who had forgotten the endorphin rush but has rediscovered it.

Day 2

This morning was plyometrics. I'm pretty sure the name is derived from "metrics" meaning a measuring system and "plyo" meaning to ply the fibers of one's muscles from each other. Combined they refer to a torturous journey that takes pride in how far apart they can pry these muscle fibers from one another. That was one hellaciously fun and crazy workout. When Tony said, "...we're halfway through..." I almost fainted. I was reaching for the pause button to just say enough for one day, when they started the next exercise. I said to myself, "Self! Suck it up! Yes it hurts, but in a good way! Just do this!" So I did and made it through the hour.

Let me just say that it is a wonderful thing that shaving is not a precision task. Between my shaking legs from today's workout and very sore shoulders from yesterday's, I'm glad I don't use a straight razor, or I'd be short one juggler.

Woohoo! Day 2 is in the books! I'm getting into this love/hate relationship and feeling great!

WOW!!!!

Okay, first off let me say, I should have actually called yesterday's posts Day 0, but I'm aonly an engineer, numbers don't really mean that much :-P

Day 1: Alarm went off at 4:00 am Mountain Daylight Time. Voided the bladder, put on some working out clothes and was into the warmup by 4:10. WOW! What a workout! As imagined, I couldn't keep up with the pros in the video, but no worries, I did my best and then some. After the hour, I saw there was another 18 minutes of abdominal workout. Ooof! I was spent. So, to ensure I gave the abs their due attention, I saved them until after work. I just finished that horrific fun a few minutes ago. OMG! I've got a long way to go, but I've taken the first step........

Based on what I'm feeling now, I expect to be nearly crippled in my upper body tomorrow, thankfully (or not) I will hit it early again then and work out some of those kinks. Day one is in the books, I ate well and hit it hard. Time to take Josh to his Boy Scout meeting soon. Early to bed and out like a light tonight :-)

Day -1 Continued

Finished the pretest, fully expecting to not be up to the levels they suggest to start the program. Surprise, surprise, I scored lower on a couple of items than suggested, the same on a couple more and exceeded their minimums in the other categories, which in my estimation puts me square in the heart of the starting goal. First off, woohoo! Second, wow, I thought I was (am) in pretty crappy shape, 45+ pounds over weight, etc. but I am "in shape" enough to start. Really worried about the rest of America's health now.

I'm pretty sure I have a large bruise on the inside of my chest where my heart was trying to beat it's way out, and my arms feel a little jello like, but I am ready to do this!!!!

P90X Day (-1)

I am starting the P90X extreme workout program tomorrow (3/12/12) for the full 90 days. My diet plan will not be the one outlined in the P90X plan, but a modified version of the "Flat Belly" diet I had some success with before. My goal here is to blog about each week at a minimum, I am hopeful to blog each day. So, send me positive thoughts, and focus as I work to try to better my physical, and along with it my mental, etc. Since the only way I can ensure I will actually perform said workout each day, it will happen early in the morning. My alarm is set for 0400 hrs.......

I will take the "pretest" for a baseline before I eat lunch today! I am excited and scared, but most importantly I am doing this for me, and no one else.......YAY me!