the second phase

fifth graders can YOU fight at one time? Go figure it out!

Well, you may have noticed that there’s been a lack of updates the last week. On Sunday night, I started getting a bit stuffy. Monday morning wasn’t too bad. I really brought it on the Chest and Back workout. However, when I woke up Tuesday, it was a whole different story. I was clammy, sneezing, breaking out in sweats and in general agony. I tried to do Plyometrics, but after about 25 minutes, I was lightheaded and about to faint. I figured I’d take a break and try again, but I only got in about 10 minutes before I almost puked.

So yeah, I took off the next few days while I tried to recover and here I am, still recovering. Unfortunately, this has allowed the Tiger to gain a rather large lead on me in our challenge and I basically need to restart P90X. So I’m going to consider last week a prep-week and start the program again. So, starting Monday, I’ll be starting up the blog again on day 1, assuming I’m fully recovered.

And I’m still going to kick the Tiger’s ass.

It’s Sunday now, so sorry I didn’t post yesterday. Basically I did the Kenpo routine and with 1 or 2 extra minute long breaks, I got through the whole thing. I was covered in sweat by the end, but all in all, a very good time. I also did the stretching today and while it doesn’t count as an actual day of the P90, I felt I should do it to increase my limberness. Only problem is while doing the shoulder stand, I tweaked my neck a little bit and now it hurts to turn to the left. Hopefully it’s gone by the time I have yoga on Thursday.

Found this guy outside my local Ralphs. I’m going to have him pack my suitcases for my next vacation.

Or so I thought. Yoga? Psh. Only women do that crap.

Yeah, I was wrong.

I was surprised at how difficult it was. After 20 minutes of Plank, down to Chataranga, up to Upward dog, back to Plank, to Downward Dog. Holy crap-o-li. The thing I was surprised at the most though, is that I actually really enjoyed it. Well, when I wasn’t falling onto my head or screaming in agony from trying to wrap my leg around my head.

I’m definitely looking forward to my next session of it!

My buddie Jeremy has started his own site over at mardagan.wordpress.com. It is his own P90X blog, even though he’s well ahead of me in the program. So please, take a moment to visit there and leave some encouraging words for him!

So, the third day in. Woopdee-doo ( I know that’s what you’re saying.. 3 days, wowee ). Today was the shoulders and the arms workout, basically meaning alot of curls in different positions and different forms. I took this one a little easy I think, mostly because I had no idea what weight to use and I didn’t want to wear myself out way too early and not be able to finish the routine. I think I went a little TOO light, because while I was starting to work up a bit of a sweat, I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough and that’s what this program is about. That’s why, before every session, 2 bright red words show up.

BRING IT!

And that’s what I need to do. I’ve been good about writing down what weight I used and how many reps I completed, so next time, I’ll know what weights to use in order to really be burning at the 12th through 15th reps.

I watched James and Jeremy during their Core Synergistics training last night and wtf? I thought they were on a recovery week. That session looked like Plyo’s twisted twin brother. Tony lures you in with the ‘Recovery Week’ and then BLAM! ( No, not Pam the Blam ), kicks your ass with this session. I wish I had started when they did so we could do the workouts together but there really is no room in our work gym for 3 people to do P90X and I’d be fighting James for the 5lb weights. I use them as my motivation to keep going though, so it still helps to know other people are experiencing the pain that I am.

Oh yeah, how could I forget? I then had to do Plyo’s little snotty brother, Ab Ripper X. Yes, he might be smaller in that he’s only 15 minutes long, but WHO THE HELL INVENTED THIS THING? By the end, I can’t even sit and bring my legs up off the ground, which, unfortunately, the last exercise requires that you do for a full %^()@# minute. I took alot of breaks in order to get through all the routines and all the reps, but holy mother of.. ( I won’t say it Mom.. ).

The diet continues and I will say that it’s really hard to cut big starchy carbs entirely out of your diet ( I’m not doing Atkins here, no worries ), even if it’s only for the next 3 weeks. Mostly because I love sandwiches and oatmeal and bagels and kashi cereal and all that good stuff. Only a little while to go, however, before I can have at least 1 carb per meal, which will make things alot easier.

Tomorrow is yoga. For some inexplicable reason, I’m scared.

Hell, meet Plyometrics. Dodgeball! Hell ain’t got nothing on Plyo. Seriously. Oh, Em. Gee. While I was able to get through the video, I took extra breaks and was not able to keep up with alot of the reps. Some of the times this was due to me watching for a moment to see what the level of Satan’s realm I was about to descend into, other times it was due to the fact that these people actually aren’t human and really are T1000’s from the future.

It also didn’t help that I ran my fastest 2 mile in awhile last night ( clocking in at 10 minutes and change for an average for the run ). I had been intending to only run 1 mile, but then a damn good song came on and I couldn’t resist. I paid for that this morning, waking up with sore legs and then going into the plyo routine. So, lesson learned: Do not run hard the night before plyometrics.

Tomorrow is shoulders and arms. Hopefully that will give my legs a bit of a rest before I suffer through Yoga.

The 1st day is complete! 89 to go. Man, it was painful to see what bad shape I’m in. I got through the first work-out, my arms basically wet noodles. The exercises aren’t difficult, but if you don’t pace yourself, you won’t be able to work to failure on the second time through. On some of the last exercises ( diamond pushups, anyone? ), I wasn’t even able to get past 2.

And I thought I was done.

But nooooo, then comes the Ab Ripper. The unholiest of unholies. Dreamed up by some sadist, this thing made me flail and contort my body in ways that just are not human. Unless you’re Tony. Or that black dude in the back who was busting them out. Why don’t they have some fat dude on one of the mats and show what you’ll look like for the first month as you try and keep your legs in the air for 15 minutes.

I did learn that I’m going to have to wake up earlier ( woke up at 7 AM today ), since I wasn’t able to walk the dogs afterwards due to time constraints. And well, if I can’t walk, I can’t run, and if I can’t run, I can’t kick the Tiger’s ass in our challenge.

So I’m getting all setup for tomorrow, the first day of P90X. 90 days of total commitment not only to a exercise plan, but a diet plan too. I did the fitness test and passed, although I should have stretched a bit more before I started it. At the end, my legs started tightening up during the 2 minutes of jumping jacks. With that all done, I recorded all my information and have logged it over on my P90x Log. I’ll make daily updates here about how I felt about the workout and such, but my actual log of statistical information will be over on that page.

The hardest part I feel, believe it or not, will be the diet and cutting things out, like alcohol intake. I’m not going to be 100% on the dot of the whole diet, but I want to stay in the 90% range, which means having an occasional beer or maybe sticking to something with vodka ( cranberry juice? ).

Ontop of all that, I’ll be running more frequently. I took my photos today and man, was that scary.. scary AWESOME. Heh. I look like I have a beer keg for a stomach. I’ll post them once I’ve completed the program. At the moment, I’m too embarrassed of them to post them now.

Wish me luck, or, if you’re green like jelly, post some rude comment.