Day 1 and My Plan

So last night I started day 1 of this 91 day journey. Truth be told I actually started P90X about a month ago and got through the first 10 days before bailing, so I knew what to expect. This time I installed a homemade pull up bar in my garage (pictures coming), last time through I used weights to assimilate pull ups. Needless to say, actual pull ups are much more difficult than what I was doing, so this change will be good.

So chest and back is day 1 of P90X and it was a beast of a workout. I think I did horribly on it, I made it through all of the workouts, but with plenty of time to spare in almost all of the individual sets. So while Tony (the P90X guy) does 10 pull ups and then hangs there for a few seconds as a break and then finishes with another 7 pull ups or so, I just quit after the first part. I'm only doing about 3 to 5 pull ups in each set, usually with the help of a chair in the second round. Part of my problem last night was that I was fasting for Jared Vance and my energy level was low (not that fasting is ever a problem, I just mean that my workout suffered because I didn't have much "energy"/food in my body). The first half of the workout was fine, but by the end of the workout and especially during the Ab ripper part I felt like I wanted to puke. Christine started the program with me and she also fasted and she felt the same way, so I assume that feeling was because we hadn't eaten lunch or dinner. For my morning meal I had a protein shake, which consists of two things, milk and EAS protein powder. Most people add some fruit and blend it all up with ice, but I actually prefer mine without fruit. I love fruit, but it seems like the protein powder has such a strong taste that the fruit only adds to the sweetness, not the taste, and it's plenty sweet on its own. I also had about 20 ounces of water. So when we finished the Ab ripper, I laid on my mat for 15 minutes thinking there was no way I could get up. Once I did muster the courage to get up, I fainted. First time in my life that I fainted. That was probably due to a combination of exhaustion, lack of food, and possibly a lack of blood. Two days ago, I lost a lot of blood when somebody threw a huge log at my head (on accident) which required stitches in my forehead, so that perhaps was a factor in me fainting as well.

I should note that the Ab Ripper was the most difficult part of last night's workout, my core is indeed the weakest part of my body. Christine was completing each workout just as if she was one of the demonstrators on the video and I was struggling to finish half of each set. I could completely do the bicycle kicks, the V obliques and one more exercise that I'm forgetting, but the rest was pathetic. I'm hopeful to make significant gains in this area and since it's three times a week I think I should improve rather quickly.

I also played basketball for an hour and a half, which I'll do every Monday, Wednesday and Friday...probably for the rest of my life. Pop still plays and he's 61, it's the funnest hobby that i have and I actually can't imagine life without it. About twice a month we'll also play on Saturday, which is usually the best run of the whole week. In addition to basketball three to four times a week, I want to run 4 times a week. For now the plan is to bring my gym clothes to work with me and on the way home from work, stop by the gym and run for 30 minutes twice a week and 45 minutes once a week, all of those days running at an 8 or 8.5 minute mile until I get faster and can increase. Then on Saturdays, I will do a long run, this Saturday I'll start with 6 miles and then each Saturday I'll increase until I figure out what race I will sign up for next. One of my life goals is to successfully finish an Iron Man race. I've never been a big runner, I've done three races in my life that involve running distances of more than 7 miles, all three in the last three years, and I've never trained for any race. My first race was the ten-mile Pear Blossom run a few years ago. I finished in an hour and 40 minutes, not fast, I only did it because my brother, Damian said I couldn't finish it in under 1 hour and 40 minutes...push. Last year I did an Olympic triathlon, which consisted of a 7 mile run, 25 mile bike ride, and a 5 mile kayak down the Rogue River. I actually started to train for that race and about 3 weeks in I tore my calf muscle playing basketball and I was shelved from any running/basketball for more than two months. I did the race because Dave Cerecedes was coming from out of town to run it with me, but because I didn't train well I didn't do well. I finished and never walked on the run or stopped on the bike or kayak, but I was slow. A couple months ago, I did the Pear Blossom 10 Miler, I finished 10 minutes better than my first time, but this time I actually ran 4 times before the race which helped immensely, two of those runs were 6 milers. Unfortunately I had some stomach issues during the race and needed to find a bath room, but I couldn't get to one, otherwise I think i would have finished about 5 minutes faster. That's why Christine beat me by one minute.

Ok, so that's my plan for the next three months. I need to post my before pictures and i need to take pictures of my pull up bar, I think I did a pretty good job on it and it only cost me $30. I'm actually somewhat excited for next Monday, I really want to improve on my pull ups.