Runners and Cyclists Alike

Here is a link that may help anyone interested in mapping their routes on road or off. The website is called Map My Run. The interface takes a little bit of tooling around but it's well worth it. My buddy showed me but he didn't know if it would work for off road until I tooled with it.
http://www.mapmyrun.com

The images are similar to Google Maps where you can have several map options: street, terrain, topographic, satellite, hybrid, etc. It will also give you elevation gains. Here's a sample:

Reaching Goals

It's been a few weeks since my last resistance workout in Round I of P90X but my body has adapted to the rigor of these workouts as if no time had passed. In fact, I am making tremendous strides in my push-up and pull-up performance. I'm already making 2-5 more reps since last week in both sets. I'm not sure why it is except nutrition. I assumed the heat would keep me from making these types of strides when I workout in the garage but it really hasn't affected me that much with a swamp cooler and two fans running catty corner. In any case I'm making gains in strength. I've even kept my weight down to 170 lbs. even though I'm not focusing on weight loss.

I "keep pushing play" no matter where my head space looks like that day. It's a way of life that I don't know if I could do without. I've made tremendous gains even though my wife feels that I'm getting too small. She's used to me being around 190 lbs. I explained to her that with my daily caloric intake of 2100-2400, pushing hard every workout, lifting big, and eating clean there is no way I can be getting too thin. Thin suggest lack of muscle mass and from my pics I'm sure anyone will be able to see that I'm applying muscle mass in all the appropriate areas. What I do know is that if I were to lose my muscular gains, I would have to have at least a 500 calorie deficit. I would not only be burning up my surplus of calories but I would also be subtracting from my muscle mass. This is typical in woman who do P90X who do not see any gains throughout the entire program because they use P90X as a weight loss plan and have a dramatic calorie deficit. Their body burns calories like a furnace on a cold winter's day and then they run out of calories. The body begins to take it from their muscle. Word to the wise, Eat the proper amount of calories your body needs to run with effectively!

Here is a link to find your basic caloric needs. It comes pretty close to the needs I calculated in the P90X Nutrition Plan. This Caloric Calculator can certainly give you an decent approximation for your needs:
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm#

Under "Calories for Fat Loss" it states the following that reinforces what I mentioned above:
"Science tells us that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories, so a daily calorie deficit of 500 should result in 1 pound per week fat loss. In reality things don't quite work that efficiently!"

As you are strategically planning your nutrition I suggest you also document or journal your food intake. It sounds like a lot of work but it can easily become a part of your daily routine. I have a simple journal my wife got me at Borders that is specifically for nutrition. You can even develop a custom journal through Microsoft Word when you create a "new" document a window will pop up and type in Nutrition Journal, Food Diary or Food Journal and you'll have several options. If you really want to check your food intake by it's nutritional values in detail then I suggest My Fitness Pal. It's a very easy interface that has most food you find in the supermarket and specialty stores like Trader Joes (if in So. Cal):
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Over Doing It

I was a bit overzealous yesterday. I did Kempo Cardio Plus in the morning and kicked virtual butt and then it kicked my butt. After I finished we went to Disneyland and probably walked for about 6 hours straight. My legs and but were tired but appeared that they were going to be alright but when I woke up this morning they were fried...nothing that a good day's rest can't handle. I thought about doing my ride as planned but in So. California heat (100 degree Farenheit) it's not a wise move especially after yesterday. Oh well, I may go tomorrow after my Chest & Back workout. X'ers and overzealous fitness folks bewarned of over doing it. If you question how much your body takes it would be wise to taper it off.

My wife is a champ since her total hip replacement last September. She walks 4 miles per day, 6 days per week and does The Abs Diet 2 (resistance training) 3 days per week. She kept her schedule as planned and then tweaked her back a bit from yesterday's excursion at Disneyland. Her legs were fine and strong but after all the training this past week and then Disneyland really did her back in and it took a few Advil and a mechanical message on her lower back to get her back up and around. BTW, last year she couldn't last one hour of the walking we did yesterday. One hour of walking would lay her up for 3-4 days.

Don't be like NIKE and "JUST DO IT!"

Homemade Equipment

Here is something that can benefit anyone like me who doesn't have a spare $100-150 laying around to buy gear for your workouts. Here is a Pull-up bar and Push-up Stands I made. The Pull-up bar is relatively cheap for the length of it and holds a tremendous amount of weight ($30-40). The Push-up Stands take the most time to make however costs dramatically less in comparison to ones you find in retail stores ($15). I made them roughly 8" high by 8" wide so I can go deep for dips and do a variety of wide push-ups. Most of this stuff is usually spare parts found in the garage or can be picked up at Home Depot or Lowes for a relatively low cost. Way cool and way cheap! It does need some planning and very little tools: drill, phillips head driver, 1/8" drill bit, hack saw and clamps. Let me tell you that this equipment works great and extremely strong....and if they were to break then you can easily repair them.

Pull-up Bar: 3/4" steel pipe
6' straight
(2) 12" straight
(2) elbows
(2) floor flanges
2" x 4" or 2" x 6" (better) douglas fir
(8) 5" - 6" deck screws or (4) 6" lag bolts: 2" x 6" support to cross member
(8) 2" deck screws: flanges to 2" x 6" support





































Push-up Stands: 3/4" PVC (standard)
10' straight
- (4) 7": handles & center support
- (8) 4": feet
- (8) 3": upper risers/legs
- (8) 2": lower risers/legs
(4) elbows
(8) t-joints
(8) rubber chair feet
(2) rubber pads: handle cushions (for lamps and small appliances)
* no glue is necessary but I used JB Weld so I don't need to adust the feet

P90X Round II: Week 1

Week 1 was a little bitter sweet. It's a grind coming back to Week 1 of P90X because I haven't done this specific workout in 3 weeks or so. I took 1 week in between Rounds I & II (June 13 - June 22) so, it's like coming back to an old friend that you really didn't want to see so soon. I was enjoying my weeks in recovery weeks. I was in a recovery week coming up to June 13th. I was able to eat some Pizza on Father's Day which I thought deep down was going to hinder me. I imagine my metabolism is working overtime because since I started Round I on the 22nd it was almost as if I didn't take a week off. I did do some cardio during the week off between rounds though. I did the fun stuff like Kempo X and a couple of 14-15 mile cycling runs. It was great.

So, Week I began on June 22nd. In hindsight it was a good week but like I said, it was a grind coming back. My nutrition was good though, I was confused about doing Phase I or II on the P90X Nutrition Guide. I decided to do one or the other depending on the day's routine. As far as the routines, I don't fancy Weeks 1-3 & 5-6 however, my numbers were slightly improved in Pull-ups and Push-ups...only slight. I wanted to have vast improvements but it was only by a few here and there. The cardio workouts were a bit tough even though I was fairly active last week. I'll definitely "Bring It" on Week 2 though.

Pain as a Sign of Growth

After completing Day 95 and being a college professor, I've resolved that "pain" is a sign of growth...a sign of progress. My students often complain about the pains of being in college and I often have to remind them with this quote, "Pain is temporary...it's a sign of growth and everyone has to go through it. Pain is part of the journey. Without pain there is nothing to compare your progress to."

However, pain does feel like a weakness doesn't it. Pain is not a weakness though we are programmed to think so since we were young. Sometimes all it takes is a difference in perspective. This difference in perspective or mindset is how I get through most obstacles in life especially the ABX (Ab Ripper X) workout on P90X or rolling out of bed after a hard workout the day before. Pain also reminds of what we need to do the following workout. Don't mistake physical pain with physical soreness. Pain is something sustained longer than being sore. Questions to ask yourself are:

1. Am I feeling pain or soreness?

2. What did I do wrong? Did I misstep or twist a certain way? What do I need to do next time to avoid doing it again?

3. Did I thoroughly stretch and warm up or did I rush through to get to the actual workout?

4. Am I eating by a proven nutrition plan to help me reach my fitness goals and help body repair faster?

As Tony Horton says, "You can do anything in 30 seconds!"

Husky Kid Gets an Overhaul

I was always the chubby kid growing up. Even though I grew up in a loving Christian Home I was always reminded in one way or another that I was "chubby" or my favorite "husky." In my family fitness and being active was not really a priority, however having a big appetite was something to take pride in. In early adolescence I would eat an adults plate of spaghetti and meatballs. I remember vividly ordering the adult portion and the waitress going, "That's an adult serving, Honey!" I had no fear. It was not until I noticed girls and being picked last for a game of kickball (or being picked first for "Butt Ball") that I began to take notice of my gut. My waist was roughly 30"-31"....way to young for that.

Dad tried to force fitness but that never worked. It wasn't fun. I got thin in middle school and high school but in college I got the thickness back. I graduated from high school at 155 lbs. and gained 30 lbs. within 2 years. I yoyo'd throughout college and after graduation I went clear up to 220 lbs. after my daughter was born. Can you believe that?

I had began to do mt. biking with a buddy from church and it really became addicting. I became fairly good at it and it soon became a way of life for me. I still carried a hefty load of 190-200 lbs. even though I exercised several times a week. The guys I rode with had a multitude of health problems and had been on some type of medication for one thing or another. This had made me rethink how I approached fitness since my 40's were approaching, but I didn't have a clear direction. All I knew was I needed something new with some sort of accountability even though I was on this journey alone with no workout partner.

In 2007 I saw the P90X infomercials for and I thought to myself, "Unbelievable!...There is no way I can be like that!" Then in February '09 I heard some co-workers talking about the program and that one of them had been doing it. I'd eavesdrop from my office and hear them chat about it and then I'd go home and see the newest infomercial on it. It began to intrigue me all over again.

On March 16, 2009 the "Husky" Kid began his overhaul! P90X is more than a workout, it's a whole new way of thinking. There's a nutrition plan that partners with the workouts that changes each month as the workout does. This methodology feeds the body for each stage of the entire fitness plan. I finished Round I (90 days) on June 13, 2009 and it kicked my ass!
My body and entire way of thinking transformed:
- Lost 15 lbs. (without trying)
- Waist shrunk 35" to 32.5" and hips 38" to 36"
- Core became defined for the first time in my life
- Energy level sky rocketed

I went in as a skeptic about the whole "muscle confusion" philosophy but seeing is believing. The "Husky" Kid disappeared and all I could really do was thank God for getting me through the Living Hell called P90X. I also prayed that He would mentally prepare me to do it all over again on June 22.