The Inspirational Power of New Gear

Somehow here we are again, December. The year's winding to a finish. The weather's getting cold. One overeating holiday is setting up the next.

Now is the time we need our inspiration more than ever.
We need the inspiration to watch our diets.
We need the inspiration to get out the door despite the cold and hit the pavement.
We need the inspiration to fight for time to squeak in our workouts between holiday parties and shopping.

Not to mention the colds, the flus, the stressful travel and houses full of relatives... all these things vying for your time and trying to squeeze out your precious few moments of exercise.

Enter the power of new gear.
Maybe it's just me, but when I have an awesome new running jacket or a hot new yoga top, I get a bit psyched about when I can wear them for my next workout. Even though I have plenty of workout clothes, there's something particularly seductive about shiny new workout things.
Last year, for Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me a runner's hat with a blinky light on the back of it. I never used to be one to run in a hat, unless it was cold, in which case I'd run in a beanie. But never an actual runner's hat... I loved it! I still wear it all the time and I definitely enjoyed heading out into the rain last January and watching the rain drop off of my hat's rim.

As we head into the holiday season, I'd like to reflect (read: drool) on the fitness-oriented loot that might make me more likely to break a sweat. Even if you don't celebrate any gift-giving holidays, consider a small purchase as a kick-off to your fitness new year's resolution. (And no, I'm not being paid by The Sports Basement to write this post).

• Lululemon: Yoga-inspired sports clothing for men and women. Incredibly cute stuff, though mostly geared towards yoga, they do have things for runners and general workout clothing. Also, rumour has it, their pants give "good butt."


• Skins Compression Gear: I recently bought some of the Compression tights which I ran my last half marathon in. They were amazing! I'd run a half marathon the previous week in my normal running tights, and my knee was hurting me on all the downhills. The following week, with equally steep downhills, my knees felt great! And protected. I highly recommend these - the tights are supposed to increase strength and endurance as well as help with a faster recovery and less muscle soreness. I also bought some of their recovery socks, which have a double purpose of helping your recovery post race but also serve for reducing swelling when flying. (Other brands out there making compression gear include 2xu and Sugoi, but I haven't tried them. Yet.)


• While I'm at it, I love Sugoi. Their fits are great and flattering, and they have fun style, like these awesome tattoo arm sleeves. Hot.



• This list isn't just reserved for things you wear. As far as I'm concerned, anything that's likely to make you workout more counts. For example, my new favourite Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board(which I'll be reviewing soon!). Not really a serious tool for most athletes, but a solid and, more importantly, a fun supplement to a more serious workout routine. Along the same lines, there's a whole slew of other fitness games for the Wii Fit board that look interesting: EA Sports Active, Gold's Gym Cardio Workout, and a few others.
  


• A good heart rate monitor - especially if it's as cute as the Polar FT40 Women's Heart Rate Monitor Watch
  
  

Well, those are a few of the things I'd recommend for your "Holiday Gift Guide for Runners" or Athletes, or the fitness-conscious. I'd love to hear from you about what tangible gifts might help inspire you to combat the winter blahs and get out there and workout.

Dodging the Wrench

One of my favourite film training scenes of all time is when O'Houlihan says to the dodgeball wannabees: "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." and proceeds to throw wrenches at them. Up until that point in the film, I wasn't barely even cracking a smile. When that happened, I lost it. What can I say, throwing wrenches at people is HILARIOUS!

So then, life decided to throw some wrenches at me. Less funny. When last I posted, I was doing great! I'd just completed my first week of Project: Cyprus - I worked out 6 days of that first week, with 4 Nike Training Club cardio workouts, 3 runs and 20 minutes of Yogamazing podcasts daily.

I was feeling amazing! I was working a ton, true... In front of the computer roughly 12 hours a day, but with 2 workouts a day, and 3 healthy meals (tons of fresh fruits and veg in Cyprus), I was feeling great. And then the wrench came hurdling at me, outta nowhere!

I went for a run on that 8th day, the beginning of week two of Project: Cyprus, and noticed little flashy lights out of the corners of my eyes. Almost like there were reflective bits on the ground where I was running. When I tried to look straight at them, there was nothing there. Odd, I thought, but decided to ignore that and keep going. The run went quite well after that, and when I came home and showered, I felt amazing! Talk about runner's high.

A few hours later that evening, after dinner, it went rapidly downhill from there. Incredibly bad nausea, intense photophobia and pain that basically kept me up till 2am or so. Long story short, my first full blown migraine. I've had hints of them a few times in my life, over the past 4 years, but nothing that developed into this monster. For the remaining week and a half that I was in Cyprus, it became a game of dodging the headache and trying to make it through the last days I had to edit this film without killing myself. Working out sank far into the background.

Since then, I've returned home, had a slew of medical tests and doctors visits, recuperated a bit after almost 2.5 weeks of lingering headache, slowly gotten back to working out and then returned to Cyprus. I've been here a day now, and have already done two 20-min yoga sessions and one Nike Training Club Core workout, but haven't managed to talk myself into a run yet.

Here's where my struggle is: I feel terrible. I've basically been barely doing anything physical over the past 3 weeks in the attempt to feel "normal" again, but I know that I won't feel well until I start really working out again. I'm in Cyprus for another two weeks and really want to take advantage of the lack of other life distractions and tackle working out to balance out my work. That's the beauty of Project: Cyprus - When I'm here, I could fit in workouts, stretching, yoga twice a day if I wanted to. And I know that no matter how much I try to take it easy, not push myself too hard and relax, this work that I'm doing is incredibly taxing and the next two weeks won't be all that easy.

But I need to work out and I'm dying to get back on track with my running... I have a 10k several days after I get back to the U.S. What to do? Will a run trigger my migraine again? I feel a touch shakey at this point, but that's to be expected given the jetlag, the crazy travel schedule and the first long day at a computer. I can't tell if the pressure I feel in my head, around my eyes is just exhaustion or more. The 90º weather probably wouldn't be that great for running either.

So for today, I've decided to give myself one more day of "taking it easy" - which in this case means Yoga for headaches in the morning and another yogamazing podcast this evening - and then to go for a short run tomorrow to begin easing my way into a better training schedule.

In the interim, I'd love advice! Any of you folks out there suffer migraines? Do you have workout advice? Prevention tips? What do you for your fitness when life throws a wrench at you?

I *heart* Jay Blahnik!

A while back, I participated in the Nike+ world race 10k, where you run from wherever you are. I happened to join a friend and go to our local Niketown where they had a course laid out from there, although you could really just run wherever you wanted.

It was well worth going to Niketown, they had all kinds of treats, gave out goody bags and had snacks at the finish!! All the things I love in a race :)

Best of all, as a reward for signing, you got a nike audio training mix, a 40 minute training workout that got you prepped for the 10k. I didn't actually download it till way after the race, but then when I was in Cyprus, I loaded up my ipod & tested it out for the first time.

It totally rocks!!! A 40 minute interval workout, hosted by Jay Blahnik. He starts you off with a 5 minute warmup (where he doesn't talk much, just tells you what to do then lets the music help set the pace), then a 10 minute sustained pace run, then one minute on, one minute off intervals with corresponding music. The music is great! And varied! And different!

And the workout isn't easy, though of course it really depends on how hard you push yourself for those intervals. Though I for one am much better at pushing myself harder if someone's telling me when to start and stop, to keep going, etc.

I looooove this workout and have since done it many time! Around the same time I also got a 20 minute quick run from the same folks. While Big E says it's great, I don't usually go out for 20 minute runs. But who knows, maybe I'll try it one day.

The Travel Question - Expanded

Well, work's gotten in the way again and I've let the P90x and other general workouts slip by the wayside. Not so much a lack of motivation at this point, as a sheer exhaustion and a complete lack of time. The best I could muster, yet again, was getting out the door and hitting the road for a run.

Work has been inspiring and exhilarating lately, not just exhausting: I've been working my wrists into a frenzy on the fantastic documentary See What I'm Saying, directed by none other than the lovely Ms. Gabrielle Mullem. I'm also getting an amazing opportunity to travel with work to Cyprus to edit another documentary - truly a rare thing... most film editors don't get to travel much for work.

Which leads me to the topic of this post. I've written about travel workout schedules in the past, but that was related to vacation travel. Work travel is quite different, and I've never done it for quite this long... I'll be in Cyprus for almost a full month. So what is my strategy here?

My first tactic was to figure out my running options. I did that by looking for a Hash House Harriers group in Lefkosia which is where I'll be staying. Sure enough, there's a group that runs every Tuesday. First success! That should help me learn the running in Cyprus ropes, and give me some running buddies to boot.

Secondly, I've made sure my computer is loaded up with P90X workouts. However, I needed something else to supplement that. I don't really know how difficult my work schedule is going to be. So Big E helped me find a DVD set of Yoga workouts that have shorter workouts, relaxing workouts, stress-relieving workouts... the works. Good Stuff.

I'll let you know how it goes and hopefully some cool photos of Cyprus while I'm at it.

Any of you P90Xers out there big work travellers?

Tandem training begins NOW!

Actually, it really begins on Monday.  Or if you're using my runner's schedule, it begins on Tuesday.  But I digress.  What begins now?  Why, our new side-by-side P90X training comparisons!

Tamsen and I realized that while we've both reviewed various workouts, we've never done the same workout programs at the same time.  But we're both at the phase where we could use the extra motivation of having someone else going through the same thing you are to keep you going.  Or at least that's my theory.

On my side of things, life has gone crazy:  I've been editing like a fiend, trying to finish a documentary while doing full-time editing of a corporate video project.  It's been sending me home a bit frittled (fried and frazzled) every night and over the past month, it's been a struggle to just get my running done, the bare minimum, let alone complete my P90X-enhanced runner's schedule.  

Now, work isn't going to get any less intense, but my motivation seems to be fired up again, so I'm going to get back onto my runner's schedule, and work on fine-tuning it even more!

One of the cool things that I've found that ramped up my motivation was this article about a professional athlete getting fantastic results from P90X training - E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!  (I promised Big E I'd sneak in an Eagles cheer).  I've been recommending P90X to my various athlete friends (Ultimate frisbee players, runners and more) and it's cool to have a recognized professional athlete equally fired about about this program.

First things first:  I'm going to retake the P90X fitness this Sunday.  You in, Tamsen?

And, a quick question for you readers out there:  How do you remotivate yourself when life gets in the way?  Any good tricks?

A P90X Runner's Schedule

I've been meaning to do this for a while, but things kept getting in the way (a trip to NYC to meet with an agent about my cookbook-The Athlete Gourmet, then Mono and Strep... you know: the usual.)

So here it is, now that I'm feeling well enough to begin testing it out: A runner's schedule that incorporates P90X. Actually, it can also double as an ultimate frisbee player's schedule that incorporates P90X, since that's what Big E is doing.

The main issues are that it is very difficult to incorporate all 6 days of workouts from the P90X schedule if you're also running 30-40 miles a week. Ditto if you're having two ultimate practices and a track training day. I mean, we do have jobs!
So I'm taking my standard running schedule (possibly toned down just a touch) and supplementing it with P90X workouts. I'm leaning more towards P90X Lean because I'm more interested in lean tone than bulking up. Also, as I'm recovering from illness, I want to ease into it.

Here is what I'm doing this week (haven't quite ramped up my running yet):

Monday	Rest
Tuesday	Core Synergistics
Wednesday	4 mile run
Thursday	Chest & Shoulders
Friday	Yoga X & 5 mile run
Saturday	10k run
Sunday	5-7mile run

Then, the following week, switch out the Chest & Shoulder for Legs and back and then keep alternating. This is the introduction phase, as I'm ramping my running back up and getting the rest of myself into shape as well.

For Big E, his monday-friday schedule is the same, but then he has ultimate frisbee practice (or a tournament) on the weekends. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Already I can tell you, it's amazing how quickly one falls behind and Core Synergistics was *so* hard today! Though part of that could be just because I'm still illin'.

P90X+ Total Body Plus

To quote Tamsen, HOLY MOTHER OF TONY HORTON! The first workout from the P90X+ was so brutal, it made Big E and me realize that we should probably build up to the Plus workouts with a refresher cycle of the good ol' standard P90X.

This workout was HARD. In fact, so hard that we spent a good deal of time just watching Tony and his peeps go, with our jaws down by our feet. For example, take your standard pull-up workout: Now, after the Lean cycle, I was able to do several modified pull-ups (with one foot leaning against a stool). I still can't do a full-on real pull-up though. This workout has you pull up, hold that pose, and then crunch your knees up to your chest as many times as you could. I could not do that. At all.

So Big E helped me up to the pull-up start position and then from there, I crunched my knees up to my chest as many times as I could (maybe 5?). Made me feel pretty pathetic. And that was merely the beginning. By the time we finished the workout, I felt like we hadn't done anything, since we kept skipping moves or barely doing any reps at all. It was a tad demoralizing.

What's crazy though, is that despite feeling like we hadn't done anything, both of us were sore for days afterwards. Unfortunately, it did scare me off of the + for now. I feel that I should maybe do the regular plan until I can complete at least one solid 100% real pull-up and then tackle it again.

That doesn't mean that I won't attempt each of the P90X+ workouts till that time. I need to know what I'm building towards. So I'll keep the P90X+ individual workout reviews coming, just slowly. I don't know that I can muster the gumption for more than one every other week or so. But I do promise that it will happen.

In the meantime, I'm going to work on building the perfect Running+P90X workout combo for distance runners doing a minimum of 30 miles a week.

P90X Bottom - Week 1

Well, week one's out of the way - the only workout I missed was Sunday's Kenpo X but I have a decent excuse: I ran the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon yesterday and was too tired to do Kenpo X on top of that.

How did it go, you ask? Not that well. For starters, it has been becoming clear to me these past few weeks that while P90X has been great for getting my body into general shape, it hasn't been helping my running much. Not because it isn't a good supplement to my running, but because when working out 6 days a week for this plan, it's hard to fit in as many running days as I used to.

In addition to the P90X, I'd only be running 2-3 days in each week and really only started doing 3 days once I'd figured out that my running was getting the shaft.

So to begin with, I wasn't quite in the same running shape I was in last year. And then, on top of that, it sleeted on us. Literally. Possibly hailed too. Freezing cold rain nailing us in the face between miles 9.5 and 11.5. We had to run bending over so as not to get it all in the face. And then my hip started hurting. It was a great race, really.

So enough with my whining. Here's what I'm going to do about it: My training schedule for the Relay is out and that's when I want to do my best time this year, so my plan for P90X is to continue with the lower body and core focus and make sure I run 3-4 times a week. My week should look a bit like this:

• Tuesday: Legs & Back (instead of on the night before my long run)
• Wednesday: Plyo in the morning, short run in the afternoon
• Thursday: Longer run with hills or sprints
• Friday: Yoga X
• Saturday: Whichever upper body it happens to be in the morning followed by a short run
• Sunday: Long run, Kenpo X optional (I think most of the time, I'll do both, it'll just depend on how hard the run was.
• Monday : Rest

On the plus side, the first of my 8 in '08 is completed. Now I just have to find the next 7 half-marathon+ races... I'm hoping to do Dublin in the fall.

P90X Lean - Done with Phase I

Well, we've survived Phase I - the last workout (Yoga X) was today. I'm still not doing the optional Stretching on Mondays because I still maintain I need the day completely off for sanity purposes. Also, it's optional.

Here's what I've determined this first month:

* Core synergistics is always harder than I think it'll be
* Cardio X is always easier than I think it will be
* Yoga X always has about 5 or 6 more Vinyasa/warrior etc. than I ever remember
* My core is pretty strong
* My upper body is really weak

This recovery week wasn't so bad and it was actually pretty timely, because I just looked at a calendar and realized that if I'm really running the Kaiser Permanente half marathon in early '08, I'd better start seriously running again. So today, before my Yoga X session, I went for an 8-mile run... It wasn't too bad, but it's all uphill from here! Next week, I have to do a 9-miler before my Kenpo X. That'll be fun.

Next week, not only do we begin Phase II, but we begin it while travelling. We've determined that we're going to need to take our bands (to replace the dumbbells we normally use), my push-up handles, and load the workouts onto my laptop. I almost feel like we need to take our yoga mats and blocks too. As well as the recovery drink and snack bars. Man, good thing we aren't checking any luggage!

I *heart* Kenpo X

It's true. Sundays have become my favourite workout day. It's not just that it's the last day of the week. If anything, that makes my body sorer and more exhausted by the time it rolls around. Having Kenpo X the day after Legs and Back is even harder because my shoulders and arms are killing me during the punching and blocking sequences and my legs and butt (oh, my poor butt) are so sore during the kicking.

I think what it comes down to is this workout is so much fun and so distracting. I mean, 5-7 minute blocks of punching or kicking with 2 minute jumping jack and other stuff interludes keep things varied enough that the workout is over before I know it. The 30-minute run we do pre-workout feels awesome! We get to the Kenpo and at first it feels like you're not gonna make it through the workout, with the run... but then next thing you know, it's over and you're pumped!

I spend the rest of the afternoon bouncing around the house, getting things done, super energized and kicking things.

OK. I'll admit it. I thing the main reason I love Kenpo X so much is all the punching and kicking. I love kicking combos. I love the hundred+ jabs at the end. But more than anything, I love Knuckles-Front Kick-Back Kick. I imagine that I'm fighting off two attackers at once, in the front and one in the back. *thwack* *thwack* *thwack* (OK... maybe that doesn't sound so tough to you, but it's lightning fast.)

Back when I was in college, I took Tai Kwon Do and it took years and years after I had stopped to stop kicking, blocking and punching around the house. Poor Big E... I'm once again a feisty ninja.

P90X and The Runner

Having reached week three of the P90X Lean, I'm starting to get a hang of it and figure out how it's working out for me. The workouts are great - there isn't one that doesn't leave my whole body burning that good burn. The only thing that seems to be missing is maintaining my aerobic endurance. Now, normally, I don't get enough anaerobic exercise, so the P90X is a great change in that sense. It also is a great recovery phase in my running off-season.

However, now that it's been four weeks since my last race, I decided I was about ready to get back to some additional cardio. The workouts were satisfying but not quite scratching that running itch. It was time to work the running back in.

The main question was how frequently and what workouts to double up with. I am adamant about maintaining the sanctity of my rest day (for mental sanity purposes), so I first ran for a 30-min run before Kenpo X on Sunday. That worked out quite well, I felt great but definitely found that I'm losing a bit of my cardio endurance.

Monday is then off, and today we began our third week. (I'm thrilled to report that we were able to complete almost all of the moves this time and even added the bonus round! Yippeee!!) But I didn't think it would be a good day to double up. Tomorrow seems like a much better day. While I love Cardio X, and it gets my heart rate nice and high, it's not quite the same as a good hard run. So Tamsen and I are going for a run tomorrow afternoon, before Cardio X. Good times.

What other days would be good doubles days? Yoga X?