Blog Action Day: Poverty Awareness

Once upon a writing time, I was telling a friend who's pretty high on the media chain about an idea I had for a book: a plan to help low-income and underpriviledged families incorporate fitness into their lives.

She said something that both shocked me and made me feel immediately stupid: Fitness is a middle-class issue.

Now, she didn't say health, and she didn't say obesity. She said "fitness." And she was right. Put finding (or maintaining) shelter and food at the top of the day-to-day priority list, and suddenly having sweet abs just doesn't make the cut.

This doesn't have as much to do with solving poverty as it has to do with awareness of it. Poverty is best known as starving people living in unhealthy conditions, but in this current economic state, it could mean a head-of-household losing a job, a single parent being threatened with eviction, a person already on the edge getting pushed over by something as simple as a bill from a child's doctor.

At the moment, I consider myself unfit in a aerobic, base-fitness, V02-type way. Today I'm realizing I'm unfit in other ways: I haven't reached out enough, helped out enough, or given up any of my luxurious time to help package, distribute or even find food for people who don't have enough. (Nothing will cure my "I'm 10 lbs overweight!" whine faster than handing food to people who don't have enough to eat.)

My next 90-day fitness test will have to include that kind of fitness as well: Fit for humanity.

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?

How to P90X When You're Not Sure You Can P90X

I've been out of it for a while. I think my last post was about getting back, planning a new strategy.

Eh.

Jim-the-Amazing-Trainer once told our group that you have to fight the body sometimes, because it's programmed to save energy, avoid pain and take rest. So when you're pedaling up a 6-degree hill, dying, you have to talk it out with your body: "Sorry, I'm ignoring you for now, since parts of me aren't ripping apart and I'm still breathing..."

I'm afraid that's a little of what I'm having to do now. "Sorry, body. I know you like potato chips more than you did a year ago. I know you like naps. I know you like beer. A lot. But I really need to get back up that hill."

The hill is this:
- ridding myself of 8+ months off of any focused training
- ridding myself of 15 lbs of beer 'n' chips blob
- changing an overwhelming desire to not do anything

The overwhelming desire is just a matter of habit, the 15 lb blob can be dumped in, what, 90 days??? What a coincidence. And the 8+ months off...well, I don't want it to be 10+

So what does an underfit person do with P90X, our old kickass friend? She does this:

- Take on the Lean program. It's still tough, just not as tough.
- RELAX into the Lean program, but don't avoid the hard parts.
- Set a goal that has nothing to do with weight, guilt or fear.
- No excuses, no rationales: do the damn thing.

It's a new month, so I may as well start Monday. August 4. Goal: At least 5 of the 6 weekly sessions. If I miss one segment one week, I can't miss the same one again in that month.

Sigh. Guess I'd better put down my beer.

And for anyone else who isn't sure they can handle P90X, just remember there's a return policy. Which is not the case with your body, so are you sure you can't do at least part of it?

Check out the Fitness Test first, if you're still not convinced: http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/programs/p90x/p90xFitTest.pdf

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'.

Wii Fit: A Flyby Review

Well, what can I say. You get sick, fight for a while, disappear from your fitness blog for a while, then finally find out you have mono. Go figure.

So yeah, that's my excuse. I do have some fun stuff to write about though. The second week of my mysterious sore throat and general meh-iness found me on the East coast, visiting my mom, who had just the day before received Wii Fit. Since I wasn't feeling too great anyway, I decided to replace my regularly scheduled workouts that week with Wii Fit ones, for review purposes of course.

The Wii Fit is a game for Wii that uses, instead of the wiimotes, a 4-paneled panel that you step on. First thing that happens is you create your character (your Mii), enter some information and get weighed. You are then told where your BMI falls (the panel is equipped with, among other things, a scale). I fell into the normal BMI range (around 23).

Then it does its first diagnostic test. This consists of testing your balance and your ability to rapidly adjust your balance, keeping both feet squarely on the board, based on what the screen tells you. I didn't do too well in this. For starters, my balance is definitely shifted towards my right hip (not surprising given my ongoing left hamstring issues). Then, apparently, I'm not so great at shifting my balance smoothly and quickly. My Wii age was determined to be 41. Bleh. That's quite a bit older than I really am.

Not defeated, I went on to sample the exercises Wii Fit had to offer. They're divided into 4 categories: Balance Games, Yoga, Aerobics and Strength training. Each section has a number of immediately available moves (all about 1-2 minutes) and then you unlock more as you complete more and more exercises. Over the next three days, I tried every single move that was available to me or consequently unlocked.

I started with the balance games, figuring it's where I needed most work. The first game was the soccer ball head butting. Man, was that tough! Standing on the board, you see soccer balls flying towards your Mii's head and have to mimic a head butt to send the ball back. To further complicate things, sometimes they fool you by throwing a soccer cleat, or worse yet a panda, which you have to dodge. This one was really fun, but I wasn't very good at it. Other options in this section were slalom skiing (I sucked), Ski jumping (really fun - I'm good at squatting), and tight-rope walking (super fun!)

Next was the yoga. Now this one's brilliant. I do yoga all the time, but it's great to be able to get a sense of whether my weight is evenly distributed in my Warrior pose (it wasn't) or if my Tree pose was unwavering (also not... at first.) The beauty is that you can see where you failing and adjust while you're doing it. It wasn't a bad collection of yoga moves either. I did reasonably well, here and was even named Yoga Master in a couple of them.

The aerobics, unsurprisingly, didn't do much of anything for me, with the exception of the hula hooping. I mean, really, a two-minute jog in place (while your Mii jogs through a little park with a finish line, other runners... even dogs) isn't really going to do much. There was also a 2-minute step session (really basic) and a buddy walk. Of course, the sessions go a bit longer as you progress and pass the various levels - but still. Even in my sick stage, it didn't even make me break a sweat. The only one that got my heart beat the slightest bit elevated was the hula hooping. That was fun: you got to catch hoops by leaning to the side, go faster and slower to lower or raise the hoop.

Finally, the strength training. This one surprised me - it wasn't really easy! I mean, it wasn't hard (Well, I have been doing P90X and all) but it was surprisingly challenging considering the base level that the other sections started with. One of the moves was a Push-up/Side Plank combo, where you started doing 1 push-up, then right side plank, 2nd push-up, right side plank, then repeat the whole thing several more times! If people are starting the Wii Fit as an actual beginner's workout (with a 2-minute jog in place), that can't be an easy first strength move. Other moves included Torso and Waist Twists, Jackknife, Lunge, Rowing Squat, and more. I was actually even a bit sore after going through all of these moves during my brief stay.

Overall, here's my analysis: As a game to play with friends around taking turns on the different moves, it was very fun.

As a way to evaluate how you're doing (a supplement, not a replacement of, your normal workout plan), not a bad way go: The balance games particularly are a great way to tune into how your body is doing and where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

I think for someone like my mother, who's in her sixties and not terribly fit, it's a great way for her to get in a bit better shape. I've been trying to get her to do yoga for ages and I think the balance moves are generally useful.

For someone who's already an athlete, or has done P90X, don't bother. It's just a game. (But it is a fun one!)

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.