Dirtkids

So I came to the cabin last night…it’s been a while since we’ve checked on it with our geographical challenges, so it was time. Yesterday when I left our house, I was comfortable outside in a t-shirt, the sun was out…the spring fever I’ve been fighting was subsiding. Today is a different story…shortly after I took the dogs down to the river for a post-dog-knee-surgery shortened hike and returned to the cabin, the sprinkles started. The full blown winter storm predicted appears to have arrived…complete with wind and hail. A short, rainy run was looking good during a short break this afternoon but that window appears to have closed…now I don’t mind running in the rain, I actually like it…but this is a bit much. My arms are once again covered with a sweatshirt, fire burning in the stove and dogs staring at me…bored, wondering why they aren’t passed out somewhere in a sunny spot under a tree. I’ll be watching for my opportunity to get outside in the next few days but I don’t think I’ll see the sun on this trip to the cabin. But soon…very soon…we’ll be back…with bikes…and motos!

Yes, I know…it is something from an infomercial. I can honestly admit though that I didn’t know about the infomercials until AFTER we bought the DVD package…but really, there’s good reason for me mentioning it…and I’m not a paid actor, nor do I look like one…give Tom a cape though and he’s like an action hero…but I digress.

With our complicated geographic logistics and the ever-present potential for crappy winter weather in all 3 locations, we were trying to figure out how to make it through the winter without completely losing any shred of fitness we gained from all the summer/fall mtn biking and hiking. I was reading some trashy Hollywood gossip site on the internet (yes, surprisingly I’ve been known to do such things) that had some quotes from Pink, the singer, and her using P90X to whip herself into shape. I did a quick internet search on P90X and saw several positive reviews. Although somewhat skeptical, Tom and I have tried one of the Bowflex machines (it was barely recognizable through the layer of dust), tried free weights (boring) and a spin bike (good but not portable). I was struck by how simple the program sounded in terms of hardly needing equipment.

So just before the holidays, we pulled the trigger and ordered the program. We set it aside until just after the holidays, read through the information that comes with the DVDs and got started…

A little background…I’ve been involved in organized or individual sports since I was a little kid and have been exposed to or tried various ways of training depending on the activity or activities I’m into at the moment. Tom comes from a similar background but once he hit school, he tried a few organized sports and drifted towards doing his own thing (skiing, kayaking, windsurfing, mtn biking, etc.) but he’d never really been exposed to a training regimen.

So the P90X program overview is that it is advertised as a series of exercises designed to work the whole body using a concept called “muscle confusion”…having a physiology background, sounded plausible enough to me on the surface. The exercise routines are about 60-90 min and rotate in 4 week blocks for 3 months. There is some weight/bands work, plyometrics, core exercises, lots of push-ups/pull-ups, Yoga, Kenpo, etc. The second part of the program is a nutrition plan…which I was skeptical about…like I’m really going to stop drinking Cokes????

We decided to try out the nutrition plan and we were off! The first week was amazingly exhausting, which I’m embarrassed to admit. I was sore the day after each exercise for a little over a week but was impressed at the variety of the exercises. The nutrition plan was another story…it’s definitely not a diet but more of a way to train your metabolism and not at all difficult for us. We’ve stuck with the exercise schedule with the exception of skipping some weekend days due to other exercise activities and we both took a few days off when we got sick.

We’re wrapping up week 6 and have been through all the DVD workouts except one and I can honestly say I’m hooked. I can’t imagine not continuing to do this program or one of Tony Horton’s other follow ups to P90X. As an aside, Tony Horton is great…he’s energetic and throws out movie quotes during the workouts…if the guy can make you work your ass off and still laugh, he’s doing something right.

So we don’t have our final P90X numbers to work with but I can tell you this so far…
1. We’ve both noticed clothes are looser and bodies tighter
2. We’ve both lost a few pounds
3. We’re not religiously following the nutrition plan…my only digression is my occasional Coke but otherwise we are staying within the portion suggestions and think we will forever eat healthier
4. I’ve never felt stronger overall (except cardiovascularly but that’s not what P90X is best for)

I turned 41 in February…if I want to continue playing like I’m 20 with the dirtbiking, snowboarding, mtn biking, etc. I gotta keep this body tuned up…and the P90X program is the perfect tool. I’m looking forward to finishing this out and trying out the rest of the punishment Tony is dishing out!