Cold

Today was Legs and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I had a great legs and back workout before I came down with a bad cold. I used 25 lbs. dumbbells on all my leg exercises and I was able to pump out 146 pull-ups. That being said, the next day I was sore and what made matters worse was that I felt myself coming down with something.

I have felt like crap the past few days and I will probably be taking the week off from working out.

I hope that is not the case, but I need to get better.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Xmas Eve

Workouts were Shoulders & Arms with Ab Ripper X, 5 mile run and 1 mile swim. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews).

I was feeling pretty sore from my previous two workouts. Actually, I was very sore. I knew I would have the strength come lunchtime for my shoulders and arms workout. I did my Ab Ripper X before I went to work in the morning, so that was out of the way. I went into the arm workout just wanting to keep pace with my previous Shoulders and Arms workout. That is what I did. I was able to increase reps and weights on a few exercises, but mostly I was parallel with my previous. I really work hard. A+ on todays effort.

The next morning, I started off with a 5 mile run. I have learned to adjust to the boredom of a treadmill quite well. With the streets and sidewalks being very icy, I needed to keep it indoors. I am constantly changing the speed which makes things a little more interesting. It also makes it feel like the time is passing more quickly.

My last swim of the year. To me, there is nothing enjoyable about come from the cold outside and going swimming. I do it anyway. Once I get moving in the pool, it is not that big of a deal. My stroke was not great today. That being said, I was pushing myself and trying to increase my speed per lap. It is always difficult swimming when you have lifted weights two out of the previous three days. The pool is like pull-ups for me. It is a love hate relationship. I did enjoy the little triathlon training today.

Have a Merry Christmas,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Back To Reality

Workouts were basketball, X Stretch, Chest & Back with Ab Ripper X and Plyometrics. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Basketball finally went halfway decent. My shot is coming around and I played hard. It was a great couple of hours of exercise. I played every game.

The next day was a nice stretch. It also marked the end of my recovery week. It was time to get back to work.

Chest and Back was a tough. I haven’t done this one in about 8 weeks. Four exercises in, I remembered why it is such a pain in the ass. It is push-ups followed by pull-ups followed by push-ups followed by…you get the picture. I kept pace with my last C&B workout and I was even able to increase reps and weight in a few of the exercises. I love this routine. I was feeling tight afterwards, so I can just imagine what the next couple of days are going to be like. Ab Ripper X was like welcoming back an old friend.

I woke up for plyo feeling very sore. I really was not in the mood to workout. The warm-up was not fun and neither was the first round of exercises. I felt sluggish. After about 20 minutes, I started feeling loose and strong. I started pushing myself. I was going deeper in my lunges and jumping as high as possible. I have to admit that while plyo is still a great workout, it has lost some of its difficulty. It could be because I have been doing it for a while. Who knows? I may start using a weighted vest to add some extra resistance.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

No Pool

Workouts were a 5mile run, 40 minutes on the bike, Yoga X and 1-on-1 Diamond Delts. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

My workouts w got a little mixed up over the past couple of days. I was supposed to get a swim in, but when I went to the pool, it was closed for cleaning. So I had to swap it out for a bike. This meant a 3 workout day. Luckily yoga was one of the workouts.

My weekly run was good. Another 5 miler. I had to keep indoors due to icy sidewalks. I kept it interesting by switching up the pace. I came in at about a 7:50 pace, which is fine for me.

The following day was my trifecta. I started off with a little bike. About 40 minutes of spinning. I felt very strong on the bike. I had my pace at 30 mph at some spots. Of course we are talking indoors on the trainer, but stiil, it is enough to get the heart rate up. I definitely burned a bunch of calories. Next up was my lunch time yoga. Like I have said the past couple of weeks, the longer yoga is really helping and I am enjoying it. I will probably switch back to the shorter yoga once triathlon season starts. Finally, 1-on-1 Diamond Delts. At this point, I decided to go for broke. I went heavy and hard. I maxed out on all the weight. My reps were around 8-9 per exercise. I will be feeling this one tomorrow.

Tomorrow is basketball.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Stretchin' Arms

Workouts were 1-on-1 Just Arms and X Stretch. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Just Arms and a stretch sounded like a good combo and after the pounding I put on my arms, it turned out to be a great plan.

I won’t say much about the X Stretch other then the timing was perfect. It was just what the doctor ordered.

Now, for my arms workout. I went very heavy. Well, at least heavy for me. I increase the weight I used on just about all the exercises by 5 pounds. I love the straight weightlifting days because you get a little break in between each set to regroup. Right from the first set, I could tell it was going to be a good day. I pumped out a clean set of 10 bicep curls using 35’s. I tried to use no less than 30 lbs. on all bi/tri exercises. The only one I wasn’t able to accomplish that was on crazy 8’s. That where you keep one arm static (L position) while curling 8 times with the other arm. You repeat this twice per arm for a total of 32 reps. It’s brutal. I also pounded my forearms. They were tightening up on me halfway through the workout.

Once I move on to a new routine, I plan on making 1-on-1 arms a weekly stop.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Yoga And Core

Workouts were Yoga X and Core Synergistics. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I have found my groove with the Yoga X once again! I thought I enjoyed the shorter version more, but I was wrong. There is something about 90 minutes of yoga that makes me feel rejuvenated. Since going back to the P90X version, I am slowly starting to feel better overall. The moves are coming back to me and by doing it on the weekends, the time seems to fly by. I forgot just how sore you get from the workout.

The next day was Core Synergistics. I felt very strong during the workout. I probably could have gone heavier on a couple of the moves, but I wanted to keep it a recovery week. My body was a little sore from yoga, but it definitely did not hold me back. During the workout, I also noticed that my knee is feeling a little better which is good. I had a little mishap tripping over one of my daughters toys in the basement. I was not happy at the time, but it seems kind of funny now.

Tomorrow is Tony’s 1-on-1 Just Arms and I plan on going heavy.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery On The Horizon

Workouts were a 20 mile bike, 5 mile run and Total Body Plus. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

The week is coming to an end and so is this phase. Next week is my recovery week. I am looking forward to a little lighter of a load.

A bike and a run, I haven’t had this combo in a while. Like I have said prior, these workouts are the for triathlon maintenance. This was not a brick. I biked in the morning and ran in the afternoon. I had a very clean run. It couldn’t have been smoother. The bike was a good way to start off the morning. I am going to start rotating cycling and swimming with my weekly run.

Total Body Plus was no fun. I had to work around my daughter who wanted to get in on the action. It was quite funny, but extended my workout by 10 minutes. I stayed the same here as the previous week. I was going to try and be a hero today. I was tired and sore from the previous couple of workouts. I didn’t want to get sloppy on form and risk injury. I t was still a tough workout. I went slower with my reps to make them more intense.

Day off tomorrow and then it’s a weekend yoga.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Last Insanity

Workouts were Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit, kettlebell work with 1-on-1 Killer Abs. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

My final Insanity of this phase and once again, it had me on my hands and knees. There is a part of this workout when you are in the plank position for an extended period of time. It is tough. I needed to take a couple of breaks. I have 2 more cracks at this workout before my routine switches. We will see if I am able to make it through without breaks. I am very impressed with this Insanity workout. I am considering getting the full workout, but it wouldn’t be until after triathlon season.

Next up was my kettlebell routine with 1-on-1 Killer Abs. This one I started pushing the envelope a bit by adding some extra reps and really concentrating on form. Again, I have this workout 2 more times and I think I am going to keep pushing it. I love the kettlebell workout and when I couple it with Killer Abs, it makes a great routine.

I am starting to feel rejuvenated. I am starting to get a good amount of rest and really clean up my eating. It’s amazing what few days of clean living can do for you.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Switching Yoga

Workouts were Total Body Plus, Yoga X and Upper Plus with Abs/Core Plus. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I switched things up a bit this week.

1) Due to Christmas parties
2) I want to start doing the longer P90X yoga.

Total Body was a bear. I went heavier and tried to pump out some more pull-ups and push-ups. I always feel that I never really as hard as I do with other workouts, but the next few days after I am very sore.

I took the next day off and then it was time for P90X Yoga. I never thought I would miss an hour and a half of viyasa’s, chatarunga’s and downward dogs. Sadly, I did. What a great workout. I really needed it. I forgot how beneficial this workout is come triathlon season. I am definitely going to stick with it.

Next up were Upper Plus and Abs/Core Plus, both from P90X+. I have to say that I am happy this is my last week of these workouts. I don’t know why, but I feel like I get more out of the straight P90X workouts. Nothing really changed here. I added some push-ups and pull-ups. I am feeling kind of sluggish. It is probably due to the fact I am just getting over a cold.

Tomorrow is my last Insanity workout of this phase.

I have a feeling I am going to lose again…

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Still Sick

Workouts were a 4 mile run and Total Body Plus. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I am still trying to shake this cold, so that mad the workouts extra tough this week. I am also going to stop putting in diet info. The reason being is that it is always pretty close to being the same. Carbs are between 45g-55g, protein 35g-45g and fat 10g-14g.

I struggled with my run this week and cut it short. With all the chest congestion I had, breathing was difficult. I went as long as I could feel somewhat comfortable. Once I began to feel like I was struggling, I knew it was time to stop. I probably shouldn’t have run at all.

Total Body was again tough. I really didn’t have a lot of energy and strength, but I did it anyway. Again, probably a bad idea. I didn’t push too hard and stayed in my comfort zone. I still felt that I got in a good workout.

The next couple of days are going to be slow. I am going to take tomorrow off and then hit yoga the next day.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Just Insane

Today was Insanity Plyometric Cario Circuit with 1-on-1 Killer Abs. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I rolled out of bed this morning determined to get my workouts in. I wasn’t feeling great, but better than yesterday. The only thing I saw as a potential problem was that I was going to do the workout that kicked my ass last week. I wasn’t too worried about the kettlebell.
I started off the Insanity workout slowly. I got through the first few sets ok. I got to the last round of exercises and was toast. Again, I ended up taking breaks and breathers. This is one tough workout. Next week will be my last attempt for a few weeks. I am determined to get through it without having to take a break. This will be easier said than done.

The afternoon kettlebell routine was decent. I was excited because this was the first time I was doing this routine at the gym and they have a variety of KB’s. I was able to increase the weight for my chest presses, curls, tricep extensions and upright rows. I am almost thinking I need to pick up the next size KB for the house. The chest presses got tough towards the end. I was pretty burned out. Overall, I would give it a B. Being at the gym, I felt rushed and out of my comfort zone. I am still trying to figure out why. It might have been the need to get back to work. Who knows? We will see how it goes next week.

Killer Abs was, well, Killer Abs. There is not much to say here, 500 reps of pure fun.


Diet

Calories – 1600

Carbs – 155g (49%)
Protein – 130g (40%)
Fat – 33g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Feeling Ill

Workouts were Insanity Plyometric Core Cardio, Kettlebell routine and 1-on-1 Killer Abs. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

As this week’s workouts begin, I sensed something was wrong. My Upper Plus workout was exceptionally tough and I couldn’t figure out why. It felt like every move required an extra effort. By the time I was finished, I felt like I had worked out for twice as long as I did. I took a solid 5 minute break before moving on to Abs/Core Plus which wasn’t too bad, but I still struggled with the hanging ab work. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

The next day when I woke up, I knew exactly what was wrong. I was getting sick. I skipped my morning Insanity workout to evaluate myself during the day. I was feeling like crap. I pulled it together enough to go for a swim at lunch. I was only going to go for a half mile. I also planned on working on my bilateral breathing. After a few laps, I realized bilateral breathing sucks. Every time I turned left, I felt like I sank a little in the water. I gave up and continued with my normal right side breathing. So far I never have had a triathlon where the buoys are on the left. I am sure that day will happen soon.

I plan on adding my Insanity workout tomorrow with my kettlebell workout. I am not sure if I will try to fit it Killer Abs or move it to another day. It will be a game day decision.

Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 163g (50%)
Protein – 120g (37%)
Fat – 41g (13%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Turkey

Workouts were kettlebell, 1-on-1 Killer Abs, Spinervals Sweating Buckets and P90X+ Total Body Plus. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Nothing like a 4 day weekend. Diet will not be discussed due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Some things are better left unsaid.

I did my first kettlebell workout in quite some time. I took it somewhat easy. I didn’t want to strain any muscle since it was like I was starting from scratch. The exercises performed were 2 hand swings, 1 hand swings, chest press, curls, tri extensions, upright rows, shoulder press and snatch. The shoulder presses were pretty tough. I wanted to pay really close attention to my form. It is very easy to hurt yourself performing kettelebell exercises if you do not do them correctly.

After the KB routine, I did 1-on-1 Killer Abs. This is a combination of Ab Ripper 200 and Ab Ripper X. You end up doing around 500 reps.

The following day I was on the bike, indoors of course. For me, biking on the trainer is tough. I get bored really fast. I did Spinervals Sweating Buckets. It is about 50 minutes of total spinning. They mix it up enough to keep you from getting too bored. You’re changing gears often, so it requires you to think. Still, tough to stay on the bike for an hour without going anywhere. It’s as bad as a treadmill workout. I need to do these workouts to keep up with my triathlon maintenance.

My final workout of the week was Total Body Plus from the P90X+ series. This one hits it all. Again, not doing this one in a while, it was tough. It is not a rep thing, but a time thing. You need to make sure you pick the right weight or you will run out of gas before the exercise is done. No need to be a hero. Just concentrate on form and these moves will burn you out. At least that’s what they did to me

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Boring

Today was 1-on-1 yoga and a 5 mile run. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Today was a pretty boring day as far as workouts go. Nothing very interesting to talk about other than the fact that my hips and a$$ are killing me from yesterdays Insanity workout.

Yoga was good. My body was definitely in need of it. I am 99% sure I am going to be switching to the P90X yoga once or twice a month. I am in need of it.

The 5 mile run was extra boring. The weather forced me inside. I made the most of it and did some intervals to make the time go by a little faster.

Diet

Calories – 1700

Carbs – 185g (49%)
Protein – 150g (39%)
Fat – 46g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Insane

Workouts were Upper Plus, Abs/Core Plus, 3 mile run and Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Four workouts to talk about.

The first was upper body plus from the P90X+ series. I hadn’t done this one in a while, so I had to remember some of the moves. I wasn’t real comfortable right off the bat. These workouts are about time and not reps. So you are doing curls, push-ups, dips, etc., for a minute to a minute and a half. I had to keep the weight lighter than my previous routines, but this is expected. I love the combination moves and the fact that the workout is only 40 minutes long. This was followed by Abs/Core Plus also from the P90X+ series. This is a little different than Ab Ripper X. For this routine, you do 5 rounds of four different moves that require you to hang, stand, plank and sit. It is an all around great workout for the core.

It was so nice over the weekend that I had to fit a run in. I nice easy 5k pushing the jogging stroller and being followed by my other daughter on her bike. I kept the pace nice and easy. It was probably around an 8 minute mile.

Yesterday’s workout was brutal, Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit. This was the first time doing this routine, but I was going in with the mindset that it wouldn’t be too bad. I was wrong, very wrong. It starts you off with a few combination exercises repeated 3 times at different speeds. Not too bad. Then you go into some stretching. So far, so good. Finally, you hit the actual routine. Combination moves at different speeds. With only a 30 second break every few minutes. I had to pause the tape a couple of times as well as take breathers. I was pouring sweat. This workout is my new enemy and I will defeat it. We face off again next week.

Diet log will pick up again tomorrow.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

The Bike

Today was 45 minutes of spinning. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

It was great to get on the bike. It was only 45 minutes of spinning, but I still manage to burn a bunch of calories. Good cadence and good speed, I couldn’t ask for more.

This coming week starts phase 3 of 4. I will also be starting my diet again. I think the teeth are healed enough.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Delta Run

Workouts were 1-on-1 Yoga, 5 mile run and 1-on-1 Diamond Delts. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

The yoga was perfect. Good stretch and the time went by fast. This was my first yoga in a couple of weeks, so I wasn’t as flexible. Actually, I felt really stiff when I started. By the time I was finished, I had loosened up a little bit.

My 5 miler wasn’t really what I was hoping for. I wanted to get outside, but it was cold and rainy. I was stuck on the treadmill. The only good part about this was that I was able to control my speed. I kept it at a nice 7:45 pace.

The delt workout was tough. This was only my second time doing this routine, so I was not truly comfortable with it. Needless to say, I had to move a little slow throught the workout to make sure I had the correct form. I know I am going to be feeling this tomorrow. I went heavy on the shoulder presses and 4 sets of pikes press had my arms shaking.

Tomorrow it is back to a little triathlon workout. One hour on the bike.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery

Workouts were a 4 mile run, Core Synergistics and 1-on-1 Just Arms. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I need to catch up for the past few days. I am not going to include diet. Since my getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I haven’t been keeping track. Once things are completely healed, I will start up again. My calorie intake has been low due to the fact of the soft/liquid diet I am on.

The 4 miler. It was good to start working out again after a week off. As soon as I took my first couple of strides, I knew the run was going to suck. Every time my foot struck the ground, it was like the shock went directly to where my teeth were pulled. Made it home and popped a couple of aspirin.

Next up was Core Synergistics. Again, the pain radiated right to my mouth. Not as bad as when I ran, but noticeable. I took it easy with this workout. I was just coming off a week of doing nothing and I didn’t want to over do it. I still got in a quality workout.

Finally, there was just arms. This one I went heavy. Really picked up the weight, but the reps went down. This was expected. Top notch workout.

Tomorrow is a double, yoga and a 5 mile run.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

My Tooth

Legs and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

This is going to be a quick post.

My last workout was Legs and Back. I was able to get 140 pull-ups in which is right on target for my goal. I am going to be increasing the weight used for my leg exercises to 30 lbs. next week.

This week will be no workouts. I had my wisdom teeth pulled a few days ago and was advised against it.

I have been looking at my half ironman triathlon training schedule. Not being able to workout out has allowed me to catch up on a few things.

My diet has been little. I haven’t been able to eat a lot since my teeth were pulled. So far, I have lost about 4 pounds in the 4 days

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

3 Times The Fun

Today was Yoga, 5 ½ mile run and Back & Biceps with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Past couple of days have been good.

Back and Biceps was an A+ workout. I went heavy and it showed in my pull-ups. The first 2 sets I was able to get a few more than the previous week, but after that I struggled to keep the same amount. I really pushed it at the end with the strip set curls. Bi’s were burnt.

Yoga was ok. I need to do more stretching. My body is not bouncing back after these workouts.

5.5 mile was again excellent. I kept a nice steady pace, 7:40. Hit a couple of hills, which I miss from my triathlon training.

Tomorrow is Legs and Back, the following day I am getting my wisdom teeth taken out. I am thinking of taking the whole week off to let my body recoup from some hard training. I never really took any serious time off from my last race. We will see.


Diet

Calories – 1700

Carbs – 185g (49%)
Protein – 150g (39%)
Fat – 46g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Dumb

Today was Interval X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Again, supers sore this morning and really did not feel like doing this workout. I think part of the reason was that I woke up an hour earlier due to me not setting my clock back. I can understand the day of the time change, but the day after? No excuse.

I went through the workout and gave a much as I could. The soreness and tired body never went away. The coffee really didn’t help much either. Luckily I am able to eat another serving of carbs, so that will help in my recovery process.

Diet

Calories – 1300

Carbs – 133g (49%)
Protein – 110g (40%)
Fat – 29g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Last Week Phase 2

Today was Spinning and Chest, Shoulders & Tri’s with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

My last chest shoulders and tri’s workout of this round. I was able to increase all push-ups by a couple and increased the weight on a handful of exercises. I have to say that I find this workout really tough, more so than Chest and Back or Plyometrics. I am happy to be putting this one behind me for a little bit.

Finally, back on the bike and it felt great. It got me looking forward to triathlon again. I know, it’s still way early. I only went 30 minutes, but it was an intense 30. I may hit the bike one more time this month. We will see.

Diet

Calories – 1400

Carbs – 135g (45%)
Protein – 127g (42%)
Fat – 39g (13%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Halloween

Basketball and X Stretch. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Really not a lot to talk about here. Just a good solid 2 hours of basketball and a nice 1 hour Stretch. I may start taking about my upcoming week instead of just discussing basketball and stretching. If there is something significant to mention, I will other then that I will just stick to the weeks plan.

On a side note, I hit my weight goal. This means that next week, I will be adding an extra carb. Woo-hoo!!!

Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 147g (47%)
Protein – 133g (43%)
Fat – 32g (10%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Catch Up 2

Yoga, Legs and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Another two days of catching up. I was at work until 3:30 in the morning the other day, so blogging was not up there on the list.

After a long night at work, yoga was just what I needed. It relaxed me and got me calm of mind. I was pretty sore and tired, but I wanted to fit the yoga in. I am glad I did.

The next day was legs and back and I still was not completely recovered from my late night of work. My plan was to keep all my numbers the same and that would be an accomplishment. I followed that advice on all my leg exercises. I kept the weight at 25. As far as the pull-ups went, I was able to increase the amount of total reps by 12. I finished with a total of 132.


Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 145g (45%)
Protein – 120g (37%)
Fat – 56g (18%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

A+

Today was a 5.5 mile run, Back and Biceps with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I knew I would be working late tonight and tomorrow would be a struggle for a tough workout. So I made today a long double.

I started in the morning with Back and Biceps with Abs. I wanted to keep the same pace a last weeks workout. Increase where I could and stay the same when needed. That is exactly what I did. I moved up weight and reps on a few exercises and increased each set of pull-ups by 2. Overall, an A+ workout.

Next was my run. A ½ mile in, I knew it was going to be a quality run. I felt strong the whole time. My pace was good and so was my breathing. Then it happened. I ran past a fire department training facility and they were in the process of practicing putting out a fire and there was a good amount of smoke. I had no choice but to run right through it. It was brutal. I was coughing and my eyes were burning. Luckily the smoke cleared fairly quickly.

A great day of exercise.

Diet

Calories – 1300

Carbs – 110g (41%)
Protein – 130g (48%)
Fat – 30g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Good Burn

Today was Interval X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I am super sore from yesterdays chest, shoulders and tri’s workout. I need to hit my weight goal so I can switch up my diet.

Another great interval workout. Again, I was pretty tight this morning and it took about 15 minutes before I loosened up. I worked hard on this one. Heart rate was up to 180 at some points. Sweat was a drippin’.

Tomorrow is going to take some schedule switching. I need to fit in back and biceps, ab ripper x and a 5 mile run. My work schedule is all crazy.

Diet

Calories – 1600

Carbs – 173g (50%)
Protein – 122g (36%)
Fat – 49g (14%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Trio

Workouts were basketball, X Stretch and Chest, Shoulders & Tri’s with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I am going to catch up on my last 3 days.

Basketball was great. I played every game and got a good workout in. It was also my best overall performance since I started playing again.

The X Stretch was much needed this week. I was really tight, especially my legs. I might start incorporating a shorter stretch day or start doing the 90 minute yoga from P90X. Things are really tight.

CS&T…
Again, ouch. This one is really burning me out. My arms are shot by the time I am done. I am also taking some extra breaks on my last few sets of push-ups. I believe this is because I am really pushing myself weight and rep wise. I am just going to continue at this pace and see where it takes me. I am enjoying the gains, but I still have a couple more pounds before I move to my phase 2 diet plan.

I am starting to get things organized for next year’s triathlon season.


Diet (3 day average)

Calories – 1700

Carbs – 185g (49%)
Protein – 150g (39%)
Fat – 46g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

LB

Today was Legs and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I should finally be caught up on my blogs by tomorrow. It has just been a very bust week.

Before going into this workout, I said I would see how it goes. I really wasn’t feeling all too well and I didn’t want to push it. So I took it slow. I increased the weight by 5 lbs. on all my weighted leg exercises. I took my time thought. A little extra rest between sets and made it through. I was able to increase my pull-ups by 10, giving me a total of 120 for the workout.

Diet

Calories – 1800

Carbs – 175g (48%)
Protein – 150g (41%)
Fat – 40g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Yogarun

Today was Shoulders and Arms with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Well, I feel like I am coming down with a cold. I am fighting it but I think it is going to win. There is a possibility it can be allergies. I twice a year like clockwork, in October and March.
I worked out anyway. I start off in the morning with yoga. My body feels like it was baseball batted. The prior days workouts definitely packed a punch. The yoga was good. It took me about 5 minutes to finally loosen up, but it was tough. I really struggled with it this morning.
In the afternoon I went for my run. The weather was beautiful. Again, I struggled. Once I hit the 3 mile mark, everything felt sluggish. I am contemplating taking a couple of days off. I think I will benefit from it, but at the same time, I don’t want to lose any gains. I have Legs and Back tomorrow. I really want to push my pull-up numbers. I know what is going to happen. I am going to work out and then regret it the following day.

Diet

Calories – 1600

Carbs – 165g (47%)
Protein – 140g (40%)
Fat – 45g (13%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

It Hurts

Today was Chest, Shoulders and Tri’s with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Again, I was put in my place. Just when I thought I was making gains, this workout reminds me of why it is good to switch things up. I started off strong, but slowly went down. The push-ups in this workout are brutal. I needed to take a few mid-set breaks just to get up to 8 reps. Maybe it was because I was using heavier weight? Maybe it was because I haven’t fully recovered from Sundays Back and Biceps? Triceps felt somewhat strong, but I definitely need some work on this one. Even my Abs were feeling it.

Tomorrow is yoga and a 5 mile run.


Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 135g (47%)
Protein – 120g (42%)
Fat – 33g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Intervals

Today was Interval X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Interval X, from the P90X+ series, is one of my favorite workouts. It really gets your heart rate up. You go through the first half and think, that wasn’t so bad. Then the second half hits you and you realize how tough it is. It is only about 40 minutes in length, but it definitely gets the job done. You don’t just hit cardio intervals, some resistance moves are added in there as well. I started off very sore from yesterdays back and bicep workout, so I wasn’t expecting to go all out. I would say I gave between a 90-95% effort. That was honestly all it took to give me one heck of a workout. I will be looking forward to this one next week. I will be giving it 100%.

Diet

Calories – 1800

Carbs – 181g (48%)
Protein – 153g (41%)
Fat – 42g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Catch Up

Today was Basketball, 5k and Back & Biceps followed by Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Time for catch up. I was tied up all weekend and was unable to post a blog.

Friday

A good solid 2 hours of basketball. I even saw a glimpse of my jump shot coming back. I mostly stuck with the hustle, rebounding and defense game. Many a calorie burnt…

Saturday

Today is my usual X Stretch day, but I had a 5k scheduled with my daughter. Her first!!! I couldn’t imagine running 3 miles at seven years old. She did great. I couldn’t be more proud of her. She said she wants to do this race every year. Good experience = good outcome.

Sunday

My first Back and Biceps workout in a long time. This was rough. 2 sets of back followed by 2 sets of bi’s. 24 sets total in about 40 minutes, minus the warm-up and cool down. I started off strond and ended strong. I pushed myself without going overboard. I knew it was going to be a good day when I pumped out 14 wide grip pull-ups right out of the box. I imagined things would slow down as the workout progressed, but never did. I was able to stick with consistent weight and consistent reps.

I am really paying close attention to my diet. I want to drop another 2 pounds by the end of this week.


Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 161g (47%)
Protein – 147g (43%)
Fat – 35g (10%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery Week Day 5

Today was 1-on-1 Patience Yoga. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

This was a new workout for me. I had never done it in this past and can’t remember the last time I did a straight shoulder workout. I figured it would fit perfect into my recovery week. That it did. My only issue was that I had a hard time going light. There were a total of 18 sets. It is a repeat workout so there are only 9 different exercises. Total time was about 40 minutes. Overall it was a good workout and is a nice addition to the recovery week. Some of the exercises included in the workout are pike’s press, upright row, shoulder press and straight arm flys. It is definitely tough, especially when you get to multiple sets of pike presses.

Tomorrow is basketball.

Diet

Calories – 1400

Carbs – 135g (48%)
Protein – 117g (41%)
Fat – 31g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery Week Day 4

Today was 1-on-1 Yoga and ½ mile swim. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Another double dip today.

Yoga in the morning was tough. I was extremely tight. I wasn’t even close to touching my toes when I started. When I was finished, I was still pretty tight. I am loving the new 1-on-1 yoga workout. It is a great combination of vinyasa’s and stretching. On my next recovery week, I may do the 90 minute P90X version. I am not sure if it is just because I am doing the workout in the morning, but I feel like I should be a little more flexible than I am at this point.

My swim was great, but again my arms burned out pretty quick. I will need to get use to combining the swim and P90X again. Come to think of it, I never really got use to it the first few times around. I just hope I am not doing more bad than good.

Diet

Calories – 1700

Carbs – 185g (49%)
Protein – 150g (39%)
Fat – 46g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
http://www.eeathlete.com/
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery Week Day 3

Today was One-on-One Plyo Legs. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Today was a great day to work the legs and give my upper body a break. No weights used during this workout. Just lots of reps. 1-on-1 plyo legs is tough and considering I have not done it in a while, it was extra tough. My heart rate was up there on a few moves. This workout is a cross between Plyo X and Legs & Back, minus the weights. This was also the first time I did some plyo moves at the gym. I felt like I was being stared at a little. I got this one in about 45 minutes. Again, no abs today.

Swim and yoga tomorrow…

Diet

Calories – 1600

Carbs – 163g (45%)
Protein – 154g (42%)
Fat – 46g (13%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery Week Day 2

Today was 1-on-1 Just Arms. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

It was just a straight arm workout today. Weightlifting 101. They only muscles worked were bi’s, tri’s and forearms. My intention was to take it easy considering it was my recovery week. That didn’t last but one set. I blasted them. I went as heavy as I could. Towards the end I was taking a few mid set breaks. It didn’t matter. I was in the mood to work hard. When I finished, I almost had to give myself a pat on the back for pushing it. I need to take it back a bit though. I want to really give my muscles a chance to recoup from my previous weeks of work.

Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 165g (54%)
Protein – 110g (36%)
Fat – 33g (10%)

In good health,
Joe
http://www.eeathlete.com/
joe@eeathlete.com

Recovery Week Day 1

Today was a 5mile run and Core Synergistics. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Ah…the start of the recovery week.

I didn’t know how today was going to go. Last night was my daughter’s birthday party/sleepover. 10 girls ages 7 and under. The morning was a crap shoot.

Today was a double and I was looking forward to my afternoon workout. I love Core Synergistics. First on tap was my run.

I kept it indoors on the treadmill today. It was a little cold outside and I was not in the mood to deal with the elements. The run felt really good. I kept a nice 7:40 pace. I was in a smooth rhythm from the start and never lost it.

In the afternoon came one of my favorites. I love this core workout. It hits every muscle group. I started off strong and then by exercise 5, I remembered how tough it was. By the time I got to ‘plank to chatarunga run’, I was dripping. I was burning a ton of calories. When I finally finished, the stretch at the end was perfect. Just what I needed.

Tomorrow is 1-on-1 Just Arms.

Diet

Calories – 1300

Carbs – 125g (44%)
Protein – 133g (47%)
Fat – 25g (9%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

L&B

Today was Legs and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I went into today with the goal of breaking the 100 mark in pull-ups. As soon as I started, I knew I had a shot. I was feeling very strong. My first set of wide grips, I pumped out 14 no problem. My legs were also feeling good. Next L&B workout, I will increase the weight by lbs.

I had no issues what so ever during the workout. When all was said and done, I had 110 pull-ups underneath my belt and felt I probably could have went a few higher.

Tomorrow is a stretch day.

Diet

Calories – 1800

Carbs – 182g (49%)
Protein – 147g (40%)
Fat – 41g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Plyo III

Today was Plyometrics. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

A great plyo day. I sweated my butt off. The fact that we turned the heat on in the house did not help the cause. I was wiped out when I was finished to the point that I had to lay down for a minute.

The rest of the day did not go well from a diet standpoint. I ate a ton of food. Nothing really bad, just a lot at night. I was hungry, add a few glasses of wine to that and I was probably close to 3000 calories. My ratios were most likely still good, but just way too much food.

Back on track tomorrow!

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Back To Pool

Today was 1-on-1 Yoga with a ½ mile swim. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Today I tried a new 1-on-1 yoga called patience. I have to say it is my new favorite yoga to do. It is about 35 minutes in length and consists mostly of vinyasa’s. The time goes by very quickly. During the yoga, I noticed my shoulders were pretty sore. This could only mean that my swim had potential of absolutely sucking.

The swim. This was my first time back in the water since my last triathlon of the season. It felt like it. I was so tight in the beginning and my shoulders were killing me, as well as my chest. Finally about ¾ of the way into the workout I loosened up. I finished strong. It was good to get back in the pool.

The problem I face now is that there is no way I am doing legs and back tomorrow. I need to give the shoulders a rest. I am going to flip flop it with my plyo workout.

Diet

Calories – 1800

Carbs – 142g (43%)
Protein – 153g (46%)
Fat – 37g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Last Shoulders of Phase 1

Today was Shoulders and Arms with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Almost finished with phase 1. Today was a great workout. I went as heavy as possible and pumped out as many reps as I could. My increases were small, but effective. After I was halfway through, my arms were really feeling it. By the time I was done, I could barely lift my arms. My left arm was the worst. I was having a hard time holding the weight it was so burnt.

I will be hurting for a while. I think my shoulders are going to be the worst. I really worked them hard today.

Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 193g (56%)
Protein – 119g (34%)
Fat – 35g (10%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

5 Miler

Today was Run 5 miles and Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Great day for a 5 mile run. Weather was nice and cool. Again I felt very strong. There is really not much to talk about today other than I had to switch my schedule around. Plyometrics has been pushed until Friday.

I did Ab Ripper when I got home from work.

Short and to the point. Sometimes that happens.

Diet

Calories – 1400

Carbs – 167g (56%)
Protein – 102g (34%)
Fat – 28g (10%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Three Day

Workouts were Basketball, X Stretch, Chest and Back. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I have had a few busy days at work, so I am going to talk about the past 3 days. Luckily there is not much to discuss since basketball and stretch days were involved. I will also average out my food for the three days. Speaking of food, my intake has been fairly consistent. This is good to see early in my program.

Friday morning hoops. This was brutal given the fact I worked until 1:30am. That being said, my jump shot was even more non-existent this week. I still played hard defense and gave my best effort. I burnt some good calories.

Saturday was X Stretch day which I took a pass on. I was wiped out from another late night of work on Friday and did not feel like doing anything but try to catch up on some sleep.

Chest and Back was a little rough this week. My goal was to increase by a couple in each of the exercises, which I did. The issue I had was that I did not feel my best. I felt like every exercise was a struggle. I know it was probably due to my lack of sleep. This made for a very bad workout. I increased in all push-ups by 2-4 reps and all pull-ups by 2 reps. My weight was increased during lawnmovers by 5 lbs. All others stayed the same.

I was unable to fit in Ab Ripper X due to my daughter’s birthday, but I will hit it tomorrow. Things are going to be switched around a little bit this week to accommodate my schedule. Swimming is going to replace Friday’s basketball.
Diet

Calories – 1800

Carbs – 173g (46%)
Protein – 152g (41%)
Fat – 51g (13%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Pull

Today was Legs and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Time for one of my favorite workouts. My plan was to try and increase my pull-ups by 10 and keep the weight used for my legs at 20. Next week, bump it up to 25 lbs.

I started of feeling good and rested. Leg exercises were great. I felt really strong and knew it was time to increase the weight I used. Lunges were feeling exceptionally strong. These are usually my week point.

Pull-ups are also improving rapidly. I went from 80 last week to 95 this week. Next week I will be looking to crack the 100 mark. I really have not had any issues so far. Things are going very smooth.

Diet

Calories – 1900

Carbs – 150g (45%)
Protein – 145g (43%)
Fat – 41g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Perfect Weather

Today was Tony’s 1-on-1 yoga and a 5 mile run. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Another yoga run double dip. I started off with yoga in the morning. My body was not as sore, but I was a little tired this morning. I went through the moves with coffee in hand. I felt good when I was done. A lot more flexible then when I started.
It was a perfect day for a 5 mile run. Nice cool temperatures. I could have easily gone an additional 5 miles. Cadence felt good. Legs felt fresh. Everything was smooth. When I was finished, I did a nice 10 minute stretch and called it a day. Hopefully the weather stays like this a few more weeks. I love running in the fall
Diet

Low intake today. I wanted to make a point on the carbs. Most of my carb intake is fruit and vegetable. I only have 1 starch per day.

Calories – 1200

Carbs – 168g (60%)
Protein – 92g (33%)
Fat – 19g (7%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Awake

Today was Shoulders and Arms with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

The soreness is starting to go away, but today brought a new challenger from an old friend. My daughter was wide awake from 4am until about 5:30am. I knew the day was not going to be pretty.

I started off wanting to increase the weight wherever possible and for 85% of the exercises it happened. My reps might have gone down one or two, but I was lifting heavier. My arms and shoulders were really burning about three sets in. A+ on todays workout.

Diet

Calories – 1900

Carbs – 180g (50%)
Protein – 140g (39%)
Fat – 37g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Plyo II

Today was Plyo X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

An early morning plyo session to start off the day. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to it. I was still pretty sore. I was a tad bit behind on time, so I had to skip the bonus round. I wasn’t worried. The bonus round has some pretty basic moves. I believe it is there for an extra cool down.

I felt pretty good today when I was finished. I still had a little tightness in my left hip. Hopefully over the next few weeks it will be 100%. I do love the plyo and I think it is a huge help when it comes to triathlon. Since I started doing plyo, my times have definitely gotten better.

Diet

Calories – 1700

Carbs – 130g (40%)
Protein – 147g (47%)
Fat – 45g (13%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Chest And Back II

Today was Chest and Back with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

Entering my second week and I am still sore as hell. I am not sure what to do here. I know it will start getting better soon, but I want to start speeding up the process.

With my second week at hand, I wanted to start increasing my numbers and weigh used a little bit. I knew this would potentially make some of my end sets brutal, but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I started off with the idea of increasing all push-ups by 5 and all pull-ups by 2. This worked perfect for the first half. The second half, not so much. I was hurting bad on my last few sets of push-ups. On my last set of declines, I barely got 10 and that was with a couple of mid-set breaks. My arms were shaking and instead of doing a face plant, which has happened in the past, I moved on to the next exercise.

After I was finished, I definitely felt like I had a tough workout. Adding Ab Ripper X onto that and I was spent.

Tomorrow is plyometrics. I might hold back a little bit. I think I did too much too soon and caused a little aggravation in my knee.

Diet

Calories – 1900

Carbs – 234g (55%)
Protein – 153g (36%)
Fat – 40g (9%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Basketball and The X Stretch

Basketball and the X stretch. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

On Fridays and Saturdays, there is not going to be much to talk about. So I figured to combine the two days into one blog.

Friday, which should be a Kenpo X day, is going to be basketball. I play for about 2 hours and burn more calories than I would with just Kenpo. There is really not much to discuss with basketball, but I will keep track on how far off my jumper is. I still have a long way to go before it is back where it use to be.

Saturday’s stretch day and just what I needed. After my first week of the X, I am sore and my left hip is extremely tight. The left side is what took most of my impact on the bike crash.

Today is one of those days I still had another triathlon or long distance run. The weather is absolutely perfect here in Chicago for a run.

I am averaging my two days of food. It is good to see I have been so consistent with my intake.

Diet

Calories – 1900

Carbs – 165g (46%)
Protein – 151g (42%)
Fat – 42g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
http://www.eeathlete.com/
joe@eeathlete.com

Squat

Today was Legs and Back followed by Ab Ripper. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I knew this one was going to be tough. My legs were extremely sore to begin with. I put my focus on form and got started. I forgot how many lunges and squats you do in this workout. I used 20 pound weights for each of the leg exercises that allowed me to. For the pull-ups, my goal was ten per set.

I kept my reps per leg exercise at 20. This was perfect. Tough enough to make me shake, but not so bad that I wanted to collapse. That was until I got to the calf raises. 75 straight calf raises. Ouch! When I was finished, I thought they were going to seize on me. I had to take a minute before moving on.

The pull-ups went good. I felt strong on all sets except for the wide-grip. Those still need some work. I had to take one 5 second break after the 7th rep both times. I am confident I will get back to where I was fairly quickly.

Ab Ripper was good. No issues there.

Tomorrow is basketball. I am worried I won’t be able to jump.

Diet

Calories – 1500

Carbs – 149g (51%)
Protein – 101g (35%)
Fat – 43g (14%)

In good health,
Joe
http://www.eeathlete.com/
joe@eeathlete.com

Yogi

Today was Tony’s 1-on-1 Yoga and a 4 mile run. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

The yoga session came right on time. I really needed it. My body is way sore. The main thing I like about the 1-on-1 yoga is that it is half the length of the P90X Yoga. I try to do yoga throughout the year, but sometimes it gets lost in my triathlon training. The yoga starts off with about 25 minutes of vinyasa’s, warrior poses, etc. and then goes into some ab work. You finish off with some good stretching. My flexibility is not where it needs to be.

My run was pretty basic, 4 miles at about an 8 minute mile pace. I am pretty much in triathlon maintenance mode for the next few months. I will start incorporating some swimming and biking in a few weeks.

Diet

Calories – 1800

Carbs – 165g (47%)
Protein – 145g (42%)
Fat – 36g (11%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Arms

Today was Shoulders and Arms with Ab Ripper X. (Take a look at blogs from March 2009 for complete P90X, P90X+ and 1-on-1 workout overviews)

I was feeling pretty sore today. My legs are feeling it a lot from last nights plyo. Also, my chest and back are a little night, but this is nothing unexpected. I was going into my shoulders and arms workout not really knowing what to expect. Would my strength be way down? Would I be too sore to tell? That question was answered quickly. I was pretty close to where I was before. Maybe only 5 lbs. less on weights used for each exercise. After my first few sets, I knew I was going to push it.

As I knocked off each set, my muscles started tightening up. When I got to the last set, I was toast. On the last set of shoulders (in and out flys), I had to take a couple mid-set breaks(aka a couple second breather). When I was done, I was feeling good. I knew I gave it my all and that I have the potential of making some pretty big gains in the coming weeks.

Diet

Calories – 1700

Carbs – 185g (49%)
Protein – 150g (39%)
Fat – 46g (12%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Jumpman

Good old Plyo X. I had forgotten how much fun this one can be. They call it the mother of all the P90X workouts. I’m not sure I agree with this, but it is definitely up there. I had to do this one in the evening due to my lack of getting up in the morning. It started me off with a good warm-up. I definitely needed this. After the first few moves, I felt pretty good. By the fourth move, I could tell something was off. My left side (hip/thigh) was sore. I haven’t completely healed from my bike crash. It was not that bad were I would need to stop. So I pressed on. That is when my youngest daughter started getting in the way wanting to dance. I had the radio playing and Plyo just on cues. This was funny, but also dangerous. With me jumping all over the place, I didn’t want to land on her. I gave her a wipe to clean things in the basement and she was more than content. Then came time for the jump knee tuck/mary Katherine moves. Very tough. When you are done with these two your legs are feeling it. I was more than halfway through and feeling good, but sweating a ton. As I got near the end I noticed that this workout was not as tough as during my previous P90X rounds. I don’t know what it could have been. Maybe the fact that I did it at night instead of first thing in the morning? Having my own music playing? A strong season of triathlon? Who knows?
Tomorrow is Shoulder and Arms.
Diet

Calories – 1120

Carbs – 142g (54%)
Protein – 92g (36%)
Fat – 27g (10%)

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

It's Back

Back to the X. I started with Chest and Back. I forgot just how tough these workouts are. About ¾ of my way through, I thought I was going to puke. Overall, I faired pretty well during the workout. I wanted to get 15 push-ups for each set and did. The pull-ups were even better than I expected. I was able to get 10 out per set. This is a far cry from where I left off, but still respectable. The wide grip pull-ups are still a pain. Heavypants were a little difficult. I felt strain on the lower back. I will need to work myself back slowly on those. No issues on the push-ups. The only one that caused me some grief were the declines.

Ab Ripper X. What can I say? This was difficult again. I don’t feel like I was starting from scratch, but definitely close.

Everything is sore on me today…

As far as diet goes, I am going to hold off another day. I had a bunch of wine last night. My food choices were not bad, but my numbers would not be a true indication of my choices. I will start tomorrow for sure.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Light

Well, my light week has come to an end and P90X is waiting in the wings. I am still a little banged up from my bike crash, but I am ready to get to lifting. My only workouts this week were a 4.5 mile run and a light strength training day, both went ok. After my run, I could tell that my ankle still had not healed from my bike crash. The next day, it was pretty sore. Hopefully it will be ok for Mondays Plyometrics. My strength training day was a combination of all muscle groups. I was just trying to keep my muscles active so I am not incredibly sore after my first X workout. I think that is inevitable.

This will be my last blog for a few days. Come Monday I will discuss each workout, as well as get back to posting my diet numbers.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Ouch

What should have been a somewhat leisurely ride, turned out to somewhat painful. It was actually a beautiful morning, cool and sunny. I was excited to get started and then head over to Kuma’s Corner for a burger and some beers. I met my friend at about 6:45 at the ride site. We started at about 7:15. We settled into a nice pace and were taking in the sights. He is from the area we were riding, so he was letting me know where we were.

Right at about mile 16, I hear a horn honking behind us. It just keeps going. I turn to take a peak and that’s when I can’t really remember what happened. I think someone was moving in towards me, so I went to move over and noticed I was too far right. I only had one option and that was to ride into the rocks/gravel and hope to make it to the grass, but not too far into the grass because it sloped down and that would be worse than the gravel/rock combo. I uttered the words “Uh-oh Mike” and went in. I made it to the grass and tried to turn back up. The grass was very wet and when I made the turn, the wheels just came out from underneath the bike and I went down hard. My left side took 95% of the impact. The handlebars nailed me in the hip and stomach area. I popped right back up and said I was fine and tried to get on my bike. It was definitely the shock of what happened. My buddy and a woman who had stopped to see if I was ok told me to just make sure I was ok. This is when my shoulder and forearm started hurting. I said I was good and ready to go. I tried to start riding, but my chain was off the bike.

Finally I got myself together and started riding again, but I was still pretty shaken up. I wanted that beer immediately, but it was only about 8 am. I didn’t go the 100 miles, but I did punch out almost another 50. We ended at 65 and that was fine with me. We got in the car and headed for our burgers and beers. When I got home, I finally checked myself out. Just a bunch of bruises, a few rashes and very sore. My ankle and wrist also started hurting.

Today I feel like crap!

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

A Little Rest

Not much excitement this week. I am pretty much just taking it easy and resting for my 100 mile ride this weekend.

My workouts have been pretty light.

Workouts

20 mile bike
5 mile run
15 mile bike

I am not sure what I am going to do next week as far as workouts go, but the following week starts my hybrid P90X routine. My focus is not there yet. Hopefully it will be a week from Monday. I am thinking next week will have a couple of strength training days mixed with a run and a swim, possibly yoga.


In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Sting

The holiday weekend has really thrown me off. Just to touch on a few things since I last posted.

Workouts:

6 mile run
40 mile bike
Yoga
Chest and Back
20 mile bike

All workouts went pretty well with the exception of the run and the bike. I underestimated the heat during the run. Between my lack of water, the heat and my pace, I ended up feeling absolutely awful and had a hard time cooling my body temp and getting my heart rate back down. It was not a good cooldown. I will never make that mistake again.

My bike ride was complete with a bee getting stuck in my helmet and stinging me right above the temple. The burning and throbbing lasted for the rest of the day. No fun at all.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Almost A Bike Break

This past weekend was quite different as far as temperatures go. It was cool and windy. Far from a late summer day. This made my 50 mile ride pretty tough. I came in at an average speed of 17.6mph. My legs were burnt. No matter which way I turned, it seemed like I was riding against the wind. I don’t think I have ever been so happy to get off my bike. I have three more rides scheduled before my century and then it is a break from the bike.

A couple days later, I pumped out a pseudo P90X shoulders and arms workout. Again, I went light. Again, I am just trying to get my muscle use to the moves before I go at it full force. I felt good. Even though it has only been a couple of weeks, I feel some gains in strength already. I was tempted to push it, but held back. There will be plenty of time for that in the upcoming months.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Still Sore

This week has flown by. I am still sore from my chest and back workout. Love it!

I had my Just Arms workout a couple of days ago. It went well. I am still not going with heavy weight, just getting my muscles use to this kind of strength training. I will go into more detail of my workouts once I get into my P90X regimen. I realized why I stopped doing this kind of training while training for triathlons and endurance sports. It would have just caused problems.

Today was yoga. Another lost friend. I can already feel my body getting looser and my flexibility getting greater. I always say I am going to keep yoga in my endurance training, but about halfway through the season, it falls to the wayside.

Tomorrow is my 50 mile bike. Can’t wait.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Sore

As I slowly start getting back into my P90X routine, I am starting to remember just how sore I use to get. I did a light chest and back 2 days ago and I still can’t touch my chest without wincing. My arms are shot and my back is starting to ache a little. Ah, the joys of strength training. My 6 month routine starts September 30th. The first 3 months are going to be the hardest. I will be going very strict on my diet as well as lifting heavy. The second 3 months, I will taper a little as I get set for triathlon season.

So far this week, I also had a 40 mile bike and a 4 mile run. This was my first run since my tri 10 days ago. The run felt very clean. Breathing was good and so was my pace. I am going to be in maintenance mode for the next few months. More on that in the near future.

My ride was broken into two parts. 20 miles to work and 20 miles back home. I was not on the road bike, so my ride required a little more effort, yet my speed was still around 18mph. The wind was a little strong on the way home. My legs were not very happy about this.

Still to come this week…

Strength training, arms
Yoga
50 mile bike


In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

R & R

This weekend was definitely something you won’t see to often. Me, completely relaxing. I took the entire weekend off. Minus a light bike on Sunday with the family, I did absolutely nothing exercise related. After the triathlons and half marathon, I needed it. Friday was a couple hours of basketball. No ankle issues there.

Today I will be doing a pseudo P90X Chest and Back workout. I will be using the next week to start getting use to the moves again. I am looking forward to it. I am also going to be doing a lot of cycling over the next few weeks. The century ride is approaching fast.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Lift!

It has been 4 days since my last triathlon and I have yet to swim, bike or run. I will probably take a little more time off the swim and run, but will be back on the bike over the weekend.

I started back to lifting yesterday. Tony’s 1-on-1 Just Arms. Tony being the creator of P90X. It was a good way to get back into a strength routine. Speaking of strength, I definitely lost some over the past few months. My arms are pretty sore today. A good sore that has definitely been missed.

Today was yoga. Again, I lost some flexibility here. It felt good to get back into yoga as well. I dropped it over the past few months when it should have been left in my workout schedule.

Tomorrow is a couple hours of basketball. My first time back since rolling my ankle. Hopefully it goes well.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

It Is Done

The final triathlon of the year is done. Overall, it was a great race and I beat last years time on the same course by 6 minutes. I finished 169th out of 640 and came in 26th in my age group. I absolutely love this race and the location.

Swim

The dreaded Pleasant Prairie swim. A beautiful lake, 76 degree temperatures and the sun beating off the water as soon as you turn that first buoy. It is extremely hard to see. I started off great. I had a nice calm pace going. Swim was pretty tight out to the first buoy. A little contact here and there, but nothing to bad. I made the turn at the first buoy and completely lost sight of everything except the smoke stack that I was planning on keeping in front of me. I was going good and then my goggles fogged up to where I couldn’t see a thing. I kept pushing forward. I looked back every now and then, but didn’t see anything and nobody was around me. I started getting caught in the sea weed and thought that wasn’t a good sign. Finally, I decided to tread and remove my goggles. Thank the Lord I did. The turn buoy was directly to my right and only about 100 yards away. I put my goggles back on, but forgot to clean them. Then, in one of my more technical moments, I went into a side stroke removed the goggles, wiped the lenses and then swam hard to the finish. I beat last years time by 3 minutes. After the race, my friend who also did the race had a little issue in the swim as well. His being much worse. He made the first turn and was going along great until he started smelling gas and exhaust. He stopped and a guy in a boat right next to him was shouting, “BUDDY, YOU GOTTA GO WAY LEFT!!!” He was a good 3-5 minutes back to the buoy. Absolutely hilarious. I was still laughing about it today.

T1

I still have yet to get a great transition. Maybe next year? It was a little bit of a run to my bike out of the water. Probably about a minute. Anyway, I don’t know. I am going to practice these next year.

Bike

I knew the course had some hills, but what I wasn’t planning on was the wind. I started off the bike not feeling good at all. I thought for sure it was going to be a crappy bike. After a few miles, I started feeling good. Then the wind and hills started coming into play. There were times I was down to 11mph, but I was also up to about 32mph. I rode my butt off, but not to the point where my legs were sacrificed. I knew I had a 6.2 mile run ahead of me and it was heating up. I finished 2 minutes plus ahead of last year.

T2

Again, I need some work.

Run

I was about ½ a mile into the run and knew it was going to be rough. It was way hot. I hate running in the heat. I couldn’t figure out how the temperature got so hot so early. Everyone around me was feeling it as well. I kept pushing. Taking one mile at a time. Towards the end, I was breaking it down into half mile segments. The fire department opened the hydrant and that was a welcomed relief. They also had a sprinkler going which was nice. Once I hit the 5 mile marker, I picked it up. I finished feeling terrible, but ahead of last years run by about 2 minutes.

The Numbers…

Total Time - 2:33:52
Swim - 32:52
T1 - 3:10
Bike - 1:06:52, 22.3mph
T2 - 2:41
Run – 48:18, 7:47 pace

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

3 More Days

Just a few days out from my triathlon. I am feeling pretty sore. My final three days are going to be rest and stretching. I want my legs to be fresh on Sunday. After Sunday, I am going to start on some P90X workouts and start biking 3 times a week. Every ride to be 40 miles plus. I have my Century up in about a month. I am going to take a week or two off of running and really give my ankle a chance to heal.

To go back to last weeks workout again. I am almost caught up.

1 mile swim
This was just straight laps. Again, nothing special. I wanted to just focus on form and breathing. This is my last swim before the tri. Both of my local pools are closing for cleaning.

2 hour kayak.
This was great. Only my second time out on the kayak this year. What a great workout. Only my wife and I on the river. We got a great burn and paddled the entire time.

22 mile bike/5 mile run (brick)
This was absolutely brutal. I started at 3pm and it was the hottest day of the year. Over 90 degrees. I was a puddle of sweat and felt like I was going to vomit for a half hour after finishing. The bike was ok, I finished at a little over 20mph. The run was tough. I didn’t wear my watch and just let my body guide my speed. I ran around the neighborhood so I was able to consistently run by my house and soke myself with the hose. I had to get the workout in.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Season Winding Down

After a day of rest following the half marathon, I jumped right back into training for my final triathlon of the year. As I went through this week’s workouts, I started getting the craving to start lifting again. P90X will be back in a couple of weeks, so I need to stay focused on training for my final triathlon of the year.

I need to play catch up on my blog. It was a very busy week. I will break it down into three workout segments.

My first three workouts following the half marathon were as follows.

40 mile bike
This was me riding into work and then back home, so it was broken into two 20 mile rides. These rides are actually kind of tough. One, I am not on my road bike and two, I am carry a 15-20 pound pack on my shoulders. It finally dawned on me why my shoulders were so sore. Anyway, I keep up about an 18-19mph pace. It is definitely a good ride.

5 mile run
This was done and lunchtime and it was hot, about 85 degrees and sunny. My legs were still pretty sore from the ½ marathon. I got through the initial uncomfortable feeling and got into a nice pace. I was pouring a lot of water on my head along the way. I finished with a 7:29 pace.

20 mile bike
This was another ride into work. I didn’t have to ride home due to the wife picking me up for a night out. I took the road bike in this time. My ride was definitely faster. I kept a little over a 20 mph pace. This was perfect.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

The Half

Half Marathon is in the books and it was a great race. The weather was as good as can be for August, lower 60’s.

The pace started out slow due to the large number of participants, but started to open up a little around mile 4. I felt great. No ankle issues what so ever. My pace was around 7:30 and the only thing that was bothering me a little was my allergies. I forgot to wear my breath right strip. I was mad at myself for leaving it in the car. Oh well.

Around mile 9 I felt a little tightness in my heel and around my ankle. I decided to slow down the pace a little and not risk re-injuring the ankle. It was probably a smart move.

I finished the race in 1:42 on the button. A 7:47 pace. I was very happy with the results, especially since I hadn’t run more longer than 6 miles in 3 weeks.

Next up is my triathlon and it is less than 2 weeks away. I expect the ankle to be 100% by then.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Take It Easy

The past few days have been pretty decent from a training aspect. The ankle is still a little sore, but nothing too bad. The weird feeling I had in the ankle during last weeks swim is gone and the bike is still good. I have my half marathon this weekend and my last triathlon of the season coming up in two. After that, I will focus on my century and start incorporating some P90X workouts.

These have been my past 3 workouts. With it being a race week, all my workouts are shorter and less intense.

2/3 of a mile swim
Nothing different here, just your basic laps at a nice steady pace. Everything felt pretty good. As I was swimming, I started thinking about taking some sort of lessons next year. I would like to improve on my swim time and I think I have taken as far as I possibly can on my own.

6 mile run
This one was hot and humid. I finished at a 7:40 pace. I really did not want to go this fast, but it just happened. There were no issues with the ankle along the way. I feel like my running has made some of the biggest improvements this year. I would have to say that I think I am somewhere between a 7:45-7:50 pace over my longer distances this year.

15 mile bike
I kept thing at an 18mph pace. I just want to keep the legs loose. After my triathlon in a couple of weeks, the bike is going to be my new best friend as I prepare for my century.

My next 3 days will be stretching and rest.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

75%

I made it thru the weekend. The ankle is still a little tender, but getting better everyday. The brick went well. The bike portion was fine. I went 20 miles at a 20mph pace. I definitely could have gone faster, but I did not want to push it too much. I soon as I started the run, I knew the ankle was still not 100%. My gait just felt weird. Surprisingly I finished the 5 miles with a 7:30 pace. I went home and iced.

The following day was a 2 hour bike. I wanted to keep an 18-19mph pace. I finished at 19.3mph. My biggest issue during the ride was that I was a little hungover from the night before. Going to a local winery was probably not the best call.

We are under a week for the half marathon. I have a few more triathlon specific workouts and then I am going to rest for 3 days before the race.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Back 2 Brick

Ankle is healing slowly. It is still tender, but I got back to triathlon training. I started on Wednesday with a 2 mile run in the morning, which went fine. No significant pain, but definitely not 100%. I stayed at an 8 minute mile pace. Later that afternoon was my swim. 1 mile, straight laps. This is where I felt some weirdness in the ankle. I don’t know if it was the way the water was making it twist or what, but there was some uncomfortable feelings going on. The swim was ok.

The next day was an 18 mile bike and I felt extremely strong. No ankle pain what so ever on the bike. I was averaging about an 22 mph pace.

I have a brick coming up and a 2-3 hour bike, we will see.


In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Coming Back Slow

I have taken the past four days off to let the ankle heal. I am going absolutely crazy. I went to a sports specific doc and they gave me the ok to start back slow. They also said I would be good for my half marathon in 12 days. I am resuming triathlon training tomorrow. I have a 2 mile run and 1 mile swim on tap. If everything looks and feels ok, the next day will be an hour on the bike. Then I might schedule a brick and a 2-3 hour ride for over the weekend.


In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Injured

This will be a short one because I do not have much to talk about. A couple of days ago, I rolled my ankle playing basketball and have not done anything since. I have put a hold on all triathlon training. It doesn’t hurt to walk on, so that is a good thing. It has a nice bruise coming in though. I am taking the next four days completely off of training and then will slowly start back with a swim session on Wednesday. I may try and walk a couple of miles on Tuesday. I am hoping this is a quick recovery. I have a half marathon in two weeks.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Bike and a Run

Well, after my peak week of triathlon training, I am still feeling a little sore. I don’t think I fully recovered. If I could go back, I would have stretched more and maybe ate for recovery. I have a couple more weeks before my half marathon and I am about a month out from my Olympic distance triathlon, my last tri of the season.

Yesterday, I took my bike to work. It is about 50 miles round trip. I figure it is good for getting in that extra bike training during the week. I ride at about a 19-20mph pace. The streetlights bring down the speed. Next week I will wear my Garmin to see exactly where I am at.

Today was a 4 miler. I went at an 8:00 minute mile pace. I felt pretty good this morning. My legs loosened up pretty quick. I felt like I could have gone another 6 miles easily.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Long

It has been a few days since my last post. It was a very busy weekend. I had 3 pretty decent workouts since my last post. I decided to do something I haven’t done in years, play basketball. I knew this might affect my workouts over the weekend, but I wanted to do it anyway.

Friday – This was basketball day. Two hours total. The rust definitely showed. I think I left my jump shot somewhere out west. I am hoping things fall back into place, but if not, I can’t be too disappointed considering I have played once or twice in the past 7 years.

Saturday – This was my longest training run of the year, 13 miles. It was very humid. My allergies were not happy. I had a tough time breathing. I busted out the Breathe-Right nasal strip for this one. After all was said and done, it turned out to be a great run.

Time – 1:42:39
Pace – 7:53
Total Ascent – 2393 ft.
Total Descent – 2419 ft.
Calories Burned – 1564

Sunday – This was my longest swim of the year, 1.5 miles in the open water. It was pretty rough. I was a little tired from the night before and pretty sore from basketball and my 13 miler. I got into a real nice rhythm about ¼ of the way thru. I felt great when I was finished. Not so good when I woke up the next day. Everything was tight.

Today is a rest day and tomorrow will be a ride to work.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Ride To Work

The past couple days have been filled with some great workouts. I feel like I have gotten some great training in, specifically for triathlon. My body is telling me to take tomorrow off. If I don’t, I think I might be in trouble. I will do the P90X X Stretch tomorrow. I have also come to realize that next year when I train for the half ironman, I am going to need cut out strength training and focus completely on the three disciplines.

Yesterday I decided to ride the bike to work. I felt I could get some training in without interfering with duties and family time. It was a pretty tough ride. About 50 miles round trip. Half of the ride was in the streets and the other half was on a paved trail. I didn’t use the road bike for this ride. I busted out the “dad” bike. The only that I use to carry/pull the kids. This way I didn’t have to worry about it getting stolen. The knobby tires made the ride a little harder.

Today was a double. Nothing to special or out of the ordinary. In the morning was a 4 miler. It was raining out, so I stayed inside on the treadmill. I kept an 8 minute mile pace. After about 1 mile I started getting really bored and wish I would have sucked it up and headed outside.

My lunch hour was spent at the pool getting a mile swim in, straight laps. I had some goggle issues in the beginning, but after that, I felt myself get into a nice rhythm. I am not sure what my time was. I was counting the laps in my head. My chest was pretty tight. I am guessing it was from the lifting earlier this week.

Off day tomorrow…

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

The Weekend

It was a very busy weekend. Between the bbq, fireworks and ribfest, it was surprising I even got any workouts in. I am pretty much going to be playing catch up today and go over my past few days. The diet was put on hold for the weekend for obvious reasons. I am back on track today and will be so until this coming weekend when we are loaded with another party and bbq.

Saturday was supposed to be a 60 mile ride. That was cut to 40 miles. It was raining and I ran into 2 parades at 2 separate locations, that was enough for me to put an end to my ride. Overall the ride was ok. Legs felt ok. They were a little sore from the previous days 12 miler. I will have to make a mental note not to ride on the 4th of July.

Sunday, I didn’t do a thing but enjoy ribfest and being with the family.

Today was an early morning lifting session. Nothing major here, just some light lifting to keep my body use to weight training. I tried to crank out some push-ups. I definitely lost a little bit in this category. I am probably going to take up a couple of weeks to build up my strength before I jump into P90X, but right now I am staying focused on triathlon training.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Up Before 5am

Early wake up call today. The alarm started going off at 4:45am so I could get my 12 mile run in before the wife had to go to work. I really was not in the mood to wake up that early, but I needed to get my run in.


Workout

12 mile run today.

Like I said, I was already sluggish being up that early. What I thought was going to be a terrible run, turned out to be one of my best. I got to the trail before it even opened and had to park on the street. I started off quickly. I knew if I got thru those first couple of miles at a good pace, then I could probably ease into a nice pace. I had a 7:30 pace going for the first 3 miles. After that, I knew the rest of the run was going to be good. A few of the hills were tough today. My legs felt good and fresh. I was planning on doing another long run next week, but I feel in good shape for the ½ marathon. I think I will do one more before the race.

Time - 1:32:39
Pace - 7:43
Total Ascent - 1752 ft.
Total Descent - 1697 ft

Calories burned - 1434

In good health,
Joe
http://www.eeathlete.com/
joe@eeathlete.com

Lift

I had a hard time waking up this morning. I have been falling into nice deep sleeps lately. I don’t know what has changed, but I have really been relaxed lately. I hope it stays this way for a while. I have also really been focusing on my diet and eating as clean as possible. Summertime is difficult for me when it comes to eating. All the bbq’s, beer and dessert. I am going to do my best.

Workout

Back to the weights today. I did a somewhat easy 40 minute routine. Two sets per muscle group, minus the legs. I want to keep those as fresh as possible for tomorrow’s 12 mile run. I did some very basic exercises. ..curls, bench press, shoulder press, tri extension, etc. Surprisingly, I felt strong. I wanted to increase the weight halfway thru most sets, but I held back.

As tempted as I was to jump into a P90X workout, I kept it light. Being neck deep in triathlon training, P90X has to be put on hold. The reason being is that I am sore for days after every X workout. With my mileage getting higher, being sore is not what I want to be when I go for a 70 mile bike. Another month and a half and P90X will be back

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com

Back To Normal

It has been two days since the race and I am back in full triathlon training. I took the day after the race off, but then it was back to work.

I went for a light 4 mile run yesterday. I kept about an 8 minute mile pace. I actually felt halfway decent. The only noticeable thing was my calves. They were extremely tight. After the 3 mile mark they loosened up. I gave them a nice stretch when I got home. I didn’t want to go too hard on the run. I have a long 12 miler this weekend.

Today was a short ½ mile swim. My shoulders were still sore from the race. They never really loosened up. I felt pretty comfortable, nothing really special with this one.

Back to strength training tomorrow and I am looking forward to it. I have missed lifting. I am going to start lifting once a week over the next three.

In good health,
Joe
www.eeathlete.com
joe@eeathlete.com