What's the "X" Stand for, Anyway?

As I mentioned yesterday, I've started the p90x workout videos. My wife and I took our measurements and pictures last week and we'll see how the results look in about 90 days. I'm a little embarrassed to be doing a program that's advertised on a cheesy infomercial, but after doing the first workout (chest and back) and hardly being able to move my arms today, I'm a believer.

Love, Loss, and What I Ate

Really, I just want to focus on "loss" and "what I ate" and how after doing the first p90x routine I nearly "lost what I ate." Seriously. It was tough. It has you alternating between push-ups and pull-ups in rapid succession with a few other lifts mixed in there such that you're constantly doing something and always using different muscles.

I then did the "Ab Ripper X" routine of which I was able to complete maybe 10% of the moves the muscly people on the TV screen did. I then lay on the floor for several minutes. Next, I moved to the couch for another rest and lay there for many more minutes. When I finally stood up, I felt queasy and a had an "oh no, here it comes" moment but the nausea subsided and was replaced with lightheadedness. So, I took another little rest.

For nearly half an hour after finishing the workout, I kept getting these waves of nausea and lightheadedness and I'm pretty sure I can contribute this discomfort to what I ate yesterday. You see, sometimes I have a tendency not to eat the healthiest meals.

For example, yesterday I started the day off with a delicious breakfast burrito from Beto's. It has eggs, potatoes, cheese and chorizo, it weighs at least a pound, and it's delicious. I washed it down with a 32 oz. Mountain and had a Snicker's bar for dessert.

Dinner was no better. I picked up some Carl's Jr. for the family on the way home from work and polished off a Guacamole Bacon Six-Dollar Burger and fries. At dinner, I did make one sensible choice though: I had a Diet Coke.

Today, I had Taco Bell for lunch and Wendy's for dinner. I tried being good at Wendy's by ordering a chili. Unfortunately, the Wendy's employee--who I'm sure knew I'm trying to lose weight--screwed up my order and gave me fries instead of chili. I pointed it out and she apologized and let me keep the fries. So, instead of just chili or just fries I of course ate fries and chili.

So yeah, not the best food choices for fueling intense workouts. I'm thinking such a diet might have something to do with my tendency to put on weight. It's at least a consideration.

Triathlon Training

I intended to go to the pool for a swim workout as soon as I got done with p90x. Unfortunately, I was more than spent and even walking to the gym was completely out of the question. So, I put off the swim workout until today. Which I have every intention of doing once I get home. We'll see how that goes...

I did go running this morning, however. I ran a little over four miles and felt pretty good. I also rode my bike to work which means I will also ride home for a total of around 17 miles.

My Conclusion on P90X

I've decided to do only the strength training portions of p90x. I have a few reasons for this. The workouts that aren't weightlifting/push-up/pull-up/sit-up kinds of things (I think the kids call this "resistance training") all consist of doing a bunch of jumping around the living room and some yoga. I'd rather do my cardio on a bike, in the pool, or on the street than prancing about in my apartment. Besides, my knees don't take kindly to the jumping and squatting that the kenpo and plyometric routines of p90x require.

As for the yoga, I don't see any need for it. I don't really know how an hour of yoga every week is going to benefit me that much. Plus, an hour spent in The Cobra or Downward Dog is an hour that would be better spent dedicated to triathlon specific sports. I've only got so much time and only doing the resistance training for p90x saves me a precious three or four hours each week.

I guess the drawback to this pared-down approach is that I won't get to appear in future p90x infomercials because I won't have followed the "real" program and I won't see the actual results that p90x is responsible for. Then again, I never really would have because of all the other exercise I'm doing.

The scale says:

That the Diet Coke neutralized the calories in the other food resulting in a net effect of zero weight gain. I weigh the same as yesterday: 229.

On the menu today:

1. Run 45 minutes (Done. 52 minutes, actually.)
2. Bike 20 miles (I'll get in close to 18. Good enough.)
3. The procrastinated swim workout (I'm so gonna do this.)