How to get P90X2 by Christmas and save 25%

I don't want this blog to become a constant advertisement for Beachbody products, which is difficult since that's where the majority of my training and supplementation is coming from. But I'm very excited about the P90X2 program coming out this winter. It is really geared toward athletic performance and looks like it will be a great pre-season workout program.

Preorders start on September 1 and there is a good likelihood of selling out of their initial run. Most people like to start new workout programs around the new year so the best way to make sure to have the program is to preorder. The only way to preorder initially is through a Team Beachbody Coach like me. I'll be going through the program starting January 2 so we can do this together and I can help you get through it.

Here's a video of me explaining the program and how to get it.

Off-season track & field training

I'm often asked when I go to masters track & field meets what I do for training. I'll go through my in-season training that I do on the track in a future post, but for the off-season the answer is pretty simple; P90X.
The reason I started on P90X was to improve my core strength and flexibility. I used to fight through some sort of hamstring injury every year. I tried a number of things to keep this from happening without much success. I happened to be at a sports medicine symposium where the presenter was talking about research studies that found that the greatest method for reducing the risk of hamstring injuries was to improve balance and core strength. I remember watching the P90X infomercial and Tony Horton said "This is balance, flexibility, strength, the whole frickin nine yards." Those words stuck with me as I thought about what I could do to improve in these areas.

I did some research on the program and it looked like it would be a good fit for my off-season training. It would help me keep my weight down during the winter as well, which has been an issue for me.
I've been doing the P90X program on and off since February of 2010. I'm happy to say that I have now gone two full outdoor track seasons without having a hamstring injury.

I have also started incorporating a new program into my in-season training It is called Insanity: The Asylum and is more sports specific training. Shaun T is the trainer and he is a former track & field athlete. I now am doing a hybrid of P90X and Asylum that came with the Asylum program. I'm about halfway through that program and I'll keep updating how that is going.

I've become such a big believer in these programs that I decided to become a Beachbody coach so I can help others. If you are interested in having me as your Beachbody coach or you want more information about the programs, email me at 400MeterDad@gmail.com or go to http://www.promisetobefit.com/.
Thanks.

P90X/Insanity Asylum Hybrid Program

I finished up the first week of the P90X/Asylum hybrid about a week ago and made a discovery. I had made some assumptions about the program being mostly P90X workouts for the lifting days and Asylum for the cardio days. That's how it starts out, but I guess I didn't look closely enough. Instead of being three phases like P90X it is one 30-day program. I was getting my workout sheets ready for the next day and noticed that instead of repeating the same workout I did last Monday, I was going to be doing the workout from the start of the next phase.

I'm actually kind of excited about this as it's going to mix things up a little more than I thought. It also means I won't have to worry about getting sick again like I usually do when I do the Chest and Back workout. I'll be looking forward to getting sick during the Asylum: Game Day workout instead.

Usain Bolt False Starts at World Championships

It had to happen sooner or later. With the one and done false start rule in place for the past year it was only a matter of time before a big star gets kicked out of a championship race.

Everyone plays under the same set of rules, but it's unfortunate to not see how Bolt would race at the World Championships after a disappointing year so far. He looked great in the preliminary races.

Don't Forget to Cancel Netflix

The Netflix price increase for discs by mail takes effect in a few days. I keep forgetting to cancel my by-mail subscription. I send the discs back intending to cancel and they get me a new one right away. Then I feel like I need to watch it before sending it back. Right now I have Rango and I need to watch it in the next couple of nights or just send it back.

If you're not aware, Netflix is changing it's pricing structure from one plan where you can get unlimited streaming and discs by mail for $9.99/month to two separate plans where each service is $7.99. If I would keep my current plan it would cost $15.98/month to continue. Since I rarely can even watch one DVD each month this would be a good time to drop the disc plan. I also have about 120 movies/shows in my online cue right now so I think I could find plenty to watch without it.

Compartment Syndrome

One of the reasons I do Track & Field sprinting events instead of 5 & 10k runs is that I have a condition called chronic exertional compartment syndrome. What happens is my calves get very sore and swollen after about 2 minutes of jogging. It is very painful and not something that you want to continue to push through for very long, as the swelling in the compartments causes increased pressure in the calves. If the pressure is high enough, blood flow to the compartment can be blocked. This can lead to permanent injury.

I had surgery about four years ago on one leg and did not notice much improvement. I couldn't walk for about three weeks and it was not a pleasant time. It's not really something I want to go through again, but it is something I hope to have corrected if possible.

In the meantime I will stick with exercise that doesn't aggrivate it as much. With sprint training I can take enough rest between high intensity short runs to let the pressure go back down. I also believe that sprint training works the muscles in a way to get the body type I'm looking for.

Take care.

Make Time

One of the biggest reasons most people give for not working out is that they don't have time. Between work, family, and keeping up with friends, there are so many things pulling at us that our days are already full.

The key is to prioritize.

I remember someone putting up a post on Facebook about not having time to work out that day. I looked back and noticed that this person had posted five status updates and numerous comments over the past hour. Obviously connecting to others on social media was more of a priority than working out. If it's important enough, you'll find a way to fit it in.

You wouldn't say, "I don't have time to pay my bills." If you do, you will likely have your electricity, phone, and internet turned off. You make paying the bills a priority or you deal with the consequences. I used to play about 4-5 hours of video games each week. That's not as much of a priority as working out so that;s one of the first things to go. Not to say that I don't miss it. I would much rather sit and play video games or watch television than go through a Shaun T workout, but setting a priority for working out is more in line with my desire to be fit.

If improving your health or bringing down your time in an upcoming race is important, you will make the time.

The Beginning of the 400 Meter Dad Blog

This is my first blog post, so I'm not quite sure how I should begin. I think the reason I decided to start blogging was to get my training experiences out there. It may help others looking to do some of the same things I am doing and it will be a good way for me to look back on what I was doing and how it worked.

I think the question I get asked the most is why I do track and field events instead of road races. Road races like 5k fun runs seem to be more normal to people. It takes a certain level of intensity and dedication to train for shorter track races such as the 100, 200, and 400 meter dashes. It is difficult to get through an entire season without some kind of injury. I'll go more into my motivations and reasons for why I do what I do, but I will say that the main focus is always on giving myself a reason to train and keep myself fit and in shape.

Being in great shape is a byproduct of the training for the races. As Tony Horton says, "time keeps ticking and you can get better or you can get old and crochety."

I choose to get better.