Day 15 of P 90 X

Tough P90X girl, Dreya

OK. For many years I have known that core work, stretching and other kinds of cross-training, done regularly and with quality, would help with running.

Me attempting a P90X pose post run this morning

In another P90X pose...kinda, yet lovin' the 50 degrees post run weather on Feb 5th!

Yet, except for the times I am hurt and have assigned PT (physical therapy) exercises assigned, I am rotten and inconsistent with follow through. That is why back in November, when Stacey,  a staff member  (and strong tough girl) at Little's Health and Fitness was putting the word out about doing a round of P90X starting on January 9, 2012, my attention was caught.


P90X stands for Power 90 days Extreme. It is a DVD program which is based on 6 days of work and a day off. (We are modifying the program to do it M-F from 6am-7am each day).  It works all the muscles of the body (or, least many of them) and includes plyometrics, stretching, yoga, core work and some cardio. Much of this is all new to me, yet all stuff I have seen and have known would help strengthen me as a runner. Adding these 5 hours a week to a training plan for WC 100km on 4/22 is a challenge, yet I am committed, even if I must modify some of the harder P90 days due to the days prescribed running efforts.

Fifteen days in, I am sore in a different spot almost every day! I have taken to making myself Spiruteen shakes post workout in the AM and adding glutamine and some other amino acids on the hard effort days (like Plyometrics).  One of my major goals with this program is to be able to do the Dreya Rolls and Plank to Chaturanga Run as put forth in Core Synergistics. I am pitiful at this point!

Our class is pretty cool...made up of 10-14 folks who come regularly and have different strengths and experiences. The cool thing about this program is we can  all work together at our own level and by mere presence support each other...yet no one slows each other down 'cause we are uncoordinated or not strong or feeling wimpy one day!

Running is going okay right now, still being careful of the sore calf and I usually don't hurt when I run, am quite sore for 12 hours afterwards and than am okay. I had am MRI done 3 weeks ago, yet the doc order the ankle instead of the calf and therefore not an indicator of what is going on. So-at this point, I am still being cautious and appreciating long swims, elliptical and running 4x a week. Today was an 18miler-4 miles solo and than 14 with my running buddies Jackie and Jonathan.

Bro and Sis J & J rock! Jo ran a sub 1:30 1/2 Marathon last month and Ja a sub 3:22 for her 1st full marathon! My running buddies rock!

I appreciate my little 6am group (I usually get to the gym @ 4:45 on a non-running day to get in an elliptical workout before class), yet on running days, when possible I run outside after work. On these days I show up at 5:50 with pillow lines on my face and my classmates declare my car auto drove me there! I think there may be some truth to that!

I have not taken (yet) any before photos or measurements to see how I progress through these 3 months, yet I am tempted to do so-to see how 5 hours of cross training a week can help me be stronger and enhance my running....(Now I need to find a way to un-appreciate red wine, snickers bars and tootsie pops!)

If anyone cares to comment, I would love to hear your experience w/ this P90X program-or what cross training exercises have given you best "bang for the buck"!

Next weekend I plan to run the Ground Hog Gallop 1/2 Trail Marathon and St Valentines Day Massacre Marathon on Sunday. Both as training efforts = no watch! George is coming too, and although he won't be racing, we plan a fun and cultural early Valentines Celebration in Greensboro, NC for Saturday Night: Staying at Drury Inn  and  and going to a Cabaret Performance Saturday night!