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Might take the day off today to recover. I didn't have the strength to do the P90X last night. I'm feeling a little run down from work and life. I'll see how I feel later today, I may take the day off swimming.

I didn't know I had it in me... The workout today was to establish a baseline for training intervals. We did 10x200's best average. I was the only person in the entire group who did it backstroke (or any stroke besides freestyle). I started off at 2:42 and leveled off at 2:46 or so. The interval was 3:00. It really took it out of me! I had to dig deep to get through that set. I pushed myself and did my best. I got to what I thought was #9 but everybody in the pool was done. Others were doing the set freestyle on the 2:50.

Due to a busy work schedule, and a challenging week in the pool, I've taken 2 full days off the P90X program. I'm thoroughly exhausted and I needed to take today off to recover and prepare for another week in the pool. I'm fairly sure the P90X system probably isn't meant for a person already getting 2+ hours of other exercise per day. I will pick up the program on Monday and get back on track. My body needs some rest for now. Therefore my P90X will become P92X and the number might even increase from there, I don't want to hurt myself by overdoing it.

I just finished a great workout in the pool! I've completed my first week of EMU workouts. I'm very sore, but its a good sore. I've stretched and warmed up/down enough to keep myself injury free. As I've mentioned before this week represents a massive increase in workload and I'm proud to have survived. In the coming weeks I will begin to not just get through but exceed.

I got my first feedback from Peter Linn. The one notable item is that I need to work on "setting" my right arm in backstroke. Something I used to be good at. I'll get there again.

This was probably the most demanding week of training since my college days. I've officially joined the EMU Summer Workout Group which trains twice a day in the pool for 2 hours each session. For (at least) the last 5 days, I've done 6,000+ long course meters with the Workout Group and over an hour of random P90X exercises each day for a grand total of over 3 hours of training per day. I've been challenged in the pool by many other swimmers... some younger, some MUCH younger :) I'm pushed each and every practice and I love it!

I've really stepped up my training lately, combined with a packed work schedule hasn't left much time to update this! I've been swimming 6,000+ Long Course Meters each day with the workout group at EMU and doing 1-1.5 hours of the P90X workout system daily. This regiment is about 3,000 meters and significantly more body weight exercises than I'm used to. It's approaching the workload I was used to in college. I'm very run down but feeling good. I've been eating a ton and drinking water constantly. I feel healthy and strong!

It's gonna be a long 90 days! The first day was relatively easy, the second day was Plyometrics, which is defined as "Jump Training". It involves lots of balancing, moving from side to side, bouncing, jumping, leg lifts, squats and lunges. The program is 1 hour long, the first 10 minutes is easy warming up, the middle 40 minutes is grueling no matter how you do it. The last 5-10 minutes is pretty easy, familiar body motions like tossing a basketball and throwing a pitch. There was a much needed 5 minute sesson of stretching afterward, I took an extra 5 minutes.

I had a chance to practice with the summer group at EMU again today, it was a short workout because they got beat up this week doing 12k+ a day. We ended up doing 3,100 Long Course Meters. I did better today, I'm sure because it was within my normal workout yardage. During the evening I began the workout program I've mentioned before. It's called P90X. It's received a fair amount of press, I know a few people who have tried it. It is a 90 day program which uses mostly free weights and stretch cords along with your own body weight.

I had a chance to swim with the summer workout group at EMU this evening. I knew they would be swimming at least 5,000 so I was mentally prepared when I read 6,100. The group was small because the college is between sessions, there were 7 people there. I'm confident there will be many more in the coming weeks.

The practice itself was challenging, a dynamic mix of freetyle, IM and kicking. I held my own for about 3,500 meters, which is my typical practice distance.

It was an athletic day. I woke up and Rollerbladed in the flawless 80 degree weather, it was perfect out, sun was shining, great day to be outside. I rushed to the pool but only got in about 1600 Long Course Meters before the Kayakers took over the pool. I tracked down a pilates video link online the other day and decided to try it out. I feel like I see or hear about yoga or pilates all the time, neither of which I've tried. I gave it a shot, it was a 30 minute video. For those unfamiliar with Pilates: (taken from wikipedia)