January 31

My new year begins!

I know it's a month late, however, January is pretty much a wash as far as I'm concerned. The year 2011 is about trying to ride 1,000 total miles on my road bike and mountain bike. Since January had an average temperature of about 152 below zero (hyperbole!), I decided to pretend like it didn't happen.

Last year, I ended the biking season with almost exactly 800 miles. That's great but I also ended the season with a bad left knee. A sharp pain struck every few up-strokes during my last 10 or so rides, leaving me gasping on a couple of occasions when it caught me off guard.

My riding season ended abruptly when it got very cold very quickly in late autumn and the temperatures have yet to rebound. I've ridden in cold weather before (once I broke my elbow falling on a patch of ice while mountain biking in 10 degree weather) but this year, I wasn't into it. So, I'm off the bike until we get a break in the weather.

To maintain a baseline of fitness, I started doing P90x and have already completed the 3-month Classic plan. How's P90x? It's ok. Getting used to it the first month was a little rough. I was sore every day and, some days, just the thought of working out was brutal.

Last week, I started P90x Doubles with one change - since I have already finished the basics, I dropped the first four-week phase. This is, therefore, my second week of the second phase of Doubles.

One thing I've found is that Cardio X is fairly lame. Aside from the Plyo moves it includes, the workout just doesn't keep my heart rate up. So, on January 31, I did Kenpo X in the morning and Chest, Shoulders and Triceps in the afternoon along with Ab Ripper.

I really dig Kenpo - it's a fun, martial arts-based workout that keeps my heart rate at 160 to 170 throughout. Plus, you can imagine you're kicking the crap out of someone. Out of all the cardio workouts, it's my favorite by far. But the team that joins Tony Horton for the dvd workout includes the WORST demonstrator in the world: a guy named Wesley Idol (or "Idle" which would be a much more appropriate name for the guy). Idol is given credit for creating or assisting with the creation of the workout but he's a tall, pasty, doughy white guy with no muscle definition who seems to be sleepwalking through the workout. I understand the desire to give the guy some credit but the producers of the dvd surely could have found a different way!

On the other hand, I love Tony the Marine. His form and muscle definition are what we're all striving for in the workout. Because Tony Horton moves around so much, I look to Tony the Marine for form tips.

So, let's see how the off-bike workouts go and how ready I am when the weather finally breaks. One thousand miles...