Bring It.....

I will be starting my fifth week with the popular DVD exercise session termed P90X. I have noticed changes in my flexibility, strength and agility already! This program was developed by world famous personal trainer extraordinaire, Tony Horton, in collusion with the CEO of Beachbody, Carl Daikeler. Tony partnered with Beachbody in 1996 and has created many workout programs prior to P90X. None of which have equalled the notoriety of P90X. It was developed in 2004, branching off of Tony's prior program called Power 90. It is an intense interval based workout program 90 days in duration. It is based upon the theory of "muscle confusion." In a nutshell, by generating muscle confusion in the body, one can avoid the dreaded plateau. Not only does plateauing occur with weight loss, it does with regards to workout programs as well. For instance, I have been an athlete most of my life and was getting restless with the two to three day per week weight lifting program I had embarked upon years earlier. I was not noticing increases in strength and any decrease in body fat percentage. I was also bored! My husband's sister had done most of P90X and told us about it at a family get together some months back. I really paid no interest to it then as I had no idea what it was all about. My husband was interested in learning more about it about six weeks ago and did some research. He then found a great deal on Craig's List, paying sixty dollars for an unopened P90X DVD set!  He snapped it up and began working out. I was slow to follow...I am about a week behind him. I hesitated due to the time requirements of the program. The yoga program is 90 minutes in duration and when I first did it I thought, if Tony says.."and raise your left foot to the sky" one more time, I will throw a brick through the T.V.! I also tailored the program to my lifestyle, which one can do as we do not all live perfect story book lives and are all pinched for time. The program can be adapted to all sorts of personal goals. Athletes wanting to get in prime shape in a short amount of time can do double workouts daily. Women wanting the long, lean muscular look, rather than bulking up, can utilize the lean training block in the DVD set. It turns out that after doing the program for one month, it is exactly what I was looking for! My goals are to decrease body fat and some weight, maybe five pounds or so, and to become stronger for biking, namely mountain biking, which is my passion (at least in the work out world)! We have had an unusual spring with tornadoes and tons of rain, thereby making mountain biking virtually impossible, frustrating, yet not as much as it could be due to having P90X to do. I have been road biking and do notice a huge increase in strength and endurance. We did a 25 mile road bike ride the other day and I was not even tired at the end. We do not have "normal" road bikes, but ride single speeds...meaning, no gears! Minneapolis/St. Paul is a haven for single speeders. I have only been riding single speed bike for two years now and can not imagine going back to a geared bike exclusively!
I anticipate the upcoming mountain biking racing season and may even try a six hour endurance bike racing event. Basically, Tony H. sums it up well in saying that P90X will prepare one for a life filled with possibilities rather than one with limitations! The choice to embark upon a program like this or a comparable program takes dedication and extra "ompa-loompa." The results are well worth the time, dedication, and initial discomfort, as I don't know about you, but I plan on being active all of my life and am happy to have found the vehicle with which to make this possible. Go to: www.beachbody.com. to research all of the programs available to get you on your way to being the best you can be!

Mooey Sue

My love and adoration goes back to when I was four and had my first dog..."Gooter." He was a Golden Retriever and was kept outside in a pen...not something I would find acceptable currently as my love for dogs has deepened and thus, my understanding or emphathy for them has grown. They are not some object for affection to be given when we have time or when it is most convenient. They are in fact, a vital part of most of the families who open their hearts and homes to them. Obviously, I am not alone in my love for dogs as currently, 77.5 million people in the United States alone have dogs for pets. The average cost of owning one dog is between $700-3,000 per year...a lot cheaper than college tuition, but, it is still not cheap. What one gets back in return...unconditional love, companionship, motivation to exercise, etc. makes it more than worth it! Yes, there are indeed factors which are not so pleasant about owning a dog, such as dog doodoo, dog care when gone for extended periods, and dog aging. I watch my chocolate lab, Morgan, aka, Mooey Sue, Moosag, etc., all loving nicknames which reflect her nature and quirks that I developed over the years I have been graced with her company...I digress, as I watch Mooey Sue age, it reminds me of watching myself age and others that I love age, only in a sped up fashion. She will be thirteen in three months...where has the time gone? We adopted her when she was 4.5 years old, from a man at my husband's place of employment. Why was he giving her up? His wife did not like her and did not want her...after meeting her, I had no clue as to why on Earth anyone would not love this dog. We took her only hesitating briefly as we had a 13.5 year old Golden Retriever at home on her way out. I call them both my "soul dogs," meaning, they both have touched my soul in many ways too deep and profound to describe. It turns out that Mooey Sue was an angel, she no doubt was very frightened to be going into a new home, but had the intelligence to realize that Cinnibar, the Golden Retriever was on her way out...she looked out for her as if she was her child, hung silently in the background until Cinnibar died, five weeks after we brought Mooey Sue into our home. It is hard for me to grasp the concept, that we soon will be losing her as well. I see this in her daily downhill progression. She is getting weaker, losing muscle in her back and butt...she has the same will and puppy like smile, but, she is fading. We do have another dog, Lola Getz, the Boston Terrier, whom has loved Mooey Sue since we brought her home. She views her as her mom and will be as devastated as us when she leaves us! Lola just turned eight a few weeks ago...we have had her since she was eight weeks old! So, for me, the biggest downside to loving a dog is the fact that they are only in our lives for such a short time and it is extremely painful to lose them, albeit selfish as well. Eventually the realization that they will be in a better place acquiesces the pain, but, it never goes away entirely! I have a mental catalog in my mind of all the dogs I have had and what was unique about each and every one. They are all special in their own right, just like humans. However, every once in a while, one comes along and opens your heart to be able to love and feel more love, that would be Mooey Sue. I will miss her when she is gone...as will Lola, however, I will no doubt accept another pet into my life after she passes, as to me, life without a dog is like a ship without a rudder. I would recommend a dog to anyone desiring to experience love and give love, as well as to stay physically healthy. There is nothing like a panting dog with wagging tongue when you get home to remind you that you need to go out and play/exercise! This poem best sums up my feelings for dogs:

"Dogs are out link to Paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside
on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring...it was heaven."