Monday, March 22, 2010

Day...umm...lost track

I’ve lost track of the days again, but it really doesn’t matter. I’m in the last “real” week of the program.  This month adds a week of regular workouts (4 instead of 3). Next week is the transitional week.  I take my “after” photos in 2 weeks.

So, here’s what’s been goin on…Last week was a bit of a jumble.  I had a lot of things going on and had to skip 3 workouts.  (He did what?  He must be slacker.)  Maybe.  One day I was just too busy and couldn’t fit the workout in. I had to get up earlier than normal 2 days in a row to fit everything in that I needed to do and then was at it into the evening.  There just wasn’t time nor enough left of me to do an effective workout.  The third day was spent recovering from the last two.  By Saturday, I was ready to get back to it and I did.  I did a combination of two of the workouts that I had missed.  I also did the ab routine without the DVD.  I did this on purpose to prepare for post-P90X (more on that later).

It’s hard to justify skipping workouts.  I tend to beat myself up over it even before I was doing the program.  However, I’ve come to a realization that there are 2 levels to self-care: basic and improvement.

Basic is basically everything required to keep yourself alive like eating right, some physical activity, and getting enough rest. Simply said, Survival.  Improvement is workout routines like P90X.  It is moving yourself forward rather than maintaining a status quo.  Sometimes, you can do improvement. Sometimes, it’s just survival.  The key is that basic needs need to be met before any improvement can occur.  This is how I justify skipping workouts at times.

Last week was taxing on me physically and emotionally.  I had to focus on the basics.  My sleep schedule was messed up and I was doing things that I am not accustomed to.   Could I have pushed myself and done a workout?  Perhaps.  Would it have been beneficial?  Probably not.  We have to know our limits and when to push “pause.”  I know that if I push myself too hard, my body will react and I will crash leaving me pretty useless to anyone for a day or so.  This would have been worse than skipping a couple workouts and I would have deferred catching up on the program even longer.  Instead, “I hit my own personal pause button” as Tony says and I was able to come roaring back with an extended workout. 

The basic and improvement theory is my own, but knowing your body’s limits comes from the program.  Rest is just as important as working.  Working beyond your limits is dangerous and can actually set you back.  So, what was my result this week after all the changes?  I guess you’ll have to stay tuned.

I’ve reached my limit on typing.

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