As most of you know I’m an avid P90X’er and general fan of all things Beachbody. Right now Insanity is destroying me. And by “destroying” I mean making me stronger on a daily basis. I love these programs. I love what they represent and I love watching them transform lives on a daily basis. There really is nothing more rewarding than talking to someone that has taken control over their fitness and learned that it is one of the easiest ways to capture control over their lives. But the story doesn’t end there for me.
I race. I’m a triathlete, a cyclist and a somewhat reluctant runner. Why? Why race when I have a full library of Beachbody DVD’s (seriously, I think we have every one they’ve ever put out) at home to keep me plenty fit? The answer is that it challenges me. The best I’ve ever done is third in my age group at a rather small, but very hard sprint triathlon, so it’s clear I’m not doing it for the money or to win. So why race? There are a couple of reasons I do it. First, it is really fun. The energy at a race is electric. Everyone with a number has spent some significant portion of time preparing for the event. You can just feel all the nervous energy in the air, and it is something that cannot be replicated. Second, the process of preparing for a race thrills me. I really like coming up with training plans. I’ve helped a lot of people incorporate programs like P90X into their endurance sports training, and I enjoy that process. Third, the training…I’m addicted to it. Yes, I am an exercise junkie. I just love it. There was a time in my life when working out was something I dreaded. Now working out is usually the best part of my day. Finally, having a goal keeps me motivated. The day of the race is the day of the race. You can’t move it and you had better be ready when it arrives. It reminds me of preparing for the Bar Exam. You have one shot to make it happen, and that keeps me going on the days when I might not feel like training as hard as I should.
So, what’s next on the race schedule? The Tour de Scottsdale, a 70 mile bike race on October 4th. This is the first bike race that I’ve ever done and I’m really excited about it. Cycling is my favorite endurance sport, and this is going to be a lot of fun. I’ve been doing weekly long rides (45 to 60 miles) and weekly short hill repeats (15 to 20 miles packed with climbs) to get ready. I’ve also been doing Insanity and last week added in some strength training using P90X and Tony’s One on One (particularly Core Ball Sandwich and the brutal 30/15 routine). I feel a lot stronger with the added strength training. I know it won’t necessarily help me on the bike, but I like to throw weights around a couple of days a week. After the Tour I’ll do the Phoenix Rock and Roll Half Marathon in January. Then…well I’m a little on the fence. I’ve always wanted to do the US Navy SEAL Superfrog Triathlon. It is a half-ironman distance (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13 mile run) and it is a brutal course. The swim is in the ocean…in March. The bike is flat and fast going between Coronado and Imperial Beach in San Diego. The run is on the beach. A 13 mile beach run is a pretty scary prospect. Most of it occurs on some hard packed sand, but sections of it go into the deep stuff. Pain…lots of pain. I have a few things to assess, but I think I’m going to do it. My good friend Seth Gibree just committed to it and that has lit a bit of a fire under me. More to follow on that to be sure.
There you have it. That’s why I race.
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