P90X, round 2.

I've been running wild with writing projects and music projects and have been incredibly fortunate and excited in that realm, and meanwhile cautious and catlike regarding fitness. After my numerous falls and awakened injuries spurred on by futile feats of strength, I've taken care to keep this creaky body of mine out of harm's way. I started back on the Bikram bandwagon and am making a true effort to eat foods that don't kill me (though it's really hard, to be honest - even days I think I've eaten within my allergy parameters - which is admittedly all guess work - I have sharp pains in my side, hives on my hand, and swollen glands), and feel pretty decent, all in all. A bit flabby, a bit less strong probably, and my face went from round to narrow and is back near round again (which is all fine, for the record), but my cardio is still great and my mood has been way up.

So when I got an email from my old CrossFit gym marketing a team-based challenge for the beginning of the year, I was really excited and thought I would enlist E. to partner up with me to start the year in shape. But that same week, a cyclist friend of mine told me she was starting up a P90X challenge team, also starting off the year in a muscled frenzy.

E. and I just took our "before" pictures, and oh man. Now I'm depressed (not really, don't worry, Mom). It took some math skills (sadly) to figure out that I did P90X 2 years ago. (If you read this blog at all, or really if you have anything else to do with your life, I recommend skipping over the remainder of this paragraph because I'm just recapping how clumsy I am, and it's...not interesting). Then I had a major bike crash where I fell on my butt and couldn't really move for a while. Then I did a lot of yoga, then crashed my bike again and fell hard on my elbows. I did yoga a little bit again after the swelling went down but a lot of the poses hurt my knees (oh yeah there was another bike crash in there at some point as well, where I slipped on the ice and landed on my knee for like the millionth time). I threw out my back a few times, residual from the Big Crash probably, in between trying to start running and picking up CrossFit and Bikram.

What I'm saying is, I feel I have a Get Out Of Jail Free card when it comes to being a bit softer than I was 2 years ago. I still weigh the same, it's just....shifted. Into a new substance. So when I saw the photos I was surpised that the images reflected weren't of the taut bod of 2010, but of a tired, happy, average-bodied 30-year-old who doesn't work out as much as she used to.

I'm excited to start P90X again, to try to follow the nutritional plan, and to have E along with me to work out with and cook food with. But just like the past few years, I am hoping to keep on track with what my body is telling me and not try to push it past what it really wants and needs. That's how I ended up in so much trouble after the Big Crash, when I insisted on getting back in the game just a few days after getting knocked out, and threw everything out of alignment. Working out should be something that relieves stress and makes our bodies happy to be alive. And I am certainly feeling that.