Buoyed by my (fairly light) cardio workout yesterday, I decided to increase the intensity of my cardio work by doing Interval Plus, from the P90X Plus series. It's been a really long time since I did this workout, and it still rocks. It's not as difficult as an Insanity workout, but it is about as intense a cardio workout as Tony Horton will provide.
Doing this workout has revealed that, despite my consistent effort to run, running is not as effective a workout as interval training. Even though my heart rate never exceeded 147 or so, I burnt a ton of calories, significantly more than I burn during a run with a higher heart rate. Following the workout, I had severe leg shake, something I've never experienced in the hour following a run. I've been tired after a run, certainly, but today, I really felt that interval training beat me up. It's a great feeling, and it told me that running diligently has actually left me slightly out of shape.
As the weather has now pretty much changed for the colder (0°C overnight, complete with frost) and the days are growing shorter, I'm not inclined to head outdoors at 6:30AM for a run. So, my routine is changing back to strictly indoor training (OK, I'm a bit of a suck, but I don't really acclimatize well to cold weather - so what am I doing in Toronto anyway? That's the subject of another story). As such, I'm intending to slowly ramp up the intensity of my cardio training, starting with the One on One series, a little P90X (love the Plyometrics!) and eventually wind up in Insanity-land again, training in a pool of my own sweat. Sure, it sounds glamourous, but I figure I'm worth it.
I had lunch with a friend today. He had a large grilled cheese sandwich with bacon; I had a salad with light vinaigrette dressing. He told me that all this "healthy stuff" might add 3 months to my life. I told him that I'm looking forward to aging with fewer health problems than the average person, and he could feel free to consume whatever pleases him. I guess that was a moment of personal revelation: live healthy, eat clean, and maximize what your genes have given you.
On to Week 7.
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