Day 44

I really couldn't agree more with what most of you are already blogging.  Definitely just kinda running on auto pilot, eating the food, doing the workouts (still paying attention to the exercises as I do them, but don't really think about it most of the day), appreciating the fact that I can jump rope with a timer.

One side effect of PCP I didn't anticipate was the inability to leave a kitchen dirty.  I never spent much time in the kitchen before, but now that I'm in it regularly I do not feel comfortable with dirty dishes, packaging strewn about, etc.  It is now part of my nightly routine to make sure everything is washed and wiped down and put away.  And I kinda like it.

Day 42

You know what's awesome?  Not sucking in your gut when you walk around cause there's nothing to suck in.

Day 40 - A Few Observations

Has anyone else noticed the inability to just sit around anymore?  I can't just lounge around in bed, I have to be doing something now, which was definitely not a problem before.  Yesterday I just got too antsy and had to go out for a run.

Also, does anyone else get excited in the produce section of the grocery store these days?  I used to spend little time there, and now I find myself spending more time there than anywhere else, looking to try new things and getting excited about things I haven't had in a while.

Thirty-Nine

I have a question about the bicycles.  I know I could just e-mail Patrick but I figure I'll post it on the blog in case other people are experiencing the same thing.  I find that my legs are getting really tired after 15 sec or so, but I can't really feel it in my abs.  I realize this is the wrong target area, but I can't seem to find a body position that works.  Anybody else have this problem?

Also, I hate baggy clothes, and now the majority of stuff I own seems baggy.  As I'm already wearing the smallest size men's pants that most companies make, I think I might have to try boy's sizes.

Day 38

So I've still been doing the exercises at night, but want to switch back to morning.  Work this weekend kinda screwed up my sleep schedule though, so I'm hoping to get rested this weekend.  Anywho, as a result of this I'm posting my comments on Day 37's exercises to Day 38.  I really like this super targeted approach to one area.  Before, when we were just doing all body workouts, push ups actually pretty easy for me, like I could do an extra five or ten on the last set after everything else was complete.  Just always something I've been able to do.  But push ups after chest dips?  Let's just say failure ensued.

Day 36

Short post, just saying I got to leave work at a reasonable hour, looks like this will be the case for the coming days, and back on track with the exercises.  Just did the missed day on the jump rope day.  And I just looked at the new exercises, I'm excited.  And excited about the new diet too.  Damn, exciting.

Day 35 - A Day Behind

I finally had to miss a day, so I am now a day behind.  Work has taken it's toll lately, I could not get my exercises in until 11PM on both Saturday and Monday.  And Sunday....Sunday I didn't get home until almost 1AM (work, not partying).  It was the point where I realized I was gonna get less than six hours of sleep anyway, so I chose the sleep over exercise.  So I got my rest day a day early, and am now a day behind on the exercises.  Why does it seem that no matter how much I prioritize, work gets precedence?  I don't even like my work, it's frustrating.

Other than that, the exercises are going really well, definitely getting worked every time.  Also, I noticed a while ago that 9 times out of 10 when I trip jump roping it's my right foot that catches.  So I started doing a bunch of one legged jumps to break up the monotony of jump roping and I realized that I'm letting my left leg do all the work.  Seriously, jumping on my left leg is almost the same as jumping two footed, whereas jumping on my right leg is difficult.  I just I was just kinda letting it touch the ground without doing any of the hard stuff.  Interesting, but needs correcting.

Day 33

Yesterday was a long day at work, so I didn't make it home until 11 PM.  But I did the exercises...and they seemed much harder than usual.  I don't know if it was the long day, or the fact that we're doing more targeting of specific areas right now, but this is the first week that I'm ready for the day off.  That being said, it's still highly motivating to look in the mirror and see things you haven't been able to see before (last night was a big slab of back muscle poking through.)

Also, does anyone else keep noticing how the flavors of all our "plain" food just keep getting better?  I had some yellow bell pepper with breakfast this morning and it was absolutely amazing.  Deliciously ripe pear and dried figs for morning snack...incredible.  And were egg whites always subtly salty?  Pretty amazing stuff.

Day 31-I am a Greek God

I was across town last night and remembered that I needed more Greek style yogurt.  They didn't have the brand I usually get so I went for something new.

Resemblance?

Day 30

Already day thirty?  So hard to believe.  Well, I'm writing this in the morning, and haven't done the exercises for the day, but thought I'd update how last night went.  I don't know about the rest of you, but when I'm sick I feel like my movements are way more efficient.  As if my body doesn't want to waste excess energy.  Or maybe my mind is just concentrating way harder on what's going on so I'm just taking in more details of everyday movements.  Either way...1300 jumps with only one trip (there were three small breaks in there).  I'm convinced this is due to being ill.  I hope I can carry this awareness forward when I'm feeling better.

In other workout news, I never much cared for the rows in the past, I could feel they were doing something, but I just never felt too taxed after.  However, when doing rows after doing pull-ups, yeah, nice, huge difference.  And the planks.  What is it about that exercise?  I think it's a weird kind of pain, as it seems the most self imposed of all the exercises.  In others, we are pushing or pulling against something, but the plank, you just tense up and go.  Wild.

Anywho, feeling somewhat better today, although still not at 100%, but I kinda like the feeling.  Go Team Cookie Monster.

Day 29 - Blah

Still sick.

The jumps actually went really well last night even though I felt like crap.  Just kinda floated through them, and felt a little better afterwards.  Then had insane fever dreams last night.  I invented a new economic system, but all the bar graphs I was showing people would shoot up out of the ground and we'd have to dodge them.

I really like that this project keeps changing.  It seems every time I start to feel like my body is hitting steady state, exercises change.  I love it.

Day 28 - Sick!!! (Ba-Bum-Bummmmm)

Yup, it finally happened.  I realize most of you have already been through it, and it seems like it doesn't last too long.  I got home last night and I could feel it coming on, but I did the workout anyway.  The jump ropes were the best in weeks, I just felt relaxed and calm the whole time and barely tripped.  Because I knew I was getting sick, I thought about just stopping there, but now I feel like I can't miss a work out.  As if I would be super lazy and a bad person if I skip.  So I did it, and it felt great like always (double katana's??? You are unkind).  Then slept like terrible, sore throat, hurt to swallow, congestion...you know, the standard fall cold.  So it's kinda nice that we just jump rope today.  I plan on trying to get a lot of sleep, but work still calls, as I'm right in the middle of something and don't feel comfortable asking others to do it for me.

In other news, I was able to sit in full-lotus for twenty minutes last night.  Before PCP, I couldn't even get in full-lotus.  So I think my goal is forty uninterrupted minutes in full-lotus posture at the end of PCP.  Most definitely achievable.

Indulgence

That's right, Ben & Jerry's.  Now I used to be able to finish a pint of this stuff no problem.  I dug in and ended up eating about a third of it.  But I had to stop myself, as I think I could have mindlessly kept shoving the whole pint in, as the sugar is still addictive.  And it was tasty, but not more or less than before.  I felt fine immediately afterwards.  Then I felt super bloated.  Then I walked up to lab to check on some cell culture (about a mile walk) and started feeling a little sick.  Burping a lot, feeling on the verge of puking a few times.  By the time I made it in I was definitely feeling sick.  Not disgustingly sick, just mildly unsettling.  After about an hour, the feeling went away.  And then I was kind of craving more.  Dangerous stuff!  I guess this just goes to show how even though it makes you feel like crap, it's still super addictive.

Verdict: Avoid

Day 24 - Casting Demons

So my brother-in-law (who is 12) lives with my wife and me, and he pretty much sits and watches me exercise or tries to participate some on a regular basis.  He was talking to his mother recently (who only speaks Spanish), and was trying to tell her about how much I exercise.  However, his Spanish is not great, and ended up telling her I "exorcise extremely."

While I found this hilarious, I also thought that we are all casting out demons through PCP.  We are getting rid of laziness, overeating, crappy food, etc.  So get those demons out.

Day 23

I realized that this whole time I still haven't eaten any asparagus!  I am shocked, as I love the stuff.  So I will be steaming some tonight, something I have all day to look forward to.

The exercises have been going great, I am definitely getting my ass kicked on a daily basis.  I've started to really slow them down and pay attention to form, even if that means going with a lighter resistance band, when your form is better it hurts way more and it hurts in the correct muscles, you know, the ones you're supposed to be working.

Day Duece Duece!

Well, I'm finding the jumping getting a little easier, I still trip a lot but have improved some.  Maybe the running break helped.  It really is nice to know that when I'm struggling with this, everyone else is going through the same thing.  So thanks team.

I've also been doing my exercises at night the last few days.  I see positives and negatives to this.  I like working out in the morning, as I feel positive effects throughout the day from the exercises.  But when I exercise at night, I feel like my body is more awake and in tune with the exercises, like I'm doing a better job with form.  So I guess there's a trade off.  Maybe I'll just mix it up on a weekly basis, keep experimenting to see which I like the best.

Day 21

I think I've missed a couple of posts, sorry team.  I have excuses, but they don't matter.

Good news is I haven't missed any workouts.  I did decide to take a day off of jump roping and went for a jog instead yesterday.  Before PCP, I would run three miles 3-4 days a week.  Nothing fast, just to get outside for a bit.  I stopped when PCP started as I don't have time for PCP and running.  But wow, jump roping has made a huge difference.  I went on a nice slow run for forty minutes and wasn't even winded afterwards.  My legs didn't hurt, my feet didn't hurt, it was a very pleasurable experience.  So we'll see how jump roping goes today.

Also...does anyone else still feel like this is a ton of food?  Last week, I could eat the meal then be hungry about an hour or two later.  But now I basically force myself through every meal, I just never feel hungry anymore.  So I'm kinda anxious to see how the new diet is going to work out this week.

Day 18 - PCP to the rescue!

Team Cookie Monster Unite!  JFD!

Until today, I've always done the workouts in the morning, but I decided to sleep in today.  No noticeable difference....at first.  But the day got progressively worse, mostly with infighting at work.  So I went home to read.  Still felt off.  Then came back to work...worse.  Then I got around to doing the exercises.  Jump ropes were still bad today, but after reading Sara's JFD post (which was incredibly inspirational for me), I gritted it out.  I decided to push myself with the exercises and rest even less than the allotted time between exercises.  It hurt,  and it simultaneously felt really, really good.  But best of all, my mood and outlook were improved beyond measure.  So if any of you are having a crap day, maybe it will help to push yourself more than usual sometimes.

Day 17 - Morning Frustration

I've been frustrated the past couple of mornings over jumping rope.  Just this time last week, I could do three hundred jumps straight with maybe 0-2 trips.  This week, I cannot even go 50 straight, and often times I trip up every 15 or 20 steps.  What the hell is up with that?  I thought I was supposed to get better, not worse.  Anyone else experiencing this/ have any tips?

In other news, I did full blown pull-ups today instead of incline ones.  I gotta say, I like the real ones much more.  Yeah, they're harder, but where it really made a difference was in the later exercises.  Curls and DaVincis were more difficult and way more satisfying than before.