On the Road Again...

So now it's January 22, 2013.  Jason and I completed our Tough Mudder event last April and it was nice to take a break from workouts and just relax.  Savor the feeling of extreme accomplishment, which is truly amazing after completing such an arduous event.  The orange headband and Tough Mudder t-shirt will be displayed in my new drum room in my basement.  The hard work is done.......

...not so fast...

I will freely admit that taking a long break from workouts and physical activity was needed and necessary, for a while after the event.  My knee was swollen for a few days and I had lingering pain and bruising for a couple months.  But the fact is, Jason and I finished the event and we both agreed that we would love to do it again.  Call it masochistic, call it insanity, we loved every grueling second of that experience.  Sometime in late summer/early fall 2012, I received an email from Tough Mudder which listed the 2013 schedule.  There it was, June 29 and 30, 2013.  Tough Mudder was coming to Michigan!  No long drive to Ohio this time.  This time the event will be held at the Michigan International Speedway which is about an hour 1/2 away from me.  

Jason and I have both enlisted for the Saturday 6/29 event, with a requested start time of 8:20 AM.  I figure that the earlier starting time will be good for us considering the event takes place in the hottest part of the year.  Quite the change from our last event which never got above 50 degrees.  So with this new event on the horizon and and upcoming trip to England and Ireland planned for March, I have to get my ass in gear and start losing some weight!

I have less than 6 months to get in shape, which is more than enough time to do P90X or Insanity, but it is VERY easy for me to procrastinate.  That happened last time and before I knew it, I was 3 months away from the event with no weight loss to show for it.  Already, I have let almost the entire month of January go by without one day of exercise logged.  I have enough time to do a complete round of P90X and a full round of Insanity if I choose to.  That probably won't happen but completing one program in full is my current goal.  That will get me to a respectable weight, build my strength, and prepare me for the warmer months when I will begin my endurance runs. 

I did so poorly on the strength-related obstacles last year (Funky Monkey, Hangin Tough) that I really want to improve my upper body endurance this time.  Ultimately, when I am in the last couple miles of the course with Berlin Walls and Everest ahead of me, I want to be able to conquer those without begging for help from other Mudders.  P90X will hopefully get me there, but I need to start the program and get motivated.  I've been way too complacent and my weight and health have suffered.

So anyways, in addition to my new found determination to change myself, the blog will be undergoing some changes in the next week.  I plan on a new Blog structure, color scheme, new Tough Mudder countdown clock, and an updated section for gear options.  I also plan on posting a full cold weather, Tough Mudder gear review that will expand upon the information I provided at the end of my last post.  I want to provide information that any future and returning Mudders can review so they will go into their event fully prepared.  I may even post a Vlog one of these days.

Stay tuned as I am...

"On the Road again..."