Running And P90X

What is strange about the P90X workout is that there is not any time that is put into the P90X workout plan that promotes running. Sure you have the Yoga X, Cardio X, and the hardest P90X workout of all in Plyometrics but what happened to good old running. You know running, its that thing you tell somebody they need to do to get into shape. Tell them to go invest in a good pair of running shoes and start hitting the pavement.

Over the past couple of years I have really been involved in the whole running scene. I'm happy that I finally did. I was that kid playing sports that had the talent to compete in whatever sport I played but just could not get into good shape so the other kids of less skill would out perform me on the field because I was just out of gas. After my college years I realized that I needed to keep myself in shape because this was the rest of my life and I did not want to turn into a tub-o. I decided to start running.

What really got me into running was when I moved from Detroit to Denver. Anybody with sinus problems that has moved from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains knows that breathing is going to become a problem. Running helped me get over the thin air so I could walk normally. I started with 1 mile, then 2, then 3. I actually did the 10k Bolder Boulder. It was the first time I ran 6 miles in one time and I felt proud of it.

Fast forward two years and I am back in the Detroit area still running. I decide one day that I am going to run the Detroit Marathon. This was quite a feat for me because the longest I had run before that was the 10k. But I found some good info about training and gave myself about 4 months to do it.

Well, I did finish the race in a blazing 4 hours 21 minutes and 1 second. Not bad for a first timer. Never mind the next day how much my knees were killing and reading about how some 72 year old man ran the marathon 5 minutes faster than me. That was a real eye opener seeing somebody who was 45 years older than me do that.

I know I went off on a tangent but incorporating running into your P90X workout is not that hard. I did not run nearly as much as I did pre-P90X as I did during P90X. I was doing at least 15 miles a week before and maybe 4 during. I was concerned that I was going to lose the endurance I worked so hard to build up but I stuck with the P90X plan. Surprisingly my results came back better even with me putting on 10 pounds of muscle with P90X. What I learned about the body is that muscle memory is real. Even though my running was less than half of what I did before, the endurance was still there. When I introduced the cardio workouts like Plyometrics, Cardio X, Yoga, and Kenpo it worked on my weaknesses. Over the 90 days those muscles grew stronger and now complimented my stronger ones that I worked on so much before. I remember being hesitant about going for a 5 mile run after completing P90X as it had been four months since I had last done it. My 5 mile time dropped by 2 minutes while carrying around 10 extra pounds of muscle. My legs felt great and did not hurt thanks to the P90X Legs and Back routine.

For any of you runners out there who are thinking that P90X will mess up their routine I can personally tell you that it will not. You're running will take a back seat for 3 months but in that time you will be working on muscle groups that need to be worked on to improve your times and limit injuries. Once you are done with the 90 days you will have a revamped body that is strong from head to toe. I highly suggest you pick up a copy of P90X.

All you need to do the workout is a pull up bar, resistance bands or dumbbells, and the P90X DVDs. You can get them at the Beachbody Store. If you want to save 25% then check out the Beachbody Coach program. It's what I do.

 If P90X is more than you are willing to spend then you should at least sign up for a Free Beachbody Account. You can track your workouts and win daily prizes. While P90X is a total body workout here are a couple of great e-books and tools I suggest anybody who is into running should take a look at.

The Marathon Training Guide is a must for anybody who is learning how to prepare for their first marathon. It is the same advice I used when I ran mine for the first time. It only costs $9.99.

Runalog is a pre-made journal that helps you keep track of the distances you have ran along with how you should be progressing. It's a must for anybody serious into long distance running or triathlons. It makes it so much easier to know what you have done. It is $19.99

Develop Killer Speed is for the person who is not concerned about doing long distances. This is all about short quick bursts. Especially good for baseball, football, and basketball players. It is $39.95

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