Mike, I took your suggestion into consideration.  But, I just had to push myself, I had to try to keep up with Tony and the Crew.  I would like to say I made it through the warm up, and  then even stopped the workout at the 39 minute mark.  I just couldn’t keep up with coming down then up, and then down, and then up, and then down, and then jump mid air turn.  My legs just started to shake, and I could feel that ache that I use to get in the gym, I will be honest with you all, my avid readers, half the work out from the P90X Plyometrics Dvd has given me that same familiar ache of when I use to be on the Elliptical Machine in the Gym for 35 minutes going at a speed no less than 7 mph.  

Tony is a mad man for creating such an intense work out, even my arms are still sore from yesterday.  Cramping up while I type my usual length of words.   This is going to be more challenging than I had originally thought, yet I’m left to wonder - why this same work out isn’t being offered in Gym’s across the country ?

This stuff works, these work outs are hard, they are for the serious minded individuals who are looking for results.  To be honest, this is a challenge more so than I thought especially since I am not in shape in the least, yet, keep at it, I tell myself, eventually I won’t have to pause the work out, eventually I’ll make it through a whole work out, and then when that day comes, I’ll be the one that Tony will have to pause so that his work outs can keep up with me.  Okay, at this rate that day won’t be coming anytime soon, but it can be done, its a goal, to keep up with these people, to keep up with Tony, to keep up with the pace, but the most important part I keep telling myself, is that the only shape I was ever in IS round - its a shape !   I’m going from a cold workout background to trying to keep up with people who are in amazing shape, but I’m not going to let it dissuade me in the least.

To those of you, trying, keep at it, I’m thinking of splitting the work outs in half, half in the morning, half at night but the main concern that I have is making sure that I don’t get injured.  I suggest that to all of you, no matter what, keep that in mind, its better to get that ache but keep within your limits because if you keep at it eventually you’ll make it but if you go all gung ho you’re bound to get hurt, and then there will be no working out at all.  I’m pushing hard, but these work outs aren’t for the faint at heart - I can see why Amanda and Colin, the newly weds that post on the blog decided to undertake the P90X challenge together, it’d seriously make a big difference to have someone next to me I think.  I mentioned that to Elisha [my fiance] this morning when I talked to her, and all she said is ‘come here then’ [fyi] she lives a two and half hour drive from me, so at the moment we see one another a few times a month, but talk lots on the phone, thank god for long distance calling plans or else I’d have a hard time coming up with the fourteen hundred dollars I saved.

I’m sorry I digressed, I kind of got a bit lost in thought.  This is just a hard work out, and I’m keeping at it, I’m not going to give up, and I hope that those of you who do read these words, write tell me how hard it is for you, tell me about your goals, your journey, and even if you’d like to share some of your life with me - know that if you take the time to write to me I’ll take the time to write in return to you.

I promised you all that I would always leave words on here that I find to be inspiring or motivating, or even thought provoking, I want you all to know you are not alone in this challenge, but most of all, you are not alone in this world.

Don’t Quit - The Author of which is unknown.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill.
When funds are low and the debts are high.
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you must not QUIT

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength - Oprah Winfrey

Having an exciting destination is like setting a needle in your compass. From then on, the compass knows only one point-its ideal. And it will faithfully guide you there through the darkest nights and fiercest storms - Daniel Boone

Be well, be good to one another, and that will make you Great,

James

Well, today is Friday, and hopefully the core system will be delivered today so I can start studying the P90X nutrition guide, and starting to make notes of how to best start adopting a new mindset.  I am pretty confident that the rest of the stuff will be here next week. 

I guess I should give some better insight into myself - especially since soon we will be together for 90 days.  Once again, my name is James, and at the moment - I am living in a small city called Windsor, which shares the border with Detroit.  I am engaged to a beautiful woman, Elisha, she is just one reason, one very good reason that I’ve taken up the 90 day challenge to get into shape.  I still remember when I first met (which wasn’t that long ago) I was never one of those believers in love at first sight, and there she was nervous as can be, sitting there, talking on her cell phone to her mother.  I just knew at that moment there was something different about her, that somehow she was so unlike any other woman that I’ve ever previously met, that she just somehow had the capacity to take my breath, while wowing me, and yet she just had this look about her that humbled me.  I’m a guy - love at first sight that’s a girl thing, not a guy thing, and yet there I was - I just knew.   I’ll have to post a few of the engagement pictures that we took out at a park near where she lives - remind me of that later.

And here I sit thinking and writing about my thoughts, trying to find some sense of self realization that for the last little bit I’ve sorely been missing.  Thats one thing about me, I am an introvert but I am also, an extrovert when I feel the need to be, I think thats common grounds when you spend more than six years has a disc jockey - clubs, roller rinks, and weddings - now I am just finishing up the touches on my own wedding.  I learned a lot about myself in those years, and its always when I am around people I love to be the hyped guy, then when I’m alone I just like to really take some moments to enjoy the quiet, especially early in the morning just before the sun kisses the sky good morning, its just quiet and then it quickly starts to busy itself - first with the birds, then with the sounds of the cars driving by on their way to work. 

Work, some of you may wonder eventually what it is I do for work.  At the moment, I am self employed - I am part owner of a courier / delivery service, its been family run since I was born which was 1980.  Yet, now with the up coming wedding, I’m left with a decision to make: live here in Canada or move to the United States.  I’ve only ever lived outside of Windsor for six weeks, and the last few years I’ve been living with my grandparents to help take care of their business, and to really help take care of my grandfather who’s health has been gradually declining, especially after him being broad sided by a drunk driver at eight thirty in the morning (like come on who’s drunk that early in the morning!?!?)  I think the worst part of things right now is that my grandfather is an expert in ‘emotional blackmail’ which totally sucks since the only explaination is that I am either too soft or he’s just really THAT good at pulling my strings.  I keep seeing more opportunity in the United States especially for me to advance myself, to go to school, to see Elisha graduate from her college program, and really for us to start out a new marriage, to which we can both see our children grow with the best chances ahead of them.

I’ll stop for now, but that should give everyone a better insight into the things that occupy my mind. 

I think I’m going to hold to the point of things to always leave some words in my blog that will make those reading me feel motivated or think, so to those who took the time to read, thank you.

Men spend their lives in anticipations,—in determining to be vastly happy at some period when they have time. But the present time has one advantage over every other—it is our own. Past opportunities are gone, future have not come. We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer the tasting of them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.
Charles Caleb Colton

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions—the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss, a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment in the disguise of a playful raillery, and the countless other infinitessimals of pleasurable thought and genial feeling.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

There is only one person who could ever make you happy, and that person is you.
David Burns, Intimate Connections

Warmest Regards,

James