BRING IT Tony Horton!

I've been a multisport athlete since 2000. And for the past 10 years I, like most active people, have grappled with how to incorporate strength training into an already "full" training schedule. Well I've decided to try something new. Hello P90X!

P90X is a 90 day workout program facilitated by a ripped, ubber man's man who actually yawns while doing massive amounts of pull ups. His name is Tony Horton. You know those exercise infomercials you see at 2am with the amazing "before" and "after" photos and people gushing about how they've never been in such great shape...EVER? And then the guy who comes on and says YOU CAN DO IT TOO?! Odds are, it's Tony.

I've tried a few of the P90X workouts here and there since May and with workouts like "ab ripper", how can you go wrong? Last week I did "legs and back" and I didn't walk right for four days. But last night Leary and I decided to get serious and "BRING IT"! It was day 1 of officially starting P90X in earnest and our approach is to tag team it. Perhaps it's my first timer's enthusiasm that I feel compelled to write about it but I have to admit Tony's quirky, funny, enthusiasm is contagious. Ask me how I'm doing at day 18, or even day 42! Something tells me I'll have other names for Tony.

There is another underlying reason for my wanting to do P90X. I want legs of steel so I can tackle all those mountains and hills that feel like mountains during Race Across America in June. And when I climb Wolf Creek Pass and cross the Continental Divide at 10,000+ feet, I will have no qualms about yelling at the top of my lungs, "THANK YOU TONY!"

So Tony...in your own words, I'm ready for you to BRING IT!

The List Continues...

Team Name - check!
Registered for RAAM 2011 - check!
Beneficiary partnership - check!
Non-profit partnership - check!

Raise money, buy gear, train, reserve RV, finalize crew, book airline tickets, train, order team cycling kits, have fundraising activities, attend related GoRed events, go to Interbike, train, schedule several team training events, contact a bazillion possible sponsors, train.......NOT CHECKED!

If I look at everything we need to do between now and next June, I have a mini freakout.
Breathe.
I'm going to go ride my bike now!

We Are Officially Registered for RAAM 2011

Well, we did it. Team Ride Red is officially registered for Race Across America 2011. And they say $6295 can't buy happiness! There was a bit of a fiasco with the bank. Apparently our account has a daily transaction limit of $4500. I didn't find this out until I got a note from Rick, the RAAM Race Director, telling me that our registration payment had bounced. One very urgent phone call to the bank and we were straightened out in a matter of minutes. Ye gads!


The RAAM organization officially welcomed us on their Facebook page.

Our RAAM site team page is only partially set up but we can be found HERE.

The Team Ride Red site is under constructions but the URL is: www.ridered.org.

Here we go!

2 Weeks without Exercise...

...is WAY too long to go without exercise.

I didn't bother bringing any workout stuff with me to RAAM because I didn't think I'd have time to fit in any swim, bike, or run. I could have fit in a run while we were in Ulysses, Kansas for almost two days waiting on the relay teams. Heck, I probably could have done jumping jacks in Monument Valley or push ups in West Virginia. That's the beauty of hindsight. So now I'm getting back into the groove of getting my body to do something OTHER than sitting in a van and it is NOT happy. Lots of stiff hip muscles, sore quads, and my left hamstring has given me the proverbial finger a few times. But the happy endorphins are flowing in my brain and it feels great to be moving again!

I didn't ride while I was in Austin last week and now I'm traveling again - visiting family in Minnesota. My running shoes are portable enough so I have done some running. But I am really itching to get back on my bike. Maybe I can borrow my mom's mountain bike while I'm here? Or I could pay $20 for a day pass to the local health club and take in a spin class, yoga, swim in the pool, and another spin class? Hey, for $20 I'm getting my money's worth!

I have a 25K trail race I'm doing on Sunday and I'm expecting to get my butt handed to me. But I will try to enjoy that lung burning, muscle twanging, heart about to rupture in my throat feeling and remind myself that yes indeed, it is good to be moving again.

What a Ride!

I'm at the Baltimore airport and will be boarding my flight back to Austin in 30 minutes. I am sitting here thinking, "What just happened in the past two weeks?" (Photo: Day 1 of RAAM, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, aka "the glass elevator").

What a great experience and as will all great events, it gives me pause to reflect on the things and the people in my life. It is going to take me a few days to decompress - a perfect time to head to Minnesota to spend the fourth of July week with family.

RAAM Media Winding Down

Media Crew #3 is at the finish line covering the remaining riders (solo and team). We will continue to post stories, videos, and photos on the RAAM website. But for now, we say "thank you" to everyone following us across the USA. We had a blast!

I will continue to post content here as RAAM 2010 winds down and Team Galaxy starts to ramp up.

Smiles Across America - The Lighter Side of RAAM (video)

This video pretty much says it all. I will add - it is VERY difficult to find Grey Poupon mustard at a Value Mart in ANY small town :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQbkxcdROWs

Credits - RAAM Media Van #3
Enthusiastic Interviewer: Ryan Van Duzer
Awesome Camera Man: Rafiel Chiat
Nervous Driver: Susan Farago