On May 29th, 2011, I walked down the aisle of my parents’ church and promised to love my best friend for the rest of our lives. It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding; in fact, we are still commenting on how beautiful it was! I would love to say that it came easily…but it didn’t. There were many frustrations and even tears in the planning process, but it was worth it—not just for the wedding itself, but for the marriage. I could write a whole blog on the planning, and I might do an entry or two on it, but there are many other blogs out there that do that job quite nicely. Instead, today, I have some observations of my own to pass along, for whatever they are worth.

1. Be with the one who thinks the sun rises and sets on you. It’s what you deserve, and the one who you know will be there at your side no matter what. Life is hard enough—don’t chase the guy who Katy Perry sings about in “Hot and Cold.” Let’s just say that even in the few short weeks we’ve been married, I did something rather motifying, and my husband still thought I was hotter than the core of the sun.

2. Some things are not as important as you think they are. I used to have very strict criteria of what I wanted my husband to be like—I wanted someone tall, handsome, super smart, sucessful, sweet, romantic, sensitive, athletic, a foodie, likes jazz music, loves God, and loves dogs. Then I met a few guys who met all that criteria, but treated me like crap, when you actually evaulated it logically. Tyler may not LOVE jazz music as much as I do and may not be quite the gourmet I am, but he WILL go with me to a jazz concert and just be happy to be at my side, and he will surprise me with the occasional but very good home cooked meal. When it comes down to it, you discover that someone who would give his life for you is much more important than liking the same band.

3. It’s OK to mourn the loss of your single life. In all honesty, I did not enjoy being single very much. There were definitely perks to it that I enjoyed, but when Sunday night rolled around and I was alone, it wasn’t worth it. That being said, getting married is a big change, and change of any kind is scary. Most brides won’t admit this, but most of us do have freak-outs. I had a few of my own. That doesn’t have to mean anything bad. Just try to figure out what you are scared of; for me, it was just that all I had ever known was being independent and single, and this was going to change my life forever. What did I do? I made some resolutions to myself that I would keep up the girlfriend dates, and reminded myself that my husband lets me completely be my own person and that he would do nothing but improve my life….which he most definitely does.

I married the sweetest man in the world, hands down.

Final thoughts: We have definitely noticed improvement in our appearance and athletic performance, but not nearly as dramatic as some other people have described. In my opinion, the people that are going to see the most dramatic change are those that are not used to working out, as going from nothing to P90X is a huge shock to the system. I will say, though, that anyone should know that no 90 day workout program will take you from out-of-shape to looking like the people in the program. They had to have been in good shape to begin with. I would definitely recommend the program though, and I plant to do it again. In fact, after a few weeks of doing some non-P90X workouts, we plan to start the LEAN version.

Today is day 86 of P90X. I am exhausted. Every day I have to muster up the willpower to get out of bed and do the workout. Friday is the last day, and I am excited. Tyler has pretty much given up doing the first half of the Yoga workouts. He just can’t stand them, and he gets frustrated because he doesn’t feel like yoga is doing anything for him. I do feel like I have more balance now because of it. I honestly don’t mind yoga, I just wish that it were shorter. 92 minutes is a REALLY long time. I will say though, that we fast-forward in the beginning and the end through all the sissy breathing and laying around. For example, I don’t need to do “corpse pose” when I could be getting ready for work. Heck, I’m at risk of falling asleep in that position.

Phase 3 has been comprised of switching back and forth between the routines from Phase 1 and Phase 2. Basically, the first week of phase 3, we did the same workouts as phase 1. Then the second week of phase 3, we did the workouts of phase 2. Then we went back to the phase 1 workout week, which is the week we just completed.

I went to the doc 2 weeks ago and got weighed. I had lost 8 pounds total since January 1st, so I was pretty pumped about that. Now, I will also note, that I think all my speed walking has helped as well. I haven’t weighed myself in the last 2 weeks, so I’m not really sure if I’ve lost anymore, but I DID just buy a size 10 skirt, which I haven’t done since high school. My biceps and abs are where I can see the most visible improvement as far as toning is concerned.

Now, for the not-so-great changes in my body since starting P90X: injuries. My right knee, which has never been in great condition anyway, has become REALLY crackly and gets pretty sore, especially after cardio workouts. I have been following the modified version in Plyometrics, but all that really seems to be is shallower jumps. Jumps don’t seem to be my issue—squats are what kill my knee. I went out and bought a sport knee brace at CVS, which I wear during Plyo, Core Synergistics, and Legs & Back, and I have definitely noticed a difference. However, this week, my right foot started hurting. I didn’t do anything different or notice any isolated incident that caused it, but I noticed Monday when I got home from work and took my shoes off that one of my metatarsal joints felt like it needed to pop. This has been going on all week, and it started throbbing a little Wednesday night. I kept working out, not thinking it was a big deal. Then I read a magazine article yesterday that suggested it might be a stress fracture, so I’ve made an appointment with my doctor. I skipped Kenpo and walking today for fear that I do have a fracture. I really hope not, because I want to finish P90X, gosh darn it! The last thing I want before the wedding is to become LESS active.

We passed the halfway mark this week, and have Phase 2 done. Sunday we start another recovery week. I’m glad to not do Plyo, but I’m not looking forward to doing Core Synergistics twice.

Changes I’ve noticed this week:

Yoga and Kenpo felt easier this week. I’m really getting the hang of the rythm and coordination and making slow but steady improvements in balance. I increased resistance slightly by going to heavier weights for a few of the exercises and kneeling farther back when using bands. I’ve noticed a slow improvement in muscle definition as well, mostly in my abs and pecs. I don’t feel any thinner, though.

Plyo was still brutal this week. I had to sit out one of the exercises because I was ready to pass out (no exaggeration—I know what that feels like!).

I’ve already decided that when I’m done, I’m going to start over, probably with the LEAN version (less weights and more cardio). I’m certainly not going to stop—I’ve worked too hard!

“Happy Valentine’s Day to all the women in my life!”

I guess that’s an easy way of covering all your bases. Instead of trying to remember who all you are dating at the moment and spending the money on a gift for each one, just post a Facebook status. Makes me really, really glad that I am no longer one of “the women” in his life. Every once in a while, I think about unfriending him….but I would miss the entertainment value!

My Valentine sent me 2 dozen roses to work on Friday, took me out to dinner, and is now working on making me dinner tonight. That’s who I’m marrying.

1. Make me register/subscribe. I need another website account like I need a hole in the head. All I want to do is read the dang article/order something/get information—I don’t want an e-mail relationship with you for the rest of my life or spend 15 minutes trying to figure out which e-mail address, username, and password I used the next time I visit your site again in 5 years.

2. Make me hunt and search for something forever. Either use good links or have a good search engine that actually works, and doesn’t direct me back to all results on the web. Why you would send your website’s visitors to another site is beyond me.

3. Provide links to explanations that direct me away from the page I am currently viewing. Have it open in a separate window so I can refer back to the form that I needed an explanation on in the first place. AND, if you not only direct me away from the original page, but then give me a blank page when I click “back” to return to it, I may just give up altogether.

4. Make me come up with a password that no normal human could remember. If I want to make my password “smellycat” that should be my choice.

5. Similar to the password problem, make me register identity questions that I may have a different opinion on when I’m asked again in 2 years. (What was your first boyfriend’s name? Well that depends on your definition of “boyfriend”…..). Also, don’t ask me a question that you will be lucky if .5% of the population knows (What was the name of the cat that lived with your maternal grandmother’s cousin’s neighbor in 1949?).

6. Use videos instead of articles. Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer READING information to listening to someone babble at me for 5 minutes. Plus, it may only take me 10 seconds to determine if I want to read the article, whereas if I have to watch a video to the end I may have wasted 5 minutes of my life if it turns out to be something I didn’t really want after all.

7. Have those annoying translucent ads dance across the screen in front of the article that I am trying to read. I am not going to pay attention to the ad—I am just trying to X that sucker out as fast as possible. In fact, it will probably lower my opinion of not only your website but also the company that has the dancing ad.

8. Time my session out if I haven’t clicked anything in a while. I’m a busy person—I may not have time to take care of everything on your website in one sitting. If I leave my browser up and let someone else use the computer and they get into my stuff, that’s my own fault.

9. Refresh the page while I am reading it. Nothing is more frustrating than to be reading a news article and have it updated 3 times before I can finish reading it, thereby making me find my place 3 times again.

OK. Rant Over.

Sunday was the start of Phase 2, and we did a new workout DVD—Chest, Back, & Triceps. It mostly focused on triceps, in my opinion, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s probably the weakest muscle group I have worked out in this program, so it can use the most attention. The workout wasn’t bad though. Then we did Ab Ripper, and I really don’t feel like I lost any ground by taking a week off.

Monday was Plyometrics like it is in Phase 1. I still hate plyometrics. I don’t quite feel like I’m going to die anymore, but it’s still REALLY hard and the time passes by verrry slowly because most of the exercises are only 30 seconds long. I need to put some tape on the countdown clock on the TV or something, because I think it makes it even more agonizing to think that surely 10 minutes have passed and then you see that it’s only been 2.

Tuesday was another new workout: Back & Biceps. I liked this one a lot, but the only problem was that I was still sore from Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps. We also did Ab Ripper that day.

The rest of the week went by as it did in Phase 1: Yoga on Wednesday, Back & Legs and Ab Ripper on Thursday, and Kenpo today. I was really glad that Wednesday was Yoga day, because we can do Yoga at my apartment (as opposed to the other workouts with jumping around, which we have to do at Tyler’s since he is in a basement) and the blizzard came in the night before. I would have had to rent snow shoes to go anywhere Wednesday! Another bonus that made Yoga Wednesday easier—we did the workout at 11 instead of 5:30 since we didn’t have to go to work.

Saturday was the off day, but I did do Stretch. I looove Stretch. It’s of course the easiest, but it also feels good after working out your muscles hard all week.

Sunday started our “recovery” week. Sunday was Yoga. It’s a whole lot easier to focus doing it in the middle of the day than right before work when I’m thinking about how I’m running late or all the things I have to do.

Monday was Core Synergistics. This was basically a workout focusing on the core, with also a lot of jumping thrown in for cardio. Core, like all the P90X workouts, had me going “are you SERIOUS?!” multiple times throughout the workout in disbelief at some of the moves Tony wanted us to do. I did my best, but I guess I didn’t forget the rest because I felt like a bit of a clutz. That’s how it usually is the first time I do a new workout though, so I can’t be too hard on myself. It was definitely an intense workout though. I will say that I cannot do the “Dreya Roll.” This is a move named after one of the workout girls in the DVD, Dreya (who is an acrobat, so how is that fair?!). Basically, you go from a standing position to laying down on a mat, rolling back to put your legs over your head, and then in one swift move, roll up and jump to your feet. Oh, and you do this fast, and repeatedly. I can do the roll, but I have to step up with help from my hands—I can’t jump to my feet. Tyler managed to jump to his feet once. Maybe I’ll get there eventually.

Yesterday was Kempo again. I had to leave early for a business day trip, so I had to push back my workout until the evening. It was a long, exhausting day, so I had to start my workout already exhausted, and without the support of Tyler, as he was at work late. It was definitely the most grueling Kempo I have done. Between the countdown clock minutes of 35-20, I thought seriously about quitting for the day. I made myself push through though, because I made a promise to myself that I would make it through all 90 days. Fortunately, with Kemp, it slows down about 2/3 way through because you stop kicking and jumping so much and mostly just focus on punching, which is easier on me. One of the challenges of this workout is to not bang your joints—which you find yourself doing trying to get a good workout, but it is not good.

Today was just Stretch, so it was nice and easy, which is good because I’m still tight and tired from yesterday. I plan to walk at lunch though, because I know the Stretch calorie burn is minimal and I don’t want to lose any ground in the weight management area. I also need to get to bed early tonight…..I am dragging today.