I am still having sleeping and getting up problems. I will eventually get that back under control. I was awake at 5 o'clock this morning and stayed, once again, in bed until around 5:30. Besides that it was raining like mad outside and I guess I was a bit perturbed at having to take the dog out and worried about my first 300 workout in over a year. It looked as if it was not going to happen in the way it was planned.

I pushed through my morning routine and decided after that to wait to see how accurate the forecast was going to be before deciding how to approach the workout. Rain was supposed to stop by mid-morning and the sun would briefly appear. Initially, I had decided to just do all of the elements of the 300 workout without timing them. I knew that a mile run was out of the question because water was all over the course. So, I decided to do Tabata cardio, which is much more intense than just the run. The rain stopped around 10:30 and the sun did eventually come out. I decided then to do the 300 workout in its timed formed. I needed to be near my pull-up bar to make sure that I could do all workout elements, one after another. That is part of the toughness of the workout. Plus some elements are done on the ground (e.g. push-ups, floor wipers). I went to our shed and pulled out a good-sized piece of plyboard, took it over to my pull-up bar and laid it down. I found an old blanket and laid that over the plyboard, then went in the house, got the dumbbells (20-lb), gloves, and the gymboss timer (for the Tabata) and I went to work. I worked my butt off and had a pretty good sweat going. However, at the end of it all I was genuinely surprised to have beaten my very old PR of 17:24 by 14 seconds. I finished in 17:10! This is a HUGE boast to my confidence and gives me the hope to believe that I will, in the future, return back to my top form. An injury can rob you of your confidence, but am learning that I am stronger than I thought. I look forward again to the times of 3 sets of 100 push-ups or 25 pull-ups. Today I got in two sets during the 300 workout. But, I will work back up to that gradually! LOL!

After the 300 workout, I took a 1-mile walk. I was wearing some work boots and so the walk went well and the feet stayed dry! After that I hit the Tabata cardio with high knee sprints, running backward, and jumping jacks. I was worn out after the workout, but felt GREAT!

Sunday I take and post 2-week progress pictures for the Transformation Contest. I see things happening and hope the pictures accurately portray my progress. I still have a good bit of fat to strip away from the back, but am confident that I will do that before the 12 weeks are done!

I have done extra push-ups every day this week, adding some inclined push-ups to the regular and triangle push-ups. I do 2 sets of 50 regular and inclined push-ups and 1 set of 25 triangle push-ups for a total of 225. I will add one more set of triangles next week for a total of 250 for six days. I will rest on Saturdays.

Everyone, have a most wonderful Friday!

Here is what I did today:

• 300 Workout:
  
• 25 Pull-ups
  
• 50 Dead Lifts (dumbbells)
  
• 50 Push-ups
  
• 50 Jump to box
  
  
• 50 Floor Wipers (check the video)
  
• 50 Clean & Press (dumbbells)
  
• 25 Pull-ups
  
• TABATA CARDIO:
  
• Sprint- high knees over 20 yards and return BACKWARD (20 seconds) You have to get the timing right. It happens with a few attempts. You have to be FAST! LOL!)
  
• Jumping Jacks (10 seconds)
  
  
• Complete 12 times for a total of 6 minutes
  

TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE DAY 13:

Goals:

1. To build more muscle in my chest.
   
   
2. To build more muscle in my legs (quads).
   
   
3. To build more muscle in my back.
   
   
4. To continue strengthen my core in preparation for resumption of planche push-up training in 2013.
   
   
5. To obtain a 5-6% body fat percentage while adding approximately 2-5 pounds of muscle during the next 12 weeks.
   
   
6. To work on consistently running at or below a 6:15 mile pace on all of my runs.
   
   
7. To continue to strengthen my arm and shoulders and prevent a recurrence of
   impingement syndrome.
   
   
8. To continue integrate my full body stretching regimen into my daily workouts
   
   

Diet Grade (Past 24 Hours): A

• A=100-95% Clean
  
  
• B=94-90% Clean
  
  
• C=89-85% Clean
  
  
• D=84-80% Clean
  
  
• F=79% and below Clean
  

• Got in the 2 sets of 50 regular push-ups, 1 set of 25 Triangle push-ups, and 2 sets of 50 inclined push-ups (Total 225)
  
  
• 300 Workout for the first time in over a year! PR! 17:10! Because of weather substituted Tabata cardio for run!
  
  
• Ate good clean post workout meal (lunch)
  
• Intermittent Fast Friday 7:00 pm-Saturday 7:00 pm