Last week, I did the P90x legs and back workout and it was wonderful. I upped my weight by 5 pounds (don't get too excited - I am only using 10 pound weights) and I breezed through it. I'm not sure if it is because I work some of those same muscles running, but whatever it was, I liked it. 

Today I want to talk about a different kind of workout that many people have most likely accidentally done before: wearing high heels. Better yet: running in high heels.

Today I wore 3 inch pumps to work and was called out to cover a story. Not a big deal. But I went out to cover this story in a torrential downpour that didn't let up. 

I found that running to and from my car and buildings in the rain made my calves feel great. I've noticed this when I have danced in heels or walked all day in heels but I haven't ever really tried running in heels.

For the record, I don't recommend it as I almost fell on my face and I don't want you to fall on yours. But after a day when I already ran and did some other leg workouts, the heels helped me feel like I did a little more work.

While that isn't a feasible unconventional workout, I'll try to find some more that are actually good (and safe) to do. I don't want to bore you all with straight P90x and running talk.

Can you do that? Without hurting yourself? Thought so...

I tried P90x Yoga for the first time last night and it was entirely different than I expected. I did yoga on a weekly basis for two years and I found P90x Yoga to be a challenge, but at the same time, monotonous and repetitive.

P90x Yoga is and hour and a half long, which is longer than anything should take if you repeat what you're doing once or more in that time period. While the first part was boring, the balance poses were challenging. Just imagine trying to do a standing split. Or this for that matter....

The yoga session ended with an abdominal workout, which was the most enjoyable part of the hour and a half time period. After the abdominal workout, I got to lay around in corpse pose and rock back and forth in happy baby pose, which was a nice reprise from twisting my body into shapes it isn't made to bend in. 

Overall, the workout wasn't fulfilling, although it did leave me somewhat sore so I at least felt like I accomplished something. Tomorrow it is back to running, potentially with a p90x upper body workout to cap it off - if I have it in me. 

Latest mistake: not drinking enough water before a run. The weather is getting warmer and I have to stay on top of this water drinking thing. Oddly, I think that is the most challenging part of this training schedule for me. But now, I have a 1 liter water bottle next to my desk that I will fill every few hours. It's empty now, but I swear I'll fill it up before the next workout...

New focus: speed workouts. I have been working on improving my running time but over the next few weeks it will become my main focus.

New project: creating new workout play lists tomorrow. My form, focus and speed is much better when I workout to music.

The best thing about this training plan is a constantly changing workout schedule and setting goals that will benefit me both now and in the long run.

Happy working out!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Ready for this? I think that I have found the perfect exercise balance that cheats both training programs I am working on, but also combines them. Doesn't make sense? I'll explain...

The new schedule that I am following fell into place without any coaxing from me this week. It was really based on how much pain I could handle in a given time period.

Here's what happened:

I interrupted my 5-day running spree I had going to do the P90x arms, chest, back and abs workout Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning I discovered muscle pain in places I didn't know muscles existed. I have already done this workout sequence and those muscles have not hurt or even felt a slight burn. I took this to mean I am doing the workouts correctly. My form has gotten better, therefore I am feeling pain where I am supposed to feel pain, er, feel toned I mean.

It was too much pain to run, let alone move, yesterday, so I spent about 30 minutes stretching and was in fine shape for my run this morning. 

For beginners who are trying to increase their fitness level AND train for a race, I recommend the following schedule, from one amateur to another:

Mon: P90x - back, chest and arm workout (1 hour) + P90x ab workout (15 mins)

Tues: Stretch arms and legs for a lengthy period of time (30-45 mins) add some yoga moves so you are still strengthening your core.

Wed: Run - three miles (25 mins) + P90x ab workout (15 mins)

Thurs: P90x - arm and shoulder workout (1 hour) or Run - three miles (25 mins)

Fri: Run - three miles (25 mins) + P90x ab workout (15 mins) or P90x yoga and stretching (1.5 hours)

Sat: Run - three miles (25 mins) *Only do ab workout if you did not do it Friday. It isn't good to do it everyday

Sun: Rest (if you're weak!) Ok, ok, a rest day (in my amateur opinion, is fine.) Just don't munch on an entire bag of potato chips or a gallon of ice cream and you should be ok.

Now for my observations:.

Perks: This thrown-together schedule has given me four times the energy than I had starting out and it has helped me fall asleep at a reasonable hour and wake up at a reasonable hour after eight hours of peaceful sleep. 

Diet tips: I have been having one protein shake on the days that I run or do intense P90x workouts. I have also found that eating 4 small meals per day is keeping me full and satisfied. On nights that I come home from work at midnight, I'm not tempted to go straight to the fridge. I'm now tired (and full) enough to go right to sleep. 

Slacking: I have to make sure I stretch everyday. No matter what. Even for five or 10 minutes. And most importantly, I need to drink way more water. I mean, quadruple my water intake. I drink about 2 full water-bottles per day but should be drinking around eight during this workout plan.

This is a learning process, but I am finding it more enjoyable and less chore-like as I progress. As always, feel free to offer tips or share workout experiences. Happy working out!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this brief, yet educational blogpost. 

As America knows, President Barack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden was killed. Some heard about it on Twitter, others on Facebook and some via their morning newspaper. 

Newspapers are powerful tools. They are the first draft of history, they hold those in charge accountable for their actions and they have the potential to shape the way you think, feel and act. As a journalist, it was very interesting to see how different newspapers covered the death of Bin Laden. 

Headlines ranged from simply  "Dead" to "Rot In Hell!"

This piqued my curiosity because journalists are taught to be completely unbiased when it comes to news reporting. Some don't even register to vote with one political party or another to keep themselves unbiased to the world. So the question is, with something like this, what is appropriate coverage?

You won't find many Americans who are mourning Bin Laden's death, so there aren't really two sides to the story. But as a reporter or an editor, what would your story read like? What would the headline be?

I don't have an answer to this. Personally, I feel that it is crucial to be unbiased while reporting the news, but when it comes to something like Bin Laden's death, I'm not sure if I could write a straightforward "Bin Laden is Dead" story. No matter how neutrally reporters write, everyone has opinions and in instances like this, it would be hard to prevent them from leaking out.

Here are some newspaper headlines from Monday: what do you think?