INSANITY...

...is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder." It also happens to be the name of the 60-day workout program I'll be starting tomorrow. That's right, tomorrow I will be embarking on a 60-day journey of self-punishment in a quest to successfully complete what is considered the most difficult workout ever put on DVD.

Check out part of the infomercial...

You're probably asking why in the world would anyone want to put themselves through such misery. The answer is simple: because it's there. I love taking on challenges that most people would deem impossible, difficult, or uncomfortable. That is why I ran cross-country in high school. That is why I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 2005. That is why I ran the Boston Marathon and completed P90X (at the time the hardest workout ever put on DVD) in 2007 and why I am hooked on triathlons after doing my first last summer. And that is why I want to conquer Insanity in 2011.

However, that isn't the only reason. Like I said, I'm a triathlete and road racer and figure this is going to be an unbelievable tool to propel me to the next level this summer. Insanity is largely cardio based, designed on a training concept known as MAX Interval Training. Anyone who has ever taken one of my classes or talked with me about exercise knows that I'm a HUGE fan of intervals (short bursts of intensity followed by longer periods of rest).  It's the best way to get in shape and strengthen your heart in the shortest amount of time. Well, the creator of Insanity took traditional interval training and flipped it so that you preform long periods of high intensity training followed with short periods of rest. The final product: The most intense training system ever put on DVD.

So these next 2 months should be a pretty interesting ride. Updates will be given (if I can function well enough). Wish me luck.