Saturday, May 31, 2008


Round 2 Week 7 P90X Plus
Friday: P90X+ Upper Plus & Abs Core Plus
Saturday: P90X+ Kenpo Plus

Really feeling tired this week... just lacking energy all around. I think my Monster Monday really took a toll. Between the workouts, the double mowing, the biking, no nap in the p.m... Ouch. Feel like I've been playing catch up ever since.

Well, that little distraction didn't stop me from hitting the big U-P and the ACP back to back this morning. Just focused on form, hit my normal rep count, listened to the trainer tracks to get some tips from Tony, and got to the end in solid form.

Added some nutrition to my breakfast -- nice peaches/strawberries from the Farmer's Market, thanks Deb! -- along with a toad in the hole on some sprouted bread and some sausage. Extra calories for a tired Timmer.

Working hard on my first new video for ProQuest using my new video setup -- should have a link up next week. Came out better than I'd hoped -- still lots to tweak. ;)

humorous pictures lolcatz
more cat pictures

Thursday, May 29, 2008

What is P90X+ Plus?





Round 2 Week 7 P90X Plus
Thursday: P90X Yoga X

Thought some newcomers would enjoy the above video -- it's simple. Start getting in shape with Power 90 for 90 days. Then, move to P90X. After those 90 days are up, hit P90X+. I'm 1/2 way through P90X+ -- and will show what getting serious over 270+ days can do to your body. You can get all the programs from beachbody.com -- or try eBay.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008


Round 2 Week 7 P90X Plus
Wednesday: P90X+ Total Body & ATT Ride

Hit the hay a little early last night so I could hit Total Body HARD early this morning. And sure enough, combine better sleep (a full 8 hours) with some recovery drink and a handful of trail mix a few minutes before getting underway and I was able to max the reps. Sweated buckets and am seeing some crazy stuff in the mirror. Tony Horton, I thank you.

Got an excellent comment on yesterday's posting from Bill Bussey with the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. He's one of the dedicated volunteers who take care of the Chatham County portion of the American Tobacco Trail I've been riding most weekdays. My hat is off to him and everyone who works to keep these trails in great shape week after week.

There's lots to glean from his response, so I'm reposting it here to be sure everyone gets the benefit of his insights and tips:

Hi Tim,

Glad that you are enjoying the Chatham County portion of the American Tobacco Trail.
Our organization, the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy manages and maintains this 4.6 mile section (actually you rode on about 1 3/4 miles of it) on a completely volunteer basis.

We've done all the ditch digging and cleaning, as well as clearing of downed trees and limbs - usually on our regularly scheduled workdays from 9 to noon on most Saturday mornings, but other times too - on this section. This has made the trail ridable by most folks, though there are some areas which still get muddy, particularly after heavy rains.

Its always a good idea NOT to go riding on the ATT, or any other unhardened surface (no asphalt or cement) immediately after a heavy rain.

As you may have noticed, the section of the trail that you rode had not been mowed in awhile. The reason for this was my trailer that I haul our organization mower (Thanks Carolina Tarwheels!) had lost its tag and had a flat tire among other things. I got those fixed and the mower ready to go by this past Monday.

However, after mowing the first quarter mile or so, the mower slipped its secondary drive belt. A inspection showed the belt ragged and torn. I thought I could fix it, but I found a pulley bent, and another off its guide, so it was done for the day.

I did use my trusty string trimmer and cut the long overgrown grass north to within a quarter mile of New Hope Church Road. However, I was very sore that night!

This kind of thing is par for the course in this kind of work. It is amazingly difficult to keep equipment operating on the difficult conditions of the a several mile long rural trail.

One bit of news. This section of the ATT should be under construction by the end of this year. The advertisements for bids should have been in the May 21 edition of the Cary News Legals. However, for the life of me, I can't find it in the electronic listings at their site.

[Tim: This is great news. My biggest dream is to hop on the trail at Olive Chapel Road and ride all the way to Durham without having to stop!]

And while I have you all here. Please let me emphasize that all trail users, especially those on bicycles should slow down, and be prepared to stop if necessary, and catch the eye of those working on the trail. The volunteers will happily stop and let you pass.

The presence of trail workers are a construction zone! Those working on the trail may not see trail users.

For a cyclist to come up unexpectedly, and to especially not even slow down, is a major safety concern for especially the cyclist.

We've had cyclists come barrelling through a work area when we've had volunteers with chain saws actively cutting trees! Its freaking amazing how some cyclists can be so brazen and inconsiderate! It won't hurt them, or slow them down much to slow down to pass maintenance and construction volunteers.

Keep in mind that volunteers mowing, string trimming or chain sawing are wearing ear and eye protection so they can't hear or see trail users.

That is why you often see so many transportation workers apparently not doing anything at work sites on the highway. They are the lookouts.

Please, Please, Please, SLOW DOWN when passing volunteers, or in Wake or Durham, staff, working on the trail.

Please catch the eye, attention or call out to the worker closest to you. They will stop what they are doing - usually cutting off motorized equipment - and motion you to pass.

And while I'm here, always call out "On your left" or similar, when passing slower trail users. We don't do this enough around here.

Shared use trails are comparatively new to the Triangle and users don't follow proper etiquette.

We all need to work to educate trail users on proper etiquette particularly as trails and greenways, like the ATT become more and more popular.

Thanks for letting me pontificate a bit! Thanks also for using the ATT!

Happy Trails,

Bill Bussey
Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
http://www.triangletrails.org/

5/28/2008 8:06 AM

Tuesday, May 27, 2008


Round 2 Week 7 P90X Plus
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: P90X+ Kenpo Plus & Hog Run Mtn. Bike (4 X Loops) + Light Swim
Monday: P90X+ Upper Plus & Abs Core Plus + 18 mi. ATT Trail Ride + Mow Lawn
Tuesday: P90X Plyometrics


Happy post-Memorial Day people. A special salute to everyone in uniform, and esp. to all who died to keep us free. Regardless of how how you view the political start to these conflicts and their continuance, the men and women of our armed forces, past and present, deserve our respect and a heart-felt thanks. Here's mine --> Thank you.

It was a banner long weekend at Chez NC McLain... went to our new Lila Jones Memorial Pool in Apex for the first time on Sunday. Night and day vs. the ol' Cary YMCA.

New Pool = family community pool, 2 X diving boards, can bring toys and floaties and diving sticks, swim laps or hang out in the kiddie pools, throw balls to people as they jump high off the boards, and have a blast. 2 X lifeguards always alert, test the water every hour, gentle reminders not to run, and they let the family fun atmosphere run its course. Can dive in anywhere its deep, and 4-6 X families who live around us are members so Will have lots of ready-friends to play with. Deep breath while we relaxed and realized what were missing all these years.

Cary YMCA = Nazi lockdown overcrowded anti-fun pool of doom. (What does Tim really think of the Cary Y?) No floaties, keep your toys at home unless you want to hang out in the infant pool that's 1-2 feet deep and always warm (wonder why?), get harassed by the lifeguards who keep all fun down to a dull DULL, forget using the arm floaties or anything the Caryities designate as not worthy of the pool or things people have trained their kids to swim with for years. Don't ever, ever dive in anywhere, even the deep end, because they're watching, be sure there's no diving boards/OMG lawsuit, don't get out of line or question the crazy rules cuz the guards carry 'tudes with their designer teen shades. Be sure to overbook the whole business so you can't get a seat or move in the cattle-like family area. And, with the crowd/haphazard access Will's friends were there only a handful of times all summer long. Don't mess with the biggest part of the pool where to crazy peeps lap swim all day long or... else. And at the end of all the hassle, $83 per month and no drive to go because of all of the above.

The costs are about the same, but the atmosphere is 180 degrees different at Lila Jones Memorial Pool in Apex. It's going to be a great summer in Apex!

Got a surprise call Sunday morning from my neighbor Chris to go ride the Harris Lake Hog Run Mountain Bike Trails. I'd been telling him about my forays, and Deb said go for it and we hit 'em hard. He was anxious to break in his bright blue $1K? monster trail bike, and I handed him his butt -- we were both ready to head home after two hours of solid riding through the beginner, intermediate, advanced (found a whole new area that made it twice as long)... then the intermediate a second time.
Banged up the bike pretty good and really went 2 X faster than the last time around. Fun, fun, fun and right down the road -- 20 minutes away from our houses, too much fun for grown men to have. Period.

The next day Dave and I hit the American Tobacco Trail at White Oak Church Road right at 8 a.m. We headed left first to the Chatham county line and across to the semi-unfinished portion/green on the map. It was dry -- no mud like last time -- sooo we went all the way up to the train tresle, had a blast bouncing on the rock areas and staying in the pair of paths with higher grass.
We paused to check out the tresle, then turned around and hauled it back to Olive Chapel Road, then back up the parking area at White Oak Church, about 16-18 miles in all with our twists and turns. Always great to chat with Dave, and push him to his max.

For once I'm the one setting the pace with the guys and wearing 'em out a bit. Very, very cool.

Mowed the ol' lawn, kept the P90X+ going, and am feeling pretty physically wasted today. Nearly wanted to go back to sleep at the breakfast table with the warm sun shining on me.

Back to work! I have a video studio to finish setting up and some on-camera scripts to write for SIRS Researcher. Crazy cool stuff this short week... Bringin' it to all aspects of the Tim McLain experience.

Friday, May 23, 2008


Round 2 Week 6 P90X Plus
Thursday: P90X Yoga X + Lunch @ Jordan Lake
Friday: P90X+ Upper Plus & Abs Core Plus + Bike

Check out samples of Upper Plus and Abs Core @ beachbody.com

Insanely-great weather week here -- really enjoying a true NC spring. Blue skies, 75-79 degrees, rain every few days, excellent all around with the windows open and being active in Nature. ;)

Enjoyed Yoga on Thursday, all the stretching and posture holding, very relaxing and balance-building. Lots to do today -- keep pushin' play!

Friday... woah. The whole package. Hit every move using the Trainer Tracks -- listen everybody, Tony is reading from a script -- who knew he could do it? ;) -- and working on some of the my form which has been lacking. Thanks for the specifics Tony, appreciate this added professional touch to the Plus workout DVDs.

Just ordered some fresh P90X Recovery Drink and some bars -- gotta keep it real. Just realized that I'm in Week 6 of 12 of my second round. You know what that means...

Day 180 pictures on or about July 11 -- will take my recovery week from June 29 - July 6 for the NECC Conference and the usual Kinyon/McLain reunion(s) in PA.

Can't wait to see the comparison from Week 1, Week 12 (pix here)... and MONSTER Week 24/Day 180.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008


Round 2 Week 6 P90X Plus
Wednesday: P90X+ Total Body & ATT Mtn. Biking

Had a monster line of Tstorms pass through yesterday, lots of pea/M&M-sized hail, heavy downpours, the whole deal. Will has always been so good with heavy weather -- rides it out with little fear, ooing and ahhing when he saw the hail, and laughing about the big "bowling" booms of thunder. Seems that lil' story we told him long, long ago is still present, and it keeps on helping.

Total Body on the P90X+ routine, all good. Loving the 3-3-3's and 1-1's -- weighted squats, push-up bar push-ups, and pull-ups in rapid succession -- and the moves that hit the whole bod from top to bottom. Ended in a bit of hard-breathing heap, adding some extra weight here and there, for the maximum burn where it counts.

Let the awesome weather begin -- 77-80 for all the days as far ahead as I can see, no rain, an amazingly gentle, warm Spring here in NC, unlike last year when we seemed to go from 50's to 90's in about two weeks.

Time to tackle the hump day!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008


Round 2 Week 6 P90X Plus
Tuesday: Plyometrics & ATT Mtn. Biking Rainy :(

Man o' man... Plyo back in the house, whipping me back into shape. Let the sweat flow, feel the burn in the legs with all those twisty moves, do my best not to look like a total fool on the pitch and catch, and all the rest.

Heard a very, very slight wheeze a few times when my heart rate spiked during a few of the moves -- the week away has taken a small toll. Gained 4 pounds, had some vibration in my chest/arms during push ups yesterday, but I nailed Plyo with all the moves and just some slight breathing weirdness which didn't have any real impact at all.

All around, not too shabby for a full week off the program. Truly time to eat a little more than usual, enjoy some adult beverages ;) and really turn the mind off. So sweet.

The clouds, rain are here, so no ride today -- ack.

Don't miss our photos from Myrtle Beach!


Monday, May 19, 2008

From P90X... to P90X PLUS, Tony-hand-signal... ;)


Round 2 Week 6 P90X Plus
Monday: P90X+ Upper Plus & Abs Core Plus & ATT Mtn. Biking

Wow -- what a week away. Only the third Deb, Will, and I have taken together as a family with no one else along. Not that we mind crashing/inviting friends and family on vacations, but we now realize how much more fun, and downright... relaxing... it is to set our own schedule, spent tons of quality time together, just as... us. The McLain's.

Myrtle Beach (SC) is a crazy tourist trap of insane fun, and I recommend it to all beach-loving families with kids of all ages. Just a hop, skip, and a jump south of the usual NC beach destinations, MB offers moutains of attractions, shell-loaded beaches, awesome food, easy driving on multiple routes up and down the Grand Strand, and more.

MagiQuest -- insanely fun way to burn a few hours with a wand and going on missions in a huge open space for kids and adults alike -- Captain George's for the ultimate high-quality seafood buffett -- Johnny Rocket's for throwback good time w/burgers and chili fries -- and more, more, more.

We'll be back. A solid week, with work well out of mind, relaxing and putting the workouts aside, digging huge trenches in the beach with Will to play war and make sand slides (one needed a backhoe to fill back in I'm proud to say!) and lots of indoor and outdoor swimming.

Photos from Myrtle Beach!


Ahhhhh... Now, back in the saddle.

The big UP w/Abs Core was nailed with great gusto this a.m. -- setting my alarm to 5:20 a.m. now to ensure max reps and add Abs Core to most days, and got through everything with only one added feature -- quaking of the chest and shoulders on some of the nuttier push up moves, it was the only feedback my body gave me for a week away from the routine. Which is fine... I powered through and got to the other side. Also back on the diet, all food stocked, and I'm ready to rock.

Now to open my ProQuest inbox and get back in the game at work. Have a great week!

Low Earth Orbit = Insane Space Junk/Satellites...
everywhere.

Saturday, May 10, 2008



Round 2 Week 5 P90X Plus
Wed: P90X Chest, Shoulders & Triceps & Harris Lake Mtn. Biking
Thu: Abs Core Plus + X Stretch & Bike (Washed Out)
Fri: Total Body Plus & Mow ;)
Sat: Kenpo Plus & Family Fun X 8 Days!

Talk about a wake up call -- yikes. This P90X routine really works out the upper body, top to bottom, left to right. Insane variations on push-ups, tons of shoulder circles with/without weights, and tricep moves that really bring the burn. Not just from reps -- the free weights are making some serious impact.

Honestly (as usual) I'm having some fairly serious push up issues. I can do a fair amount, but I feel like I'm failing wayyy too soon. Wondering, again, if I'm under eating for this program, low blood sugar, and my muscles are complaining from lack of blood sugar to nail the reps. Really, really need to hit the BeachBody boards and ask for thoughts on this.

When I crawled into the shower, I felt the every-so-often-crazy-soreness as I lifted my arms over my head. Hurts... dully... so... good... scrub/scrub. Ouch. Nice. Rinse. Repeat.

Heading over to Harris Lake to hit those killer mountain bike trails with Wes over lunch today. Oooooohhh yea, we're going to tear 'em up. Nice change of pace.

Not that the ATT hasn't been great, it has -- sunny skies, warm temps, pretty deserted (except a silly pair of office workers hitting a picnic table at one road with two BIG ol' sacks of Wendy's burgers, brought back some of my former wayward... ways... w/food).


Hell on earth? Volcano spewing ash... More.

Click the image for more silly storm troopers...

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

LOLCATZ 1.0

Been passing some of these around for a while, thought I'd share some with you. One of the newer silly Internet memes out there -- lolcatz, from the official blog:

"What are lolcatz? Lolcats are pictures of animals, usually of cats, that have funny captions. The captions usually have bad grammar and spelling. This site has lolcats. Usually, the pictures are made by me (well, I make just the captions sometimes) or submitted. If they aren't made by me (captions) or submitted, I will note that in the post. doo u unstanz all this, or me esplane uggennz?"

























Round 2 Week 5 P90X Plus
Tuesday: P90X Plyometrics & 12 mi. Bike

Good ol' Tuesday morning sweat-fest, back in the house. With a week's vacation hitting next week, I'm taking the hybrid approach to this filler week pre-break... plenty of cardio, interwoven with some serious muscle workouts. The usual, but keeping things confused for the body structure. Good stuff.

Out to vote today -- great to be in NC when the primary matters for once. ;)

GO OBAMA!

Monday, May 05, 2008


Round 2 Week 5 P90X Plus
Monday: P90X Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper
X & 12 mi. Bike

Well, here we go... a mix 'em up week for sure. Some old school back and bicep work today, and back to the old Ab Ripper routine. Honestly, my biceps were crankin' and crackin' the whole time, and my new free weights really took their toll. And when it was time for the old Ab workout, man... I was able to engage some new muscles I didn't know I had. Awesome burn and all the rest.

Sunny, awesome day out there, lots to do -- rock on everyone!

Saturday, May 03, 2008


Round 2 Week 4 P90X Plus
Friday: Upper Plus & Abs Core Plus...

...AND 30 miles? hitting the trails around Harris Lake on my mountain bike. I mean... a personal day for kicking my own butt? You know it. See you on the flip side!

The trails were amazing -- what a great new spot to tear up. Tons of tight trails, lots of ups and downs, tons of roots and awesome slatted bridges to cross, all the rest. I'll be back!

Saturday: Kenpo X Plus
Sunday: Rest

WTB: Option to get a Demo. ballot on Tuesday instead of Republican. (I switched to Rep. last time around so I could choose someone, anyone, other than Bush. Heh.) NC, wake up and let us choose which ballot we want. Period.




Difference Between Star Wars & Sports Fans
More alike than... different?

Thursday, May 01, 2008


Round 2 Week 4 P90X Plus
Thursday: P90X Yoga X


Be in the moment... that's what Yoga is all about. It's tough not to think about all the stuff I have to do today while holding those crazy poses.

I mean, the body is willing, but the mind sometimes is 100% elsewhere.

Really cuts into the routine, bouncing from thought to thought, when I really wish I could cut off the thinking machine and focus, focus, focus.

But, heck, in the end, Yoga = amazing feelings of contentment and peace at the end. Your body is humming, mind even more alert, and I get pretty darn hungry. Not bad for a pretty low-impact workout no?

Excited for my personal day tomorrow. Still trying to find the perfect trail to ride for a few hours...