slow, but steady

I am not the fastest. I am not the strongest. But I am steady and strong enough to get the job done … too bad I’m not faster, though … I was pretty darned close to getting that 3rd round …

I’ll chalk it up to not wanting it enough… and discovering that there were 9 TTB as I finished up my KBS … surprise!

on the bright side, I got 63 pushups towards my 126 today! yay!

 

health = 8
recovery = 7
mental energy = 6
physical energy = 7
diet = 8 (not enough good calories)
sleep = 7 hrs (broken … new dog, lots of new training)

subtle and steady goes it…

2:1 schedule still going ...

5 rounds @ 10:48
• 10 Box Jumps @ 20"
• 10 pullups
• 10 pushups
• 10 situps
• 10 squats

kept box, situps, and squats unbroken, pullups in 3-4's, pushups in 4-5's, and breaks at no more than :05 ... goal was to do sub 2:00 rounds, so i still have work to do

Post:
• 3x10 TTB
• 2x250m row @ sub 2:05
• 5x7 GHD

... i'm sure DOMs from yesterday's masochist-fest will set in tomorrow ... get some!

keeping with the paleo diet, I’m finally getting into the swing. I let myself become such a junkfood junkie that getting myself to cheat only 1 day a week was a struggle

for me, it’s helping me recover more efficiently and lets me work harder (ie, less suffering during workout). got a routine finally and now matt is on board… more on that laer

Nothing like a chipper to check the ego (and test your patience!)

Did the masters' WOD today with Mischief Matt & The Barky Bunch ... when I saw Matt suffer through those burpees, I realised I was next and all the bravado immediately went to shaking scared ...

CF Games Master’s WOD @ 24:22

• 10 Handstand push-ups (baby bands)
• 20 Wall ball (14#)
• 30 Toes-to-bar
• 40 Power cleans (75#)
• 50 Burpees
• 60 SDHP (1.5p KB)

There's lots of work to be done in terms of consistency, mental toughness, and efficient ROM.

I had to stop somewhere in the burpees to use my inhaler ... it's been a long time since I've had such a bad bronchial spasm, but it's my own bloomin’ fault for working out in the heat like that.

Power cleans started off cruddy but got corrected early thanks to Matt's cues. KB helped me to use my posterior chain and hip flexors better (or so Matt says) and I can tell I will feel it tomorrow. Glute and hamstring chain, grow baby, grow!!

It’s all good, though. I have work to do and chipping away at it like this was a good way to see how patient I really am and how steady I can be during longer durations... it takes 16-19 days of really hard work before you can make your first summit attempt (in addition to absolutely no comforts whatsoever) ... then what’s a 20-30min workout then, right?!

Man, not doing a proper climb in a year has made me soft! (and small! hahaha!)

a lil sumin’ sumin’

ok, maybe working out while still recovering from my cold isn’t the smartest thing to do, but I am addicted to the adrenaline rush and the post-wod endorphin release ... so I drank lots of fluids (with my delicious watermelon BCAAs), ate a big breakfast, and walked into our CF garage out back with Cody and Matt ... now that Big Bunny agreed to take the “CF-Nazism” down a few notches, I’m beginning to really enjoy our “family workouts” more.

Also kinda torn because I really like CFC programming

3 rounds @12:48

• 10 box jumps (21”)
• 10 HPSU (thin band, no wall)
• 10 pullups
• 10 squats
• 10 pushups
• 10 TTB

ouch... didn’t look tough, but it was (180 reps?!). What a way to brush away the cobwebs by getting the blood moving.

.. so if there’s 1 thing I could improve overall, it would be speed and staying tough in ROM.

I went pretty unbroken on everything, I was just slow ... box jumps and TTB are perfect examples of things that I could improve. This WOD capitalised on many of my weakest movements, so this was good.

eyes dotted, T’s crossed, and the little promises

This is a photo of me having sushi ... kinda like my birthday sushi fun fest on Friday ... talk about junk food hangover the next day!
Suz’s comment the other day highlighted it best, “it’s funny, those little promises you make to yourself”. She’s spot on. I’ve noticed that Crossfitters have their little unspoken “code” of badassness.
Going lighter? Then must go unbroken. Going RX? Only if they are good reps. Going to break? Then only for 5 seconds.

... the things we rationalise in our heads to let ourselves be human
So I thought, “yeah, your digestive tract played hard, so make it up to yourself ... old school!”. Do a 2-a-day this week!

SURE. Just try it, how bad can it be if you rest at least 4 hours in between?! Just eat more ... you’re in pretty good shape, right?! how bad can it be?!

um. really bad. really really really really bad. Oh boy, I think I’m gonna be sore on Thursday... I can tell and I totally see the foolishness of my ways. BCAA’s and yoga, don’t fail me now! Bad ego! Bad! Bad!

Made up Monday’s workout:

filthy 50 @ 29:34

• 50 box jump
• 50 pullups
• 50 lunges
• 50 TTB
• 50 push press @ 45#
• 50 back extensions
• 50 wall balls @14#
• 50 burpees
• 50 double-unders

OMG, I love chippers… my first filthy 50 and it was delightfully awful.

Idid this @ home: subbed KTE with TTB… pretty broken up but v-short breaks … had to go 45# bar and 14# ball because that’s all we’ve got @ home.
goal was sub 30:00 … 29:34 … YEAH BABY!!!

Saturday’s workout:

150 kb swings (10 min cap)

Every break = 5x 2-for-1 wall balls
LOVE LOVE LOVE KBS ... HATE HATE HATE WB ... 6:02

i hate WB so much that i REFUSED to let that thing go... nothing lighter than 1 pood at home, so
if broken means putting the KB on the ground, then i went unbroken.
um. no post or pre-wod ... not a chance.

---

Notes: eating enough solid food throughout the day made the difference ... 4 solid meals of at least 25g protein and several snack sessions got me through today... that and hearing matt tell me that he didn’t want to climb with me if I was going to whine and make excuses.

I know myself well enough that I don’t come out of the gates with guns blazing or always have eyes dotted and T’s crossed ... in fact, I usually need a red hot poker shoved up to get me going ... but once I do, I can keep going ... and going ... so we’ll see how I feel. I’ll just try to work out tomorrow and see how it goes...

Mountain Athlete

Cleans @ home

Cleans are a favorite, but a perishable skill. Worked on timing clean movement sequence for an hour with Matt - I need to work on getting under the bar more ... started at 80 and stopped at 145 when my legs/back started getting sloppy. Best work and comfort level around 125 - I’ll post video of the ones I want to work most later.

Metcon (forest preserve)

20min AMRAP of

• 400m run
• Unbroken double unders (Record rounds & highest/lowest du unbroken streaks)

Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4611047 . According to Google pedometer, it’s 409m, but it’s fine

7 rounds + 5 DU
17-38-11-8-18-24-22
Tough, but fun! I found myself jogging the last 3 rounds  to save something for the DU. Also a bit of a mental struggle finding pace and sticking to it... as well as keeping the DU consistent.

Post @ 15 + 15 TTB ... rings are definitely easier and lots of fun in our yard with big tree, dogs, and Matt. I also played around with this wrapping knee over arms thingy that I saw on Mountain Athlete ... might be useful for fixed line ascent movements or ice climbing.

Notes:

I’ve been chatting with Rob at Mountain Athlete and he’s provided extremely helpful suggestions for my programming and conditioning for Denali. Given his expertise and skill, he’s a no-brainer to work with as a sport-specific complement to my overall CF conditioning ... plus it’s FREE and something that Matt wants to do with me here at home. He knows and understands the community, he leverages CF principles, It’s FREE, and the programming is specific to mountaineering/climbing

... so this is a good fit... oh yeah, did I mention that the information is free?!

Tue 7 June: WOD & Personal Goals

This is a photo of my goals for the week. When I originally set them, I decided that I wanted to move more efficiently and build more confidence before throwing on the weight. I have great PRs from last year’s expedition training, but I relied too much on EMOTION and not on EFFICIENCY.

If I can improve HOW I work, I believe I can exceed those PRs. I also decided that this year, I am going LISTEN more and just do what the coaches say (i.e., be more “coachable”). I confess that I get performance anxiety and am honestly intimidated, but I really trust them... I mean, if it weren’t for Bryce, Rudy, Alex, and the CFC gang, I wouldn’t have been able to physically do what I did last year... TBD....

So, I tried my first 2-a-day today ... partly because I wanted to see if I could do it and partly to get mentally prepared for the onslaught of training & adapation in the coming months ... also because of peer pressure. Yes, peer pressure. CrossFit nurtures peer pressure, guilt, and perfectionism. If you grew up with a large, close-knit family, catholic guilt, competitive team sports, and someone close who is/was in the Millitary or Law Enforcement ... then you’re a prime candidate for CF addiction. Good stuff.

This 2-a-Day included making up Monday’s WOD and then visiting my friends @ Construct. Drywall and Anderson gave me so much flack about not visiting that I HAD to go... seriously, it’s like living around my siblings again ... except white and a helluva lot more fit ;)

... anyhoo ...

1. Ran 2m (15:56) through the forest preserve while Matt was at the Doc ... even so early, the ferocious heat beat me up and I was seriously dragging ... not to mention that I am not the best runner in the world (coach has scary video of my sorry ass as proof, trust me on this one) ... this run was a good indicator of how much work I need to do by October
2. Went to CFC and worked on TTB, doubleunders, C&J, and cleans. 4 rounds @ 6 TTB + 30 DU, not timed, but I didn’t allow more than 10 second breaks in between each movement. It was a nice warmup.
   I love the coaches - they weren’t on duty so to speak, but still gave me pointers. It was very generous of them, but I have to admit that their attention gave me performance anxiety. Some people like the attention, I can handle some, but I hate the feeling of the spotlight when I’m out of my comfort zone... INTJ...
3. Then it was off to CF Construct ...
   Pre-WOD : weighted pull ups ...I started with isometric holds on deadhangs, then dribbled 1 or 2 @ 15# ... weak sauce!

   WOD: 5 rounds @ 5:49
   5 shoulder to over head @ 80#
   10 burpees

   They started as push presses, and then they became push jerks as the burpees kicked my butt. Need to keep those elbows up so I'm not wasting so much energy. Burpees slow, but steady. I confess to going lighter than necessary, but this was my 2nd WOD today and I didn’t get to rest the suggested 4 hours in between WODs ... I also believe that Drywall, Anderson, and Marty let me win... frickin Westside my arse!

   Derek has done a terrific job with CF Construct. I'm going to send a few friends who live in his neighborhood his way. I really enjoyed seeing remnants of the old CFC box there and it was just so nice to hang with some of the old gang. Good people all around.

---

so far ranking from 1-10 ...

• sleep: 7
• diet: 9+
• health: 8
• stress: 9 (ugh) 
• recovery: 8
• mental energy: 7
• physical energy: 7

Sun 5/22: WOD

15 min AMRAP @ Home: 10 rounds + 2 TTB
5 Toes-to-Bar
10 Push Press (95/65 or 40% of 1RM jerk)
15 Jumping Lunges

Took my junk food angst out on the bar @ 55# (maybe too light because I really didn’t feel the “hurting” during the last few rounds?). The bar did a great job shredding my hands during the push presses - could be that my lax grip wasn’t helping.

Also, I wasn’t particularly “fast”, but I found a pace and stuck to it. The jumping squats were hard on my knees so I might be doing something wrong. Met my goal of no breaks and less than a 5 count in between.

Felt tired, but good today.

---

ranking from 1-10 today…
sleep: 9
diet: 8
health: 8
stress: 6
recovery: 7
mental energy: 8
physical energy: 7 (maybe not enough protein?)

BEST. CHIPPER. EVER.

As I get my head back into it, I reflect on the why’s and the how’s. Rudy, AKA “Jedi Mind Trick Coach”, asked me what my general analysis was of my time management. Without going into detail, I sent a few bullet points. Now, there is a reason why I call him “Jedi Mind Trick Coach”... instead of replying with a few suggestions as I expected, he asked me what my next steps were.

Best way to mess with someone who likes to analyse and study things is to ask them an open question... ‘nuff said.

I guess I’m talking about all this because the training plan process that I’m going through with Rudy coaching me along is like a chipper. It’s not like I’m doing anything really new, but more about how I can do things better. I’m learning to do things for myself... I’m learning to keep things simple... and I’m learning to plan more efficient training so that I can keep climbing while I’m in school and after menopause.

I guess my next steps will be to (1) deal with the bullet points, then (2) define the 2 measurements he suggested: Heavy and Long (more about this later)

What I like about Rudy and Bryce’s coaching is that that they force me to keep things simple, disciplined, and focused. Truth be told, I won’t struggle with movement integrity as much as I’ll struggle with the former ... and that is why I love crossfit and the coaches at CFC. Matt says I’m a bunny because I just hop-hop-hop along in life without a care in the world. He may be right, but perhaps not for long.

---

So yesterday ...

Skill: Front Squat 3×3

Jessica, AKA “The Blond Fury”, and I agreed to take it easier (1) because we wanted to save something for the chipper and (2) because we didn’t have time to change shoes.

Having blathered that, we checked our egos and focused on quality over quantity. I don’t remember how heavy we worked up to (65-75-85#?), but it was all nice and solid. Worked the elbows, good knee tracking, and stable heels.

Unlike the skill work, the WOD was a little ... messier ...

Chipper for time @ 32:48?
100 Air Squats
90 Box Jumps (16”)
80 Sit-ups
70 Wall Balls (10#)
60 Kettlebell Swings (1 pood)
50 Push-ups (on knees)
40 Pull-ups
30 Burpees
20 Toes-to-Bar
10 Handstand Push-ups (2 mats) 

I suffered a bit but this was GREAT because this is my kind of workout. Set a pace, stay on it, and chip away at it until it’s done. Broke the air squats into 30’s and was pleased I could keep hitting depth. Box jumps started out bad as my quads rebelled, but then I got into a groove and strung 5-10 at a time. My ego wanted me to go unbroken, but my brain said to leave something for the wall balls. Had to fight for unbroken situps and got annoyed when my body rebelled against the WBs on the last 10-15 reps. Checked my ego again and did steady pushups on knees (10’s and 5’s), but I got frustrated during the pullups because my grip and lats just fell apart. Burpees and TTB were slow, but steady. Good news is that I only fell on my head only once during the HSPUs. Overall, it was very fun, but it’s frustrating when your body just won’t do what you tell it to!

Observation. I can remember play-by-play during chippers like this, but I suddenly have alzheimers during those short, sprinty WODs! Oh well. It’s all good and I was happy to get my “GRRR!” on.

BEST. CHIPPER. EVER.

Seriously, it was inspired. Bryce is sadistic, but he’s a genius. This torture session MUST have been of his doing because it seemed rather tall-people oriented (just sayin’). But no name? Personally, I thought it was epic and deserves one. So here are a few that might come to mind:

"Bryce" ... obviously
"Ultimate Failure" ... does this really need explanation?! ... really?!
"Lava Ladder" ... steady flow that burns the heck out of everything in it’s path.
"Anxiety Attack" ... because this is how you feel until you call time.

---

yesterday ...

Sleep: 7-9hrs?! wow!

Strength: 80%-ish

Mental energy: 8

Physical energy: 8

Diet: 6 ... this is annoying. I'm going to start logging today.

Health: a bit of cloggy lung... poo

Stress: 8 ... my professor is sadistic ... more like bastard sadistic instead of make-you-better Bryce kinda sadistic.

20100417 Training: Cashed!

Keeping up with the young guns is motivating,
but my 40-year old body can only do so much. There are limits to where my
physical capabilities can take me at the moment and it'll take time for me
to get there ... if I don't run out of time, that is ;)

So I didn't do grace today because�Diesel convinced me to do the Crossfit
Games online qualifier WOD with them. These guys are total beasts but I
loved it!�

Metcon: 5 rounds @ 7:00 something, I think
- 10 deadlifts @ 145lbs
- 10 box jumps @ 20"
- 10 toe-to-bar

I went light on the deadlifts knowing that I'd be doing tire flips later
(yeah right!). They were strung together unbroken in the first 3 rounds,
then in 5's the last 2 - slowish, but steady. My strategy in everything is
to take my time if I need to, but never stop. It tends to serve me well. I
thought I miscounted them in round 4, so I did an extra for good measure
(Miscounting is a v-bad habit of mine. What?! I'm the old bag training with
the young guns - something's gotta give, dude!)

My deadlift strategy was irrelevant. It was the box jumps that cashed me in.
By the time I got to the TTB in the 4th round, I was struggling. Interesting
because I tend not to struggle with those and can string them along nicely.
The WOD was awesome, but unfortunately, it cashed me out of Eric's big tire
flip WOD and Grace (30 C&J for time) for later today ... so I'll have to
return tomorrow for a double with sled pull. Ugh. Only 14 training days
left.

20100417 Training: Cashed!^Keeping up with the young guns is motivating, but
my 40-year old body can only do so much. There are limits to where my
physical capabilities can take me at the moment and it'll take time for me
to get there ... if I don't run out of time, that is ;)

So I didn't do grace today because�Diesel convinced me to do the Crossfit
Games online qualifier WOD with them. These guys are total beasts but I
loved it!�

Metcon: 5 rounds @ 7:00 something, I think
- 10 deadlifts @ 145lbs
- 10 box jumps @ 20"
- 10 toe-to-bar

I went light on the deadlifts knowing that I'd be doing tire flips later
(yeah right!). They were strung together unbroken in the first 3 rounds,
then in 5's the last 2 - slowish, but steady. My strategy in everything is
to take my time if I need to, but never stop. It tends to serve me well. I
thought I miscounted them in round 4, so I did an extra for good measure
(Miscounting is a v-bad habit of mine. What?! I'm the old bag training with
the young guns - something's gotta give, dude!)

My deadlift strategy was irrelevant. It was the box jumps that cashed me in.
By the time I got to the TTB in the 4th round, I was struggling. Interesting
because I tend not to struggle with those and can string them along nicely.
The WOD was awesome, but unfortunately, it cashed me out of Eric's big tire
flip WOD and Grace (30 C&J for time) for later today ... so I'll have to
return tomorrow for a double with sled pull. Ugh. Only 14 training days
left.

2009 10 24 WOD

Strength: Hang power snatch 5-5-5 @ 53-63-83(1)

 

MetCon 12min AMRAP: 7 rounds + 3TTB

• 5 Toe-to-bars (TTB)
• 10 Kettlebell swings (KB)
• 15 Squats

35# KB all unbroken except for 1 sweaty hand slip ... probably should try 40-45# next time and a little chalk ;)

 

TTB onesies/twosies, but ok (and a vast improvement than where i started!)

 

Put a concerted effort into practising "alex's zen" workout mode - but the WODs are still making me cry and mutter obscenities towards the end. it's all good, though. i'm getting through "survival mode" and more into "performance mode" now… let's see how this evolves

 

I also signed up for the "Linda" challenge (TBD), I don't know how I'll do, but it certainly looks like a hoot . . . and a good diversion while I try to get into school, sell the condo, and minimise financial hemorrhaging!