20100309 Training: Finishing up with a 2k row

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Today was the last day of the paleo diet challenge. I rowed my heart out, went home, and pigged out so much I stayed up all night wired from the sugar and felt sick the next morning. It was beautiful and I plan to do a bit more cheating this week.

Today’s workout: 2k row for time

I shot for sub 9:00, ended with 8:43 (2:10 pace). Definitely improved thanks to Woods Bros most excellent coaching and a few friends barking at me to consistently pull hard. I don’t HATE rowing, but I’m not that crazy about it either. I’m still learning how to be more efficient and how to built up that gas tank so I can stay strong in the last 750m. it was good.

So what does this have to do with my training for Denali? A little in that my body is adjusting to the demands of sustaining work output over longer periods of time and strength comes in different forms. The thing that strikes me the most was that I’m starting to recover well – I wasn’t completely floored or wasted 30-40min afterwards. I was ready to go again … this is huge since we climb, cache, or carry 8 hours each day with very heavy packs during the expedition (which is about 21 days).

I think what I enjoy the most about crossfit is that it’s constantly varied … so that everyone has the opportunity to showcase their strengths and expose their weaknesses. No one seems to be immune to the different parts of the workout – so everyone there collectively suffers and strives in their respective areas. I may have the strength to get a heck of a lot of weight off the ground and move it around but I don’t necessarily have the gas tank to do the body weight stuff that the smaller girls can. One girl’s 135lb power clean is another’s 24” box jump or muscle up.

I think because of this, I’m improving. With all this varied work, I’m glad to know that my 60lb backpack and 80lb sled won’t prevent me from “pulling my own weight” after 8 hours of climbing with it and helping to set up a bomber-proof camp, build the snow/ice shelter, pull someone out of a crevasse, or gear up for a technical pitch.

Coach will be incorporating my weight belts into workouts now that I have to start more “pack mule” training… lots of dragging heavy weight, carrying heavy weight, pulling heavy weight, pushing heavy weight, and lifting heavy weight … all the stuff a mountain girl needs…

Well, maybe another 15lbs of lean muscle and a bigger gas tank would be nice… I’ll never turn down more strength and endurance ;)

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