Deadlifts and push presses....and a new benchmark

Having recovered sufficiently from brunch earlier, I decided I needed to drag myself to the Y. It's been a cruddy day, rainy and in the mid-30's, the kind of day that begs to be spent curled up inside with a good book. Fortunately, the kids started arguing over something and that gave me the little boost I needed to get out of the house. :P

It was a good day to be at the Y - not too crowded, occupied mainly by treadmill denizens. I was able to monopolize all the equipment that I needed.

Warmup: 2 rounds CFWU, easy 500m row.

Buy-in: 500m row for time - 1:59 (Level II benchmark)
I knew I was due for this soon. I still had some gas in the tank at the end, so I know I'm capable of a faster time.

WOD: Strength - Deadlifts and Push Presses

Deadlifts 5 x 3

• Warmup sets @ 65#, 95#
• 3 @ 135#
• 3 @ 155#
• 3 @ 155#
• 3 @ 155#
• 3 @ 135#

Push presses 3 x 5

• Warmup sets @ 45#, 55#
• 5 @ 65#
• 5 @ 75# (PR)
  
• 5 @ 80# (PR)

Thoughts: Deadlifts were okay. I wasn't as aggressive as I needed to be with them. 155 matches my previous PR for 3 reps, but I could feel my back starting to round on the last couple of reps at that weight. That makes me nervous, so I backed down to 135 for the last set. I think I need to back off the DL weight until I'm sure I have my form issues worked out. And maybe I need to get Lil John back on my iPod for DLs!

Push presses were much better! For some reasons, I had the aggression on these that was lacking in my DLs. My previous PR was 65#, so I'm pleased with this improvement. On a musical note, "Hands Up" by the Black-Eyed Peas is great song for presses of any type.

Cash-out: Core work - 2 rounds

• 10 x Floor Wipers (45#)
• 10 x KTE (toes to bar)
• 20 x incline situps

Pushups (max reps) - 30

Some good news - I am slowly beginning to bring Hubby around to the idea of doing CrossFit with me. He has been resistent - not just to CF, but to getting back into an exercise routine in general, but today he suggested that it might be a good idea for us to get a pull-up bar and some other home equipment. I'm hoping that I can turn this small opening into a New Year's resolution.

Carb-crazy brunch

Brunch isn't something we do very often. Breakfast around our house usually consists of cereal and coffee. Well, except for KAD, who usually eats nothing until lunch time. But Hubby was in a brunch kind of mood today, so I made a big pot of coffee when I got up (about 7:30) and put off eating until we had everything made (about 10:30). You have to realize what kind of sacrifice this is for me - I'm ravenous when I wake up, and that bowl of Cheerios is at the top of my priority when I roll out of bed.

So...brunch. Or more accurately, Carb-Fest. Chocolate chip pancakes (with syrup!). Hash browns. Toast. Grits. Eggs as an afterthought. Juice. Milk.

I need to remind myself more often that there's a reason I don't eat like that every morning....

That 5K is looming large...

I'm signed up to do the YMCA's Mistletoe Run next weekend, so I thought I should hit the road to get ready. I haven't done a lot of running on the roads lately, and I have especially neglected working on hills. This could come back to bite me next weekend, as the Mistletoe includes one long hill section that's probably close to a mile.

It took me a while to get myself psyched up to run because of the weather. It was in the upper 30s, a little breezy, and the sky was gray and overcast. I didn't check the temp before I went out the first time, and I got about 50 meters down the road before I decided that my shorts just weren't going to cut it. Back into the house for my running pants and a hat. At least I wasn't the only nut out today - I passed by at least half a dozen other runners during my route. We all exchanged waves and that slightly crazed grin that runners share with each other. You know, the one says "Yay, I'm not the only lunatic in the area!" Ah, the bonds of insanity...

Warmup: Not enough. 3 rounds of 10 squats, 10 bridges, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 walking lunges. ~400m jog

WOD: Running - 4 rounds of 5:00 on/2:00 off
Distance covered: ~2.7 miles

Thoughts: Not nearly enough warmup, especially given the weather. I didn't hit any kind of stride until the end of the second round, and by the fourth round I was gassed from fighting my too-tight hamstrings. Blah.

Cash-out: 5K bike ride following Number One Son on his afternoon run. He ran it in 22 minutes and was barely winded.

Time to work off the Thanksgiving binge

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you were able to spend your day with your loved ones and all those who mean the most to you. We went to Dallas, NC for our annual family gathering, and had a day filled with food, fun, reflection, and a little bit of football.

I was starting to feel a little antsy by today, since I hadn't done anything since Saturday. Sunday was my rest day, but I was ill on Monday and Tuesday (I'm convinced it was food-related, but not sure what), and still wasn't feeling up to par on Wednesday. If any of you people work out on Thanksgiving....well, more power to you!

Anyway, I did manage to drag myself to the Y this morning, where it was not nearly as crowded as I feared it might be.

Warmup: 2 rounds of 10 OHS (with dowel), 10 incline situps, 10 back extensions, 10 pushups.

Buy-in: 1 x 500m row, pulling easy - 2:25

WOD: "Lynne"
5 rounds for max reps of:

BW bench press (subbed 90#)
Pull ups (all deadhang)

• 5 @ 90#, 12 pullups
• 5 @ 90#, 9 pullups
• 4 @ 90#, 9 pullups
• 4 @ 90#, 8 pullups
• 4 @ 90#, 7 pullups

Thoughts: Since I can't bench press my body weight (yet), I went with the BrandX scaling and used my 5 RM. Apparently 90# is still my 5 RM, because I absolutely could not get a 6th rep on either of the first two rounds. Pullups were all deadhang, with a neutral grip. Not too bad, really. 12 might be a PR - I'll have to go back and check my notebook.

CFE: Stationary bike - 5K TT
Time - 13:44
Avg speed - 24.7 kph

Thoughts: I'm still feeling out the bike riding. The bikes at the Y don't have a wattage indicator, so I try to set the resistance at a level that will allow me to maintain my desired speed when I'm spinning at about 80 rpm. Still have a lot of work to do on the bike if I'm going to "try a tri" this spring/summer.

Cash-out: Miscellaneous stuff

Frog stands (:20/:25)
Planks (1:00 x 2)
Hollow holds (:25/:30)
Handstand holds - kept one heel on the wall, but did manage about 5 seconds or so of free-standing.

Scheduling...again

Sunday was a planned rest day for me, or resting at least as much as one as able when shivering on the sidelines of a soccer field. Number One Son's club team had a tournament in Raleigh, and I was finally able to catch one of his games after spending most the weekend chasing around after Kick-Ass Daughter.

I had intended to do strength training yesterday, but between work, kids, dinner and unfinished chores from the weekend, I just couldn't make it happen. I guess I could count the 10,000+ steps I walked, though.

Next immediate goal: the YMCA Mistletoe Run on Dec 6. I'd like to be under 28:00 for the 5K.

Bear Complex

I picked up this WOD from Christin Street over at the CF message boards. It was the first time I'd heard of it, although it appears to have been circulating for a while.

Warmup: Shoulder shrugs, arms swings, dislocates, hip rotations, knee rotations, 100 rope jumps (singles).

Buy-in: 3 x 500m row (2:25/2:08/2:02) The first 500 was easy pulling just to get loose, the 2nd was probably 75 - 80%, and the last one 90 - 95%. The sub-2:00 500m row is close - I can taste it.

WOD: Bear Complex
One round = 7 times through of deadlift, power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press. No letting go of the bar during the round, only between rounds. Not timed. Rest as needed between rounds.

Round 1 @ 45#
Round 2 @ 55#
Round 3 @ 60#
Round 4 @ 65#
Round 5 @ 65#

Thoughts: I love this WOD. A full-body workout that's both strength and metcon. The limiting factor is obviously the push presses. I think I could have gone up to 70#, but getting the weight safely down behind my head after the first push press was starting to become a concern at 65#. Because it was a light weight for the DL, front squat and back squat, I was able to really concentrate on form. Squats were all ATG. This is definitely a weekend/day off type WOD, as I would hate to feel rushed.

Cash out: 3 x hollow holds (:35/:25/:32)
5 x Hindu pushups

No gas left for anything but stretching

"Hell-en" Day

I've been pumping myself up for this WOD for the last couple of days. I hadn't done it since August, and thought I was ready for a pretty decent improvement. I was even more psyched when I went to the Y a few days ago and discovered that they had re-mounted the heavy bag in the back corner of the small track. I had been using the bag's mounting bar to do pullups on WODs that include running and pullups. That way I don't have to use the treadmills in the fitness center.

I should have known better than to make such plans. I like to use the back corner of the track for WODs primarily because there is rarely anyone back there. So...wouldn't you know it? I was about halfway through my warmup when a man and his young son came up to my little corner and started playing with the heavy bag. The kid stayed for a few minutes, then Dad put on the gloves and started a workout with the bag. Damn! No one ever goes up to that corner of the gym until the one day I really want to use it. So I packed my stuff and went to the fitness room, resigning myself to doing Helen on a treadmill.

Warmup: 3 rounds of 200m jog, 10 squats, 10 situps, 10 supermans, 10 pushups

WOD: "Helen"
3 round for time of:

400m run (1:55/1:55/2:00)
21 DB swings (25#)
12 pullups

Time: 13:37

Last Helen (23 Aug 08) was 15:34

Thoughts: Almost a 2:00 improvement from last time - not bad! Especially considering that I did the last Helen on the track, and did not have to wait for the damn treadmill to get up to speed (the Y will not allow me to leave the treadmill running). Runs were exactly that - runs. I did not start counting the distance until I had the treadmill up the speed I wanted. DB swings felt good. Pullups...meh. Couldn't get more than 5 in a row during the first round. After the first round, I could get a couple of kips, but most of them had a toe-push assist.

I'm going to continue to do Helen with 25# until I can get it to the Level II benchmark time (11:30). Then I'll switch to the big-girl DB of 35#.

Cash out:

5 x Hollow holds (holy shit these are hard when you get your feet down to 5 inches off the floor). Longest hold I managed was :15

5 x bridges on the ab ball

5 x ab ball rolls, finish in modified handstand hold

15 x pushups on inverted Bosu disk

Programming...or lack thereof

I see references to programming all over the CF discussion boards - Gant's Hybrids, Starting Strength, heavy metcons, long metcons, yadda yadda yadda. So what should I think about the fact that I have no programming concept?

The main problem I have with consistent programming (WARNING - the excuse wagon is getting ready to roll) is my inconsistent schedule. Lunch time is hit or miss depending on what's going on. Sometimes I lifeguard four mornings a week, sometimes 2, sometimes none. Evenings generally involve kids' sports practices, and that is the time I'm most likely to get a workout done. Weekends, of course, are filled with kids' games, laundry, grocery shopping, (reluctant)housekeeping and the other myriad things that don't get done during the week.

This doesn't bother me a whole lot. One of the things I love about Crossfit is the apparent randomness of it all. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants, so it fits me perfectly. I'm never sure what's going to pop up on the main site on any given day, and if I don't like it, I pick something else. But I know there is an underlying method to the madness, and I wonder sometimes if I am shortchanging myself somehow.

The vague concept I'm toying with now is the standard 3 day on/one day off cycle, with a day each dedicated to strength, metcon and endurance. This, of course, assumes that I can even manage to get 3 days in a row to work out. It's been hit and miss on that.

Any input is appreciated.

DOMS, DOMS, OMG, DOMS....

DOMS in my quads and DOMS in my delts. Delts I can understand - I fired them pretty hard during push jerks yesterday. I'm not so sure about my quads. I'm hoping they're sore from hanging leg raises and planks, because if they're this sore from back squats, I may need to have another hard look at my form. Usually my ass and hamstrings are fried after back squats. My quads may be tired, but they're not usually sore.

Anyway, the sore quads made my CFE running WOD very interesting this evening.

Warmup: Shoulder and hip rotations; 3 rounds of 10 squats, 5 pullups, 400m jog, 20 mountain climbers, 10 pushups

WOD: CFE Running - 15 Minutes the Hard Way

5:00 on/5:00 off
4:00 on/4:00 off
3:00 on/3:00 off
2:00 on/2:00 off
1:00 on/1:00 off

Total distance - ~2.25 miles (based on MapMyRun.com)
Edit - the distance includes RIs, which I walked. Thanks, Rebecca!


Thoughts: The weather was chilly tonight, but not overly so - probably in the low 40s. Good running weather. My quads (have I mentioned they're sore) didn't really loosen up until I started the 4:00 on, so I probably could have kicked in a little more distance with a better warmup. Son's practice tonight was at Wesleyan rather than HPAC, so I ran around the soccer and baseball fields. The baseball field was in poor shape, and I really had to watch my step to keep from turning an ankle.

Christmas List

Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet. So what? Christmas shopping lasts all year now anyway.

I don't usually have a specific Christmas list. I'm pretty easy to please, and I like surprises, so I leave my wishes to the judgment of my family (half the fun is anticipating what the kids will choose). But like all CFer's I know, I covet equipment and the dream of eventually having a garage gym.

Top 3 for this year:





Elite Rings




Kettlebell (16kg)















Pullup bar













I promise I've been (mostly) good, Santa....

Tech Support = Cleaning Lady?

In addition to my job with the school system, I also do tech support on a private basis, for homes and small businesses. I've come to the conclusion that working on people's home computers is a bit like being the cleaning lady - everyone has dirty little spaces that I'd really rather not know about.

It never ceases to amaze me what people will get into when they think they have the tiniest bit of anonymity. Just when I think I've seen it all, I stumble across something on an infected PC that makes me want to scrub my eyeballs.

So here's my free advice: if you like to gamble, surf porn, play in x-rated chatrooms or any other of the myriad deviant activities available on the web, make sure you use a good firewall and spyware/AV utilities. That way, when you call me in to figure out what's wrong with your computer, you don't have to worry about me peering into your dirty little corners.

Of course, if you didn't have dirty little corners, you probably wouldn't need me in the first place. So take care of your stuff. You'll save yourself $80 an hour and spare me the need for a brain scrub.

kthnxbye

Back Squats 5 x 5

Got to the Y today during lunch, which is generally a pretty good time to go. My favorite squat rack was open and I shamelessly monopolized it for my entire workout.

Warmup: CFWU (subbed bench pushups for dips)
Back squats 8@45#

WOD: Strength - Back squats and push jerks

Back squats 5 x 5

• Warmup sets @ 65#, 85#
• 5 @ 95#
• 5 @ 105#
• 5 @ 110#
  
• 5 @ 110# fail - last rep not full ROM
• 5 @ 107.5#

Push jerks 5 x 1

• Warmup set 5 @ 45#
• 1 @ 65#
• 1 @ 75#
• 1 @ 85# (PR)
  
• 1 @ 90# fail - tentative, did not go for it
• 1 @ 90# (PR) ugly but got it!

Core work - 3 rounds

• 5 x KTE
• 10 x Hanging Leg Raises
• 1:00 plank hold
  

Thoughts: I was a little ticked at myself over the first push jerk failure. I failed because I just didn't go for it. I was tentative, held the bar too long, and wimped out. So I left the weight room, got a drink and walked around to pump myself up. Then I went back to the bar and got pissed off at it. Boy, that helps a lot! It was one butt-ugly push jerk, but I got it locked out.

Track benchmark

One nice thing about that start of Number One Son's club soccer season is that his team trains one evening a week at the High Point Athletic Complex. HPAC has a decent track, and since I have to hang around for almost two hours, it's nice to have a lighted place to work out.

Warmup: 3 rounds of 10 squats, 10 pushups, 400m jog. 3 x 50m strides.

WOD: 2 Miles the Hard Way
(Rest intervals are the same as the run time)

1 mile run - 8:05
800m run - 4:01
400m run - 1:50
400m run - 1:27 (Level II Benchmark)

Thoughts: My original intention was to do this as "5K the Hard Way" with 2 800s and 4 400s. Son's practice was cut short by a flag football tournament, so I shortened it to 2 miles. Still, this was better than I expected. My 800 was slower than I wanted, but still on pace with the mile time (which is the fastest I've run a mile in a long time). I was pretty sure I could get the Level II benchmark (1:34) on a 400, so I busted a gut on that last run trying to get there.

I can't really claim any of these as PRs, since I was a pretty decent runner in my younger days (best mile ever was somewhere around 6:00), but they're the best times I've run in quite a while.

I'm a sports parent - does that make me crazy?

You'd think with the economy in the tank, traveling for kids' sports would one of the first things on the chopping block. But no....

We've spent the last two weekends on the road with KAD, one for a soccer tournament in Raleigh and this past one in Knoxville, TN for a swim meet. While we certainly enjoy these events, I know we're going to have a severe case of buyer's remorse when those hotel costs show up on the next credit card bill. Next weekend we're back in Raleigh for yet another soccer tournament, this time for Son.

On the other hand, KAD's soccer team has enjoyed a nice string of successes in tournaments, and the CASL Shootout in Raleigh was no exception. They advanced to the championship game, which they lost 2-0 to a team from Maryland that is apparently ranked #6 in the nation (don't get me started on having national rankings for 10 year-old girls...).



KAD's soccer is finished (at least until January) and that means swimming is kicking into high gear. Knoxville this past weekend, which may have been worth the trip just to see UT's new aquatic center. Wow. Fifty meter pool with a bulkhead in the middle to make two 25-yard competition pools. Lots of deck space for the swimmers and spectator seating for parents. Of course, we got all the way there before I realized I'd forgotten the camera, so no pics, dammit. The only complaints I had about the place were the cost of concessions (which rivaled a movie theater) and the grand scoreboard/timing system, which glitched and caused delays all weekend long.

Oh, and KAD didn't like the water temperature. Too cold.

I have to wonder how long it will be until economic realities catch up with competitive youth sports. In our area, it's not unusual to spend $1100+ a year on competitive soccer, and that doesn't include uniforms, tournament fees, travel costs or off-season training. We continue because the kids enjoy it, and honestly, so do Hubby and I. But I can see a time coming when we won't be able to keep it up.

Angie...STILL not RX'd

A little frustration on my part with Angie, mainly that I still can't do it Rx'd. I've been feeling pretty strong on my pullups and pushups lately, and thought for sure today would be the day.

Not.

Warmup: CFWU, minus Sampson stretch

WOD: "1/2 Angie"

For time:
50 pullups
50 pushups
50 situps
50 squats

Time: 9:20 (this is suspect, because I'm not sure if I did 40 or 50 pullups)

Thoughts: I was really pumped going into this WOD, especially on the heels of my Christine PR the evening before. I got 10 pullups into it and realized that it just wasn't gonna happen. My arms were ready fall off after the first 10 pullups and I wasn't able to do more than 2 at a time after that. Same with pushups - died after 20. So much for Angie as Rx'd. Yeah, I probably could have slogged my way through it, but it's supposed to be a metcon, not an exercise in futility.

Mean Christine

I found myself at the High Point YMCA this evening. Number One Son had soccer practice and I had a vague idea that I might run around the track at the field. But it was cold and misty and being indoors was much more appealing. I hadn't done Christine in a while, and as the Y was sparsely populated, it seemed like a good time to try her again.

Warmup: 3 rounds of 10 squats, 10 incline situps, 10 back extensions (BEs), 10 pullups, 10 bench dips.

WOD: "Christine"
3 rounds for time of:

500m row (2:08/2:11/2:14)
12 deadlifts (DLs) @ 95#
21 box jumps, 18" box

Time: 14:46 (Level I benchmark)


Thoughts: This was a 3+ minute improvement over my last Christine time (18:06), so I'm very pleased with this effort. My box jumps suck - I can't get a good rhythm going - but my improved strength really helped with the rowing and DL times. The DLs especially felt much easier than the last time I did this WOD.

Starting off...again

So I'm adding yet another site/blog/message board that I will have to keep up with. You'd think I'd have enough, with my LJ, a Facebook, a tech wiki, the family website, and numerous message boards that I post to on a fairly regular basis.

I'm hoping that this blog will give me a more user-friendly way to keep track of my CF progress online. I love the interaction of the message boards at crossfit.com, but it can be tough to sort through my workouts and keep track of improvements and changes.

So here we go!