CFWF B Day

Buy-in: 5:00 rowing

WOD: Power cleans + metcon

Power cleans 3 x 5
Warm-up sets: 1 x 5 x 45# HPC
1 x 5 x 55#
1 x 3 x 65#
1 x 3 x 75#

Work sets: 3 x 5 x 80#

Metcon: 20-15-10
Box jumps (18")
KB swings (1 pood)
Push-ups
Time - 5:23

Cash out: 50 sit-ups
stretching

CrossFit Wichita Falls Programming

Justin Lascek posted a link to the CrossFit Wichita Falls programming in this thread over at the CF discussion boards. It sounds interesting, and I'm thinking about giving it a shot. I like the way it splits up the lifts and includes some short metcons. The split lifts help me get through a workout in my lunch hour, something I always had trouble doing on the novice SS programming. I suspect it will take some time to get worked into a routine, but I started today. The late fall/winter is my primary time to get to the gym for strength, as the kids' soccer is winding down and I'm better able to sustain a routine. I'm also going to Fort Bragg in a couple of weeks, and I'll have more time in the evenings to get things worked in.

Here's the program in a nutshell:
A-Day: 3 x 5 Back Squats; 3 x 5 Presses; Pull-ups
B-Day: 3 x 5 Power Cleans; Metcon
Rest Day
C-Day: 3 x 5 Back Squats; 3 x 5 Bench Presses; Pull-ups
D-Day: 1 x 5 Deadlifts; Metcon
Rest Day
Rest Day

Buy-in: 5:00 rowing

WOD: C Day, Squats and benches

Back squats 3 x 5
Warm-up sets: 1 x 8 x 45#
1 x 5 x 65#
1 x 5 x 85#

Work sets: 3 x 5 x 95#

Bench presses 3 x 5
Warm-up sets: 1 x 5 x 45#
1 x 5 x 65#

Work sets: 3 x 5 x 85#

Pull-ups 3 x max reps
8/8/6

Cash out: 2 x 800m run on treadmill @ 1% incline. 8:27 pace/8:20 pace
2:00 plank

Okay, now this sucked.

Done at the Y playground while KAD was doing technical training for soccer. This was a riff on the main page WOD for 10/3/09, but I didn't feel like doing pistols.

Buy-in: 2 x CFWU

WOD: For time:

Run 800m (4:45)
9 pull-ups
15 push-ups
21 sit-ups
Run 800M (4:47)
9 pull-ups
15 push-ups
21 sit-ups
Run 800m (4:55)
9 pull-ups
15 push-ups
21 sit-ups
Run 800m (5:05)

Time - 24:55

Wow. That one hurt. The last 800 was just kind of unnecessary.

Cash out: Stretching and whining

Sunday AM Run

Hubby wanted to run this morning. Usually he avoids exercise unless I drag him out, so this was a welcome surprise.

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 squats
10 sit-ups
10 push-ups
10 supermans

WOD: Running
Distance - 2.2 miles
Time - 21:26
Pace - 9:40

Actual time spent running was 11:41 - we alternated running and walking at about a 4:00 on/2:00 off interval.

Cash out: stretching

Fight Gone Bad (kind of)

Basement WOD done along with KAD; since we don't have a rower or barbells, we just use the FGB format with the subbed exercises. KAD doesn't do the HP part of SDHPs, she just does the SD part. She also does sit-ups instead of KB swings - our one KB is too heavy for her to swing safely.

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 squats
10 sit-ups
10 supermans
10 push-ups

WOD: "Fight Gone (sorta) Bad"

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep.

Round/Exercise	1	2	3	Total
KB thruster 25#	27	26	20	73
KB SDHP 25#	22	20	19	61
Box jumps 18"	20	19	15	54
HSPUs	19	20	20	59
KB swing 25#	31	25	26	82
Total points	119	110	100	329

Cash out: crunches, hollow holds

Unworthy

Buy-in: 2 x CFWU minus pull-ups

WOD: "Unworthy"

For time:
Squats - KB swings (25#) - Push-ups

80 - 40- 20
40 - 20 - 10
20 - 10 - 5
40 - 20 - 10
80 - 40 - 20

Time - 15:14

Wow. That's over 2:30 slower than last time I did this WOD. Suckage.

Bike Ride w/Drew

MapMyRun.com - General Road Cycling: General Road Cycling on 10/10/2009

Cash out: Tabata push-ups (3 minutes)

17/12/10/8/6/7

Total - 60

Pistols, Sit-ups and Running

Done at the soccer park. Note to self - find a dry area to do sit-ups next time.

Buy-in: 2 rounds CFWU minus pull-ups

WOD: For time
Run 800m (4:43)
15 pistols ea leg
25 sit-ups
12 pistols ea leg
25 sit-ups
9 pistols ea leg
25 sit-ups
Run 800 m (4:34)

Because the park has taken down the markers, the run distance was a guesstimate. I think it was a little too long. Pistols were assisted by holding onto a light pole. My ass will sore tomorrow, I can feel it already....

Cash out: Pigeon pose 1:00 x 2

Tabata stuff

Buy-in: 2 rounds
10 steps walking lunge
25 ft inchworms
25 ft bear crawl
25 ft crab walk

WOD: Tabata pushups/situps/squats
6 minutes of :20 work/:10 rest

Pushups: 17/10/10/9/8/8

Situps: 15/16/16/16/16/16

Squats: 16/17/16/16/14/15

Score - 38

Totals - 62 pushups, 95 situps, 94 squats

Cash out: 2 rounds
10 x swiss ball bridges
10 supermans

Press - Push Press - Push Jerks

This is one of my least favorite workouts, so I figured I needed to do it.

Buy-in: 2 rounds CFWU

WOD: Press 1-1-1-1-1
Push press 3-3-3-3-3
Push jerk 5-5-5-5-5

Warm-up sets: 5 x 45# press

Work sets:
Presses

• 1 x 55#
• 1 x 60#
• 1 x 65#
• 1 x 70#
• 1 x 75#

Push presses

• 3 x 65#
• 3 x 70#
• 3 x 80#
• 3 x 85#
• 3 x 85#

Push jerks

• 5 x 65#

My back started feeling funny during the last set of push presses - kind of a twinge in lower right near my rib cage. I went ahead with the first set of push jerks, but really didn't like how my back was feeling, so I bailed. The strict presses and push presses were pretty good, but I guess I lost my form somewhere during the push presses.

Deadlifts

Buy-in: Burgener warm-up

WOD: Deadlift 5 x 1

Warm-up sets:

• 5 x 65#
• 3 x 95#
• 3 x 115#
• 1 x 135#

Work sets:

• 1 x 155#
• 1 x 155#
• 1 x 165#
• 1 x 165#
• 1 x 155#

Cash out: None

Rounds for Max Reps

Buy-in: Back squats 8 x 45#; 5 x 65#; 5 x 85#
Bench press 5 x 45#; 5 x 65#; 2 x 85#

WOD: 5 rounds for max reps
Bench press (90#)
Pull-ups
Back squats (95#)

Rd 1 - 4/8/10
Rd 2 - 5/8/10
Rd 3 - 4/5/10
Rd 4 - 4/4/9
Rd 5 - 3/4/8

Totals - 20 BPs, 29 pull-ups, 47 back squats

Cash out: 2 rounds
10 x MB cleans (12#)
20 x Ab-ball crunches
20 x Ab-ball twists

Another "Bear" of a day

At a bit of a loss as what I wanted to do today. It's a main site rest day, and I couldn't get enthused about any of the recent workouts. I flipped back through my notebook and found one I hadn't done in a while - the Bear Complex

Buy-in: Burgener warmup x 2

WOD: "The Bear Complex"

1 round = 7 reps of deadlift, hang power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press. Do not take your hands off the bar during the round.
No time component

Round 1 - 45#
Round 2 - 45#
Round 3 - 55#
Round 4 - 55#
Round 5 - 65#

Actually got through most of the first round with more of a squat clean-thruster-back squat-thruster routine before I got too fatigued and switched back to the Rx'd method. I'd forgotten how much of a butt-kicker this is. The ability to get the weight overhead is my limiting factor. Need to work my overhead stuff more so I can do this WOD with more weight.

Cash out: 2:00 rolling plank

Took a break

After the triathlon, I needed a recovery period. Combine that with school starting back and the attendant extra work that brings, I ended up taking a couple of weeks off. I needed it. Trying to get back into a routine now.

Buy-in: 2 rounds
20 walking lunges
10 situps
10 squats
5 pushups

WOD: "Cindy"

AMRAP 20:00
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats

Rounds - 15

Cash out: 2 rounds
5 hanging KTE
5 hanging leg raises
10 4-count flutter kicks

Ramblin Rose!

Finally, my first official triathlon! Ramblin'Rose - 250 yard swim, 8.3 mile bike ride, 2 mile run.

Official results:
Place - 90th
Swim - 4:50 (16th)
T1 - 2:30
Bike - 34:00 (131st)
T2 - :58
Run - 20:14 (99th)





I got up about 5:45 so I could eat breakfast. Stomach was little rebellious, but I forced myself to eat anyway. Drew got up with me and went to watch and provide moral support. I wanted to get to the race site between 6:45 and 7:00 so I could get marked, set up my transition area and get in the pool to warm up.

My bib number was 30, which only means - as I explained to a couple of my incredulous friends - that I am a good swimmer. I felt a little intimidated as I set my 30 year-old Fuji 12-speed racing bike into the rack next to all the sleek triathlon bikes. It looked like Herbie the Love Bug in the midst of a pack of Formula One racers. Most of the other racers in the same rack were wearing triathlon racing suits. In contrast, I was wearing my two-piece Speedo swimsuit and would be wasting time in transition by putting on shorts, socks and a T-shirt (my CrossFit Full Circle T-shirt, Jason!). I stuck out as a first-time triathlete - starting with the Big Dawgs only by virtue of my swimming ability.

I actually got frustrated with some of those Big Dawgs once the race started. Because the pool was split into odd and even sides for more efficient swim starting, I was the 15th swimmer to start on my side. It took less than 100 yards for me to run up on the swimmers in front of me. Obviously, some of the Big Dawgs were less than honest about their swim times. Drew estimated that I lost 20 - 30 seconds on the swim while trying to get around the slower swimmers in front of me. Still, I was out of the pool in 3:49 (my official swim time was 4:50, since the split was taken as I entered the transition area, which required me to run about 100 yards or so through the pool area and out of the building).

Of course, it didn't really matter after the swim. All those Big Dawgs passed me on the bike leg like I was going backwards. I was slow in transition, since I had to put on shorts, shoes, T-shirt, helmet and sunglasses. Oh, and my Camelbak. I forgot to leave my shoes untied, so that slowed me down even more. The bike wasn't too bad - after the Big Dawgs whizzed by, I was pretty much on the trail by myself. Evidently I had gotten a big enough lead on the swim that once the faster cyclists went by, there was a gap with the rest of the first wave. My bike time was 34:00, which about what I was hoping for.

Because I had dressed and put on my running shoes in T1, my T2 went smoothly. Rack the bike, take off the helmet and Camelbak, and I was off. Physically, the run was the hardest part of the race for me. One mile uphill and one mile back down. I had been determined to get through the run leg without having to walk, but about half a mile in, I thought I was going to throw up. I stopped to walk for about one minute, and that made all the difference. I finished the run without any other problems (other than heavy legs and general fatigue). My run time was 20:14 - I was hoping to keep it under 20 minutes, but that wasn't bad.

Drew cheered me on through the transitions and the run, and took me to IHOP for a huge post-race breakfast. Will I do this again next year? Probably. I'm not addicted to triathlons (yet), but had enough fun to try another one. Maybe with KAD next year.

More from the past week

The triathlon focus continues...

Monday 10 Aug 09

Swimming

Warmup: easy 400 swim
4 x 100 kick w/fins on 2:00

Main set: 4 x 300 free @ 1:00 RI
4:20 - 4:23 - 4:25 - 4:23

Cooldown - easy 200 swim

Wednesday 12 Aug 09

AM - Swimming

Warmup: 400 swim; 200 kick

Main set: Freestyle ladder - maintain triathlon pace of 1:30/100 yds
50 - rest :30
100 - rest :45
200 - rest 1:00
400 - rest 2:00
200 - rest 1:00
100 - rest :45
50

Times - :43 - 1:28 - 3:00 - 6:03 - 3:01 - 1:30 - :42

Cooldown - easy 200

PM - Cycling (Fuji bike)

Distance - 8.73 miles
Time - 33:56
Avg speed - 15.4 mph

Thursday 13 Aug 09

Running w/Drew

Distance - 1.61 miles
Time - 15:51

Saturday 15 Aug 09

Buy-in: CFWU x 3

WOD: Running
4 x 800m on treadmill @ 1:30 RI
Pace - 8:20/mile

Cash out: stretching

Boooring....

Looking over my journal for the past week or so, I remember why I got so far behind - not a lot of variety. Mostly focused on the upcoming Ramblin' Rose triathlon, so more swimming/cycling/running. In fact, I think I will pack them all into just a couple of entries instead of doing a spearate one for each workout. I did do one CF WOD during this stretch.

Friday 7 Aug 09

Swimming

Warmup: 100 easy

Main set:
Maintaining triathlon race pace
3 x 100 free on 2:00 (1:27 - 1:28 - 1:27)
Rest 2:00
2 x 200 on 4:00 (3:01 - 3:02)

Cooldown: easy 100

Saturday 8 Aug 09

Practice triathlon

Swim - 250 yards (3:43)
T1 - 3:13
Bike - 5.05 miles (19:45)
T2 - :36
Run - 1.5K (9:03)

Total time - 36:22

I did this to focus mainly on transitions and to get used to how it feels to go from one event to another.

Sunday 9 Aug 09

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 squats
10 back extensions
10 pushups

WOD: "Fran"

For time: 21 - 15 - 9
Thrusters (65#)
Pullups

Time - 9:57

My first Rx'd Fran. I usually scale the weight for thrusters, but thought I could do it as prescribed this time. Happy to get under 10 minutes.

Cash out: Hollow holds, hanging leg raises, situps

Cycling

Entries like this happen when you don't make notes on your paper log. So I added my map just to make it a little more interesting.

WOD: Cycling (mountain bike)

Distance - 8.72 miles
Time - 37:23
Avg speed - 14.01 mph

Hill Repeats

Buy-in: 2 rounds
10 squats
10 walking lunges
10 pushups
10 situps
10 supermans

Jog 750m

WOD: Hill repeats - 4 x 500m (1K roundtrip). No rest between repeats.

1 - 6:13
2 - 6:15
3 - 6:24
4 - 3:10 (up only)

Cash out: 400m jog; stretching

Two Cycles and a Run

The weekend was pretty much triathlon focused.

Saturday 1 Aug 09

Easy cycling with the family at Salem Lake. ~7 miles

Sunday 2 Aug 09

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 OHS w/dowel
10 ab ball crunches
10 pushups
10 supermans
10 KB swing (25#)

WOD: Running

Distance - 2.88 miles
Time - 27:34
Pace - 9:34

Cash out: 20 x 4-count flutter kicks; 2:00 rolling plank; 1:00 bridge on ab ball

Monday 3 Aug 09

WOD: Cycling

Distance - 6.95 miles
Time - 27:20
Pace - 15.3 mph

Sprinting and CF

Early sprints with Drew today, then a CF WOD in the PM.

AM Sprinting

Warmed up with air squats and walking lunges

WOD: Sprints
10 x 20yds @ :20 RI
Rest 1:00
8 x 30yds @ :30 RI
Rest 1:15
6 x 40 @ :40 RI
Rest 1:30
4 x 50 @ :50 RI

Cash out: Iguana stretch x 3

PM Crossfit

Buy-in: Burgener Warmup
Bench press 5 x 45#; 5 x 65#

WOD: "Lynne"
5 rounds
Max reps BW bench press (scaled to 85#)
Max reps Pullups (deadhang)
No time component

Rd 1 - 7 BP/9 PU
Rd 2 - 7 BP/9 PU
Rd 3 - 7 BP/7 PU
Rd 4 - 6 BP/6 PU
Rd 5 - 6 BP/5 PU

Total - 33 BP/36 PU

Cash out: 10:00 rowing (2206m)

Sprint Cycling

This is the first time I've tried a sprint cycling WOD, so I didn't really know what to expect. Guess I should have expected rubber legs, because that's exactly what I ended up with! I had planned to do 8 sprints, but a thunderstorm moved in and forced me to cut it short.

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 squats
10 crunches
10 pushups
10 supermans

10 minutes easy spinning on bike

WOD: Cycling
4 x 1K sprints @ 2:00 RI

Times - 2:10/1:52/2:03/2:02

Cash out: easy ride home (~1 mile)

Easy Running

Early morning run with Drew today.

Buy-in: 2 rounds CFWU

WOD: Running
4:20 on/2:00 off
4:40 on/2:00 off
4:20 on/2:00 off
2:37 on

Total distance - 2.3 miles (includes walking during the rest intervals)
Total time - 21:57

Cash out: Stretching

Lazy swimming day

Dragged my butt out of bed this morning to teach a swimming lesson. Boy, I did not want to get up. I thought seriously about calling my student to tell her I couldn't make it, but that's kind of rude at 5 AM. Besides, she's paying the Y $30 per session (I get half of that) for 9 lessons AND she's been singing my praises throughout the triathlon community, so I figured the least I could do was show up on time. :p

Did a short swimming workout afterward.

Warmup - easy 400

3 x 100 IM @ :30 RI (2 drill, 1 swim)
6 x 50 @ 1:00 concentrating on SPL (8 - 8.5)

Cooldown - easy 100

Checkin' out the bike course

KAD and I went over to the Gateway area of Winston to check out the Ramblin' Rose bike course. According to the event info, the course is 8.2 miles and has several 2% - 3% grades. It runs along the Salem Creek Trail to Salem Lake and returns along the streets around through Winston-Salem State.

I had heard from several people who did the race last year that the bike course is very difficult. KAD and I rode the front half of it, out and back (I did not want her riding on the city streets) and now I'm wondering if the course has been changed. I mean, there were some minor ups and downs and a pretty decent hill as you go past the dam (near the 3.5 mile mark), but it doesn't appear to be the nightmare I've been led to believe it will be.

The run...well, it's a mile uphill and a mile downhill. I'll look forward to the second mile.

Cycling: ~7 miles, leisurely pace, not timed.

CF WOD

Buy-in: 1 round CFWU

500m rowing (2:15)

5 x deadlift, hang power clean, push jerks @ 45#

WOD: 5 rounds for time

12 x deadlifts @ 65#

9 x hang power cleans @65#

6 x push jerks @ 65#

Time - 15:45*

*Last two rounds were just deadlifts and push jerks. HPCs continue to be murder on my elbow, even after 6 months, and I just refuse to screw it up any further.

Cash out: BTB back squats

10 x 65#

8 x 75#

Swimming and CF Kids

AM - Swimming

Warmup - easy 400, 200 swim-200 drill

Main set:
3 x 100 @ :30 RI, hold +/- 5 seconds
1:30 - 1:33 - 1:32

3 x 200 @ 1:00 RI, hold +/- 5 seconds
3:04 - 3:01 - 2:58

Cool down - easy 100


PM - CF Kids WOD with KAD

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 inch worms
20 ski jumpers

WOD: For time
Run 200m
12 rock-up squats
12 burpees
Run 200m
9 rock-up squats
9 burpees
Run 200m
6 rock-up squats
6 burpees
Run 200m

Time - 8:05

This one actually kind of sucked - the rock-ups add a whole 'nother dimension to it. And burpees always suck.

Cash out: Shot baskets for 20 minutes

Vacation's over, back on your head!

Took the last week off for vacation. We went to the mountains for a couple of days and hiked and rafted and did all those outdoors-y kinds of things, then spent a day at Carowinds riding the roller coasters. Well, Son and I rode the roller coasters - Hubby gets queasy on them and KAD is still a little afraid of them. All in all, it was a fun week full of great activities and horrible (if wonderful-tasting) food.

Went back to the triathlon training today with a bike-run brick workout:

Cycling: MapMyRun.com - General Road Cycling: General Road Cycling on 07/23/2009

Shared via AddThis

Distance - 7.05 miles

Time - 28:03

Avg speed - 15.1 mph

Running: MapMyRun.com - Brick Workout: Brick Run on 07/23/2009

Shared via AddThis

Distance - 1.28 miles

Time - 13:28 (includes transition)

Avg Pace - 10:30/mile

I was pleased with the cycling - that's the first time I've averaged 15 mph for an entire course, which is the pace I'd like to maintain for the triathlon. The running...well, there's definitely room for improvement there.

Sprints make me hurt

When it comes to generating DOMS, nothing seems to work better than sprints. No matter how short or how few, the act of running sprints makes me sore like nothing else.

This morning's WOD was an extremely scaled-down version of a workout that Number One Son's soccer coach has them do during off-season conditioning. It is called the SPX Sprint series. As Rx'd, it looks like this:

20 x 20 yds @ :15 RI

18 x 40 yds @ :20 RI

16 x 60 yds @ :30 RI

14 x 80 yds @ :45 RI

10 x 120 yds @ 1:00 RI

2:00 rest between sets

Normally I'll do this as "SPX Lite," which is the same distances but only half the reps. But because Hubby didn't think he could even do half, we did what I will call "SPX Featherweight."

Buy-in: Bike ride to the Y, ~1 mile

800 meters of jogging

WOD: "SPX Featherweight"

10 x 10 yds @ :10 RI

8 x 20 yds @ :20 RI

6 x 30 yds @ :30 RI

4 x 40 yds @ 40 RI

Cash out: Bike ride home ~ 1 mile

I figured Hubby would smoke me - he was a sprinter in high school, one of the top-ranked 100m runners in the state. But by the time we got to the 40s, I was running him down in the last 5-10 yards of the sprint. I know he's gonna feel it bad tomorrow, at least in his legs. Today, I think he's just feeling it in his ego. Hopefully this will spur him to keep working to get back in shape.

And yeah, I have DOMS. My quads and hip flexors are saying very unkind things to me right now. I suspect they'll be even more vocal tomorrow morning.

"Nancy" Day

Another first for me today - Nancy.

Buy-in: Bike ride to Y (~1 mile)

Coach Boz warmup

Burgerner warmup

WOD: "Nancy" (Pack scale)

5 rounds for time of:

400m run (done on dreadmill @ 1% grade)

15 OHS (35#)

Time - 15:45

Splits - 3:09/3:10/3:07/3:06/3:13

The main change needed for this is heavier OHS's. Because I haven't done weighted OHS's often, I wanted to stay conservative with the weight. 35# was too easy, though.

Frustration with the treadmill abounds. The Y will not allow me to leave it running (safety), and it just takes too damn long to get the thing up to a good speed (7.5 min/mile pace). Between transition time and getting the treadmill up to speed, all of my runs took at least 2:15. For many other lifts (thrusters, presses, front squats, etc), I will take dumbbells and go to the upstairs track. But the OHS doesn't really seem to lend itself as well to a DB substition. The whole lift is different with DBs. Maybe I can sneak an Oly bar out of the weight room...

Cash out: Pullups 6-5-4-3-2-1 Worked my kip, which actually seems to be okay if I'm trying to go fast and I don't really think about it.

Muscle-up transitions.

The CFT Implosion continues....

My CFT continues to go downhill. I don't know if that's because I've been doing more endurance training and less lifting, or because I've been trying to work my form when I do lift and have backed off some on the weight. Either way, it's frustrating.

Buy-in: 2 rounds CFWU

WOD: Crossfit Total (body weight = 123)

Back squat - 135#

Press - 70#

Deadlift - 175#

Crossfit Total = 380

My last CFT was 405. The only lift I didn't regress on this time was the back squat, but I'm still 10# under my best 1RM even on that.

Progressions:

Back squat

Warmup sets:

• 8 x 45#
• 5 x 65#
• 3 x 95#
• 3 x 115#

Work sets:

• 1 x 125#
• 1 x 135#
• 1 x 145# (fail)

Lost my balance on the 145# attempt. I came forward onto my toes while ascending and lost my balance when I tried to adjust. This resulted in a rather loud and spectacular dumping of the bar. Oh well, that's why you lift in a rack.

Presses

Warmup sets:

• 3 x 45#
• 3 x 55#

Work sets:

• 1 x 65#
• 1 x 75# (fail)
• 1 x 70# (barely)

Deadlifts

Warmup sets:

• 5 x 115#
• 3 x 135#

Work sets:

• 1 x 155#
• 1 x 175#
• 1 x 205# (fail)
• 1 x 200# (fail)

I was probably a little too ambitious on these, trying to jump from 175# to 205#. I got the 205 off the floor, but just barely. The 200 attempt got to just below my knees, but I could feel my back rounding and dumped it. By that point I was too tired to make an attempt at 195# and I'm not sure I could have done it anyway. So a 20# drop on the deadlift for this CFT.

Cash out: Max reps deadhang pullups - 10

PM WOD: Bike ride with Hubby

Distance - 4.47 miles

Time - 21:00

Avg speed - 12.77 mph

And more CFE...

I really wanted to go running today. I also wanted to sleep in. So I did both. Unfortunately, this meant that it was already pushing 90 degrees when I finally hit the road in my running shoes...July and August in NC are pretty hard to match for heat and humidity.

Buy in: 2 rounds CFWU minus pullups, with 10 walking lunges added to each round.

WOD: CFE running

5:00 on/2:oo off for 2.5 miles (walked during 'off' times)

1st run ~.65 mi

2nd run ~.73 mi

3rd run ~ .65 mi

4th run (1:58) ~.24 mi

Total distance - 2.5 miles

Total time - 22:58

Cash out: Pushups and situps with KAD (didn't keep count)

Total distance

CFE Bike intervals

This was my first time doing intervals on my bike. Well, let me caveat that: this was my first doing intervals on real bike, on the road, as opposed to a stationary bike in the gym. Hubby went with me (I still haven't convinced him to try CF WODs, but I'm working on him slowly).

Buy-in: Easy ride to the start point (~1.7 miles)

WOD: 4 rounds

4:00 on/2:00 off

Hold distances as consistent as possible

Round 1 - 1.04 mi

Round 2 - 1.03 mi

Round 3 - .75 mi (mostly uphill)

Round 4 - 1.32 (mostly downhill)

Cash out: Easy ride home (~1 mile) Not really easy, since about 3/4 of it was uphill.

I am going to get my ass handed to me on the bike part of the triathlon....

Major modification

Went back to the main page today after a couple of days off. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to go about training for the triathlon next month. I don't have the time for 2-a-days (doing main page WOD and the CFE WOD), and I'm wondering if alternating between between the main page and CFE daily is going to give me everything I need. Not to mention that I've pretty much neglected swimming since the City Meet - that's a calculated risk though, since the swim is by far my strongest event. Based on last year's results, I'm going to be one of the first women out of pool. Then I'm going to get smoked on the bike leg. :p

Anyway, I jumped back to the main page today, with a major modification because I couldn't get to the Y.

Buy-in: 2 rounds CFWU - no pullups, bench dips

WOD: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Front squats (subbed 25# goblet squats with a KB)

GHD situps (subbed pseudo-GHDs done on an ab ball with my feet hooked under the couch)

Time - 5:23

I could tell I haven't done squats of any weight for quite a while - my butt and hanstrings were crying about halfway through the WOD.

Cash out: Headstand/frog stand/handstand practice with KAD.

More Running with Hubby

So far, so good. Hubby continues to tolerate me dragging him out of bed in the early morn to go running. We're still doing interval runs as he builds his endurance, but his pace is getting a little faster. I'm encouraging him to try shorter intervals at a faster pace, because I think that will help him get back into shape more quickly than trying to slog along for 10-12 minutes at a time.

WOD: Running

4:00 on/2:00 off

5:00 on/2:00 off

5:00 on/2:00 off

2:30 on

Total distance - ~2.25 miles

Badger is a bugger...

Tough hero WOD, and entirely appropriate as we celebrate our nation's birth (yeah, I know I'm running a few days behind the main page). This is the first time I've seen Badger come up, and I scaled it heavily.

Buy-in: Burgerner warm-up

3 reps bear complex, 45#

WOD: "Badger" (puppy scale)

3 rounds for time

20 squat cleans (35#)

20 pullups

400m run

Time - 19:43

I was happy to get this one under 20 minutes, especially since I'm fighting a chest cold and could hear the rattle in my breathing. The runs especially sucked this time. Managed to do full squat cleans only about 75% of the time. The rest were either power cleans or pseudo-squat cleans. Pullups were kind of pseudo-kipping, with jumping the last round.

Cash out: Tetherball with KAD, about 20 minutes.

Longest bike ride so far

Hubby and I went out this morning on our bikes to get in a longer ride. The Ramblin Rose triathlon has a nine-mile bike ride, so we chose a route that was 9.5 miles. Rolling terrain with a couple of decently long hills (longest climb was about 1.7 miles).

Distance - 9.5 miles

Time - 44:06

Avg speed - 12.8 mph

My legs were dead afterwards, but this speed isn't going to cut it for the triathlon. Last year, most of the bike times were in the mid-30s. The swim event isn't long enough for me to get a 10:00 head start. :p I know my bike (a $125 hybrid from Sports Authority) doesn't help, but I'm going to have to get better at this.

As Hubby gets back into condition, it will help push me more. Right now, he can push me on the flats, but he can't hang on the hills.

First try at "Randy"...first try at snatches, for that matter

I've been putting it off and putting it off. I've been Crossfitting for over a year, and until now I've made no real attempt at one of the foundational movements - the overhead squat. Well, caveat that. Until now, I've made no attempt to do it with anything other than a dowel or broomstick, or outside of the CFWU.

Until now, I've also made no attempt at one of the major lifts - the snatch. Honestly, I've just been afraid of it. Afraid of trying to take a weight directly from the floor to overhead. Afraid of hurting my elbow. Afraid of hurting my back. Just basically letting fear dictate.

I finally decided, "F*** that. I'm not really a CFer until I can do these." So today, in a frenzy of overachievement, I did both of these movements.

Buy-in: Burgener warm-up

OHS:

10 x dowel

3 x 5 x 35#

Pressing snatch balance:

10 x dowel

5 x 35#

Power snatch 10 x dowel

WOD: "Randy" (Pack scale)

50 reps power snatch, 35#

Time - 7:32

This actually felt pretty good. Of course, the weight was light and I really don't have a clue what my form was like. I tried to keep the points from the Burgerner warm-up in mind - shrug, high elbows, jump under the bar, etc.

Cash out: L-sit hold - :20

30 x pseudo-GHD situps

Running + 603 WOD

Two workouts today - early AM running with Hubby and a late lifting WOD.

Running w/Drew:

10:00 on/2:00 off

7:00 on/1:00 off

3:00 on

Distance - ~2.3 miles

Crossfit:

Buy-in: 500m row - 2:19

Power clean work:

3 x 45#

3 x 45#

3 x 65#

WOD: Deadlifts 3 x 5 @ 70%

Warm-up sets:

• 5 x 95#
• 5 x 115#

Work sets: 3 x 5 @ 135#

Metcon: AMRAP in 10:00

Renegade Man-Makers (15# DBs)

Reps - 35

Because the deadlifts were not heavy, the intention was to really work the form. I played with my set-up some, trying to drop my hips and retract my shoulder blades. Because I have relatively long femurs, the angle between my thighs and torso is a little smaller than normal. Anyway, here is a comparison of my previous setup, my new setup and the setup shown in Starting Strength.

The new setup didn't feel quite as strong. Not sure if that was just because it's new and I need to form a new muscle memory. I had trouble getting my hips and chest to rise together - my hips want to come up first. My hips will come up to the point of my old setup, then my chest starts moving and they rise together from there. I was aware of it, I could feel it happening, but could not get it completely fixed.

Cash out: 25 hanging leg lifts

Thrusters, HPCs and SDHPs

Buy-in: 2 rounds CFWU

500m row - 2:16

WOD: AMRAP 20 minutes:

5 thrusters

7 hang power cleans

10 sumo deadlift high pulls

I was very leery of doing this WOD, as I injured my elbow the last time I did it. So instead of doing it AMRAP in 20 minutes, I did it this way:

5-7-10-7-5 (not timed)

Thrusters

Hang power cleans

Sumo deadlift high pulls

The first 5-7-10 sets were done with 45#, going up to 55# for the second set of 7 and up to 65# for the second set of 5. My elbow was complaining on most of the SDHPs, so I skipped them at 65#. Need to go back and look at technique for SDHPs, because they really bother my elbow.

Cash out: Max rep pushups (30)

3 x hollow holds (:30/:27/:32)

3 x handstand holds

Starting Triathlon Prep

Since I've now committed myself to doing the Ramblin' Rose, I figured I need to get out on my bike a little more. Fortunately I can combine this with my commitment to help Hubby get back in shape, as riding is something that he can do with me (even if he can't push me very hard on the uphills!)

Bike ride 5.6 miles

Time - 28:53

Had to stop several times to adjust Hubby's bike. The gears slip and he has to hold the shifter in place when he is trying to ride in the lower gears.

City Meet Results = Good Stuff

City Meet 2009 went very well, despite being cut short by a massive thunderstorm. I exceeded all of my goals for my races, and I am attributing most of that to the work I've done outside the pool, especially the strength training. I felt so much stronger in the water this year than I did last year, even though I did less training in the pool for this year's meet.

Results:

50 yard freestyle - 27.46 (12th) Goal was sub-28
50 yard breaststroke - 34.77 (3rd) Goal was sub-36
100 yard IM - 1:12.98 (15th) Goal was 1:15

I also swam the breaststroke leg of our medley relay, which finished 3rd. My split for that was 34.56. We didn't get to swim the freestyle relay because of the thunderstorm.

Overall, a good day for both me and KAD. She dropped time in all of her events, and was the anchor on her medley relay. No pictures this year - I had my camera, but never took it out of the bag.

Took a couple of days off after the meet - gonna try to get started back today.

Physical Culture - check this out

I know several of you already follow Jason Struck's blog, River City Physical Culture, but I thought I would link to this post of his anyway. He talks about what the term "Physical Culture" means to him, and the role that Crossfit and its practitioners play in preserving that culture.

This is Physical Culture. This is what we should be sharing, enjoying and protecting. Because it's at the heart and soul of how we enjoy inhabiting our bodies.

A very thoughtful, insightful post. Read the whole thing here.

Unworthy revisited and training w/ KAD

Getting back into the swing of things after Hubby's visit this weekend. We went out and bought the bicycle we had promised KAD for her birthday back in December. We couldn't get it then because she was between sizes. She picked out a nice new mountain bike that was on sale at Sports Authority and declared herself ready to train for the Ramblin' Rose triathlon in August. After going for a couple of rides, I realized that we both have a long road ahead of us in terms of training for the bike ride.

Because the weather's been lousy, I've been looking for WODs to do at home, which generally means kettlebells, pushups, squats, situps, etc, etc. "Unworthy" is a WOD that I haven't done in a long time and have never done Rx'd, so I decided it was time to revisit it.

Monday, 15 June 09:

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 x OHS w/dowel (done in doorway to work technique)
15 x GHD situps
5 x bench dips

WOD: "Unworthy"

80 squats/40 KB swings/20 pushups
40 squats/20 KB swings/10 pushups
20 squats/10 KB swings/5 pushups
40 squats/20 KB swings/10 pushups
80 squats/40 KB swings/20 pushups

Time - 12:39

That's about 5:30 faster than last time, when I swapped the reps on KB swings and pushups. I'm still using a 25# KB, so it's still not quite Rx'd, but I'm very pleased with this one. The KB swings and pushups were unbroken until the last set, but the squats killed me. The last two sets were done 10 at a time.

Cash out: 30 x 4-count flutter kicks
Handstand practice


Tuesday, 16 June 09:

Buy-in: Bike ride to the Y with KAD, approx 1 mile

KAD is doing Crossfit this summer as her S & C program, prepping for the fall soccer season. I can't really do the workouts with her because she needs a lot of supervision to make sure she does the movements correctly. Her first WOD of the summer was the walking lunge/pullup/situp WOD from the main site a few days back. It started raining in the middle of her workout, so we headed home as soon as she finished. With no place to do pullups at the house, I just decided to do a very short homemade WOD.

WOD: 3 rounds
20 x goblet squats, 25#
30 x GHD situps
KB presses, 10 ea arm, 25#

Forgot to start my watch, so no time on this one.

Wednesday, 17 June 09:

Swimming:
Warmup - 500 easy, mixing strokes

8 x 50 kick w/fins, :30 RI, alternate free and fly

Main set:
4 x 100 @ :40 RI - IM, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle
6 x 50 @ :30 RI - 2 back, 2 breast, 2 free
8 x 25 @ :20 RI - 2 ea stroke

3 x 25 sprints from the block

Cool down - easy 100

Total - 2075

I haven't quit...even if it seems like it.

I'm trying to get back to has posting on my blog. I haven't quit working out; on the contrary, working out has been crucial to maintaining my equilibrium these past couple of weeks.

Hubby has been involuntarily recalled to active duty. He hasn't worn a uniform for more than a dozen years, but for some unknown reason, the Army has decided that he needs to return to duty, be completely retrained in a new MOS and then sent to Iraq. He reported to Fort Jackson last weekend. He is the only officer in the group that is there involuntarily.

So, as you can imagine, there has been a bit of emotional upheaval in our house lately. Both of our children are old enough to understand the implications of him going to Iraq; old enough to understand what might possibly happen. As a result, blogging has been pretty low on my priority list for the last couple of weeks as I have helped my kids deal with their dad's departure.

As of Friday, Hubby has been placed on medical hold due to chronic recurring corneal erosion. He was deemed non-deployable once when still on active duty because of this condition, and as it still exists, he may be medically discharged before too long. In the meantime, we hope see him on the occasional weekend and wait for the decision.

Barbara...or "Babs," really

I think "Babs" is a more appropriate name for this WOD, which is the Pack scale or "Barbara Lite."

Buy-in: Hip and shoulder mobility exercises

WOD: "Babs"

Five rounds for time of:
10 pullups
20 pushups
30 situps
40 squats

Rest precisely 3 minutes between rounds.

Times: 3:19 - 2:30 - 2:30 - 2:37 - 2:38

Total work time - 13:34

I know, I know - I need to do this WOD Rx'd. Other than the pullups (which I tried to do all kips instead deadhang), I did all of the movements unbroken until the last set of pushups. I have a litany of excuses for why I didn't do this Rx'd, mainly revolving around my sucky kip, but I will not enumerate them here. Suffice it to say that the kip (and grip) will be getting more work.

Cash out: Handstand practice

Well, I thought it was a 5K...

...turns out it wasn't even close.

I didn't run my normal 5K route today, because my son bailed on driving his sister to swim practice. I picked out a route near the pool that I thought might be around 3 miles. According to MapMyRun.com, it was only 2.67 miles. A very hilly 2.67 miles, but shorter than a 5K nonetheless.

Time - 24:40

Wow. That was not impressive. At all.

CFT...Good and Bad

Trying to stay somewhat on track with the main site - I'm running about 4 days behind - I did the CFT today. I wasn't really up for it, and thought about skipping ahead to the 5K run or to Barbara, but the lousy weather precluded any outdoor WODs. Usually I try to lift at lunch, which is when the crowd at the Y is the lightest, but I had to go out on a call and missed my chance. So I found myself in the middle of the after-work crush in the fitness room. The sheer number of people in there, along with the cruddy weather, did absolutely nothing for my mood. At least I managed to grab a rack; otherwise this WOD wouldn't have happened at all.

Buy-in: Easy 5:00 row (D=4)

WOD: CrossFit Total (body weight = 125#)

Back squat - 135#
Press - 75#
Deadlift - 195#

CrossFit Total = 405


The good news: My last CFT was 400. The better news: I PR'd the deadlift (by 10#). My press was also better than my last CFT, matching my PR for a 1RM.

The bad news: I regressed 10# on the back squat. I had two failed attempts at 145#, but could not get out of the hole either time. Being pissed off about this probably contributed to my deadlift PR. HUGE shout-out to Jason Struck, whose tips on my deadlift set-up were probably the biggest reason for my improvement.

Progressions looked like this:

Back squat
Warmup sets:

• 5x45#
• 5x65#
• 3x95#
• 1 x 115#

Work sets:

• 1 x 125#
• 1 x 135#
• 1 x 145# (f)
  
• 1 x 145# (f)

Presses
Warmup sets:

• 3 x 45#
• 2 x 55#

Work sets:

• 1 x 65#
• 1 x 75#
• 1 x 78# (f)

Deadlifts
Warmup sets:

• 3 x 115#
• 2 x 135#
• 1 x 155#

Work sets:

• 1 x 175#
• 1 x 195# (PR)
• 1 x 205# (f) Got it to break, but couldn't finish it.
  

More City Meet Prep

Back in the pool today.

Warm-up: 400 easy swim, changing up strokes

Skill/drill: 8 x 75 @ :20 RI; 25 kick/25 drill/ 25 swim
4 freestyle, 2 backstroke, 2 breaststroke

Main set: 16 x 25 sprint on 1:00, IM order
Lots of rest, so sprints are all-out

Cool-down: 200 easy freestyle

Total - 1600 yds

Held all the sprints between :15 and :20 (stroke dependent), which isn't too bad. My goal times for the meet are 1:15 for the 100 IM, sub-:28 for the 50 free and sub-:36 for the 50 breaststroke. The IM will be the toughest from the conditioning aspect. Making my sprint goals will be largely dependent on the quality of my starts and turns, so I have to get back on the blocks, and soon.

Twins

Picking up where I left off on the main site...

Buy-in: 10 x MB cleans (15#)

WOD: "Twins"
Two rounds of each couplet for time

750m row (3:28/3:21)
20 HSPUs (with heels against the wall)
Time - 11:21

20 thrusters (45#)
20 L-pullups (did tuck pullups)
Time - 11:40

Total time - 23:01

This is the first time I've done any rowing since my elbow injury. Felt pretty good - damper setting was 4, and I didn't push the pace hard. My HSPUs were pretty bad - did them from a full handstand with my heels against the wall, and my ROM was about 4 - 5 inches.

The 11:40 split for the second couplet includes the roughly 2 minutes I spent finding an Oly bar for the thrusters. I had set everything up in a rack with my towel and bag as my claim markers, but when I got back to the rack, some asshole had moved all my stuff so he could do bicep curls in the fucking rack. I was so pissed. The thrusters ended up being 45# because I didn't want to waste any more time setting the bar up for 65#. I ended up doing the second couplet next to a Smith machine, which I used to do the pullups.

Cash out: 20 x 3-5 sec ab crunches (for my back)
20 x air squats on a Bosu ball (harder than it looks)

Jenn the Slug

No workout since Thursday (and I gorged myself on pizza that night too). Went to Maryland with Number One Son on Friday for the Potomac Memorial Tournament, and the closest I got to exercise was walking from the metro station to RFK Stadium for the DC United-Real Salt Lake match. I also loaded up on all kinds of bad stuff - a Mushroom Swiss burger from Red Robin (with steak fries!), strawberry pancakes from IHOP, hot dogs at the stadium...I'm actually surprised I was still able to walk without waddling.

It was a nice way to finish up Son's club soccer career, even if his team didn't do as well as they'd hoped. They won one and lost two, but had a good time. Son has decided not to try out for the team next year so that he can focus more on his schoolwork. The coach was disappointed but understanding about the decision. Son will still be playing high school soccer, so he's not completely retiring from the sport. I will miss seeing him play with his club - the club teams play at a much higher level than the HS teams - but won't miss the travel and expenses that come with it. There will still be plenty of travel and expenses for KAD's soccer team. :p

Thursday 21 May 09:

Buy-in: 3 rounds
25 yd bear crawl
25 situps
25 yd crab walk

WOD: 4 rounds for time
400m run (1:55/2:00/2:11/2:17)
50 squats

Time - 15:05

This one was painful because despite taking Wednesday off, my butt and hamstrings were still sore from Diane and the walking lunge/box jumps/weighted pull-up WOD. I didn't manage any unbroken sets of squats, and the last two runs were more like shuffles than runs. I was hoping to get under 15:00, but the last run was just too slow.

Cash out: Stretching, stuffing my face with pizza.

All right, now this one sucked...

Stole off to the Y at lunch today to get this one in.

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 air squats
10 situps
10 pushups
5 MB clean (20#)

WOD: 4 rounds for time:
100 walking lunge w/20# DBs
20 box jumps (20")
20 weighted pullups (15#)

Time - 23:26

The weighted pullups lasted only 6 repetitions into the first round, after which I just did deadhangs. This was the better part of valor on my part, for two reasons: one, it was lunchtime and I needed to finish the WOD, shower, and get back to work within an hour; and two, I think this was intended to be a metcon. While I certainly could have completed the WOD with the weighted pullups, it would have taken forever and been less metcon than just slog-thru. Coming on the heels of the DL/HSPU WOD from yesterday, my ass and hamstrings are going to be very unhappy tomorrow.

Cash out: 20 x crunches on swiss ball

Went to watch the state playoff game for the girls' soccer team from my son's HS. This is the best team they've had in a number of years. After 80 minutes of scoreless regulation play and two scoreless 10-minute OT periods, they lost in the "golden goal" OT period on a free kick. Heartbreaking.

First try at Diane

My Crossfit 1st anniversary was on Friday. Of course, I forgot about it and I took a rest day yesterday, but it seems appropriate to celebrate the anniversary with a WOD that I've never done before. Coincidentally, such a WOD came up on the main site yesterday and since the weather is really crappy today, it seemed like a great alternative to what I had originally planned (a 5K run).

Buy-in: 1 round CFWU (without dips)
Deadlifts 5 x 95#, 5 x 115#, 3 x 135#

WOD: "Diane"
21-15-9
Deadlift 135# (Pack scale)
Handstand pushups (bridged on Smith machine)

Time - 10:50

Note to self: put retaining rings on the bar next time, so you won't keep having to stop to push the plates back into position. I have to wonder if I'm picking up the bar unevenly, because the plate on the left slides out more than the plate on the right. Otherwise, I guess that's not too bad for the first time. Gives a starting point, anyway.

Cash out:
3 x handstand holds (5 - 6 seconds kinda-sorta freestanding)
2 x hollow holds (:35/:32)
10 x MB cleans (20#)

Video from my warmup set at 135#:

Back in the pool

The Greater Winston-Salem Swimming Championships (also known around here as the City Meet) is coming up on June 21st. I usually swim in the meet, taking my yearly dose of humiliation at the hands of a bunch of 16 and 17 year olds. But it's all good - it's great fun, and my kids' summer league team usually has a Moms Relay that attempts to race against the teenage girls. We never place, but we've never been last, either!

Anyway, I've going to try to get back in the pool a few times a week to get ready for the meet. I'm interested to see what impact my strength training has had on my swimming.

Warmup: Easy 300 swim, 200 kick

Skill/drill: 4 x 100 IM stroke drill @ 2:30
Butterfly: 3-3-3 (3 left arm, 3 right arm, 3 regular strokes)
Backstroke: 1- arm backstroke, alternate 3 left, 3 right
Breaststroke: Double-kick
Freestyle: 6-beat switch

Main set:
2 x 100 free, RI = time (1:20/1:20)
4 x 50 free, RI = time (:39/:38/:40:/39)
8 x 25 free, RI = time (:19/:19/:20/:19/:18/:19/:19/:19)

Cool down: easy 100 swim

Total: 1600

Not too bad. Need to get the 100s closer to 1:15, the 50s all under :40, and the 25s all under :20. Made a couple of adjustments to my freestyle that I think will help take advantage of being stronger, but will take a little getting used to.

Cindy = FAIL

I quit today. I have never done that before. I have had times when I've cut a WOD short or scaled back because of time limitations, but I have never quit in the middle of one. But I did today. Shit.

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 lunges
10 bench dips
25 rope skips

WOD: "Cindy"
AMRAP in 20 minutes
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats

Rounds - 11 rounds + 5 pullups + 10 pushups in 15:00

I don't what to say. I was sucking wind from the first pullup and could never seem to develop any kind of rhythm. Pukie kept sneaking up around the edges, threatening to make an appearance. I was going to just keep slogging through it, but I happened to look at my watch as I passed the 15:00 mark and just said "Fuck it, I quit." Then I just sat on the ground for about 10 minutes without moving before I started to feel guilty.

Cash out: Attempted to run around the track to make up for quitting on Cindy. No dice. I just had no gas in the tank today. Could have something to do with staying home sick. Guess I should have just passed on the WOD completely today.

Does kicking a cold count as a workout?

Been battling a nasty cold for most of the past week. Usually these bugs pop in - KAD is a carrier - and I get sniffly and sneezy for a couple of days, then they go away. This bug brought baggage and camped out for a while. I think I'm going to give in and stay home tomorrow.

After a week of tracking my food intake on FitDay (attempting no major changes to my diet), here are the things I've noticed:

1) I don't take in as many calories as I thought. I always estimated that I consumed 2000+ calories per day. Turns out it's more like 1700 - 1800, which is probably all right this week since I haven't worked out much.

2) My macronutrient proportions are 36% carbs, 35% fat, 26% protein and 4% alcohol. The alcohol was all beer, so I could probably count that toward my carbs as well.

3) Upping the protein without upping the fat will be challenging. Getting enough carbs while ditching stuff like cereal, potatoes and rice will be tough as well. Low-fat milk and yogurt may help.

I'm reading Enter the Zone. I guess my next step is to determine my lean body mass and calculate my protein requirements.

In other news, KAD has started doing CrossFit Kids workouts for her summer S & C program. We intersperse soccer-specific skill training into the daily CF Kids WOD. So far, she's having a blast and looking forward to when she can do more pull-ups than me. That time may not be far off...


Despite my cold, I got in both a swimming workout and the main site WOD today:

Swimming:

Warmup - 200 swim, 200 kick

Skill/Drill - 4 x 100 on 2:30 (all freestyle)
25 6-beat switch
25 catch-up drill
25 fist swim
25 swim

Main set: Freestyle
2 x 50 on 1:00 25 easy, 25 sprint
2 x 50 on 1:00 25 sprint, 25 easy
2 x 50 on 1:00 Sprint flags, easy walls
2 x 50 on 1:00 Sprint walls, easy flags

Cool down - easy 200

CF Workout:

Buy-in: 1 x CFWU, 10 MB cleans (20#)

WOD: Power cleans, 7 x 1

Warmup sets:

• 5 x 45#
• 5 x 55#

Work sets:

• 1 x 60#
• 1 x 65#
• 1 x 65#
• 1 x 70#
• 1 x 75#
• 1 x 85#
• 1 x 95# (matches previous PR)

I built these up slowly because I haven't done power cleans since I injured my elbow back in January. No problem getting the weights up, but my elbow was aching by the last rep. Not an "oh shit, injury" ache, but a "I haven't been used lately" ache. I suspect I could go heavier, but I need a form check first. I tried to get KAD to take video, but she was cranky and tired and hungry and wanted to go home. It wasn't a battle worth fighting at that point. I'll get some video for you soon, Jason.

Cash out: None. Took the kid home to feed her.

More Diet Decisions and Mr. Joshua

After an email discussion with Ev, I've decided to really try to do something about my diet. Most of the time, I don't pay attention to what I eat, so I figured that the best way to start would be to figure what my current diet looks like. I've created an account on Fitday and for two weeks, I'm going to track what I eat without making any major changes. Once I figure out what exactly I'm putting into my body, hopefully it will be easier to make adjustments.

I've never been a big sugar person, so battling sugar cravings won't be a problem. Salt cravings are a completely different matter. Those are mostly dealt with by forbidding things like Lay's Classic Potato Chips to take up residence in my pantry. I'll cry when it becomes clear that I have to give my morning Cheerios. The biggest challenge may be trying to maintain a sensible diet while also trying to feed three other people, including a 6-foot, 135-pound teenager who moves through my kitchen like a locust.

Thursday 7 May 09:

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 air squats
10 situps
10 pushups
10 supermans

Deadlift warmup: 5 x 95#; 5 x 115#

WOD: "Mr. Joshua" (Pack scale)

3 rounds for time:
400m run
15 GHD situps (subbed incline situps)
15 DLs (115#)

Time - 14:26 (4:14/5:00/5:12)

That's 45 seconds faster than last time, and I went 10# heavier on the DLs this time. Did the runs on the treadmill set at a 7:40 pace. The last 400m run was a real killer. I caved and slowed the pace. That's one thing about the treadmill - it keeps you honest. You have to make a conscious decision to slow down. My splits this time were also more even. Last time they were 4:13/4:52/6:06. Overall, I'm pleased with the effort.

Cash out: Pigeon pose (1:00 each side); Iguana stretch

Tabatas and Strength Work

Friday 1 May 09:

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 OHS with broomstick
10 ab-ball crunches
5 pushups
10 supermans

WOD: "Tabata Something Else"

For twenty seconds do as many reps of the assigned exercise as you can - then rest 10 seconds. Repeat this seven more times for a total of 8 intervals, 4 minutes total exercise. The score is the least number of reps for any of the eight intervals.

KB swings (25#): 13-14-13-13-13-13-13-12 = 104
Pushups: 20-13-9-9-9-7-6-7 = 80
Situps: 16-17-17-17-17-16-16-16 = 132
Squats: 16-17-15-14-14-15-12-14 = 117

Lows = 46
Total reps = 433

Wow. This sucks. I haven't done this particular combination of exercises before, but the last time I did these exercises in a tabata format, my numbers were better. I did more KB swings this time (104 vs 82), but I did fewer pushups (80 vs 92), situps (132 vs 154) and squats (117 vs 146). Granted, I went out like gangbusters on the first set of pushups, but still... No excuse for the situps and squats.

Cash out: 10 DH pullups when I went to the Y to pick up KAD.


Monday 4 May 09:

Buy-in: 1 round CFWU (subbed iguana stretch for Samson stretch)

WOD: Back squats and bench presses

Back squats 5 x 3

Warmup sets:

• 5 x 45#
• 5 x 65#
• 5 x 95#
• 3 x 105#

Work sets:

• 3 x 115#
• 3 x 115#
• 3 x 120#
• 3 x 120#
• 3 x 120#

Squats felt pretty good, but I'm feeling the need for another form check. Also wondering if I should go ahead and increase the weight, or wait until I lift 120# for sets across.

Bench presses 3 x 5

Warmup sets:

• 5 x 45#
• 5 x 65#
• 3 x 80#

Work sets:

• 3 x 5 @ 90#

Struggled to get 5 reps on all three sets. Too much warmup? This still matches my 5RM, but I thought I might be a little farther along on weight.

Cash out: 3:00 plank hold (boring....)

Maybe I'll get into the Zone

My diet is terrible, at least compared to that of most Crossfitters. I don't Paleo (still a bit extreme for me) and I don't do Zone (has always seemed a bit too OCD for me). My biggest concessions to watching my diet tend to be cutting back on processed foods, and becoming aware of the fact that I probably eat too much sugar and too many starchy carbs.

I've seen Dr. Sears' Zone diet book a number of times in the bookstore, but have never really felt compelled to pick it up. But today, Hubby and I went to the used book fair over at LJVM Coliseum, and I saw it in a box in the Diet and Health section. Two bucks. I thought, "What the hell, I'll get a copy - it couldn't hurt."

The book is still sitting in the bag. I've been looking at it all evening, but haven't been able to bring myself to open it. I finally realized why: I'm too flippin' lazy to deal with my diet, and I'm afraid the book will make me want to deal with my diet. I don't want guilt about the crap that I eat; I want to enjoy that bag of Utz Crab Chips without a little nag in the back of my head saying "You know, you really shouldn't eat that shit." Right now, my response to the voice is "STFU, I'd like a little peace with my beer."

So. The book taunts me. But it's a book, which means I will eventually give in and take it out of the bag. It looks new. The previous owner probably decided that being morbidly obese was preferable to trying the Zone. But we'll see.

Wednesday 29 April 09:

Buy-in: 2 rounds
BTB squats, 5 x 45#
Presses, 5 x 35#
Good mornings, 5 x 35#
2 reps Bear complex, 35#

WOD: Presses and Deadlifts

Presses 7 x 1

Warmup sets:

• 5 x 45#
• 3 x 55 #

Work sets:

• 1 x 65#
• 1 x 75# (f)
• 1 x 70#
• 1 x 75# (PR)
  
• 1 x 77.5# (f)
• 1 x 75#
• 1 x 75#

I got pissed when I missed my first try at 75#. I dropped to 70# to get my head on straight, then knocked out the 75# with no problem. The failure at 77.5 pissed me off enough to knock out the last two at 75#.

Deadlifts 5 x 3

Warmup sets:

• 5 x 95#
• 5 x 115#
• 5 x 135#

Work sets:

• 3 x 155#
• 3 x 157.5
• 3 x 167.5#
• 3 x 170#
• 3 x 170#

Definitely a new 3RM. The half-pound increments came from the retainer rings holding the plates on the bar. Convenient way to add a few pounds at a time. I need to take some video of my DLs, because I'd really like to have some feedback on them.

Born to run...barefoot

I've been intrigued by the idea of barefoot running ever since last fall, when I read Adam Sternbergh's article "You Walk Wrong" in NY Magazine. I tried it a time or two last fall, but the weather quickly got too cold to do it on a regular basis. I put in the back of my mind and forgot about it until a few days ago, when I saw two more articles - in Popular Mechanics and the Daily Mail - about barefoot running and the problems with modern running shoes.

This past weekend, I was talking to the father of one of KAD's soccer teammates, who was concerned about his daughter's running stride. She's a tall lanky kid who runs with a very long heel-to-toe stride. Most soccer players run on their toes with small quick steps that allow them control the ball and turn with it quickly. I mentioned the articles to him and suggested that he try having her run barefoot. Then I ended up mentioning it to a couple of other parents and decided "Before I tell people more about this, I really need to try it myself."

So yesterday evening, I took advantage of the beautiful weather to run barefoot at the soccer park.

Tuesday 28 April 09:

Buy-in: Handstand and cartwheel practice. I discovered that I cannot kick up to a handstand without a wall, and that I can't do a decent cartwheel if I don't lead with my left hand.

WOD: 3 x 5:00 Running

3x5 min intervals w/2min recovery between rounds. Hold maximal distance possible on each of the 5 min rounds.
Foul if you get slower or lose distance on each round.
Foul = 2 min Isometric Squat hold.

Distances: ~2.4 laps/~2.5 laps/~2.5 laps

Because I only ran around one field, as opposed to the measured course at the park, I have no idea how far this is in meters. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say roughly 800m.

Cash out: Taking a page from DC's logbook:
3 rounds
20m bear crawl
20m crab walk
Forgot to time it....

Okay. I have come to the conclusion that "jogging" is a phenomenon created solely by the modern running shoe. You cannot "jog" - that is, move with that slow, shuffling gait in which the feet barely leave the ground - when you are barefoot. You must lift your legs and pick up your feet when you run barefoot. To do otherwise is painful, even on grass.

I felt like I was learning to run all over again. That's ridiculous, right? Running should be a natural motion, so why did I feel like I was starting from scratch? It took several minutes for me to settle into a comfortable rhythm, which entailed lifting my knees and taking smaller, quicker steps. Which, of course, is a little more strenuous than my normal gait and made me tire faster. Also, you (obviously) have to pay attention to where you step, lest your unsuspecting foot come down onto a burr, rock or some kind of organic land mine.

I don't mean to leave the impression that this was a bad experience. On the contrary, it was quite exhilarating. I have some DOMs in my calves and feet, which was to be expected since those muscles don't get used like that very often. But I will definitely be doing more barefoot running, especially as the weather gets warmer. It will probably be confined to grassy areas while my feet build up a tolerance, and I honestly don't ever see myself running barefoot on roads or trails. A good pair of Nike Frees may be my next equipment purchase. Until then, my old Sambas or Rocketdogs will probably serve as my running shoes.

The Dirty 35

I have never completed a Filthy Fifty, primarily because I like to keep my non-CFE WODs (even the chippers) under 30 minutes if possible. So when the Filthy Fifty shows up on the main page, it's automatically a scaled WOD for me. I've done it as the Dirty 30 and the Dirty 35, but because my scaling and subs are always a little different, I have no basis to determine whether or not I'm actually improving when I do this WOD.

Buy-in: 3 rounds
10 air squats
10 swiss ball crunches
10 bench dips
10 supermans
Iguana stretch

WOD: "The Dirty 35"

For time:
35 Box jumps (20")
35 jumping pullups
35 KB swings (25#)
35 steps walking lunge
35 KTEs (subbed V-ups)
35 push presses (subbed HSPUs)
35 back extensions (subbed supermans)
35 Wallball shots (subbed 25# KB thrusters)
35 burpees
35 Double-unders

Time - 23:20

The subs were necessary mainly because I was doing this WOD on my patio. Pullups were from under the stairs leading up to my deck. This was the first time I've actually done double-unders as part of a WOD, and I was pretty pleased with them. I still can't do them consecutively, but I was able to get into a good rhythm of single-double-single-double.

Cash out: Pigeon pose, :30 each side
3 x Iguana stretch

It's just the blog that's behind, I promise!

I've been working out, just not posting. Soccer has been consuming my life again, and it doesn't look like it will stop munching until after Memorial Day. Poor KAD's schedule last week went something like this:

Saturday, April 18: 2 games, 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM
Sunday, April 19: 1 game, 9:45 AM
Monday, April 20: Training, 5:00 PM
Tuesday, April 21: Game, 7:00 PM
Wednesday, April 22: Training, 5:00 PM
Thursday, April 23: Game, 6:30 PM
Friday, April 24: Travel to Asheville
Saturday, April 25: 2 games, 10:00 AM and 2:30. On-field temp at the 2:30 game was over 95 degrees - it's amazing how hot artificial turf gets.
Sunday, April 26: 1 game, 10:30 AM. Travel home afterwards.

By Saturday evening, KAD was wrung out. She had a dehydration headache and got sick in the back of my van. I cleaned it up as best I could, but there was only so much I could do with a couple of old towels and some Lysol. So in addition to everything else, we spent the remainder of the weekend driving around in a car that smelled like Febreze and vomit. Lovely.

Anyway, I did manage a semi-regular workout schedule for the week.

Monday, 20 April 09:

Buy-in: CFWU (no Sampson stretch)

WOD: CFE Lactate Shuttle

5:00 on/2:30 off; 6:00 on/3:00 off; 7:00 on.

Distance: ~2.9 miles

I covered roughly the same distance as the last time I did this WOD, which was back in September sometime. Walked during the rest intervals. I felt pretty good despite the fact that I haven't worked endurance for a while. I suspect my increased strength is enabling me to cover the same amount of distance even with the lack of recent endurance training.

Cash out: 2 x Sampson stretch, :30 each side.
Pigeon pose, :30 each side
Iguana stretch

Tuesday, 21 April 09:

Buy-in: Handstand holds (freestanding): :5/:8/:3/:5/:7
Timed these using the highly accurate "1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi...." method.

WOD: 5 x 5 Back squats and presses, alternating sets

Warm-up sets (squats):

• 8 x 45#
• 8 x 65#
• 3 x 95#
• 3 x 105#

Work sets:

• 5 x 115# squat
• 5 x 50# press
• 5 x 115# squat
• 5 x 55# press
• 5 x 115# squat
• 5 x 60# press
• 5 x 115# squat
• 5 x 65# press
• 5 x 115# squat
• 5 x 65# press

Rested 3-4 minutes between sets, so this took me a while. Which, of course, made me nervous because it was lunchtime and I had to get back to work. The last couple of reps of the last two sets (both exercises) were extremely ugly - marginal depth on the squats and really struggled to lock out on the presses. Still not ready to progress past 115# on the 5 x 5 squats, and need to work up to sets across at 65# for presses.

Cash out: 5 x kipping pullups
3 x slow deadhang pullups (CTB)


Saturday, 25 April 09:

Buy-in: 2 rounds
15 air squats
15 situps
15 pushups
10 walking lunges

WOD: 5 x 400m runs

Did these on the treadmill in the hotel. I just set the speed to 8.3 mph (roughly 6:58/mile) and ran.

Cash out: Assisted pistols, 10 each leg.

Death by KB, Deadlifts, Helen...Oh my!

Since I've fallen behind on my posting, I have several days' worth of workouts to report on. The good news is that I've been feeling more motivated to work out, especially as the weather gets nicer. I'm still struggling a bit with time, but I put the workout bag in the car and I'm determined to take advantage of whatever time I have.

Thursday, 9 April 09

Buy-in: 3 x handstand holds :35/:29/:20

I can consistently hold a freestanding HS for about 5 - 8 seconds. I am still relying too much on the wall. Need to learn to kick up and hold without it.

WOD: "Death by Kettlebell Swings" Hat Tip: Melissa Byers at Crossfit 603

Do one swing the first minute, two swings the second minute, etc, etc until you cannot do the required number of swings in the minute allowed.

Total - 25 rounds + 15 swings (340 total swings)

All swings were Russian swings with a 1-pood bell. I got all the way through round 23 unbroken. Round 24 was two sets of 12 and Round 25 was 12/8/5. Ran out of gas in the next minute, only getting three sets of 5.

Cash out: 30 pushups on dumbells, extended ROM.
Pigeon pose, 1:00 ea side


Monday, 13 April 09

Buy-in: BTB squats, 3 x 8 @ 65#

WOD: Deadlifts 3 x 5

• Warmup sets: 5 x 95#, 5 x 115#, 3 x 135#
• Work sets: 3 x 5 @ 148# (80%)

Cash out: Shower and dress for time - 8:52


Friday, 17 April 09

Buy-in: 2 rounds
10 air squats
10 situps
10 pushups
5 MB cleans (20#)
10 supermans

WOD: "Helen"

3 rounds for time of:
400m run
21 KB swings (1 pood)
12 pullups

Time - 11:50 (PR) (3:26/3:56/4:26)

My last Helen time was 13:37, back on 21 Nov 08. PR by 1:47! Plus, this Helen was Rx'd - last time I did it with a 25# DB. So while it's still not quite to the Level II benchmark, I'm still very pleased with this effort. All the KB swings were unbroken, but I could never string together more than 4 pullups in a row. So pullups and run times are going to have to be better to get any significant time drops.

Cash out: Soccer drills with KAD (which mostly involved me standing in the goal while she took shots at me)


Saturday, 18 April 09

Buy-in: 4 x handstand holds - did not time these, but concentrated on trying to do them freestanding. Actually walked around the living room a bit while trying to keep my balance.

WOD: Living Room Special

21-15-9
Goblet squats (25#)
KB swings (25#)
Pushups

Time - 4:43

Still hurtin' from yesterday's Helen. Managed to get all squats and swings done unbroken, but never got more than 10 straight pushups.

Cash out: 30 hollow rocks


Whew! Need to be better about posting daily.

Pity Party, lack of motivation, whatever...this has to stop

Been suffering from a severe lack of motivation lately. I haven't been able to identify any particular cause for it - I've just been letting my normally weak "I don't wanna work out today" thoughts take control of my life.

Some of it may be those old culprits: lack of time and my unpredictable schedule. The weather has been wreaking havoc with my daughter's soccer schedule. I'll get an email at 3:00 that her 5:00 practice has been moved from one side of the county to the other because of wet fields, or that the game she was supposed to have has been canceled (again). I'm a pretty flexible person, but I can only handle so many changes on the fly. A workout that I have planned for her normal practice field won't happen if the location changes, because I can't go home to change and pick her up - my dad has to bring her to my office and we go to the backup field from here. I'll work out on a wet field in my gym clothes, but not in my work clothes. If it's raining and she practices at the sportsplex, there's no space to work out - it's a small facility and it's almost literally butt-to-nut with parents and players.

Hubby's work schedule doesn't help. If KAD has a game, he takes Son to High Point for his practices. But if KAD's game is canceled, Hubby generally does not want to leave work early (his workplace is 45-50 minutes from the house), which means any free time generated by the canceled game is erased by 3 hours I have to spend in High Point. I guess the real solution is for me to just keep a workout bag in my car all the time. I hate doing that, but it's starting to look like the only way to get in any type of workout. I'm just so tired of fighting the changes all the time.

Okay, pity party over. My bag is in the car today, and I am going directly to the Y after work.

Running on empty

One of the things that I find difficult is figuring out how much to eat pre-workout, as well as the timing of the pre-workout meal. If I could get my ass out of bed and work out in the morning, this wouldn't be an issue - the pre-workout meal would be whatever was consumed before bedtime the previous evening. So much of what I eat pre-workout is dependent on what I will actually be doing. If I'm lifting, a piece of fruit or a little yogurt an hour or so before is fine. For a metcon - especially a heavy metcon - I haven't figured it out yet. I've met Pukie once during a metcon and he's peeked his head in the door during others on numerous occasions.

But running is the worst. I know from years of running that I really can't put anything (other than cold water) in my stomach within 3-4 hours of a run. To do so invites nausea, cramps, side stitches and general misery. But by the end of most of my runs, I feel like I have no gas in the tank.

Now, that didn't happen during yesterday's 5K - I was really cooking by the end of the run. But my fuel in that case came from an entirely different source, which I will elaborate on in a bit.

WOD 8 April 09:

Buy-in: 2 rounds Official Crossfit Warmup (no pullups, bench dips)

WOD: Run 5K

Time - 28:16

Did the run in a 5:00 on/1:00 off pattern, walking during the "rest" period.

I negative-split this run - out in 14:30, back in 13:46. Not really unusual, except that the 13:46 split included at least 2 - 3 minutes of total stoppage. Why? Because that's how long it took me to get my wits back together and start running again after almost being hit by a truck. The last mile of my run was fueled completely by adrenaline.

Cash out: None. Too freaked out and also had to go pick up KAD.

I live in a fairly typical suburban area - you know, the sprawling kind where growth and development outpaced any type of reasonable plan for it. Sidewalks are few and far between, and speed limits on most of the roads around my house are 35 or 45 mph. My 5K route takes me along a where the speed limit is 45 and the shoulder almost non-existent in spots. I was going around a curve, running in the grass about 3 feet off the road, when a pickup came flying around the curve. The driver was talking on his phone and not paying a bit of attention, his front wheel in the grass. I had to jump out of his way and I swear I felt his bumper brush my T-shirt. He didn't even slow down...completely oblivious. If he had hit me, I suspect he wouldn't even have stopped.