Fitness-10/17/09-"Mini -Cindy" and "DT"

Saturday WOD

My body was hurting today and it probably would have been best if I'd just taken the day off. But, we were hosting a free class out at a gym in Ferndale and in order to give folks a taste for the intensity that a CrossFit wod offers, two other coaches and myself decided to exercise along side the new folks and then give them a demo after. It was rough. 

"Cindy" was up for the class and we started the wod with them in order to show them a mean pace and get 'em off and running and pushing themselves hard but we (the coaches) stopped after 5 rounds to keep some gas for "DT." To tell you the truth, I would've been good to call it a day. After the class finished "Cindy" though, we went after "DT" to give them a good look at a strength biased wod after they'd just been through a body-weight focused workout.  "DT" is 5 rounds for time of:

-12 x deadlift, 155#

-9 x hang power clean, 155#

-6 x push jerk, 155#

time=14:28 

This one killed me. I've done it once before and finished right about 8:30. But that was a few months and 30 pounds ago and I tell ya what, I'm not sure if I could challenge that time now no matter how good I felt. 155# hasn't felt as heavy as it did today since I was in middle school. I had the hardest time with my grip failing on the hangs and going overhead felt like 185. My work capacity is certainly the best it's ever been but I've noticed my strength decline with my weight loss and it really showed today. I'm starting to get stronger again though and will be continuing to focus a lot of effort doing so. I'll look to try this one again in the next month or two.

Fitness-10/16/09-"Double Jumping Annie"

Friday WOD

Today was a variation of "Annie." "Double Jumping Annie" was 5 rounds for time, 50-40-30-20-10, of:

-box jumps, 24"

-doubleunders

-situps

time=15:16

I was pretty much unbroken on the first round and then fatigue set in and I coasted the rest of the way, took it easy on myself. I think more than anything, I started to feel a demanding week of exercise catch up to me after a very poor week of rest and nutrition. Time to shape up.

Nutrition-10/16

Friday

sleep: 7 hours on the night

8am

-triple 16 oz. americano, black

1pm(fasted until this meal)

-6 oz. chicken breast

-1/4 cup walnuts

-large banana

-medium apple

-650mg ca, 250iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha 

5:30pm(post wod reovery)

-33g CHO

-10g Prot

-3g Glutamine

7:30pm

-Mongolian Grill and way too much food

-132 oz. water on the day

Fitness-10/15/09-overhead squats, front squats, "Jackie", ring-dips/ghd back ext

Thursday WOD

In continuing to make an effort to increase my strength, I went after some more max effort work today. My focus was the overhead squat and front squat. I started with the overhead at 5 x 5 and finished with fronts at 3 x 5. My sets looked as follows:

Overheads

-5 x 135#

-5 x 155#

-5 x 175#

-5 x 185#

-2 x 205#

Fronts

-5 x 185#

-5 x 205#

-5 x 235#

The jump to 205# on the last set of overheads was clearly too big but I felt so strong at 185, I couldn't help myself. I haven't done more than 115# overhead squat in months so I was ecstatic with this effort. I owe it all to increased core strength. I felt more stable at 185 than I remember feeling at 155 before. At 205, my core felt strong but it was actually my shoulders that failed. And just coming out of the bottom on the 3rd rep too, so close. For the fist time ever, I think I can overhead squat my body weight. Exciting. This was a big improvement on the fronts too. Last Monday, I only got 2 reps @ 235 (needed a light spot on the 3rd) and today I hit 5 unassisted and probably should have finished higher. In a few weeks, I'll look to go for a 5 x 1 on both overheads and fronts and see where I get. 

After the squats, we went after the CrossFit benchmark "Jackie" for time:

-row 1k

-50 x thrusters, 45#

-30 pullups

time=7:22 

The last, and only, time I went after this one, I finished in about 10 minutes. So today's effort was a solid improvement. But, I was off the rower and through the thrusters unbroken right around 5 minutes with a chance to finish with an elite time...and I folded. The pull-ups ended up taking me almost 2.5 minutes. I had to complete the last 15 one at a time. I was frustrated because when I got to the pulls, I still had gas, I was in the game. I made it through 8 unbroken and then tanked. You figure you should be able to do 30 pull-ups in 1-2 minutes no matter how gassed you are. Just have to keep working.

I finished the day with the following un-timed:

3 x 10 ring-dips

3 x 10 ghd back extensions

1 rope climb, no feet

Nutrition-10/15

Thursday

sleep:7 hours on the night

7am

-1 cup whole milk

-650mg ca, 250iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha

8am

-double 12 oz. americano, black

11am(fasted food until this meal)

-2 links isernio's extra lean chicken sausage

-2 hardboiled eggs

-6 oz. carrots

-medium apple

-1/4 cup walnuts

-3 chocolate turtles

-1g epa+dha

3:15pm

-5 oz. chicken breast

-1/4 cup walnuts

-3 oz. dried apricots

-2 chocolate turtles

-1g epa+dha

6:45pm(post wod recovery)

-45g CHO

-15g Prot

-4.5g Glutamine

-4 oz. chicken breast

8pm

-1 cup organic whole milk

-350mg ca, 150iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha

8:30-10:30pm(hanging with the boys)

-4 dark assorted beers, 12 oz. ea

-6 pieces of pepperoni pizza

-1 pint chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream

120 oz. water on the day

Fitness and Nutrition-10/14-Rest Day

Wednesday

I took the day to rest and it turned into quite the off day. I mean to say, I took the day off from nutrition too and never even touched the blog. I fasted the first half of the day, ate well the next quarter...and that leaves the last quarter of the day in which I ate whatever I wanted at a get together with good friends. It was a pretty undisciplined day, but one I needed. My body was hurting from the previous three days training and it felt fantastic to be inactive. In regards to nutrition, I have three more days to be sloppy and then the nutrition goes clean and regimented. So, stay tuned for some gnarly food logs through Saturday. After that point, prepare yourself for boredom as the nutrition journal straightens up. The splurging is fun but trust me, I'm stoked to go clean again and it always nice incentive to have an ulterior motive, in this case, competition. Last night's laundry list, in no particular order, included (I kept no track of amounts):

-m and m's

-chocolate caramels

-french fries

-french bread and butter 

-cheese

-salami

-12 oz. full sail lager

-apple pie 

Fitness-10/13-deadlifts, run/sit-up

Tuesday WOD

I was feeling the last couple days of training when I got to the gym today. But I was still excited when I saw deadlifts on the board because I'm getting back into strength mode and am excited to spend more time on the lifts. Today was a 5 x 3 lift aiming to finish about 90% of your 3rm. My sets looked as follows:

-3 x 295#
-3 x 315#
-3 x 365#
-3 x 365#
-3 x 365#

That last set at 365# was harder than it should have been but I still got it. I felt like I would have been good for a set of 3 about 20-30# higher today which was a nice surprise after not hitting a heavy dead in a grip. My best ever 3rm is arond 415#-425# so I'm not too far off. I feel like I'll be back to that level in no time.

After the deads, we did the following wod afap:

-run 800m
-50 x abmat situps
-run 400m
-30 x abmat situps
-run 200m
-20 x abmat situps

time=9:53

My legs were feeling it on the runs, especially after the Padden loop on Sunday, but I still put up a pretty mean pace. The sit-ups were slow, but intentionally. I performed them all unbroken and with near perfect form; maintain lumbar curve through the whole movement, shoulders touch ground each rep, butt stays on ground, touch the shoe laces. It was a good wod to un-load after the deads. My body is feeling it in a good way. I'm taking the day off on Wednesday.

Nutrition-10/13

Tuesday

sleep: 7.5 hours on the night

7:45am

-1 cup(8 oz.) organic whole milk

-3 hardboiled eggs

-2 links isernio's extra lean chicken sausage

-large banana

-2 oz. dried apricots

-650mg ca, 250iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha

9am

-double 12 oz. americano, black

11:10am

-5 oz. chicken breast

-1/4 cup walnuts

-medium apple

-5 oz. carrots

-1g epa+dha

3:15pm

-3 oz. chicken breast

-large banana

-1/4 cup walnuts

-1g epa+dha

6:30pm(post wod recovery)

-48g CHO

-15g Prot

-4.5g Glutamine

-+4 oz. chicken breast

8:30pm

-6 oz. chicken breast

-8 tbsn guacamole

-6 tbsn tj's all natural salsa

-6 oz. broccoli 

-8 oz. strawberries

-1 cup organic whole milk

-350mg ca, 150iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha

9:30pm(i got a gnarly snack tooth going and went for it)

-handful of sweedish fish

-4 oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

-couple handfuls of tortilla chips

-1 cup organic whole milk

130 oz. water on the day

Fitness-10/12-press, "Fight Gone Bad", bench press

Monday WOD

I started the day out with some much needed strength work. The press was up for improvement and I need it. I went for 5 x 5 and my sets looked as follows:

-5 x 95#

-5 x 115#

-5 x 135#

-5 x 145#, fail

-5 x 155#, fail 

I didn't get the last 2 reps at 145# but finished with push-press to slow negatives. I probably should have stayed at 145# but wanted to feel some heavier weight. At 155#, I only got 1 strict press. Pitiful. I still finished the set with push-press to slow negative. This was my first go at the press in a while, it showed. I've got a lot of work to do. 

Next up was "Fight Gone Bad." This was a revenge wod, a chance for folks who didn't do well during the fundraiser to give it another go. I had a hard time getting psyched for this one and it showed.

score=302

I came out strong in the first round and then tanked. Not sure what was up, my fitness is feeling back close to the best it's been but I didn't have it today. I missed my pr by almost 100. I'm looking forward to not seeing this one for a while. 

I finished with a little 3 x 5 bench press on the foam roller:

-5 x 185#

-5 x 205#

-5 x 225#

I'm hoping some properly timed work on the bench press will really supplement my overall press/push strength. It felt good today as this was the most I've attempted to bench press in well over a year and even though it felt heavy, it was familiar. We'll see how she goes.  

Nutrition-"The Weekend" and 10/12

The Weekend

I did some good splurging this weekend. A little over the top in retrospect but oh well. Here's the laundry list:

-pepperoni pizza

-tortilla chips and guac

-3 bbq'd hamburgers w/cheese (no bun)

-half a bratwurst (no bun)

-kettle chips

-brownies

-oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

-gummi bears

-sour patch kids

-apple cider

Monday

sleep: 7 hours on the night

7:15am

-12 oz. coffee, black

11:15am(fasted until this meal)

-6 oz. chicken breast

-6 oz. carrots

-medium apple

-650mg ca, 250iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha

3:10pm

-3 oz. chicken breast

-medium apple

-3 oz. dried apricots

-1g epa+dha

6:30pm(post wod recovery)

-66g CHO

-20g Prot

-6g Glutamine

-3 oz. chicken breast

8:30pm

-4 oz. chicken breast

-1 link isernio's extra lean chicken sausage

-1 hardboiled egg

-1/4 cup walnuts

-2 oz. dried apricots

-8 oz. strawberries

-1 cup whole milk

-350mg ca, 150iu vit d3

-1g epa+dha

-a bunch of gummy bears

-116 oz. water on the day

Fitness-10/11-"Fran", Padden Run

Sunday WOD

I just got word that there'll be a friendly CrossFit competition down at CrossFit Tacoma on November 14th and I'll be heading down to get after it! It has no bearing on next year's CrossFit Games and is nothing more than a friendly warm-up comp and a great opportunity to train for. I'll look to start incorporating some at random (most likely on Saturdays or Sundays) two-a-day wods up until that point and will also be trying to get in one good 15-30 minute run per week. Nutritionally, I'll be pretty easy on myself this week through Saturday, 10/17. That day marks 4 weeks out from the day of the comp at which point I plan on buckling down and committing to good fuel. I was feeling good today after taking the day off yesterday so I kicked off the two-a-days right. 

"Fran" was first up. I didn't know what to expect out of myself on this one and was excited for it. My work capacity is the best it's ever been but it seems like wods with pull-ups still plague me. "Fran" is 3 rounds for time, 21-15-9, of:

-thrusters, 95#

-pullups

time=4:35

I won't say I was thrilled with this result but I was pretty stoked. I had high-hopes of finishing sub-4 but my number one goal was to finish sub-5. And I did that. Last time I did this one chest-to-bar in just over 7 minutes. The time before that I did chin-over pulls and finished about the same. Today was chin-overs and an almost 3 minute improvement. Can't argue with that. 

Exactly 45 minutes after I finished "Fran," I took off around Lake Padden for a run. The trail around the lake is 2.6 miles long with some good/gentle ups and downs throughout.

time=22:00

Finished this one in 22 minutes on the dot. Going in, I thought I could run it sub-20 but really had no idea what to expect. Up until today, it'd been well over a year since I'd run more than 1 mile non-stop. We run often during wods but generally no further than 800m (1 mile in the hero wod "Murph") before moving to another exercise. When I took off on this one, I thought I had 20 minutes in the bag. It turns out, you have to run pretty damn fast to clear 2.6 miles sub-20. I finished really strong but started off at too slow a pace, thinking I was running faster than I really was. Next time (no idea when that'll be) I'll try to come out a little stronger and then hold on to finish and see if I can crack the 20 minute mark. I'm pretty confident I can.

This was a good effort today, especially considering I only put 45 minutes between the workouts. Generally, you can expect to get anywhere from about 45 minutes to 2.5 hours between workouts in a competition depending on the format. So, It's sound philosophy to train accordingly and use your multi-wod days not only to improve fitness but to experiment with recovery nutrition between wods. And after one day, considering how well I felt on the run only 45 minutes after an all-out "Fran," I think I've got it dialed. Stay tuned.