Yesterday, on my last day of employment at LA Fitness, one of my favorite clients (who I've become friends with) trained with me. Her name is Hayley, she's in the US Army, and before she'd left for re-activation, I helped her lose 20 pounds. Unfortunately, a condition she "acquired" from being blown up in Iraq a year earlier (she lost her entire company over there...every one of them died, except for her...and she came pretty close) kept her from active duty upon return to the Army. So they put her in the reserves. As a result, she has to prepare for a Physical Fitness Test in a month. So, we decided to do the standard Army PT exercises to see where she stood (and I wanted to know how I'd score on the test). Her requirements were 17 pushups and 52 situps. She got 20 pushups, but only got 36 situps. Almost there...but she's got some work to do. We skipped the run part. She didn't want to run. I got 87 pushups and 75 situps. I would estimate my 2-mile run at 13:00 or under.
My scores would have been:
Pushups - 87 - 100+% (75 is 100%)
Situps - 75 - 99% (76 is 100%)
Run - 13:00 - 100+% (13:18 is 100%)
Total score - 299
S0...that makes me happy. :) 299 out of 300 for a first try!
Now...on to the anxiety part. Coincidentally, my OTHER friend Haley (no extra Y) deploys today. She'll be in Kuwait for a while, and then Iraq. I won't see her for over a year. I won't be able to talk to her for at least 6 weeks. I'm scared/nervous for her (and sad for myself cuz I won't be able to talk about CF and other fun stuff with her)...but so excited to see what she experiences there. Still, I'm having major anxiety over it. I didn't expect to be feeling this way. I'm having more trouble with it than I initially expected. She and I have become much closer friends over the past couple years. I lost my soul sister this year to breast cancer. I lost a close friend to brain cancer last year. I can't imagine losing another close friend to terrorists in the coming one. The thought of going to a sad military funeral makes me close my eyes and scream inside.
20091028
20091014
Upping My Game
Fifth Overall. How crazy is that? I totally didn't expect it. I also was surprised to see I won my age group. Where did all this happen you ask?
This past Sunday, I decided to do the Ace of Hearts 15K in Clearwater, as a tune-up for Marine Corps Marathon...just to see how my endurance is holding up (or should I say, how it is returning). I'm happy to say that it's almost back to where it should be! I still have a little work to do, as well as some mental confidence training to accomplish. But it's all starting to fall into place again.
For Sunday's run, my goal was to just go out and see how my breathing, heart rate, and endurance stacked up since I've started training harder for running. I wanted to see, also, how CrossFitting like a madman these past couple weeks has affected my muscular endurance. I wrote the following in my BT blog about it.
It was very hot...about 80 degrees and high humidity...at the start. The race started at the bottom of an overpass and went up immediately. After that it was flat with a few false flats for about 4 miles. On the way back there was a 10% climb and the overpass again, which brought the distance to 6 miles. It turned out that Mile 6 was pretty much all uphill.
Another flat out and back for three miles finished the race. My pace was all over the place. I took a gel at Mile 3 and felt good...but REALLY needed one at Mile 6, which you can see by my pace. At Mile 7 I saw a guy gaining on me and didn't wanna lose my top 5 overall placement so I turned it up. I'd noticed he was gaining on me when my pace fell into the 7's...so I figured he must be running about 7 flat. I thought if I just keep my pace under 7, I'd stay ahead of him. I was right. As my pace increased, so did my interval. I managed to stay ahead of him but he wasn't far behind. So I made sure to keep my effort high.
About 8 miles in, I was really feelin' it. I had taken my last gel at Mile 6 and I needed some nutrition. I was at the last aid station so this time I took Gatorade. I'd only taken water up til that point. I was almost done but I was afraid I'd lose my position if I let my effort get any lower.
At Mile 9 I thought I was gonna throw up. My pace was still about 6:40 but my effort was thru the roof. Only 0.3 to go... I came into the park and looked behind me. I was far enough in front of the 6th place guy that I knew I'd just be able to cruise thru the finish chute without a sprint, so I didn't sprint...I most assuredly would have thrown up. 1:03:33 was on the clock when I passed thru. New 15K PR by almost 5 minutes!!
I am attributing all this power/speed return to my focus on running, my giving up pure bodybuilding, and increasing my CrossFit volume. Today I wanted to have a long sweaty workout so I made up my own.
I'm calling this one "The Continuum"...
100 jumprope
Row 400m
21 pullups
15 clean and jerk, 95#
9 burpees
Row 300m
21 pushups
15 snatch, 95#
9 weighted jumping lunges, 2x10# plates
Row 200m
21 situps
15 overhead squat, 70#
9 weighted vertical jumps, 2x10# plates
Row 100m
21 squats
15 KB/DB swing, 1.5pood/55#
9 thrusters, 70#
100 jumprope
19:41 was my total time. It was exactly what I needed. I will continue to do CF right thru my MCM taper but I'll do easier, less taxing workouts. I still wanna sweat though.
This past Sunday, I decided to do the Ace of Hearts 15K in Clearwater, as a tune-up for Marine Corps Marathon...just to see how my endurance is holding up (or should I say, how it is returning). I'm happy to say that it's almost back to where it should be! I still have a little work to do, as well as some mental confidence training to accomplish. But it's all starting to fall into place again.
For Sunday's run, my goal was to just go out and see how my breathing, heart rate, and endurance stacked up since I've started training harder for running. I wanted to see, also, how CrossFitting like a madman these past couple weeks has affected my muscular endurance. I wrote the following in my BT blog about it.
It was very hot...about 80 degrees and high humidity...at the start. The race started at the bottom of an overpass and went up immediately. After that it was flat with a few false flats for about 4 miles. On the way back there was a 10% climb and the overpass again, which brought the distance to 6 miles. It turned out that Mile 6 was pretty much all uphill.
Another flat out and back for three miles finished the race. My pace was all over the place. I took a gel at Mile 3 and felt good...but REALLY needed one at Mile 6, which you can see by my pace. At Mile 7 I saw a guy gaining on me and didn't wanna lose my top 5 overall placement so I turned it up. I'd noticed he was gaining on me when my pace fell into the 7's...so I figured he must be running about 7 flat. I thought if I just keep my pace under 7, I'd stay ahead of him. I was right. As my pace increased, so did my interval. I managed to stay ahead of him but he wasn't far behind. So I made sure to keep my effort high.
About 8 miles in, I was really feelin' it. I had taken my last gel at Mile 6 and I needed some nutrition. I was at the last aid station so this time I took Gatorade. I'd only taken water up til that point. I was almost done but I was afraid I'd lose my position if I let my effort get any lower.
At Mile 9 I thought I was gonna throw up. My pace was still about 6:40 but my effort was thru the roof. Only 0.3 to go... I came into the park and looked behind me. I was far enough in front of the 6th place guy that I knew I'd just be able to cruise thru the finish chute without a sprint, so I didn't sprint...I most assuredly would have thrown up. 1:03:33 was on the clock when I passed thru. New 15K PR by almost 5 minutes!!
I am attributing all this power/speed return to my focus on running, my giving up pure bodybuilding, and increasing my CrossFit volume. Today I wanted to have a long sweaty workout so I made up my own.
I'm calling this one "The Continuum"...
100 jumprope
Row 400m
21 pullups
15 clean and jerk, 95#
9 burpees
Row 300m
21 pushups
15 snatch, 95#
9 weighted jumping lunges, 2x10# plates
Row 200m
21 situps
15 overhead squat, 70#
9 weighted vertical jumps, 2x10# plates
Row 100m
21 squats
15 KB/DB swing, 1.5pood/55#
9 thrusters, 70#
100 jumprope
19:41 was my total time. It was exactly what I needed. I will continue to do CF right thru my MCM taper but I'll do easier, less taxing workouts. I still wanna sweat though.
20091008
The Closer I Come to DEATH, The Better I Feel!
I'm so psyched up today about my CF return that I just had to make ANOTHER post today.
The past few days I've really gone hardcore with my CrossFitting. I am kinda bored with the regular old workouts. I have become a HUGE fan of mashups, chippers, and multi-round workouts. Yes, 99% of CF's workouts are multi-round...but I'm talking about MEGA-multi-round stuff...like 7 rounds...10 rounds...stuff like that.
For example...
Tuesday
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of-
95# hang power clean
Situps
Pushups
Wednesday
"THE RAMSTEIN"
For time...
Row 500m
25 Pullups
20 KB/DB Swings (1.5pood KB/55lb DB)
15 Overhead squats, 65lb barbell
10 Burpees
Run 400m
10 Burpees
15 Overhead squats
20 KB/DB swings
25 PullupsRow
500m
This one was absolute HELL...and I frickin' loved it!!
Thursday
For time:
50 situps
Then, with a 65lb barbell...
5 rounds of-
5 burpee cleans
4 split jerks
3 overhead squats
2 split snatches
1 hang power snatch
1 shuttle run (50m)
Then...
50 pushups
During the pushups, I actually fell on my face because I was just completely exhausted...I could not even hold myself up. The last 15 out of the 50 pushups were in sets of 5, I just couldn't get any more out. After it was over I couldn't move...I just lay on my back trying to breathe.
Tomorrow, I wanna do this...
(Thanks Wayne!)
“THE MAXIMUS”
For time:
800m Run
15 Clean & Jerks 115 lbs
50 Pullups
50 Dips
30 Burpees
75 DU’s
15 Snatches 115 lbs
30 Toes to Bar
30 KB Thrusters 35’s
75m Backwards Bench Drag
I.
FREAKING.
LOVE.
CROSSFIT.
The past few days I've really gone hardcore with my CrossFitting. I am kinda bored with the regular old workouts. I have become a HUGE fan of mashups, chippers, and multi-round workouts. Yes, 99% of CF's workouts are multi-round...but I'm talking about MEGA-multi-round stuff...like 7 rounds...10 rounds...stuff like that.
For example...
Tuesday
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of-
95# hang power clean
Situps
Pushups
Wednesday
"THE RAMSTEIN"
For time...
Row 500m
25 Pullups
20 KB/DB Swings (1.5pood KB/55lb DB)
15 Overhead squats, 65lb barbell
10 Burpees
Run 400m
10 Burpees
15 Overhead squats
20 KB/DB swings
25 PullupsRow
500m
This one was absolute HELL...and I frickin' loved it!!
Thursday
For time:
50 situps
Then, with a 65lb barbell...
5 rounds of-
5 burpee cleans
4 split jerks
3 overhead squats
2 split snatches
1 hang power snatch
1 shuttle run (50m)
Then...
50 pushups
During the pushups, I actually fell on my face because I was just completely exhausted...I could not even hold myself up. The last 15 out of the 50 pushups were in sets of 5, I just couldn't get any more out. After it was over I couldn't move...I just lay on my back trying to breathe.
Tomorrow, I wanna do this...
(Thanks Wayne!)
“THE MAXIMUS”
For time:
800m Run
15 Clean & Jerks 115 lbs
50 Pullups
50 Dips
30 Burpees
75 DU’s
15 Snatches 115 lbs
30 Toes to Bar
30 KB Thrusters 35’s
75m Backwards Bench Drag
I.
FREAKING.
LOVE.
CROSSFIT.
The Insane VO2 Max is BACK!!!!
CrossFit has done it again I tell you.
About two weeks ago, I was genuinely nervous about Marine Corps Marathon. My running, because of my insistence (earlier in the year) on bodybuilding, had become slower and less efficient. It was when I had trouble keeping a previously "slow" pace for three miles that I realized I was going in the wrong direction. The last "nail in the coffin" was when I realized I'd stopped PR'ing in everything I did. I don't expect to PR in every race, but there were certain races I should have been faster in (case in point, the bike at Crystal River...I averaged 23.8mph last year and only 23.4 this year...it should have been well over 24).
I'm STRONG...but I'm not efficient. The good news is, the efficiency is returning. I've returned to CrossFit and have been doing more and more difficult workouts. I've stopped bodybuilding altogether in the last month and have been concentrating more on power, speed, and endurance. Sure I can still get stronger doing these things (clean and jerk requires strength as well as power), and I can still push up heavy weight doing bench presses...it IS a CrossFit move.
Last night my 5 mile run was supposed to be run at 7:30 pace...but my effort level was almost too low at that pace and I wound up running faster. 7:13 was my overall pace for the run and I felt great. In true CrossFitQ fashion, I immediately dropped and did 50 pushups, all in one set, after I finished running.
Not only is my efficiency, VO2max, and endurance returning...so is my confidence. This is big since I've been worried about my ability to reach my overall marathon season goal...run a BQ-worthy time (that's 3:15:59 or better) at every ROAD marathon I do this season. It doesn't count for trail marathons which will obviously be slower but road marathons need to be fast and efficient. Plus, I'd like to better my marathon PR at Gasparilla in 2010, since this year I ran 5 minutes shy of it (3:11 in '09...3:06 in '08). So, my training needs to be focused and goal-oriented. For this reason, I've shut down my idea for my "three-day Ironman" that I was gonna do at the end of November. Too much swimming and biking will reorient my focus in a direction I don't need to go in right now. My efficiency still isn't at 100%...but I'm confident that by the end of this month...by Marine Corps Marathon day...it will be pretty damn close to it.
It's time for CrossFit and running. That's what October thru February is all about. So THAT is what I'm gonna concentrate on. Or I'll kick myself in the ass come Gaspy day.
About two weeks ago, I was genuinely nervous about Marine Corps Marathon. My running, because of my insistence (earlier in the year) on bodybuilding, had become slower and less efficient. It was when I had trouble keeping a previously "slow" pace for three miles that I realized I was going in the wrong direction. The last "nail in the coffin" was when I realized I'd stopped PR'ing in everything I did. I don't expect to PR in every race, but there were certain races I should have been faster in (case in point, the bike at Crystal River...I averaged 23.8mph last year and only 23.4 this year...it should have been well over 24).
I'm STRONG...but I'm not efficient. The good news is, the efficiency is returning. I've returned to CrossFit and have been doing more and more difficult workouts. I've stopped bodybuilding altogether in the last month and have been concentrating more on power, speed, and endurance. Sure I can still get stronger doing these things (clean and jerk requires strength as well as power), and I can still push up heavy weight doing bench presses...it IS a CrossFit move.
Last night my 5 mile run was supposed to be run at 7:30 pace...but my effort level was almost too low at that pace and I wound up running faster. 7:13 was my overall pace for the run and I felt great. In true CrossFitQ fashion, I immediately dropped and did 50 pushups, all in one set, after I finished running.
Not only is my efficiency, VO2max, and endurance returning...so is my confidence. This is big since I've been worried about my ability to reach my overall marathon season goal...run a BQ-worthy time (that's 3:15:59 or better) at every ROAD marathon I do this season. It doesn't count for trail marathons which will obviously be slower but road marathons need to be fast and efficient. Plus, I'd like to better my marathon PR at Gasparilla in 2010, since this year I ran 5 minutes shy of it (3:11 in '09...3:06 in '08). So, my training needs to be focused and goal-oriented. For this reason, I've shut down my idea for my "three-day Ironman" that I was gonna do at the end of November. Too much swimming and biking will reorient my focus in a direction I don't need to go in right now. My efficiency still isn't at 100%...but I'm confident that by the end of this month...by Marine Corps Marathon day...it will be pretty damn close to it.
It's time for CrossFit and running. That's what October thru February is all about. So THAT is what I'm gonna concentrate on. Or I'll kick myself in the ass come Gaspy day.
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