Still Alive

So my last post was over a week ago--I promise I've not been a total slacker.  A total eater, I will admit to being!

On the day of my last post, I actually helped my friend Jason coach a fundamentals class at the Schweinfurt gym.  He had a group of 4 women, most of them with little prior athletic experience, and we worked on deadlift and push presses.  We had to work with a few pretty hard on the form, but we got everyone to an acceptable level before pressing on to the WOD.  10-9-8-7....med ball DL, push presses. It was fun to help push them through those middle rounds when everything hurt and form was miserable.  Pressed hard on slowing down and doing each move properly.  Then I did the WOD myself....

100# DL
15lb DB push press
Time was about 6 minutes.  DL's felt strong.

The next several days were spent with my best friend Nikki and Chip.  We went to Oktoberfest then spent the last few days hiking in the Alps.  Photos to come!
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A week after my last WOD, countless liters of beer later, bread, spatzel, bread, schnitzel, etc I hit the WOD "Jack" at CF Ramstein.  


"Jack"
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
115 pound Push press, 10 reps
10 KB Swings, 1.5 pood
10 Box jumps, 24 inch box
 Total Rounds--9

I used just a 45# bar, 1 pood, and a 20" boxjump.  I should have done more on the PP,  but I did all 9 rounds unbroken. KB's were also done unbroken.  The box jumps sucked---it has been a LONG time since i've done real box jumps.  They used to be in my "wheelhouse", but that is no longer.....but I powered through!   48 hours later however, I'm still super sore in my right shoulder/neck and its on fire. Also, I felt extremely sluggish, fat, bloated during this WOD.  Carbs MUST come to an end very soon.

Today I hit a 1000m swim at the pool with Chip.  The shoulder was tight and sore and sticky when rotating but I otherwise felt strong.  Some MWOD and stretching are in order for tonight!

Trail Run, Deadlifts, Swimming

I promise I've not been slacking!

Tuesday
5 mile trail run-steady rolling hills, with a small mountain at the finish
Time: 48:30 

Maintained a 9:20-9:30 mile pace until the last 1/2mile which I had to walk part of since it was super steep and super long.  I felt pretty good about this, but worried that it takes me so darn long to really get "warm".  Also, this was supposed to be an "easy" training run and I felt like I wanted to die most of the time. I'm pretty sure there will be no PR's at the Army 10-miler this year.  Last year I ran a 1:30, which was a PR and this year wanted to go sub-1:30.   Considering all I want to do is stuff my face with french fries and sugar these days, and I have no training buddies, I'll be lucky to make it out alive.  Going to hit some sprints and a six miler this week.

Wednesday
3x5 Deadlifts
95, 135, 155, 185, 205, 205

So DL's used to be my favorite.  Since my last effort, I've not wanted to even attempt them and have to stare into the fact of how weak I've become. But, you can't avoid things forever. I took the camera and took some video to check my form each round.  Wasn't great, wasn't terrible.  I wasn't thrilled with 205, it felt as heavy as shit, and 205 used to be nothing for me. I realized in the horrible aftermath or soreness that it is not so much my leg strength or even my upper body strength--its my back/core strength that I've lost so much of.  Back in the days of CFOT, my core was a ROCK, my back was super strong, and somehow all that is gone.  I think part of it is not following a strict overall lifting program and the other part is that Jerry had all these little ways to sneak in core work when you didn't even realize it during warmups, afterparty's, etc.

After party was another mile swim. I should really start adding the mile run after lifting as well as the mile swim! Took me about 26 minutes with a nice rest at the halfway point.

Thursday and Friday
Rest Days. Friday was unplanned, but sometimes that where life takes ya.

Saturday
More swimming.  Went with Chip and we just swam laps to get in some exercise. I know I did more than 1600m, but stopped counting after that! :)

"LUCE" and some other stuff

After my evaluation for the month, and a little planning, I decided I was going to just follow some mainsite WODs and add some running, swimming, and biking as I see fit.

Tuesday
"LUCE"
Wearing a 20 pound vest, 3RFT
1K Run
10 Muscle-ups
100 Squats

What I love about Crossfit is that it is scalable. That is just what I did.  (1) Ditch the vest...yea right. (2) Scale muscle ups to 3:1 pullups/dips. (3) 90PU and 90 dips unassisted was not going to happen, at least on the equipment I had.  I used my red band for dips and the pullup machine for assisted PUs.  Got to start somewhere. I was just doing this workout to finish it--it took me 49:50.  Pathetic, I know, but my quads are still hurting today from 300 airsquats and the 3k run. Back to the basics, right? And, I love to honor our fallen heroes.  When my quads are burning beyond belief and sweat is stinging my eyes, I think about how Luce suffered.  When my triceps give out and I snap the band in my face, I don't quit, I get back up there and finish my dips, his family is hurting far worse than I. I say a prayer for all of our fallen soldier, marines, and airmen and all those who continue to fight for our nation.

Wednesdy
For time:
225 pound Back squat, 20 reps
40 Toes to bar
60 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood

Again, scaled! Back squats were miserable after 300 squats from the day before. Only hit 85lbs, but I haven't back squatted in what 3 months? My quads were fried. FRIED I say. Toes to bars were done in sets of 10, 10, 5, 5, 5, 5 and KB were scaled to 44lb for the first 30, then scaled back again (35#) because my back was in pain.

Thursday
Quads still hurt. Hard to sit. Hot outside.

WOD
2k swim!  Just got in the pool and swam. Felt amazing.