Today's WOD was "Zombieland":
800m run (Run from the zombies)
50 55lb bell swings (Hit zombie in the face with something heavy)
50 24" box jumps (Jump and stomp on zombie)
50 200lb deadlifts (Pick up dead zombie)
50 20lb wall ball (Throw zombie's head)
50 walking lunges w/45lb plate overhead (Carry buddy to safety)
800m run (Shit! More zombies)
I tried to catch D3 on the run, and even got up to his heels. Then he sped up and I gassed out. I actually stopped on the final 200m. Meaning, I didn't just stop running, but I briefly stopped moving at all, bent over with my hands on my knees, cursing my utter worthlessness. I can't remember the last time I did that mid-run.
I deserve to be eaten.
Time was 30:07.
YAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGH!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Great video explaining Paleo/Primal lifestyle
I saw this on Leya's Dechubbing blog a while back. I really like it, and wanted to be able to find it quickly, so I'm putting it on here.
It sums up, more eloquently than I can manage, why Tracey and I are trying to eat a lot healthier now (Tracey moreso than me), and how we are attempting to do so.
It sums up, more eloquently than I can manage, why Tracey and I are trying to eat a lot healthier now (Tracey moreso than me), and how we are attempting to do so.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tyler falls for "Fran"
"Fran"
For time, 21-15-9 of:
95lb thrusters
Pull-ups
Sounds simple, right? And, as far as the amount of work being called for, it isn't that much, at least not on the CrossFit scale. I mean, there are motherfuckers in the world that can finish this in around two minutes.
But in our gym, and for untold thousands of CrossFitters elsewhere, there isn't a single other workout that evokes such strong emotions from so many people. (See my previous post.)
There aren't any other workouts that would pack a gym with spectators and people who are an hour removed from their scheduled workout time on a Thursday evening (Hell, 30 Rock is on tonight, people!). For cryin' out loud, Shae had a homemade "I love Fran" T-shirt.
I'll tell you one thing: I don't love Fran. Not one fucking bit. It had been more than half a year since I had last done this workout and in the days leading up to it, I tried to convince myself that it wasn't gonna be so bad. It's a total of 45 reps of each exercise... what's the big deal?
Well, it's a big deal because we make it a big deal. For a lot of CrossFitters, your Fran time says a lot about where you are in your CrossFit journey, and when you walk into a gym on Fran Day, you know there's something in the air that's a little more intense.
I felt it when I showed up at CFR tonight. A group of the firebreather CrossFit chicks (Robin, Kelly, AngDesj, Lexi, Julie, Mandy, Leya and Leah) were four minutes into Fran, and they looked like they had been put through hell. The place was noisy with people screaming encouragement, telling them to pick that weight back up, get their hands back on that pull-up bar, just a few left, c'mon, you can do this.
I love that shit, because it gets me psyched and a little scared about what I'm about to put myself through.
I had booked myself in at the 6pm class because I decided that I needed to have time to warm up properly and that I wanted to see how others had done on the workout during the day, which are a couple of luxuries that I don't get when I sign up for an early morning class and show up five minutes late.
I tried my best to warm up and I felt alright when it was time for the 6pm class to step up. We were divided up into guys and gals. The guys were going first and we were each assigned a counter. Poppy was mine.
3-2-1 GO!!
21 thrusters
I did all of these without putting the bar down. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to do that, but I did want to get through the first big set of thrusters as soon as possible and get on the pull-up bar. Kurt later said that I was going really fast, but I remember that I did have to pause a couple of times to breathe.
21 pull-ups
I jumped up to the 8-foot bar, because I'm usually reluctant to drop off it before my sets are done. I figured, for the first set of pull-ups, I could do them all unbroken. I did, but it was ugly. First of all, instead of a clean hook grip, some of the skin of my palm was trapped between the bar and my fingers, so my grip wasn't great and I was worried about tearing. At the start, I couldn't get a good rhythm on my kipping pull-ups happening, but I was able to correct it. However, I got so distracted doing that, I lost count of my reps. "What rep am I at?!" I asked Poppy, praying that she was still counting for me. "Ten," she replied. Good... she was still counting. Fuck... I thought I had done a few more than that. I did the last 11, though I had to will myself up for that last one. It's always the last one.
15 thrusters
I glanced over at the clock before picking up the weight. 1:44. Not bad. I thought two minutes would be a good time for Round 1. People are cheering me on because it looks like I'm going to end up with a pretty good time. I can sort of hear them and it really helps, but at the same time, I'm pretty focused and can't really hear much of anything. I pick up the barbell... What the fuck... the weight was a whole lot heavier this time. Did someone add 30 lbs while I was doing pull-ups? Fuckers. I went from doing 21 straight, to three sets of five, dropping the bar after each set.
15 pull-ups
No fucking around on the 8-foot bar this time. I headed straight to the 7-footer. The advantage here is that I don't have to jump for it, and I can touch my feet to the ground briefly after each pull-up, giving my hands and arms a quick but much-needed respite. I realize this makes me less of a man, and it's something I'm working on.
9 thrusters
I can fucking taste it now. Almost done. I think it's at this point that someone, probably Chris T or maybe Franz (both of whom were giving steady encouragement and coaching through the whole time and I've gotta thank them for that the next time I see them) tells me I'm four minutes in. I do the thrusters in two sets, maybe three, I'm not quite sure. I think it takes me around 30 seconds.
9 pull-ups
Sub-five minutes is within my chalky grasp as I get over to the pull-up bar. I can't get any rhythm on these fuckers but it doesn't matter. I can do sets of one. I'm not too proud. It's me and a race against the clock, which - stupidly - I have my back to. I'm getting updates on my time and people are shouting encouragement, practically willing me to get my chin over that bar. I've got to do nine pullups. One pull-up, two... I'm chugging through them... three, four... it's gonna be close, but I've got a real shot at beating five minutes, something I used to think was superhuman... five, six, seven... and it's taking everything I have... eight... I barely got over on that one, but I've only got one more...ni... and I lose my grip mid-kip and fall to the fucking ground.
Seriously. Can you believe this shit?
I think I landed mostly flat on my back and a little on my right elbow. I'm sure it looked ugly, and it didn't feel great, either.
Chris rushes over to check on me. I push him away. "I'm fine," I tell him. At that point, I wasn't entirely convinced that I actually was, but I had one pull-up left and the clock was still ticking. I get my chin over the bar in what was probably the ugliest pull-up ever and collapse on the ground.
Time was 5:06.
After an extended period in the post-WOD roadkill position, I determine that I am not injured, though I am completely exhausted and am probably gonna have a nice bruise on my upper right ass cheek and my right elbow is a little raw from scraping. So, don't worry, Mom. The fall was probably a result of fatigued forearms and hands and a mental lapse by me not ensuring I had a firm grip on the bar. I may have been using a more aggressive kip than normal to over-compensate for my arms, which were just spent.
I'm very happy with the time. Going in, I thought I could maybe get sub-6:00, and I did quite a bit better than that. I took 2:22 of my previous Fran time and came within a sniff of getting sub-5:00, which would have put me in some very elite company in the gym. As it is, I exceeded my own expectations, though I definitely see some room for improvement.
I still don't love Fran. But I do love CrossFit.
Here's a video of some CrossFit Chicks doing Fran last February. I figure all of them would have improved on their times this go around.
For time, 21-15-9 of:
95lb thrusters
Pull-ups
Sounds simple, right? And, as far as the amount of work being called for, it isn't that much, at least not on the CrossFit scale. I mean, there are motherfuckers in the world that can finish this in around two minutes.
But in our gym, and for untold thousands of CrossFitters elsewhere, there isn't a single other workout that evokes such strong emotions from so many people. (See my previous post.)
There aren't any other workouts that would pack a gym with spectators and people who are an hour removed from their scheduled workout time on a Thursday evening (Hell, 30 Rock is on tonight, people!). For cryin' out loud, Shae had a homemade "I love Fran" T-shirt.
I'll tell you one thing: I don't love Fran. Not one fucking bit. It had been more than half a year since I had last done this workout and in the days leading up to it, I tried to convince myself that it wasn't gonna be so bad. It's a total of 45 reps of each exercise... what's the big deal?
Well, it's a big deal because we make it a big deal. For a lot of CrossFitters, your Fran time says a lot about where you are in your CrossFit journey, and when you walk into a gym on Fran Day, you know there's something in the air that's a little more intense.
I felt it when I showed up at CFR tonight. A group of the firebreather CrossFit chicks (Robin, Kelly, AngDesj, Lexi, Julie, Mandy, Leya and Leah) were four minutes into Fran, and they looked like they had been put through hell. The place was noisy with people screaming encouragement, telling them to pick that weight back up, get their hands back on that pull-up bar, just a few left, c'mon, you can do this.
I love that shit, because it gets me psyched and a little scared about what I'm about to put myself through.
I had booked myself in at the 6pm class because I decided that I needed to have time to warm up properly and that I wanted to see how others had done on the workout during the day, which are a couple of luxuries that I don't get when I sign up for an early morning class and show up five minutes late.
I tried my best to warm up and I felt alright when it was time for the 6pm class to step up. We were divided up into guys and gals. The guys were going first and we were each assigned a counter. Poppy was mine.
3-2-1 GO!!
21 thrusters
I did all of these without putting the bar down. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to do that, but I did want to get through the first big set of thrusters as soon as possible and get on the pull-up bar. Kurt later said that I was going really fast, but I remember that I did have to pause a couple of times to breathe.
21 pull-ups
I jumped up to the 8-foot bar, because I'm usually reluctant to drop off it before my sets are done. I figured, for the first set of pull-ups, I could do them all unbroken. I did, but it was ugly. First of all, instead of a clean hook grip, some of the skin of my palm was trapped between the bar and my fingers, so my grip wasn't great and I was worried about tearing. At the start, I couldn't get a good rhythm on my kipping pull-ups happening, but I was able to correct it. However, I got so distracted doing that, I lost count of my reps. "What rep am I at?!" I asked Poppy, praying that she was still counting for me. "Ten," she replied. Good... she was still counting. Fuck... I thought I had done a few more than that. I did the last 11, though I had to will myself up for that last one. It's always the last one.
15 thrusters
I glanced over at the clock before picking up the weight. 1:44. Not bad. I thought two minutes would be a good time for Round 1. People are cheering me on because it looks like I'm going to end up with a pretty good time. I can sort of hear them and it really helps, but at the same time, I'm pretty focused and can't really hear much of anything. I pick up the barbell... What the fuck... the weight was a whole lot heavier this time. Did someone add 30 lbs while I was doing pull-ups? Fuckers. I went from doing 21 straight, to three sets of five, dropping the bar after each set.
15 pull-ups
No fucking around on the 8-foot bar this time. I headed straight to the 7-footer. The advantage here is that I don't have to jump for it, and I can touch my feet to the ground briefly after each pull-up, giving my hands and arms a quick but much-needed respite. I realize this makes me less of a man, and it's something I'm working on.
9 thrusters
I can fucking taste it now. Almost done. I think it's at this point that someone, probably Chris T or maybe Franz (both of whom were giving steady encouragement and coaching through the whole time and I've gotta thank them for that the next time I see them) tells me I'm four minutes in. I do the thrusters in two sets, maybe three, I'm not quite sure. I think it takes me around 30 seconds.
9 pull-ups
Sub-five minutes is within my chalky grasp as I get over to the pull-up bar. I can't get any rhythm on these fuckers but it doesn't matter. I can do sets of one. I'm not too proud. It's me and a race against the clock, which - stupidly - I have my back to. I'm getting updates on my time and people are shouting encouragement, practically willing me to get my chin over that bar. I've got to do nine pullups. One pull-up, two... I'm chugging through them... three, four... it's gonna be close, but I've got a real shot at beating five minutes, something I used to think was superhuman... five, six, seven... and it's taking everything I have... eight... I barely got over on that one, but I've only got one more...ni... and I lose my grip mid-kip and fall to the fucking ground.
Seriously. Can you believe this shit?
I think I landed mostly flat on my back and a little on my right elbow. I'm sure it looked ugly, and it didn't feel great, either.
Chris rushes over to check on me. I push him away. "I'm fine," I tell him. At that point, I wasn't entirely convinced that I actually was, but I had one pull-up left and the clock was still ticking. I get my chin over the bar in what was probably the ugliest pull-up ever and collapse on the ground.
Time was 5:06.
After an extended period in the post-WOD roadkill position, I determine that I am not injured, though I am completely exhausted and am probably gonna have a nice bruise on my upper right ass cheek and my right elbow is a little raw from scraping. So, don't worry, Mom. The fall was probably a result of fatigued forearms and hands and a mental lapse by me not ensuring I had a firm grip on the bar. I may have been using a more aggressive kip than normal to over-compensate for my arms, which were just spent.
I'm very happy with the time. Going in, I thought I could maybe get sub-6:00, and I did quite a bit better than that. I took 2:22 of my previous Fran time and came within a sniff of getting sub-5:00, which would have put me in some very elite company in the gym. As it is, I exceeded my own expectations, though I definitely see some room for improvement.
I still don't love Fran. But I do love CrossFit.
Here's a video of some CrossFit Chicks doing Fran last February. I figure all of them would have improved on their times this go around.
Franxiety
I've got to do "Fran" in less than five hours and my head is filled with nothing but questions:
-What time should I reasonably expect? I'm hoping to take a minute off my previous time of seven and a half minutes. Is that too optimistic? Too cautious? Chris T and Brian B were both sub 5 minutes... I'm not quite in their league but should I be shooting for sub-6? Maybe I should just stop thinking about times and go balls-out?
-I ate chili at lunch and some sugary treats in the morning. Is that gonna fuck me over?
-Since when do I pay that much fucking attention to what I eat?
-Why the fuck does Fran make me feel like this? Originally, when it was supposed to be last Friday, I started having Franxiety on Wednesday. I'd be in a meeting at work and my thoughts would drift to the upcoming Fran, and then I'd start getting all nervous and excited and twitchy. I mean, more than normal. What's the big deal? Hell, if I don't like my time, I can come in on a Sunday and do it again, right? Yeah, right, Tyler. Fran is not a big deal at all. Nosiree.
-When is this feeling going to end? Actually, I know the answer to that one: When this fucking thing is done.
-What time should I reasonably expect? I'm hoping to take a minute off my previous time of seven and a half minutes. Is that too optimistic? Too cautious? Chris T and Brian B were both sub 5 minutes... I'm not quite in their league but should I be shooting for sub-6? Maybe I should just stop thinking about times and go balls-out?
-I ate chili at lunch and some sugary treats in the morning. Is that gonna fuck me over?
-Since when do I pay that much fucking attention to what I eat?
-Why the fuck does Fran make me feel like this? Originally, when it was supposed to be last Friday, I started having Franxiety on Wednesday. I'd be in a meeting at work and my thoughts would drift to the upcoming Fran, and then I'd start getting all nervous and excited and twitchy. I mean, more than normal. What's the big deal? Hell, if I don't like my time, I can come in on a Sunday and do it again, right? Yeah, right, Tyler. Fran is not a big deal at all. Nosiree.
-When is this feeling going to end? Actually, I know the answer to that one: When this fucking thing is done.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
"Kodiak"
It was actually Tracey's day to go, but the alarm went off at 5:45 and she didn't think she could make it to the gym on time. I missed yesterday morning, so I said I would go in her place.
"Kodiak"
Seven rounds of:
3 power snatch (touch and go)
6 overhead squat
9 back squat
Do this all in a sequence, with no breaks in between. This isn't for time, but you increase your weight each round.
My numbers:
75-85-95-105-110-115-120
I'm fine with this and it's heavier than I thought I would end up doing, likely due to trying to keep up with Christian.
My snatches were looking pretty sketchy by the end, but I got that shit overhead and that's what counts.
Keeping it overhead was another thing. Overhead squats are always challenging, but they felt pretty good today, and my shoulder isn't bothering me like it did the last time we did these.
On the transitions to the back squat, I was trying my damndest to not bash the hell out of my neck, but I was pretty eager to let the weight down.
"Kodiak"
Seven rounds of:
3 power snatch (touch and go)
6 overhead squat
9 back squat
Do this all in a sequence, with no breaks in between. This isn't for time, but you increase your weight each round.
My numbers:
75-85-95-105-110-115-120
I'm fine with this and it's heavier than I thought I would end up doing, likely due to trying to keep up with Christian.
My snatches were looking pretty sketchy by the end, but I got that shit overhead and that's what counts.
Keeping it overhead was another thing. Overhead squats are always challenging, but they felt pretty good today, and my shoulder isn't bothering me like it did the last time we did these.
On the transitions to the back squat, I was trying my damndest to not bash the hell out of my neck, but I was pretty eager to let the weight down.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fun with Press? Not exactly
Five rounds of:
1 shoulder press
3 push press
5 push jerk
We were supposed to start with 80 per cent of our maximum (I'm assuming maximum shoulder press) and increase the weight each of the five rounds. I'm not sure what my maximum is, so it went like this for me:
95lbs
115lbs
125lbs
After the shoulder press on the last one, I felt like I had a muscle pull or something on the left side of my neck, and I didn't think it was a good idea to fuck around. Three hours later, it's still painful to tilt or turn my head. I wish I could have finished the workout, but I doubt I could have pressed much, if any, more weight. The 125lbs was feeling pretty heavy.
I did one more cool-down set with just 95lbs and called it a day. Before the neck-thing happened, I got some good coaching from a visiting CrossFitter, Sean from DC.
1 shoulder press
3 push press
5 push jerk
We were supposed to start with 80 per cent of our maximum (I'm assuming maximum shoulder press) and increase the weight each of the five rounds. I'm not sure what my maximum is, so it went like this for me:
95lbs
115lbs
125lbs
After the shoulder press on the last one, I felt like I had a muscle pull or something on the left side of my neck, and I didn't think it was a good idea to fuck around. Three hours later, it's still painful to tilt or turn my head. I wish I could have finished the workout, but I doubt I could have pressed much, if any, more weight. The 125lbs was feeling pretty heavy.
I did one more cool-down set with just 95lbs and called it a day. Before the neck-thing happened, I got some good coaching from a visiting CrossFitter, Sean from DC.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"Grindy"
10 clean and jerks (135lbs, and the cleans are full squat cleans)
5 rounds of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats)
10 clean and jerks
5 rounds of Cindy
10 clean and jerks
The last time I did Grindy, it was back in June of 2008, about a month after I joined CrossFit. Back then, I did it with 95lbs and it took me 34:29, and I'm pretty sure I wanted to die afterward.
As it turns out, that was the first day I was able to do unassissted pull-ups (I always thought it took me a few months to get those) and that was also the day I tore my hands to shit... which led to me wearing gloves and mummy-taping my fingers for a long time, which is the reason for the title of this blog.
Today, my time was 24:33.
I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little disappointed in myself on this one. I really lacked some intensity this morning. I spent more time trying to figure out which shoes to wear than I did warming up and getting comfortable with the C&Js, and it showed in my shitty form. I'm not saying I should be getting a sub-15 minute time on this, but I could have shaved two or three minutes off of this.
Basically, from almost the beginning, I was in the "Let's just plod through this mode" rather than saying "I'm gonna attack this fucking workout like a pack of crazed dogs." I'm not going to blame the music this time, even though Taylor Swift was playing at one point, because Franz quickly addressed that situation.
Other ways I sucked:
-Resting too much in between reps on the C&Js. BrianB flew through his and actually looked back at me as he was going through his first round of five Cindys and said, "You only have to do 10." Yeah, I know. I just suck, alright?
-My squat cleans came around toward the end, when I remembered to hold my breath and keep my core tight. But there was a point earlier in the workout where I basically did a power clean, front squat, ugly push press/half-jerk hybrid.
-I apparently have forgotten how to do a split jerk. My push jerks felt and probably looked completely amateur.
-I took breaks during the squats in Cindy. I took a break during fucking squats.
Anyway, enough of me whining like a little bitch. Everyone's entitled to a less than stellar workout once in a while... the key is to figure out what made it shitty and fix that for next time.
I'm gonna take a rest day tomorrow and come back with a big fucking smile on my face on Friday.
Here's a video of some guys doing a Grindy, but with 3 x 5 rounds of Cindy, and only 2 x 10 C&J. They also only do a power clean, which makes me think that maybe we didn't have to do squat cleans. Oh well, a little more hard work never killed anyone. Check out the nice butterfly kips they're using, and notice that they're basically doing push presses.
5 rounds of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats)
10 clean and jerks
5 rounds of Cindy
10 clean and jerks
The last time I did Grindy, it was back in June of 2008, about a month after I joined CrossFit. Back then, I did it with 95lbs and it took me 34:29, and I'm pretty sure I wanted to die afterward.
As it turns out, that was the first day I was able to do unassissted pull-ups (I always thought it took me a few months to get those) and that was also the day I tore my hands to shit... which led to me wearing gloves and mummy-taping my fingers for a long time, which is the reason for the title of this blog.
Today, my time was 24:33.
I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little disappointed in myself on this one. I really lacked some intensity this morning. I spent more time trying to figure out which shoes to wear than I did warming up and getting comfortable with the C&Js, and it showed in my shitty form. I'm not saying I should be getting a sub-15 minute time on this, but I could have shaved two or three minutes off of this.
Basically, from almost the beginning, I was in the "Let's just plod through this mode" rather than saying "I'm gonna attack this fucking workout like a pack of crazed dogs." I'm not going to blame the music this time, even though Taylor Swift was playing at one point, because Franz quickly addressed that situation.
Other ways I sucked:
-Resting too much in between reps on the C&Js. BrianB flew through his and actually looked back at me as he was going through his first round of five Cindys and said, "You only have to do 10." Yeah, I know. I just suck, alright?
-My squat cleans came around toward the end, when I remembered to hold my breath and keep my core tight. But there was a point earlier in the workout where I basically did a power clean, front squat, ugly push press/half-jerk hybrid.
-I apparently have forgotten how to do a split jerk. My push jerks felt and probably looked completely amateur.
-I took breaks during the squats in Cindy. I took a break during fucking squats.
Anyway, enough of me whining like a little bitch. Everyone's entitled to a less than stellar workout once in a while... the key is to figure out what made it shitty and fix that for next time.
I'm gonna take a rest day tomorrow and come back with a big fucking smile on my face on Friday.
Here's a video of some guys doing a Grindy, but with 3 x 5 rounds of Cindy, and only 2 x 10 C&J. They also only do a power clean, which makes me think that maybe we didn't have to do squat cleans. Oh well, a little more hard work never killed anyone. Check out the nice butterfly kips they're using, and notice that they're basically doing push presses.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"Tiger"
Second workout in 12 hours. I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.
"Tiger"
Using a 75lb barbell, AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 deadlifts
5 hang power cleans
5 front squats
5 push press
5 back squats
The killer part of this is that you can't put the bar down once you start the sequence until you're done your last back squat, otherwise the round won't count.
14 rounds, plus 5 deadlifts and 1 hang power clean.
"Tiger"
Using a 75lb barbell, AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 deadlifts
5 hang power cleans
5 front squats
5 push press
5 back squats
The killer part of this is that you can't put the bar down once you start the sequence until you're done your last back squat, otherwise the round won't count.
14 rounds, plus 5 deadlifts and 1 hang power clean.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Deadlifts and "Chipper From Helen"
Back at CrossFit after a week off. The week off wasn't really intended, but I slept in a couple of times and missed 6am WODs. Taking a rest week wasn't a bad thing, as it turns out, but I was glad to get back there tonight.
Did max deadlift singles. For me, it went like this:
285 lbs (PR)
300 lbs (PR)
305 lbs (PR)
I need to get stronger. I wish I could figure out a way to join strength club, but it's only open to unlimited members and evenings are pretty tough anyway.
The worst part about the deadlifts wasn't my inability to lift any more weight off the ground. It was the fact that we had to listen to that crap Miley Cyrus song, "Party in the USA" which is the last thing you want to hear when trying to pick heavy things off the ground. I rant further here.
Then it was time for "Chipper From Helen":
1200m run
63 55lb bell swings
36 pull-ups
The run went really good. I wasn't really sure how to pace myself, but I never got tired and finished it under 5:20.
Bell swings, I did 35-15-13.
Pull-ups, I would have liked to sting together a few more at the start but I only did 12-9-5-5-5.
Time was 10:22.
Better than I expected. Still have some work to go to match machines like Chris T, Nick, and Franz, who were all sub-10.
Did max deadlift singles. For me, it went like this:
285 lbs (PR)
300 lbs (PR)
305 lbs (PR)
I need to get stronger. I wish I could figure out a way to join strength club, but it's only open to unlimited members and evenings are pretty tough anyway.
The worst part about the deadlifts wasn't my inability to lift any more weight off the ground. It was the fact that we had to listen to that crap Miley Cyrus song, "Party in the USA" which is the last thing you want to hear when trying to pick heavy things off the ground. I rant further here.
Then it was time for "Chipper From Helen":
1200m run
63 55lb bell swings
36 pull-ups
The run went really good. I wasn't really sure how to pace myself, but I never got tired and finished it under 5:20.
Bell swings, I did 35-15-13.
Pull-ups, I would have liked to sting together a few more at the start but I only did 12-9-5-5-5.
Time was 10:22.
Better than I expected. Still have some work to go to match machines like Chris T, Nick, and Franz, who were all sub-10.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Willpower? What the fuck is that?
I've been eating pretty clean lately. I won't rate it on the Paleo scale, but it's been mostly meat, fruit, veggies (spinach and red peppers), Tracey's homemade chock-full o'goodness berry-banana-protein powder smoothies, almond butter, and even the odd bit of fish oil.
I haven't been perfect, though because the people who employ me prefer it when I do work at my desk rather than fall asleep, I've been getting through the afternoons with the help of either a Diet Pepsi or an energy drink (FYI: AMP does not work, so don't buy it even though it's on sale at Shoppers). Plus, I have a fair amount of beer in my fridge, and it's not gonna drink itself, so I'll have one or two in the evening while playing Mario Kart Wii with the Boy. You get the fun of driving with an open container without the guilt, shame or legal consequences.
However, on the balance, I've been pretty good about what I put into my body. Part of it is because Tracey is eating really healthy and she prepares most of our meals. As a result, I'm consistently weighing in at 175, or even a few tenths of a pound lower. This would have been a pipe dream before I started CrossFit when I was north of 210 (I think; weighing myself back then was depressing).
Because I apparently enjoy sabotaging any of my personal gains, I was actually thinking of rewarding myself with some 7-11 nachos today, but when I got to work, there were Girl Guide cookies on the break room table, and we were having cheesecake (two different kinds!) for a co-workers birthday.
Tally so far today:
- two pieces of cheesecake
- five cookies.
Last time I checked the breakroom, there was one cookie and half a cheesecake left.
**UPDATE
I got the nachos. Details at Tyler Has Nothing to Say.
I haven't been perfect, though because the people who employ me prefer it when I do work at my desk rather than fall asleep, I've been getting through the afternoons with the help of either a Diet Pepsi or an energy drink (FYI: AMP does not work, so don't buy it even though it's on sale at Shoppers). Plus, I have a fair amount of beer in my fridge, and it's not gonna drink itself, so I'll have one or two in the evening while playing Mario Kart Wii with the Boy. You get the fun of driving with an open container without the guilt, shame or legal consequences.
However, on the balance, I've been pretty good about what I put into my body. Part of it is because Tracey is eating really healthy and she prepares most of our meals. As a result, I'm consistently weighing in at 175, or even a few tenths of a pound lower. This would have been a pipe dream before I started CrossFit when I was north of 210 (I think; weighing myself back then was depressing).
Because I apparently enjoy sabotaging any of my personal gains, I was actually thinking of rewarding myself with some 7-11 nachos today, but when I got to work, there were Girl Guide cookies on the break room table, and we were having cheesecake (two different kinds!) for a co-workers birthday.
Tally so far today:
- two pieces of cheesecake
- five cookies.
Last time I checked the breakroom, there was one cookie and half a cheesecake left.
**UPDATE
I got the nachos. Details at Tyler Has Nothing to Say.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Overhead Squats and Ring Dips on the Minute
OHS 5-5-3-3-1-1-1
135-145-155-160(2)-160-165(f)-165
Ring dips: 8 min plus 3
135-145-155-160(2)-160-165(f)-165
Ring dips: 8 min plus 3
Monday, October 12, 2009
"Partner Pumpkin Pie" and adventures in Vaseline with D3
"Partner Pumpkin Pie"
With a partner, perform the following:
AMRAP in 25 minutes:
50 Wall Ball – 20/14lb
40 Double-Unders
30 Bell Swings – 55/35lb
20 Push-ups
10 Pull-ups
I partnered with BrianB and we got 5 rounds, plus 30 WB. This was pretty tough, mostly because BrianB was done his share of the reps so fast I didn't get much of a break in between. At least I was courteous enough to take my time with my share.
Afterward, the bonus was do do five minutes of situps. I just knew this was gonna suck. BrianB, with his ridiculous abs and cardio, never stopped, kept a nice steady pace, and actually sped up in the last 30 seconds, and got 178.
Then it was my turn. Because I didn't want to get "monkey butt" from so many sit-ups, I headed over to my bag to get some Vaseline to put on my ass. D3 asked me if he could have some, too.
"Sure," I said. "But you have to get all you need with the first scoop." D3 is one of my favourite guys at CrossFit Regina, but I'm just trying to keep my Vaseline free of assy contamination. (The same "one-scoop" rule applies to myself).
We each took a scoop and ducked into the bathroom to apply it. To ourselves, of course. Get your mind out of the gutter.
Y'know, before I joined CrossFit, I probably would have thought it was weird to go into a public bathroom with another dude and emerge with Vaseline on my ass.
By the way, I got 120 sit-ups in five minutes. Not great, but at least my ass doesn't hurt.
With a partner, perform the following:
AMRAP in 25 minutes:
50 Wall Ball – 20/14lb
40 Double-Unders
30 Bell Swings – 55/35lb
20 Push-ups
10 Pull-ups
I partnered with BrianB and we got 5 rounds, plus 30 WB. This was pretty tough, mostly because BrianB was done his share of the reps so fast I didn't get much of a break in between. At least I was courteous enough to take my time with my share.
Afterward, the bonus was do do five minutes of situps. I just knew this was gonna suck. BrianB, with his ridiculous abs and cardio, never stopped, kept a nice steady pace, and actually sped up in the last 30 seconds, and got 178.
Then it was my turn. Because I didn't want to get "monkey butt" from so many sit-ups, I headed over to my bag to get some Vaseline to put on my ass. D3 asked me if he could have some, too.
"Sure," I said. "But you have to get all you need with the first scoop." D3 is one of my favourite guys at CrossFit Regina, but I'm just trying to keep my Vaseline free of assy contamination. (The same "one-scoop" rule applies to myself).
We each took a scoop and ducked into the bathroom to apply it. To ourselves, of course. Get your mind out of the gutter.
Y'know, before I joined CrossFit, I probably would have thought it was weird to go into a public bathroom with another dude and emerge with Vaseline on my ass.
By the way, I got 120 sit-ups in five minutes. Not great, but at least my ass doesn't hurt.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Hero WOD "Daniel" - Let's see how far we've come
This is the workout:
50 Pull-ups
400m Run
21 95lb Thrusters
800m Run
21 95lb Run
50 Pull-ups
There was snow in the back lane and a cold Prairie wind blowing, so trainer Paul started to write the substitute rowing version on the whiteboard.
Fuck that.
"We're running!" I said. Everyone agreed. Even the guest CrossFitter Paul from Edmonton who was running in those Vibrams (fixed)Five Fingers things that are basically like gloves for your feet.
The runnng in the cold air was pretty shitty. The thrusters were tough, and the last set of pull-ups were brutal.
Time was 19:37.
As far as I can tell, this was only the second time I've done "Daniel" and the first time was back in July of last year, which was about two months after I joined CrossFit.
Back then, my time was 37:29.
I love CrossFit.
50 Pull-ups
400m Run
21 95lb Thrusters
800m Run
21 95lb Run
50 Pull-ups
There was snow in the back lane and a cold Prairie wind blowing, so trainer Paul started to write the substitute rowing version on the whiteboard.
Fuck that.
"We're running!" I said. Everyone agreed. Even the guest CrossFitter Paul from Edmonton who was running in those Vibrams (fixed)Five Fingers things that are basically like gloves for your feet.
The runnng in the cold air was pretty shitty. The thrusters were tough, and the last set of pull-ups were brutal.
Time was 19:37.
As far as I can tell, this was only the second time I've done "Daniel" and the first time was back in July of last year, which was about two months after I joined CrossFit.
Back then, my time was 37:29.
I love CrossFit.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
If you wanna be a big dog, you gotta run with the big dogs
That was a line I used to explain why I decided to sign up for Division 1 at the Saskatchewan CrossFit Challenge.
In CrossFit, the biggest competition is within yourself. How much did I improve from the last time I did this? Did I go faster? Did I lift more?
It makes sense that those are the victories you focus on and chase, because you will see progression, and that progression will motivate you to keep coming and to keep improving. Especially when you first start out, and the WODs seem impossible and the people who can do them all as rx'd seem like impossibly athletic cyborgs.
This article from Again Faster reminds us that it's not such a bad thing to look at those around you who are stronger and/or faster than you. And, rather than accept the fact that they are better at CrossFit (or at least certain aspects of it), and they always will be... why not try to catch up?
Rather than look at the fastest guy or gal in your class and say, "She's amazing, I could never do what she's doing," maybe look at what they are doing and realize that it is possible for a human to perform at that level.
There will be times that you surprise yourself. It happened with me when I did "Helen" and you know the real reason why? I was trying to come close to Robin's score.
Look, I know there are limits to what a human body can do, and as a 33-year-old, three-or-four-day-a-week CrossFitter who likes to drink beer and eat shitty food on occasion, I might not ever get 23+ rounds of "Cindy" like James. I might not ever get a 346 on Fight Gone Bad like Franz. I might not ever run a 5K in 21 minutes like Nick.
But you bet your ass I'm gonna try.
In CrossFit, the biggest competition is within yourself. How much did I improve from the last time I did this? Did I go faster? Did I lift more?
It makes sense that those are the victories you focus on and chase, because you will see progression, and that progression will motivate you to keep coming and to keep improving. Especially when you first start out, and the WODs seem impossible and the people who can do them all as rx'd seem like impossibly athletic cyborgs.
This article from Again Faster reminds us that it's not such a bad thing to look at those around you who are stronger and/or faster than you. And, rather than accept the fact that they are better at CrossFit (or at least certain aspects of it), and they always will be... why not try to catch up?
Rather than look at the fastest guy or gal in your class and say, "She's amazing, I could never do what she's doing," maybe look at what they are doing and realize that it is possible for a human to perform at that level.
There will be times that you surprise yourself. It happened with me when I did "Helen" and you know the real reason why? I was trying to come close to Robin's score.
Look, I know there are limits to what a human body can do, and as a 33-year-old, three-or-four-day-a-week CrossFitter who likes to drink beer and eat shitty food on occasion, I might not ever get 23+ rounds of "Cindy" like James. I might not ever get a 346 on Fight Gone Bad like Franz. I might not ever run a 5K in 21 minutes like Nick.
But you bet your ass I'm gonna try.
"Age-Adjusted Angie" and a new Pull-up PR
Take your age, subract it from 100 and that's how many reps you have to do of:
Pull-ups
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats
I'm 33, so I had to do 67 of each, so it was basically "Two-thirds Angie".
Took me 14:00.
Since we started with pull-ups, I thought I'd see if I could beat my personal record of 25. Today, I got 30. The downside was that hanging on as long as I could hurt my sissy hands, so the last 37 took a while.
Pull-ups
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats
I'm 33, so I had to do 67 of each, so it was basically "Two-thirds Angie".
Took me 14:00.
Since we started with pull-ups, I thought I'd see if I could beat my personal record of 25. Today, I got 30. The downside was that hanging on as long as I could hurt my sissy hands, so the last 37 took a while.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Burpees/Push Press/Pull-ups
For time, six rounds of:
12 burpees
12 dumbbell push press (2x30lb)
12 pull-ups
Time was 13:07
12 burpees
12 dumbbell push press (2x30lb)
12 pull-ups
Time was 13:07
Saskatchewan CrossFit Challenge
It was held at CrossFit Saskatoon on Saturday and it was a hell of an event. I started shitting bricks about Thursday.
There were more than 80 athletes from Regina, Saskatoon, and a handful from Alberta.
WOD 1
800m run
50 45lb sandbag thrusters
30 burpee pull-ups to an 8'5" bar.
12 minute time limit.
Here's a video explaining in detail.
I just wanted to get done this. With the time limit, there were plenty of good athletes who didn't get done in the earlier rounds, and I really didn't want to get a DNF. 12 minutes isn't a lot of time for this. There's no shame in a DNF, but I really, really wanted to finish this one.
I was one of the first ones in from the run, did the thrusters in sets of 25, 10, 5 and 10.
The last part was the worst.
Burpulls to a fucking 8-foot-5 bar. That's like Nature taunting me for being short. I'm 5'9" with no vertical, and actually missed my first fucking jump, and at least a couple others.I finished in 10:57, I think. That was good for 9th place out of the Division 1 men.
WOD 2
Anyway Overhead
You get three lifts. The heaviest weight you can take from the rack, onto your shoulders and then overhead counts, whether it's press, pushpress, push jerk or split jerk.
Demo video:
I haven't done enough weightlifting to know my max, and I didn't warm up because I'm an idiot who doesn't pay attention enough to know when it was almost our time. First lift was 135. Second was 165. I almost asked for 180, but went to 185 on the third and got it. I may have been able to do a bit more, but not much. There were some really strong dudes in Division 1, so 185 was only good for 14th in that event.
WOD 3
Three rounds of
1 minute Row for Calories
1 minute 95lb Snatch
1 minute Double Unders
1 minute 75lb KB swings
1 minute Rest
Demo video:
It's scored like a Fight Gone Bad, so maximizing reps was everything. The way this was structured, if someone is good at DUs, they were going to do well... as long as they had something left in the tank by the time they got there. Good news for me, who can do them, bad news for awesome athletes like James who just don't do them that much.
I borrowed Hardcore Ange's speed rope and did okay on them. Those 75lb KB swings were just inhuman. See the picture at the top of this post. The rest was basically just enough time to get back into the rower. It was good for 5th place in this round.
After everything was said and done, I finished in 8th place out of 19 guys. I have absolutely no problems with that, and feel lucky to have finished that high. Hell, Robin and Flood finished in 8th in their divisions, and I'm flattered to be in the same company as them.
Christian was the top CFR rep in Division 1, coming in fifth place. We had five guys in the top 10, though. Kelly and AngDesj were 1 and 2 in the women's podium. BrianB got third in Division 2, though he should have been in Division 1, and probably would have finished higher than me.
I was so grateful to have my wife Tracey and the Boy cheering me on in events 1 and 3, taking pictures and making sure I got plenty of good nutrition before and after. I am sure that I wouldn't have done nearly as well without her coming with me. Tracey was completely supportive and she was on "Mom" duty for the better part of the weekend so I could focus on the SCFC events (and then the afterparty). Yeah, I'm not sure what I did to deserve someone so awesome, either.
The Boy (two years old) even showed off his burpee technique in between events and won a few fans.
I also consider myself fortunate that I was able to go to this great event with an awesome group of people from CrossFit Regina. There were no assholes and no egos, just strong, supportive people who cheered on their fellow athletes. We even got visited by Nick and Christine, awesome CrossFitters themselves, who drove up just to cheer us on.
It was a great weekend.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Ring Dips/Box Jumps/Double Unders
I would have liked to do the benchmark "Helen" again at CrossFit Regina last night. There were a lot of people were getting PRs after a month of Paleo dieting, including Tracey, who shaved two minutes off her time from a month ago. But with the games on Saturday coming up, I didn't want the bell swings in Helen to re-aggravate my back, which is still bothering me a bit from the sumo deadlift high pulls on Saturday. Though, part of me wonders if sitting in an office chair is doing more damage than anything else.
Instead of Helen, I rolled out to CrossFit Creekside to do a made-up workout.
For time, five rounds of:
7 Ring Dips
15 Box Jumps (24" box)
25 Double Unders
I chose dips because it's something I need to work on, and to go Level 1 at this weekend's games I'm going to need to work on them. Plus, I bought the rings, I better use them.
With the way that Robin has been including double unders as a "Games Bonus" following workouts lately, it doesn't take a genius to suspect that DUs are going to be part of one of the workouts. Unfortunately, I have let my DU skills slide. I used to include them as part of my warm-up, but have slacked off. I figured 25 is a good reasonable number, but hard enough to get to if you're already fatigued from box jumps.
My time was 13:50. This is another one of those cases where I think doing the workout solo resulted in me not pushing myself as hard as I would if I was trying to keep up with (or ahead of) someone.
Instead of Helen, I rolled out to CrossFit Creekside to do a made-up workout.
For time, five rounds of:
7 Ring Dips
15 Box Jumps (24" box)
25 Double Unders
I chose dips because it's something I need to work on, and to go Level 1 at this weekend's games I'm going to need to work on them. Plus, I bought the rings, I better use them.
With the way that Robin has been including double unders as a "Games Bonus" following workouts lately, it doesn't take a genius to suspect that DUs are going to be part of one of the workouts. Unfortunately, I have let my DU skills slide. I used to include them as part of my warm-up, but have slacked off. I figured 25 is a good reasonable number, but hard enough to get to if you're already fatigued from box jumps.
My time was 13:50. This is another one of those cases where I think doing the workout solo resulted in me not pushing myself as hard as I would if I was trying to keep up with (or ahead of) someone.
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