Training Log Archive: runninghils

Strength: Overhead Squat 3x5 every 3 min
70*72.5*75*75*77.5

Workout:
5 rounds, 3 minutes on, 1 minute rest:
7 deadlift (155 lb)
14 over the bar burpees
Supposed to jump over the bar, but I had to just step.
Total: 8 Rounds + 20 reps. Almost finished that 9th round.

Warm-up
JJ/S/MC/JS

Strength:
Bench press. I've never done bench press as an adult. I had no idea how much weight to use, but I got it dialed in and 92.5 was tough... needed a bit of help to complete my set
5x3 Every 3 min
80*85*87.5*90*92.5

Workout: 20 minute AMRAP
1 power clean &jerk (85#)
5 ring rows
10 push ups
15 squats
Total: 11 rounds +9 reps

Took the mountain bike out with lights for a Z1-2 ride. I brought a jacket but ended up not needing it! Woo! It was actually fairly warm out. Another SUPER WINDY night! Wind out of the West-southwest so it was rough going west, but fun going east. Some of those gusts! Wow! Stopped to pee on the side of the road and no cars turned onto the road during that time. Yay!

JJ-S-MC-JS warm up. I could actually do the Mountain Climbers today, though gingerly.

Strength Sumo Deadlift (no high pull) 3x5 (Every 3 min)
145*155*165*175*185 Good progression - 185 was tough. I could have used a mixed grip on that one.

Workout:
50 burpee buy-in
Then 7 rounds for time
10 ring dips (red band)
10 pull-ups (sub ring rows)
Time: 16:02

Upper body was DONE after this. Whew!

Went out and back on the rail trail. The first 3 miles are really needing some resurfacing. Next time, I would start at the Senior Center. Skate boots have enough structure to support my ankle, but I could still feel the ankle working. It was somewhat sore afterward. Kept a steady, but not excessively hard effort. I didn't want to hurt myself.

Two beautiful sunny days in a row on the weekend! I'll take it!

Drove up to Loomis, which is not all that far away compared to West Branch. People told me it was hilly, but I was skeptical. I started in Coleman and rode a few miles out on the rail trail. Turned North on Loomis Rd and for the next 20 minutes or so, I laughed to myself that these slight undulations are what Midlanders think hills are. Then, they started getting better... just about the time I was going to turn around. (I got a few good ones in) Next time, I'll plan to actually start in Loomis. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day, but the wind was ridiculous. A few cross winds threatened to knock me over. I shifted up at the hills and attacked each one to build strength.

Warm-up:
JJ-Squat-MC-JS
Mountain climbers weren't happening with ankle so I changed to sampson stretch

Strength: Front Squat 5x5 every 3 min
75*85*95*105*115

Workout - For time:
50 dead lift
40 pull ups
30 front squat
20 ring dips
10 thrusters

All weights had to be the same, so I was limited by thrusters and did 65 lb. Subbed ring rows for pull ups to try to get my strength up - bands weren't doing it.
Time: 11:47

Extra: 12 rounds of 0:30 on 0:30 off KB swings - did 35 lbs
Total reps: 182

Well, I tried to run after cross fit, thinking I'd be nice and warmed up. It was still very limp-y so I called it after a quarter mile.

Easy trainer ride. Ankle is still problematic.

C • Trainer 3

Warm-up:
Barbell complex with just the bar - 5 minutes repeating:
3 DL, 3 HC, 3 FS, 3 P, 3 PP, 3 PJ, 3 BS, 3 OHS

Strength:5x5 Every 3 min
Strict Press: 55*57.5*60*62.5*65

Workout: Tabata(0:20 on, 0:10 off, 1:00 in between)
Russian Swing: 90
Squats: 122
Ball Slam: 72
Toes to bar: 36
Total: 320

Focused on fast cadence, but I guess I need Mike in front of me to keep up 4 mph even.

Warm-up - 400 m run, 30-20-30 squat-spt- ohs
Well, realized during the warm-up that my left ankle is NOT ready even for road running yet. It was a pretty sad 400m run/limp

Workout: 3 rounds for time
20 Power Snatch (55 lb)
20 push ups
20 Ring rows (subbing for pull ups until I can get ready enough to do a strict pull up.)
Time: 17:16

Extra:
0:30 on, 0:30 rest for 12 rounds of KB swings (Russian)
Did 15 each round for a total of 180

Easy trainer ride... too bad it was so rainy since it was actually a warm day out.

Day 4 of really focusing on hitting my Eat to Perform Macros and food logging. I need to get back to the "problem" of all my pants being too loose again. For me, a lot of it is just awareness of what I'm eating so I don't end up eating two doughnuts or a quarter jar of almond butter.

C • Food Log 10

Warm-up - 5 min cycling through:
3 each: dead lift, hang power clean, front squat, strict press, push press, push jerk, back squat, overhead squat

Workout:
4 Rounds for time:
25 abmat situps
15 overhead squats
12 burpee box jumps (I stepped up and over a short box due to ankle)
time - 14:01
Ankle started to loosen up a bit toward the end, but the burpees were a bit awkward in general

Strength:
30 seconds as many wall balls as possible
30 seconds rest
12 rounds - total score - 135

Left ankle started cracking again today! Then, I found myself dancing around my kitchen tonight! YAY! Good signs! I'll leave the air cast at home tomorrow.

Everyone kept talking about how "physical" the course was this weekend, but all I could think of was the song "Physical" by Olivia Newton John. You know what I mean. In fact, this song was in my head while climbing up and down the steep hills on the O-course. I haven't quite shaken it yet. Watch this if you don't know it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA

C • Im dancing right now! 3

Started with a run/hike up to the top of the ski hill for the whitewater river boarding. I don't really like stuff like this, but I did it. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting into the stream and ended up getting caught by the eddy twice before finally getting on the course. Mark was first and tried to swim right to the finish and got caught in that eddy. Phil rocked it, but we were still one of the last teams to the bikes.

I was still a bit keyed up from the whitewater, but we rocked the first bike leg - catching and passing many teams. Phil had been here for a race a few weeks ago, so he was familiar with the trails and did an awesome job on the nav. So, we got back to the TA, grabbed our paddling gear with new confidence and took off for the paddle on a "go big or go home strategy." Even though the 2 far paddle points would take 2 hours to get, we just couldn't skip points so early in the race. It was super choppy and really took a lot out of us, but we managed to keep about 4 mph pace even into the wind. After getting the far canoe points, we did the timed O-course, which Mark navved really well. On the paddle back, the sky opened up and poured on us. I didn't want to stop paddling to put on a coat because we were pretty close to the end. Quick transition, run back to the TA, where we all got warmed up with some dry clothes as the rain died down a bit.

8pm we took off on the bikes not realizing how long this bike section would take. Big mistake not estimating the time on this by adding up the segments because we should have saved 3 hours on the canoe and skipped the 2 points. There were a few errors, but nothing major, and we continued to pass lots of teams who'd skipped the 2 canoe points. The cold weather did a number on our battery life. My bar light ran out about a mile before the TA and my helmet light was red, but made it. Yikes! The others weren't any better off. Tons of hills, and I got lots of tows, but I thought we were doing pretty well here.

Next was the weird scored O-course where we needed to get 100 points to get the 10 CPs for that section. We figured we'd get them all, and things went pretty well with the first 4, which we were able to get along a ridge in a big loop. Back to the road, grabbed the fifth as the sun came up, and then headed north for the farthest point. It was a really cool point with a pretty route and view. I was nervous about down climbing what seemed like a scary steep hillside, but it ended up fine.

At this point, we decided we'd be better off going to the finish to get those 3-4 points, which was safer from a bail standpoint, if necessary. However, Mark and I were out of water, so I went to the river to fill bottles. I stepped on a rock and slipped, twisted my ankle and wound up lying on my back in the river shouting expletives knowing that this was NOT good. I hoped that I was wrong and I'd be able to walk it off, but I wasn't and all plans changed. Instead of running back to the bikes, we were reduced to my limping pace. On the bike, I got about 80% of my power from the right and 20% from the left. On every down hill, I put my weight on the right foot and lifted the left to prevent pain when hitting rocks. There was no way I could go off trail, so all the other foot points were out of the question. After a painfully slow bike back, we finished without getting even #33, which was really close and would have given us 2 more points (33 + 36, which was the finish line, only punchable if you did the last foot segment.)

Overall, I think we were doing well and we had a good race until I got hurt, but I'm disappointed. The whole car ride home was a big "what if" on skipping the two far canoe points. What more could we have done with 3 more hours? I wanted to directly compare our team against the other top teams in the country. When we all do a slightly different version of the course, it's hard to make a direct comparison. I'm all for strategy in route choice, but I want to see the top 10-15 teams clear the course so there's no element of "gaming" the race or luck. I've never heard anyone complain that they finished a 30-hour race in 24 hours.

Event: USARA Nationals