Tag: run

Heavy Duty

Feeling pretty good after the 30 minute AMRAP yesterday. Went in at 8pm for Open Gym to do the following gem I concocted. Brent did it all with me and then Kevin joined us for the WOD when he was done coaching the class.

Warm-up

  • 400m Run
  • PVC Pass-thrus

Strength

Back Squats

Week #5 of the squat program. Things are getting heavy! I warmed up with 5@95#, 5@135#, and 3@185#.

  • 6 @ 220#
  • 6 @ 235#
  • 6 @ 250#
  • 4 @ 265#
  • 3 @ 280#
  • 6 @ 235#

The 6 reps at 250# might have been the toughest part of this and I was wondering how in the world I was going to get the next two sets done, but they were actually easier.

Push Press

5×5 @ 165# and then did MAX reps on the 5th set, getting 7.

These felt really heavy, especially with my calves getting more sore from 153 box jumps yesterday. Glad we picked this weight though.

WOD

21-15-9

  • Row calories
  • Goblet Squats (53# KB)
  • T2B

Went out a little too hot on the rower and had to back off. Never set the KB done during my goblet squats. Kept my T2B around sets of 6 so I didn’t rip. Finished in 6:57. Pretty good WOD where you could keep pushing the whole way. Got a little rest during the T2B before jumping back up.

Hero WOD McGhee

Yesterday we held a competition at Survival Fitness for beginner’s and scaled athletes. I ran the computer all day taking care of the scoring. I did win the 1 minute burpee challenge with 29 reps. It was a great event and of course a bunch of us partied afterwards. I got home at 8pm and passed out until this morning. Feeling kind of rough, but went to the noon class.

Warm-up

  • 1 mile run
  • Deadlifts (5 @ 155#, 5 @ 225#, 3 @ 275#)

I wasn’t setting any PRs on my mile today so kind of just took it easy.

WOD

“McGhee”
30:00 AMRAP

  • 5 Deadlifts (275#)
  • 13 Push-ups
  • 9 Box Jumps (24″)

Brent and I paced each other on this one. We were doing our rounds in about 1:20-1:30 and rested about 20-30 seconds after each round. I wanted to get over 15 rounds without killing myself, especially with a hangover. So many reps of heavy deadlifts were going to put a toll on the back too. We finished 6 rounds in a little more than 10:00 and pretty much kept the same pace throughout. Got done with the 17th round and had about 15 seconds left on the clock, but that was enough.

I’m feeling better already.

Heating Up

In at 10am to train with Brad, Cora, Matt, Kevin, and Kinde.

Warm-up

  • 400m Run
  • PVC Pass-thrus

Strength

Back and forth between the two movements. I didn’t quite do it EMOM style, but was pretty close to every minute.

Bench Press

  • 10 @ 45#
  • 8 @ 95#
  • 8 @ 135#
  • 4×8 @ 155#
  • 8 @ 160#

Tried to focus on keeping my right elbow in, but was still having some issues with it. Wonder if I’ve developed some typo of mobility issue. Will have to check if there is anything in Becoming a Supple Leopard about it.

Pendlay Row

  • 8 @ 115#
  • 8 @ 125#
  • 8 @ 135#
  • 8 @ 140#
  • 8 @ 145#

Doing sets of 8 got pretty heavy.

WOD

5 Rounds

  • 15 HR Push-ups
  • 15 American KBS (53#)
  • 15 Wall Balls (20# MB, 10′ target)
  • 15 Box Jumps (24″)

Finished in 14:21, but was able to keep a pretty steady pace through this one. Push-ups slowed me down after round 2, but I was able to do all of my wall balls and KBS unbroken. The increased heat and humidity is something we’re not used to though.

Finisher

Did 5 sets of 50m high walk and 50m low walk with a 90# prowler and 90# of bumpers on it.

Masters Sunday

Feeling a little tired today after a short night of sleep. Went to the 11am.

Warm-up

Teams of 3 with cardio setting the pace. Do a round at each cardio piece.

  • 250m Row / 20 cal Air Dyne / 200m Run
  • KB Rack Hold
  • Air Squats

WOD

20:00 Partner AMRAP

  • Pace: 450m Run
  • AMRAP:
    • 7 C2B Pull-ups
    • 14 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
    • 21 One-arm KB C&J (53# KB)

I paired up with Kevin and we finished 6 rounds plus 7 (actually Kevin miscounted at the end and got us to 9 C2B). The C&J were by far the worst part of this. My running shape is terrible.

Finisher

Big class, so we all lined up and did 25m prowler sprints. Then as class ended, a few people stayed to do extra credit down and back (25m each way) prowler sprints. I stayed even later and kept adding weight to the prowler for more down and backs. Got in about an hour and 15 minutes of work today.

Time to enjoy the Masters!

Running in the Snow

2013-out-for-bloodThis morning I was up early and drove over to Mount Pleasant. It was supposed to be for the Out for Blood Duathlon, but due to rain, slow, and sleet they had to cancel the bike portion of the race. Much of the running and biking courses were flooded and many other parts were covered in snow and slush, making it very dangerous to be racing on bikes.

I’ve competed in this race the last two years (winning my age group for the mountain bike division both years) and the weather has always sucked, but this year was the worst. They had to rush to come up with the alternate course, but thy could have easily had someone shovel off the snowy areas of the 5k course. They also didn’t correctly map out a course because it ended up only being about 2.65 miles instead of 3.1 for a real 5k. Oh well, nobody was setting any time records with the condition of the paths and the slick wooden bridges. I finished in about 21:11 after starting out way too fast. I placed 3rd in the 26-35 year-old group for today’s run. At least I can still be competitive as the old man. 🙂

Went in to the gym at 4pm with Matt, Cora, and Kevin to do some training.

10:00 EMOM

  • Odds: 4 Power Snatch (115#)
  • Evens: 12 Pull-ups

Got 12 unbroken butterfly pull-ups each round! I’m really finding the groove with the butterfly.

3 Rounds

  • 15 American KBS (53# KB)
  • 15 Burpees
  • 50 DU

I did the first round of DU unbroken, but started hitting the wall after that. Finished in 7:34.

10:00 EMOM

  • Odds: 30s Handstand Hold
  • Evens: 12 T2B

I made a discovery of how to cycle my T2B a little faster. Being able to do 5×12 unbroken is a huge improvement for me.

10 Rounds

  • 15s AirDyne max effort sprint
  • 1:45 Rest

This is the worst thing I’ve done in a year and a half of CrossFit. I thought I was going to puke from the 3rd round on. We even went 20s on the last round just for fun and I could barely move in those extra 5 seconds. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that I pretty much had to crawl off of the AD after each round. Kevin and I used the same AD and we totaled 269 calories.

After that high effort, I figured it would be a good idea to get some easy rowing in. Did 6 minutes at an easy pace for just over 1,200m I think

Rippin’ 455 Pounds

My shoulders are kind of fried from the last couple of days, so no shoulder lifts today. Went in and watched a few people redo 13.5 around 1pm and then worked out.

Warm-up

  • 500m Row

Strength

1RM Deadlift

  • 10 @ 135#
  • 5 @ 225#
  • 3 @ 315#
  • 2 @ 405#
  • 1 @ 435# (PR)
  • 1 @ 455# (PR)
  • F @ 465#

My warm-up lifts weren’t exactly feeling that great, so I was worried I’d bomb on a PR. But then 435# went up pretty easy so I took the jump to 455#. I wouldn’t say it was anything close to easy, but overall it was a pretty smooth lift for a big PR. So like a dumbass I had to add 10 more pounds and give 465# a try. It wasn’t moving off the ground and I quickly bailed. It’s not like me to even try that after already setting a 30# PR.

Kevin, Michelle, and I then did a conditioning WOD. I have a duathlon next weekend so figure I should probably get in a little running and the Air Dyne will help out my biking.

WOD

  • 600m Run
  • 750m Row
  • 21 cal Air Dyne
  • 400m Run
  • 500m Row
  • 15 cal Air Dyne
  • 200m Run
  • 250m Row
  • 9 cal Air Dyne

Judging by some similar WODs out in Phoenix I figured this would take 15-18 minutes, so it just goes to show how wrong some of our running distances were out there. I finished in 13:57. The Air Dyne seems to be getting easier each time I use it.

Work the High Hang

Yesterday morning I walked 9 holes of golf and then went for a 3.15 mile hike in 58:38. I’ve been sore from doing “Karen” in 13.3, but nowhere near the DOMS I’ve experienced from previous run-ins with that bitch. Went it an noon.

Warm-up

  • 2m Row
  • 2 Rounds:
    • 5 Pull-ups
    • 10 Push-ups
    • 10 Air Squats
  • Burgener Warm-up (empty bar)

I did strict pull-ups to work on my strength and did slow quality chest to deck push-ups.

OLY

7 Sets

  • Power Snatch
  • Hang Power Snatch
  • High Hang Power Snatch
  • 90s Rest

Each set was done without putting the bar down. Great time to work on the hip extension like last week’s drilling on full cleans. I’m beginning to love the high hang lifts because without the hips you can’t move any weight. It really forces you to be explosive and use your hips, especially being the 3rd lift in the complex. I did 2 sets at 75# and then went up 10# each set, to finish at 125#. I’m really happy to be able to land those three lifts at that weight because my 1RM is still only 155#. My technique was better today than it ever has been and I was getting a lot of hip extension, making the bar move so much faster.

WOD

4 Rounds

  • 400m Run
  • 20 Deadlifts (185#)
  • 30 Sit-ups

This was a fun little WOD, with the 20 deadlifts becoming a real challenge. I did 12-8 in the 3rd round to save myself a bit and then really pushed the run in the last round and pushed hard on the deadlifts because I was trying to catch Lance. Ended up 8 seconds behind him, with my time being 15:18.

Float Like a Butterfly

I’m feeling pretty good today, considering how wrecked I was last night. I’m a little sore in a bunch of different areas, but nothing too bad. Went in for the 4:15.

Warm-up

  • 2m Jump Rope
  • 2 Rounds
    • 40 Mountain Climbers
    • 20 Russian Twists (35# KB)
    • 20 Air Squats

WOD

  • 800-600-400-200m Run
  • 15 Pull-ups
  • 15 HR Push-ups
  • 15 Wall Balls (20# MB, 10′ target

This was a lot tougher than I expected. I went out hard on the 800m run to work on my conditioning and then really tried to work on my butterfly for the pull-ups. First set was a little rough, but I went 9-6, 10-5, and 10-5 in the last three sets. Had never done more than 7 in a row before today and I only stopped each time because of fatigue, not because of rhythm. I focused on keeping my kick going, kept a tighter kick, and kept my feet together. Tried to just power through the push-ups, but they were the slowest part for me. Did each round of wall balls unbroken. Finished in 18:39.

That was a nice recovery WOD after a tough workout for 13.2 yesterday. Back to hitting it hard tomorrow for 2 hours of work.

Get It Overhead!

I’m feeling pretty sore in my shoulders from the HSPU yesterday and as the day goes on my ass is feeling those plyo lunges. Went in at 3:15 for some special OLY work and then stayed for the regular class.

OLY Warm-up

  • 500m Row
  • PVC Pass-thrus
  • 2 x 10 Pause Jerks with 45# bar

Jerks

  • 5x Jerk Short Step with 95#
  • Jerk from the Back – Doubles and Triples
  • Jerk from the Front – Doubles and Singles

I started off with 95# from the back, went 115#, 155#, and 185#. This was my first time doing any jerks from the back and they felt really weird. I only did a couple of singles at 185# because I don’t feel comfortable dropping that much weight back to my back and it felt uncomfortable to begin with. I need to do these once in a while to get the feel for them.

I dropped the weight back down to 155# and switched to jerks from the rack, doing a double there. Did a double at 185# and another at 205#. Then I was going to hit 225# for a single and Gayle asked if it was going to be a PR, so figured might as well throw another 5# on to make it 230# for a PR. Hit it easily without even punching under in fully. Upped it to 245# and pushed the weight forward instead of back, so failed. Fought it a bit and it didn’t feel too good on my low back.

Took a rest, made sure to punch under it, and got it up for a 20# PR. It was a little unstable over my head, but that’s fucking heavy. Gayle said I could have gotten my front foot out further too and got under it more. Did a good job of getting my head through though.

Class Warm-up

  • 3/3 World’s Greatest Stretch
  • 10/10 Scorpions
  • 10/10 Flamingos
  • 10/10 Legs Swings (F2B, S2S)

WOD

3 Rounds

  • 600m Run
  • 25 Pull-ups

I tried to push it harder on the run today and the temperatures are rising fast here in Phoenix, so that makes the running even tougher. Did all butterfly pull-ups again, but I’m having trouble stringing together more than 7 before I lose rhythm. Finished in 12:24.

Finisher

90s-60s-30s

  • DU
  • AbMat Sit-ups

This was actually part of the class warm-up, but I was finishing up my jerk PR when class started so didn’t do it at that time. Took some rest after the WOD and then knocked it out since there was plenty of time before the next class started.

A Fresh Look On Monday

Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world…if you do so, you are insulting yourself.

Bill Gates

As time has gone by, I’m feeling better about my performance in 13.1. I looked back at my placing after 12.1 and 12.2, compared to 13.1. I’m ranked higher in the world and there are twice as many registrations. I’d say that’s a win. I’ll know more about exact placement and percentile Tuesday night after score validation closes.

My disappointment in not getting a score of at least 150 is nearly gone. I know there will be workouts that play more into my strengths and I can make up ground. I gave 13.1 my best shot and honestly don’t know where I could have gone any faster to pick up the 45 seconds I would have needed to get the final 8 burpees.

It’s a new week and back to training until the next workout is announced. My body feels good, just a little sore in the upper back. I went in for 9am and there sit Gayle and Adam, just having got done with Saturday’s WOD. They’re starting some 2-a-days, so I did that same workout on my own.

Warm-up

  • 750m Row at 20s/m

I kept right around a 2:15/500m pace.

WOD #1

2 Rounds

  • 400m Run
  • 25 HSPU
  • 400m Run
  • 30 Pistols (alternating)

I finished in 17:10. HSPU were broken down into 10-5-4-3-3 and 5-5-5-4-3-3 I think. I’ve improved my strength for them so much in the last 2 months. My second round of pistols was a lot faster than my first round and felt good. Out of there in well under an hour and home to rest for later.

This wasn’t really too bad because I had quite a bit of rest during HSPU while breaking them up. Solid strength work though with cardio in the mix.

I jumped on the scale after the WOD and was 189 with shoes and clothes on. I ate really bad yesterday as my cheat day after the workout. Usually those kind of days put me up 2-3 pounds on the scale, so I’d say I hit my first goal of leaning out and getting down to around 185 for the Open.

Back at 4:15 for round 2!

Warm-up

  • 600m Run
  • 3 Rounds:
    • 5 Pull-ups
    • 10 Push-ups
    • 15 Air Squats

I did strict pull-ups to work on strength and chest-to-deck push-ups.

WOD #2

5 Rounds (Similar to the “Chief” WOD)

  • 3:00 AMRAP
    • 3 Ring Dips
    • 6 Plyo Lunges
    • 9 American KBS (53#)
  • 1m Rest

* Start each 3:00 round where you left off.

Instead of only doing straight up ring dips, I put the rings up at about eye level, got down with my legs bent under me and on my toes, looking up at the rings. Took a false grip and worked on the MU transition by doing a jumping/strict MU type move from there. Once I got up above the rings I did my 3 dips each time. Now that I’m thinking about it I should have put the rings higher and just done jumping MU or even tried doing a kipping MU each time.

This was a solid WOD and those KBS really started to hurt in the last two 3 minute rounds. I finished with a score of 18+3. To make this a little better, I think I would swap the rep counts for the lunges and the KBS.

Those were two solid WODs today, but not the kind that knock you out for 2 days.