The Mile, Revisited

7:20 mile today. That is 35 seconds faster than last time. It is so very, very hard.

Followed by:

3 x 30 seconds of thrusters (13, 17, 16)
3 x 30 seconds of sit-ups (17, 16, 13)

No, I didn't mix up the numbers on the thrusters. I stopped whining and started trying.

Manscaping

Hah.


Last week saw some vigorous workouts with the Ms. As well, there was a large amount of lifting and heaving as I replaced my front walkway. Many large 6x6's were dug out, broken up and hauled away and much gravel replaced it. That gravel needed to be tamped so what better way to apply a little training than to use the Lief Erickson era jackhammer, center, "designed" and operated by yours truly. The workout? Hoist by its large nails the 50lb leftover 6x6 using arms and calves for height. Let drop. X 1000.

On the weekend was a half assed frisbee tourney with lots of PT.

Tuesday was a gruelling home crossfit: 3 rounds of 20 45lb overhead squats, 400m run, 20 pushups and 10 sit ups. Time was 20:55. Ick.

Currently nursing a slightly pulled hammy after what was going to be a great game of frisbee on Tuesday night. Fug.

my turn

squats: 205 x5, x5, x5.
bench: 135 x5, x5, x5.
deadlift: 235 x5.

I had intended to do cleans but my low back started acting up after the deadlifts. I'm taking DL's out of the rotation for the foreseeable future.

Squats and presses, with a hint of Litvinov

Escaped to the gym for a 30 minute workout:

4 rounds:

95 lb squats (7, 6, 6, 5)
400 m run (8.5 mph*)
+ 12 finisher squats (45 lb)

*Last round was about 300 m @ 9 mph. (Previous circuit on a treadmill I was only able to go 7.5 mph. So yay! Joints and things are coming together, literally.)

Presses:
45 x 10; 60 x 3; 55 x 3; 50 x 3

Knee tucks on the ball: 12, 10

Also, thanks to (I think) sticking to my no bread campaign and more regular workouts, I'm within striking distance (ie 5 or 6 pounds) of my pre-pregnancy size.

hi!atus

hi!

Monday - half hour jog along the Elbow in Calgary. This was hard. I don't think it was the elevation either.

Tuesday - tried out skipping some rope. 60s work/60s rest x 3.

Wednesday - gym time.
squats: 195 x5, x5, x5. increase to 205.
press: 105 x5, x5, -. did something bad to my upper right back. didn't do the last set.
power cleans: 115 x3, x3, x3, x3, x3. increase to 125.

Double double

Two workouts in two days, together. This parental leave thing rocks.

Yesterday:

The mile ain't so fast anymore
Hedda - 7:55 (great triumph was to not walk)
Overunder - 6:20 (okay, his mile is still fast)

Sumo deadlift high-pulls (45 lb - 3 sets of 30 seconds)
Hedda - 14, 14, 15
Overunder - 21, 20, 20

Bench dips
Hedda - 12, 6, 7
Overunder - 25, 15, 20

Today:

That damn vigorous warm-up

17s

(Sprint the steep hill x 3 + 15 sit-ups) x 3 rounds

Hedda - 1:58, 1:32, 1:20 (He didn't tell me I was being timed on the first set)
Overunder - 1:08, 1:08, 1:05

Sprint length of soccer field (jog back) x 2

Then mmmmm.... frosty Coronas.

Back Track

A few post vacation workouts to post.

Last Tuesday, park work, which included:
Vigorous warm up,
3 x 5 sets of sprints up the hill with 5 pull ups in between sets.
20 yard 17's
4 sets of 50 yard accelerations (run 75% then burst to 100%, back to 75% as many times as possible in the 50 yards.)
5 Burpees + 20 yard sprint, x 4
3 x full filed sprint

Next day was 5 x 5 sprints up the hill and 10 sit ups and a hard frisbee game.

Thursday was a hard frisbee game (masters against a men's team, 17 to 5 victory for the old guys).

Yesterday was a home circuit: 5 rounds for time of 5 pistol squats each leg, 400m run, 20 push ups, 5 pull ups, (26:51).

My gym membership is still valid.

It turns out they don't take it away if you don't show up for a month or two. It was Saturday, usually very busy at the gym, but I bet on the place clearing out in the last half an hour or so

While Ken and Tim picked up some groceries, I did a workout:

Alternating sets:

1000 m row - 4:50; 4:55; 5:00min
Bench press - 45 x 10 + 65 x 10; 75 x 7*; 8 push-ups

Squats - 85 x 6, 5, 5 (How can I have sunk so low!?)
Calf press - 250 x 10, 10, 10

Deadlifts - 85 x 8; 85 x 10; 95 x 10 (experimenting with set-up since I'm not up to lifting with full plates. Yet.)

And then a quick stretch to be the last one out of the gym.

*I think I could go as heavy as 95 lb on the bench press if I had a spotter. My numbers here are about 2 reps shy of a max so as to not risk life and/or limb. (Well, I'm not sure I could actually hurt myself too much with 75 lbs, but it would be embarrassing.) I planned to up it to 85 in the last set, but the bench was taken so I moved on.

Sticking with it...

We took the boys to the park yesterday and Ken put me through my paces. If I'd been less whiny about my out-of-shapeness, he'd probably have worked me harder. We did this:

Vigorous warm-up.

3 rounds:
Sprint up very steep hill
3 push-ups

3 rounds:
Sprint up very steep hill
10 sit-ups

17s (Sprint forwards and backwards 20 yards to a count of 17)

Sprint the length of a soccer field x 2 (walk back in between)

One attempted chin-up.

Today -- very tired. Tonight -- sparing in a frisbee game. I may get it together yet.

Back on the program

I don't know how long it's been since I've been to the gym, or gotten any exercise other than weekly frisbee and a couple of half-tournaments. A long time. And two weeks of vacation, during which I ate, drank, and sat. (Except for the hike to the top of Blomidon wearing a 15 lb baby.) Learned that "baby weight" actually means the weight you gain after having a kid and not having the time or energy (at the same time) to get any exercise. Plus boredom snacking.

Anyway, I am back on the program as of yesterday. No more bread, cereal, dessert, etc etc. (but bring on the bacon and eggs! And avocado salads... )

Workout no. 1:

Warm-up - 10 minute jog (this was actually hard)

3 rounds of
15 squats with the bar
Max rep presses with the bar (15, 8, 7)
400 m run (1:48, 1;51, 1:51)

Barf.

13:30 minutes.

Today, frisbee with sore quads.

75 and sunny

That's the title of a song I listened to at BluesFest last year. "I wanna be 75 and sunny, not 29 with a chance of flurries all the time."

squats: 185 x5, x5, x5.
press: 85 x5, x5, x5.
deadlift: 185 x5.
power cleans: 95 x3, x3, x3, x3, x3.

oh yeah. 25 points of men's league frisbee last night (1 sub and a 15-13 win). That's gotta count for something. Cankels are a little sore but manageable and if you consider that 25 points is more than I am going to play at any tournament, I should be good wrt injuries (knocking on wood).

just before heading home for the day:
2min work/90s rest @ 8mph x5; 9mph x1.

On Leave

Started a 2 month parental leave this week. Hopefully these workouts will progress!

The beach tourney was pretty fun. Hard on the legs and feet, but I had lots of energy to spare. Ms. Hedda did awesome, and there is proof! ;-)

Yesterday I was awake at 5 and up at 6. Went for a 5 k at 6:30 and (24:05) and then did 10x 15 bw squats and 10 push ups in the backyard in 12 minutes. That was pretty hard, but won't be in two months!

Now, a 12 day vacation out East!

Catch up

Last weekend, Frisbee tourney with Ms. Hedda. Six games at a competitive enough level.

Tuesday was a crossfit circuit. Three rounds for time of 400m, 50lb db swings x 21 and 20 push ups. Time was 17.47. Also, ran a mile in 7:40 prior to (yoga class).

Wednesday was another Frisbee game.

This weekend -Frisbee on the beach!

Tuesday

5k. 23-24 minutes (no watch).

Frisbee game at night.

Wednesday: frisbee game at night.

Monday. Sigh.

Power cleans: 115 x 5, 135 x 5, 145 x 5.
Bench press: 155 x 8, x 7, x 6
Pull ups: 14 in a row
30KG overhead walking lunges followed by 20 no weight walking lunges X 3 rounds.

Then a night of party pants.

Team Conditioning

A great idea by one of our members; a conditioning session in the sand. So, off to the beach on Sunday evening. Ms. Hedda and Party Pants along for the fun.

Warm up run, lunges, high kicks then:
-Triangle cone sprints (From top cone to bottom right, back to top, to bottom left, back to top). 5 rounds.
- 17's (cones at 15 yards, sprint there, run backwards back 17 times in a row.)
- Crazy catch: start in the center with cones front/back and left/right at 15 yards. Run to one and receive a pass on your turn back to center. Complete all four directions /passes. X2
-Box run (60% run around a 30 yard box, sprint the last 2 corners on odd laps, cut across the diagonal at the same 60% pace on even laps) x 6 or more.
-Gauntlet: sprint past 4 throwers receiving a pass from each one. X 6
-staggered gauntlet (make cuts to throwers staggered on opposite sides) x 3
-Tabata, hot feet.
-Huck and strike until dark (X 20)

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Wednesday, one shitty game of frisbee in the evening. Know what I am though? Still fast. That's all I'm saying.

Thursday I killed it. Three rounds for time of 1000 meter row, 20 dips, 30 sit ups (should have been 50 in the end). Time was under 21. There was a long wait for a new gym member to GET OFF THE DIP STATION! Row times were 3:55, 4:02, 4:08.

Friday was meetings and Greek food all day long. What's with the Greeks and the potato and rice?

I thought it would be worse

And it was.

Sunday's crossfit with modifications: 5 rounds of Thrusters, 30 kg x 21 reps and 30,30,30 skipping (both feet, left, right).

The weight was supposed to be 75 lbs and the skipping was to be 21 double unders. But that was stupid.

My time was 15:45. My breathing was heavy. My t-shirt was soaked.

This was after an extensive warm up (1.5 mile run, eccentric pull ups, front and back extensions) while waiting for the yoga class to finish. Those people can drag things on, let me tell you.

Ripper

Saturday's crossfit:

5 rounds max reps BW bench press and pull ups (the dead hang variety for me).

Bench press: 9, 5, 6, 5, 5, (had a spotter!)
Pull ups: 14 (PR!), 9, 6, 6, 5.

Mile run (witha 1:30 400m in there) and a stretch.

Team Sprints

Last night at the park. By "team" I mean the 6 guys that showed up after the supper hour (uhhg).

Warm up runs on the cones (5 cones spaced ~10 yards apart). Then:

1. Full sprints there and back to each cone X2
2. Cone to next cone walking lunge, side shuffle R, side shuffle L, backward walking lunge, X2
3. Sprint to cone, 5 pushups, sprint back, next cone 10 push ups, sprint back...15 push ups...20 push ups, sprint back.
4. Sprint to cone, 5 seconds fast feet, next cone 5 high knee jumps...5 fast steps...high jumps and the same back.
5. Sprint to cone, 5 burpees, next cone 10 crucnhes...5 burpees..10 crunches and then the same back.
6. Sprint to cone, 5 mountain climbers, next cone side laundry jump...5 mountain climbers...5 side laundry jumps, then the same back (but with front to back laundry jumps).
7. Tabata: fast feet 20 on, 10 off for four minutes.
8. 4 rounds of accelerations: run 75% accelerate to 100%, decel immediately, X 3 to 5 times over ~75 yards.
9. Passing drill: strike for a 40 yard huck, pass back to thrower at halfway mark, strike back for endzone catch. 10 to 12X
10. Three man over ten yards until our legs were jello.