rest, then PULL

Yesterday was a rest day and I needed it.  My upper calves were kinda sore from both the heavy PC reps and the DUs in "Annie"....which leads me to today.  I am an athlete for whom 2 day DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) are the norm.  Because of that, crap...I totally learned my lesson.  I know my coach has planned a great program for me to follow so I don't need to add any extra, even if I'm tempted! :) I'm chalking my slip-up to being new to being coached and having a program upon which I can focus.  I'm used to doing my own thing, but guess what, I don't need to for now! Lesson learned so onward! :)

I learned a lot today...

I've known I would be facing this WOD A for a while and have been nervous about it.  Why? Because it called for a 44# KB.  I pretty much always defer to the 35# KB because I know that in my 55-59 Masters Division, I will n.e.v.e.r be required to swing over 35#. But I also realize that may change over the next few years as current younger CFers age into Masters.  ANYway, so, yeah, I was a little nervous.

A) 3rds FT
25 KBswings @ 44#
25 Burpees
total time= 9:53
broken down: rds approx: 2:30/3:30/just under 4
KBS- 1: ub / 2: 7(chalked)+ 18 / 3: 10+3+4(chalked)+8
Burpees- 1: ub / 2: ub / 3: 10+15

44# wasn't bad at all. The hardest part was the handle was one of the thicker ones, but otherwise, not bad!
I tend to have a little snatch movement in my KB swings lately.  I know I have to pay attention to this depending on what other movements are in the WOD as well because it can gas my forearms.
I'm always pretty steady on burpees.  I do NOT like to stop, so even when they get slow, I just keep going.  I have noticed, too, that when I get tired, my hip drive up from the ground ends with me landing unevenly.  I'm guessing it has to do with hip (in)flexibility- as I fatigue it becomes exaggerated. It's just something I notice. It doesn't affect my burpee.
A HUGE moment occurred for me today doing these: I actually was able to figure out a more efficient way to handle the burpees during the last 10.  I was getting to my knees then briefly 'resting', then jumping up.  After a couple burpees worth of thought, I realized that if I went to my knees then just "crawled" up, this afforded me a slight rest as I kept moving!  Sounds so simple, I know, but for me it was a big AHA moment. 
Of the couple of things I learned about myself at the Games was that I needed to practice the action of switching up my mindset DURING the WOD.  As on the last PLUs in the chipper at the Games, I didn't reset my head and go to one at a time until the last 4.  That meant that I had far too many failed reps on the ones before those last 4. So you see why this shift when I was only a couple into the really slow burpees was good for me mentally. 

~rested for 4 hrs

B) 20 minute row @ easy pace
minutes 1-15 were within a 2:15-2:20 pace (the pace based on 'per 500m')
minutes 15-20 were within a 2:12-2:16 pace... not too different, but...
total distance: 4329m
My abs (yes, from 'Annie" :( ) were so sore the first 100m, I felt spastic trying to get into a rhythm!  Around the 12th minute, by butt/upper hammies started burning so I switched up how I held my legs...regular and then splayed out, reaching through my legs on the pull.  It was enough to finish without being in pain. :) The only other time I've rowed that long was last year for the 5k.  I actually think I finished that in about 22mins, so I may have been on the same pace even though I wasn't going fast.  I guess that's just being more efficient and stronger.

wed~ cleans

I got back to my true program today. Felt happy to be back on track.

I set the timer and began my WOD:
A: work to 1rm PC in 8 mins
118# today (not a pr)
This felt heavy, altho my PC pr is 125#.
(I have two vids of my 103# and 118#, but they saved to my comp upside-down...I think I'm gonna need a tutorial from my coach on how to avoid that...or figure out my youtube.. but I'm a quick study! :P )
--rest 2 mins
B: 8 min AMRAP @ 90% of A
32 reps @ 106#
I tried the first two t&g thinking that might work in sets of five but had to end up dropping and resetting each lift.  I did 5 in each of the first 4 minutes with time to spare so I rested. Then I felt like I wanted to keep that up but each reset got longer because I had to psych myself up to lift it again so the next 12 took the remaining 4 minutes.  My head was making it harder than my body could handle.

This was the first time I wore lifting shoes.  I wore the ones I was given from Reebok at the Games.  I'm not sure they made a difference today, but I was told to keep wearing them for lifting for a while and I should start noticing a difference. (I'm pretty hesitant/resistent to using too many 'accessories'....just am, but I'll try these out.)

I know I was just supposed to do the Oly lifting today, but Beacon had "Annie" programmed so after coaching two classes and watching everyone do it, I really wanted to do it too. I also figured that since tomorrow is a rest day, I'd be okay. After about a 30 min rest and ticking time 'til I had the noon class, I decided to go for it. 
"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10
DUs // sit ups
7:40 pr :)
I messed up about 6x on the 50, 2x on the 40, 30 ub, 1x on the 20 ( at 18...arrr) and 10ub.
Sit ups are pretty fast for me.  I know each time I'll be able to take more seconds off as I get even better at the DUs!

toozday

Tuesdays are designed as a "self program" day. My coach put this in to accomodate my desire to WOD with my box.  I'm sure some Tuesdays will not be appropriate based on what will be coming up on Wednesdays for me, but today was just right.
Today was a push day and tomorrow will be a pull day, so no overlapping.

A: 4 ring PUs for 7 min EMOM
4, then challenged to do 5s by my erstwhile training partner, Dave, so my sets went:
4-5-5-5-5-5-4. I was heading into a near face-plant "iron cross" on the last 5 ;) and then failed on last rd at 4.

B: 3 rds with 2 mins rest btwn each rd:
400m run
25 PP @ 45#
2:49 - 2:49 - 2:51
I was pleased and a little surprised that they were all so close. My runs were per usual, a little sloggish, but I didn't have to break on the PPs.

I do love WODding along side my Beacon Peeps!

Back...

Back to Beacon.
Because I did the first Monday of my coach's programming right before I left for PA, I decided not to redo it yesterday (mon). Instead, I did Beacon's program, as I will again today, and then will take up my coach's programming for me tomorrow. THEN I will truly be back on track.

Mon: 8/27:
hang squat cleans:2-2-2-2-2 I finished at 95#  I def need to do more mobility on my hips!
metcon: 1min each: cal row= 21
running singles=122
ball slams=26
KtoE=9 (not sure if I miscounted or it truly was an epic fail! :/ )
squats =41
(15sec transition between each movement) 
I felt like I could have gone a little faster on all of these.  Not sure if it was because it was my first day back in a while or what, but I'd like a do-over....

PA update

Lots of days to update....
I've moved my body, just not my fingers over the keyboard!

Brooke Rd. in PA was still my home base for the updates from 8/18 to 8/25 so:
8/18: 1 1/2 mi run (nft, but not a snail's pace either...I ran with a happy black lab!)
About an hour later:
3rds of "DT" (light @ 75#) w/ 1min rest between
1:12-1:09-1:03~~felt more fluid with each rd
I know this is not, therefore, a true "DT", but I must admit it's harder to push myself when not at a box or at my own CF Driveway.
Then I 'cashed out' with some squat clean skl work: 45# bar 5x3
I need to get back to basics on alllll my squatting!  yikes.

8/20: 2 mi run through wooded park with son-in-law and lab

8/22: 2 1/2 m run through same wooded park with son-in-law, daughter, and lab ~~ I found knowing the route allowed me to push a little harder because in knew the lengths of the hills, the gravelly terrain, etc.

I have to say that these runs seemed to have allowed for a shift in my thinking about running. I plan on adding one longer run to wkly routine, nft necessarily each time, but to help me just learn to run without the "blech" in my head about it all the time! Park runs are the best for that, of course!!

8/24: body wt work: 10x3 push ups/15x3 air squats...not much else..

So the 19th, 21st, and 23rd were days filled with Oma(grandma) stuff.  Every day I was in PA, however, I did get the lab over to a nearby park (maybe a 1/2 mi away) and threw the ball to her for about 20 mins...running around the field some as well. So at least I didn't just sit for all the days off!

8/25: drive 8 1/2 hrs ~~ 8/26: *regrouped*

Th & Fri 16-17

Aside from some time on a walk with my kids' dog at the park, I actually spent much of Thurs still resting and recovering from my sore hip and long drive.  Not much chance that I would be doing an actual WOD.

Fri started with the doggie walk again and then was turning into another nothing day. My body felt recovered today and I began to feel very restless and antsy, so I knew I needed to get off my butt and get in a WOD.  This was around 2pm.

After I warmed up for a few minutes:

Double Tabata:

KB swings (snatch style) 35# = 73
Lunges holding a 15# plate=71 ( I missed my knee touch on a couple…)
Cash out: 600m-ish run (my usual 600m is about 3mins, this was 3:20, hence "-ish")

It felt absolutely wonderful to get moving again.

Then Michael, my son-in-law and Laurence just got back with some yard equipment so I spent the next three hours working on cutting and sprucing up a hill on the side of the house and cutting down some plants in the front of the house.  My forearms will be feeling it tomorrow!

Good day. Nothing like getting some sweat on to make your body really wake up and feel alive!

8/15 EAM

Off to Philadelphia at 4am this morning.

 

OMG, my left hip (all over) was soooo sore from the front squats I did on Monday.  And here I was sitting in a car for 8 ½ hours.  Not a good recipe for joy!  Laurence, being a wonderful husband, accommodated my request to stop every couple hours so I could walk around to stretch out my hips.  It worked, for the most part, and we didn’t get to Philly that much later than we planned. We went right to the hospital and met our new granddaughter, Elliot McDade.

Needless to say, that was the extent of my activity. 

8/14 altered!

While I was at the rehab center visiting my friend who’s been there for a month (and is finally having her back surgery on Friday), I got the call from my son-in-law, Michael, that Carly was in labor.  A grandchild!

Because of the change in plans, I didn’t get to the gym today.  I HAD planned a buy in /cash out 600m run with “Annie” in the middle.  I want to do this one still and may do it one day in Philly when I am there cooing over my granddaughter!  And then after I coo, I’ll go throw some heavy shit around because I am bringing my barbell and weightplates with me for the week’s visit so I don’t have to rely on getting to a gym every day!

So, I’m one day into my program and know that this first week will likely take me two to complete.  The big picture is baby/family first, and then when I am back home in a couple weeks, I can really be focused on my training. It’s life!

I ended up taking the dog to the park before I had to drop him off at the kennel. We went about 2 ½ miles, half of which I ran…always a little tricky through the muddy area and over the roots, but I enjoy it there.  So that was my training for the day. Not as planned, but not *nothing*.

 

 

8/13-it begins...

8/13/12
And so it began. Normally I don't like to be told what to do, but for this, I don't mind!

Today was a four-parter.
A: I did 4 sets of 8 FSs, increasing wt each set: 85#~100#~110#~120#. I probably should have warmed up my hip flexors more, but I did okay. The 120# was tough, especially 5-8.
B: Wt'd negative PLUs 5x5 had my badass self on parade...I had to drop from 12# to 9# after thefirst set. I know, who could compete with THOSE numbers! haha The tempo was a great challenge, particularly the 1sec hold at the top!
C: Wt'd negative bar dips 5x5 seemed easier than the neg PLUs but I still had to drop from 9# to 5# after set 2.
D: This one was kind of funny. I had to do 4 UB kipping PLUs EMOM until failure. Well, I didn't fail, but rather I had to stop on minute 35 (that's 140 PLUs). I seriously thought while I was doing the negative work with PLUs and dips that my arms/shoulders would be spent so that I would be lucky to get to 10-15 mins. So, I had to stop because a) my hands had started to rip a bit around minute 28 so they were becoming a little issue; b) my 4:30 class was starting to arrive (it was about 4:15 at this point ); c) I had JUST begun to feel as though I might actually see a failure but I only mean by that, I was getting tired but still had more good minutes in me! So yeah, I pretty much had to get ready to coach the 4:30. I clearly thought I had left enough time for me to complete my WOD!

It's amazing how adding hip action changes everything! :)