A Productive Morning

When the Little Monster took her morning nap, the wife did a Pilates video.  I puttered around for a bit, practiced shakuhachi, and did 12 pushups with my feet on a chair.  When she was done, I got her up on my back and did a squat Tabata.  I only managed 5 (10, 11, 11, 10, 10, *3) before my form went to total shit and I was gasping for air, but I feel great now.  I think she weighs around 125. 

What A Killer

Eating: apple

Drinking: Gatorade

Listening: Risky Business

 

40' hill climb, with weights.  2.7 the entire time.  I grabbed a Gatorade at the 20' weight switch break. 

 

Just read this.  Makes a lot of sense.  I think I'll do that on Monday, with a nice circuit workout and a hill climb, maybe without weights for once.  The plan for the weekend is to do Tabata squats using the wife as weight tonight, then maybe some pushups and jumping tomorrow or Sunday. 

Mercifully Brief

Eating: almonds and chocolate

Drinking: I promise I will get up and refill my water bottle as soon as I am done typing

Listening:  MBEK

 

Just did a modification of yesterday's WOD, which was thrusters 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.  Weights were barbells 25 - 30 - 35 - 40 - *45 - 40 - 40 - 40.  Left arm failed on 45.  My OHP is so weak that I'm not sure it makes sense to do thrusters for weight - it's as though there is no squat component at all. 

 

I also read a bit today about Drew's personal program, which led me to the HIT FAQ on his site.  He recommends 8-12 reps of a single weight.  I would like to progress to being able to do lots of pullups, so I did 150# pulldowns and managed 9, and dips and did 10. 

 

All in all, a very short program.  I feel pretty good though.  Buzzed, you might say.  When I got back to the office I was craving sugar, like a brownie or something, so I gave myself a double ration of dark chocolate.

 

Yesterday I went out to lunch at La G. with JM and others and had a lot to drink.  Not enough that I couldn't work but certainly enough to make going to the gym totally out of the question.  J's friend J came over for dinner last night and we had a lot more wine.  He was kind of a douche but it rolled right off of me.  The meditation must be working.  Also, I have practiced shakuhachi for ten minutes each night this week.  I still can't reliably make a sound, but that can't be too far off at this point. 

Mission Accomplished

Eating:  salad from Chop't and some chocolate

Drinking:  water

Listening:  Honkyoko again

 

40' hillclimb with weights.  I noticed that the weights were leaking the little plastic chips that make them heavy, and that they were probably different weights, so I stopped after 20' and switched them.  That gym.  Jesus.  Speed was 2.7 to start with, dropped to 2.6 and then to 2.5.  I was trying to keep my HR under 140.  I don't totally understand why my stamina is so poor - that is, I can do 15-20' of 2.7 mph climbing at like 125 but 5 minutes later I'm gasping for air. 

 

135# squats 10, 10, 10.  I could have upped the weight, if I had dropped the number of reps, but I felt like the third 10 was pretty close to failure (although still clearly doable). 

 

Thinking of something to do tomorrow will not be easy.  I've hit all the major groups these two days.  I would do some jumping but I don't really want to attract that kind of attention. 

Ugly Like Orangutans

Eating: going to break into some full fat Fage when my stomach settles; also some brazil and macadamia nuts

Drinking: water

Listening: Bamboo-In sample honryoku

 

I did repeats of two previous exercises today, all together: 5 6 7 8s and a hillclimb tabata.  For the 5 6 7 8s, I was only able to match my previous count of 8, despite the fact that it was 3:30 PM and the gym was empty.  Two things could explain this: one, I could have messed up the count last time, or two, it has been so long since I've done any kind of pulldown or pullup that those slowed me down significantly.  I did feel like the pulldowns were the weak link, although the pushups weren't great either.  The good news is that (if I remember my multiplication tables correctly) that is 40 back extensions, 48 pulldowns, 56 pushups and 64 situps. 

 

The tabata was also pretty rough, and I did lose count, but erred on the side of an extra rep.  I did it at a 6 mph / 10 minute mile pace, just like in November, and completed it easily although I wouldn't say that it felt great. 

 

So, what does this all mean?  I am at least as fit as I was in December, maybe?  I take some solace from the fact that I've put in the hours on the Pema Hillclimb Machine lately.  Also, I remember trying to get in shape for a BC trip a couple of years ago (maybe last year) and blowing all my gains by drinking and smoking immediately prior, and I clearly haven't done that. 

Stuffed and Light Headed

Eating: some chocolate

Drinking: some water

Listening: Fahey

 

I feel kind of light headed.  I just did a very light workout: 3 x 10 50# dumbbell walking lunges, 10 burpees minus jump, 10 incline situps.  Just didn't have much energy.  Talking it easy is permissible, I think, because I went to WLY and stuffed myself today, courtesy of my original benefactor YC.  I am trying with no success to write her a nice thank-you email.  On the other hand, I had to get something in, because the parents are here and I likely won't get any exercise to speak of this weekend.  

Back At It

Eating: a nice apple from the usually shitty selection at the gym

Drinking: water

Listening: a BBC Hard Talk interview of Geert Wilders - totally unbearable (the BBC, not Wilders)

 

Did 40' of hillclimb with weights at 2.4 with the last five minutes at 2.5.  Felt pretty good.  My heartrate was between 120 and 130.  Still taking it pretty easy. 

Post-Illness Weakness

Eating: chocolate and nuts

Drinking: water

Listening: Nyoraku (the free shit from his website)

 

5 x 1' heavy bag with BK, with some mobility and jumpropesque hopping in between, then 10' climb (no weights) at 3.0, followed by Tabata climb at 4.2-4.5.  I was ultra sick on Monday, and spent all of yesterday recovering, so I didn't feel especially strong today.  On Saturday and Sunday, I did do some light workouts, including (on Saturday) 10 x fake burpees (no jumping) which completely laid me out.  So, I think I'm still in kind of shitty shape.  Oh well.  The way to remedy that is by working out, right?  The heavy bag was kind of hard, I felt slow and weak.  On the Tabata, I deliberately took it easy on myself, and came out of it feeling worked but not killed. 

 

I just looked at the last hillclimb Tabata I did and I did that fucker at 6 mph, to put me taking it easy on myself in perspective.  Boy. 

Punching Below My Weight

Eating:  Chop't harvest cobb and a piece of dark chocolate

Drinking:  water

Listening:  I Zimbra

 

This morning BK asked if I wanted to hit the heavy bag.  We've been talking about it for a while.  I have a lot of stuff to do, but I figured I could squeeze in some time this morning given that everyone else on my team is otherwise occupied.  I did 5 1' rounds.  It felt pretty good.  I think we're going to make it a once-a-week thing.  Did some pushups as a warmup and in between rounds too.  Then I got on the treadmill and did 40' with the weights.  Started out at 2.7, then down to 2.5-2.6, then up to 3.0 for the last 5 minutes.  Also felt good.  I then tried to do an easy version of the WOD, which is overhead squats 3-3-3-3-3.  I picked 30#, easily pressed it, and started to go down.  About 1/4 of the way down I stopped.  I had to push myself into the rest of the squat, and it kind of threw out my back!  What the hell?  I need to watch a video of someone doing that.  It never occurred to me that it would be that much harder than regular squats. 

Quick Note

Forgot to type this up earlier. 

 

Warmup: 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 130# pulldowns.

 

15 70# power cleans

8 dips

12 60# power cleans

6 dips

9 60# power cleans

5 dips

6 60# power cleans

3 dips

3 60# power cleans

3 dips

 

10 45# squats

8 95# squats

6 115# squats

4 135# squats

 

My wrists hurt from the power cleans, but I felt like my technique was getting there at the end.  The squats were easy. 

Snatched From the Jaws of Sloth

Eating:  nuts, chocolate, a Granny Smith

Drinking:  water

Listening:  Secret Chiefs

 

Just did 40' with the 10# anklets.  I then did only 40 bosu tucks.  What can I say, I did them in one set, and work is kind of intense right now.  The climb was good, as I managed to fight through a period of dullness (look at something and bring it in to sharp focus) and a period of tenseness (let yourself relax completely).  Pema is helping.  The last two techniques are from her.  She is getting in to the be like a log teaching, so I'm excited for Wednesday. 

 

Yesterday and the day before I took pretty long walks (yesterday's was especially long) with the little chomper on my back.  We were up at Castle Greyskull and just came back yesterday afternoon.  I had planned to run or jump last night but the Wife prevailed and got me to cook the bacon fried rice, bean shoots and mixed mushrooms instead.  I did douse, and I also meditated for 15 minutes.  On Friday I hung out with DC, AL and AL's friend from GZ, who was kind of a disappointment.  I had huge quantities of green (kiseru method was a resounding success), two beers (one of which was a Six Point and absolutely delicious) and two cigarettes.  I also had two glasses of prosecco on Saturday night.  I still feel like my +/- abstinence is a good thing - I would have had four times that much alcohol on a typical weekend.  If not more.  I had a very late night at work on Thursday (5 AM) but doused and meditated in the morning. 

 

I think I'll go to Tea Box for lunch. 

Nice Girls

Eating: a Granny Smith and some nuts

Drinking: water

Listening: A Clean Break

 

Just repeated a workout I did in December (I think): 3 x [50 45# squats, 5 pullups, 5 dips, 10 45# power cleans], plus a warm up of 2 x [10 pushups, 10 situps].  The only difference is that I used the big bar instead of a 40# soft bar, and that I didn't sub in any chinups.  Anyway.  It was hard.  I said apropos of squats last time that they got easier as I went on, and that was certainly true this time, but they were very hard at first, and I had real misgivings about doing them after the tucks yesterday.  Still, I made it through, and by the end it didn't seem like much of an effort at all.  The pullups were horrible.  By the end I was doing them one at a time and kind of halfassing it.  I need to do more pulldowns at a lighter weight.  Pushups were very hard too.  The power cleans seem kind of pointless at that weight.

RTFO

Eating:  nothing, going to go up to the caf after typing

Drinking:  I just had, if you can believe it, a bottle of Gatorade (Frost flavor); other than that, nothing, certainly not enough water

Listening:  "Cargo Culte", thanks to Youtube, the A Feng pick for best song of all time

 

Just had a very good and even redemptive trip to the gym.  I had planned to go earlier this morning, and in fact went, even though work was intruding, but got down there to realize I had forgotten my shoes.  So, I went back down just now and did 45' on the incline and 100 bosu tucks.  I did the first 25' around 2.6 to 2.7 with 5# weights, but they kept sliding down and falling off - the velcro was worn out.  I went to replace them and the 4#s were missing so I used the 10#.  Jackpot.  Exactly like skinning.  I could slow down to 2.1 / 2.2 and still keep my HR around 140.  Doing the bosu tucks was also very affirming because it's exactly the sort of thing I typically plan to do and then don't.  I did 50, my legs were burning, and I kept at it and finished.  A really good feeling. 

 

On Sunday night I did a tabata of box jumps in the apartment and then tried to do a 13' Pilates video with the Wife.  I made it 6' in.  Oh well.  The tabata was actually pretty easy, probably because I'm not coordinated enough to do the jumps fast.  Maybe next time I'll do 10 rounds?

 

So, the plan for the next couple of days is: if I did a hike on the day before, I'll do Crossfit, but if I didn't, I'll do a hike.  Hikes should be followed or supplemented by some other ski-specific move such as bosu tucks, bosu squats, balance board versions, box jumps, whatever. 

Play / Work

Eating:  just had a salad from Chopt

Drinking:  water

Listening:  conference call

 

Just did a very watered down, but still brutal, to me anyway, version of Murph.  .5 mile hill climb, 50 pulldowns (120, 110, 100, 90 chin, 90), 30 pushups, 50 15# bosu squats (although the first and last ten were on a wobble board), .5 mile hill climb.  Should have done more pushups and squats, but I was running out of time.  I went totally lactic on the pulldowns and the pushups and it felt awful.  I am still in pretty bad shape.  Did the hill climbs in just over 9 min, just under 9 min, speed between 3 and 3.5.  I just can't believe that anyone can do 100 pullups and 200 pushups.  I could do 300 squats, maybe, but it would be a max effort.  I guess that's the point.

 

I also spun the Monstermobile around the park yesterday in about 42 minutes (rough estimate).  That was great fun.  I watched her by myself all yesterday, what a joy.  She is such a sweetie.  The running part felt great too, although I was slapping a bit.  Based on something from the Pose website that I bumped into today, I think my mid/forefoot landing is ok, but it should be under my hips.  That is currently the missing link.