Saturday, January 25, 2014

Steady State MBike n' Hill Sprints - Jan 25

Bike out to Brighthouse for 9 repeats. 27 mins there, 15 mins of running. Flat shoe felt great. 70/80/90% on the first three repeats works well.  

Over to pick up the bike trailer, then out to Abundant Harvest to pick up the box. 33 there, 25 home. The extra weight isn't such a thing, it's mostly the fear of riding in traffic on California ave. 19.3 miles total. 1:24 moving time, 13.8 mph average.

A pretty long day for someone who's feeling like he's coming down with the creeping crud. Didn't eat well afterward, and had to run straight to Konrad's basketball game then straight out to jump on the ride up to see Lone Survivor in Tulare. Got cold, got sick.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 90 + 15 minutes total, PE: 7. 18 hours. 230/13.
P174g/C324/F106 : 24/44/32%, 2910 total cal, 1726 net

Friday, January 24, 2014

531 1b Bench - Jan 24

Everyone at home is sick this week. I'm not going to catch it! 
Probably should have Front Squatted today, but I'm feeling lazy. 
Laziness = laying down while lifting = Bench press!

531
Rx: 3x3 @ 225/255/285
10x 225/5x 255/4x 285
8 mins.

BBB
5 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Underbar horz pulls x10's
225 x10/8/7/8/5 (205=65%)
12 mins. 

Sore after this one. Week B should be 4 sets of BBB.

Cash out
No timer, just feeling it
Neutral wide grip cable pull downs
3x8 @ 160/175/190 or somesuch
5 mins.

7.5 hours - 2230/0600. 26 minutes total, PE: 6. 48 hours. 230/16.  
P201g/C303/F93 : 28/43/29%, 2834 total cal, 2605 net

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

531 1b Weighted Pull - Jan 22

Buy in
Bent over row - overhand
10x 95/10x 115///
5 mins.

531 Pulls - overhand
Rx: 3x3 @ 15/17.5/20 - deadhang
4x 15/4x 17.5/3x 20
9 mins.

I think, it's getting to the point where I can be myself again.

BBB
6 rounds, max reps - 3 Overhand, 3 Neutral grip - unweighted pulls (4'ish) - schedule calls for 15#, but I'm not there just yet.
5 rounds max rep ring dips (8's)
15 mins.

8 - 2 hours - 2230/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 231/13.
P203g/C128/F127 : 33/21/46%, 2959 total cal, 2683 net

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

531 1b Power Clean - Jan 21

Buy in
5 rounds, no timer
Hamstring curl @ 125 x12-10
Calves on the A-Frame @ 6.5 x12
Cleans x8 @ 115#
(3 rounds) Extensions @185 x12
16 mins.

531
Rx: 3x3 @ 130/145/165
135 x4/145 x4/165 x4 
5 mins.

Warming up with the circuit, and especially the light cleans, is the way to go on this day. BBB after the 531 (65% would be 150) is too much for me right now. For once, I did it right ... I can front-load the heavy work on every other day, but not this one. And, note that the heavy cleans do not feel good. The cleans for reps do. Just need to grease the groove here.

9 - 1 hours - 2130/0630. 22 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 232/13.  
P197g/C213/F104 : 36/22/43%, 2589 total cal, 2360 net

Monday, January 20, 2014

531 1b Deadlift - Jan 20

Buy in
3x FtB
Excruciating pain in that "torn abdominal."
3 mins.

531 Deads
Rx: 3x3 @ 220/250/280
10x 135/6x 205/4x 225/3x 255/3x 285
12 mins.

BBB
5 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Standing calf @ 275/Seated Calf @ 70///Standing again
Dead @ 205 (65%) x6/7/9/10/7
12 mins.

7.5 - 1.5 hours - 2300/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours. 232/13.
P273g/C97/F110 : 44/16/40%, 2583 total cal, 2353 net - win

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Bike n' Sprints - Jan 18

Steady state ride out to Grammy's to help put away Christmas. 

9 repeats on Brighthouse hill on the way back. Used a pair of the old marathoning shoes; first rep felt the familiar burning pain in my outside left achilles. Completed the reps and tossed those spongy pieces of crappé into the first available trash can. Felt wonky and clunky; tight in the lower back when it was all over.

Ride: 30 out, 33 back. 16.4 mi. Just turning the pedals, staying at 70%.
Sprints: 15 mins, all on 1.40. Dive and drive, focusing on dorsiflexion and pain tolerance.

9.5 - 1 hours - 2230/0800. 64 + 15 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours.
P275g/C168/F146 : 36/22/43%, 3131 total cal, 1456 net

Friday, January 17, 2014

531 1b Press - Jan 17

Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back. ― Heraclitus

Going through Supple Leopard, trying to consciously focus on creating stability in the shoulder on the press today. Internal rotation, internal rotation. Elbows together on the chins. Armpits forward on the press.

PM 
Buy in (no bars available)
4x6 chins w/ 25# assist
5 mins.

531 Press
Rx: 3x3 @ 130/150/170
10x 95#/3x 135/3x 155/3x 170
8 mins.

BBB
5 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Chins x6 @ 25# assist
Press x10-7 @ 125# (65%)
12 mins.

8 - 1 hours - 2130/0630. 26 minutes total, PE: 7. 30 hours. 231/13.
P179g/C150/F108 : 31/26/43%, 1992 total cal, 1763 net
- not paying attention to protein intake, lunch out instead of lunch at the gym...

Thursday, January 16, 2014

531 1b Squat - Jan 16

Squat
RX: 3x3 @ 210/240/270 
10x bar/10x 135/8x 195/3x 215/3x 245/4x 275
14 mins.

Using the belt. Focusing on midline stabilization throughout, screwing down my feet to the floor and pushing the world apart. Next, all the above and external rotation through the hip sockets.

BBB
4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Standing calf x12 @ 285
Oly Squat 8x 195# (65%)
10 mins.

Cash out
3x 8/7/6 Hamstring curl @ 125
3 mins.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 230/14.
P250g/C154/F177 : 31/19/50%, 3232 total cal, 2957 net 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

531 1a Neutral Pulls - Jan 15

Buy in
4x max reps Cable single pulldowns
@ 60#x15/75 x10/90 x7/105 x4
7 mins. 

5x max reps (4's) weighted neutral pulls w/ 10#
10 mins.

3 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Neutral pulls x4's
DB standing press @ 55/60/65 x10-8
8 mins.

Today felt like a goof-around day. Kinda like Front Squat day must be like.

8 hours - 2130/0600. 27 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 230/14.
P209g/C121/F129 : 34/20/47%, 2524 total cal, 2296 net  

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

531 1a Clean - Jan 14

Buy in
Overhead squat 10@45/12@65/12@85
4 mins.

531 HPC
Rx: 3x5 @ 120/135/155
I have to schedule more warm up on cleans days.
Actual: 115 (50%) x8/125 x7/135 x6/145 x6/155 x6
10 mins.

Cash out
4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
RDL x10 @ 155
Seated Calf @ 70
10 mins.

8.5 hours - 2130/0600. 26 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 230/14.
P120g/C138/F147 : 20/23/56%, 2345 total cal, 2117 net  

Monday, January 13, 2014

531 1a Bench - Jan 13

Buy in
Death by Ring Row
8 rounds, would you believe it? Blame Barbara.
8 mins.

531 Bench
Rx: 3x5 205/240/270 
Actual: 14x195/5x205/5x245/6x275
8 mins.

BBB antagonists
4 rounds in .30 on 1.13
Croc rows @ 95# x5's
Bench x10-8 @ 195 (190=60%)
11 mins.

9.5 hours - 2100/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 230/14.
P179g/C186/F144 : 26/27/47%, 2751total cal, 2479 net  

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Metcon - Barbara

You'll want to quit, but you won't. - me  

Good morning, Barbara, how are you today? Oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Huh. Well, if you're going to be a bitch this fine morning, I'll just have to be a bastard. 

51.10, total with RIs.
Round 1: 6.14
2: 7:39
3: 9:00
4: 8:12
5: 8:00

Again, sit ups, for no good reason at all (save that my hip flexors are weak, weak, weak) were the most grueling. Used my MTB gloves on the pull ups, no tape. After 80, felt like I was on the verge of tearing my palms again. I didn't do anything unbroken, even the push ups. I'd like to have a breakdown of the time spent resting vs. the time spent working - but I bet I'd not like to see the ratio. 

Anyway, until next time Barbie, you witch. How do you like me now?

7 hours - 000/0700. 51 minutes total, PE: 9. 48 hours. 227/16.
P256g/C185/F146 : 33/24/43%, 3296 total cal, 2493 net
- couple of beers, ftl

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Apple Jack ... Mead

5 lbs of cheap Clover Honey
boiled for 30 mins with

Two handfuls of raisins
Dash of Cinnamon
One diced vanilla bean
One fling of allspice
One puff of cloves
6 oz bottling cane sugar

Chilled to room temp with
64 oz White grape juice
64 oz Apple juice

Transferred through the filter-funnel, removing all the fruity bits - and keeping all that stoopid cinnamon, probably. Just a hit of cool water from the brewing shower into the blue corney to get up to 3.5 gallons. Pitched with a proofed packet of bread yeast, and, just to hedge the bet, a packet of Nottingham. OG: .1070, potential alc: 10%. A slurp of the pre-pitched must tasted just like friggin' wassail. Blasted apple juice. This was supposed to be a mead.

Next time, let's use predominant amounts of honey and some champagne yeast in our mead, whaddya say?

Day 2: OMB, the bread yeast and nottingham are making the air in the fermentation closet smell like buttgas. 

Day 20: Racked off and back into the same corney. Two things: first, FG is zero. There is no residual sugar, so it's a true sour apple flavor. 
Second, 90% of taste is smell, and the batch still smells like a orangutan's orangy asscrack.

Into the garage you go for solitary confinement to see if you can dissemble into something presentable over the next 6 months. Don't come back unless you do so. 

Final notes. After all was done, this is all that needs be said: This one got poured down the sink. Cheap apple juice? Wrong yeast? Yeah, all of my fears confirmed.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Front Squat 5x5 ish - Jan 10

Buy in
3 rounds
x10 Hamstring curl
x15 Hyperextensions w/ 35#
2x12 Extensions @ 180
6 mins.

Front Squat
1x9 @ 45# Overhead squat
10x 135/7x 155/x165/6x185/7x 185//
14 mins.

Cash out
4 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
4x7 RDL @ 155/165/// &
Standing calf 10 @ 285
Seated calf 12 @ 70//
Standing calf, makes 4
10 mins.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 32 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 227/15.
P165g/C184/F90 : 30/33/37%, 2198 total cal, 1925 net

Thursday, January 09, 2014

531 1a Weighted Pull - Jan 9

Buy in
LittleDeath by Bent over Row
5.11 rounds at 135#, 2 reps each round
7 mins.

531
Mixing the grip between neutral/overhand/chin. Chins are very painful right now in the right bicep. I'm not getting my numbers at all for these, so I'm going to 
A) Dial back the resistance by half
B) Only do Neutral grip this cycle
C) Both of the above.

C, damn my eyes. 

531
Rx: 3x5 @ 20/22.5/27.5
Actual: 2x20 overhand, 5x10//overhand & neutral, 0x chin.
10 mins.

Antagonists
5 rounds, in .30 on 1.13
Bar dips x10-7
Neutral/Overhand/Chin/Neutral/Overhand x 4's, mostly ... max reps
12 mins.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 29 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 227/15.
P275g/C100/F121 : 42/15/42%, 2372 total cal, 2100 net - win

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

531 1a Dead - Jan 8

Buy in
3x7 Hamstring curl @ 125/1x10 @ 110
1x12 Extension @ 185/2x12 iso @ 90/100

8 mins.

531 Dead
Rx: 3x5 @ 190/235/265
5x185/5x235/7x265
11 mins.

BBB
4x10 Standing calf @ 270
4x8/x10/// Dead @ 195 (190=60%)
11 mins.

Hip flexor was murder during the buy in (and while trying to do some Samson stretch prior to the deads). During the Deads, no problem. This lift is, as Yogi Berra might say, 90% mental and only 50% physical.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 30 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours. 228.
No IF today, breakfast at Hodel's.
P181g/C161/F87 : 34/30/37%, 2177 total cal, 1905 net

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Injury Time Out - Jan 7

Woke up Sunday morning with a really sore right hip flexor. Was still able to kick the bag and swing the bell, but Monday morning I couldn't touch my toes. Shuffled Press day forward, but today, there wasn't any way to get down to bar level to Deadlift. Got a haircut during my workout time instead. Keeping a hot hand warmer on it today and hoping for the best tomorrow.

8 - 2 hours - 2330/0630.
P168g/C10/F83 : 46/3/51%, 1486 total cal

Monday, January 06, 2014

531 1a Press - Jan 6

Buy in
Y-pulls 2x12 
Jimmy Buffets

531
Rx: 3x5 @ 125/140/160
Actual 115x10 (60%)/125x5/140x5/160x4

BBB
4 rounds
Neutral grip pulls x max reps (5-4's)
115x max reps (10-8)
... in .30 on 1.13

9 - 1 hours - 2130/0630. 20 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 231/13.
P264g/C191/F145 : 34/24/42%, 3798 total cal, 3614 net

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Bonus Day Bag Work - Jan 5

4x 15 KB Swing @ 53#
... in .30 on 1.13
5 mins.

Tabata Bag Work
29 rounds, says the timer. Southpaw everything felt more natural than righty.
14 mins.

9 - 1 hours - 2300/0800. 19 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours.
P218g/C96/F109 : 39/17/44%, 2222 total cal, 1841 net - win

Friday, January 03, 2014

531 1a Squat - Jan 3

Let's get this new year party started.

Rx: 3x5 @ 195/225/255
Actual: 10xbar/10x 135/8x 185 (60%=180)/5x 195/5x 225/5x 255
Working off an in-.35 on 2.40 timer. 225# felt heavy, was apprehensive about 255, but having Lindsay Varner next to me in the open rack doing burnouts with 315# provided some motivation. 
Check your ego at the door, or have it checked for you
14 mins.

BBB sets
4x 12-10 Standing calf @ 270/285///
4x 8 Oly AtG @ 185 (60%=180, remember)
10 mins.

Cash out
3x7-8 Hamstring curl @ 125
2x10 Extensions @ 185
4 mins.

PM
Easy Stretching.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 29 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 229/16.  
P238g/C187/F78 : 40/31/29%, 2352 total cal, 2079 net
 

Thursday, January 02, 2014

Angie, Ripped - Jan 2

Buy in
3x6 FtB
4 mins.

Angie 
I phear this wod. I will endeavor to get this under 30 mins before the end of the year. 
And, if you know you're doing 100 pull ups and don't tape up properly, well, let this be a ... 'nother ... lesson to you. Again. 
The other lesson - do your pulls on the tabata timer, so you can end in 10 mins. 

(Pull ups - tore at #87, in a ratio of 7 overhand to 3 neutral) - 12:19
Push ups - 5:46
Sit ups - 8:36. These won the 4-way battle for today's Suck championship. Weak abs.
Air Squat - 5:03
31:46

Did a quick measurement assessment for this quarter:
230#
Neck: 17
Chest: 46
Waist: 41.5
Hip: 43.5
Upper Arm: 16.5
Forearm: 13
Thigh: 27.5
Calf: 17.25/17.5 ... left leg is the longer of the two.

Since starting IF, there's a few positive changes: .5 off the neck, .5 onto the arm, 1 off the waist, 1 on the chest. Moving in the right direction. I'm not too worried about the body (re)composition, but, I am honest, and vain, and will say that having 9" extra around the waist rankles. Compared to the classical standard for my height and bone structure, I'm a touch slight above the waist, and thick in the legs. But most of my work has been extremity work, so I hope that this year's plan with its addition of some more athletic sessions, paired with a continuation with IF, should tame the gut. Low carb/no beer in the meantime - which is the only explanation for the neck reduction; lost any beer gills I was wearing during the last month off the liquid bread.

7 hours - 2330/0630. 35 minutes total, PE: 9. 24 hours. 230/15.  
P170g/C203/F108 : 28/33/39%, 1927 total cal, 530 net
 

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

MBike - Strength is Vindicated - Jan 1

Kicking the year off with a steady state ride. 24.6 mi, 1.39 - 14.9 mph. 
Didn't expect much from this, after getting little sleep and getting really cold in the morning - to be honest, I wanted to just lay around, but Dew talked me into it. Glad he did. 

Missed the group and rode solo, along the bike path through Hart park and up Rattlesnake to run down Panorama, telling myself to go easy the whole way. Geared all the way down for every hill, kept the PE at 70%. Never got out of breath. Felt slow, but, Strava says I picked up two PRs on segments and *18* trophies. I've never gotten more than 6 trophies on group rides. 

I hadn't ridden at all since last August, and have only done a little rowing of late. So you can't say this is a win for any brand of oxidative training. Not power-to-weight either, since here I am at a blocky 231.
I'm stronger than last year is all. Looks like power transfers directly to the drive train. The year plan with 1 steady state session per week seems like the right move for me. I'll focus on raw strength and power-endurance.

4.5 + 2 hours - 0200/0630. 99 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 231/14.
P278g/C53/F89 : 52/10/38%, 2155 total cal, 523 net

2013 Year in Review, 2014 Year in Advance

If I did anything with intent this year, I focused on gaining some maximal strength. Regaining. In some areas, carving some new neural pathways with unfamiliar movements. Made some gains. Let’s compare some numbers.
 
12.12 … (pulling these from December’s C week 531+ day)
Squat – 1x 315#, 3 bad ones @ 315# in Jan
Press – 2x 150#, 1x 190# in Jan (5x 135 in Nov)
Clean – Squat Clean 8x 125# during work sets in Nov, 5x 135 in Oct
Dead – 2x 270#, 7x 255# in Jan
Bench – 4x 280#, missed at 315# in Jan

12.13 – from the MaXmas attempts
Squat – 1x315# High Bar
Press – 1x 195#
Power Clean – 1x 185#
Dead – 1x 325#
Bench – 2x 325#
Front Squat – 2x 255#
2k Row – 8:05
Pull Ups – 13

So, I showed progress almost completely across the board. Deadlift really wanted improvement, and got it, although I know it is still an abject weakness. I subbed high bar squatting for low bar, and the numbers there are nearly up to what I was low-bar back squatting – without beating me up.Training got hampered a bit by what I thought/hoped was a strained abdominal but which is a hernia. Which, I'm not doing much about, and sure didn't get sliced open to fix.

I spent the biking months with a single favorite ride/run brick – out and back to Brighthouse hill at the Riverwalk park, where I’d do hill repeats. Always an awesome hour and a half.

Starting off the year with this 531 set up, note that I’ve added a vert pull day and a cleaning day for better balance. To offset the extra work, the BBB sets are only 4 instead of 5, and one of those 4 is included on the warm-way-up to the 531 sets:

And here’s the year calendar. Note there are five 531 cycles, with the addition of 6 focal benchmark metcons and one oxidative training day/week:


This year, the movements I’ll be focusing on:

Some notable moments from the year:

Right after New Year’s, I used 3 weeks of a month-long membership at Crossfit Bako. I was exceedingly excited to join, and almost immediately exceedingly disillusioned. I had an epiphany early on in that short tenure, when I bested my Helen time by two minutes –based solely on the strength work I’d been doing on my own prior to joining the box. I realized that I didn’t need some swim coach dictating my workout planning for me, or to pay to play with a community composed mostly of Gen-Y kids who wouldn’t look me in the eye leave alone say hello. 

Continued a lot of traditions this year. On L’s bookgroup nights, the kids and I would hit China Palace and the dollar movie – big whoop, but I always looked forward to it, and I hope the kids remember it as something we did together, even if cheesy. Took part in the Valentine’s day Father-Daughter dance, but only as participants this year. Paraded in Westchester on July 4th. I caught up to the fam for a few days of their week in Catalina with the Rabideaus. L and I went back in the fall for the Jazz Trax weekend with them and had a great couples-only time. Didn’t ride the Lighthouse century (was at Josh’s wedding, which is just as well, since, except for Dew, the people we would travel with never did the ride with me anyway), or run the Volkslauf (kept the day open for Haley’s Birthday, but she was able to spend it with the grandmas at the Getty). Caught the Brian Setzer Christmas Extravaganza at the Fox on Dec 23rd

Did brew a few really great beers this year: Oatmeal Super Bowl Blackout Stout, White House Pale Ale, the 115th Dream Hopbursted Double Imperial Brown Ale – which got nicknamed the Deuce Juice – a Honey Oatmeal Brown Ale. Got away from drinking anything made from malteds in the second half of the year as I was feeling both depressed and rotund. Maybe I’ll get a mead cookin’ to get away from the gluten, just as soon as I trim down a bit. Right now, want to force my body into a bit of a better power-to-weight profile.
In March, did the Heavy Athletics portion of the Scottish Games, and received a nice t-shirt, a mangled knee and hand, and a rude awakening regarding my ability to apply strength in motion. H and I toured Venice Beach on our way to see the Hives at the House of Blues - that was awesome.
In August took a day run up Vernal falls with the two girls – this was a true highlight of the year for me. The time we carved out for a backpacking trip got kaboshed by a fire in the Sequoias. Had a birthday dinner with the DSS crew at Eureka! where I discovered both the bourbon sampler and rye whiskey. This new relationship really did massage the breakup with beer.
September, went to Chicago for the safety show with Gardner and Kris in the Palmer House. Good, tiring time. November, took a special trip to Disneyland to catch the opening of the Catching Fire Hunger Games movie for CC. 

The last two months of the year I began an experiment with Intermittent Fasting, eating only after the noon workout through early dinner – body weight remained semi-stable (lost 5 lbs) while the electro BF readings stayed the same, but the body measurements improved, and nearly all maxes improved (see above). Part of the beer equation was to eat my lean BW in carb grams/day (205+), while seeking to keep carb grams under 100, and make up the rest of approximately 2500/cal/day in fats. Didn’t really hit these marks religiously, but saw recomposition progress as well as strength gains. I’ll be continuing IF into 2014, and hopefully losing about 8” around the waist (appearance) and getting down to 11% BF (athleticism).

Darkened a lot of church doorways this year, and visited Todd’s house church once, just shopping around and wondering if a lightning bolt of desire would hit me when I visited that special one. Nope. Stayed away from 1st Pres all year except for dropping H off at some of the girl’s studies and attending once when Mark Toone was in town and for a funeral. Ironic twist: looks like we’ll be giving the place another try in 2014, as CC wants to go to her group and H feels like her group is home. In 2013 I didn’t miss phony baloney Christianity at all.

After that meeting with Mark, had an email correspondence as he’s let me view under the hood while he and his staffers construct/review/polish the weekly sermons. Love that guy and wish I could sit among his congregants on Sundays.

Experienced a lot of loneliness in 2013. Guess from the outside, people would blame me, saying I isolated myself. From within, I remember trying to focus more on the people within my household, those who I know will return the investment of my time, and repudiate those who are takers. That put me on the outside a bit as I tried to farm some new ground with new people.

Right at year's end, I read Jon Acuff's Quitter and began to wonder what dream I should be chasing. Without them, the people perish, you know.