MTB M Bike - Hart Park Sunday - July 31

A fasted cardio day on the bike with Dew, out to Hart Park and back. No real pushing, just easy and spinning all hills. Sucked Dew's wheel a bit in the sections where you'd really rather be on a road bike. Picked up a couple of caches out that way on the way.

7 hours, 2300-0600 /24 hours. 110 mins total, PE: 6/7. 210/13, post everything.

MTB + Hills - Embankment Bluff Brick - July 30

Last time I did this, 11 months ago:
MTB to the emBankment bluff. 18 mins there, 15.25 back.
5x the half-bluff in 2.00/1.44/1.38/1.32/1.50 on 4.30.

Today:
18 mins there.
5x the half bluff in 1.38/1.36/(?-tapped the timer)/1.34/1.38 on 4:30.
Cruised back, picked up one of MacCapt's No CRAP left behind caches.

Anyway, I remember turning myself inside out to get those times last year - today, I pushed, but not 100%. Just when I was sure I wasn't showing any performance improvements, a ray of sunshine. Had an off day yesterday too, sure that helped. On the other hand, feeling the left-side high-hamstring/glute tear from Badger.

8.5 hours /48 hours. 70 mins total, PE: 9. 210/12.

MTB - Easy Rider - July 28

Half mile accelerations out and back to the Jewetta keyhole, ratcheting up a gear at the mile markers. An hour is pretty much par for the course. Purty morning, testing out the "fasted cardio" theory. Not really pushing, never out of breath or hammering.

Don't tell my downhill forks they're being used for cardio.

7 hours/18 hours. 61 minutes, PE: 7. 211.

You Wouldn't Understand.

AR - What the Hell, Ca is Simple - July 27

Buy in:
4x20 pumps/x13 Simplicity seated calves @ 13

Then:
Simplicity circuit-ish - 40 seconds on, 45 off the trio, in sequence
Simplicity pull downs @ 8/9/10/11/12
Simplicity iso overhead press @ 8/9/10/10/10
Simplicity iso bench press @ 8/9/10/11/10

So, next time you start heavy and go down from there. 35 seconds on, 45 off.

7.5 hours/30 hours. 34 minutes, PE: 7. 210/15.

16 Week Weekly Weight Progression

16 Week Weekly Weight Progression

Week 1: 5x10x60% (5 sets of 10 reps @ 60%)
Week 2: 5x8x65%
Week 3: 5x5x70%
Week 4: 5x3x75%
Week 5: 5x10x60%
Week 6: 5x8x70%
Week 7: 5x5x75%
Week 8: 5x3x80%
Week 9: 5x10x60%
Week 10: 4x8x75%
Week 11: 4x5x80%
Week 12: 4x3x85%
Week 13: 5x10x60%
Week 14: 3x8x80%
Week 15: 3x5x85%
Week 16: 3x3x90%

WoD - Beerless Badger Blackout - July 26

Will there be one left behind?

Nearly drove by yesterday. I felt great at noon today. By the time 5:00 o'clock rolled around, I was feeling less so. Damn Walker messaging pics of LW summerfests in front of my eyes. Damn Badger got me dreading what I was knowing I was going to feel.

At least I did the right thing and hung in and did the WoD, and did all of it.

First set of cleans. Felt like where my left hamstring ties into my glute was torn. Just do them and they'll feel better ... you'll go numb. 5x6 @ 103# - used the junior bar so no one would mess with my bar when I was over on the treadmill. Round two was better, just forced myself to pick up the bar and the body knows what to do - not to mention the fantasies of only doing 2 rounds, 60 reps is enough of a rep count. Round three, my back was pretty tight, and all of it was pretty much gone. Hard to keep count, keep from feeling like passing out after standing up.
Pull ups: 8/7/6/etc. Felt good, just gassed.
Ran the 880's @ 1.5%, 10 minute pace.

Round 1: 16.19
Round 2: 17.54
Round 3: 17.56

52.11. 8# more on the bar than last time, which, now that I check, is more than the 95# Rx'ed. Dumb! But the time was way off the mark. Since the cleans are the heart of this shizzle, next time, I will own.

9 - 1 hours/24 hours. 58 minutes, PE: 10. 211/15 - 210/10 pm.

Wa - July 25

Nearly drove on by the box today. Part of the workout is mastering the self, on days like these.

6x 7-10 reclining DB press @ 65#s/5x 7 cable rows @ 80#
1 min RI

4x 7 chin ups/3x 5-6 push press @ 123#

8 hours/36 hours. 29 minutes, PE: 7. 209/15.

Mixed Run - July 24

Run to Beach -10, 8 home with a sub-3 around the long block with Maylow.

8x max reps pulls at the park.

7.5 + 2 hours/48 hours. 31 minutes, PE: 9. 211/14.

WoD - Woody - July 21

You know, everytime I do this run/work/run WoD, I fully expect to blow apart the workout in the park section - 12 minutes, say - and everytime I end up taking just as long as the runs.

out: 25.13
pulls/dips/kte: 23.10
back: 24.44
I did this back in Feb in 73 minutes too, without any real running back then (25 mins there, 23 mins doing work, 25 mins back) ... I am not getting any faster.

Pullup bars were wet, and then my hands were sweaty, but I really just had a heckuva time trying to hang on. Grip is weak.

7.5 hours/36 hours. 73 minutes, PE: 8. 208/12.

Train Grade and Wl - July 19

AM
13 there, 13 back, with a lot of futzing with the timer on the way. 6 repeats in .50 on 3.00. Recoveries are easier, but my feet aren't any faster. Still tough to make it under the wire in 50.

PM
5x good form max rep deads @ 135#/155/185/185/185 - 10/8/5/6/5
one more drop-set 10 at 135#
1.5 min RI

then
4 rounds of 10s/12s:
extensions @ 205/curl @ 135/A-frame @ 5/seated calf @ 45
1 min RI

7.5 hours/12 hours. 45 + 28 minutes, PE: 8. 209/11.

Wa - Push Pull - July 18

Working on 5 hours sleep. But AR week is over, and it's time.

5x 8/7/7/7/7 Push press (strict) @ 123# (junior bar with 45s#)
1 min RIs

5x 8/7/8/7/7 SDHP with same
1 min RIs

3x 5's dips/dead hang pulls
1 min RIs

5 hours/24 hours. 25 minutes total, PE: 6. 211/11.

MTB and Pulls - July 17

AM
Three reps on the MTB over Ada, Chimes, Ada in an hour, with a little hiking break to bag a cache on the hilltop overlooking Lover's Cove. Spent a lot of it in the granny gear, but it felt great. Love the air here, the views, and the grind. As we've always said, a powerful sensory experience.

PM
6x max rep pulls on .50 rests with neutral grip

AR - Kayak and Snorkel - July 15

Doing a lot of snorkeling this week. At first, had to force myself to think outside of setting aside workout times, but just keeping moving comes naturally on this island, and, I'm really ready to just AR all week. Granted, I've logged three workouts this week, but after double sessions, it feels easy - and easier than I've been on myself here than in years past.

Midnight movie last night for the premiere of the Harry Potter finale, and too much wine. A late start and 3 hour tour on the kayaks to Willow Cove and back. Lots of snorkeling today too, again.

AR - Dive and Pulls - July 14

Hour dive off of Casino point, with some nice highlights. Explored a little cave, saw a moray eel, tooled around until too cold to continue.

PM
10xmax reps chins/KtE .50 on, .50 off
Snorkeling

Hill Run - Fire Road - July 13

Easy uphill to check up on the Catalina Stables cache, then hard to the turnaround at the campground, then hammer up and back. Felt stronger as the run went on. Absolutely light of foot springing up the hill back to the golf course.

PM
Snorkeling. Hey, it's an AR week. But there's nothing that easy about it. Pushing those turbofins leaves my legs feeling hollow the next day.

63 minutes, PE: 8.

WoD - Catalina Cindy - July 11

Last time we ran this WoD, I only got 11 rounds. Same shrimpy playground monkey bars with the neutral grips and no room for kipping, but managed 16 2/3 rounds. Pulls got hard, pushups just slowly accrued, and the squats simply served to gas one out. Used the iPhone and did rounds on the minute/minute and a half. After doing Chelseas, 20 minutes seemed short. Not fun, but short.

PM
Snorkeling.

Off - Velocity Day 28 - July 10

Final day of Velocity, totally blew it up with day one at Catalina and a trip to Luau Larry's and out on the patio at Antonio's. Needed a day off, and needing this AR week, as I'm feeling very overtrained from the hi-freq cycle.

Dice Deals - Velocity Day 27 - July 9

Buy in:
2 sets max reps of
ab wheel rollouts, then power wheel face up, then power wheel pumps, then one more rollout

24 mins on the die, with 120# barbell
Die contained cleans, thrusters, push press, romanian deads, ring dips
dips came up four times, push press a few, deads and cleans a couple ... the overhead sqt and thruster sides only came up once.

7.5 + 1.5 hours/30 hours. 15 + 24 minutes, PE: 7. 212/14.

Common Courtesy is only for the Common.

I live in what, until the recent housing boom and ensuing bust, was small-town America. A mid-sized city that still had a main street USA feel. Go to the store, see three people you know. Go out to eat, there at the table across from you is someone from high school. Get on an airplane, sit next to someone from church or the old neighborhood.

Someone from the big city might find this stifling. How is one supposed to carry on illicit affairs or other dirty deeds under this kind of scrutiny? Only those who have lived with the solitary confinement of walking through a city composed of cold concrete and disinterested strangers, and has capitulated emotionally to that vacuum of anonymous loneliness might think that numerous acquaintances would be an impediment. In any walk of life, knowing people and being known by them should be bedrock-foundational to a fulfilled life. These truths are so self-evident that they sound vapid: People are important. Relationships matter. To have a friend, you must first be one.

One measure of the small town's regard for people is the Friendly Greeting in Passing. The big city counterpart is the Avert the Eyes and Say Nothing. Why the difference? You must not be from around here, because here in the city, the Friendly Greeting on the sidewalk simply isn't done. No one knows why. Too many people to reasonably greet? Self-preservation because you don't know who's a crazy who will take your "Good Day" as a "Stalk Me?" If asked, I'll bet that's the rationale. But only at the conscious level. I think the unwillingness is laziness, or self-centeredness, but mostly an ingrained disdain for people in general. Just as the city is full of people; people everywhere become a hindrance, an impediment, merely many obstacles as I try to get about my more-important-than-theirs business.

The deep psychology of kindness in the city is another post. I don't really need to point out the big city's shortcomings here, except to note that smaller usually is, and should be, kinder.

Enter the jogging trail. In my travels, I've found this to be the measuring stick of the heart of a town of any size: is there still a small-town friendliness to be found in the sub-city? Is there still a small town want in this city for people to connect with other people? Somewhere where even in the largest of the large, people can regard strangers with courtesy? The dance club or bar doesn't work; shoulder past me, dig me or fight me. Even the church or the business club, individuals shield themselves. The runner's road/bike path/jogging trail in each city is the place where a sliver of the population shows up with no real pretense. Here, everyone's looking weary, sweaty, and, noting each passer-by in the same condition, looking each other in the eye with a mutual respect. The premise here is These people are me.

People passing each other here nod, wave, say Hellos, Keep it Ups, or even See You Back Out Here Tomorrows. These tiny gestures are the indicators that here, even in a large and mostly impersonal city, there's hope that people can value one another.

Back to my formerly-friendlier-but-growing-less-so mid-city-sized town. Out for a run on the bike trail, I noticed today that some don't get it. They must not be from around here. The university professor with coke-bottle lenses pedaling the three-wheeler is an import from the big city, the mid-50's man walking in his straw cowboy hat is an import from someplace where the prevailing culture is too macho for men to greet other men, the girl running with her headphones and designer glasses is an import from that disaffected internet-nannied generation where people are pixels – but, for the most part, most do.

The fat guy on the mountain bike nods coming and going. I'm in better shape than him, but he's still me; we're both out here working. The stick-thin and speedy cross country kid does the same. He's in better shape than me, but maybe I'm him in 25 years, still out here working. He acknowledges that with a fist pump. The old lady who walks her dog on the path every day to feed the feral cats under the bridge, she says hello. We're both morning people, we're both interested in the welfare of those cats (granted, at differing levels of involvement).

Here on our bike path, most people still feel connection. Most still show the courtesy. There's hope for my town. Let us continue to feed the hope with sweaty smiles.

Dice Run - Velocity Day 26 - July 8

AM
Apple juice before the run - felt great for the first section. Stack up a couple sets of squats and burpees, and a 66 on the box jumps, and the return trip felt pretty bad. Really hot and muggy today ... that sucked.
26 out to the skatepark, 22 back.

No PM. Fridays are turning out to be a bad day to schedule PMs.

7.5 hours/12 hours. 49 minutes, PE: 9.

Murph + Wl - Velocity Day 25 - July 7

AM
Medi-Murph to Yokuts with 8 backward tenths. 16 there, 17 home.
There, 5x max reps pulls (5+3's) on 1.45.

PM
Buy in:
8 tabata rounds of dead bugs/planks.

3x
10 extensions @ 240/11 seated curls @ 145/12 A-frame @ 6/12 seated calf @ 45

2x 8 front squat @ 115 + one more round of the calves

4x 10 romanian deads @ 115

2x10 front squat @ 115
Everything today with good form.

Stayed right in line on the dietary stuff today.
8.5 hours/36 hours. 41 + 39 minutes, PE: 8. 212/12.

S Run + Wa - Velocity Day 23 - July 5

AM
5x Train grade in .50 on 3:00. I didn't make the first two on time. Theme for the day: Overtraining may bring about physiological changes, but it degrades performance ... and, it feels bad. 12.35 there, 12.39 back.

PM
Buy in:
16 tabata plank/side planks/dead bug rounds, 4 each.

6x 10 on 2:00, RI between each
neutral grip pulls/reclining DB presses @ 65s

3x 5 on 2:00, RI between each
Push press/SDHP @ 115#

This was supposed to be a Ca workout, but the RI was so long, there's no way to rationalize it. Needed all of it too, just nothing left.

8 hours/18 hours. 41 + 49 minutes, PE: 9. 212/15.

Death by (heat) - Velocity Day 22 - July 4

Noon, after the Westchester 4th parade. 106 degrees f.

Death by cleans with 120#. So friggin' hot, that the bar scorched my hands on the first pull. Wrapped it with a towel and make it through 6.6 - was it the heat?

Finished with 1x5, then 4x10 deads on the minute with the same bar.

9 hours/30 hours. 13 minutes, PE: 9. 212/15.

Mixed Run - Velocity Day 21 - July 3

AM
Run to Yokuts - 16 there, 19 back. 80 degrees and muggy. 6x max reps pulls/chins/5x max reps dips. 20 mins.

Finished with 16 rounds of tabata punching.

8 hours/48 hours. 56 + 8 minutes, PE: 9. 212/15.

Dice Run - Velocity Day 19 - July 1

AM
Dice run to the skatepark. 14 rounds, including the recline pulls and box jumps. Liked to have died with 3x mountain climbers on the way there, 66 box jumps on the first round, and 3x burpees on the way back. Hamstrings were wanting to lock up after those romanian deads yesterday.

PM
Was going to have a Ca day, but blew it off for LW. It's Friday, I was feeling thin, and just shot for the fail on today's velocity after a super day yesterday.

8 hours/12 hours. 45 minutes, PE: 9. 217/10 PM.