11/24/09 Workouts

Task Force Rouge:
6 Miles at Mid-Tempo = Expanded Grandview Loop
(Route details: Starting at Mountain Trail (MT) and Grandview (G), south on MT to Sierra Madre Bl (SM), cross street and return north on MT to G, west on G to Michillinda (M), South on M to Orange Grove (OG), OG east to Santa Anita (SA), SA north to G, G west to MT. Finish time: 1:04.24

I was very happy with this run. I opted to sleep in and run it at 8:30 instead of 5:30 as originally planned. The extra two hours of sleep made a huge difference in my energy and endurance. The majority of the run was a nice easy pace and all three of the climbs were completely manageable.

As for O-Lift... skipped. Too long of a day and I'm feeling Van's bug trying to grab ahold of me too, so rest is the right answer. Run for the Hungry on Thursday!

11/23/09 Workouts

Damn, but it felt good to workout tonight!

The USAW Team’s Training:
Clean and Jerk 75%x1×3 = 1-1-1 @ 63lb
Snatch Pull 97%x3×3 = 3-3-3 @ 58lb
Snatch Deadlift 105%x3×3 = 3-3-3 @ 63lb
Front Squat 81%x3×5 = 3-3-3-3-3 @ 98lb
Stiff-Leg Deadlift x5×3 = 5-5-5 @ 33lb

Black Box Summit

This is only the first of many photos and posts I'll likely use when writing about this weekend. 3 Nights and 3 Days of non-stop immersion is the Best Practices of the Best Boxes. I'm still reeling from all the information I received!

From Left to Right...

Coach Rut - Tells great dirty jokes... but Takes No Prisoners

Carey Kepler - Indomitable Warrior Spirit living in a very small house

Aimee Anaya - Pure Powerhouse... as long as she doesn't have to run

Jeremy Thiel - Well on the road to a Millionaire before he's 40

James Fitzgerald - Part Athlete, Part Coach, Part Scientist, All Human

Robb Wolf - Very Humblest of my Heroes... with a minor coffee addiction

Nikki Voletti - Beautiful Athlete, Excellent Coach and Savvy Businesswoman

Dutch Lowy - Professional Athlete and Coach... with the brightest of blue eyes

Greg Everrett - Fearless and Opinionated - with data to back it up

11/17/09 Workouts

6am - TFR:
5mi mid-tempo -road:

Rose, Hope and I ran the Big Grandview Loop 5.4 miles with about 600 ft elevation gain. Hope finished 51: something, I came in at 54:57 and Rose took a detour but was only about a minute behind me. About a 10:18 average pace - I was shooting for about a 9:50 so was obviously still off target, but didn't use my Garmin or have my mile markers placed correctly, so I don't know what my splits were.

My bad for poor data tracking, but I can say that the run felt GOOD, that I ran the entire route without any walking (first time), and was only forced to stop or even break stride 3-4 times to avoid vehicles that weren't paying attention.

My bad for also not being able to provide comparative times, but my last two runs on this course did not include the same start/stop locations, and weren't similar enough to be comparative. Next time, I will set mile markers the night before and use the exact same course.

8pm - The USAW Team’s Training:
OHS – Heavy Single - took me a number of attempts to get the heavier weight stable overhead, but once there the OHS was easy (comparatively) - matched PR of 68lb, failed at 73.
Muscle Snatch – Heavy Single - made one attempt - matched PR of 53lb
Power Snatch 80%x1×4 = 1-1-1-1 @ 53lb (yes 90%, but I need to keep my min. weight at 53lb)

Followed By:
3RFTO:
100m Sprint
10 Broad Jumps
20 Kipping Pull-ups (I did 3 sets of 10 kips, can't afford any rips with weekend ahead) Hands came out fine, but kips were dodgy at best.
Time: sub 9:00 - I heard Van say 8:something, but didn't retain it.

NOTE: There are some days where doubling up is harder than others. Today was one of them, even with a nap, by the time 8pm hit, I was tired and unmotivated. That attitude made it much harder to get through the workout... which was even more irritating because I've been so looking forward to testing my OHS. On the flip side, even tired and unmotivated, I managed to match my PR's and do my snatches at 90%, which means I am gaining ground, albeit slowly.

You're seeing the problem inherent in trying to live in two worlds, both CrossFit and Ultra Running.... In order to be competent at both sports, not only do I need to be strong, I need to be fast. According to my coaches, when an athlete splits their resources in such opposite directions, gains in both sports will come slowly... even when our nutrition, hydration and sleep are dialed in to perfection... since I'm far from perfect, my gains tend to be even slower, but the key is...

I AM GAINING GROUND!

11/16/09 Workouts

The USAW Team’s Training:
Snatch 75%x1×4 =1-1-1-1 @ 43
Snatch Pull 95%x3×3 = 3-3-3 @ 53
Snatch Deadlift 103%x3×3 = 3-3-3 @ 63
Front Squat 78%x3×5 = 3-3-3-3-3 @ 93
Windmills x5×3/Side = 5/5-5/5-5/5 @18lb kb

Tonight's O-Lift was a blast. The vibe was definitely all good! Not only were all the usual suspects there, we had a number show up that usually don't make the hour. It created the perfedt energy for all sorts of excellent jokes, games and camaraderie. I so love this family of ours...

I must or I'd have never been able to enjoy so much humor in my ass hanging in the wind!

11/15/09 Workout

TFR - Marathon training - yesterday called for a 7.25 mile trail run from the Eaton Canyon Nature Center to Henniger Flats. Since I work Saturdays, I swap rest days and run on Sundays...



Meet Corlyn and Rose, two of my CrossFit and running buddies. We warmed up the first 1/2 mile, ran the rest of the way to the bridge, then power hiked/ran the entire way up to Henniger (3 miles). I would have normally just power hiked the whole climb, but you see, there were these two gals, one our age and the other at least 15-20 years older... and they passed us on the way up... chatting the whole while. Granted, they weren't moving fast, but it was definitely a ground eating slow trot. Humbling, and we weren't about to let them get away from us. Ha! Corlyn is a very strong climber and, being properly motivated, kept the lead for the most part. Rose on the other hand barely kept us in her sights. Now, on the flip side... Rose is a downhill demon and Corlyn had to hang on to keep up. I love being bookended by tough women!



Time: Door to Door - 1:40 including rest stops and photo opt.

11/13/09 Workout

USAW Teams’ Training:
Rack Jerk – Heavy Single = 88lb matched existing PR

80% x1×3 = 1-1-1 @ 73lb

2 Position Snatch (F, MT) 60%x3 = 1s-1s-1s @ 43lb (PR only 58, but won't go lower than std bar + plates)

2 Position Clean (F, MT) 60%x3 = 1s-1s-1s @ 53lb

Followed By:
4 RFTO
300m Row
5 Push-Press (85) @ 75% 1RM = 5 @ 63lb

Time 8:23?

11/11/09 Workouts

Veteran's Day Tribute! Thank you SSG LeClair and all of our other veterans. Your service to the defense of our country and way of life is essential and greatly appreciated!

Just my contribution to some seriously challenging numbers...

9am - 800m run, 10 pull-ups, 120 GHD Back Ext, 100 GHD Sit-ups
6pm - 80 GHD Back Ext, 80 GHD Sit-ups
7pm - 400m run, 60 115lb Deadlifts w/Bob O, 75 250lb Deadlifts w/Jim W, 60 GHD Back Ext, 20 GHD Sit ups

What an incredibly wonderful day.

BTW... Absolutely ZERO O-lifting out of me today. Ha!

11/10/09 Workouts

Today was defininitely a long day...

6am TFR:
3 miles @ short tempo = Race a 5k w/ Academy Route = 27:35 7 seconds better then two weeks ago, but still almost a minute over my PR. Difference this time was I warmed up quite a bit more before starting the run... in fact probably too much. Next time I'll leave the med ball out. :)

8pm O-Lift:
Muscle Snatch + 2 Snatch Balance - work to max muscle snatch (58)
max'd at 53, failed at 58lb
OHS (68) 80% x 1 = 1 @ 53 fail, 1 @ 53 good
OHS 65% x2x2 = 2-2 @ 43
Power Clean (83) 80% + Push Jerk 1x4 = 1-1-1-1 @ 68

WOD:
10 Turkish Get-Ups at 30% BW
20 Kips
x 3
Scaled to 3 rounds of: 10 GTU @ 6kg + 10 kips for emphasis on technique = Time: 24:31

Took me a while to catch the trick of the TGU and no doubt they'll go a lot faster or heavier when I'm fresh. The best part was by the second round, my hands were so numbed by the grip that the pullups were no longer an issue at all and I knocked out the last sets in 4-3-2-1... and ZERO rips. Woo Hoo, now that's major progress in my book!

11/9/09 Workouts

Opted out of the USAW workout in exchange for joining friends for a bout of the new and improved CHRISTINE... with body weight deadlifts and 24in box. Yikes! My last go at the girl was two years ago on a 20in box with 3/4 body weight (100lb) ... took me 17:21 to standard

Tonight...
500m Row
12 Deadlifts @ 125 BW
21 Box Jumps (scaled w/ step-ups - still can't quite hit the 24in consistently or safely, soon!)
TIME: 17:01

Sunday night reflections...

I had this beautiful run planned for this morning, but it was too cold to leave at 7am, so I opted to run at 10am. Bad mistake because my standing 9am sponsor call went in a direction that left me so completely unsettled only time in the mountains could ground me.

Being a spontaneous decision, delayed until noon, I ended up just hiking to Orchard Camp and for some reason couldn't settle there. So, I grabbed a few bites of food and headed back down. Only this time I stopped at First Water, something I haven't done in ages... I was hoping to see one of those illusive Fire Salamanders I hear about, but no-go. The only problem with this trail is all the freaking people on it... no sooner had I settled there when down came more people.

On the flip side, I wasn't racing, hardly even running down hill, so I started really seeing parts of the area that I'd hardly noticed before... in particular one whole eastern facing ridge that divides the canyon... and it was accessible. How I'd never noticed it before is beyond me, but it made for a very cool detour.

BTW... I also hear that the rattlesnake spottings are on the rise. I didn't encounter any adults, but did meet a 9-10in baby snake that I think was a two-stripped gartersnake.

As for the chat that led me out there... I'm still disturbed terribly by her words and know that action is called for. Some are obvious, at least for the short term, and others I will need to reserve until I know that they are the right decisions and not made in resentment or pain.

11/5/09 Workouts

TFR Workout:
6 x 800m run - rest interval: half run time

Results: 3:49, 3:51, 3:54, 3:52, 3:53, 3:56 - I don't know if keeping it within 10 seconds was good or if I should have kept it within 5 seconds of the top time... which was what Murray said he had done.

Note: Chepo gave me some good tips. 1... use active recovery between rounds, keep walking around, don't sit down. It will help prevent the lactic acid from settling and help me recover faster; he was right. 2... lightly shake my feet as I'm walking during recovery, something common for soccer players. Again, keeps the muscles from accumulating too much lactic acid.

11/4/09 Workout

The USAW Team’s Training:

Back Squat (138lb)
60% x 5 = 5@ 80
70% x 4 = 4 @ 95
80% x 3 = 3 @ 110
75% x 3 = 3 @ 105
85% x 2 = 2 @ 115
75% x 3 = 3 @ 105
90% x 1 = 1 @ 125
Push Press (80)
70% x5 x4 = 5-5-5-5 @ 55

Followed By:
3RFTO:
400 m row (rate kept 25-28, pace under 2:08)
15 Ball Slams (from fully extended overhead, to below parallel squat)
15 Push-ups (from toes to parallel)
All to standard w/16lb MB = 13:44

Ok, I'm beat and ready for a nice hot epsom salt bath! Very glad tomorrow only has track work.

11/3/09 Workouts

6am - TFR:

5 miles @ mid-tempo run - from Academy to church on Longden and back up.

According to my Garmin... we only ran 4.08 miles, which is exactly what Hope thought... good call Coach Hope. Next time I will Map my Run the course to be exact, and I will know where the mile markers are.

Garmin Stats: Outbound 2.04 miles in 20:07 minutes, return in 21:11. I know Eric says there's no elevation change, but my senses don't agree, and the Garmin says there's about 150ft loss outbound and 150ft gain on the return. Not much relatively speaking, but obviously enough to account for a average mile pace change from 10:03 to 10:36... note neither direction hit my target time of 9:40. Need to find a better method of tracking pace. Garmin apparently won't do.

8pm - WOD:
Muscle Snatch + Power Snatch + Snatch
Work to heaviest MS possible in small jumps GOAL: 4-6 =

1s-1s-1s @ 43 & 1s-1s-1s @ 48 - Small class... gave Coach opportunity to film me and make excellent corrections. Need to spend more time practicing earlier in the day. So far, energy is really hard to sustain this late in the evening.

Followed By:
3RFTO:
10 DB Cleans + 2 walking lunges 50% BW
10 Pull-ups

TIME: 14:08 @ 25% BW
Only used 15lb DBS, but pull ups to standard with only one rip and hands aren't anywhere near as sore as they used to get. Grip is definitely improving.

11/1/09 Muddy Buddy Race

Approx 6 miles of running/mountain biking... in teams of two. My original teammate was injured about 3-4 weeks ago and we held out hoping she'd be well enough to train and race. Then last week, she finally pulled out altogether. I hadn't trained at all and it had been at least 15 years since I rode a mountain bike... and back then I was a trainwreck.

I mentioned to Donna Walters last week that I couldn't find anyone in my size bracket to race with and was pulling out... and the next day she stepped up to play.

WOW! We took on the race at the very last minute with absolutely no training... using an old pink mountain bike that was definitely not sized to my body. What an amazing experience!

The race is divided in to 5 legs with an obstacle at each transition point. Ericrecommended that the weakest runner bike legs 1, 3 & 5.... which should have been me. Well, I had hiked the course on Wednesday (the day after Donna came on board & while her bike was being tuned up by Stan's Bikes.) and learned that legs 1 and 5 had some very technical single track sections... definitely more than I would be able to handle safely and efficiently. So, I opted to bike legs 2 & 4, and asked Donna to chill at the transition points if I was running slow. Turns out I ran faster than expected and she had few opportunities to rest.

Finish time: 1:02.37 and 7th in our division. We were anticipating a 1:10-1:15 so this was quite a treat!

Needless to say, our results at this event once again proved to me the immense value and purpose of crossfitting... to have the inherent skill to perform competently at the unknown and unknowable. Sweet!

10/29/09 Workouts

O-Lift... Shoulder sore, know it's only built up strain brought on by o-lifting with so many technical deficiences, but I'm taking an extra rest day to give it a break.

Mid-day: Mountain bike Muddy Buddy prep... better late than never... finally had a chance to take Donna's bike out for a ride. It's way too small, but not too bad if I stand up the majority of time... which proved to be no big deal on climbs, flat, or descents... even over rough concrete. Shifting was also very easy. In fact, so far (knock wood) riding this bike is quite a bit easier than my road bike was even after umpteen miles in the saddle. Suspect it's a combination of mountain bike over road bike plus a much greater fitness level than 2.5 years ago when I used to ride. Tomorrow or Saturday morning I'll take it on trail to see how I fair.

Track-Speed work: 8x400m repeats = 1:44, 1:46, 1:45, 1:44, 1:45, 1:47, 1:45, 1:42 = 1:45 avg
A little confusion onsite trying to determine appropriate pace for this type of speed work. I thought I should use a pace based on my mile time (7:35 = 1:53) or whatever fastest pace I could sustain. Hope, Dave and later Chepo said that I should base it off my heart or pulse rate, or my best 5k (26:05 = 2:10)... Chepo also said I should kick it up to my mile pace only if I was a week or so out of a 5k race and wanted to drop my race pace.

So, I ran my warm up laps comfortably at 2:05 which told me 2:10 would have been aerobic. Since that seemed counter productive to track work, I decided to shoot for the 1:50, and ended up able to run the 1:45 when a smidge bit still left to spare.

Did I do the training as prescribed? I don't think so, but I did get in a good workout. :)

10/28/09 Workout

O-Lift Training:
Snatch 80% x1×3 = 1-1-1 @ 48lb (couldn't find the sweet spot two days running - kept pulling early and landing wide. Practice makes perfect)
Clean /Jerk 80% x1×2 = 1-1 @ 68lb

Knees To Elbows x20×3 = Getting closer every time, but still can't get my knees to touch. Van says it will get easier as my grip improves. Right now I was stringing together 3-4 attempts.

For Time:
500m Row - Time: 203.6*
1 Min. Rest
350m Row - Time: 127.9*
45 Sec. Rest
200m Row - Time: 48.8*

*Kept Stroke rate under 27 entire race

10/27/09 Workouts

6:30am TFR: 5k short tempo = Academy Route, 27:42 (existing PR 26:32) Not as fast as I thought, nor as fast as I wanted... I could have given more. Tempo training is tough.

11:30am - 10k hike @ Bonelli - site of this weekend's Muddy Buddy Race. It's going to be a tough race and tomorrow will be spent on my bike seeing just how much technical trail I can manage.

8:00pm - O-Lift:
Muscle Snatch + 2 Snatch Balance 45% x 3 = 1s-1s-1s @ 33lb
Snatch 88% x1 = 1 @ 53lb (first two attempts no-go, third attempt with special knee emphasis, and BANG! Bar up, me down, load weightless and perfectly stable - AMAZING! Now can I repeat it? lol!)
Front Squat 88% x1 = 1 @ 108lb

Followed By:
3 RFTO:
200m Row (22 pulls first round, 27 pulls second round)
20 Kipping Pull-ups - ripped on kip 16 second round - WOD over
(Hips tired tonight, showed in my kips... only able to string together doubles and about a third didn't clear chin)

10/26/09 Workout

Snatch (58lb) 94% x1= 1 @ 53lb
Clean and Jerk (85lb) 94% x1 = 1 @ 78lb
Front Squat – Heavy Single = 1 @ 118 (failed at 123)
Then 80% Of That x1×2 = 1-1 @ 98lb
Planks (front, side) – 3 x max = front=3:11, left=1:17, right=1:34

Thought I PR'd my front squat then read my blog and realized I've already hit 125 last month. Duh! Couldn't find my binder or I'd have known that.

Wasn't feeling my strongest this evening, but it sure felt great to lift with friends, makes a HUGE difference. Especially when almost the entire room was full of veterans with excellent eyes. Thanks MK, Jer and E for your expert tips!

10/20/09 Workout

Did the WOD today at noon, solo. Snatch didn't hit a groove until the last few, and the jerk (clean went without a glitch) finally felt close to right by the last rep. O-Lifting is tough but so beneficial when done correctly that it's worth every ounce of effort! I will be very glad to hit the 8pm class tomorrow night... I much prefer to be surrounded by coaches and teammates.

O-Lift
Muscle Snatch (53lb) 75% x3×3 = 3-3-3 @ 43lb
Snatch (58lb) 80% x1×4 = 1-1-1-1 @ 48lb
Clean/Jerk (85lb) 80% x1×3 = 1-1-1 @ 68lb



Followed By:
3RFTO:
15 Kipping Pull-ups
15 Push-Press @ 55% BW (130lb)

Now this one was tricky... my 1RM push-press is only 80lb, and 55% BW is 73lb, so there was no way I could do this RX with anything resembling speed. Instead, I opted to apply RI and loaded the bar at 40lb. No problem moving quickly! The kips were what slowed me down. I decided to try for all reps to standard, but also take as long as necessary to finish. What I've been finding is if I allow my hands a minute or so to loosen back up every 2-4 reps, then my hands can hold out much longer. Today, I made it through all 15 reps in the first round and 8 reps in to the second round before the skin loosened and blood blisters rose in the middle of my palms... and it was either stop or rip. (Last time I ripped it was within 10 reps.)

Result:
15 Kips
15 PP
8 Kips
15 PP
0 Kips
15 PP
Time: 18:01 - Took 6 minutes to complete each round of kips... ALL clearing chin with room.

Yes, my hands failed and I opted to come off the bar instead of sacrificing a week of good grip to heal rips. I am VERY pleased that they held out as well as they did, especially since they had just done 45 Hanging Leg Lifts last night and were far from fresh. This was the first time I've been able to string together more than 10 reps without ripping (in sets of 2's', 3's or 4's). Making it to 15 proved to me that I don't need to scale, don't need to panic, just need to be willing to take myself off the clock if I have to. The best part is my hands are my weakest link. As they keep getting tougher, consistent kip technique is finally starting to develop.

10/19/09 Workout

First day back at the lifts since final preps for the marathon... felt like it had been ages! Also, the first times in months that I night trained with the team. All in all, not bad! I loved training with friends again and being under Coach's everpresent eagle eye. It made a good difference in effort and intensity, plus ensured that I maintained a fast pace moving through the lifts. I'll definintely be doing it again Weds night!

Snatch 95% x1 = 1 @ 53lb
Clean/Jerk 90% x1×2 = 2 @ 78lb
Front Squat 90% x2×2 = 2-2 @ 108lb
Hanging Leg Raise x15×3 = all partials, but finally absorbed the cue of engaging lats, hadn't been doing that before. Made a difference that will likely create the final result over the next few months.

Oh and I finally decided on my costume for this weekend... Ha! I have to top last year right?

Swamp Lilys Run Again....

This is the third year that the Lilys have run together... at least three of us. Two Lilys were new to the team this year. I really like the positive energy and spirit that both gals bring to the team and I hope they stay to run with us again next year.

The team didn't PR, in fact we finished two minutes behind our top time of 1:19, but at least this years team was 100% self-powered, no tow ropes, no pulls, no pushes, no belt loops, nada.

What we did instead was pace ourselves around the slowest runner and encourage them to work as hard as they were able to. It did the trick, the Lily's ran a respectable time and brought home another first place medal. We placed first in our division... and fourth overall.

Sure, we could have used other methods and sure it would have likely dropped the few extra minutes to hit the PR, but this year we opted to forego ANY assistance. Why? Because at least two of us could clearly hear our Coach say... "if you need to be towed you don't belong on the team."

That was enough for most of us to rally together as a very solid and cohesive team. I am very happy with our results and proud to have run with this team! And next year... get ready, we WILL smash that stupid PR to smithereens. :)

10/15/09 Workout

Ok, I'm supposed to be taking a solid week of rest after the marathon, but by this morning I was flat out crazy, so I built a Chipper that I figured would take me about 30 minutes.

WOD:
3 pull-ups (all well past chin)
5 push-ups (chest-to-deck)
7 wallballs (12/10)
9 KBS w/40lb
11 GHD Sit-ups

LMAO! It was supposed to go 10 rounds... I made it 5 in 22 minutes and decided that was enough for my first day back. I feel fine, but when tested, my body definitely said it wasn't ready yet for a hard charge. Funny how I can think I'm recovered, but find I'm obviously not yet. Not sure if I'll try to get in a easy boot run this evening or tomorrow morning... race is Saturday, so I may just stand down to be sure.

10/13/09 Workout

First day back at it since the marathon...

Not really a workout, but this morning I got to warm up with a light and easy 3.1 miles... helping to train a friend who's new to running. Took us 40 minutes and my legs, feet and endurance felt great the entire time. Woo Hoo!

Mud Run next weekend!

Golden Hills Trail Marathon...

According to my Garmin:

Elevation Gain: 8,908 ft
Elevation Loss: 9,113 ft
Min Elevation: 248 ft
Max Elevation: 1,836 ft

Time: 06:47:37 (Splits: 6 mile: 1:21, 13 mile: 3:20, 18 mile: 4:53)
(extra 7 minutes because I forgot to stop the watch until I sat down with food)
Avg Pace: 15:41 min/mi
Best Pace: 08:36 min/mi

Prep: 80oz CamelBak full of coconut water (too heavy and had 20oz left over) plus 20oz AquaPod for water... with checkpoint list taped on it. Worked very well. Used medium pack... overkill... need to switch to light mesh, used by ultra runners. Carried iPhone for tunes, strapped to waist band. Too heavy, and kept jumping mid songs. Frustrating. Need to get mini shuffle for hat brim.

Check Point #1 4.3 miles, all uphill... arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Climb with fresh legs easy even with pak. No Stop. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Check point #2 - 7.6 miles - Still ahead of schedule. Refilled water. Still quite strong. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Check Point #3 - 11 miles - Falling behind schedule. Too long climbs, legs no longer fresh. Refilled water, added ice to Camelbak. Mile 9 hamstrings tightened, started to feel knees. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Check Point #4 - 15.5 miles - Knees getting very sore already, hamstrings really tight. Stretching short term relief, but flared back up on every descent. Not good. Ate a peanut butter ball and a little watermelon. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Check Point #5 - 17.7 miles - Gave in to 3 Advil at checkpoint. Can not hardly run downhills any longer at all. Ate another couple peanut butter balls and more watermelon. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Check point #6 - 20.3 - Lost track of time, watch stuck on mileage. Good thing. I could tell by sun position I was already in trouble. Llama break. Now the quad cramps have hit, both legs inner quad. Knees not happy at all, even with aspirin. Walking everything even some of the flats and slight downs. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Check Point #7 - 23.2 - Gave up completely on racing, became completion event. Both quads still cramping alternately, then hip joined in. If it wasn't so painful, it would have been comical. Ate 2 EnduroLites.

Finish - 26.2 - Last 3 miles all flat... should have been wonderful finish. Next time.

Until yesterday, my longest distance was 16 miles. I had heard distance and terrain increases would be rough, but needed to experience the reality to feel it in my gut. I got it now... at least to a base level. Right now, I can't imagine stacking four of these babies back to back and coming out of the experience alive. Fortunately, I have many friends who do run long on a regular basis.

I obviously need to revise my training methods and quickly... my first 50k is in December, my first 50miler in April, my first 100k in June and the AC is in August... a mere 10 months away.

Now I also understand why I absolutely must get faster... it's not to win races, which has no meaning to me, it's to finish a course as fast a possible... to minimize the wear on my body. Duh!

Louise Cooper says it best... "But now it's not about winning. It's about completing monumental hurdles."

The key is exactly how to go about it... Do I attempt again to build my own program... only this time using TFR, CFE and Academy CrossFit. Do I do exactly what Summer does and stay under 13 miles CFE along with CrossFitting, should I join TFR and run more roads, or maybe join Andy's crew and keep exposing myself to longer distances more frequently?

I like the idea of working my own programming, but know from experience that I train much harder when with others, so I'm quite reluctant to go it alone... (but then that may be the crux to overcome... the races will be almost entirely run alone) I also like the idea of following Summers training because it's the CF method applied to an ultra runner, but hers is specifically tailored for her and I don't think would work the same on me, TFR spends so much time road running that, even though some of them are lightening fast, I really don't want to play with them (nothing personal, but road running stinks) and Andy's crew are LSD... which is contrary to CF and CFE, but still effective in its own way simply because they can go long so frequently... without undue stress or breakdown.

5 hours drive home and no decision. Maybe Coach will have input tomorrow.

Oh BTW... whoever missed this in FB... welcome to my llama roadblock about mile 18...

9/28/09 Workouts

USAW WOD:

Back Squat (138)
90% x2x2 = 2-2 @ 123

Snatch Pull (58)
107%x1x2 = 1-1 @ 63

Press (60)
80% x3x4 = 3-3-3-3 @ 48

Mini WOD:
3 RFTO:
20 1arm DB Snatch @ 20% BW (should be 25lb)
20 Kipping Pullups (I did 15, 15, 7 & stopped at first rip)
Time: 13:57

I have never DB Snatched before, so I kept weight at 15lb and focused on skill development. Took forever to stop muscling weights, right side still sloppy, but had the hang of it by the WOD end.

Kips - hips never opened (even after a thorough warm up and strength training), consequently chin didn't clear completely even once. Hands started getting pretty sore by 10th kip. Had a hell of a time getting back on the bar as the hand pain got progressively worse... Perla had two very inciteful comments...

1. She sees a pattern in my workout aggression... and lack of aggression. When I'm tired, upset or otherwise distracted and not mentally at my best, my performance suffers dramatically. She says when I'm in "that place" I don't get aggressive. Yet, when I'm in an upbeat, positive place, my performance changes completely and I put that extra energy into my kips that is guaranteed to clear my chin almost every time. For her... it's the exact opposite. Fascinating. I had not seen the pattern... although I do see another one... my energy, confidence and enthusiasm on Monday's generally sucks... and it takes until Tuesday before I start to come around. I'll have to doublecheck my journal, but I'll just bet it reflects the same thing.

2. She says I need to find a way to push away the pain... voluntarily and on demand. Her suggestion was for me to "let her hurt me". Fight Club ring any bells? Hmm... I'll let you guess my answer... and no it didn't involve cussing. lol In all seriousness, she's right... I have very little life experience with having to endure long bouts of real pain. I have no idea how to disconnect from it, consequently I back away when it starts to get ugly. I know I need to develop the tools to overcome this perfectly sane, and natural response to pain... because it is the only way I will survive the AC next year... not to mention being able to complete a kip WOD to standard.

Sunday night reflections...

On February 22, 2009 I made a decision and I posted to validate it... tonight I had the most beautiful opportunity to look at the changes in my life from then to now... a mere seven months later.

I no longer live anything even remotely resembling a conventional lifestyle... I don't work regular hours, I don't work long hours, hell I actually get to say I don't "work" any hours. In fact, I realized this evening that I really haven't "worked" all year.

What I get to do now is spend all my waking hours doing what I love... whether it's attending a certification course, running in the hot sun, doing laundry, grocery shopping, it's all the same... and I no longer begrudge ANY of it. What a remarkable change from this time last year when I spent most of my time bitching about what I was doing, and wishing I was doing something else... and no, not just work, I hated going to the market or car wash just as much.

The reality of it was I wasn't honoring my passion and the bitterness had tainted every other area of my life... from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep. This evening I realized it's been ages since I woke up with that feeling of dread and resentment. You have no idea how good it feels to be free of that oppressive kind of subliminal thinking.

Which leads me to my next epiphany... I believe that we attract more of whatever we focus our attention on. This last week has been scattered with an increasingly constant buzz of external negativity. I was thinking yesterday morning (after encountering it yet again) how sad I was that I had to have my wonderful morning spoiled by such an influence, which was immediately followed by the passive thought"if they would only... (fill in the blank because it's irrelevant)."

Tonight, I was thankfully reminded that I CONTROL my thoughts, focus, attention and no one or thing can bring negativity in to my life unless I invite it. By my focusing on the something outside of my control, instead of my own wonderful world, I am letting it gain power and influence in my life. Now, why on earth would I want to do that intentionally?

I am part of something incredibly valuable and immensely precious, and I'm tired of spoiling it with the wrong focus... colors are just colors, competitors are a dime a dozen, people come and go, and the world is big enough to Live and Let Live.

So, Kellie... Let It Go... and it is guaranteed to go away.

9/24/09 Workouts

USAW Rest Day

CFE:
Run: 4 x 5k TT…

Deviate no more then 2 min from fastest 5k.

Recover 5-15 min between efforts

Yeah right, no problem...

Chose flatest Sierra Madre route - Kersting to Rivera, out and back

Started high noon, didn't finish until 3:30. I haven't been able to verify the actual temperatures, but it was BLOODY HOT! Ran with Camelbak... went through about 150oz water, plus 33oz coconut water, and 8 Endurolytes. Results aren't pretty...

#1 28:54
rested 17 minutes - felt ok after 7 min, but took all that to drop my core temp back down
#2 30:05 - Fair
rested 20 minutes - again, recovered within 10min, but took awhile to let core temp drop
#3 30:53 - Barely Fair
rested 30 minutes - completely spent & way too hot... fell asleep lying on the brick wall at Kersting!
#4 32:38 - FOUL - extra rest didn't help - pure mental & muscle fatigue, nothing hurt overly much, no cramps, stitches, etc... just drained. Form suffered, even walked twice during first mile out.... took half the run to find anything resembling a groove, then finally settled in... but still no intensity and way to late to make up time lost on first half.

Coach - Ran out of time for your foul extra 5k... due at work by 5pm. CFE rest day on Saturday, so I'll run a 5k in the vest before coming in... unless you have a more preferred punishment...?

9/23/09 Workouts

Front Squat (120lb 1rm)
70% x2 = 2 @ 85
75% x2 = 2 @ 90
70% x3 = 3 @ 85
80% x2 = 2 @ 95
70% x3 = 3 @ 85
85% x1 = 1 @ 100

Snatch Pull (58lb 1rm)
105% x2×3 = 2-2-2 @ 63

Rack Jerk (88lb 1rm)
Heavy Single
2 @ 33
2 @ 43
2 @ 53
2 @ 63
1 @ 73
fail - 83
I know we're not supposed to overly warm up as it can negatively impart the heavy single, but my shoulders have been too sore and tight recently, to go overhead without thoroughly warming up. Yeah, I know didn't help any on this day.

Post-Practice Mini-WOD:

15-10-5 Reps FTO:
KBS 40% BW (130lb) = 53lb (Green/white - men's standard!)
Box Jumps (MTOH) (jumped on black 20in)

Time: 5:12 - KB was heavier than I've ever swung before, and while it was really hard and I did not get it completely overhead, it was also not unmanageable. Box jumps were ugly, hjust couldn't get much lift, barely cleared each jump... easy to blame it on my hips, but wonder if being a lazy jumper may have a role too....

No CFE

9/22/09 Workouts

USAW WOD:

2 Position Muscle Snatch (53lb)
65% x3(Floor, Mid Thigh) = 1s-1s-1s @ 33lb

Clean and Jerk (85lb)
70% x1×3 = 1-1-1 @ 58lb

Post-Practice Mini-WOD:
3RFTO:
6 Single Arm DB Clean + 2 Lunges 25% BW (30lb db)
15 Kipping Pull-ups
Completed 2 full rounds in 10min = Aborted due to new rips
(Strengthening hand tissue and pectorals VERY slow going, attempts to clear chin were scattered in each set)