SUNDAY
Active recovery
3 hour 15 minute hike

Tara and I headed out to Antelope Island to scope out part of the course for our upcoming run. She's doing the 50 miler and I'll be doing the 50K. The trail was 50% slush and 50% horse shit, so the going was slow. It's okay though, because that gave us more opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and silence.

SATURDAY
RUN!
4 x 400 meters
2 x 200 meters
10 x 10 second hill runs

Oh man, I feel like someone massaged my legs with broken glass. I treated today like a recovery day, by not going all out and taking plenty of rest between efforts. I stayed focused on posture, breathing, leaning forward and pulling my heel up. I'd say on a scale of 1 to 10 my effort was around a 6.5.

400's - 1:40/ 1:26/ 1:22/ 1:26
200's - :37/ :38

FRIDAY
AM
2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2 reps for time
Thrusters @95#
Burpee pull-ups
(12:59)

PM
OPT'S Flight Simulator

5 unbroken double unders
10 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken double unders
20 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken double unders
30 unbroken double unders
35 unbroken double unders
40 unbroken double unders
45 unbroken double unders
50 unbroken double unders
45 unbroken double unders
40 unbroken double unders
35 unbroken double unders
30 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken double unders
20 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken double unders
10 unbroken double unders
5 unbroken double unders

You must stop between sets, and you may not skip singles between.
(21:49)

Nice rest day. At this time I am officially registered for the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50K and the Speedgoat 50K. Tara will be doing the 50 miler on Antelope in preparation for the Tahoe Rim Trail 100. I'm still waiting on the right monetary conditions to register for my big race of the year. I'm hoping for the Leadville 100, but I have no idea when it fills. When I do register, I plan on plotting out my programming for the remainder of the year.

WEDNESDAY
AM
Deadlift
5 @135#
5@225#
3 sets of 3 @335#
Shoulder press
3 sets of 3 @135#
My back almost feels normal again.

PM
Trail run
1 hour 16 minutes
Lots of hills, mud and snow.
Finally got out on the trails and it felt great. Lower leg stability felt a bit off, and I definitely feel heavy, but all in all I was moving without much effort.

TUESDAY
AM
10 rounds on the treadmill of
2 minutes work
1 minute rest
@6mph @8% incline

PM
2 rounds for time of
26 goblet lunges @53#
26 double unders
26 wall ball @20#
26 box jumps @24"
26 knees to elbows
26 burpees
(19:33)

I had a great weekend visiting family back in the dirty south. Even though the greater Atlanta area is a pile of rust, weeds and crumbling concrete, I've learned to appreciate where I came from. I was able to get in a nice trail run at the nature preserve where Tara and I got married. I was not able, however, to eat like a champion.

MONDAY
Back squat
5 sets of 3
@245#
Weighted pull-ups
3 sets of 5
@20#

Discomfort. A bunch of it, builds character.

WEDNESDAY
"Angry Brittany"
10 rounds for time
400 meter run
10 Curtis P's @115#

1 Curtis P =
1 Squat clean
1 Lunge left
1 Lunge right
1 Push press
(1:34:50)

I can honestly say that this is one of the toughest workout I've ever done in a gym, and having a couple of tough ass training partners helped. I wish I had a recording of some of my self talk during this beast. Mike designed it and so he got to name it. I took a contrast shower to speed recovery and it was unpleasant to say the least. A couple minutes of really hot water, and then a couple minutes of full blast cold. 4 rounds. And now, Pork chops and sweet potatoes. Mmmmm.

TIRED. Extra rest day!

MONDAY
AM
Back Squat
5 sets of 5
@225#
Weighted pull-ups
3 sets of 5
@10#/15#/20#

PM
2 rounds for time
1000 meter row
800 meter run
(18:25)

5-1 ladder
Single leg squats w/ support
Single leg deadlifts @95#

SUNDAY
Active rest day
2 hour hike up Emigration Canyon. Above the smog, close to the sun. Wonderful.

SATURDAY
Split jerk skill work
1 set of 4 (2 each leg) @135#
1 set of 4 (2 each leg) @155#
1 set of 4 (2 each leg) @175#
1 set of 1 (right leg) @185#
1 set of 1 (left leg) @185#

Rest

5 rounds with 1 minute rest between rounds
5 push jerks @155#
10 box jumps @24"
20 double unders

Rest

"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time
Double unders
Sit-ups
(8:49)

Rest

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of
21 sledge hammer strikes @10# right side
21 sledge hammer strikes @10# left side
7 pull-ups
(6 rounds)

FRIDAY
AM
On the treadmill
20 rounds
1 minute work/ 1 minute rest
@6mph & 6% incline
This was pretty easy, so next week this will be repeated for 2 minutes work @8% incline.

PM
100 power snatches @95#
The penalty for dropping the bar is 7 knees to elbows
(16:08 / 7 penalties)

3 sets of 5
Ab wheel roll outs. On the knees, rolling to the wall for a safe stop.
3 sets of 10
GHD sit-ups

WEDNESDAY
10 rounds for time
50 step ups @18" @45# vest
30 second plank hold
(37:05)

TUESDAY
AM
3 mile treadmill run.

Pm
10 rounds for time
5 push presses @135#
10 ball slams @20#
(12:57)

50 russian twists @14#
50 flutter kicks

MONDAY
AM
Weighted pull-ups
5 sets of 1
@53#
5 second hold at top
Deadlift
2 sets of 2
@345#
My back still is not 100%, so I cut this real short.

PM
50-40-30
Row (calories)
Thrusters @45#
Double unders
Overhead lunges @45#
(34:39)
I feel like I smoked a pack of cigarettes. Damn Salt Lake smog.

SUNDAY
I went cross country skiing for the first time today, and it was awesome. Not only was the weather gorgeous, but I got to spend time with my beautiful wife and our friend April. I was surprised at how relieving it was just to get out of the valley and smog. It took a while to get used to the feeling of having two planks attached to my feet, and I took more than a few spills. It's going to be a great way to get a head start on the running season.
Unfortunately the Red Hot 50K filled up before Tara and I could register, so for the first time in two years we will not be running it. We have a pretty good list of runs for the year, but let's see if we can register in time.

Here's the list of potentials
24 hours of Moab
Wahsatch Steeplechase
Speedgoat 50k
Leadville 100 mile
Chimera 100K

And two independent adventures
Run the 54 mile Silver Island Mountain loop.
Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim in a day.

Workout
3 1/2 hours of cross country skiing

FRIDAY

7 AM
Spend 3 cumulative minutes in an L-sit or hang
Spend 3 cumulative minutes in a handstand
Then
5-10-15 reps for time
Back squats @225#
Box jumps @24"
(10:04)

4 PM
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time
Sandbag get ups @80#
Power clean and jerk @115#
Ring dips
(24:32)

I'll be busy volunteering at the Utah Winter Fitness Challenge all day tomorrow, so I thought I would do two days in one. I feel great.

WEDNESDAY
Easy 20 minute run on the treadmill in my cluttered, poorly lit garage. I would really love some healthy air to breathe.

7 rounds of rowing
2 minutes work/ 2 minutes rest
(3996 meters)
That was unpleasant.

TUESDAY
3 sets of 2
Power snatch + overhead squat
(95#,105#,115#,115#)

3 sets of 5
Overhead squat
(165#, 165#, 165#)

3 rounds for time
15 KB swings @70#
15 kipping pull-ups
(5:14)

I've realized that training early in the morning always sets me up for a good day. It puts my mind in focus and puts me in a good mood. I think a switch to early morning training would improve my quality of life because of the benefits just mentioned. However, I have avoided the early training sessions for two reasons. I don't like to get up early and I don't perform as well early in the morning. So essentially I have been avoiding enhancing my quality of life due to laziness and ego. I don't want to get up early and I don't want to look weak or slow. Silly.

MONDAY
3 sets of 5
Shoulder press
(135# fail, 135# fail, 135# PR)

3 rounds
5 x Strict pull-ups
30 second hang on fingerboard

10 rounds
10 x Ring push-ups
10 x Double unders

Tabata row
8 rounds of 20 seconds work/ 10 seconds rest
@ 10 damper
(797 meters)

FRIDAY
Death by 10 meters
Set up two cones 10 meters apart. With a continuously running clock run 10 meters the first minute, 20 meters the second, 30 meters the third and so on until you cannot complete the given minute's required meters.
(14 minutes completed)
I was slower than I was tired. I just couldn't turn it over fast enough.

SATURDAY
4 sets of 5 back squats
135#, 185#, 205#, 225#

Then
Row
15 rounds
30 seconds work/ 30 seconds rest
(125 calories)

Then
500 squats for time
(28:56)

The back squats were a feeling out process for my back. They were painless and pretty easy.
The row was Tara's idea and a terrible one at that. It hurt real bad. Thankfully after about 200 squats I could no longer feel my legs, so the 500 were relatively painless. A good day indeed.