NOVEMBER 22nd - 28th

It's been an off week. I've been sick in a low grade way for about a week, and managed to eek out one workout. Rowing intervals do not cure the common cold.
My time was not entirely wasted though, I spent a lot of the week planning, reading and thinking about training and the direction in which my physical activity is headed. I don't ever want to be weak. The years of my life have added up to a deep fear in me of being weak, mentally or physically. I used to think being big equated to being strong, but being manhandled by 135lb college level wrestlers during my fighting days taught me a lesson. I want to run in the mountains with ease. I want to be strong; really strong. Most runners I have known and met are pretty weak. Some even fragile. It's obvious to me that too much oxidative training does nothing for your well being. What's too much though? I'm confident that a balance can be found, and battle lines have been drawn in this arena for a while, most notably by Crossfit Endurance. In my experience, relegating your training to anaerobic endurance alone can absolutely take you to and through an event, but recovery seems to lag behind. I experienced this with my first 24 hour run. I did alright during the run, but it took over two weeks to recover. I began at that point to go long in my training more often, like a supplement. I added longer duration slower paced runs two to three times a month. My recovery after the next event was noticeably faster. Then I swung to the other end of the spectrum. I started running more and more. Races went well but I got weak, at least to my standards. Balance.
I think having great relative strength, work capacity and aerobic endurance can all be had at the same time, and I think it's possible to a great degree for them to not limit each other. I'm going to run a 100 mile mountain race sometime next year. I'm not sure which one yet. I'll be taking the first steps with the following program.
Ah, well I can't seem to publish the document, so if you would like to see it, just send me your email and I will send it to you as an attachment.

NOVEMBER 15th - 21st

Monday
3x3 deadlift @330lbs
3x3 power snatch @130lbs
Then
20 burpees every two minutes for 5 rounds
Trying to maintain a 5 minute, 100 burpee pace (20 burpees in one minute).
Held pace for the first three rounds, but the last two were around 1:07 to 1:15.
Tuesday
One power clean @185lbs every 30 seconds for 10 minutes.
Then
2-4-6-8-10-12-14 reps for time
Sandbag get ups @80lbs
Box jumps @30"
Push press @2x 45lb dumbbells
17:22
Wednesday
A delightful un-timed, un-measured run through an industrial area west of the gym. I love railroad tracks.
Thursday
50 reps of a modified man maker @2x 25lb dumbbells for time
One rep = (all with the db's in hand) Push up, row right, row left, get up, hang clean, lunge right, lunge left, push press.
19:19
Friday
3x3 front squat @215lbs
3x3 snatch high pull @115lbs
Then
Nicole
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
400 meter run
Max rep pull ups
15,15,12,12,12,12 -78 total
Saturday and Sunday
Rest

NOVEMBER 8th - 14th

Monday
3x3 Deadlift @85% 1RM (325lbs)
3x3 Power snatch @85% 1RM (125lbs)
3x3 Bench press @lightweight (165lbs) *injury
Tuesday
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time
GHD sit ups
KB swings @53lbs
50ft bear crawl between each set
13:52
Wednesday
45 minute trail run
Thursday
21-15-9 reps for time
KB snatch left arm @53lbs
KB snatch right arm @53lbs
Clapping push ups
7:35
Friday
3x3 Front squat @85% 1RM (215lbs)
3x3 Clean pull @90% 1RM clean (195lbs)
1-3 ladder offset pull-ups, 3 second hold at top
3x 1-3 ladder small grip pull ups, 3 second hold at top
Then
10x 100ft sled sprint @135lbs
Saturday and Sunday
Rest

It's good to be back. I've been training pretty hard, keeping my focus on GPP and strength, and keeping the volume pretty low. I've set a few PR's in the last month. My deadlift went up to 385lbs, my back squat went up to 300lbs and my front squat went up to 250lbs. Nagging shoulder pain has held me back with almost all upper body movements, so pressing and gymnastic feats are a no go. 

My plan here with this blog is to update once a week and hopefully garner some interest in one on one training. I've had the opportunity to work one on one with two amazing athletes lately and I really enjoyed it. I got to teach basic lifting and whip up a strength and core focused GPP program for Tiffany Pezzulo who is a pro cyclist. She's had a laundry list of knee trauma, and her squat looks better than most. I have also been working one on one with Damarques Johnson who is a pro MMA fighter and runner up on The Ultimate Fighter season 9. I got my start in MMA training with Damarques and it has been a pleasure to work with him. He's got a hard to beat work ethic, and I haven't seen him half ass anything I put him through. Even on his first session, two days after oral surgery, he pushed himself to the limit with bleeding stitches in his mouth. It wasn't pretty.