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Sunday, February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hey there! It's been a while, but I'm going to breathe new life into this thing. Although the blog has been silent, my life has kept on moving and things are great. The gym where I work full time, SLC Crossfit, has moved in to a sweet new space and we're adding more and more amazing people to our ranks. I have an awesome job. My personal business is going well too, with several clients in the middle of my programs as we speak. Again, awesome. My wife, Tara, got her name picked to run in the Wasatch 100, so I can tell you now that when the trails thaw (which will be early this year), we will be on the Wasatch course almost every weekend. I've been training hard, maybe harder than ever and I'm moving into race mode stronger and healthier than I can ever remember. I unfortunately did not get picked in the Hardrock 100 lottery, but I've got a great race schedule this year.
To start things off this year, I took part in the Kahtoola Bigfoot Snowshoe Marathon (with the help of SLC Crossfit ) on January 28. With the thin snowpack I decided to not wear snowshoes and go with my Kahtoola microspikes. The course consisted of three 10k loops, two 5k loops and one 2k out and back to finish things off. Coming off almost 5 months of mostly gym training I was curious how things would go. I was pleasantly surprised. I finished in 6 hours and 16 minutes, and even though the field was small, it was good enough for 5th place. My friends did well too, with Mallin coming in under 6 hours for 3rd place, Vi coming in just over 6 hours 30 minutes to take 1st male in snowshoes, and Ed running his first marathon the day before his 40th birthday in 9 hours 30 minutes. It was a beautiful day on a fun course. I'll return to this one for sure.

So what's in store for 2012? A bunch. Here's my race schedule for the year.
January - Kahtoola Bigfoot Snowshoe Marathon (6hrs 16mins)
March - 24 Hours of Moab relay
April - Bonneville Shoreline Trail Marathon
May - Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim
June - Wahsatch Steeplechase
July - Millcreek 50K
July - Speedgoat 50K
July - Katcina Mosa 100K
September - Moab Alpine to Slickrock 50 miler
October - Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim (you know who you are)
November - Antelope Island 100K

I'm going for it this year, and I'm determined to make a serious run at this ultra endurance thing. My training has undergone a major shift and it's time stop screwing around. Let's do this.

12 tips for making the most of your gym time

2011-10-18T10:59:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to tell you that I've registered for the Mountain Athlete coaching certification! I'll be heading up to Jackson for three days of programming, theory, practical application, as well as two written tests and a gnarly fitness test. I have until the beginning of December to prepare and I've been training like a madman!
It will be a great learning experience, and as long as I can pass the physical test (I'm not worried about the written tests), I'll come out of it with a certification. I have a lot of work to do in the strength department, and I think I can do it, but I'll be cutting it close. We'll see!

In other news, I spent the weekend in Boulder, Colorado helping my beautiful wife run the 24 Hours of Boulder. Despite shadeless heat and stomach issues, she managed 50 miles. I'm proud!

As you may know, my full time gig is coaching at Salt Lake City Crossfit. I'm lucky to do what I love for a living and I've met some amazing people there. I've been thinking lately about what we do there and what should be expected of a trainee. The coaches have put together your workouts, are there to provide you with guidance and motivation, and are there to ensure your safety. As a trainee, what else is required other than showing up?

Show up prepared. This means show up on time. Show up rested, hydrated, and fed. Bring a water bottle and your post workout nourishment. Show up with the proper footwear, ready to run, jump, or lift. Show up with a positive attitude, ready to work hard.
Be honest with yourself. Your inner dialogue should reflect the reality of your strengths and weaknesses, not what you have learned to believe and not what you want to believe.
Be willing to work hard. Be comfortable with uncomfortable. Know the difference between pain and hard work. If it doesn't hurt some, you're not trying hard enough.
Listen to your coaches. We've been training ourselves and others for a long time. We're here for a reason, so listen. What we tell you is for your own good. We're here to make sure you're safe, to push you beyond your self imposed limits, and to teach you new things. We want you to succeed. When we're talking, be quiet and listen. When we ask you to do something (short of jumping off a bridge), trust us and comply.
Technique before intensity. Focus on doing it well before trying to do it faster or heavier. Your RX means nothing if your deadlift looks like garbage and you can't stand up straight the next day. Who cares how fast your time was if you look like a wet noodle doing push ups? Leave your ego at home.
Ask questions. We'll never ask you to do anything that we can't explain the why of. Asking questions helps you learn. When we don't have the answer, we'll find out and learn something too. Thoughtful questions help everyone.
Be consistent. Everyone has different goals and everyone is busy. Taking this into consideration, you should have a minimum number of training sessions per week. Whether it's one or five, you need to be consistent. If you show up once a month or every two weeks you're wasting your time, and to some degree ours.
Quantify your training. Keep a training log, whether it's written or on line. Record every detail of every workout. Track what you eat, how you sleep, how much you hydrate, how you feel, how you perform, and how you look.
Have goals. This can be anything from fitting into a pair of pants, getting your first pull up, taking care of back pain, or taking part in competition. Progress is rarely random. Pick a goal, spend the time, do the work.
Spend time on self care and recovery. We can give you a million self care and recovery strategies and tools, but we can't follow you home and make you do it. Stretch, foam roll, eat, sleep, hydrate, ice bath, massage, etc. Spend one minute recovering for every minute spent training.
Conduct yourself with dignity. How you behave under the stress and discomfort of a workout in a group is a good indicator of how you behave out in the real world. Work hard. Don't cheat. Help and encourage others. Clean up after yourself. If you don't have anything positive to say, don't say anything at all. Don't make a spectacle of yourself, we all know you're working hard, there's no reason to yell obscenities with every rep.
Have fun. You choose to do this. Make the best of it and make the most of it. Make some friends and challenge each other.

Get to work!

Put your training in context

2011-09-20T22:15:00.000-06:00

When a sport specific athlete tells me they do crossfit, I think "No, you use hybrid training to cross train." I would only call a training program crossfit if the end goal of that training program was to be fit in a general way, or to train for a general physical preparedness competition (crossfit games). The goals are different, and context matters.

My life in the fitness world started with my interest in mixed martial arts. The time I spent on the mat and in the cage was made more efficient by spending time in the weight room. Strength and conditioning for fighters is pretty similar to hybrid training a lot of the time, so this type of training is where I got my start and began to learn. It wasn't crossfit, because there was a clear goal ahead at a specified time. The training progressed in waves with time further away from fight night spent building strength, some time mixing in weights with circuits and time closer to fight night spent building metabolic capacity. You might recognize this concept as periodization. That's the difference between crossfit and hybrid training. Time and goals. Context.

Crossfit is a hell of program, and even though there's a whole bunch of bickering and silliness floating around the internet, don't be swayed. If your goal is to be in great shape and to be ready for almost any type of casual athletic endeavour, then crossfit is the way to go. If your goal is to compete in the crossfit games, then crossfit is the only way to go. The crossfit athletes that I train with at my gym are unbelievable, and their capacity is off the charts. These guys could jump in many athletic events and do fairly well without any specific preparation. Their goals are open ended and typically without a specific time frame. Generally ready, all the time.

A goal or event focused athlete, however, has goals that are easier to define and will be tested on a specific date. They know what they want to do and when. Hybrid style training can still be a small part of the overall training program, but it has to be appropriate to the current focus or cycle.

I am an endurance athlete. By that I mean that I take my training seriously and I want to do well at a certain thing. For me it's trail running. My training now revolves around this goal, and I'm planning ahead to events in the distant future. I have sport specific goals and personal goals where training is concerned. I have a list of priorities. I can't rely on hybrid style training all the time to get me where I want to go. Can hybrid training be a part of the process? Absolutely.

If I have a definite goal on a definite date, then I can't develop all my capacities at the same time forever. Not if I want to perform at the top end of my potential. I'm planning on several events next summer, so I know when to be ready. I know what the distances, terrain and time frames are, so I know what to be ready for. Building up to an event can take a while and there are many aspects of physical capacity to focus on.
For an untrained athlete, I think the first step is building a solid foundation of general physical preparedness. That's hybrid training (crossfit) if you weren't paying attention. This means getting fit enough to train. Not to toot my horn, but as far as GPP goes, I has it. So the next step would be overall strength. We talked a bit about strength standards a couple posts ago, so let's get up to standard. This is where some folks fall apart, because you can't develop strength and endurance simultaneously. One can be generally maintained while the other is developed, but there is ALWAYS compromise. This winter I will be getting strong (again). Over the summer I ran a lot and lost some strength, but that is a compromise I was willing to take to reach my goal. The great thing about getting strong is that the process is pretty straight forward. Lift heavy, eat, rest, repeat. There are MANY strength programs out there and I rely on the strength experts when it comes to building strength. When you need to specialize in something, you look to the specialists to help. Where to go for strength?
Jim Wendler
Westside Barbell
Mark Rippetoe
Those are a few of the most notable. Follow the recommendations of one of these for the winter, and you WILL get stronger. You can't go wrong with focusing on strength for a few months. You don't have to get big to lift heavy, and you don't have to give up on your sport. You simply shift your focus for a short amount of time, and enter your sport season stronger, more durable and generally more useful. Compromise, timing and context. I take these time proven programs and tweak them to fit my modest strength goals.
And if crossfit is what you're interested in, and you're in Salt Lake City, then the only place to go is SLC Crossfit. It's all the good things about crossfit minus the egos and high socks. Plus the coaches are pretty badass.

September 15, 2011

2011-09-15T10:21:00.004-06:00

And we're back!
I had a great time this past weekend pacing Geoff Crockett at the Wasatch 100, and although he had to drop at mile 93, I think he should be proud of himself. I started running with Geoff at Lambs Canyon at mile 53 and ran with him through the night to Brighton at mile 75. He pushed through some bad times up there, and by the time we got to the Guardsmen Pass road he was totally delirious. I caught him running with his eyes closed a couple times and at one point he started mumbling incoherently. The only thing I could make out of this mumbling was the phrase, "you're doing that farmer shit aren't you?" I asked him to repeat himself, but he just laughed and said, "I don't know." I think the altitude was screwing with him in combination with his inability to stomach anything sweet. We made it to Brighton and with a lot of prodding and threatening, pushed him out the door almost an hour later. He soon developed some pretty disgusting blisters under the nails of his big toes, which slowed him down to a crawl. Knowing he would not make the 36 hour cutoff at the finish he made the tough decision to drop at mile 93. You're a badass, Mr. Crockett.
So I ran 22 miles on Friday night, and soon realized that my feet are still hurting from Leadville. They hurt deep in the bones and joints. I'm going to take a break from running hard and jumping for a few weeks to let things heal a bit more. This postpones my plans to begin regular speed sessions, but there's always the gym and the bike. The gym work is going well and my strength is coming back slowly. Yesterday I back squatted a 3 rep max of 235, which should put my 1 rep max at about 250. That's 50 pounds lighter than last winter, but no big deal.
Yes, it's time to lift HEAVY.

Here's a shot from the mile 75 aid station at Brighton. Geoff is feeling the effect.

How strong is strong enough?

2011-09-07T22:49:00.002-06:00

There's a lot of exciting things going on around here.

First of all, I'm officially launching Ascend/Descend coaching services. If you are preparing for an event or adventure or just need to take your training to the next level I can help you improve any aspect of your fitness. Click on the Coaching tab at the top for details.

Secondly, I'll be pacing my friend Geoff at the Wasatch 100 this weekend. I get to run the section from Lambs Canyon to Brighton. I'm excited to run this particular section and I'm pumped to watch Geoff succeed. This guy is FAST, but I think after 50 miles he'll slow down enough for me.

Last, but not least, I mailed off my application for the 2012 Hardrock 100. This is my dream race. I've wanted to do this longer than I have actually been running. I love the mountains, and there's something about altitude that really excites me. Forty eight hours to finish 100 miles of running with over 67,000 feet of elevation change. I'll find out if I made it in sometime in December. If this doesn't pan out, I've got some adventures up my sleeve for next summer. We'll see! Check out the race website: Hardrock 100.

And with that I'd like to turn my attention to the cooler nights and earlier sunsets. The cold, cold winter is soon to arrive and after a solid Spring and Summer spent running and racing, my attention has turned to strength and speed. It's a fact that running long makes you weak. Running long and weak are relative terms, of course. My long runs aren't that long for ultra running standards and my definition of weak may seem normal or even strong to many people, especially ultra runners. For the last couple years, I've been fascinated with developing relative strength. Relative strength is the maximum force exerted in relation to body weight. Instead of shooting for some standard number on each lift, like a 400lb back squat, shooting for some standard based on your body weight makes more sense to me. Mountain Athlete (a great gym, with damn good programming) has a list of relative strength standards that I find pretty spot on. I omit a couple things from their list and add some of my own. The following are the strength standards that I will be working towards and the standards that I think any endurance athlete would benefit from obtaining.

MEN WOMEN

Dead lift 2 x BW 1.5 x BW

Back squat 1.5 x BW 1.25 x BW

Front squat 1.25 x BW 1 x BW

Power clean 1.25 x BW 1 x BW

Bench press 1.25 x BW 1 x BW

Press 1 x BW .75 x BW

Pull up +.5 x BW +.25 x BW

*All standards are 1 rep maxes. BW = body weight.

From a powerlifting standpoint, these standards are laughable, and from an endurance standpoint they may seem unreasonable. I included upper body movements for my own benefit, and if you are an endurance athlete you could live without working on these, but I think a strong upper body can benefit every athlete. Besides, don't you want to be capable of battling a bear on your next trail run? You could at least try to make it a fight. At the very least, you should be able to take a box from the floor and put it on a shelf when you're old.

29 hours

2011-08-29T00:19:00.001-06:00

After almost 30 weeks of consistent training, my goal of running and finishing a 100 mile trail race has been realized. I've been putting off writing this because I'm still processing the experience, so I'll just run through the details and try to gain some insight.

I don't think the reality of what I was attempting really struck me until I got the race info packet in my email. Mandatory medical check ins, strict aid station cut-off times, elevation profile...it was all there, waiting for me to put words into action.
Tara and I rented a van and made the drive to Leadville, Colorado on Thursday afternoon and slept at a rest stop in Glenwood Springs that night. Friday morning we arrived at our destination. The mountains around Leadville are massive. They're not as dramatic and jagged as the Wasatch, but the amount of space above treeline let you know that you're up a bit higher, and breathing is going to cost more. The medical check in was nothing more than a weigh in and receiving a wristband with your emergency contact and physical stats. Check that off the list. I had been looking forward to the pre-race briefing, but the gymnasium where it was held was packed to the rafters with racers and crew. The elevation was starting to work on me, and the heat, lack of space and overall stuffiness of the meeting drove us outside with a lot of others. Not being able to hear anything from outside, we decided to risk missing important updates and drove out to a couple of the aid stations. After scouting out some of the directions we found a quiet pull off and slept for a couple hours. Not much else to do that day but rest and make sure everything is organized. We headed into town for last minute supplies and dinner and hunted down a campsite early. The nerves were really buzzing and it was perfect timing for peace and quiet with Tara. With everything organized and ready to go we hit the sack just in time for the most hellish lightning storm to tuck us in. Instead of passing through, this one just sat overhead and unleashed its fury. Thunder and lightning has a special quality at altitude. The sound rolls and rumbles, almost like it's flowing overhead. A perfect confidence booster to help us sleep.
2 a.m came quickly, and the morning preparations and short drive to the start are a blur. The town was very much alive even at this hour. All the businesses opened early and people were everywhere. Then, all of a sudden it was time to line up at the start. All of my inner demons were talking loudly at this point. "What are you doing here?", "These people all have something you don't. Go home." Without Tara being there, I might have listened to them, but I couldn't let her down or the people who were at the time driving down to help me. It was time to find out what I'm made of. I kissed Tara goodbye and waited for the gun. "You're better than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can." That choked me up. The emotions were running high. Countdown. Gunshot. We were off. 625 people running through the dark with lights on our heads, all toward the same goal. I cranked up the headphones and tried to soak it all in.
From the start to May Queen is 13.5 miles. It's beautiful and runs around the north side of Turquoise Lake. Around mile 9 I twisted my knee enough to partially pop my kneecap out of groove. This is a problem I've been dealing with since I was a kid, and a few years ago I had surgery to correct it in the right knee. This was the left, and although it hurt, I just ignored it. The pain went away and I kept on trucking. I arrived at May Queen at 6:32 a.m. Tara greeted me with a smile, fuel and water. Doing great, feeling great. 13.5 miles in 2 hours and 32 minutes.
May Queen to Fish Hatchery is 10 miles and climbs over 11,000ft Sugarloaf Pass. It's a long sustained climb and one hell of a bomber downhill. I rolled into the aid station at 9:05 a.m. It was starting to heat up so I changed into lighter clothing, filled up, got a kiss from my wife and I was off. 23.5 miles in 5 hours 5 minutes.
Fish Hatchery to Half Pipe is 5.6 miles and is what I remember as my least favorite part. Lot's of asphalt leaving Fish Hatchery and mostly dirt road for the rest. It was hot and exposed and this short section took 1 hour 54 minutes. I lost focus on this section and fell behind on my calories. To make matters worse, this is the only aid station where I would not see Tara. I stumbled through at 11 a.m. 29.1 miles in 7 hours.
Half Pipe to Twin Lakes is 10 miles. I rallied through here and got caught up on calories. I was oddly excited to get through Twin Lakes and climb Hope Pass. We moved off the dirt road to more single track here and it was shaded so I picked up the pace. I made it to Twin Lakes at 1:20 p.m. 40 minutes ahead of the cut off and feeling positive. I took a bit more time here fueling up, cooling off and taking care of my feet. It was good to see Tara and she got me refocused. I picked up trekking poles here for the climb. 39.5 miles in 9 hours 20 minutes.
Twin Lakes to Hope Pass is 5 miles and tops out at 12,600 ft and involved about 6 water crossings. I love going uphill. I'm not a fast runner, but I can motor uphill. I made it to the Hopeless aid station way under the cutoff while trying to outrun some ugly looking clouds. This aid station was surreal. The whole camp is packed in by volunteers with llamas. As soon as I broke above treeline I was treated to the sight of about 10 (I'm guessing) llamas grazing in a field. There were two or three runners on their hands and knees throwing up and several others laying on their backs in the grass. Despite all my worries about the elevation, I felt great. After grabbing a cup of potato soup from a friendly volunteer I headed over the pass down to Winfield.
Hope Pass to Winfield is 5 miles and marks the turnaround point of the race. Halfway there I got to see Tara. The actual aid station was so crowded that they were allowing crew access at the trailhead, which is where I saw her. I headed up the dusty dirt road that leads to Winfield where I picked up my pacer, Upper Level Gumby. Gumby and Scooter (Stryker!) greeted me at the aid station and directed me to the medical tent. I started the race at 188lbs and weighed in here at 185.6lbs. Looks like I was doing a decent job staying hydrated. Gumby and I checked out and started the 2.5 miles back to where Tara was waiting. Arriving at the trailhead I changed into some warmer gear and grabbed a headlamp. It felt good to put on some dry socks, but my feet were showing some wear. Now we had the daunting task of going back over Hope Pass. I tried not to think about it, and having some company for the trip was a big pick me up. 50 miles in 13 hours and 32 minutes.
Winfield to Twin Lakes is 10 miles. We made it back over the pass to Twin Lakes 7 minutes faster than the first trip. It rained a bit on the way up and we paused at the Hopeless aid station only long enough to get some hot soup. We rolled into Twin Lakes at 9:38 p.m. The non negotiable cut off time is 9:45 p.m. I had just enough time to change socks, choke down some food and get a kiss from the wife. I picked up Dan Chace as my pacer at this point. 60.5 miles in 17 hours and 38 minutes.
Twin Lakes to Half Pipe is 10 miles. This started the real battle. Shaving the cutoff time so close at Twin Lakes really crushed my morale, but it also got my mind turning toward escapes. I didn't see any way with the amount of pain I was in, that we could possibly make it to Half Pipe in time. I thought I would get cut at the next station and I was okay with that. I didn't care anymore. Dan had other plans and we arrived at Half Pipe at 12:30 a.m, a full 45 minutes ahead of schedule. I was secretly disappointed that I had to continue, but it was uplifting too. My feet were really beginning to hurt and I knew that blisters were growing on the balls of both feet. 70.5 miles in 20 hours 29 minutes.
Half Pipe to Fish Hatchery is 5.6 miles. Gumby took over at this point and I think he knew he had his work cut out for him. The section ahead was just soul crushingly boring flat asphalt. You would think that I could speed up here, but that's not how I work. Not only am I a poor flat runner, but the hard surface was hell on my feet. Gumby got me to Fish Hatchery at 2:30 am. That's 30 minutes ahead of schedule. I started to think I could do this. 76 miles in 22 hours and 30 minutes.
Fish Hatchery to May Queen is 10 miles. It took us 3 hours and 34 minutes. I regained my sense of humor here if only for a short time. In the aid station, I dropped my favorite mitten in the port o john. In my delerious state this was the pinnacle of hilarity. As Gumby and I left the aid station we passed a few houses, and on the lawn of one of these houses (at 2:30 am mind you) were several loud speakers. Right as we passed, Chariots of Fire began to play. I think Gumby was as tired as I was at that point, and he all but lost it. "It couldn't have been scripted better!" This sense of well being quickly passed as we began to climb the Power Line trail. I convinced myself, and Gumby, more times than I can remember that we were for sure at the top. It just never ended. I could feel every step pressurizing my blisters, forcing the skin to separate more so the fluid could move. I was in agony. We climbed and climbed and climbed. Gumby kept on me about hydrating, eating and moving and miraculously, we made the top. For real this time. The long anticipated downhill was hard to take advantage of at this point though, because my feet were done. We ran when I could, but it was infrequent. We rolled into May Queen at 6:04 a.m. 24 minutes ahead of schedule. Gumby had pulled me through probably the darkest part of the race. Arriving at May Queen I knew I could do it. 86.5 miles in 26 hours and 4 minutes.
May Queen to the finish is 13.5 miles. To finish under the 30 hour cut off, I had 3 hours and 56 minutes to cover a half marathon. I knew it was possible, but I knew it was going to hurt. Dan was again my pacer and we headed out. My friend and the person I consider to be my running mentor, Murray, said to me before I left Salt Lake, "Enjoy the sunrise." The way he said it really made those words stick. He said it like only a person who knows something you don't know can. We were headed east along the north side of Turqoiuse Lake. The sun began to rise and the sky turned pink and everything in my life seemed right. I was still in an incredible amount of pain, but it was just one of the many things in my awareness. I was going to finish. We cruised through Tabor Boat ramp where we got to see Tara and Gumby and Scooter for a moment and all of a sudden we had 7 miles to go. We left the single track and the lake, crossed a road, descended a steep hill and we were on a dirt road. This dirt road was like the final level of some sadistic video game. Dante's final level. It was flat and runnable, and it was like a treadmill. We ran for 30 seconds at a time. We ran from ribbon to ribbon. I asked a woman, how much further? I think she said 2 miles. Why would she lie to me when I was in so much pain? It went on and on and on. Other racers were questioning too. They all had a look of panic. Dan tried to encourage me and get me to run. I thought that he must be trying to save himself. We were trapped there. And then we saw them. Ribbons marking a junction. Pavement. The pavement was short lived and we turned again to a shorter section of eternal dirt road. Buildings became more frequent. The pavement returned. A high school. Do you want some water? No. We crested a hill and in the distance I saw it. FINISH. We started a gentle trot. It was a long hill to the finish. Gumby came running down. "You've got to pick it up, people are taking a long time on this section." I threatened him with a beating if he's joking and I start running. Sprinting. I'm running so hard that I can't breathe and I'm starting to sob. Tears are welling up. My feet hit the red carpet at a blistering sprint of probably 4 miles per hour. I break the tape. Stop running. My beautiful wife is there in tears. She tells me how proud she is of me. I stoop over. Someone puts a medal around my neck and rubs my back. Stop running. I can stop. I stand there for a moment. Medical check in. Only 2lbs down. I lay in the grass. Congratulations. Thanks. Gratitude. Relief. Goodbyes. I can barely walk. 100 miles in 29 hours and 35 minutes.
Sitting at the post race meeting waiting to get my buckle was torture. I loved seeing everyone acknowledged and awarded, but I felt like if I didn't get out of there my legs would turn to concrete. I lived and I got my buckle.
Arriving at the hotel some hours later I could just barely walk. Laying on the bed of the hotel I started to shiver like I had a fever. I couldn't walk now without help. I laid in the shower and let the water run over me. Tara helped me to the bed and we slept.
It's been a week now and I'm almost recovered. Still a bit of knee pain and more than a bit of foot pain. The swelling is gone and the blisters are beginning to peel.
Running 100 miles was an intense experience to say the least. I've expanded the map of my self and I explored some territory that would have remained unknown had I not taken the leap. I had to tame some strong demons to do it. Every self doubt that I've ever had ran through my mind during those 29 hours. Every failure and shortcoming tempted me to add this to their list. Every shitty thing that ever happened to me came to mind and I thought, "Why should this time be any different?" Every time I ever quit on myself came to mind. It's easier to repeat failure than it is to forge ahead to what you want. Sometimes "almost" seems like enough. I had time to sort, to organize me. There was no satori, or dramatic flash of realization or brilliance, but just a soft reminder that I've heard a million times before. Life is good just the way it is. 29 hours will boil you down. The core of what makes me happy stood out in my mind, and they were all the simple things I already have and already am. I'm sure I'll forget this lesson soon and begin grasping and reaching and losing sleep any day now, but this lesson leaves more of a mark every time I relearn it.
I am forever grateful for the help and encouragement I received leading up to and during this. Gumby, Dan and Scooter, that was a long way to drive and a lot of sleep to lose. Thank you. I would not have made it without your help.
Tara, my wife, thanks for putting up with all the time I spent in the mountains on the weekends and all the time when I was too wasted from training to be fun. Thanks for staying awake for 38 hours and being at every aid station and taking care of me. You know I only do these things to impress you.

Nothing left.

JUNE 20th - 26th

2011-06-26T21:27:00.000-06:00

Monday
Rest
Tuesday
10 - 1 ladder
Squat cleans @155lbs
Press @95lbs
Then
100 strict pull ups/chin ups
100 GHD sit ups
Wednesday
Big Beacon hill climb
2 miles. 2000ft of elevation gain. 90 degrees with no shade.
(52 minutes to the top, slow, but it was hot.)
Thursday
5 rounds
2 x 75ft sled push @200lbs
10 bench press @155lbs
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Rest
Sunday
Mount Olympus (elevation 9026ft) two times
Round 1 - 3 hours 32 minutes
10 minute rest
Round 2 - 3 hours 9 minutes, personal best by 12 minutes.
Total: 12 miles, 8100ft of elevation gain.

MAY 9TH - JUNE 19TH

2011-06-19T19:00:00.003-06:00

Time flies! Life is good, training is progressing smoothly and the battle between winter and summer is still being waged. What a crazy "spring". I guess this is mountain weather and it is worth it. Let's see if I can piece together the training done over the last month.
Monday May 9th
10 X 1 deadlift @80% (320#)
6 rounds of 40yd sled push @211#, alternating high/low handles. 1 minute rest between rounds
100 strict pull ups
Tuesday May 10th
11 X 200m sprints, on the 2 minutes
Wednesday May 11th???
Thursday May 12th???
Friday May 13th
Rest
Saturday May 14th
Mt. Olympus
3 hours 21 minutes
Sunday May 15th???
Monday May 16th???
Tuesday May 17th???
Wednesday May 18th
2 hour trail run
Thursday May 19th
Back squat 3 X 3 @185#
5 X 4-1 ladder
Strict pull ups/chin ups
DB shoulder press @45#
Friday May 20th???
Saturday May 21st
3 hour trail run
Sunday May 22nd
2 hour trail run
Monday May 23rd
Tuesday May 24th
10-1 ladder
Strict pull ups
Shoulder press @95#
3 rounds
30 second right leg hop
30 second left leg hop
30 second left side plank
30 second right side plank
30 second plank
30 cauldrons @25#
30 halos @25#
10 deadlifts @225#
Wednesday May 25th
For time
1000 meter row
1 mile run
1000 meter row
(16:25)
Thursday May 26th???
Friday May 27th???
Saturday May 28th
8 mile trail run in Zion National Park
Sunday May 29th???
Monday May 30th
12 mile run in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Tuesday May 31st???
Wednesday June 1st???
Thursday June 2nd???
Friday June 3rd???
Saturday June 4th
Paced Sue Lee for 14 miles during the Squaw Peak 50 miler
Sunday June 5th
10 mile trail run
Monday June 6th???
Tuesday June 7th
3 rounds for time
30 split jerks @95#
50 sit ups
(9:25)
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time
lunges
double unders
(7:20)
Wednesday June 8th???
Thursday June 9th
6 mile trail run in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Friday June 10th???
Saturday June 11th
15 mile trail run
Sunday June 12th
15 mile trail run
Monday June 13th
Rest
Tuesday June 14th
Rest
Wednesday June 15th
10-1 ladder
Deadlift @225#
Bench press @155#
3 X 5 pull ups @10#
50 supine pull ups, every break = 10 medicine ball slams
50-40-30-20-10 reps
Sit ups
Sledge hammer strikes
Single leg deadlifts @53#
Thursday June 16th
5 rounds
50 lunges
30 russian twists @25#
500 meter row
(24:58)
Friday June 17th
3 X 4 minute sled push w/1minute rest @155#
5 rounds
5 pull ups @10#
5 dips
3 X 10 shoulder presses @75#
Saturday June 18th
Rest
Sunday June 19th
4 hour 30 minute trail run in the freezing rain

I'm slowly starting to feel confident about Leadville.

3 X 4 minute sled push. One of the worst workouts I can think of.

This is my church.

APRIL 11th - MAY 8

2011-05-08T15:42:00.000-06:00

And we're back! The last few weeks have been really great, and even though winter won't quite let go, trail running is in full swing. I didn't keep track of my training over the last few weeks, but training has been going well. Tara and I attempted a double crossing of the Grand Canyon, and although we had a great run, we fell well short of our goal. We made 23 miles of the planned 48. We started at a very cautious pace and by the time we made it to Phantom Ranch we were behind schedule. After heading past Phantom Ranch, we decided to turn back. On the way back to the South Rim we made our plans to return at the end of May. The Grand Canyon is absolutely enormous. The size of the canyon made our decision for us. I learned to never underestimate a route, and it was humbling to say the least. The experience really got us fired up and has revamped my training and my whole approach to trail running. I am still very excited about Leadville, but my focus has shifted from organized events to long, self supported adventures. Onward! Picture time.

APRIL 4th - 10th

2011-04-10T20:34:00.000-06:00

Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Back squats, 3 X 5 @225
Bench press, 5 X 10 @95 (shoulder improvement!)
Press, 50 reps broken up any way @75 (more improvement)
Strict pull ups/ chin ups, 35 reps broken up any way (I am very happy about this)
10 minutes core work
Wednesday
8 X 400 meter run, on the 4 minutes
Then: Deadlift ladder
10 @225
9 @235
8 @245
7 @255
6 @265
5 @275
4 @285
3 @295
2 @305
1 @315
Thursday
1 hour of grappling
1 hour of sparring/ pad work
Friday
Mobility
Saturday
26.2 mile row (3:39)
The heavy snow drove us into the gym. Not at all as fun as running.
Sunday
Rest. Sore in odd places and very tired.

MARCH 28th - APRIL 3rd

2011-04-06T22:47:00.001-06:00

Monday
Mobility
Tuesday
Back squat 3 X 5 @225
5 sets of 10
Pull ups @blue band (shoulder is improving)
Bench press @95lbs
10 minutes of core work
Wednesday
8 x 400 meter run, on the 4 minutes
30 minutes heavy bag work
Thursday
20 minutes heavy bag work
30 minutes handstand and tumbling work
Friday
Rest
Saturday
2 hour run/hike @vacation pace
Sunday
2 hour run/hike @vacation pace

My shoulder is showing massive improvement! Overall things are going well and I'm feeling faster and more confident. I had a nice, relaxing weekend in Moab with Tara and my batteries are recharged. Good things are on the horizon. On top of that, I got this amazing email from a client that really helped get me in an even more positive mindset.

Jason:
Just wanted to touch base with you. My racing season is in full
swing...I've won a local race and gotten into the top 10 and the
podium at big national races. we had 2 70 mile races this past
weekend (i took 7th in one of them), a lot of the girls were
complaining about back trouble and I was not one of those girls. My
hill climbing has massively improved and even better, I still have my
sprinting power at the end of these long stages!!!! I am vowing to try
to do some sort of core maintenance because I don't want to lose
everything.

But I just want to sincerely THANK YOU so much for your time and
attention to customizing a program to work for my specific goals and
to accommodate all my injuries and not interfere with my bike
training!!!

Tiffany Pezzulo

This is the reason why I love to train people. Seeing tangible results from what I put my heart into reinvigorates me.

MARCH 21st - 27th

2011-03-27T22:06:00.000-06:00

Monday
2 hour trail run @80% effort
Tuesday
5 rounds
3 back squats @225lbs
10 bench press @65lbs (shoulder rehab)
10 pull ups @blue bands (shoulder rehab)
Wednesday
16 x 200 meter run, one every 2 minutes
Then
30 minutes heavy bag work
Thursday
Power clean + front squat / sledgehammer strikes ladder
10 @100lbs
9 @110
8 @120
7 @130
6 @140
5 @150
4 @160
3 @170
2 @180
1 @190
Between power clean + front squats, double the reps for each side on sledgehammer strikes.
Friday
1 hour of mobility work
Saturday
1 hour trail run @70% effort
Sunday
2 hour road run @90% effort

MARCH 14th - 20th

2011-03-21T21:11:00.000-06:00

Monday
Mobility
Tuesday
Back squats @255lbs
3,3,3,2,1,1,1,1 reps
Jumping squats @135lbs
3 sets of 5
Wednesday
16 x 200 meter run. On the 2 minutes
Thursday
Mobility
Friday
Power clean + front squat ladder
10 @95lbs
9 @105
8 @115
7 @125
6 @135
5 @145
4 @155
3 @165
2 @175
1 @185
Saturday and Sunday
Try to get standby flight to Atlanta. Fail.

MARCH 7th - 13th

2011-03-13T18:44:00.001-06:00

Monday
50 minute trail run @70% effort
Tuesday
Back squats
3,3,3,2,2,1,1 reps @250lbs
Jumping squats
3 sets of 5 @135lbs
Strict press @25lb dumbbells
Pull ups @blue band
3 sets of 10 reps each
Reverse hyper
GHD sit ups
3 sets of 10 each
Wednesday
6 X 400m sprint
6 X 100m sprint
Thursday
1) 4 rounds
200 ft sled push @155lbs
200m run
All with 20lb vest
2 minute rest between rounds
2) 5 minute rest
3) 4 rounds
10 deadlifts @bodyweight (190lbs)
10 box jumps @24"
1 minute rest
4) 3 minute rest
5) 5 minute cumulative ring plank
Friday
Mobility work
Saturday
1 hour 5 minute trail run @80% effort
Sunday
3 hour 30 minute trail run @80% effort

I love hills.

FEBRUARY 28th - MARCH 6th

2011-03-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Monday
Mobility/ Rest
Tuesday
Back squat, 4 sets of 3 @245lbs
5 sets of 5
Shoulder press @50lbs (rehab)
Pull ups @green band (rehab)
Wednesday
33 minute run @90% effort
Thursday
1) 4 rounds
12 russian KB swings @70lbs
2 minutes of jump rope
1 minute rest
2) 3 minute rest
3) 4 rounds
12 lunges @115lbs
2 minutes of step ups @18"
1 minute rest
4) 3 minute rest
5) 5 minutes cumulative in plank on rings
Friday
Rest/ Mobility
Saturday
Goofed off
Sunday
Goofed off

This was a lazy week, and I'm okay with that. Back at it on Monday.

FEBRUARY 21st - 27th

2011-02-27T21:11:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a rough couple of weeks. At least training wise, otherwise life is good. I had some swelling in my knee after the last round of long runs and then I got the flu, which was nice. At least I lost a couple pounds. I'm back on track after a slow start to the week, so let's go.

Monday
Mobility/ running drills/ rest

Tuesday
Back squat, 3 X 3 @240lbs
5 X 5
Strict press @45lbs (rehab)
Strict pull up @green band (rehab)
3 X 10
Reverse hyper
GHD sit ups

Wednesday
36 minute run @80% effort

Thursday
1) 4 rounds
15 Russian KB swings @70lbs
400 meter run
1 minute rest
2) 5 minute rest
3) 4 rounds
10 deadlifts @50% 1RM (205)
2 minute row @ >500m
1 minute rest
4) 5 minute rest
5) 5 minute cumulative plank on rings

Friday
Mobility/ running drills/ rest

Saturday
1 hour 45 minute run (mostly flat road)

Sunday
3 hour 7 minute run (hilly trails and road)

Pipeline trail

Recovery

JANUARY 31st - FEBRUARY 6th

2011-02-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

Monday
Mobility work
Tuesday
1) Back squats, max reps without racking the bar, 1 set @195lbs/65% 1RM (31 reps)
2) 10 x 30m sled push @156lbs
Wednesday
100 double unders
100 kettlebell swings (Russian) @70lbs
100 double unders
(11:04)
Thursday
1) Power cleans, 5 sets of 5 @75% 1RM/165lbs
2) 5 rounds
   10 GHD sit ups
   10 Good mornings @65lbs
3) 15 rounds
   30 seconds row/ 30 seconds rest
   (2249 meters)
Friday
Mobility work
Saturday
3 hour trail run
2 hour rest
1 hour grappling
Sunday
Rest

The trail run this weekend felt great. It's a good sign that I'm headed in the right direction. The schedule this weekend was supposed to be a two hour run Saturday, and a 40 minute run on Sunday. I just packed it all in one day plus some, and I'm paying for it now. It's been a very lethargic, heavy feeling Sunday. I need to learn some restraint.

Making the climb out of Dry Creek early Saturday morning.

JANUARY 24th - 30th

2011-01-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

Monday
1) Back squats, max reps without racking the bar, 1 set @195lbs/65% 1RM (25 reps)
2) 100 sit ups
3) 4 rounds, every 2.5 minutes, sprint 300 meters in 25 meter shuttles
Tuesday
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time
Row (500m-400-300-200-100)
Double unders
Medicine ball slams @yellow 20lb
(18:58)
Wednesday
1) Deadlift, 5 sets of 3 @320lbs
2) GHD sit ups, 3 sets of 15
Thursday
Mobility work
Friday
Mobility work
Saturday
Grappling, take downs, 45 minutes
Trail run with Tara, Jeremy Ranch Rd., 2 hours
Sunday
Trail run with Murray and Josh, radio towers loop, 2 hours

I'm switching my rest days to Monday and Friday to accommodate the weekend long runs, so this week was a transition. It was good to be fully rested though, because it was a hard weekend. I'm going to have to spend a lot of time mobilizing the squat movers to be ready for Tuesday's max rep squats. I'm tired, so that's all for now.

JANUARY 17th - 23rd

2011-01-23T22:59:00.001-07:00

Monday
Back squat
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(225lbs, 225, 225, 275, 275, 275, 275)
Tuesday
Cooper VO2 max test
Run max meters in 12 minutes
2600 meters
Wednesday
5 rounds for time
50 step ups @18" w/45lb vest
40 squats
60 meter sprint (6 x 10m shuttles)
(27:34)
Thursday
Mobility work
Friday
40 minute trail run
Saturday
1 hour grappling. Takedowns @easy pace
Sunday
Rest

It's been a decent week. The squats felt awful. I felt weak and lethargic, but manged about 90% of 1rm for four singles. The trail run on Friday, however, felt magical. It was a great reminder of why I love to run.
Leadville is now 30 weeks away. The last couple of months have given me a great fitness base, and despite the shoulder trouble, I feel like I'm in good shape. It's time to shake things up a bit, and it's time to start running. I had some good conversations with Human Verification and Upper Level Gumby about programming and preparation, and they were able to give me a smart, outside view of things. It was a great help, because it can be hard to see what you really need to reach your goals.
Here's a rough outline of how things will work.

Monday -Mobility work.
Tuesday- High rep back squats + Speed work ( One of the following/ Tabata treadmill, 12 minute run test, 200's, 400's or 800's) + specific core work.
Wednesday - GPP / work capacity.
Thursday - Alternate weeks / deadlifts - power cleans + box squat practice + specific core work.
Friday - Mobility work.
Saturday - Long run + CFE recovery workout.
Sunday - Slightly less long run + CFE recovery workout.

I'll be following a progression with the long runs and lifting. HV gave me an idea for the back squats that I'm going to try. I'm going to start with a manageable load (60-70% 1RM) and do max reps each week. When I'm able to do 30 reps with the given weight, I'll add weight and start back at the bottom. I like experiments, and back squats are good for everything. I hear they can cure cancer and halitosis.
I've added the extra core work due to the fact that my shoulder is limiting the amount and kind of work I can do. I don't want to lose what I have. I'll keep on top of my shoulder recovery with some easy band work and slowly start introducing some very light lifting. We'll see how it goes.

"I don't care how old I live, I just want to be LIVING while I am living!"

Jack Lalane

1914 - 2011

JANUARY 10th - 16th

2011-01-16T22:03:00.001-07:00

Monday
Back squat
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(225lbs, 225, 225, 305fail, 305fail)
1/4 squats
1,1,1
(405lbs, 405, 405)
Tabata sit ups
Hold "rest" in V position
(86 sit ups)
Tuesday
2 rounds
3 minutes row for max meters
3 minutes rest
3 minutes KB swing (Russian) @70lbs for max reps
3 minutes rest
(872 meters, 50 reps, 850 meters, 52 reps)
Wednesday
Death by 10 meters
On the first minute sprint 10 meters, on the second minute sprint 20 meters, etc...until unable to continue
(16 rounds)
Thursday
Mobility work
Friday
2000 meter row, rest 4 minutes, run 1 mile, rest 4 minutes, row 1000 meters, rest 2 minutes, run 800 meters, rest 2 minutes, row 500 meters, rest 1 minute, run 400 meters
(7:14.2PR, 9:12, 3:36, 4:20, 1:44.4, 2:04)
Saturday
6 x 5 minute rounds grappling
Sunday
Rest

Another solid week of training, and now my goal is set. I am officially registered for the Leadville 100 mile trail run in August. Time to fine tune some things and re-asses my plan. I feel good with what I've been doing, but there has been a lot of improvisation over the last couple weeks due to my shoulder. I've committed to laying off all upper body pressing and overhead work for at least the next month, so my plan has changed a bit. I've dropped about 7 pounds over the last 2 weeks and the goal is to be 175 or less by May. 20 pounds to go. Let the planning and running begin. I want that belt buckle.

DECEMBER 26th - JANUARY 9th

2011-01-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Monday
Power clean @185, one rep every minute on the minute for 20 minutes.
Tuesday
Row
2000 meters, rest 3 minutes (7:19.6PR)
1500 meters, rest 3 minutes (6:14.4)
1000 meters, rest 3 minutes (3:45.6)
500 meters, done (1:45.3)
Wednesday
5-10-15 reps for time
Back squat @225 & 185
Box jump @30"
Went with 225 on sets 5 and 10. Dropped to 185 for the last set.
(12:25)
Thursday
Mobility work
Friday
Mobility work
Saturday
7 x 5 minute rounds of grappling
Sunday
Mobility work
Monday
Deadlift
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
225, 275, 295, 315, 405fail, 405fail, 400fail, 365
Tuesday
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time
Calorie row
Double unders
Sit ups
(22:26)
Wednesday
Row
1 minute work, 1 minute rest, 2 min work, 2 min rest, 3 work, 3 rest, 4 work, 4 rest, 3 work, 3 rest, 2 work, 2 rest, 1 work, 1 rest.
(4405 meters)
Thursday
Mobility work
Friday
2 minutes cumulative in a lockoff, chin above bar
Then
10 rounds for time
10 russian KB swings @70lbs
10 GHD sit ups
(14:34)
Saturday
8 x 5 minute rounds grappling
Sunday
Mobility work

So here we are. Training is going well, I am now officially registered for the Speedgoat 50K, and I will be registered for the Leadville 100 in the next month. I'm coming to terms more and more with my personal goals and what these goals require of me. I'm learning, slowly, what amount and kind of training I respond best to, and what I am able to handle. "Specializing in nothing, excelling in everything" is a relative concept, and it's not one that I will apply to my own training any longer.
Every person has an ideal exercise prescription. Every person has goals and reasons for training or just working out. There is no perfect program. There is no perfect program that exists outside a single person's goals. Your perfect program is like enlightenment. Many, many years of sacrifice are required. Thousands of hours spent in damp caves. You can go it alone, or you can find a teacher. Some can take you where you want to go, and some can offer only the one size fits all comfort of Kool Aid. Do you know where you're going?

DECEMBER 20th - 26th

2010-12-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

Monday
Deadlift
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(225lbs, 255, 275, 315, 400fail, 400PR)
I was so excited, I forgot to do the rest of my workout.
Tuesday
Max rep lunges in 20 minutes
(512)
Wednesday
6 x 5 minute rounds heavy bag work
Thursday
Rest
Friday
Row
1 minute work, 1 minute rest, 2 min work, 2 min rest, 3 work, 3 rest, 4 work, 4 rest, 3 work, 3 rest, 2 work, 2 rest, 1 work, 1 rest.
(4411 meters)
Saturday
EAT, EAT, EAT.
Sunday
Food hangover

This week was busy, but productive. So far I've only been providing boring training info, but after the beginning of the year I plan on adding much more. I am pretty excited about finally hitting the 400lb mark on the deadlift.

DECEMBER 13th - 19th

2010-12-20T23:14:00.001-07:00

Monday
Front squat
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(195lbs, 195, 195, 265fail, 265fail)
2x20 pistols to 18" box
2x10 overhead lunge @95lbs
2x15 GHD sit ups
2x10 ab wheel rollout to wall
Tuesday
200 meter burpee broad jump
(6:43)
Wednesday
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of
5 deadlifts @225lbs
8 burpees
(5 1/2)
Rest 1 minute
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of
5 hang power snatches @75lbs
8 sit throughs
(6)
Rest 1 minute
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of
5 thrusters @75lbs
8 pull ups
(5)
Thursday
Mobility work 30 minutes
Friday
20 minute run @easy pace
10-1 ladder
Ab wheel rollouts to wall
Ring push ups
Strict pull ups
Saturday
Thai pad drills 30 minutes
Grappling 1 hour 30 minutes
Sunday
Rest

The first 3 weeks of this program is complete, and I am pleased with my progress. I PR'd my front squat the first two weeks and my work capacity is feeling strong. I've had to improvise a bit due to the mystery shoulder injury, but I'm okay with that. There's always something else to be worked on. The amount of pain and crunching in my shoulder is enough to convince me to lay off upper body pressing for at least the next 4 weeks. I've also realized, that if you are serious about training, there really are no true rest days, only recovery days. Days of total inactivity leave me feeling worse than before. I'll be following mobilitywod.blogspot.com like a religion from here on out. Even the hobby level of involvement in grappling that I am operating at will require a lot more flexibility and mobility than I currently have.
The next three week cycle will be a switch to deadlifts from front sqauts. Due to the longer amount of time needed to recover from max effort deadlifts, I'll do this a little different. Week one will be a max effort day, week two will be a maximum dynamic effort like snatches or cleans and week three will be another max effort deadlift day. The upper body max effort day will be pull ups as long as the shoulder tolerates it.

Here's a great article from Brian MacKenzie on over hyped, Crossfit supplement faddism.

DECEMBER 6th-12th

2010-12-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Monday
Front squats
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(195lbs, 195, 195, 255, 265fail, 260PR)
2x20 pistols to 18" box
2x10 lunges with 2x53lbs in front rack
2x15 GHD sit ups
2x10 ab wheel rollouts to wall
Tuesday
Tabata (best and worst rep rounds)
Pull ups (13-6 reps)
Push ups (15-7)
Sit ups (12-8)
Squats (17-12)
Medicine ball slams @20lbs (10-10)
Wednesday
5 rounds for time
10 thrusters @75lbs
10 hang power snatches @75
10 box jumps @24"
(12:45)
4x 400m run, one every 4 minutes
Thursday
Mobility work 30 minutes
Friday
2 unbroken rounds
3 presses
6 push presses
9 push jerks
all @115lbs
50 strict pull ups. Varied every 5 reps: pull ups, chin ups, rock rings, finger board, false grip.
Saturday
1 hour 30 minutes of grappling
3 to 5 minute rounds
Sunday
Rest

Returning to grappling after such a long layoff was interesting. The skills were rusty for sure, and I feel like I've been in a car accident, but it was so much fun. Once a week will be more than enough.
This program is really working well, and I'm reaching a state of adaptation that's leaving me wanting a little bit more. I'm going to be cautious about adding too much volume too soon, but there may be some additions soon. This is also week three of the front squat cycle, so next week will be deadlifts and, as long as the shoulder holds up, pull ups.

NOVEMBER 29th-DECEMBER 5th

2010-12-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Monday
Front squats
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(185lbs, 185, 185, 255PR)
2x20 pistols to 18" box
2x10 overhead lunge @95lbs
2x15 GHD sit ups
2x10 ab wheel rollouts to wall
Tuesday
4 rounds for time
20 pull ups
30 push ups
40 squats
50 double unders
(28:34)
Wednesday
6x 200m run, one every 2 minutes
50 sandbag get ups @80lbs for time (8:55)
Thursday
Mobility work 45 minutes
Friday
Shoulder press
3,3,3,1,1,1,1
(95lbs, 95, 95, 155old PR)
Stopped due to shoulder pain
2x10 bar dips
2x15 bench press @2x 45lb dumbbells
2x30 GHD russian twist @10lb
2x10 GHD hip/back extensions
Max burpees in 2 minutes 30 seconds (51)
Saturday
1 hour run (road) @easy pace
Sunday
Mobility work 30 minutes

I'll be unable to continue with max effort shoulder press, because the pain in my right shoulder that I thought was gone returned with the 155 press. I won't change my plan, I'll just do bodyweight upper body work on Fridays instead. Hopefully the higher rep work will keep things loose and aid recovery and healing.
Speaking of shoulder health, here's a great article on the sumo deadlift high pull I ran across on the Whole 9 site.
Here's another gem from Whole 9 while I'm at it.
I'm pleased with how this program panned out over the last week, and the idea of meeting the warm days of spring in top shape is really exciting.
Starting next week I'll be returning (in a very small way) to grappling training. SLC Crossfit now has wrestling mats and we'll have a casual, open mat session every Saturday. There is no other form of training or exercising more demanding than this, and just the thought of returning to it gives me butterflies. In a good way.

NOVEMBER 22nd - 28th

2010-11-27T20:29:00.004-07:00

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

2010-11-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

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

2010-11-14T16:04:00.001-07:00

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.

Two Crossfit cliches in one post.

2010-04-02T23:49:00.004-06:00

I wasn't even going to workout today, but after suckering some people into doing Fran yesterday, I decided to give it a go. And by it, I mean Fran. People are always yapping about their Fran time, and too much attention is given to it. However, it is one of the most painful workouts I've ever done, so some of the attention is warranted. Am I going to tell you my Fran time? Yes, because I PR'd by almost a minute. Did I puke my guts out when I finished? Yes, yes I did. It's no badge of honor, but I did.

FRAN
21-15-9 reps for time
Thrusters @95#
Pull-ups
(4:34)

Now, if I could just be presented with an opportunity to thruster and kipping pull-up 21, 15 and 9 times in the real world, I'll be a real life elite athlete.

2010-04-01T14:18:00.002-06:00

WEDNESDAY
Barbell complex
5 hang power cleans
4 front squats
3 push presses
Work up to heaviest possible load in 10# increments. Each set done without letting go of the bar.
65#, 75#, 85#, 95#, 105#, 115#, 125#, 135#, 145#, 155#, 165#, Fail on last pp @175#.

2010-03-31T14:21:00.001-06:00

TUESDAY
"KELLY"
5 rounds for time
400 meter run
30 box jumps @24"
30 wall ball @20#
(31:52)

ANTELOPE ISLAND BUFFALO RUN

2010-03-28T19:50:00.002-06:00

The race went well but not as expected. I intended to run the 50K, and the course is a 25k loop run twice. I was running well and on pace for a PR, but as I approached the end of the first loop, the tightness in my right knee got tight enough to prevent flexion and to some extent, extension. It wasn't enough alone to make me stop, but that coupled with the fact that I just wasn't feeling the mojo helped me make my decision. I'm pleased with the 25K experience and I live to run another day. No excuses, just results.

Tara had a strange but good day. Her 50 miler starts an hour and a half before the sun comes up. This is not good for a girl who can barely see with glasses on. She got off course early on and lost a ton of time. After losing more time to a big detour around some aggressive buffalo, she decided to drop around the 50 K mark. A 50K PR for her. I'm proud. She's tougher than me.

This is now one of my favorite races. It was put together flawlessly, and the race director and volunteers were really awesome. I highly recommend it to everyone.

2010-03-24T22:04:00.002-06:00

TUESDAY
Rest, foam roller and stretching

WEDNESDAY
5 rounds for time
10 KB swings @53#
10 kipping pull-ups
400 meter run
(16:26)

I'm feeling really confident about Saturday. I'll run easy and short tomorrow, rest Friday and by Saturday I should be ready to go.

2010-03-22T20:50:00.001-06:00

MONDAY
Taper week
3 sets of 5
Back Squat
225#, 225#, 225#

10 sets of 1
Power clean
all @185#

2010-03-21T23:36:00.002-06:00

SUNDAY
What an awesome day. Coffee with friends, sunshine and a perfect trail run with my beautiful wife. We headed out to Antelope Island and got in 3 hours and 37 minutes of good running on some of the trails we'll be running next weekend. 50K for me and 50 miles for Tara. I'm really excited about this one. My best 50K time is 7 hours 12 minutes. My goal this time is less than 6 hours 30 minutes. It feels possible, because for the first time, I think my training has been smart. We'll find out.

2010-03-19T22:32:00.002-06:00

FRIDAY
10 rounds not for time
20 seated russian twists @20#
10 overhead squats @95#
5 strict pull-ups

Max rep deadlifts @bodyweight / 195#
25 reps

2010-03-18T21:35:00.002-06:00

THURSDAY
8 mile run.
I made the initial climb on my normal run longer and higher today and I paid for it. I also headed up to an area that I should have known would not be even close to snow free. The snow was hard enough to walk on for a moment and then, BAM, thigh deep posthole. I probably sounded like a wounded moose up there, yelling and grunting at the snow. This junk show took 2 hours. On a different note, I saw what I believe to be two storks on the ridge at about 6000 feet. Weird.

2010-03-16T21:39:00.001-06:00

TUESDAY
10 rounds for time
10 burpees
30 double unders
(18:10)

Man, I felt slow today. Like one of those dreams where you're trying to fight, but no matter what you do you can't hit the beast with any force at all. Today that beast was burpees.

2010-03-15T21:00:00.002-06:00

MONDAY
A.M.
5.2 mile trail run. 1 hour 2 minutes 48 seconds.

P.M.
3 sets of 5
Back squats
225#, 235#, 240#

AMRAP in 15 minutes
200 meter run
3 squat cleans @135#
3 thrusters @135#
(6 rounds + run)

2010-03-12T20:40:00.001-07:00

FRIDAY
4 rounds
2 minute rest between rounds
500 meter row
30 double unders
20 sit-ups
10 box jumps @18"
200 meter run

2010-03-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY
Recovery workout
10 rounds
1 weighted pull-up @53#
1 bench press @205#
3 glute ham raises
5 glute ham sit ups

2010-03-10T22:15:00.002-07:00

WEDNESDAY
8.2 mile trail/road run. Ran some trails and connected to the roads to run to work. I'm feeling pretty strong and a little bit faster. The first part of this run, I do all the time. It starts at my house and begins climbing immediately. It climbs continuously for two miles and gains over 1000 feet before leveling off. At least I'm getting in my hill work. Lots and lots of heavy mud today.
(1 hour 36 minutes)

2010-03-09T21:09:00.002-07:00

TUESDAY

10 minute jump rope warm up

1) 6 rounds for time

50 step ups @18" box w/ 45# pack
400 meter run
(34:25)

2) Do one power clean and jerk @155#, every 30 seconds for 10 minutes.

2010-03-08T21:35:00.002-07:00

MONDAY
10 minute KB warm up

1) 3 sets of 5 front squats
(205#, 205#, 205#)

2) Karen
150 wall ball shots for time
(9:39)

3)1-20 KB swing breathing ladder @53#
(16:53)

2010-03-07T19:41:00.002-07:00

SUNDAY
I headed out for a long run with Tara and Murray, but I ended up turning back early. My stomach was angry and I was sweating way more than normal. Even at a walk there were rivers of sweat running down my back and legs. I like to think that whatever was wrong with me got sweated out. I feel better now, but the run was pure torture. All in all, I got some time on my feet and hopefully got well in the process.
(2 hours)

2010-03-06T18:09:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking about breath control and it's relationship to athletic performance lately. I'm fairly familiar with meditative breathing exercises, but for some reason I just recently started trying to really connect this conscious control of breath and my own athletic pursuits. I've been encouraged by my recent experiments with breathing ladders, so I've been poking around the interwebs and found a couple of interesting articles. I'd love to know more if any of you have some knowledge here. Check it.

Mouth breathing vs. nose breathing.

Doing sprints while holding your breath. Sounds real uncomfortable.

Syncing footsteps with the breathing cycle.

I was thinking about buying one of these, but then I realized I could just force myself to breathe through my nose during exertion. I'm a sucker for gadgets.

2010-03-06T16:26:00.002-07:00

FRIDAY
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Power cleans @95#
Box jumps @24"
(5:18)
Thursday was a bit much and I'm surprised I could even jump the box.

2010-03-04T21:23:00.003-07:00

THURSDAY

Warm up with 10 minutes of sandbag drills
1) 5 sets of 3 handstand push ups. Strict range of motion.
2) 5 sets of 20 second lock offs. A lock off is an isometric hold, usually at the top of the pull-up.
3) 500 lunges for time (21:03)
4) 30 power clean and jerks @155# for time (7:22)
5) Spend 3 cumulative minutes in an L-hold. This quickly fell apart, but I did my best.
6) 50 GHD sit-ups

It's this sort of thing that makes Crossfit look really stupid. I don't even know where to begin. I won't be able to contain the mockery if anyone rolls into my place of work wearing this garbage.

2010-03-02T19:53:00.001-07:00

TUESDAY
8.1 mile trail run
1 hour 37 minutes
Nice and hilly. Running the day after back squats is painful. Lots of mud on the trails today, and that meant lots of sliding and unintentional splits.

2010-03-01T21:46:00.002-07:00

MONDAY
Warm up with 10 minutes of medicine ball drills

1) 100 back squats @155# (14:39)

2) 10 rounds
5 strict pull ups
5 ring dips

2010-02-28T18:03:00.002-07:00

SATURDAY
3 hour 47 minute trail run
Awesome day! I got to spend the day with my wife on the trails. We parked at the zoo and ran the shoreline to city creek, then on the road to our house. The going was slow and muddy but it was a lot of fun. Training must be going well because running has been a really good time lately. Our shoes are encased in about 2 inches of mud, so I hope they recover.

2010-02-26T07:06:00.002-07:00

THURSDAY
Breathing ladder
1-10 x 2 @65# thrusters

I think the swings are much better for the breathing ladder. With the swing you have no place to stall while working, but with the thruster it was too easy to rest in the rack position and breath. It was a nice recovery effort anyway.

Nutrition
I must admit that the daily logging of food is becoming tedious. I'm in a groove now with eating well, so I'll just log my food once or twice a week to check in. Still holding strong at 90% grain and sugar free. Still feeling great.

2010-02-25T09:45:00.002-07:00

WENESDAY
Warm up with 10 minutes of medicine ball drills

1) Work up to 1RM strict shoulder press
135#, 145#, 160#fail, 155#fail, 150#
5 pounds off my old PR
2) 10 rounds
2 Push presses @1RM strict press # (150#)
3 Skin the cat on rings
5 Strict pull-ups
50 meter farmers carry @2 x 70# KBs
About 40 minutes

2010-02-23T20:41:00.003-07:00

TUESDAY
5.2 mile trail run
1:04:48

I stopped at 30 minutes and checked my heart rate. 180bpm after running uphill but not feeling at all tired. I also checked it when I got to the end. 162bpm at the bottom of a hill and not feeling tired. I used an online calculator and apparently my max heart rate is 191bpm. So my first reading puts me at 95% of mhr and the last puts me at about 85%. I've never paid any attention at all to these things, but I'm curious if anyone out there (HELLO?) knows much about this and what it means. It seems I was running pretty high, but I felt absolutely fine. Are the equations used to predict mhr worth anything?

Nutrition: 3,164 calories. 230 grams of fat, 100 grams of carbs and 194 grams of protein. I ate more today and it helped. Go figure.

2010-02-22T15:25:00.003-07:00

MONDAY
This is the beginning of what I feel will be much more thoughtful programming.

Warm-up: 10 minutes of various sandbag drills. (Cleans, squats, get-ups, half moons, tosses and presses)

1) Work up to 1RM deadlift (225# x 3, 315#, 365#)

2) 5 rounds timed, but not for time
1 deadlift @90% 1RM /325#
10 sandbag get-ups @80#
20 push-ups
30 second waiter's walk @53# right
30 second waiter's walk @53# left
29:30

3)1-10 breathing ladder @53# KB swings

15 minute stretch

Felt great today. This could of been longer, but I tend to overdo things, so it was just right. My deadlift today is 10# less than my PR, and it felt easy. This is the first breathing ladder I've ever done, so it was a cool experiment and I really like the idea of incorporating this into the mix. Very meditative. It took more self control than I expected, and this particular ladder I did is often repeated 4 times. I will try that soon. If you are not familiar with breathing ladders then check out this from Gym Jones.

Nutrition
Back on it. 2,066 calories. 145 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs and 153 grams of protein. Should have eaten more, but I feel good.

2010-02-19T22:29:00.002-07:00

Ooooh, catching up. Drove down to Moab this past weekend for my 11 year wedding anniversary and Tara's 32nd birthday. The Red Hot 50k was going down as well, and our friend Scooter was running the 33k. We ran the course backward to meet up with her and the trail conditions were horrendous. No really. The right foot in slush or postholing a foot of snow and the left in 6 inches of mud. Scooter finished strong and we ended up doing around 15 miles all told. The next day we tried to run the slickrock trail but it was so snow covered and so icy that we turned back after a slow hour. Next time. Of course, I ate like garbage (vacation right?) and tracked nothing. I'm back in the gym and back on Fitday tomorrow, even though my eating has been clean since we got back.

Wednesday
2 rounds
3000 meter row
15 clean and jerks @135#

Thursday
10 minute sandbag get up warm up @40#

(1) Work up to 1RM overhead squat
95#, 135#, 205# fail, 205#PR

(2) 3 rounds not for time
2 overhead squats @175#
20 overhead lunges @45# plate
100 yard sandbag carry @80# ( 10x 33ft shuttles)

(3) 3 rounds for time
15 power snatches @95#
20 KB swings @53#
400 meter run
(18:21)

Friday
4 mile ruck w/ 55# pack
(1 hour 13 minutes)
Trail has pretty technical footing with lots of rocks and tracks. Moderate elevation gain. This will be a new benchmark workout for me, since it starts and ends at my garage. I weighted the pack with a 36# rock, packing material and a basketball full of 20# of sand. It is the essence of comfort.

I think I have my year figured out, athletically at least. I've been doing a bunch of reading on nutrition and programming for my goals and I feel like I'm getting close to a reasonably well thought out training plan. Crossfit has been a gift and a curse for me. I have, for my whole life, been incredibly indecisive when it comes to what I want to do. As an athlete I have wavered and avoided committing to seriously training to do well in a specific arena. I've only trained to finish, to participate. Crossfit, with it's continuous focus on general physical preparedness, had fed my indecisiveness. GPP is very important, but it's time to get busy training what I want to do. I want to move fast and strong in the mountains.

2010-02-09T21:47:00.002-07:00

TUESDAY
Each for time
@1:1 work/rest
250 meter row
250 meter row
500 meter row
500 meter row
1000 meter row
1000 meter row
(46.2, 45.2, 1:37.7, 1:41.5, 3:45.5, 3:48.9)

Nutrition
2,892 calories. 196 grams of fat, 110 grams of carbs and 181 grams of protein.

2010-02-08T21:27:00.002-07:00

MONDAY
Front squats
3 sets of 3
@225#
My legs still felt hammered, so I cut it very short at 3 sets of 3, instead of 3 sets of 5.
3 sets of max rep strict pull-ups
12PR, 10, 10.

100 lunges

Nutrition
2,617 calories. 177 grams of fat, 94 grams of carbs and 187 grams of protein.

2010-02-07T21:02:00.002-07:00

SUNDAY
Sabbath, restful sabbath. I woke up with a gnarly cheat day hangover. I'm all recovered now and I'm very much ready to head down to Moab for a couple days. That happens on Saturday, so it's just work and training until then. I've been thinking a lot about programming (exercise, not comprooters) and I'm working on mapping out some chunks of time for the gym. As soon as the winds of money blow my way, I'll finally figure out what the big event of the year will be.

Nutrition
2,269 calories. 158 grams of fat, 67 grams of carbs and 165 grams of protein.

2010-02-06T21:38:00.002-07:00

SATURDAY
10-20-30 reps for time
Double unders
One arm KB clean and jerks @53#
Row (calories)
One leg deadlifts @70#
Floor wipers @135#
Step ups @2x35#KB @18"
(27:02)

Nutrition
CHEAT DAY! I really thought this first cheat day would be epic, and might even include a trip to the emergency room, but honestly, it wasn't much to speak of. Don't get me wrong, I ate some garbage and feel like garbage, but feeling really good all week kept me slightly under control. Really this cheat day looks pretty similar to how I was eating before I decided to take the whole picture into consideration. I paid for it during the workout. Big time. Embarrassing, really.
3,512 calories. 196 grams of fat, 305 grams of carbs and 143 grams of protein.

2010-02-05T21:15:00.002-07:00

FRIDAY
"Murph"
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1 mile run
(47:27)

Nutrition
2,703 calories. 195 grams of fat, 78 grams of carbs and 147 grams of protein. I feel like the new focus on nutrition is working some magic. Today's workout was tough, and typically it would have ruined me for hours, but within 15 minutes or so, I felt ready to go again. I don't feel stronger or faster really, it's just that my recovery seems supercharged. I feel physically better today than I have in a long, long time.

2010-02-04T20:17:00.002-07:00

THURSDAY

Sweet, sweet rest day. Spent some time on the foam roller and lacrosse ball.

Nutrition

2,372 calories. 155 grams of fat, 75 grams of carbs and 170 grams of protein. I'm not crashing as bad between meals anymore and my mood is improved as well as my energy.

2010-02-03T21:34:00.002-07:00

WEDNESDAY
16 rounds of 20 seconds work/ 10 seconds rest
Alternating
Deadlifts @225#
Burpees
DL=8,5,5,5,5,5,5,5 (43)
B=8,7,6,6,6,6,6,7 (52)

3 rounds
10 ab wheel roll outs (on knees to the wall)
10 GHD sit-ups

Nutrition
2,469 calories. 151 grams of fat, 94 grams of carbs and 188 grams of protein. Still feel great. I need to dial in the carbohydrate delivery to a more concentrated time frame, shifting nearly all my daily carbs to the post workout meal.

2010-02-02T21:26:00.004-07:00

TUESDAY
1 hour 14 minute trail run
5.2 miles on hilly, muddy trails and a short portion on pavement.

Nutrition
2,356 calories. 138 grams of fat, 141 grams of carbs and 139 grams of protein. Still high on the carbs, but I feel great.

2010-02-01T21:30:00.002-07:00

MONDAY
Front squats
2 sets of 10 @45#
1 set of 5 @135#
1 set of 5 @205#
1 set of 5 @215#
1 set of 5 @225#

As many rounds as possible in 15 minute
7 wall ball @20#
7 KB swings @70#
7 pull-ups
(10 rounds)

10 rounds of
100 meter sprint
100 meter walk recovery

I started a food journal online with Fitday. It's free. My first day's calculations were interesting.
2,346 calories. 138 grams of fat, 136 grams of carbohydrates and 140 grams of protein. My goals are to let the fat numbers fall where they may, keep the carbohydrate number below 100 grams and reach at least 120 grams of protein a day. Not too bad.

2010-01-31T19:12:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-30T17:43:00.002-07:00

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

2010-01-29T20:42:00.002-07:00

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)

2010-01-28T21:49:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-27T21:51:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-26T20:26:00.002-07:00

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)

2010-01-25T20:38:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-20T21:45:00.003-07:00

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.

2010-01-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

TIRED. Extra rest day!

2010-01-18T21:53:00.002-07:00

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#

2010-01-17T20:31:00.001-07:00

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

2010-01-16T14:44:00.002-07:00

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)

2010-01-15T21:34:00.003-07:00

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

2010-01-14T07:45:00.002-07:00

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

2010-01-12T20:54:00.002-07:00

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

2010-01-11T21:14:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-10T19:43:00.002-07:00

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

2010-01-08T22:14:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-06T21:44:00.001-07:00

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.

2010-01-05T21:07:00.002-07:00

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.

2010-01-04T20:22:00.002-07:00

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)

2010-01-02T19:47:00.002-07:00

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.

2009-12-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY
5 rounds of
1 minute row/ 1 minute rest
(1516 meters)

Every 30 seconds for 10 minutes
1 deadlift @225#

I'm feeling much better and it felt great to do some deadlifts even though they were light.

2009-12-29T22:15:00.002-07:00

TUESDAY
3 ROUNDS
@95#
Without racking the bar
Max rep shoulder press
Max rep push press
Max rep push jerk

R1/ 10-10-9
R2/ 7-8-5
R3/ 7-9-5

2009-12-29T07:41:00.002-07:00

It's time to catch up. The day after my last post I took an embarrassing and painful fall while doing (attempting) box jumps. I took a hard fall on hard ground to my lower back. I think I injured my SI joint and I definitely sprained my wrist. Without health insurance my diagnosis is just a guess, but I think a good one. I was pretty immobile and in not a small amount of pain for over a week. I did my first workout in about two weeks yesterday. What a relief. Two weeks of inactivity coupled with a typical holiday diet made it extra painful. So it's time to get refocused and set some goals. I have one main goal this new year. Here it is.
LESS TALK, MORE ROCK.
I just ordered some new running shoes and I'm ready to start hitting the trails.

Monday
10 rounds for time
5 pull-ups
10 overhead squats @45#
(16:36)
Way harder than it should have been. Back felt pretty good.

2009-12-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

MONDAY
Workout
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes
20 meter broad jump
20 meter bear crawl
20 meter run
(17 1/3 rounds)

Iron and the Soul

2009-12-13T22:08:00.002-07:00

"Iron and the Soul" by Henry Rollins

I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like you parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. Completely.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes.

Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn't think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my adviser. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard.

Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.'s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing.

In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in. Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say **** to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a ceratin amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body. Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live.

Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole. I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind. The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

2009-12-12T13:03:00.001-07:00

SATURDAY

Workout

10-1 ladder for time

Front squats @155#

Ring dips

Pull-ups

(17:06)

2009-12-11T22:07:00.002-07:00

THURSDAY
REST

FRIDAY
Workout
"Jeremy"
21-15-9 reps for time of
Overhead squats @115#
Burpees
(5:33)

Then
5-4-3-2-1 reps
Strict press @130#

3 sets of 5
Strict pull-ups

2009-12-10T13:09:00.002-07:00

TUESDAY
Workout
4 rounds for time
50 double unders
15 ring dips
25 weighted sit-ups
15 push-ups
(21:53)

WEDNESDAY
Workout
Work up to 1RM deadlift
(375#)PR!
Then
5 rounds for time of
5 deadlifts @80% of 1RM (300#)
15 box jumps @30"
(8:15)

2009-12-07T16:01:00.002-07:00

MONDAY
Warm-up 25 minutes
Workout
75 pull-ups for time
Every time you drop from the bar=5 handstand push-ups
(10:39) 7 penalties

2009-12-06T19:28:00.002-07:00

SUNDAY
New, extended warm-up that consists of a bunch, but not nearly all, of my weaknesses. Took a little over 25 minutes and hit everything. Got my heart rate up and worked up a good sweat. Just right. Gumby would be proud.

Workout
Max rep back squats @225#
(13 reps) I did, in fact, see Jesus.
Then
3 rounds for time of
3 bench presses @185#
10 toes to bar
500 meter row
(12:33)

2009-12-05T09:58:00.002-07:00

FRIDAY
Workout
"Lumberjack 20"
20 deadlifts @275#
400 m run
20 KB swings @70#
400 m run
20 overhead squats @115#
400 m run
20 burpees
400 m run
20 chest to bar pull-ups
400 m run
20 box jumps @24"
400 m run
20 dumbbell squat cleans @2 x 45#
(33:28)

2009-12-02T21:56:00.003-07:00

WENESDAY
Warm-up
6 minutes of continuous KB movements
Then: Power snatch practice

Workout
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
2 power snatches @95#
5 overhead squats @95#
8 clapping push-ups
(12 rounds)

I officially entered the Utah Winter Fitness Challenge. It's a Crossfit games style competition consisting of 3 workouts in one day. It's on January 9th, so it's time to ramp things up.

2009-12-01T22:00:00.002-07:00

TUESDAY
I've introduced a new element to my training. My warm-up from now on will consist of a little bit of the things I suck at most. Today the things that came to mind were snatches, muscle-ups and double-unders.
Warm-up
20 double-unders
10 snatches @75#
10 muscle-up attempts (8 out of 10)
Workout
3 sets of 5 Shoulder press
(115#,125#,130#)
Tabata Row
8 rounds of 20 seconds on/ 10 seconds off
(828 meters)PR!