Training updates

Friday
7am
"DT"
5 rounds for time of:
12 dead lifts
9 hang power cleans
6 push jerks
all @155#
(17:57)

Later
1.4 mile time trial (once around Sugar House Park).
(9:41) Not amazing, but I am getting faster.

Saturday=Rest.

Sunday-Run/hike with Tara. 2 Hours.

SAPPER JOE 50K DONE!

Here's me moving like a gazelle.

Burly downhill.

I finally got the results from the Sapper Joe 50K. 7:12:16. I'm satisfied for now but the Wasatch Speedgoat 50K looms on the horizon.

I'm no race veteran, but the Sapper Joe was the most organized and efficient race I have ever been a part of. Knowing that the organizers have everything under control gives the runner a sense of confidence and lets the mind focus on the task at hand. The course was beautiful, well marked and quite a bit steeper than expected. I had not previously been to this area of the valley, so I had a mental picture of the terrain. I saw in my mind rolling hills like the ones above the Avenues. Not quite. It was hard, and oddly enough, I'm not a great runner on the flat stuff, but I can chug up the steep stuff and I can plunge headlong with reckless abandon on the downhills. It was a great race and I learned some things that I can take with me to the next adventure.

I will, first of all, start to train harder. Generally, I am in damn good shape and capable of not running much for two months and showing up to a pretty difficult race and toughing it out for an alright finish. However, I owe the race, the landscape and the people who put on the race more respect than a performance less than what I am optimally capable of. Okay, the race, the landscape and the people who put on the race don't care what I do. Only I do, and that's what's going to have to matter.

Forward. Here is what I have to motivate me until the July 18th Speedgoat.

Oh my. So I have some work to do. I've got a bit of a foundation now and I can't let it slip. Time to ramp it up.

Catching up. Here's what I've done for recovery this week.

Monday
JT
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Handstand push-ups
Ring dips
Push-ups
(17:06)

Tuesday
75 power snatches @75#
(8:05) sad.

Wednesday
While everyone was doing the WOD, and in between coaching and timing.
25 weighted pull-ups @44#
25 strict pull-ups
25 ring dips
25 handstand push-ups
50 back extensions
50 ghd sit-ups
50 squats
50 bucket circles
(no time)
2 hours later
20 minute trail run. I took an intentionally long, steep hill to start with. Held RPE of about 15.

Thursday
8 sets of 1 heavy thruster
155#, 165#, 175#, 180#, 185# fail, 185#PR, 190# fail, 190# fail.
Later: Stupid human tricks with Matt Boulden.

Sapper Joe 50K

7 hours and about 20 minutes. I don't know the exact time yet. I felt surprisingly good for not running over the last 2 months. I am tired, so the details will be filled in soon.

6 DAYS TO GO.

Tara and I went for a nice run/hike up Bells Canyon today, and my legs feel damn good. Just getting out on the trail helped calm my nerves, and I am really looking forward to next weekend. I'll spend the rest of the week avoiding the heavy lifting and spending time out on the trails. I'm ready to start getting some peeps from the gym out on the trails every few Sundays. Salt Lake City Crossfit Trail Runners?

NANCY

5 rounds for time:

400 meter run

15 overhead squats @95#

(15:04)

My posterior chain is broken. Today was good though, because for a brief moment I was ahead of the Juggernaut. For 1 and 1/2 rounds to be exact. Then the Juggernaut's superior strength left me by the squat rack. I could hear him over there, and his squats sounded like they were as easy as getting up from a bar stool.

One week training camp. Day one. Stash bike on race course.

21 dead lifts @185#
800 meter run
15 dead lifts @185#
800 meter run
9 dead lifts @185#
800 meter run
(15:59)

1 hour later:
45 minute trail run with Tara.

Now that I am for sure running next weekend, I am kind of excited about training again. I have been on the verge of burnout, and I can't think of a better way to refresh myself than a 50k trail run that I haven't specifically trained for. Oddly enough, I am damn excited. I mentioned the need for some adventure the other day, and the clouds opened up unleashing an army of unicorns who brought me a brick of adventure gold. Life is good.

Sapper Joe here I come!

Monday
Ran some hills at the meadow at the top of I street.
5 hill intervals @1 minute work/1 minute rest. Very steep.
Half mile run cool down.
Later
6 sets of 3 push jerks.
135#,145#,155#,165#,175#,185#PR.
Tuesday
50 squats, 50 push ups, 50 Kb swings @35# and 4 sets of 3 weighted pull ups @35#.
Wednesday
Rest.

Justin reminded me today that it was me that talked him in to doing the Sapper Joe 50K, so my decision has been made. I'm doing it. Justin even threatened me, which is just hurtful. It's good though, and it's the kind of push I needed. Even if it took being threatened with violence from a friend. Thanks buddy.

WOD
2000 meter row Tabata style.
20 seconds work/10 seconds rest.
(8:39)
Then:
Handstand work

It's been a solid, productive week, and I am excited for non-gym time. I will probably head to the mountains (the ones without snow) with Tara this weekend and do some running. I am registered for the Sapper Joe 50K, but I have been giving some thought to not doing it. I'm just not feeling it, and I have some major tightness and minor pain behind my left knee that just won't go away. I'm really excited for the Wasatch Steeplechase and the Wasatch Speedgoat, but for some reason I have been just dreading this one. Some time in the sun and mountain air will help me decide for sure. I am really looking forward to the summer and time in the mountains and desert. I'm in kind of a rut right now and need some adventure to shake things up.

Temporarily swollen pride, or, I'm ready for my pie.

I opted out of the scheduled WOD at the gym because of my wittle baby hands. Eva and those muscle-ups have my hands looking like a leper. So, as per the conversation I had with Ed and Nick, I gave Grace another shot. I first did Grace in my first month here at SLC Crossfit and it took 5:55. About two months later I did it with 155# and it took 7:18. Today was good.

Grace
135# clean and jerk for time
(3:32)

After the humiliation I suffered from Helen yesterday this felt like redemption. I took Nick's advice and warmed up for over 30 minutes and I felt like gold (if gold were capable of athletic feats). For today it feels damn good, but I know better than to get too excited, because someone is always baking me humble pies and forcing me to eat them.

Then: 30 bucket circles in each direction.

I'll take what I can get.

Helen
3 rounds for time
400 meter run
21 KB swings @53#
12 pull-ups
(10:44)

I did this workout in my first month here at SLC Crossfit, and I expected to see a huge improvement. 6 seconds faster. I'll take it. The KB swings were easy. My pull-ups need more work. Running ultramarathons doesn't help with 400 meter sprints, but I can do better. I can have the capability to run long (really long) and run fast (really fast). I was tempted to give it another go tomorrow, but with that attitude I have permission to slack. No second chances until the workout comes around again! I went hard, but did I push to the edge? Not quite. Tuning up the mind is far more difficult than tuning up the body. Oh, and I got beat by Ed. Nice work buddy.

Strong medicine

WOD
21 back squats @225#
250 meter row
15 back squats @225#
250 meter row
9 back squats @225#
250 meter row
*Did the first 21 with 225# and the first 5 of the 15 with 225#. After that I dropped to 185#.
(16:27)

I usually don't feel very strong on the back squat, but today went better than expected. My old 1 rep max is 245#. I'm confident I can do better than that now. I got to workout with Matt Boulden and he cruised through like a champ, and he's 10 pounds lighter than me. It's nice to know where you stand. It keeps you humble.

Do it anyway you baby.

You can't sit around and wait for your tiger. Motivation comes and goes. Felt shitty and tired this weekend, and sat around feeling sorry for myself. I finally sucked it up today and got to the gym early. I built a new training toy, the details of which I will show you.

30 muscle-ups for time (16:42).
Then:
50 bucket circles each direction.