Crossfit log for Wednesday, June 29th

Because I'm an idiot, I missed my Crossfit this AM.

Grrrr.

I'll still do the tabata at lunch.

Maybe giving the old body a rest won't be a bad thing.

Crossfit log for Tuesday, June 28th

Crossfit this morning was brutal.

Every minute on the minute 3 power cleans, 5 thrusters (95# men/65# women)

I used the girls weight again.

Had less problems with the cleans than Saturday, but the thrusters, holy cow, a lot harder than just squats!

If you couldn't make the 5 thrusters before the minutes was out, you'd drop one and your new number would be 3 and 4. Your lowest number was your score.

Although I went back up to 3 and 3, my lowest was 3 and 2, so that's my score.

I'm think my massage today will focus on my posterior chain, it's been getting a lot of work lately and is very sore.

So tomorrow, Crossfit in the morning, whatever the WOD may be, then Tabata (I'll try to hold 4:45/km at 12%) on the treadmill at lunch. Then nothing until race day on Friday.

Can't wait to see how that works out!

Running log for Monday, June 27th

Thanks to psychological manipulation from Kiza I did my intervals tonight, so I won't have to do them post massage tomorrow.

Did a 10min warm up followed by 5 x 400m on 1:50 rest

1:38, 1:37, 1:31, 1:32, 1:33

Crossfit log for Monday, June 27th

Recovery workout today.

3 rounds, not timed.
10-15 push-ups
10-15 strict pull-ups (yeah right, I'll maybe do 5 or pull down on the machine with 150lbs)
10-15 kettle bell swings 20kg
10-15 GHD sit ups
10-15 GHD hip extensions
10-15 air squats

Done. 15 reps for everything (except pull-downs) all three rounds.

Couldn't manage 15 pull downs even at 150lbs. Did 10 the first round, 7 the second (drop the weight to 135lbs and did the last 3), then did 10 at 135lbs for the last round. Yuck.

Three of Five - Crazy Eights

Today I ran the third of five 5km races in my (personal, since nobody else decided to join) "shallonge". Race #3 was the Smiths Falls Figure Eight 5km. A more apt name would be crazy eights.

The way this zany course is laid out, I cannot fathom how they couldn't find an extra 500m somewhere along the way to make it the whole 5km long.

They said that due to construction the course was shortened by 200m. The course was notorious for being short, however the math they apparently used assumed the original race was 5km, minus 200m giving 4.8km. Now depending on who you trust for the actual distance, my race is either an incremental success or a bitter setback.

The official race distance, which Sportstats used to calculate paces, is 4.8km, so my result of 20:21 gives an average pace of 4:15/km and therefore a 5km time of 21:15

Andy's Garmin said it was 4.67km which give a pace of 4:21/km and a 5km extrapolation of 21:47

and finally my Garmin said it was only 4:48km, which in turn give 4:32/km and 22:42.

Judging solely by how it felt, I'd guess mine was closest, but averaging it out I guess I'll take Andy's.

I went to pick up Clarisse at a sleep over in Greely and made it to the race site in time to pick up our kits get our numbers on, chit chat with Joe and Jessie (of Zoomphoto) and get ready to start. Our races started at nearly the same time, but at two different locations on either side of the finish line, so by the time I got Clarisse squared away, there was no time for any kind of warm up.

Plus yesterday's workout took a big toll, and my massage on Friday did too. I couldn't hold my form, and every step seem like more effort than it should've been.

The course was crazy, we ran on recreational paths, on grass, through an RV park, on gravel, on packed dirt, up a steep grassy hill, over a bridge, on roads, sidewalks through trees. Why they couldn't throw in a 100m out and back to make up the lost distance is quite beyond me. It was insane.

Andy took off from the get go, and there was no way I was catching him. A bunch of kids not much older than my daughter did too, I caught one or two of them, but they passed my easily later in the race.

The last two km were really rough, I had nothing left to kick at the end. I pushed myself hard and my body just couldn't respond.

I can't say I'm surprised, my demands have been very high a lot lately, and my body had reached its limit.

Clarisse was no doubt tired from the late night sleep over and early wake up call, plus Emilie's run 1km the day before, she ran a respectable 13:18, not her best but solid for the amount of sleep she got.

Maybe I'll give my self a bit of a rest before the Canada Day run next Friday.

Crossfit log for Saturday, June 25th

Went to Crossfit today. Brought Clarisse as a spectator.

It was rough.

burpees 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3
power clean 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
front squat 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
135#/95#

I might have managed the girl's weight on the squat, but not the clean. Did 65# instead. Brutal 18:47

I don't remember the last time I sweated as much.

Back is still feeling weak after the dead lifts on Thursday, so maybe on fresh muscles I could manage 95# on the clean too.

The good news is that I'm not nearly as sore I as I expected to be today.

Race tomorrow, the Crossfit again on Monday AM.

Crossfit log for Thursday, June 23rd

Up early to bus it to L'Usine Gatineau.

Did "Annie" 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 reps of
Double-unders (which I can't do)
Sit-ups (which suck)

I had the option of doing singles but 3x the number (so 150 skips, 50 sit-ups, etc) which I did for the first round, but felt guilty, I can manage 2 or 3 Double-unders in a row, so I did that for the 40, 30.. down to 10.

Took me 20:18, last by at least 4 minutes. meh, I'm probably 10 to 15 years older than the next oldest person there, so I'm good with that.

Then, the part I was looking forward to. Find max dead lift. Never done a real dead lift before, tough to get the form right. I tend to round my back, which I guess is fine for the weight I'm lifting, but it is something I have to correct before I can progress.

Started with 2x25lbs plates (1 on each side) on a 35lbs bar (so 85lbs), no problem lifting it but took many tries to get the form right.
Bumped it to 4x25lbs + bar = 135lbs same deal, easy, but form sucked, but started to get it.
Went to 2x35lbs + 2x25lbs + bar = 155lbs. Better form, wider stance, bar under shoulders. No too hard.
Went to 4x35lbs + bar = 175lbs. Not too much trouble, not sure how my form was holding up for this one.
Added a a 10lbs and a 2.5lbs to each side for an even 200lbs, this was a bit tough, but still doable, I think my back was rounding on this one.
Finally took off the 10lbs and 2.5lbs and added a 25lbs to each side for 225lbs. This was tougher, and Reza noticed my rounding back. He said before putting any more weight we need to straighten out you back to keep a neutral spine. I tried it 2 more times, but was a no go, and the last one I managed to get up, but didn't keep my back straight.

I'll drop down to 175lbs or 185lbs to work on the form then give it another go in a few weeks.

My abs hurt.

At lunch I can decide if I'll do 400m repeats outside or 1km repeats on the treadmill. It's raining, but warm. Maybe I'll split the difference and do 1km repeats outside

Crossfit log for Monday, June 20th

I did my first "real" WOD this morning with a "real" CrossFit class.

We did
Run 1 mile
50 Thrusters 45/30
30 pull-ups

So for me easiest to hardest. The mile was a snap, just over 7:00, the thruster were not bad, just the bar. Thank goodness for chalk. Pull-ups were murder. I had the purple and black band and still couldn't get past 25, added a black band for the last 5 and still had to stop after 3 cause I didn't get my chin over the bar for the #29. I rested a bit before the last 2.

Just under or just over 20:00, not sure exactly. I'll have to ask Reza (the instructor). My forearms and biceps were so sore after. They will hate me tomorrow and Wednesday.

Since I raced yesterday I won't to the Endurance WOD today, I'll Row tomorrow and do some repeats in the evening. Then Thursday do a tabata on the TM.

Thursday after the WOD, Reza said we will all try to find our max dead lift. This is something I really want to do, I hope I'll feel up to it.

With race two done, and Smiths Falls distance questionable, I'm really looking forward to Canada Day.

Two of Five - Doing it for Dads

Last time it was the realization on the car ride to the venue that struck me.

This time is was the pre-race dreams. Forgotten bib, shoes, can't find where the car is parked, the port-a-potty line is huge and the race is about to start!

Haven't had one of those in a long while.

I hydrated really well this time and did a proper warm up and things went a lot better. I was alone, which was good and bad. It was nice to only have to worry about myself, but it was sad to be with out my cheering section.

I saw Andrea and Dave Dazé and his daughter during my warm-up, as well as some Zone3ers. Lined up near the start line, as there were many many slow runners up near the front, I didn't want to get stuck behind them.

My splits slowed almost continuously throughout the race. The course is up and down out and back, with long undulating hills that aren't too steep, but seem to go on for a long time. A wind had developed just before race start, and made the way back more challenging. The last two kilometres were brutal, but I didn't walk this time, which was a minor victory. I felt more solid this week.

Place 54th of 749
Time: 21:58.7 Chip: 21:53.5 avg. pace 4:24
Men 40 - 49: 10th of 80
Gender 46th of 420

A full minute faster than last week, but still 1:30 slower than my PB. 3 races left, but I'm not sure if the distance on two of them will be accurate.

This was good progress. Next up, Smiths Falls Figure 8 5km, which apparently is short

First of Five - Britannia Beach 5km

It wasn't until we had gotten everybody loaded up in the van and were out on the highway that I actually stopped to think about where we were going. You know it's been a long time when you suddenly it dawns on you and you get that giddy feeling "We're going to the races!!!"

I wasn't expecting much from this race and I met my expectations

I wasn't particularly well trained, nor properly hydrated, but this was the first of the 5 x 5km in 5 weeks and a benchmark to see how this whole Crossfit Endurance experiment would help or hinder my progression towards a sub 20:00 5km.

Clarisse and Delilah were doing the 1km.

We met Jesse at the start/finish area, setting up her ZoomPhoto camera. (thanks for the water!)

I tried to at least get a good warm up in. My legs didn't have much pep.

The field was small so I was practically on the start line. There were more than a few youngsters who I expected to go out too fast so I positioned myself to let them go and pass them later.

The race started on grass and moved to the recreational path, through a wooded area then out to the edge of the Carling before turning around and heading back. The last 500m before the turn around is uphill. Here I stopped. Walked for about 10 seconds either side of the turn around and hoped the rest and the downhill at that point would kickstart the return trip.

It worked to a certain extent. My throat was really dry. I grabbed an Eload cup the first time through the water station, which was gross. So I stopped and made sure I got a water on the way back, then set to the task of bringing it home. I didn't have my garmin, so I have no idea what my pacing was, but it doesn't really matter.

I gave what I had to give, and now the work can start.

Delilah finally managed to not finish last! Progress! And Clarisse ran a 5:35 kilometer finishing 6th out of 66. Not bad at all.

Results.

Placed: 19th out of 171
Time (Chip) 22:55 avg page: 4:35
Cat. placement (Men 40-44) 3rd out of 5
Gender placement: 18th out of 77 (chicked by one girl)

Crossfit log for Wednesday, June 15th

I'm liking Crossfit a lot. The work, the community, the premise behind it all is striking a cord with me. So we'll see where it all leads.

Did the last intro session today.

Finally learned how to do a proper dead-lift.

After covering the technique I did:

25 each.
Dead-lift 65lbs
Wall-ball 12lbs
Skip
KB Swing 25lbs

Just under 5min. It was rough. The dead lifts were particularly difficult and took a lot out of me. Wall balls I did really well. Kettle Bell was pretty good but I was hurting by then and my form would fall apart. But over all I did pretty good.

Crossfit log for Tuesday, June 14th

Today we covered Presses and jumping pull up.

It was nice to be able to do the whole workout.
AMRAP in 1:00 each:
Skipping (not double unders)
Jumping Pull-up
45lb Should Press
Jumping Pull-up
45lbs Push Press

(117, 41, 19, 21, 15)

No run today.

Crossfit log for Monday, June 13th

Did my first intro WOD at L'Usine today with Reza. Low key, but intense.

5 rounds
15 squats, 5 push-ups, 10 sit-ups

just over 6 minutes.

Crossfit log for Saturday, June 11th

Okay.

Here we go.

Ran the first of 5 5km races in 5 weeks. Sucked. 23min and change.

Went to the free class at L'Usine Crossfit in Gatineau. This is what I need. Taking the intro course next week. Start full on the week after.

We'll see what I can muster at Do it For Dad next week.