Sunday's squatcleanalicious metcon....

So, last week I was out with the craptastic bubonic plague that just STILL had not gone away. Seeing as how I've been sick since Thanksgiving, I decided that the best idea for me was to take a few days off, or at least at a reduced pace, and get some rest. So I slept a lot last week, watched a LOT of Burn Notice (or rather, woke up and hit play before falling back asleep) and took some time off CF. I finally hit the Blue Room again on Sunday. I chose QUITE the day to get back into the mix. Jerry's been giving us some SERIOUS metcon ninja work and Sunday was no exception. The squatcleanalicious work looked like this...

For time
800 M run
50 Hang squat cleans
800 M run

Now, Jerry didn't prescribe a load for this, but suggested that I go a load below my Grace challenge weight. Well my Grace Challenge weight is 100 lbs, and the next load down is 85. So I loaded up the bar to 85 and thought, wow, this seems really heavy. But, if you are a long time reader, ok, or ever a semi-regular reader, you know I have a whole stubborness problem going on. I'm a bit bull headed. :P So, even though I thought it felt heavy, I refused to drop down. Stupid, stupid, stupid... my first 800 was slow... and I was behind everyone on the cleans, but I busted through sets of 3 and caught up pretty quickly. But around about rep 17 I thought I was going to die. I hurt so bad, I had no idea how I was going to make it through all 50. It was wicked bad. But I kept eeking these out in two's and three's, and eventually wound up at 50. My total time for this workout was 19:48. Not too bad, but I hurt like hell. Walking after this was not so easy. :(

Out sick...

Some bug or virus or what have you has got me down this week and I haven't been in to CF since Tuesday. I'm just really run down. I've had this stupid thing since before Thanksgiving and I'd really just like it to go away so for once in my stubborn life I'm trying to be smart and take a few days off..... I'll hopefully be back on Sunday. We'll see.

Front squats 3-3-3-3-3

We've hit this workout three times in the last two weeks or so. I think Jerry is trying to tell us that we need a bit more work on our front squats. :P But regardless, like a happy little CF lemming, I will do what Jerry tells me to. :)

So, today's workout was front squats X 3-3-3-3-3. The first time we hit this workout I was only able to put up 140 X 3 as my max. I was sort of bummed with that, because it didn't feel good and because I couldn't even get 145 up once. The second time we did this, on the 29th I was more aggressive with my jumps and because of that I think I was able to get 145 X 3.

Today, well, today to me really didn't make a whole lot of sense. I'll just be honest about that right now. I woke up feeling like death, but went to CF anyway. Part of that whole resolving to be more dedicated and get the Zone back and blah blah blah. Anyhoo, despite feeling like death, I was actually able to PR today, which really I don't understand at all. 85 lbs felt ridonkulously heavy today. I'm not joking, it really did. So imagine my surprise when I hit a PR. My loads looked like this...

65 X 5
85 X 3
115 X 3
125 X 3
135 X 3
150 X 3
155 (F)

I think part of what allowed me to be successful today was my game plan. Oh yeah, my game plan. I had one of those... LOL. Basically, I was just much more aggressive in my jumps than I have been in the past. In the past, I've always spent a lot of time on lower weights, just warming up. Today, I skipped past weights and was more aggressive. I think that really helped. I was pretty stoked about the 150. I think that's a good day's work. I'll take it.

I have to admit though that I left school early today. I really wasn't feeling well. I finally caved and made a doctor's appointment since I've been sick since before Thanksgiving. He says slight sinus infection and small chance of mono. Greeeeeeattttt... just what I wanted to hear. *sigh* I feel very crappy but Coach Glassman is in town. It's once in a lifetime opportunity so I'm going to drag myself to dinner and meet him. As sick as I am, I am still excited....

Monday's metcon ninjary...

Hmmm.... metcon ninjary? I've invented a new word! Woot! Ok, but for serious, the workout today was a total metcon burner. I'm going to confess something that as a CF'er I'm almost embarassed about. I've never actually met pukie. I'm not sure if this means I'm a wuss, or is just due to the fact that I never eat before I workout... who knows... but anyway, during this workout, I actually thought it might happen. Jerry's been throwing out some good metcon work lately, and this one was no exception. Here's what the fun looked like...

5 rounds for time
400 meter run
30 abmats
20 kbhp (50lbs)
10 chins

Time: 30:05

Arg! So close to being under thirty minutes like the true metcon ninjas!!! Roar! Oh well, this was actually some really good work for me. I was pleased with the time and the work overall. The HP were a bit rough for me, but I was trying to break them into sets of 11/9 or 12/8 and was pretty successful with that. The chins were feeling a little better during this workout too, so that was encouraging. The run, oh dear... running has again become a weakness. Grrr... but what can I say? I'm not a runner. I wish I had the running of Leslie and Karen. Then I'd be awesome. But, I don't... so, always something to work on right? LOL... :P

Sunday's clean and jerk ladder...

So we all know that I am a rather large fan, ok ok fine, a HUGE fan of strength work. Sunday's smoker was definitely a good load of strength work. It looks deceiving. God, how often do we say that? But a clean and jerk ladder, seriously, ouch dude.

Ladders go a little something like this....

1 clean and jerk the first minute
2 clean and jerks the second minute
3 clean and jerks the third minute
and so on until you can't make the rep count

The women's weight for this was 85 lbs. The men's weight was 135 lbs. I really should have warmed up more because 85 lbs felt incredibly heavy. I felt weak and just out of whack, well for me anyway. 85 lbs is nowhere near close to my max but it felt really heavy on Sunday. This workout really is a doozy because not only is it a strength workout with the cleans, but it's also metcon since you're doing it on the clock. The combination, kind of like Fran, just leaves you feeling fried and wanting to die. Well, ok, maybe I'm the only one that feels that way.... but it left me wanting to die. :P

I made it up through 8 rounds and then had 8 reps of the 9th minute. SO CLOSE! Stacey hit 11 rounds on this. That girl is just a freakin' metcon/strength ninja. Seriously... I have no clue what it would take to actually beat Stacey at something. Something that is superhuman clearly.

Since I didn't do so well on my 85lbs, I dropped the weight to 65lbs and focused on some form tweaks that Chris noticed while I was working. I go really wide Chris said and am wasting a huge amount of energy. So, with 65lbs on the bar, I stayed tighter and didn't go out quite so wide, and really focused on making things more efficient. With 65 lbs I was able to get up through 10. I was completely fried and had shakey leg syndrom afterwards, but it was good to get that extra work in.

This workout is a great smoker and comes with my money back guarantee. You know the one that promises you'll be sweaty and lying on the floor afterwards. :) Enjoy! :P

Dan's Club

So after Jerry's little metcon marathons, I was really hoping today would be a strength day. I'm not a fan of metcon... blech... but I know I know, it is a necessary evil. But, I got my wish anyway... today was a strength day. We've hit this workout before, and I wasn't really happy with it last time we did it. So I was, not excited, but glad this one came up again. Here's what she looked like today...

Dan's Club
:90 to complete
5 strict press (80lbs)
:60 rest
:90 to complete
5 strict weighted chins (18XBW, 5X10, 1X12)
Total 6,147

At the end, calculate number of lbs moved on strict. Then for chins, take body weight plus weight moved and calculate total for chins. Add together for total. Last time, I only used 70 lbs for this, so I was able to do better with the chins. This time, I used 80 lbs on the strict but struggled with the chins. I know I've been talking about weaknesses lately, and the chins have been feeling particularly weak. I'm not sure if it's the extra weight I'm hauling around or what, but we need to work on it. And by we, I really mean me. :P Of course... Tomorrow is a rest day.. I will enjoy it before hitting the blue room again on Sunday.

I really do hope that everyone had a great holiday season! New year... new goals. What are your resolutions? Strict more? More chins? Squat more? I'd love to hear. Perhaps we can even, dare I say, form an online thing to keep each other honest! We could even use my blog. Just a thought for my regular readers! And even maybe my not so regular ones. :) BTW... new year also means new friends... if you've been reading, but hiding in the woodwork, now would be an excellent time to out yourself and make new friends... someone in Herndon loves me... Texas too (Crazy Wife CrossFit? LOVE IT!)... and someone in Florida... ;) I seeeeeeee youuuuuuuu! ;)

Tuesday's Marathon...

So, being on vacation has been great for a lot of reasons. One, I get to catch up on my sleep, two, I get to visit with friends and hang out, three I get to CrossFit all the days that I want! :) Well, I got up on Tuesday attempting to go to the 0730 class only to find out, no more 730! Whoops! It was ok though because there was a 500class that I could come back for. So, I putzed around for much of the day, got me some late Christmas presents at REI (fuzzy bunny coat and fleecy pants are the BEST!!!) then headed off to go coach before hitting CF at 500.

Now, we've discussed (or rather, I've discussed and you've read) my weaknesses as a CF'er. Weaknesses are metcon and hammy/leg strength. Let me tell you, that this week Jerry has had some doozies up his sleeve. I had to work Wednesday morning and wasn't going to be able to CF, but after seeing what he had in store on Tuesday, I was glad about that. Here's what the "marathon" looked like.

3 rounds for time
800 M run
50 KB swings (36lbs)
40 Push-ups
30 Box jumps
20 Chins

Time 51:35

Seriously, I'm not a metcon ninja. But after the extra work I did on Monday (burpees and chins) I was totally not a metcon ninja. The push-ups nearly killed me. They alone probably took me about 10 minutes. But, the good news is, I think my arm strength is improving. Bad knews is, my chins are getting way worse. Largely in part I think to my weight gain. Yeah, ok, it's the holidays and everyone gains weight, but seriously, I've gained almost 5 lbs of what I lost back, and that's frustrating. It means more to move, more to pull, more to carry in general. So, seriously, back on the zone it is. No, seriously.... seriously this time... no fakin'. Starting Monday... when the routine returns, so will my Zone. Time to get busy. (Not like that...man you guys are pervs! :P )