5-3-1 Lift: Deadlift
270 x 3
305 x 3
335 x >3 (9)


WOD
5 rounds for time
- 7 muscle-ups
- 21 burpees

time - 32:27

Need to cycle through burpees faster

5-3-1 Lift: Squat
210 x 3
240 x 3
270 x >3 (9)

20 min AMRAP
10 115# Push Press
10 KB swings 1.5 pood
10 24" boxjumps
*with 20# vest

Score: 7 rounds + 2 Push press

5-3-1 Lift: Push-press

110 X 5
125 X 5
140 X >5 (9)

WOD:

10 rounds for time:
- 15 deadlifts
- 15 push-ups

Time - 12:16

Ugh. Push-ups suck, but are getting better.

5-3-1 Lift: Squat cleans*

145 X 5
165 X 5
185 X >5 (I know I got 8, I think maybe 9. Lost count)

*Did not let go of bar during first two sets, dropped it each time on the last/heavy set.

WOD:

21-15-9 for time of:
Sumo DL Hi-Pulls w/95 lbs.
HSPUs

Time - 25:11

Thought it would be shorter, but still a great workout. It made the SDLHPs seem easy when paired with the HSPUs. Unbroken on all rounds of the SDLHPs.

5-3-1 Lift: Deadlifts

245 X 5
285 X 5
325 X >5 (9 reps)

WOD:

Pull-up Ladder
1 pull-up the first minute
2 pull-ups the second minute
3 pull-ups the third minute....

Score - 16 rounds + 14 pull-ups

5-3-1 workout: Squats

5 X 195
5 X 225
>5 X 255 (8 reps)

WOD:
For time-
25 Walking lunges
20 pull-ups
50 Boxjumps, 20" box
20 Double-unders
25 Ring dips
20 Knees to elbows
20 Kettle bell swings, 2 pood
30 sit-ups
20 Hang Squat Cleans, 35 # DBs
25 Back Extensions
30 Wall ball shots
3 Rope climbs

Time- 20:47

WOD:

3 rounds for time:
- 400 meter run
- 50 sit-ups
- 40 wall ball shots w/20# ball

17:42

Simple but deadly.

WOD:

5 x 30 reps for time

5 rounds of:
Row one minute for cals
Complete number of burpees = 30 - numbers of calories rowed
repeat (i.e., row 25 cals and then do 5 burpees)
Have to stay on the rower the whole minute

Time = 7:44

WOD:

Repeat 4 times:
-500 meter row
-3 minutes rest


1:31; 1:33; 1:37; 1:37

15:18 Total? (I think?)

1:34.5 average 500 meter row

Why do I always go into a rowing WOD thinking that I enjoy rowing? Probably because I really hate running sooo much.

1st 500m row: Felt good

2nd row: Still feeling good, but thinking that maybe the gym timer is running faster than
the timer on the rower. It seems like 3 minutes is oging by way too fast after
second row.

3rd row: First 200 meters, feeling pretty good. Next 300m = death.

4th row: Totally dead….before I got on the rower. I just kept reminding myself not to go
into the light.

WOD:

9-6-3

165 lb. Thrusters
Muscle-ups

Time: 12:20

Wow! Thrusters at that weight were very difficult to lock out. Need to practice not 'muddling in the middle' and really accelerating through the top middle of the thruster. Muscle-ups were hard the first round, but got easier as the WOD went on. I have not done muscle-ups for awhile because my right forearm and shoulders were giving me a little trouble when I did them, but they felt fine today.

This is one of those milestone WODS that even 4 months ago I simply would not have been able to complete., let alone at any other time before that.

Lots of WODs with heavier than past working weights on the mainsites coupled with complex movements (Muscle-ups, HSPUs, etc.). I am hoping that trend influences the programming for the sectionals and the regionals. Might give me a leg up.

WOD:

5 rounds
7 inverted to hanging on the rings
15 ring push-ups

Scaled to 3 rounds

Worked my back and shoulders in a way that was different than most every other WOD. Well worth the time and fun to do.

WOD:

3 rounds for time
- 500 meter row
- 3 rope climbs
- 15 kettlebell swings, 2 pood

13:12

Lost my mojo on the rower pretty quick, good first interval. 1:39, 1:49, 1:55 average 1st, 2nd and 3rd round. Transition from rope to kettlebell swings tougher than I was ready for. Good to rope climb again. Coaching point from Jeff Vale that helped today. 'Long arms' and pull up my feet to get the foot lock, don't simultaneously do a pull-up. Much easier and more efficient.

Rest and Intensity

I used to be a religiously 3 on 1 off guy. I followed the CrossFit main site almost without fail, and that included the 3 days of working out followed by 1 rest day cycle nearly without fail unless I was sick or injured.

Since joining CrossFit Snohomish, I generally have not followed that dogmatic program of rest. Unless work/my scheduled prevented it, I have gone whenever there is a programmed day of training, only occasionally taking a day of rest that fell outside the gym schedule. Sometimes I have worked out 4 days out in row, sometimes even 5 (very occasionally) and sometimes only 2. Every once in awhile, I felt a little over-trained, but Sundays were always off days and I generally was able to climb out that feeling in a few workouts.

Guess what? I got much more progress out of the last 5 ½ months that I have been following that schedule than I did in the almost 2 years prior. While I don’t think that is necessarily because of the change in rest days, there are a lot of other factors involved including how awesome CF Snohomish is a gym and Jeff Vale is as a coach, I don’t know that it isn’t. But I also think, previously mentioned other factors considered, it certainly could be interpreted as being in spite of the change in the rest days. It could very well be that had I been sticking to the 3 on 1 off cycle and still working with Jeff during that time I would have gotten at least the same amount of progress. But what if more regimented rest days gave me more progress?

In preparation for the CF Taranis Winter Challenge, I did two triple days (3 workouts in one day) in advance of the competition. The first time was 4 weeks out and then second triple was 2 weeks out. The first time, I was pretty tired immediately afterwards. I slept most of the following day. I only took that one rest day after the first triple and then went right back to following the gym programming. While I felt physically okay a few days later and had some good workouts that week about 4-5 days afterwards, I had really poor rest the second week following the triple. I had to attend a training class that 4 of the work days that week and the commuting back and forth 2 hours each way with traffic took a toll. I took an extra rest day in there, but it was not very restful because I was still commuting back and forth for 4 hours each day.

At the end of that week, 2 weeks after the first triple, I went ahead and did another triple WOD day. I felt I was up for it because I was feeling a little more rested by then. After that triple, I never really felt rested up for about 2 weeks. I took a couple extra rest days here and there during the next 2 weeks, even two rest days in a row on Jeff’s advice. Then, just 3-4 days before the competition I was good to go again. But it was about 11-12 days before I felt 90-100% during training again that time. A case could be made here that extra rest was key here (but also that the extra rest was necessary due to the two triple days).

Competition time (CF Taranis Winter Challenge). I did OK performance wise given my ability, except for a leg cramping issue (which was a nutrition hydration thing combined with every WOD being quad focused). The 3 prior triple WOD days definitely prepared me in many ways for the competition, a topic for another time, but I felt like I was ready to go after a good night’s sleep (thanks to a sleeping pill), recovered pretty well from the WODs and was mentally ready to push myself in the later WODs despite being tired from the prior WODs. It helps that we were in a medium sized gym with about 100 – 200 people all cheering for somebody. Adrenaline anyone? Plus there was good caffeine being brewed onsite (really good, Black Stilt Coffee is the bomb!)

If I had followed the 3 on one off rest day pattern during those 4 weeks before the comp, I would have only had 7 days rest. 3 days on and two days off, then I would have had 8 days. How many rest days did I take? 11 days. But I feel that about 2 days of that were due to the triples and 2 days for a light week just before the competition. So 7-8 days without counting those.

What are my take a ways?

Rest days are important
- If you are feeling over-trained, you probably are and already have been for awhile
- Once you are over-trained it takes a number of days, depending on how over-trained you and how much rest you can get, to get back to ‘normal’. Sometimes one rest day will not do it.
- Extra rest won’t hurt it, generally it helps.
- Long workouts (25-35 minutes plus) tap into an energy reserve that it is difficult to restore. Regulating how often they are done or at least monitoring how often you do them and making sure extra rest and nutrition is supplied afterwards is important.

Intensity is key
From ‘Understanding CrossFit’, an article in the CrossFit Journal:

“The CrossFit prescription is “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement.”…..Intensity is defined exactly as power, and intensity is the independent variable most commonly associated with maximizing favorable adaptation to exercise.”

Intensity…is the independent variable most commonly associated with maximizing favorable adaptation to exercise. If duration or frequency take away from intensity, then the amount of benefit that you receive from the training may be drastically reduced.

Conclusions for me:
- Getting regular rest days may help me hit a overall higher level of intensity on more days of the week/month
- Every once in a while, every two to three weeks, a double day might be a good way to temporarily amp up the intensity
- Regular and adequate sleep is one of the key things that I can do to improve in performance.

WOD:

5 rounds for time

400 meter run

15 ring rows

15 push-ups

15:43

Not that I am ever 'good' on running WODs, but 5 rounders are not my forte. I was shooting for under 15, so not horrible one week after the challenge. I think 'Kelly' will be coming up on Monday. Hopefull the weather will be decent again. It was really nice today.

WOD:

For time:

15-12-9

135 Thrusters
Weighted pull-ups (45# DB held between ankles)

11:45

Felt pretty darn good despite this weekend. 3 days rest followed by a 'heavy day' was perfect for recovery. I feel much better than I did for 10 -12 following triple days prior to the Winter Challenge.

WOD:

Shoulder Press
3-3-3-3-3

135-145-155-160(F)-155

I was not feeling real strong today, mainly tried to concentrate on form, but still put some good weights. Still sore from this weekend. Took a nearly unprecedented 3 rest days in a row off and that is all I can take. Definitely needed it.

November 7, 2010

I got back tonite from CF Taranis Winter Challenge 2010 in Victorisa. I did not do as well as I thought I would. I ended up 44th out 64 men. since one of the WODs did not play to a single strength that I have I did as good as should have. It was all I could I do to keep moving through the third WOD. That WOD will forever after be the most brutal WOD I have every done (until the next one that is that bad, of course).

I think that there were only 2 older guys in my age range (38 & 41) who competed in the individuals. Ian Chapman and John Langford, who finished around 33rd and 14th respectively. Totally awesome athletes by the way, and super nice guys. So considering that everyone else was under 30 and on the sunny side of 25, I did pretty well (just not as well as Ian & John L.).

4 WODs were programmed as follows ( I will update later with results as I can remember/they are posted on CF Taranis' website).

WOD #1:
Within a 10 minute time limit, perform a max set of pull-ups (ends when hands leave the bar) and then in the remaining time establish a 1 RM squat clean

33 pull-ups
240 # for 1RM Squat clean


WOD #2:
3 rounds for time with a 5 minute cap:
15 walls balls (20 # ball)
10 burpees

3:53


WOD #3: (worst WOD of my life)20 minute AMRAP
- 20 backwards skips
- 20 air squats
- 20 double-unders
- 200 meter run

6 rounds. + backwards skips, squats & double-unders


WOD#4
5 rounds for time of:
-9 deadlifts w/135#s
-6 power cleans w/135#s
-3 Squat cleans and overhead anyway w/135#s

7:27 ? (not sure)


Came down with severe cramps in my quads in the long intermission between WOD # 3 & 4. I will write more on that later if I get the chance. It was awful. I came close to not being able to even walk out on the floor to compete in the last WOD and taking a short trip to the local hospital. Luckily for me I got some good advice about getting rid of the cramps from my coach Jeff Vale, tried a few things (gatorade, 'revive' vitatmin water, 5 salt packets, 4 bananas) and just barely rallied in time to walk out in time for my heat.

Then, I won my heat. Great ending to a great day.

It was a great weekend and a lot of fun. As my coach and friend Jeff Vale told me I would, I learned a lot about myself, competing and so much else this weekend. I would do it all over again and will do it again next year.

Travelling to Victoria Canada for the the Winter Challenge. Honestly, I am very nervous. I am worried about performance, obviously, but also the logistics of getting there with everything that I need, sleep, being in front of a bunch strangers, etc.

Just have to zone out on 'game day' and focus on the task at hand.

WOD:

Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3

135-145-155-165(F)-165

Did this WOD in regular 'WOD Killa' shoes vs. my weightlifting shoes. Felt a little wobbley on the bottom. I think that might have been part of it.

WOD:

30 strict Pull-ups
20 Kipping Pull-ups
60 Push-ups (Games style)
400 meter run
500 meter row
400 meter run
500 meter row

17:14

WOD:

'Melinda' (scaled)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1

Deadlifts 1.5 BW (scaled to 245)
HSPUs
45 # DB Squat cleans (scaled to 40#)

25:31