8/10/2013 Redemption

It's been sobering having to deal with this joint pain and what I consider poor scores. Today I waited to train and went to see some of my amazing athletes compete in the World Wide Wod. It's always inspiring to watch people at all levels compete and many of our family today tried it out for their first time!! It both got me fired up to train and exhausted all at the same time. By the end of the Competition I was sweating, tired, and horse from yelling and then thought, crap I still have to workout haha. I felt tired the whole time, but I still managed to pull out two PR's even if one was realllly ugly. This is a bit of a milestone because it's the first lifting PR since starting crossfit again. I came out of today feeling great and ready to attack the next one.

Find 1RM in Power Clean - 305
My previous best was only 300. Now I must admit this was by far the ugliest clean I ever made(uglier than alot of ones I've missed actually) and it was just baaarrreelllly above parallel. But I'll still take it.

8Min AMRAP of Power Cleans @ 90% of days 1RM - 21 @270
Because I didn't have 1lb plates and my clean was so ugly I rounded down. I went in thinking 24 was doable and it should be soon but I was honestly just more focused not missing any since I had two misses on the Snatch WOD last week. I started and stayed with singles and I made everyone. I think I need to be at one every 15 seconds for this one.

Lactate Tester
3rd. of 25 KBS @2pd and 25 Burpees - 7:08
This was a big deal for me. First off I beat Dr. Eric in this(we did it at our gym this past wed) and this is his kind of workout. Secondly it was a 61second PR from my previous time which was before I started lifting. This tells me I'm not only stronger than when I started my journey but I'm performing better in a domain I've always considered to be a weakness. I think this time puts me high up with the big dawgs. Super happy.

My strategy was to go unbroken on the KBS and keep a non redline pace for the first two rounds of burpees to have me at a 2:30 split then blow out the last burpees. It worked, I had enough in the tank to shave off almost 30 seconds in the last round.

Pain report

Shoulders are feeling better but I'm still nagging in certain positions. I need to continue to take it easy on them.

Hip is better after a brutal 30min battle with Coach Matt (AKA My pain management specialist) on the massage table yesterday.

Low back started to tighten up on the last round of KBS but isn't as bad as I thought it would be. We will see how I feel in the morning.


I went into today with feeling at about a 3 and ended at about an 8.5 so I can't complain about that.

Last Burpee. Cool shot.

BONUS!!!! After looking for one for about 10 months at places around here, I saw that Max programmed a 10 Min Max Calories on the Airdyne Workout for me for testing and I randomly drove down to a local used exercise store and found an Airdyne with a working monitor. I've probably gone in there 15 times since I moved here and nothing. It's almost like the stars of lactic acid and performance are lining up. Bring on the pain.

Check out this badboy.

8/8/13

I am one day behind per coach Max. I tweaked my shoulder pretty bad somewhere along the way with the musclesups and hspu's. I was pretty scared the other day and it still is sharp in some positions so I came in slow today, I didn't think the press 1RM would bother me then when I did a couple strict pullups I was fine for the weighted 1RM. After that I went ahead and did the rest of training. It was all pain free.....well as much as testing can be ;)

Press 1RM - 215
This is 10lb below my all time PR so I'm fairly happy with this. I got 220 to my forehead but no further.

Weighted strict pullup - 125
This was over hand grip outside shoulder and no kip at all. A bit of a neck stretch. I actually got 130 to the bar but no repped myself. Too much stretch and it wasnt "COVP"

20 sets of 5 UB CTB pullups - 8:58
I have butterfly CTB but stuck to regular kipping for about 16 of the 20 sets. PArtially because of my shoulder b more so because I felt like I would burn out faster with the butterfly.

21-15-9 Toes to Bar/Ringdips - 2:52
I thought I would be able to do these all unbroken because I'm really good at fast kipping ringdips. I hit the 21 and 15 round no problem but I only got 3 toes to bar on the last round before having to break, then surprisingly I had t break ring dips too. I'm still pretty happy with time. Next time I'm thinking closer to 2min flat with no breaks. BTW Angle is bad on the video, but the Ringdips are legit on lockout.


Pain Report -

Shoulders r/l Both are feeling good right now but I'm still sweating while writting this, we will see how they are tomorrow morning.

Hip r Pain is minimal. This is why I wanted to train today even though my shoulders were rough. I tend to feel better if I keep moving. Days off are lazy pain filled depression rides.

Legs are destroyed from the 50 Squats. This isn't joint pain though, it's the muscular kind I've grown to love over the years. Goodstuff

Today was a 7. Still no nap but I rested enough yesterday. Pain is a bit better. Also,I don't feel like a fat slob for laying around eating doughnuts like I did yesterday.


I failed on the press filming, didn't start until 220 which was my first miss.

125# weighted pullup

21-15-9 T2B/Ringdips

8/6/13

Training:

Snatch 15 min to find a 1RM - 250
This is a little over 90% of my PR but going with the same trend of adapting to the new training, I missed 245 several times last week so a move in the right direction.

20 Snatches @77% of days 1RM - 9:16@193lb.
I really went slow on this because of my shoulder and the worries of missing. I still missed twice but the shoulder felt fine. I stayed with singles even though I feel like I could have gone TnG for 3-5 reps. I was honestly thinking about all the squats I would have to do after even though I was trying not to.

50 Backsquats @ 265 - 7:57
This was rough. I'd this before with 235 in somewhere around 5:30, so I'm fairly happy with this time. I feel like I need to be sub 6 on this though. The good news is my legs felt like the cement columns that hold up overpasses after this. Too bad they still look skinny...

Pain Report

Right shoulder is rough. Feels close to when I tore my labrum a couple years back but deeper.

Right side Hip is worse today. Not constant pain but the squats definitely irritated it.

Low Back. I should have dumped the 50th rep on back squats because I was loosing neutral spine but I'll be damned if I was going to have to pick up that damn barbell for one freaking rep. Plus I really wanted sub 8 ;)


I may take it a little easier tomorrow as my shoulder has me a bit worried. Good day in training today. Out side of my comfort zone but I think I did what I needed to do. I really think I will destroy these times at the next testing.

Overall feeling today is a 6.
3 points off for pain and one for not getting in a nap. I'll change that last point tomorrow.

8/4/2013

"What you plant now, you harvest later."

AM Session

HBBSquat 1RM - 385lb.

This is technically 20lb under my PR HOWEVER that was when I was only lifting. I tried to max out on this last week to see how much it went down with all this volume of other stuff and I only got 365lb. so this is a good sign to me that my body is adapting to the new training. I hope to be back in the 400's soon.

30 Muscle-ups for time - 6:50
I was not happy with this at all. I failed about 6 attempts. I started regular grip for 6, then back up for another 6 and failed the last one when the straps came loose and got tangled up in my arm. After this it was a struggle. I know it's not an excuse but having those straps flying all over the place is a pain. I went to false grip after that and doubles then to single at 15. I was hoping for at least sub 5min. need to game the rest better. Once I burnt out it got ugly. Next time. Filming was also a big failure on this. It cut off 90 seconds in. Kept going.

100 HSPU's for time (first 50 Strict) - 3:29 for 50 12:57 total
I waited about 20 min after MU's and the first 50 kind of redeemed me. I fell apart quick after that though. I feel like I paced it pretty well, I was just honestly smoked after the MU's and had no shoulder/tricep capacity left.

Fresh, I believe sub 10 is possible.

PM Session

21-15-9

Burpees

CTB Pullups 

I had anxiety about this one but it went well. I kept about an 80% pace on the 21 burpees then hit all Butterfly CTB unbroken, then back to 80% on the 15 burpees. I hit 10 Butterfly unbroken then the other 5 of the round were regular CTB. I had alot more gas in the tank so I floored it on the last 9 burpees but only got 3 Butterfly CTB before dropping off, then I did two kipping and then did singles but with no rest for the last 4. If I were to do it again I would have upped the burpees just a little. I tried to video this one and it was a complete failure. the camera stopped at 3 seconds in...FML I did have Coach Tim AKA ROM nazi watching me and he said they were legit.

Pain Report:

Scale of 1-10. 1 Being a million bucks and 10 Being needing amputation 

Hip right side: 4

Thoracic spine: 6

Left Shoulder Ant Labrum area: 4

Low Back: 6

Over all I would give today a 7 for training (1 being the worst and 10 being the best) I'm wore out/beat up but energy wise I'm great. I feel like a day off will be all I need to recover and hit it hard tuesday.

HBBS @385

100 HSPU for time. Had to break it into two videos but I don't think we missed any reps.

Day One 8/3/2013

 Saturday was the First day of my 3 week testing phase.

3k for time w/HR monitor

13.4 Open WOD
7Min Ascending ladder of CnJ@135 and T2B
3-6-9-12-15 etc.


I actually had ran the same distance with Coach Tim the day before so we decided to put that one off until later.

98 Reps
For the Ladder I went TnG on the first two rounds on CnJ, then split TnG 5/4 on the 9 round and 4 sets of 3 on 12. for 15 I started with TnG 3 and went to drops with pretty much no rest. I went unbroken on the T2B for the first 4 rounds and only came off the bar on my set of 15 because I thought I was done but my counter told me I had one left. We both also messed up the CnJ count on the set of 15 so I was one shy. My score would have put me 220 in my region but that's not what I felt good about. It was how much I held back. I was really wanting to pace myself and not redline this one. I actually paced a bit too much. I was able to go TnG on the last 4 reps of my 18 set of CnJ before the clock went out. I feel like I could have had another 10 reps easy if I would have known where my 95% pace was and hadn't stopped three times to ask where I was. This messed with my head.
 This made me feel great as that score would bring me up to 24th in the region. Next time I hit this my goal will be 110 with more TnG's and less singles, also no missed counting.

Here's a Picture of Donovan OHS Squatting a Lamb and Winning our gyms pic contest. Enjoy.

TABULA RASA

Automotive Salvage Recycling, Junkyard, Parts man.

 These are some of the worst words in the world to me. Weird how words can feel like weights attached to your ankles and neck, like blows to the gut and face. It's insane to me how they can make you feel like almost dying in a car crash or falling off a cliff. Good thing I'll never have to to be those words again. I'll never have to be words that are not me again. I'm not sure how I have gotten myself to this place, what path I stumbled down to arrive at this point, damned if I stopped and asked for directions. I never fancied myself a lucky man, but then again, I never fancied myself a blogger. 

Here I am free of those things and where I have wanted to be since I was a little kid. 

 Anyone that has followed this blog or known me the last year has seen the start and knows the end. Funny thing about reality though, the movie doesn't stop. Ya, there's endings but then it's just credits and another movie, and another one, and another...     

 Since this is more of a continuation than a new start, I suppose no real introduction is needed. I'll simply say with this:

I have new goals, more confidence, more support, and zero excuses. I have an even larger task ahead of me and I'm ready to forget everything else. I'm ready to show everyone that I'm a different creature now than I was yesterday. Send me.

I met with my new coach today. I start testing tomorrow. Let's get started. Again.


Regionals 2014

End Game

The best part of life isn't documenting it, it's not about proclaiming your acts to everyone, or making sure you have the best parts on film. It's about experiencing them, and moving to the next one with a smile and open mind.

That's my excuse for waiting so long to write this post. It is also why it is going to be short sweet, and to the point. Bottom line, I did it. I hit both my goals and in that, a follow through that I have not in the past. I feel accomplished and happy at so many different levels. 

Also, today I turn 30. This was a day I've dreaded for a while and so I thought it fitting to post this today. There are so many things going right in my life that this day doesn't seem like a bad thing at all. To be frank, any day I get to continue living this life is a good day. So here I am, 30 and feeling more awake and aware than ever before in my life. I have pretty much everything I've ever wanted. So what's next?

CrossFit. Ultimately, my journey with weightlifting was lead on by my discovery of CrossFit over 5 years ago. My plan the entire time was to accomplish a level in weightlifting that would make me competitive in CrossFit. I have achieved this and now it is back to square one. I meet with my new coach Max El Hag AUG 2nd. and am looking forward to working with him and hopefully making regionals next year. 

This isn't so much an ending post as it is a redirection of my new found focus and energy. Thanks to everyone for all the support you have given me. I hope to continue to climb the mountain but reaching the top is no longer my goal, now I'm just enjoying the journey.

-Justin