Pullups, Deadlift, Rowing

Early afternoon

Strength:

4 X 10 Strict Pullups
2:00 rest

Deadlift 3, 5, 5, 5
275, 275, 275, 275

Crossfit Endurance
25 minute row (Cover as much distance as possible)

6162m (2:01.7)

Workout comments: I had to cut the first set of deadlifts short because the barbell was literally cutting into my hands. I don't how this bar could possibly be any more coarse, but it made my hands look like grated cheese. I had to wrap paper towels around it after the first set.

I know I was pretty much taxing my rowing muscles with the pullups and the deadlifts, but I was again disappointed by my post graduation rowing performance. I was steadily holding a 1:53-1:55 split, but had to stop periodically because the pain in my glutes was becoming unbearable. It was all I could do not to think about it. Of course, with no TV and no other distractions, it was only a matter of time before it caught up to me. I'd like to try and incorporate at least 2 rowing workouts per week, because they really seem to be a great overall fitness exercise.

I thought about what it was like to be a rower in college. Waking up every morning at 5:30, hopping in a van or your car and speeding down the empty streets to the river. It's usually freezing cold for 80% of the season, so you huddle together in the boat bay with sweatpants and hooded sweatshirts on, trying to hold on to as much warmth for as long as possible. Finally the coxswain gives the order to take the boat off the racks, shoulder it, and carry it down to the river like a drill sergeant ordering his platoon into formation before a march. After the boat touches the water, shoes come off, the oars get locked into their collars, and everyone climbs in carefully so as not to tip the boat over in the other direction. It's too early for anyone to make any wisecracks...yet. The call comes to shove off from the dock, and then it's drills and skills into the dark, silent morning. The sun won't be up for another 30 minutes or so, and for now it's just you, your oar, and your thoughts mixed in with the periodic commands of the coxswain. As the sun gets brighter, the intensity of the workout increases and you better hope your not doing 20 minute repeats. 20 minutes is about how long it takes to make it from the top of the river to the bottom, give or take, and these days are the toughest mentally. Of course there are always 2K repeats, but that's another monster entirely. Everyone is awake now, and the jokes start filtering in (if practice is going smoothly). The callouses on your hands have already hardened if its long enough into the wet season (when it's "warm" enough to practice on the water, which is pretty much anything above 25F). You pray that each time you near your boathouse, it will be time to get off the water and if you are lucky, you get to navigate home through rush hour traffic only to arrive 15 minutes late for class and smelling like the Schuylkill River. Your teacher is tired of the excuses and you're just tired in general, so you spend the remainder of class just trying to keep your eyes open, waiting until you can crawl back in bed and unsuccessfully shake off the freezing cold of the morning river. Then you get up and do it all over again. If you can derive pleasure out of this routine, you are part of the elite, albeit seemingly insane.