Boot Camp, Basketball

Early Afternoon

WU: light jogging, shuffling, toy soldiers, 20 squats

Workout: Boot Camp

50, 40, 30, 20, 10 reps of

Squat thrusts
OH Lunges (45# plate)
DB Snatches (Alt-50#)
Renegade rows (#20 DBs)
Situps

39:10

Late Evening

45 minutes of basketball

• Workout comments: This was one of the workouts where the weight I chose was clearly too heavy for the intended workout. It took me well over 30 minutes which I think should be the maximum time limit for any sort of effective metcon. It's long enough to the point that it is seriously discouraging to attempt another rep, because you know how many you have left. Kathy (the instructor) suggested that anyone with more than 2 rounds left cut the workout short, because she had to get back to work.
• Only had 5 players against a pretty decent team (with 9 players) so I was pretty exhausted by the end of the second half. We were up 9 at the start of the second half and watched helplessly as the lead slipped away by the end of the game. Pitiful.
• Body condition: felt pretty good yesterday. Ankle felt decent during the game, but defitely a little sore afterwards. Put some ice and felt fine the following morning. Quads were also a little tight following the game.
• Resting heart rate: 46

Running again

Workout: 3.1 miles easy



28:12

• Workout comments: Tried an easy run around Conshohocken to test out my ankle stability. Still felt some slight discomfort when landing on my heel and rolling foward to my forefoot. Not perfect running form. Oddly, the discomfort forced me to land on my forefoot, which is something I should be working on anyway. It's amazing how one injury can force the body to compensate in other areas to maintain the same level of performance. The only problem is that this overcompensation usually doesn't occur in a gradual fashion, but all at once. This usually just creates more problems down the road. Either way, it's progress.
• 3.1 miles along this route.
• General comments: As if there weren't enough things going wrong, I was attempting 3 X max rep pullups after I was done running on the pullup bar attached to my doorframe. Of course, it came loose and I dropped about 2-3 feet onto my knee caps. Nothing serious, except it sent a shock wave up my spine and my knees got pretty bruised. That in addition to sore back will probably call for a rest day tomorrow.

Short Cindy, OH Lunges/Burpees

Morning

WU: Short Cindy
5 Rounds:
5 Pullups, 10 Pushups, 15 Squats

3:57

Workout: 5 Rounds
OH Walking Lunges 40 steps (45#)
20 Burpees

21:15

• Workout comments: Didn't have a 45# plate so used a recycling bin with various weights piled into it. Backyard was pretty short. Honestly think the walking lunges would have gone much quicker if I didn't have to stop and turn around so many times. Getting into a rhythm in this kind of workout is essential. My shoulders were defintely the limiting factor during this workout.
• General comments: Legs and glutes were defintely shocked quite a bit during this workout and for several hours afterwards.
• Body: Feeling pretty good. Legs were only slightly sore.

Grace, Pullups, Uphill walk

Late Afternoon

WU: 2 Rounds
10 Deadlifts (137#), 10 Pushups
Samson Stretch
Shoulder Dislocates
Clean and Jerk practice

Workout: Grace (137#-anyway overhead)

3:57

Every minute on the minute:

3 Strict Chinups
3 Knees-to-elbow
3 Strict Pullups

Made it through a measly 6 rounds

1 mile walking uphill, treadmill 15% grade

17:06 (HR=160BPM)

• Workout Comments: I think in the past I was doing Grace as a strict squat clean. I just found out that it is generally done from ground to overhead in any fashion you choose. This makes a a big difference, as my previous PR on February 3 was 7:59, using only 117#. Maybe I'll just continue with this WOD as if they were strict squat cleans and try the actual workout again in 6 months.
• I continue to struggle with pullups. I'm going to have to make a serious effort to learn how to kip, and then find a location that allows me to do so. The pullup bar in my gym and the one I wedge into my door frame just aren't going to cut it anymore. Regardless, I should have seen some improvement in my strict pullups, considering the volume that I have been performing over the past few months. I was seeing a bigger return when I was "lifting" several months ago.
• I was also very surprised by the amount of effort it took to walk uphill at a 17:00 min/mile pace. This brings to light my times during the past several Pretzle City Sports trail races in Reading. The effort of running on trails really cannot compare to the effort of running on asphault. You may think that you are moving at a brisk pace, only to get home and find out that you ran 75% of the distance that you thought you ran.
• Body: the soreness in my quads, hamstrings, and lower back has considerably subsided since the boot camp workout on Tuesday (Thank God). My ankle has also felt much better since I have been wearing the brace. I'll give it another few days before wearing it for workouts only.

Rest Day

Scheduled rest day

• Body condition: My lower back was pretty sore when I woke up this morning from yesterday's workout. As the day bore on, I started to feel the fatigue and soreness increase in my quads and hamstrings as well. My ankle was sore when I first woke up but I have not felt any pain since then.
• Sleep: 8 hours
• Resting heart rate: 48 BPM
• General comments: Nothing new to report.

Thrusters, SDHP, Push Press, OH Squat

Early Afternoon

WU: Toy soldiers, OH Squat practice (30#)

Workout: 4 Rounds

20 Thrusters (77#)
20 SDHP (77#)
20 Push Press (77#)
20 OH Squats (77#)
5 Burpees

29:26

• Workout comments: This was one of the hardest MetCon workouts I think I have ever done. None of the movements were done to muscular failure, but my lungs were burning so bad that I could hardly breathe through most of the workout. I have been physically drained for the past few hours following the workout. This morning I consumed cereal, skim milk, a banana, and orange juice, but did not have a chance to consume much water before this workout.
• General comments: I originally stopped by to see the workout, with the intention of participating only if the majority of the movements focused on the upper body. I took one look at this and couldn't resist. I had the ankle brace on and it hadn't hurt once during the day. It didn't hurt at all during this workout, but I'll keep off of it during the rest of the week as well.
• Sleep: 7.5 hours
• Body condition: I felt physically fine prior to this workout. Maybe slightly tired, but that was it. Following the workout, I feel fatigued, but nothing is overwhelmingly sore.

Bench Press 5 X 3

Early Afternoon

WU: 2 rounds

Shoulder dislocates, 10 left legged pistols, samson stretch, 10 pullups, 10 dips, 10 situps

Workout: Bench Press 5 X 3

Loads: 235# (1st rep failed, a little over zealous. Did not count towards the workout)

195#, 205#, 225# (failed second rep), 215#, 220# (failed second rep)

Workout comments: Used a Smith machine to do this workout. Approximately 3 minutes rest between each set.

General comments: I was lured over the SuperFit in Conshohocken with a $10.99/month sale. Since my work gym is somewhat limited in the equipment they offer, I figured I could use the equipment here and sort of set up my own little corner. The facility is huge and they have tons of space...empty space. Which is why I was surprised when they attendent told me that they had just gotten rid of all the squat racks and heavy lifting equipment. Apparently, they don't want to attract the menacing juicers that scream and grunt and scare everyone off. Rightfully so, but it still stinks that you are operating a gym that is run without basic fundamental equipment. Didn't stop them from buying about 178 treadmills and twice as many elliptical machines. I guess you cater to your clientel.

On another note, I finally went to an orthopedist about my ankle. He took X-rays and said they were negative. Ligament, tendon, and muscle sprains of this nature can often show symptoms for 3 months unless properly rested. But since he didn't know exactly what was sprained, I'm not sure how long this thing will keep aggravating me. I will try to stay completely off it (no lower body workouts) for at least a week and see if there is any reduction in pain. He did suggest that I wear this ankle brace in the meantime to prevent reinjury. Still makes me wish I went to a sports medical doctor.

Having an injury really puts things into perspective. On any normal day (and especially on weekends) I would have difficulty dragging myself out the door for a long run. But now I feel trapped in my own body, wanting so badly to get outside. Nothing seems to be helping. Do you know how few cardiovascular workouts you can accomplish with only your upper body (swimming excluded)?