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Thursday - New Year's Eve...

What a wet rainy day. I don't think it stopped once.

Today's workout was supposed to be 'Angie' (from the main CrossFit site)
100 Pull Ups, 100 Push Ups, 100 Sit Ups, 100 Squats

I scaled it to 1/2 Angie (50 of each). It took 9:10.

I feel a little run down this week. I may have done a little too much on my last 3 workout days as well as the fact that I have not had a great deal of sleep in the past two days... AND my diet has been a little less than stellar.

I'll start fresh tomorrow. I am actually impressed that I squeaked out what I did today :)

Tuesday

Busy Day... I once again had a 5000M Row as my workout (from the CrossFit Main site). The nice thing is that I knew what to expect. I was able to do a little strategy. I brought my time down to 20:06. It was still very mentally tough, but I made it.

Later on in the day, I spent about an hour over at Portland CrossFit. Those guys are great. I am trying to learn as much as I can from them. They have been gracious enough to let me come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays to observe, partake, and just ask questions. This is what I love about the CrossFit community. They are so open and excited to share their knowledge.

Well, I went ahead and participated in the 4:30 class. The workout was tough. One that I have seen before, but have never done.

Handstand Push Ups 15-13-11-9-7-5-3-1
L- Pull Ups 1-3-5-7-9-11-13-15

You complete 15 Handstand Push Ups then complete 1 L-Pull Up.
Next - 13 Handstand Push Ups and 3 L-Pull Ups.

Keep working your way down the numbers... This was tough.
I did it prescribed, but it took me a little over 30 minutes. Rochelle (one of the owners and a total BAD ASS) completed it in something like 20 or 21 minutes. She is amazing!!!

Well, needless to say, I slept well Tuesday night.

Wednesday is a Rest Day - finally.

Monday - 1 Rep Snatch

Ok - Monday was a 1 Rep Max Day... but for the Snatch.
I am not very strong when it comes to some of the Olympic Lifts.

I worked with some light weight for quite a while until I felt comfortable adding on the pounds.
I got 135# up over head, but the form was UGLY. I decided to call it - as I don't want to let my body think that it was acceptable.

Here are some amazing video's of some talented Oly Lifters who make it look easy.

Recent Work...

Here are my last few workouts...
I plan on updating this blog more often - I have some very specific goals laid out ahead of me, so this will be a good record keeping journal.

On 12/23 I worked on Deadlifts and Bench Press. I was trying to find my 5 Rep Max.
Here are the results:
Deadlift: 285#
Bench Press: 170#

Both of these are increases over previous attempts, but I expect to see significant improvements over the next 4 weeks.

On 12/24 I worked on Front Squats. Again, trying to find my 5 Rep Max
I got the weight up to 195#'s... not too shabby for a 163# guy :)

I rested on Christmas Day

On 12/26 I worked on some skills that I have recently begun to get the hang of...
The Butterfly Pull Up and the Double Under with the Jump Rope.
I can now do 20 of these Butterfly Pull Ups in a row and 20 Double Unders... Any time a workout calls for Jump Ropes or Pull Ups, I am committing to doing these in place.

Today, I had the challenge of completing a 5000m Row. Most CrossFit workouts call for 250-500m Rows... this is the first time in over a year that I have seen anything over 2000m. I was not looking forward to this at all.

20:34 later, I finished 5000m. That workout turned into more of a mental game than I thought. I eventually figured out that I could pull 10-11 times for every 100 meters... this lead me to analyze how many '100's' I had left before the end of the workout. I don't know if that was good or bad, but I survived.

I sure hope that one does not come up again anytime soon...

shoulder press...

Today the workout was finding your
1 Rep Max for Shoulder Press
3 Rep Max for Push Press
and 5 Rep Max for Push Jerk

Mine are 140#, 155# and 135# respectively

The Push Press is almost body weight... I am sure I could do over body weight for a 1 rep max.

Updates...

wow... it has been a long time since I have updated this blog.
A lot has happened - sorry, but I don't have many pictures to prove it.

The Marathon was AWESOME - I finished in 3:48:00 which is 8 minutes faster than my previous time. This is a big deal because as part of my 'test', I did mostly CrossFit workouts and limited my running to 3-4 days a week. Most of my runs were about 5-6 miles long, with the exception of my long weekend runs. I averaged about 30-34 miles a week during the heaviest part of my training. Most marathoners put in A LOT MORE TIME and A LOT MORE MILES... I did this in a pretty condensed version. I personally think my diet change and my CrossFit training had the most to do with my overall performance.

Since the Marathon, I have hit some new PR's on many key benchmark workouts and exercises. I am still blown away by the results.

Fran - old PR 6:13 - new PR 5:07
Deadlift - old PR 340lbs - new PR 350lbs
During the marathon, I hit the half way mark with my fast 1/2 marathon time yet - 1:45:00... I can't wait to see what an actual 1/2 marathon event would be!!!

Upcoming events - December 4th and 5th I will be going through the CrossFit Level 1 Certification again... this is my 'refresh' as I prepare to get ready for the Level 2 Cert later this year.

Very exciting stuff!

I will attempt to post more often, time just slips right by.

If you have any questions or comments - just shoot me an email!

Almost there...

Just a matter of days until the Portland Marathon.
I have not posted much, mostly because I have been running a ton.

A couple of weeks ago I ran my 20 mile run day and it felt GREAT. Took about 3 hours. I could have continued for another 6 miles no problem. I figure if I keep a decent pace and just keep moving, I should be able to get <3:45 on race day. Wish me luck!

The other main event in recent weeks was my attempt at Fight Gone Bad. FGB is a monumental CrossFit workout that really tests and challenges your overall fitness. There are 5 stations set up and a clock running non-stop for 5 minutes. You rotate to the next station at the minute mark trying to rack up as many 'reps' (points) as possible. There is a 1 minute rest between the 5 minutes round and a total of 3 five minute rounds... so from beginning to end, this is only a 17 minute workout (3 sets of 5 minute round plus the two 1 minute rests between round 1 and 2, and 2 and 3).

The stations are:
- Wall Ball (with a 20# medicine ball, squat down and explode upward throwing the ball 10' into the air, off the wall, catch and repeat quickly)
- Sumo Deadlift High Pulls with 75#
- 20" Box Jump
- Push Press with 75#
- Row (calories count for points)

My previous FGB score was in the ball park of 212 point for ALL 3 rounds.
My current FGB score is 266 points... not bad! I want 300.

Once I am done with all of this training for the Marathon, I will be back onto my 3 days on/1 day off workout regimen and start my progress toward strength and power... watch out FRAN... Sub 6 minutes, here I come!!!

More Running...

So - Friday... out for another Run!

This was a decent, solid pace 5 mile run. I will continue to do 2-3 Five mile runs throughout the week and then a big monster run on the weekend until the Portland Marathon.

Tomorrow (Sunday) I will join my friend, Nicole, and we will chip away at a 15 mile run - rain or shine!

Next week we should attempt 18.

The following week would be 20 miles.

From that point out, nothing more than 6 miles

I am really looking forward to this event. My running has been strong, quick, and pain free. I am really curious on how well I will do this year. Two years ago I set a personal record by completing the marathon in 3:56... I want to take at least 10 minutes off of my time this year.

We will see!

RUN... 5 miler...

Tuesday September 2nd... Main workout was a 5 mile run. It felt strong. Something clicked -

This stuff doesn't get easier - you get more bad-ass. You are able to push aside the discomfort, the pain, the 'negative' self talk, the frustrations, etc a little bit longer. You are able to POWER through your challenge a little bit further. You are able to take on that hill or climb that used to cause you to hesitate, but now you CHALLENGE it to take you down.

Again, it's not that it gets easier... because nothing about this stuff is EASY. It's about eliminating the fear and the obstacle and proving to yourself that you can do ANYTHING.

Below are some still shots of a Muscle Up... it's funny because most people CAN NOT do these. It took me nearly a year to get this down.

In the Gymnastic World - this is one of the most BASIC, entry level moves. In the Real World, it is damn hard. Being able to get yourself from a static hanging position UNDER an object, then transfer your weight to a locked out position OVER the object takes strength, agility, and speed.

September 1st...

I am SHOCKED that Summer is over... that was quick.

today's workout came from the CrossFit main site (www.crossfit.com)

It is a version of 'FRAN' but with Running... right up my alley!!!

Here is goes:

1 mile run

21 Thrusters - 95#

21 Pull Ups

800m Run

15 Thrusters - 95#

15 Pull Ups

400m Run

9 Thrusters - 95#

9 Pull Ups

Time - 21:04

Back in the swing of it...

Alright...

Hood to Coast is done - what a BLAST. I had an awesome time, ran fast, and made great friends!

I will post a 'Things I Learned on Hood to Coast..." article within a few days, so keep your eyes open.

As far as a workout goes, I pieced something together for today:

3 Rounds for Time

5 Shoulder Press 95#

9 Dips with the Rings

11 Pull Ups

400m Run

Updates...

Well, it has been a busy month.

Work is crazy (although I am on vacation...) It is going to be nuts when I get back.

My CrossFit training is going great! New Diet going Great!

I am currently training for a monster Relay that will take place starting next Friday. 12 of us will relay our way from the top of Mt. Hood all the way to the Oregon Coast. 197 miles in total. We are shooting to complete this run in less than 30 hours.

After that - I am building up momentum for the Portland Marathon on October 4th.

I will post as often as possible. Be patient - more pics/stories to come!

DEADLIFT

I have been BUSY - new diet, new workouts, new focus...

Teaching CrossFit nearly 6 times a week now.

Here is my latest attempt for a 1 Rep Max on the Deadlift

Other achievements:

Yesterday I completed 'Kelly'

5 Rounds for time

400m Run

30 Box Jumps (I used a 20" Box)

30 Wall Ball Shots (20lb Ball)

Time: 26:33 PR

Last Day at MMA...

Today was a bitter sweet day...

Since February, each Sunday from 9am-11am, you could find me at AliveMMA in SE Portland training some very athletic people who are looking for a tough workout.

This time, David Lloyd brought a couple of his buddies with him. He jokingly asked if we were planing on doing Fight Gone Bad - I paused and thought about it... 'Why not?!'

A little background on FGB... It is a CrossFit workout designed to mimic a grueling Mixed Martial Arts match with 3 rounds, each going for 5 minutes.

A True FGB set up would be:

5 Stations - one with a 75# barbell for Push Press, one with a 75# barbell for Sumo Deadlift Highpulls, a station for Wall Ball shots (20# ball), a 20" box for box jumps, and a Rower (ergometer) to track calories.

The workout is made up of three 5 minute rounds, each minute spent at one station. You get a 1 minute rest in between rounds, but then you have to jump right back in. The goal is to rack up as many points (reps) as possible in each station before your minute there is expired.

We did not have a rower, so I had them do Burpees instead.

We did not have Olympic style Barbells, so we improvised with a 55# Kettle Bell for the SDHP and a 75# standard curl bar for the push press.

These guys racked up a tremendous amount of points. I let David take the score sheet with him so he could tally it up later.

The picture above is a 'tiny' example of what was left in them when the workout was done.

So - back to the original story here... Today was bitter sweet because not only was it a GREAT workout and FUN to watch these guys push their limits, but it was my last day teaching at AliveMMA... I just need at least 1 day a week to myself (and my lovely wife). Unfortunately, with all of my other priorities, I had to drop this one off my plate.

I assured Bill (the amazing owner of AliveMMA) that I would keep in touch and make some appearances in the near future... but for now, I need a day to recharge.

Some of my Recent Workouts...

Busy Busy... here are some of the latest workout:

Front Squats - 3Rep Max

I got to a new PR with 195#

on 6/22/09 I completed:

3 Rounds for time

21 55lb KB swings

12 Hand Stand Push Ups

Time: 8:15 (PR)

on 6/25/09 I completed:

As many rounds as possible of

5 Thrusters with 95#

7 Power Hang Cleans with 95#

10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls with 95#

7 Rounds completed (PR... last time I had to scale this to 85#)

Today was 'Nicole'

As many rounds as possible of:

400M Run

Max Rep Pull Ups

your total Pull Ups is your final score

I completed 7 rounds for a total of 137 pull ups (PR - by 15 pull ups and 1 round)

That was a tough one. I wasted a ton of time because I was exhausted and thought about calling it quits about 3 different times... once at 10 minutes, once at 15 and again at 3 minutes. I kept talking myself into just getting through the next one. When the 6 minute mark came around, I completed the round and told myself "If the clock is under 3 minutes, I am done"... sure enough, the clock was at 3:12 - I HAD to work in one more round. 

When I completed the last set and the timer went off, I was positive that this was the worst performance ever... when I went back to look at my training log I was SHOCKED to find out that this was in fact MY BEST PERFORMANCE EVER! Here is how the workout broke out:

Rnd 1 - 33 pull ups (PR!!!)

Rnd 2 - 22 pull ups

Rnd 3 - 15 pull ups

Rnd 4 - 13 pull ups

Rnd 5 - 25 pull ups

Rnd 6 - 15 pull ups

Rnd 7 - 14 pull ups

Total 137

I beat my last attempt by 15 pull ups and 1 full round!

Boy am I tired.

Press...

From the Main Site...

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 min...

Handstand push-ups 5 reps
Bench press 135 pounds, 10 reps
Push press 95 pounds, 15 reps
Dips 20 reps

Run - Run - Run...

These last few days have been busy! Wow.

With teaching classes, lot's of stuff at work, and training - who would have thought I would have time to run a Half Marathon. Well - I did it!

On Saturday I completed the Helvetia Half Marathon. It was a beautiful run.

Leading up to that day, I had not done much 'Run' specific training. I completed about 18 miles worth of straight running over the last 8 weeks. The rest of my training was CrossFit, which often incorporates running, but usually no more than 1-2 miles per workout. Go ahead and look through my last Blog entries, you will see - not much running.

With that being said, I am proud to share my achievement - I completed the Half Marathon in 1:45:20... that is about an 8 minute average per mile for 13.1 miles straight!

I placed within the top 23% of my age group and top 10% overall.

I can guarantee that I did not put in as many miles as most of the participants out there. CrossFit is such an 'Overall' conditioning program, you don't need to train for any one specific sport (unless you want to specialize ONLY in that one sport).

With my diet (Vegetarian Zone - 21 Blocks) and proper rest, my recovery was pretty quick. After a nice little nap on Saturday (Race Day), I was back to working out by Sunday!

I LOVE CROSSFIT!!!

RUN

5 Mile Run - 

37:46

Not to shabby... and it included some great hills.

Maybe my goal of the 1/2 marathon in 1:45 could be pretty realistic... We'll see!

Friday and Saturday...

For the next 10 days (now less)... I am modifying the WOD's from the CrossFit Main site and incorporating some more running. I have a half marathon coming up this Saturday, June 13th.

Friday was supposed to be 1 Rep Max Deadlifts - I did a series of 3-4 rounds of 10-5 sets. Nothing horribly heavy - focused on form and technique. I built the weight up to 285lb which felt really good. That is well over 1.5 times body weight.

Saturday was tough - Lynne was the workout -

5 Rounds

Max Reps

Body Weight Bench Press

Pull Ups

Last time I did this was in November - I weighed 155lbs and got a TOTAL rep count of 171

This time, I am up to 160lbs and my rep count dropped to 137. Not bad. It is hard to do Max Bench Press without a spotter. I am sure I could have squeaked out a couple of more if I had someone to help with the failed rep. The pull ups were still strong, but dropped from averaging 25 per round down to 20 per round. I have not done as many pull ups as I use to... I can see that in the reps.

When I finished, I went out for a mile run to cool down.

Today I will work in a 3-5 miler to keep the legs movin'...

Why does Fran hate me?

Fran sucks.

Anyone who knows her understands.

21-15-9

95# Thrusters

Pull Ups

I almost quit after the first round. I was thinking 'today is not my day'.

I pulled it together and squeaked out 5 of the 15 Thrusters... then grabbed another 6... then convinced myself to do 4 more.

The pull ups are easy for me - so I got through that with minimal down time.

At that point, I could not just stop - I completed the final 9 of each and hit the timer.

6:19 - a personal record!!!

I spent the next 10 minutes just sweating and breathing - passed out on the floor.

As much as I dislike Fran - she makes you stronger.

thank you, Fran.

Monday and Tuesday

Memorial Day Monday was a BUSY day.

After teaching class at 5:30am, I came home and was on a 4.5 mile walk with my wife and the dog by 10am. By 12 non I was deep into Power Washing the deck - that took FOREVER. We made it to a 4:20 showing of Terminator and by 6:30 I was out for a 3 mile RUN!!! The run felt AWESOME. I should have timed it, but I thought I was taking it easy. I ended up sprinting up hills I usually take in low gear. I finished the 'workout' with a set of 15, 10, 5 Push Presses using 95# and some Jump Rope work.

Tuesday - today, so far - I did the workout from the CrossFit Santa Cruz site.

21 Deadlifts (165#)

21 Shoulder Press (75#)

Push Up Complex - 2 Push Ups on the minute for max number of rounds. First minute, 2 PU. Second minute, 4 PU. Third minute, 6 PU. etc...

I was able to get through 8 full rounds and failed on number 10 in the 9th round. That was a total of 82 Push Ups.

My arms are still a little shaky.

Squat n Run

Today - 4 rounds for time

50 Squats

400m Run

Last time I completed this workout, it took over 12 minutes.

Today - 11:03. I was shooting for under 11, which I might have had if I didn't have to walk to the timer to start it and stop it... but that counts - so tough luck :)

I have been busy. My last post kind of mapped out what I had been doing over the last couple of weeks, but it just doesn't slow down.

Last week I had done a Main Site (www.crossfit.com) workout which consisted of:

30 Glute Ham Sit Ups

25 Back Extensions

5 rounds for time... it took about 15 minutes

My Abs finally stopped hurting YESTERDAY (6 full days of ouch)

Saturday I ran 8 miles and did 4 hours of Yard Work

Sunday I laid out on the couch ALL DAY

Monday was a rest day :)

Tuesday I ran 3 miles... gotta get ready for the 1/2 marathon in June!

As I get closer to June's 1/2 Marathon, you will see more miles adding up. 

So, in true CrossFit fashion, I had my wife take a couple of pics while we were on vacation in Monterey, CA.

The last 2-3 weeks have been a whirl-wind tour of 'BUSY' activities. I built a pull up station for CrossFit Hillsboro, packed for vacation, road trip to Monterey (13 hours), spent 5 days in my old stomping ground, road trip home (13 hours and 1 speeding ticket:( ), re-organized my garage, and cleaned up the yard. This last Monday was my first day back to work and back to my old routines. I am now teaching 4 days a week at CrossFit Hillsboro! Along with my M-F job and other activities, I am lucky I find time to sleep.

While I was in Monterey, I got so observe the CrossFit Regional Qualifiers in Aromas. What a RUSH!!! It got me very excited about participating next year. Although I do not believe I would be a true competitor for the CrossFit games, it would be awesome to be involved in a qualifier!

I have been keeping up on my workouts, although I have not posted them here. I will get back into the practice of doing that... I can say that I am mighty sore from pushing myself over the last few days. I am planning on running 8-9 miles this weekend. June 13th (or 14th?) is the Helvetia Half Marathon. I am registered to run... I expect to complete it under 2 hours (preferably closer to 1.5 hours) so I better get my miles up.

That is all for now... I will post regularly from this point out

Dead....lift

It has been a BUSY couple of weeks. I am getting ready to take 2 weeks off from work - so that adds a lot of items to my 'To-Do' list.

Still teaching 2 classes in the morning at CrossFit Hillsboro (Monday and Wednesday) along with taking friends from work through some exercises on Mondays at the office. Another friend of mine comes by my house on Tuesday and Thursdays for her workouts - she is progressing nicely! I am creating workouts for my wife and coming up with my own for me!

Basically I think about 2 things - Coffee and CrossFit. There is not even room for my VW's right now. It is very exciting - but very time consuming. I am having a great time - and seeing HUGE results.

Today I focused on my Deadlifts. I  shot for my 1 Reps max, which if you have read this BLOG over the last couple of months, I am able to hit TWICE my body weight! I successfully lifted 320lbs today. As I tried for 325lb, I could tell my form was QUICKLY degrading. Although I am strong enough to get it up and not hurt myself, I don't want my body to think it is 'ok' to lift with poor form. I am going to work on GREAT FORM with lighter weight until I know I can push past that 325lb mark.

Outside of Deadlifts, I have been working on my handstands - which are getting MUCH better. The Yoga lady (Bradi) at AliveMMA showed me some pointers that have made a huge difference in my stability. Now it is a matter of practice.

A couple of the workouts this week have worked me over... Sunday was a tough one - 100 Pull Ups, 100 Push ups, 100 Sit ups, and 100 Squats for time... I completed it in about 27minutes. That was tough. I think I am still feeling the effects of it.

Monday was crazy because I worked out with my class at CrossFit Hillboro (it was a partner workout and we had odd numbers - so I jumped in) and then I worked out with my friend at the office before our busy day started.

Luckily Tuesday was a rest day... I am still sore.

Overhead

I used my workout time to focus on moves that I am less than comfortable with... specifically the 'Snatch'. The Snatch is a very fast move. You start with the weight on the ground in a deadlift type stance and in one quick move, you violently pull it from the ground to a position up and over your head. No pause. No catching it on your shoulders. Straight from the ground to overhead. Once caught, you stabilize and stand straight up.

I completed about 20 of these total. I built the weight up to about 120# which I could complete 3 reps with. I recorded some video so that I could assess my form. There is quite a bit to work on, but the main pieces are there. This is where I wish I had a trainer to help coach me through. I might start looking for someone to team up with. Until then, the video camera will do.

Previous Post from MARCH 1st 2009:

Today was a benchmark workout... From the CrossFit main site, I decided to do 'Helen'.

Workout:

3 Rounds for Time:

400M run

21 Kettle Bell Swings (54 pound KB/1 Pood)

12 Pull Ups

In November, I completed this work out with a personal record of 10:32.

Today - I completed 'Helen' in 8:13!!! I beat my previous PERSONAL RECORD by over 2 Minutes!!!!

I can't believe how awesome I felt. The only area I could significantly improve is the run. If I could get faster splits and complete the pull ups a little quicker, I should be able to get this under 8 minutes.

Today I completed Helen in 7:51!!!! I felt GREAT during the run and moved through the KB Swings and the Pull Ups with no problem... here are my thoughts on why I have improved AGAIN:

I have been extremely focused on pushing myself at each workout. I have consistently been working out 5-6 days a week (3 days on, one day off) and I jacked up my food intake. The scale has barely moved and I honestly think I am losing body fat - but I am eating nearly 21-23 ZONE Blocks A Day (previously was 17). Even though I felt uninspired at the start of todays workout, I dug deep and pushed - I seriously thought I was going to post a very slow time, but the run was SOLID. It took me about 5 minutes of rolling around on the floor feeling like I was going to pass out before I recovered. But once I was up and moving around, I felt normal and refreshed! Talk about a 'SHORT' recovery time.

If I had to, I could do Helen all over again - right now. That is how well I have recovered. Crazy stuff, this CrossFit.

Run n Weld

Today was another busy Saturday.

I got up early, picked up a big load of metal from the CrossFit gym in Hillsboro, then rushed down to the water front to meet up with my friends from work.

We were going out for our Saturday Training Run - I anticipated 4 miles, we ran 8. It felt GREAT! We all did very well. If we keep this up, Hood to Coast is going to be a breeze!

When I got home, I set up the garage and started Cutting and Grinding the raw metal I picked up earlier today.

By 4:30p I had the structural arms for the pull up station I am building all cut and welded together. I am actually pretty impressed with how well this is coming along.

Tomorrow, I am working with a friend of mine from SE Portland - it will be her first attempt at CrossFit - so I am going to take it a little easy on her - NO PUKING.

I plan on catching up on some of my workouts tomorrow - I am really interested in the one that was posted on the Main Site today:

3 Rounds for Time

500M Row

21 Burpees

400M Run

That will be my Sunday...

5K... for time

Today - 5K for time... I got my fastest 'recorded' time 22:10. How's that for minimal running?!

I taught class this morning - it was a good one:

Partner workout - The Pace Keeper was 'Farmer Walk'

Zane and Maggie did awesome. They worked their butts off.

As one would do 8 laps of the gym with HEAVY dumbbells in each hand, the other would do Thrusters with a weighted barbell for the entire time. Then switch.

Next they moved to 6 laps of the gym while one was doing TRX Rows. Then switch

Next was 4 laps of the gym while one was completing Kettle Bell swings. Then switch

Finally 2 laps of the gym while one was doing dips. And switch...

They were total troopers. It was awesome to see Zane start running (with 55lb Dumbbells in EACH hand). The faster the 'Farmer Walker' went, the fewer reps the other person had to do. I don't think Maggie felt like she got much of a break though...

Tuesday - Another LONG day... I got up at 3am, in one of my stores by 4:30am, and home from work by 2pm.

I painted the boxes for CrossFit Hillsboro with a nice primer. They are looking good!

Around 3:30pm I started my workout... 

From the Main Site:

1 1 1 1 1 Shoulder Press

3 3 3 3 3 Push Press

5 5 5 5 5 Push Jerk

My shoulders are toast.

After dinner, my friend Nicole showed up at 6pm for her CrossFit introduction. She is a wonderful person who just gave birth to a tiny little girl about 6 weeks ago. Her doctor gave her the OK to start exercising, so she did not hesitate! Today was light - just an intro...

Here was her workout:

12-9-6 for time:

Thrusters

Knees to Elbows

Push Ups

We spent a lot of time on Squats - working on her flexibility.

Now (7:45pm) I am ready to relax and get mentally prepared for tomorrows 5:30am Class at CrossFit Hillsboro!!! It's going to be fun!

SUN!!!

I love when the SUN comes out... boy did I miss it.

Sunday was beautiful - so I moved the cars out of the driveway and pulled out the wood working tools. I built 4 - 20 inch boxes and 2 - 15 inch boxes to jump on. That took 5 hours... followed by 2 hours of 'Clean Up' and organization of the garage. I have a client starting up on Tuesday, so I had to mop and scrub the floors. Gotta make a great first impression.

Monday - today was BUSY. I woke up at 3:30am - out the door by 4:45am.

I taught class at CrossFit Hillsboro by 5:30am - I took Shawn, Maggie, and Zane through a brutal workout. It was a modified version of Fight Gone Bad. They did AWESOME.

I blasted out of there, got home, switched cars and shot over to the office.

I am offering a Fitness Class for my Office Buddies - so by 7:15am I was running Calvin through a great 'Intro Workout'. We were done by 7:45am. I joined him through this workout, so we had to do a little 'sink' bath before work started.

After an 8 hour work day, I had an AFTERNOON class at 4:50pm for 3 more work friends. Katie, Tempa, and Marit all did a GREAT job!!!

I am having so much fun helping people around me get FIT. Hopefully they are having fun as well!

So... I got home around 6pm - ate dinner - walked the dog for 2 miles and then did a quick short workout:

21-15-9

KB Swings

Pull Ups

and finished with 30 pushups.

Now, 7:45pm, I am relaxing on the couch and watching 'Marly and Me'

I think I will sleep well tonight!

Friday Workout

Today - "Nancy"

5 Rounds for time...

400m Run

15 Overhead Squats with 95#

I used 85# as I am not 100% comfortable with OHS yet... I did not want to crash into my 'projects' as I had the wobbly weight up over my head.

This was fun. I don't think I went quite as fast as I could have, but I felt it none-the-less.

I was surprised that my wrists were as sore as they were when I was done. I need to practice having weight up over my head like that more often.

Tuesday Workout

Today my time was spent on the Exercise Ball...

The workout was:

5 Rounds for time

30 Sit Ups on the Exercise Ball

25 Back Extensions on the Exercise Ball

This workout is usually done on a machine called the Glut-Ham Developer (GHD)

The sit ups are deceiving because they also work your Quads - when you are laying back in full extension, the move to get your body up involves a quick 'flex' of your quads - when done right, your torso comes flying up. If you choose to keep your legs relaxed and just try and 'sit up', it wears you out WAY before you are done.

I completed the entire workout in about 19 minutes... It is always a little squirrelly to try and keep your balance on the exercise ball - but it will do for now. :)

Sunday and Monday

Here is a little recap of my last couple of days...

Sunday:

5 Rounds for Time

while holding the 55lb Kettle Bell, complete the following

(don't put the KB down!)

10 Lunges

15 Kettle Bell Swings

This was a quick, but intense workout. I was laid out on the mat when I was done - after about 3 minutes, I was up and ready for more.

When I got home, I went for a 2.5 mile run with my wife.

Monday:

"Nicole"

Max rounds in 20 minutes

400m Run

Max Pull Ups

Keep track of Pull Ups per round

I did 7 full rounds with a total of 121 pull ups

Some of these guys on the CrossFit site did 6 rounds with 25 pull ups in each round... I want to get there!!! Pull Ups are my strong point - here is how my round broke down:

Round 1 - 30 (this is mentally exhausting... it seems like you are going forever!)

Round 2 - 18

Round 3 - 15

Round 4 - 15

Round 5 - 15

Round 6 - 12

Round 7 - 16

Total 121

I am sure I could spread those numbers around differently and maintain +20 for all six... this will be interesting to try next time.

Wednesday and Thursday...

Workouts:

Wednesday

3 3 3 3 3

Front Squats

I spent some time warming up with 135lbs. I probably did about 10 of these.

As I added on plates, I decreased the reps until I found a nice 3 rep weight.

The final set of 3 (which I struggled through) was 195lbs.

Thursday

4 rounds

1/2 mile run for time

Here are the sets

1. 3:56

2. 3:36

3. 3:28

4. 3:24

I did an out and back from my house. The route I chose has a pretty decent downhill/uphill right in the middle of the run. These times are no where near what I could get on a track. Next time I will go over to the school track and see what my official 1/2 mile run time actually is...

Wall Ball Monday

Today was focused on 1 thing... Wall Ball

I spent 13 minutes and 15 seconds squating, throwing and catching (repeat) a 20# Medicine Ball at a 10' target for a total of 150 reps.

As if that wasn't enough, I shot out of the garage for a 1 mile run (about a 9 minute/mile pace).

I am so happy I get to start my 'Rest' day now... for the next 32 hours, I will recover from the last 3 days of hard work.

whew... I wonder what is in store for the rest of the week :)

Sunday Workout

Sunday Workout - Bench Press and Pull Ups

5 Rounds - max reps each round...

I thought I would try and put a video into this post. Here is one of my sets of Pull Ups. I completed about 121 pull ups all together in the 5 sets.

My lower body is STILL sore from Saturday's 'Deadlift-Run' workout... 3 days later. That's how you know you completed a GREAT workout :)

Saturday Workout

Today's workout was Deadlifts and Running...

205lbs Deadlift 21 reps

800m Run

205lbs Deadlift 15 reps

800m Run

205lbs Deadlift 9 reps

800m Run

time - 13:50

I love this workout... it is mentally challenging, physically challenging, and a test of character.

As you finish each set of Deadlifts, your entire body tries to convince you that running a 1/2 mile is not a good idea. Once you get through the first 400m, you realize that it is not so bad. Then you hit the Deadlifts again, and immediately your body tries to talk you out of it. On the last Run, as you are finishing up the last 400m, your lower back is talking, your legs are crying, and you can't wait to cross the finish line.

Doesn't that sound like an AWESOME workout?!!? :)

Something I am thinking about..

I am considering offering a 'Monday' workout at the office.

I will see how many people are interested it this (so far each of the DM's on my team seem to be highly interested) and what time will work best.

The group discussion will happen today - I am very excited about helping my co-workers get FIT.

Here are the last 2 workouts:

Tuesday - 

4 Rounds

1 minute each round, 20 sec rest

Max Reps in each minute

Add up the TOTAL Reps to get a final score:

Row (for Cal)

Sumo Deadlift High Pull (75lbs)

Thrusters (75lb)

Pull Ups

Grand Total: 241

Wednesday - Seattle - Hotel Fitness Room

Alternated between:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Weighted Burpees (20lbs in each hand, did a thruster rather than a squat jump)

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Air Squat

Before and After...

I am not really one who is comfortable running around with my shirt off - so posting these is even stranger to me - but I thought it might help sell the point that CrossFit and the Zone can really change your body.

These 'Before' pictures are from June 2008.

The 'After' pictures are from today.

Sunday Workout

Today - 21, 15, 9
Clean and Jerk 75#

Ring Dips

Kettle Bell Swings - 1 pood (~35lbs)

Push Ups

I got excited about the workout and forgot to start the timer. Getting through the 15 rep set was mentally tough and physically exhausting. The final 9 felt like a relief.

Something I have noticed since increasing my Zone Blocks (I am currently running on ~19 blocks a day) is that I have ample energy to get through the workouts. Now it is a matter of muscle failure, but not lack of energy. This is taking my focus and effort to a new level. With all of this extra food, you would think the scale would start climbing (because of chubbiness) but it hasn't moved. I will give it another 3-4 weeks and possibly increase my food even more if I do not notice significant muscle/strength gain. 19 Blocks is hard enough to try and consume, I can't imagine eating more!!!!