Sledgehammer....

Today is the first day of two days of not eating on my cleanse. I'm REALLY looking forward to the shake on Friday morning. I could have used some comfort food today at work but stayed strong!

CrossFit tonight was great. It always amazes me how a few simple looking things can beat the crap out of you.

WOD

1 minute of jumping pull ups (to the chest)

1 minute of Ball Slams

1 minute of Rowing

1 minute of Sledgehammer (you swing the sledgehammer and bring it down and hit the large tire) Not a great explanation but there you go.

1 minute rest.

Repeat 4 times.

So - again - 4 simple items that beat you down and make you HURT.

I'm not sure if I will make it tomorrow night but I am looking forward to Friday night's class....I think. haha.

Monday.....'nuff said.

Well - the weekend is over - maybe this week will be better than last week. Although if today was any indication I'm not betting on it.

I started my cleanse today. There are 2 days of pre-cleanse and then the 9 day cleanse program from Isagenix. Not sure if it is good to be going short on comfort food when work is so bad.

CrossFit was what I was looking forward to today.

WOD

10 Manmakers (I used 20lb dumbbells)

15 Jumping Squats

20 Sit ups

4 Rounds

Time: 16:33

The Manmakers were tough. We did them a little different than what I have seen on the videos.

We start with the dumbbells in the hanging position and then we do a squat clean to a push press - then lean over - and set the dumbbells down beside your feet. Then, keeping your legs straight, you walk your hands out to plank position do a pushup and then walk your hands back in, keeping your legs straight. That is one.

Doesn't sound all that tough but it was.

Huge sweatfest for that workout.

I needed that!

Still Improving....

Today was a lazy day but I still went to ACT - Aerobic Conditioning Training. I worked out with Kathy and it was pretty good. My coughing has let up so that makes it easier and shows that I am now hopefully on the mend.

After ACT I stayed to see if I could do my MAX Push Press. Usually you do your Max lifts right after the warm up but I had done the ACT class so I wasn't sure how I'd do. Previously my Max was 80lbs and that was a couple of months ago. I like doing the push press so I hoped for improvement.

I managed to do 100lbs!!! I couldn't get 105lbs up all the way and had to let it drop. But I hit the 100lb! That is a 20lb improvement. Gotta be happy with that.

Tomorrow I am starting a cleanse and harder training again. My body may not like the combination but let's see how it goes.

Superbowl night is here....wonder if New Orleans will beat Indy???

Nothing good to say about today's run

Light Flurries

Temperature: -10 degrees Celsius

Wind: 35km/hour

Wind Chill: -20 degrees Celsius

There is nothing good that I can say about todays run - except that it is over.

Marlene ad I met Dana down at the pavilion on Old Lakeshore. We headed west over the lift bridge and on the path. The lake was rough. You could feel the wind but luickly for it was at our backs.

We knew it was going to be BRUTAL going back but we had to get back to our car (the bakery was waiting!)

It was a hard run and we cut it short at 12K. We figured there was a wind factor that took us to 16K. :)

Considering in the last 3 weeks I have run once - and it was only 2K I think the 12K in that wind was acceptable.

I am waiting for a revised schedule to take me to the 30K for Around the Bay.

Glad this run was over!

Thursday....my body is still feeling Wednesday...and Monday...

Today was a hard day mentally. I needed a good workout but my body is still sore from yesterdays MAX Deadlift and my body is tired from getting back at it this week.

This is what was picked for today's workout...

Another "Hopper Deck" Thursday and a new workout we havent done before. I really like this style of workout and think we will add more of this type in the coming weeks. The minute of rest is really crucial for being able to keep the intensity high on all rounds. It is that level of intensity that is the key to gains in your all round level of fitness. Go as hard as you can for that 3 minutes and leave it all out there!!

WOD

3 Burpees

6 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 95 lbs / 65 lbs

9 Box Jumps

As many rounds as possible in 3 minutes.

Rest 1 minute.

3 Burpees

6 Thrusters 95 lbs / 65 lbs

9 Box Jumps

As many rounds as possible in 3 minutes.

Rest 1 minute.

Repeat 2 times

Well - THAT hurt. I did it with 55lbs. I can tell the two weeks off have put me back with my METCON workouts.

I managed the following rounds each set: 3, 2,2,1.2/3 (and 6 box jumps)

That was enough for me.

I had my shin looked at by Dr. Steve today and it is really sore. I thought about running the 8K tonight but between my leg being as sore as it is and my back muscles SCREAMING at me I felt it was best to just go listen to the talk today.

Maybe tomorrow I will take the day off or try a run or try crossfit or maybe both.

Let's hope tomorrow isn't as mentally taxing.

Short but tough....

Well here is the second workout of the week - it was short but you know the short ones are just as tough and maybe tougher as they are more intense.

WOD

Deadlift - 1 x max

My previous max was 170 and I remember seeing stars as I lifted it. That wasn't too long ago either. Today I worked with Marg and we started the "climb" in weights.

I got 185 and then took a big jump to 195...I did get it off the ground and up to mid thigh but I just couldn't straighten my back and push my hips through so it was ugly and didn't count - but I know I did get it off the ground.

I went back to 190 and was able to complete that! 2olb increase in my deadlift max! Woo Hoo! I am sooooo close to that 200lbs mark....

5 Deadlifts (70% of max - for me that meant 135lbs)

10 Dumbell (DB) push presses (20lbs each hand)

AMRAP (as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes).

I completed 7 complete rounds plus 5 deadlifts.

Glad that was done but it does feel good to push myself and sweat (and sweat and sweat) again!

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?????

Finally back at it...and I'm gonna hurt tomorrow....

Well - I have given my body 2 weeks off. I have done NOTHING. Hard to believe it but it is true. I had no energy and who likes to hack up a lung just from climbing a short flight of stairs or from just hitting the cold air? I am still coughing a bit but I think I am pretty much back to normal.

I was nervous about the CrossFit class as I knew no matter what the WOD was going to be it was going to hurt but I went anyways.

WOD

STRENGTH - BACK SQUAT 1 rep max

I was finding the back squats tough on the quads and hams...those lazy quads. I worked with Gillian and we went up and I hit my previous max (125) and did 130....and 135....I had to let 140 drop. I got down but could not push myself back up. I was impressed - 2 weeks off and I still improved my Max Back Squat by 10lbs!

reps of 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 of

Wall Ball

Sit Ups

Box Jump Squats *

* the box jump squat is a jump squat where you land on the box then jump off the box and land in your full squat.

Time: 8:22

I think I did two sets of 3 but my brain was lost some where around the 8s...or maybe even as early as the 9s....those box jump squats sure made my quads scream!

And it is another reminder that those simple looking workouts are Killers!

When I got back from CrossFit I had my run to do today. I did not do the 27K run yesterday but this is a "banner" week which means after your long run on Sunday you do a 2K easy run on Monday, a 4K (2K easy - 2K hard) run on Tuesday, 6K (4K easy - 2K hard...get the idea?) on Wednesday, 8K on Thursday, 10K on Friday - a rest day on Saturday and the long run on Sunday.

I'm not sure how much running I will get in this week as I have to ease back into that too but I did do my easy 2K. My legs were not happy with me from CrossFit but it was good to get them moving. I did it with a 6:31/km average - nice and easy and my breathing wasn't too bad. Wasn't great but it wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought it would be - even with the cold.

So - looks like I'm back at it and I hope I continue to stay healthy and enjoy the last month or so of winter.