Thursday 04/16/2009

Chris Sherwin, do you remember Games ‘08, Sunday morning?  I do.  I remember it like it was yesterday.

It is yesterday.

It was cold.  I was scrutinizing the final heat field, and you came right next to me with your big ass jacket and a steaming cup of something in your hand.  You told me you weren’t gonna do it.  You told me you weren’t gonna do it cuz you were tired.  I didnt’ buy it and pressed you for more, to which you revealed you had never before clean and jerked 155 lbs.  I instinctively chewed your ass to get in there for every reason there was.  You’ll regret it.  It’ll haunt you forever.  You’ll never live with yourself.  You’re already here and you’ve already come this far to quit now.  I remember watching as it clicked in your head.  You said, ‘Fuck it’ and registered.

10 minutes later we were screaming at you so hard and loud I couldn’t hear myself think.  You just missed 6 attempts at 155 lbs and laid on the sand, resigned.  I was racked with guilt, cuz I put you there, cuz I made you do this.  I couldn’t talk.  I choked back tears.  Then you got up and made it, and did 16 more reps and inspired the living shit out of everyone.  Remember that Chris?

Months before that day I told you and the boys I wouldn’t dare try out for Games until 2011, maybe 2010.  I postulated that by then, I would be at a level worthy enough to compete at Games.  But here I am, waiting to go to SoCal Games quals.  You fucked up my destiny Chris.  Yes you did.  You could argue that I did it to myself, that we made it happen together, but I’m blaming you anyway.  I’m blaming you because you got up after wanting to quit, despite me wanting to tell you to stay down, cuz you were already a hero.  You got up anyway and made the lift.  What was it Chris?  What was it about that moment?  Something snapped in me.  Something snapped and I knew I was going to Games ‘09 (tryouts now.)  I’m still right about my progress.  Even with my game at full volume, even with all my progress, at my absolute best, I’m still scraping for bottom rung next to the super stars.  Maybe that’s the point huh?  I’m dancing on the margins of injury and ailment, yet I’m still operating at a level I’ve never been at. 

Before I pressed the ‘submit payment button’ however many months ago to register I asked myself why the fuck I’m doing this.  This is two fucking years earlier than plan.  I’d forgotten, you know.  I looked and looked and found you at Games ‘08.  I remember the example you’d set then.  I remember wanting to live up to half of what you did and I remember it clear and crisp as sunshine now.  And I’m scared Chris.  I’m scared as shit.  Fear didn’t stop you . . . . well, it almost did didn’t it?  THAT’s how I got mixed up in this bullshit.  THAT’s why I’m doing this Chris.  For you.  You fucked up my destiny because I fucked up yours.  Now I’ve got to make up for it.  Now I’ve got to make it right.  Alright then, let’s finish this brother.

Word of the day by Z: obfuscate.

Friday 04/10/2009
PF 0930

Snatch 3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1-*
Previous 1RM: 155

95 x 3
115 x 2
125 x 2
135 x 1
145 x 1
155 x 1
160 x 1 (PR!)
162 x 1 (PR!)
165 x 1 (MISS! haha)

Word of the day: Aggression.

Thursday 04/09/2009
Rest.

POSE Homework.

F#ck you Vaughn.  No way am I gonna keep performances I can excel at within your line of sight as long as you’ve got me by four f#cking minutes on Big Fat Helen. 

Word of the day: dirigible.

Wednesday 04/08/2009
PF 0700

“Elizabeth”
21-15-9 reps for time of
135 lb Squat Clean
Ring dips

Rx’d 9:29

Wanted it bad today.  Given how nervous I was, it wanted me too.

Dawn, Gretchen, Elina, Daly, and Constantine, an honor.

Dawn, it’ll work.  I promise.

Gretchen, inspiring work on the Rx!  Elina, congrats on your milestones.

Monday 04/06/2009
Rest.

Tuesday 04/07/2009
PF 0700

“Big Fat Helen”
5 Rounds for time
400 meter run
21 Kettle bell swings, 24 kilo
12 Pull ups

21:57

Felt slow.  Switching from Vibrams to DC’s and back is good therapy for the feet, but confusing as hell to the body.  Vaughn and Noah, awesome job on tearing this one up.

Elizabeth make up tomorrow at 0700!  Racking my fucking brain all day.

Word of the day: didactic.

Friday and Saturday 04/03-04/04/2009
Rest.

Sunday 04/05/2009
Heayn’s House of Pain! 

POSE Homework

30 Muscle ups for time
Previous time - 11:41

8:39 (PR!)

Thanks to Heayn, Brzl, and Rico for the support.

Thursday 04/02/2009
Valley College Weight Pile

“Joshie”
3 Rounds for time

The snatches are full squat snatches

Rx’d 48:16

Holy shit.  Snatch issues were metcon and grip.  L pull ups were straight leg and feet never violated the plane of the hip.  Was only doing one at a time at the end.

Wednesday 04/01/2009
Rest.

POSE homework

Ball of foot hop drills 3 x 3
Wall drill 20 x 3
Foward lunge, exagerrated pull 10 x 3 (each leg)

2 Rounds, not for time
4 x 30 second runs at 94, 95, 96, 96 cadence
1 drill of choice
1 x 2 minute run at 91 cadence

1 hour to finish all.

Monday 03/30/2009
PF 0600

5 rounds for time
6 Med ball cleans, 20 lbs
7 Snatches, 95 lbs
8 Clapping Push ups, chest
9 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
10 Burpees

20:06

Tuesday 03/31/2009
PF 0700

Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3
Previous 3RM: 323 3/8 lbs

255 x 3
275 x 3
305 x 3
325 x 3 (PR)
335 x 3 (PR)

8 rounds for time
95 lb Thruster, 4 reps
8 Burpees

6:57

03/27/2009 Friday
PF Noon

5 rounds for time:
155 lb Hang squat clean, 9 reps
400 meter run

20:05

03/28/2009 Saturday
Rest

03/29/2009 Sunday
PF 1030

“Lucy”
400 meter run
40 burpees
400 meter skip
40 cleans, 115 lbs
400 meter broad jump
400 SDHP, 115 lbs
400 meter run
40 ring dips

41:33
(from 06/27/2008: 37:37 with 95 lbs)

Saw them doing broad jumps on my way in and was this close to turning around and going home or ditching PF and going to breakfast with Dawn!  hahaha.  Glad we stayed.

Tuesday 03/24/2009
Rest.

Wednesday 03/25/2009
Heayn’s House of Pain!  2100

155 Power Clean, 15 reps
30 Ring dips
155 Power Clean, 12 reps
24 Ring dips
155 Power Clean, 9 reps
18 Ring dips
155 Power Clean, 6 reps
12 Ring dips
155 Power Clean, 3 reps
6 Ring dips

14:07 minutes

Thursday 03/26/2009
PF 0700

AMRAP 20 minutes of
300 single unders
20 Sumo deadlift high pulls, 95 lbs
20 second L-sit, Rings

3 rounds

Word of the day: aught.

Saturday to Sunday 03/21-22/2009
Rest.

Monday 03/23/2009
PF Noon

POSE homework

Baseline
500 meter row
40 Squats
30 Sit ups
20 Push ups
10 Pull ups

4:22 minutes (baseline)

First time doing baseline.  Deep, dark PF secret number one.

3 rounds for time
400 meter run
21 Pull ups (ring pull ups first set)
21 Kettlebell Swings, 28 kilogram

15:56 minutes

Ring pull ups, for want of space, is one of the the stupidest ideas I’ve ever come up with.  They did however make bar pull ups incredibly fast.  Hmm….

Been POSEing in vibrams slightly too much and did todays WOD in shoes, which is the first time since I don’t remember when.  DC shoes, recommended by Brian MacKenzie are admittedly great for CrossFitting and if I were using old running/training shoes I’d ditch every pair and just buy DCs.  But since I’ve barefooted/vibramed for so long, I didn’t like it.  During the WOD my feet felt heavy, hot, and flat.  Walking around I feel almost robbed of the sensitive quality only barefooting/vibraming can give to our feet.  It’s like carrying out daily tasks with heavy, pre formed, kitchen mitts, or scanning a battlefield with blurry binoculars.  I cannot feel the earth, if that makes any sense.  I’ll keep experimenting with it.

Word of the day: corpuscular.

Friday 03/20/2009
PF Noon

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5
205 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
255 x 5 (PR)
275 x 5 (PR)

Partner Cindy with Jonesy!
Alternating with a partner, complete 12 rounds of

5 Pull ups
10 Push ups
15 Squats

5:58

Explosive, fire breathing class!  Jonesy, an honor and relief to have you as a partner.

Word of the day: ombudsman.

Thursday 03/19/2009
Valley College Weight Pile

Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
1RM: 155

95 x 1
115 x 1
135 x 1
140 x 1
145 x 1
150 x 1
155 x 1 (miss)
155 x 1 (miss)
155 x 1 (miss)

No PR today.  My buddy and I each missed thrice on our 1RM snatches and called it.

Word of the day: continuum.

Wednesday 03/18/2009
Rest.

POSE homework.

Fall drill 3 x 3
Wall drill 20 x 3
Lunge/Pull drill 3 x 10

2 Rounds of
4 x 30 seconds at 94 to 96 cadence
1 drill of choice
1 x 2 minutes at 91 cadence

Rest to full recovery.  These were not designed to be a WOD but rather very high skill and focus based, making these the Burgener warm up/skill transfer exercises of running.  Even so, it takes around 40 mintues to complete.  POSE homework is 6 weeks long at 3 times a week, and it’s exactly what I need.  I love it.  Magner, you would dig this too I should think.

Word of the day by the mighty and powerful Dwight Schrute:  malfeasance.