3/23/2015 (15.4- Third attempt)

AM
30:00 airdyne @Z1

PM
A. 1 power clean + 1 front squat, build quickly to a single @165
+
15.4 re-do re-do
+
2 sets for even times:
25 row cals
20 box jumps, 20
15 burpees
10 alternating pistols
5 thrusters, 85
5:00 walk rest

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
+
DNF, Stephen put me out of my misery with one minute left
+
3:55
3:44
I forgot to do the box jumps. I am just realizing this now. Add it to the list of fails for the day.


Today was the literal worst. When Stephen asked me if I thought I had a few more reps in me for 15.4 for a third attempt, I wasn't sure. I honestly thought my attempt on Saturday was close to a max effort, but I was willing to try a third time to possibly get a few more HSPUs at the end. It did not happen. Here is how I felt on Saturday during 15.4:

This is how I felt on Monday during 15.4:

The third attempt was just so awful. Everything felt terrible. While I was warming up I thought I would be fine. My arms were sore but they were also really sore on Saturday as well and I ended up doing just fine. It was when I started the second set of 6 power cleans I knew I was done. I hesitated a bit too long before one of the cleans and I knew I wasn't going to beat my score from Saturday. I was too tired. I went to doubles on the HSPU pretty early but I was resting for a really long time between sets and every set was really hard. I wasn't pushing the rest at all, I would stand there until Stephen told me to go. My arms had nothing left on the handstand push ups. The whole thing was just terrible. Stephen stopped me with a minute left (I think). There was just no way I was going to beat my score from Saturday. It was a pretty demoralizing feeling, I don't think I've ever had to stop during a workout like that, but I was also relieved. I would have liked to get a few more reps but now I know Saturday was a max effort. 

The two sets for even times were pretty slow, I was just really drained at this point. I tried to stay pretty steady on the burpees but my pistols slowed me down, I kept losing my balance on the first set. Also, I completely forgot the box jumps. I just forgot to do them. I was so out of it after 15.4. Sorry Stephen, I failed multiple times today. Thrusters were pretty easy, I wouldn't mind seeing heavy thrusters in the last workout. 

I think I might need to start taking some sort of supplement before/after my workouts. For the past few weeks, I've felt completely drained and exhausted immediately after I'm done training. My eyes get really heavy and I feel out of it. I'm not really sure why, my diet/sleep has been the same. I'm not sure if it's being tired from the open or something else, but I've had no energy after my training sessions lately.  

3/21/2015 (15.4-Second attempt)

15.4 redo

91 (+11 reps from yesterday) 

Wow, today was so awesome. The 15.4 redo went so much better than I thought it would. I actually didn't think I would do much better today, as I was warming up I was feeling very tired and lethargic. My two goals were to get back to the cleans after the set of 18 HSPU and to not get no-repped. I talked to Stephen before I started and we decided I should go to sets of two earlier in the workout since yesterday I was taking too much rest between sets of three. I stuck with threes for the set of 3 and 6, then did a set of 3 then all doubles for the rest of the workout. I actually felt a lot better than I did yesterday. My shoulders didn't fatigue as quickly, probably because I was doing smaller sets. I only had one no-rep, so that's good. Once I made it through the 18 HSPU, I had to go HAM on the 6 cleans. Stephen told me to just do them all touch and go, so that's what I did. I finished the cleans with 9 seconds left and I was able to knock out 1 handstand push up before time ran out. I was so happy with this! 11 more reps from yesterday and I also felt better physically throughout the entire workout. I really think this was a max effort, I know I will most likely redo this on Monday but I'm not really sure where I can pick up any reps. This one felt like 15.3, everything went according to plan. I would be okay with not doing this again on Monday but I will if Stephen tells me to. Very happy with my performance today! Afterwards, I went to Mazunte with my buds then came back and did some mobility since I didn't have time after I was finished with the workout. Neck and lower back are pretty sore. Great day in the gym! 

3/20/2015 (15.4- First attempt)

15.4
+
3 sets:
:30 airdyne hard
4:30 walk rest
+
sets of 3 HSPU
+
10:00 mobility 

15.4- 80
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete


15.4 was tougher than I thought it would be. I started out at a good pace, I was sticking to sets of 3 HSPU and doing all singles for the cleans. During the set of 15 HSPU I started hitting a wall. My shoulders were really tired and the sets of 3 were getting slower and slower. I was resting too long between sets so I switched to doubles. I managed to get through the set of 15, and during the set of 18 was when the no-reps started happening. I probably got no-repped about 6 times, my toes were too pointed and my  feet weren't all the way over the line. I was getting more and more frustrated with each no-rep because it was so much wasted energy. The 8:00 flew by, when Stephen said I had 2:00 left I started to panic. When time ran out, I was 4 HSPU short of finishing the round of 18. I was mostly just disappointed with myself on all my no-reps, I wasn't being deliberate with my feet and I came off the wall too early on a few of them. Not super happy with this score, will redo tomorrow and most likely Monday.  

3/19/2015

5 sets:
3:00 airdyne very easy
3:00 mobility work of choice 

complete

3/18/2015

AM
3 sets @ easy pace:
2:00 ski erg
2:00 airdyne
2:00 row
2:00 airdyne

PM
A. 6 deadlifts + 4 hang power cleans + 2 shoulder to overhead, 3x1 @105-115-125; 2:00 rest
+
AMRAP in 3:00
10 power cleans, 85
10 handstand push ups
10 power cleans, 105
10 handstand push ups
10 power cleans, 125
max handstand push ups
+
2:00 rest
+
For time:
20 burpees w/2-hand touch to 6" target

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
+
49 reps
+
:53


I really enjoyed the deadlift/hang clean complex, each weight was extremely easy and they all felt the same. Hang cleans were pretty fast, I would have liked to go a bit heavier on this. 

The AMRAP was very deceiving, I thought I was definitely going to make it to the final set of handstand push ups. The first 10 cleans were very easy and fast, same with the first set of handstand push ups. The set of cleans at 105 felt like it was 135, I was shocked at how heavy it was. I was able to do them all unbroken but it was tough. I had to break up the second set of handstand push ups 6/4, those were rough. The final set of cleans were all singles. When I first saw this workout I thought I would be able to do everything unbroken. IDIOT. This was a tough one. 

I definitely started out too slow on the burpees, I was still breathing hard from the AMRAP. Around the 10th rep I heard Stephen tell me to speed it up so I turned it up to the pace I SHOULD have been going from the very beginning. I lost that pace around the 18th burpee, the last two were on the slow side. Meh. This should have been better. Burpees are coming up in this Open this week, I can feel it in the air. 

3/17/2015

3000m row @Z1
+
3 rounds not for time:
10 strict pull ups
10m handstand walk
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

complete
+
complete
+
complete
+
mobility clinic


Strict pull ups were pretty easy, I broke them up 6/4 each set but tried to only rest about 5 seconds before jumping back up to the bar. Handstand walk felt good, no pain in my hand! Also I'm really happy with how fast my handstand walk is getting. 

I stuck around and did the mobility clinic, I learned so much! Balza knows his stuff and he was really nice. He said they are going to do a clinic on shoulder mobility in about a month so I'm really looking forward to that. 

Mobility clinic 

3/16/2015

AM
30:00 airdyne @Z1

PM
A. Back squat, 5-3-1 all moderate/tough; 2:30 rest
+
3 sets @70-80-90%
30 row calories
20 alternating pistols
10 erg-facing burpees
+
10:00 airdyne @Z1

AM
complete

PM
A. 185-215-235
+
4:50
4:07
3:37
+
complete


Back squats felt really good today, these are definitely getting better. I was a bit sloppy on form at 235, I tipped forward on my toes as I was coming up out of the squat. These are definitely not feeling as heavy as they were a few weeks ago.

The sets at increasing effort.....mehhhh....I feel like I'm always bad at pacing this. I think I started out way too slow on the first one, then by the third one I was starting to worry that I had done all of them too slow. I mean, I was breathing pretty hard after the one at 90% and my times got faster so I guess it's not that bad, but I can't tell if my times should have been faster overall. My pistols were on the slow side today also. Merrr. I liked the erg-facing burpees, those were different. 

Yay!