8/13/2016

For time with Alex:
12-9-6-3
Synchro deadlifts, 360
CTB pull ups
+
For time with Addison:
50 assault bike calories
60 pistols
70 handstand push ups
80 row calories
90 wall balls, 20 to 9'
80 row calories
70 handstand push ups
60 pistols
50 assault bike calories

complete
+
32:30


Fun day of comp prep! Really looking forward to the Tri-State Throwdown. 

The partner deadlift/CTB workout went really well, Alex and I definitely make a good pair on this one. Our deadlifts never got out of sync and they felt really easy. The weight isn't heavy but Alex said we would definitely break them up at the competition since we'll be doing double the amount of reps we did today. CTB pull ups were really easy. I'll probably break them up 7/7/7, 5/5/5 and then 9 unbroken at the competition (hopefully). 

The chipper with Addi SUCKED. IT SUCKED SO MUCH OMG. This was the literal worst. Everything was fine until we finished the wall balls and then had to go back down the ladder. The second 40 cal row was AWFUL, I had zero energy and my legs were completely dead. I even stopped pulling a few times which I haven't done in a very long time. At one point I stopped and then Addi also stopped which was totally my fault. I can't psych out my teammates like that, it's not good mentally. We broke up the second set of HSPU into sets of five but our transitions were way too slow. On the pistols our sets were too big and our breaks were too long. When we do this at the competition we're going to break up the pistols and HSPU into smaller sets right away. I'm also going to row the first 40 calories a bit slower and we're going to break up the wall balls into sets of nine. I'm hoping when we make all these changes I'll have more energy when I get back to the second row. This was terrible. My legs were jelly when this was over. It's going to be a rough one but I know whoever I'm paired with (Joe or Addi) will push me! 

8/12/2016

A. Back squat, 1-1-1-1 all tough, 20x1; 2:30 rest
B. Power clean from blocks (bar just above knees) build to a heavy single in 10:00 (clock starts when you load the bar above 125)
C. Squat snatch, 12x3 touch and go @95, begin a set every :40
D. Muscle up work, 10:00 practice/tech work- any variation, nothing fatiguing 
+
400m sandbag carry 

A. 225-245-255-265
B. 195
C. complete
D. complete-ish
+
complete 

Today was the first day all week I was actually wanted to be in the gym and wanted to train. Glad to be out of that funk. 

Back squats felt heaaaaaavy today but I'm pleased with my numbers. My goal was 265 and I'm happy I got it but it was slow. 225 was pretty easy but every rep after that was tough. I can't believe I back squatted twenty pounds more than that at one point. 

Power cleans were SO MUCH BETTER off the blocks than last time, 195 was easy but I ran out of time before I could go any heavier. 

Snatches got real shitty. These were kind of sloppy today, I could tell I wasn't bending my elbows enough.

I decided to skip the muscle up practice today. I had a nagging pain in my right bicep and it got worse after the snatches. I did one bar muscle up and that seemed to aggravate it even more so I just skipped this part and did some mobility instead. 

Good day in the gym, lots of solid work. Ready to get back to it. 

8/11/2016

4 sets very easy:
:60 row
:60 front leaning rest on the ground
:60 assault bike
:30/side plank
:60 ski erg or light hand pull-downs
:60 single unders
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

complete
+
complete


Body is still feeling very fatigued and I still can't seem to shake the mindset of not wanting to do anything. 

8/10/2016

AM
45:00 assault bike @Z2 by feel

PM
A1. Bird dogs, 5x10 alternating; :30 rest
A2. Deadbug w/hands pressed into wall, 5x10 alternating breathing out hard each rep; :30 rest
B. Barbell (on back) alternating reverse lunges, 3x8-10 total (4-5/leg); 2:00 rest
+
Every :60 for 9 sets:
5 CTB pull ups + 5 touch and go deadlifts @155
+
3 sets:
:35 row @95%
4:55 rest

AM
complete
316 cals

PM
A1. complete
A2. complete
B. 125-135-145
+
complete
+
172m (1:41.7)
171m (1:42.3)
170m (1:42.9)


I wasn't sure how the 45:00 assault bike was going to go since I had to skip it two weeks in a row but it actually went really well! This wasn't difficult at all. I put on my awesome playlist and just zoned out. 

I liked doing the bird dogs, it was cool doing something different. 

The lunges were okay, I wasn't really sure how heavy I would be able to go on these since I haven't done them in awhile. I think 145 is decent. My right knee felt a little weird after I was done but I rolled it out and it feels fine now. 

The EMOM was okay, I started out with sets of five CTB pull ups but by the end I was down to four because I could feel my left palm starting to rip. Deadlifts were easy. I would like to be paired with Alex for this event if possible? I think he'll push me to keep moving more than anyone else. 

Row sprints were fine, my pace fell off a little bit on the third one. 

This is the third day in a row I've have absolutely zero motivation to train. I am so tired and feel physically and mentally exhausted right now. I'm sure it's a mixture of a number of things: I'm still recovering from the competition, I'm still sad about Dundie, it's hot and humid as fuck. My body has felt like garbage for the past three days and all I want to do is lay around in the air conditioning and sleep. 

8/9/2016

AM
6 sets:
500m row @2:04.0-2:04.9/500m 
2:30 walk rest (10:00 between sets 3&4- practice a few pistols here)

PM
3 rounds not for time
:60 handstand hold work
5 dragon flags
+
10:00 stone to shoulder and carry practice, small stone
+
5 sets @high effort:
15m handstand walk
.5 assault bike
200m run
3:00 walk rest
+
Crossover Symmetry recovery

AM
2:03.9
2:03.6
2:03.9
2:04.0
2:03.9
2:04.0

PM
complete
+
complete
+
2:54
? clock was reset
2:50
3:00
3:00
+
Balza rehab


Rows were tough today, still sore and tired. Pistols weren't bad, I wore my knee sleeves and metcons. I'll definitely wear my lifters for the competitions so they'll be much faster. 

Stone work was easy. 

The HSW/assault bike/run piece was terrible, it was so humid I couldn't breathe. I think that was the worst it has been in the gym in quite awhile. I just couldn't fully recover between each set because I couldn't really catch my breath. All handstand walks were unbroken and pretty fast. I tried to keep the assault bike around 58-60 RPM but it dipped down to 56 on the last two sets, I'm guessing that's why my fourth and fifth sets were slower? I don't think I slowed down that much on the run.

8/8/2016

A. Front squat w/chains, 1-1-1-1 starting moderate and building just a bit from there; 2:30 rest
+
Every :60 for 28:00 (7 of each)
1st: 8 wall balls, 20 to 9'
2nd: :30 very easy assault bike
3rd: 8 unbroken toes to bar
4th: :30 very easy assault bike
+
Crossover Symmetry recovery

A. 145-155-165-175
+
complete
+
Balza recovery


Front squats felt heavy. Still feeling very sore from Saturday. 

The EMOM was fine, the 20 pound wall balls actually weren't as bad as I thought they would be. Toes to bar were easy. 

For my buddy

This past weekend was both physically and emotionally draining. I had a six hour competition on Saturday. 24 hours earlier, my dog died.

I'm sad, tired, and heartbroken. 

Dundie went in Thursday to have his gallbladder removed. The day before, they had done a bunch of tests to make sure his heart could handle the surgery. They called us Thursday afternoon and said the surgery had been successful and he was resting comfortably. My dad got a call Friday morning and they told him Dundie's blood pressure had dropped and his heart was failing. My dad got another call soon after and they told him Dundie's heart had failed and this time they weren't able to revive him. He passed away. 

I came home Friday after coaching at CFC expecting to go visit Dundie at the hospital and bring him home the next day. I arrived home to my dad waiting for me in the kitchen, my mom sobbing, and my dad telling me Dundie died. I don't think I've ever been so sad or cried so hard. I kept repeating "no" over and over. I said they told us he would be okay and they said his heart could handle it, but my dad said sometimes this just happens after surgery. They did the best they could but he just couldn't hang on any longer. I was devastated. My dad and I went to the hospital to say goodbye to him and that was really hard. I couldn't really wrap my head around the fact that I would never see him again. 

On the way home, I realized I had to compete on Saturday. I told my dad I had no idea how I was going to get my mind right to focus on competing but he told me I should do it anyways because it would be a good way to get my mind off of everything. I wasn't sure if I was going to end up at the gym on Friday but I decided to go. I was sort of in a daze the whole time and cried twice in the bathroom. I did feel a little better while I was there but then I just got sad again as I was driving home, realizing Dundie wouldn't be there. 

I sent Emily a text Friday night telling her what happened and told her I might not be 100% focused at the competition. I still wanted to do it but at this point I wanted to just have a fun day with my friend. I didn't care if we made the podium or if we came in last. This didn't mean I wasn't going to give my full effort, but I honestly didn't care about the outcome anymore. 

I'm glad I ended up doing the competition because it was really fun and it made me feel better. It was a great day hanging out with Emily and we did really well on all the events (minus that wall climb.....). We both hit our goal numbers in the first event, we smashed the second event and we also crushed the floater workouts. We executed everything really well and I am really proud of our performance. I honestly had no idea how I would feel physically since I had basically been crying for ten hours straight the day before and I was already pretty drained physically and mentally. I basically just got my shit together before each event and focused on one thing at a time. I wasn't really worried about anything and I knew we would do a good job. We make a great team and Emily (and Heather) are awesome friends to me. 

So now it's Monday and I'm still sad. A little bit less now that the shock has worn off, but it still feels like someone sort of stomped me right in the heart. I don't really want to talk to anyone but at the same time I want to be around people so I don't think about it. It's mostly just weird not having him around. He was a member of our family for eleven years, that's a long time to love something and then suddenly he's not there anymore. It has definitely been a hard adjustment but I know it will get better eventually. 

Dundie was just the best dog. He was my buddy. I looked forward to seeing him every day. It's such a sad feeling driving home and knowing he isn't going to be there. He was always happy, he was weird, he was stubborn, he was smart, he was the best. He was very loved by my family and I will miss him so much.