6 miles, intervals, indoor track

I've sworn off interval speed training for about a year. I tried it for a while but it seemed that my body couldn't handle running sub 7:00 pace with any consitancy. I think I'm stronger now, so I decided to give it another shot.

1 mile warm up - 8:10
200 meters walking
1 mile - 5:59
400 meters walking
1 mile - 6:29
400 meters walking
800M - 3:27
2oo meters walking
800M - 3:40
200 meters walking
400M - 1:34
200 meters walking
400M - 1:34
200 meters walking
400M - 1:41
200 meters walking
400M - 1:38
200 meters walking
1 mile cool down: 10:00

I was gassed after the second mile repeat so the 800's and 400's were pretty slow but still really hard.

PM:

500M row: 1:38:70 (PR)
(Hey Mike, you don't remember your tenths do you??)

Mike set his 500M row PR last week with 1:38, so I was trying to beat that today. I started out the first 250 meters at a 1:34 pace, but couldn't hold it for the last half. I ended up tying Mike's time, and was spent! That's one of the toughest 1.5 minute workouts you can do! I think the only way I could row any faster than that would be if I was totally fresh, and that isn't likely to happen with McNaughton on the horizon, I have to keep my priorities straight.

200 crunches

AM:

CrossFit WOD: "Joshie"

Complete three rounds for time of:
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
21 L Pull-ups
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
21 L Pull-ups

that's the actual workout, my scaled down version was:

Complete three rounds for time of:
30 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
5 Pull-ups
30 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
5 Pull-ups

Time: 21:09

No way I can do 123 L pull-ups!! I had enough trouble doing the 30 regular pull-ups. One of my main hurtles with the pull-ups now, especially the kipping pull-ups, is my grip. I lose my grip after the first set of 7, and it's all down hill from there. I was supposed to do this workout on Tuesday, but I skipped it 1.) because I didn't want to wake up at 5 to do it (that's the only time I can get into the gym when it's not too crowded. If I wait until after work I can never get to the equipment I need to do the wod's, without waiting around, which really pisses me off.) and 2.) because I knew it would be hard. So I sucked it up today, got up early and got it done.

10 miles, 7:51 overall pace, indoor track

Splits

Mile 1: 7:56
Mile 2: 8:00
Mile 3: 7:59
Mile 4: 7:58
Mile 5: 7:59
(damn shoe came untied, spent 10 seconds retying, then had to make up the time.)
Mile 6: 7:59
Mile 7: 7:58
Mile 8: 7:59
Mile 9: 7:58
Mile 10: 6:47

This run was significantly easier than the 10 miles at 7:55 pace that I ran last week, although I wouldn't consider it easy. I am pretty close to being back where I was before my running break. I was very happy with this run. I felt strong at the end and was able to finish with the final mile in 6:47, which is less than a minute slower than my one mile PR, not bad for 10 miles in.

I am developing a case of medial tibia stress syndrome (shin splints) in my right shin. I am now pretty certain this is the same thing that was plaguing my left shin a few weeks ago. I think I can manage it better this time around and hopefully avoid taking time off. My shins have given me problems on and off ever since I started running, a couple years ago. I need to really work on strengthening them to avoid future problems.

After the run, I did the CF WOD.

Push Jerks 3x3x3x3x3

70lbs, 90lbs, 90lbs, 90lbs, 90lbs, 100lbs

then did 20 pull-ups.

I also wanted to mention that ever since I started CrossFit, it has been amazing the difference in the way I feel after my runs. Before I started cross-training, I would be sore and stiff after all of my runs, even 5 or 10 mile runs would leave me sore that day and still a little stiff when I would wake up the next morning. This has changed in the last few weeks. I wasn't sore at all after BT50k, or mile other training runs this week.

I have found that CrossFit doesn't necessarily make me a faster runner, but it has allowed me to run harder more often and has reduced my recovery time. If you have trouble with soreness, stiffness, nagging injuries or just want to speed up recovery time, I would recommend starting some type of weight training routine, more specifically, CrossFit. You can check out the website here. WWW.CROSSFIT.COM

PM:

4 miles, 7:50 pace, hilly roads

AM:
5 miles, 7:42 pace, indoor track

mile 1: 7:41
mile 2: 7:43
mile 3: 7:45
mile 4: 7:45
mile 5: 7:37

CrossFit WOD:

Back squats

3x3x3x3x3

Set 1: 100lbs
Set 2: 120lbs
Set 3: 140lbs
Set 4: 140lbs
Set 5: 140lbs

5 miles, 15:00 pace, trails

I went to Mt. Airy for the first time in a long time today. The trails were very muddy, which made for slow going, but it was nice being out in the woods. I spent some time working out a training plan for McNaughton, it's less than 2.5 months away!

CrossFit WOD: Tabata Something else

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.

Pull ups: 5,4,3,2,1,1,1,1 = 18
Push ups: 7,7,7,7,7,7,7,7 = 54
Sit ups: 9,9,9,9,9,9,9,9 = 72
Squats: 13,13,13,13,13,13,13,13 = 104
Total: 248

5 miles, 7:29 overall pace, outdoor track

It was perfect weather for a hard run outside tonight, 47 degrees with a light breeze. This is the first training run I've done outside so far this year, I know, I'm a wimp. I've been chained to the indoor track at the rec. So I finally went outside, but I was still running around in circles on a track. I like the precision of a track while I'm doing fast runs, I know exactly where I need to be at any given time to reach my time goals for the run, and you can hit your splits dead on. My quads and upper body were tired from CrossFit this morning, keeping good form was hard after the first mile, but it was a pretty good run. I was really hauling the last 800m, trying to get my final mile under 7 minutes.

Splits:

Mile 1: 7:12
Mile 2: 7:31
Mile 3: 7:49
Mile 4: 7:54
Mile 5: 6:58

Crossfit WOD: "Cindy"

as many rounds as you can do in 20 minutes of:

5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

Back to doing CF workouts by myself again :( it wasn't so bad today. The rec center has a decent pull-up bar, although it is angled funny, I can still do a full kip. I'll just have to wait and see if I get in trouble for doing Olyimpic lifts, I figure if I go in early in the morning when no one else is there I should be ok. But they still don't have gymnastic rings, kettle bells or medicine balls.

I did 8 rounds in 20 minutes. For some reason the first two rounds, I was thinking I had to do 50 squats instead of 15, so that made the first to rounds suck pretty bad. I strained my left quad while running on Wednesday. It was a minor strain, so I just stayed off of it for a couple days, it feels fine now.

Round 1: 1:56
Round 2: 2:00
Round 3: 1:27
Round 4: 2:13
Round 5: 2:31
Round 6: 2:27
Round 7: 2:45
Round 8: 3:13

Totals
40 pull-ups
80 push-ups
170 squats (I did 50, 30 the first to sets by mistake.)

I might do some running on the track later today. If the Chipotle buritto I just ate digests before I have to go watch Brock Lesnar's UFC debut tonight.