I really enjoyed this morning's WOD.


1. Push Press, 4 x 6
2. 10 rounds for time
    5 handstand push ups, scaled to a. get upside down, b. 8 hand-release push ups
    10 American KB swings (24kg)


I held back just a bit on the push presses as I want to have good shoulders for tomorrow's bench session.


I've met with Jim R. and Chris D twice and really had great workouts.
Week 1: 5x5 @180, finishing with board presses and db presses.
Week 2: 5x3 @185, finishing with floor presses (?) and tricep ext/rows. 
I need to write down the content of the works sets! Jim is working up a schedule to build towards some big singles. I'm looking to top out over 250 at the end of the next couple of cycles and hit 300 in the early fall.


I went over 300# doing triples and doubles in the back squat last Thursday and felt very good. I could use more depth and I should set up the GoPro to analyze my depth and posture coming out of the hole. Based on how I felt after a good warm up and topping out at 335, I think a 1 rep max around 400 is possible.


All continues to go well with the diet. last Friday's check in with Judy went like this, down a total of 10 lbs, but lean muscle mass is up 10 lbs. So I've shed 20 lbs of fat. 

Last Friday I met with Judy for a 2/3 week weigh-in. The final number was actually a net loss of 7 lbs, with an increase in lean muscle mass of ~2.5 lbs. I'll take that. One of the important topics we talked about at this meeting was pre-/during and post- workout nutrition. The plan is to not alter the 2400 cal/5 meal per day template, but feed each workout. At the moment I don't have a strict plan for pre-workout fueling, but for workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes I will shoot for around 300 calories per hour (total food & drink), plus 30 ounces of water** (water/energy drink) and 600 mg of sodium. I'll post more here about the products once I've picked them up and tried them. for post-workout, I'll either make my own or use a commercial product. For post-cycling I may pick up a container of Accelerade or Endurox, but for WODs, lifting, etc I've been experimenting with Myoplex and a shake made from water, almond milk, ON whey protein and fruit. Time will tell if I feel strong from one workout to the next.    


The eating plan continues to be easy to follow although sometimes still hard to get all my calories in. I also continue to be relatively free from the desire to go out to the kitchen and binge.


I inadvertently got 2 heavy deadlift sessions on successive days. Yesterday's WOD had 5x2 heavies between a warmup and the AMRAP and I'd already worked a few sets of speed pulls into 3 singles on Monday before going to spin. Still, after going easy for a few I pulled 385 on the last set and missed rep 2. 


Today I finished a 3-3-3 set of push jerks with 2 shaky reps at 175 and missed #3. Something to look forward to ;)


Tomorrow ought to be very interesting. Jim R invited me to join he and Chris D at his garage to start bench press sessions.  

I finished up with OnRamp last Friday and my impressions were really positive. I like the workout structure. I like most of the content. I'll save any commentary on philosophical differences for later after I have some time logged.


I signed up for 3 months on Monday and am looking forward to seeing what I can do. I hit the 7 am WODs on Tuesday and Wednesday then Viv's kettlebell class tonight. So many thoughts.


Some early positive reactions.


I've spoken to several coaches now and I feel really good about having so many sources of information right there. I know I'm going to have questions about fitting in WODs/extras into a week, especially around cycling, and it'll be great to have other ideas rather than coming up with all that on my own.


There is an emerging focus to include powerlifting techniques into the Crossfit gyms. Since that is already familiar to me and something I like doing it should provide some enjoyable stimulus. I also I'm excited to learn and work on the olympic lifts. Had a great time on Tuesday with the split jerk.


There's a really good energy in the place with a bunch of faces I already know. 


The paleo diet focus coincides nicely with Judy's input. 


Some self examination:


My core is really weak. My aerobic power is only ok, not as good as it was, but I feel like I'm improving. I'm really going to need to be serious about recovery work because I was very stiff and sore this morning and I know I can do something about that.


I should keep a list of things I really suck at and work up a schedule to spend extra time on those. 


My strength is off in the snatch and C&P. Presumably detraining effect. Maybe I'll do some low reps with bigger bells and see what happens.


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Other business. 


Paleo eating plan is going well. Daily weight bounces a bit, but I'm down ~13lbs  
in 2 weeks. That's not the whole story though. I feel pretty damn good. I think I'm drinking too much coffee, but the fatigue is largely gone (may be from working out too...) and I haven't felt dizzy/spacey. Blood sugar? I dont know but I'm obviously to keep on doing the same thing.


Jim and I finally got out for a 25 miler on Sunday. The weather was great and I felt pretty decent. Fat, but decent. I'll have to make a decision soon about the MDD ride in August.

Started Crossfit on-ramp Monday night and attended the second session tonight. Monday we reviewed ring rows, push ups, air squats and burpees. Tonight we went over wall balls, the back squat, using the foam roller and some fitness stuff. No real hard workout yet. Toughest part of tonight was 30 wall balls. I did mine in about a minute but my form sucks. 


One of the instructors wanted me to go with a narrower stance when squatting but I'm sticking with my wide(ish) sumo stance.


I could not believe how effective the foam roller is! Holy crap it made me gasp for breath it hurt so bad. Gotta get me one of those.


I'm thinking I'll try going back to Viv's kettlebell class tomorrow. 

Well, I've been back in New York since March 7th. While it feels great to be back and working at Genius Industrial Solutions, I managed to pack on ~35 lbs since the 1st of the year. Dear God.


I haven't been back to kettlebell class yet, but I anticipate doing that soon. I had my first session this past Friday with a trainer and she is going to help me me with diet and workout planning. Here is her website. Judy would like to see me on the paleo diet, which is a nice coincidence because I am starting the crossfit on-ramp session on Monday.


Judy measured my RMR at ~ 3100 kCal/day which surprised the hell out of me. Just goes to show how badly I was overeating to pack on that much weight so quickly. 


Not much else to report. Will check back in soon.

Fall Update.

Back again after a long lapse in writing. No time off from the workouts though and here is the latest.

Saturday I met Jim at the club for a short one. I spent just under 25 minutes on the Concept 2, doing a bit over 5k (24 minutes) then a couple of sets of easy squats @225 just to wake up the legs. Sunday I hit Viv's Sunday morning kettlebell workout. I was anxious to test myself because I've only done 2 short kb workouts in the past 3 weeks with only a 16kg bell, because I relocated to San Juan, PR 3 weeks ago and my schedule is a bit chaotic.

Yup. Quit my job at PBS/PBBI/PB MapInfo/MapInfo to go work for Thaddeus.

[another lapse]

Back again. Having a quiet moment here in the office at the end of a day. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Dennis closed the office at 1. It's now 5.

I've been here a month and I still have very mixed feelings. Professionally I am convinced this is a great move. Personally, it feels like a term of service. Like I volunteered for a deployment. I know I don't have to be here, part of me wants to and part of me does not. Perhaps more accurately, at times I really want to be here and other times I can't wait to leave.

So a synopsis of the past month.

1 week prior to departure, mounting anticipation, tension, anxiety.
Departure day; anticipation, separation anxiety
1st week. Wow. Work was good. Evenings got progressively worse, pretty depressed. Couldn't wait to book my flight home for the planned 3 week visit
Moved in with Thaddeus and Stephanie.
Week 2 was better. Felt a bit awkward about a bunch of things. Really feeling negative about the city.
Week 3 better yet, but reactions still cycling from "ok with this" to "this blows." Flew home at the end of week 3, back to work on Tuesday.
Week 4, work settling into a routine. Work is good, hours are too long but what else would I be doing? Sitting around the apartment on the computer wishing I was doing something I enjoyed?

The riding is ok, but I always feel stressed before and largely during, especially the first and last 9+ miles. Not really comfortable doing my kettlebell thing in the garage. I have a large internal debate raging over whether to get my own place or stay where I am, and whether to get a car or not.

More later...

Tuesday: Bike ride from home, out and back in 1:02 and change. Averaged 17.9 and good power 60m NP 202 watts.

Wednesday: BodyPump was good.
Squat track: 25kg, felt like a could have gone heavier.
Chest track: 25kg, felt good until the last set then battled.
Back/glutes/hams: 25 kg, tough track. CnP reps didn't have the row to break things up.
Tricep track:17kg, very, very hard.
Bicep track:15kg, hard.
Lunge track:Hard but improving
Shoulder track: Ouch. Push ups on the bar. Overheads were hard by now.(20kg)
Ab track: meh, tired by now
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Thursday
Kettlebells then spin.

5 x 30 2H swings with a 24kg bell, 30 second rest interval.

Using 16kg doubles, 3 rounds of:
5 clean and press
25 2H swings
5 clean and press
5 front squats
25 2H swings
5 snatch
5 clean and press

again with doubles...
6/7/8/9/10 thrusters

2 rounds walk (20kg overhead)/kb burpees