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Always Be Smashing

Must have taken a good punch to the head on Saturday, neck has been sore the last couple days.

11/03 10:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
82min treadmill run / walk 5.6m

11/04 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +

11/04 21:00

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
DL 1x5 345#
Pullups 7,6,6,5
ZSQT 3x5 185#
BB side press 4x5 70#

Today was a grind, front to back.
 
11/05 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
62min treadmill run / walk 4.3m

11/05 15:00

Static stretching sequence x1

No evening training - feeling a little run down, and just wanted some family time.
 
11/06 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
47min treadmill run/walk 3.3m

Volleyball in the evening. Good session, took 2 games off a much quicker team.

Neck is feeling about normal again. But, I am solidly in a low point for training. Nothing feels great. Yesterday I just didn't have the heart to subject myself to 1.5 hours of karate practice. Presses and pullups in particular feel weak. Waking up tired most mornings. Feeling generally run down.

I'm certain it's a matter of too many stressors. TSC, karate tournament, Spartan coming up. On top of all that, we're in the process of buying a new house. Bigger garage, bigger gym, bigger yard, all good stuff... but financial stuff is always a big stressor.

The little voice in my head says "suck it up, buttercup"... but the other voice in my head says, "that's the idiot who gets us hurt."

Go by feel, I guess.
 
Opted to sleep in this morning. Hour makes quite a difference.

11/07 22:00

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
DL 1x5 345#
Pullups 7,6,6,5
ZSQT 3x5 185#
BB side press 4x5 70#
 
11/08 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
62min treadmill run / walk 4.3m

11/08 21:30

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
KB snatch 10x4 40
TGU 5x1 x side 40,48,40x3

Sets of 4 on the snatches definitely took it out of me. Wrist came close to failure on the 2nd TGU with the beast, did not feel safe.
 
11/09 09:00

10k run 64min
Average HR 156, max 186

All nasal breathing, but clearly that's not a good indication of controlling HR. Kept pace steady for the first 3.5m, then dialed it up a bit, and the HR profile was the same. But my steady HR was around 147, higher than I hoped. Felt better than the race in September, not so sore afterwards. But still a long way to go.

11/09 21:30

Static stretching sequence x1
 
Good stuff...

Thanks, sir. Though, re-reading my entry, I might have given the wrong impression about my HR profile. It stayed steady for the first 3.5m at about 147, but once I kicked the pace up, HR popped up to 160s, and then just slowly climbed up to around 180 at the finish. Like I could put a pin in it and say "acid bath starts here". So, HR followed pace.

Pace-wise, while I thought I was going reasonably slow, even the steady pace was still ~20% faster than my treadmill training slogs - and HR ran around 20% higher. That's satisfying from a mathematics perspective, I suppose.

This is yet another data point that my max HR is somewhere in the high 180s, so I suppose it's time to start calibrating around that.
 
11/11 06:00

5min samurai getups
- niten ichi style!
EYFS +
- 9x on SLDL

11/11 15:00

Static stretching sequence x1

11/11 21:00

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
DL 1x3 390#
Pullups 7,6,5,4
ZSQT 3x5 210#
BB side press 4x3 75#

Oof, rough session. Shoulder generally sore today (I think from a Sunday night volleyball game ), and belly full of tacos and margaritas.

DL were passable. Double overhand on first rep, then went to switch grip.

I actually tried 8,7,6,5 on pullups, but missed last rep on each set. Similarly tried 80# on side presses, and it just was not to be. Ugh.
 
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11/13 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
47min treadmill run/walk 3.3m

Volleyball in the evening.

11/14 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +
- now with neck bridging

My neck felt almost normal a few days after the karate tournament... and has stayed at "almost" normal for a while now. Made me think that I would probably benefit from some direct neck work, and mobility session seemed like the best place to fit it in. I hesitate to call myself a "combat athlete" since I'm not all that dedicated to karate, but even so, I probably get punched in the head more often than a lot of people.

So, here's what my sequence looks like now:

Circuit x3
- SLDL 20 x9
- KB pullover x10 24
- Assisted wrestlers bridge x8
Circuit x3
- Bretzel x10
- KB arm bar x10 24
- Assisted front neck bridge x8
Circuit x3
- Hindu pushups x10
- Tactical frog x10
Circuit x3
- Cossack squat x8 16
- Kneeling lunge x10 24
- TRX face pull x10

11/14 13:30

Static stretching sequence x1

11/14 21:30

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
DL 1x3 395#
- first 2 DOH, then switch grip
Circuit L3x4
- KB C&P 32
- Pullups (chest to bar)
ZSQT 3x3 215#

Press & pullups have been feeling lousy lately, and I've been thinking to do an ROP-style cycle next anyway, so I threw in some ROP style work today for fun. I put myself on the clock - 1 min per ladder rep to complete. Doesn't feel like enough time, actually.
 
11/15 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
62min treadmill run/walk 4.2m

Definitely running on tired legs.

11/16 13:00

Spartan Super 8m, 3hrs
- Burpees 15 x 6
- Hurt and sick :(

Not a good experience this time around.

The good:
  • First half of the race felt strong. There were a few monkey-bar-type obstacles where I felt like my hanging/swinging has really improved.
  • No cramps. I was determined not to cramp, so I ended up walking most of the back half.
The bad:
  • First obstacle I missed was a ring swing with a transition to a rope swing. Ring swings, I can do... rope swings, not so much. I made it to the last rope, then my grip gave out - so I paid 95% of the energy cost for doing the obstacle, then paid the energy cost for burpees. Need to work on rope/towel hanging.
  • Second obstacle I missed was the "olympus", which is sort of a bouldering wall with no foot holds. I think they made it harder + longer this year, I've completed this before. I made it about 80% of the way - again, paying most of the energy cost for doing the obstacle - then fell. More burpees. Need to work grip endurance (re-gripping multiple times in succession).
  • Then I missed the spear throw. I haven't practiced it all year, and just completely missed the target. Have to keep up skill practice. More burpees.
  • After 90 burpees, my pecs were wiped out. So on the twister, another obstacle I've completed before, I strained my pec (and, of course, fell). Couldn't do any more obstacles that required hanging or pulling with one arm after that. Couldn't even do burpees, it hurt to get in plank position. So I ended up skipping two other obstacles. Need to improve strength endurance.
  • About an hour after the race was over, my body started shutting down. Basically got flu symptoms - nausea, vomiting, alternating between chills and sweats. So, instead of going out for a nice dinner with my wife and my brother, I spent the evening draped over the side of the bathtub, wishing I was dead. I'm guess this was due to not enough fuel - I had breakfast a little before 9, and didn't eat lunch. There was nothing in my stomach, I was throwing up pretty much nothing but water.
So, here I am on the second day afterwards. Pec strain doesn't seem too bad, I'm not in any acute pain or having any range of motion limitations, just need to let it rest for a while. My legs actually feel surprisingly good - my shins are a little sore, but no quad/hamstring soreness. I was able to eat normally yesterday, though my stomach still seems a little sensitive.

All in all, not a positive experience - actually has made me a little gun-shy about signing up for another (throwing up sucks!!!). But at the same time, with a few adjustments and some more training in the right areas, I feel like this could have been a really good race for me, based on how the first half felt. Based on how my legs feel, I probably could have run more if my body wasn't in the process of shutting down. Who knows, maybe the whole race would have gone differently.

Live to fight/run/puke another day, I guess.
 
11/15 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 4x10 pushups
62min treadmill run/walk 4.2m

Definitely running on tired legs.

11/16 13:00

Spartan Super 8m, 3hrs
- Burpees 15 x 6
- Hurt and sick :(

Not a good experience this time around.

The good:
  • First half of the race felt strong. There were a few monkey-bar-type obstacles where I felt like my hanging/swinging has really improved.
  • No cramps. I was determined not to cramp, so I ended up walking most of the back half.
The bad:
  • First obstacle I missed was a ring swing with a transition to a rope swing. Ring swings, I can do... rope swings, not so much. I made it to the last rope, then my grip gave out - so I paid 95% of the energy cost for doing the obstacle, then paid the energy cost for burpees. Need to work on rope/towel hanging.
  • Second obstacle I missed was the "olympus", which is sort of a bouldering wall with no foot holds. I think they made it harder + longer this year, I've completed this before. I made it about 80% of the way - again, paying most of the energy cost for doing the obstacle - then fell. More burpees. Need to work grip endurance (re-gripping multiple times in succession).
  • Then I missed the spear throw. I haven't practiced it all year, and just completely missed the target. Have to keep up skill practice. More burpees.
  • After 90 burpees, my pecs were wiped out. So on the twister, another obstacle I've completed before, I strained my pec (and, of course, fell). Couldn't do any more obstacles that required hanging or pulling with one arm after that. Couldn't even do burpees, it hurt to get in plank position. So I ended up skipping two other obstacles. Need to improve strength endurance.
  • About an hour after the race was over, my body started shutting down. Basically got flu symptoms - nausea, vomiting, alternating between chills and sweats. So, instead of going out for a nice dinner with my wife and my brother, I spent the evening draped over the side of the bathtub, wishing I was dead. I'm guess this was due to not enough fuel - I had breakfast a little before 9, and didn't eat lunch. There was nothing in my stomach, I was throwing up pretty much nothing but water.
So, here I am on the second day afterwards. Pec strain doesn't seem too bad, I'm not in any acute pain or having any range of motion limitations, just need to let it rest for a while. My legs actually feel surprisingly good - my shins are a little sore, but no quad/hamstring soreness. I was able to eat normally yesterday, though my stomach still seems a little sensitive.

All in all, not a positive experience - actually has made me a little gun-shy about signing up for another (throwing up sucks!!!). But at the same time, with a few adjustments and some more training in the right areas, I feel like this could have been a really good race for me, based on how the first half felt. Based on how my legs feel, I probably could have run more if my body wasn't in the process of shutting down. Who knows, maybe the whole race would have gone differently.

Live to fight/run/puke another day, I guess.
Thanks for sharing the experience.

My two pennies worth....

Running and grip.

A poor grip will allow one to fail a lot of obstacles.
Having a deep aerobic base will make recovery from all of the obstacles better, and will obviously decrease ones overall time.

I used to practice the spear throw. I got really good at it. But would miss in competition. These days I probably would not waste time for practice except for a few throws the week prior.

And I would most certainly never practice burpees...

Don't get discouraged... you just need to dial in what type of training is going to work best for you...
 
Running and grip.

Yes, and yes.

I feel like I'm finally doing the right thing running-wise (in no small part due to some of your recommendations), just gotta keeping racking up the easy miles. But this shows that it's time to put some more significant focus into grip. Kettlebells have done a lot for my general grip strength, but obviously they leave a few aspects wanting.

I used to practice the spear throw. I got really good at it. But would miss in competition. These days I probably would not waste time for practice except for a few throws the week prior.

Last year during the summer, I went out and threw a javelin for just 15 minutes once every week - even that little seemed like enough to keep a reasonable skill. Plus that's just fun, and my son likes coming out to do it too (I made him a mini-spear).

And I would most certainly never practice burpees...

Hah, I hear you. I do actually train burpees somewhat regularly, but not as an AMRAP beat-down - I do low reps / high power, primarily for sand volleyball training. I've actually found them pretty effective for that - I can hit the sand, then pop back up and hit a good spike quicker than most folks.

I'm wondering, though, if some pushup endurance (which I certainly don't have) might not benefit my hanging endurance. I've read the Armstrong pullup program - which is insane - but he uses pushup endurance as an assistance exercise.

Don't get discouraged... you just need to dial in what type of training is going to work best for you...

Much appreciated, sir.
 
11/19 13:00

Static stretching sequence x1

Took most of this day off, just feeling run down.

11/20 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 7x6 pushups
- Pec wasn't interested in sets of 10, but let me do a few pushups at least
47min treadmill run / walk 3.3m

Volleyball in the evening. Went 1 and 2 against a much better team - which just seems to be how we roll. We steal 1 game when we really never should.

Feeling pretty much normal finally. Plan is to take it pretty easy going through the US Thanksgiving holiday next week, then dive into a randomized ROP variant I've been formulating. As long as the pec is on board with that plan, of course.
 
11/21 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +
- Back to hindu pushups

11/21 20:30

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
Circuit x5
- KB snatch 2x5 32
- Pushups x10
TGU 5x1 x side 32
Grip circuit x3

Getting lazy about getting my stretches in... gotta get back to it.
 
11/22 06:00

Agile 8-1 + 5x10 pushups
62min treadmin run/walk 4.3m

11/22 17:45

GSQT 3x5 48,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
Circuit x4
- KB snatch 2x5 32
- Pushups x10
TGU 6x1 x side 32
Grip circuit x3

11/22 21:45

Static stretching sequence x1

Nothing left in the tank for bar hangs due to earlier grip circuit.
 
11/24 11:00

Skiing. Day 1 is tough.

11/25 11:00

More skiing.

11/25 14:00

GSQT 3x5 32
Shoulder dislocates 3x5
- with some weight, this could be a good overhead extension replacement
Bridge 3x6
Wall overhead extensions 3x6
Circuit x5
- KB snatch 2x5 32
- Pushups x10
Bent press 5x1 x side 32

Bent press was tough on tired legs.
 
11/26 12:00

Skiing. Hit the ground pretty hard today - jammed a thumb, and neck will probably have a knot. :rolleyes: At least got the first wipe out of the season out of the way.

11/27 10:30

Agile 8-1 + 6x10 pushups
75min treadmill run/walk 5.0m
EYFS +
- skipped cossacks/lunges/rows, between skiing and jogging my legs just need more rest
Grip circuit x3

Only thing they had to hang from in this rec center were rubberized neutral-grip handles. Wow, what a difference that makes - felt like I could have hung there all day. If only the rest of the world was rubberized... ;)
 
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