WOD: 3 Miles at the Track

Warmup

walk a lap, jog a lap, stretch

Workout

3 miles around the track.

Need to stay close to my car since I'm on call, so no road runs for a couple weeks.

Results

Well the gymboss timer reset again sometime during the run, so I have no idea how long it took me. It's a great little interval timer for my home workouts, but I'm going to have to find something else to time my runs. Maybe I'll see if I can't find some way to just clip my phone to my shorts and find a timer app to install.

My knees were definitely sore before the run. They hurt just walking around the track (which was paved) and really hurt when I first started jogging. But once I got going the pain kind of subsided. It was still there, but tolerable. I'm hoping these are relatively normal pains that most people go through when they start running. Nonetheless, I'm still going to pick up some glucosamine w/chondroitin.

My stomach also started to cramp up around the mile and half mark. Like before, it was tolerable, just annoying. Lungs felt fine the entire run. I'm pretty sure I have the cardio for at least 4 miles and probably more - it's the rest of my body that's holding me back.

WOD: Fun With Ladders

Warmup

joint mobility, pullups, squats, deadlifts, stretching

Workout

For time, ladder down from 20, by 2s (not separate, 4 exercises at each rung)

-swings (20kg)

-pushups (on the 20kg bell handles)

-shrugs (20kg)

-leg lifts

Results

Finished in 32:45, could have done better. I was feeling weak today, coming down from a coffee high. But this workout turned out to be just what I needed.

Swings were easier than I thought, should have gone with the 24kg bell. Shrugs and leg lifts were pretty easy too. Pushups got tough.

The only broken reps were on the pushups in the 4th round (10,4). There were a couple other "bridge" rests with the pushups, but I don't consider those broken.

WOD: 3 1/2 Miles

Warmup

Stetching, joint mobility

Workout

3 1/2 mile road run in Mt Lebanon:

-Start at Washington Rd and Jefferson Dr

-Follow Jefferson down and around to Orchid

-Take Orchid back to Washington Rd

-Take Washington down to Mt Lebanon Blvd

-Follow Mt Lebanon Blvd back to Orchid

-Take Orchid back to Washington Rd again

Results

Actually mapped out a 3 mile run but made a wrong turn and just went with it. Lungs felt pretty good, but definitely felt the hills in my legs. Also had a cramp that would come and go - nothing much more than uncomfortable though.

WOD: 5 Min Long Cycles

Warmup

joint mobility, deadlifts, swings, stretching

Workout

2 rounds of 5 min LCCJ

Finished with some rack/waiter holds

Results

1st Round Reps: 7,7,6,6,7

2nd Round Reps: 7,7,3,8,7

Tried the 2nd round w/o gloves, too much sweat equals not enough grip. Put the bell down in the 3rd minute after 3 reps to put the gloves back on.

I'm not sure if I have 10 minutes in me yet, but I'll probably give it a shot next week...at least see where I am

WOD: Another 3 Miles

Warmup

brief walk, some stretching

Workout

3 mile road run

Same Mt Lebanon route as before

-At Cedar and Stadium Dr (entrance mt lebo park/high school/ice rink)

-Head South to Beadling Rd (1/2 mile, flat)

-Turn left at Beadling Rd (3/4 mile, steady uphill, this is where I had to walk)

-Turn left on Washington Rd (1/2 mile, flat)

-Turn left on Cochran (1/2 mile, steep downhill)

-Turn left on Cedar (1/2 mile, flat)

-Turn left on Stadium Dr (less than 1/4 mile, uphill)

Results

I forgot my trusty gymboss timer, so I don't know how long it took. But I'm sure it was faster than the last run, because I did not have to walk at all.

The new shoes felt good! I still think I run kind of hard, but the shoes did a good of absorbing a lot of the impact.

WOD: Tens For Twenty

Warmup

stretching, joint mobility

Workout

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes

-10 jumping pullups

-10 pushups

-10 situps

Results

11 rounds + 10 pullups and 8 pushups. Happy enough with that.

My pullups will forever be weak...just don't spend enough time on them I guess. They were broken in the 4th round, and one-at-a-time for a couple rounds.

Pushups were pretty decent. I didn't need to "bridge" for rest until the 10th round.

I liked this one - simple but effective.

WOD: 3 Miles

Warmup

just a brief walk, no stretching (probably not smart)

Workout

2.8 mile road run (too nice outside to work out inside)

Results

Finished in 31:06 which included about 2-3 min walking. Muscles were a little sore going uphill, joints/feet a little sore on the downhill.

The route I took was in Mt Lebanon

-At Cedar and Stadium Dr (entrance mt lebo park/high school/ice rink)

-Head South to Beadling Rd (1/2 mile, flat)

-Turn left at Beadling Rd (3/4 mile, steady uphill, this is where I had to walk)

-Turn left on Washington Rd (1/2 mile, flat)

-Turn left on Cochran (1/2 mile, steep downhill)

-Turn left on Cedar (1/2 mile, flat)

-Turn left on Stadium Dr (less than 1/4 mile, uphill)

WOD: 4 Miles

Warmup

Walk around the high school and once around the track, stretch

Workout

3 rounds at the track

-run a mile

-walk a lap

Results

Ran 3 miles and walked 1. The timer either didn't start or reset during the 1st mile, so I didn't get my time on it. For the 2nd and 3rd mile, I clocked in at 9:38 and 9:54 respectively.

For the 2nd and 3rd mile, I pushed hard on the last lap and sprinted the last 100.

Definitely something I want to keep up with this summer and eventually migrate from the track to the roads...

WOD: More Long Cycle Mayhem

Warmup

pullups, pushups, squats, stretching

Workout

20 reps of LCCJ, 5 rounds (35lb)

Results

I didn't time the rest between rounds. Waited long enough for the heart rate to come down but still have tired muscles.

I'm still not satisfied with my cleans. I either use too much biceps and tire them out or not enough and slam the bells down on my shoulders. The more reps I do, the worse the form gets....just gotta keep working at it

WOD: My Baby Baby Barbara

Warmup

joint mobility/stretching

Workout

2 rounds, each for time, 3 min rest between rounds

-10 pullups

-20 pushups

-30 situps

-40 squats

Results

This was going to be at least 4 rounds, but my stomach wasn't feeling real good so i decided to stop. The times were 3:03 and 3:27.

Even though I only pulled off 2 rounds, it was still a good workout. This one is exhausting

Stripping Some Paint

I've been thinking for a while now that I want to pick up a pair of competition bells - probably 20kg, since I already have the 2 35lb kbs (even though they're not competition bells).

So the question is whether I should go with AKC or Perform Better. I have the 24kg kb I bought from Perform Better. Their prices are great and they ship almost immediately. The problem is that they have a very glossy, "smooth as glass" finish...including the handles. Even with as little as I use that bell, I find that slippery finish annoying....it makes it tough to hold onto after a while.

I've read about other people stripping the paint off of the handles on their bells, and I decided to give it a shot. If the paint would come off easily and the bare handle had a good feel, then I'd feel comfortable ordering more competition bells from Perform Better.

Indeed, I think it went pretty well. I bought some Ready Strip paint remover in a spray bottle for about $12 and some cheap stripping pads. I wrapped the bell in plastic garbage bag, leaving just the handle showing. I applied the Ready Strip and let it sit for about 40 min. I took one of the pads and tested an area by trying to scrub the paint off...and it came right off.

After stripping the paint, I cleaned off the handle with some water and let it dry. I did a couple swings, cleans, jerks and snatches. The handle feels MUCH better now.

WOD: Long Cycle on Parade Day

Warmup

joint mobility/stretching, apt sprints

Workout

5 rounds of LCCJ for 2:30 min

Results

I liked how easy this was. Then again, I probably should have gone a bit harder too. I didn't keep track of the exact rest time between rounds, but it was 1-2 min. Next time, I'll do 5 minute rounds

I was trying to work on my breathing which makes it tough for me to keep track of reps. But I managed to pay attention enough to know I got 16 reps in the 2nd round and 18 in the 5th. I'm happy with that.

And still need to work on my breathing. I get winded kind of easily and then my breathing just ends up all over the place.

After watching some vids on youtube, I made a few changes to my clean which seem to help a lot.

WOD: 20 Minutes, 3 Exercises

Warmup

ribbons, squats, halos, stretching

Workout

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes

-5 double racked squats (35lb)

-5 burpees

-5 ring rows

Results

Busted out 12 rounds + 5 squats. This one really had the heart rate soaring and lungs screaming.

I think I'll do jumping pullups next time instead of ring rows. The rows kinda ruined the flow.

WOD: Statics Day

Workout

5 rounds of the following static holds - 40s for each hold, 20s rest between holds

-rack hold

-waiter hold

-plank

-wall sit

-v-sit hold

Finsished with a tabata of side bends

Results

The good news is that the rack and waiter holds were easier than I remember. The wall sits and v-sits were tougher than I remember, but I'm ok with that.

WOD: Jerks

Warmup

3 rounds of 5 pullups/10 squats.

some apt sprints

joint mobility/stretching

Workout

5 rounds:

2 min double jerks (35lb)

2 min rest

finished with a tabata of side bends

Results

I averaged between 16-14 jerks per round.

My arms were getting tired in the rack, and resting in the overhead was not much of an option either. Overall, I'm satisfied with the results though.

Side bends felt great. Aside from the forearm work, it was a great stretch for my back. Might have to do more of those in the future.

WOD: Just a Walk

Workout

Just a 4 mile walk around the neighborhood

Results

The sun was out and temperatures up a little bit, so a walk sounded like a good idea. Felt good...legs were getting a little sore toward the end, but not bad.

WOD: Who Doesn't Have 16 Minutes?

Warmup

just some basic joint/mobility/stretching stuff

Workout

4 continuous rounds of this rotating tabata (1 round = 2 times through = 4 min)

mountain climbers

scissor kicks

half burpees

scissor kicks

Results

This is exactly what I was looking for tonight - something quick, not too intense, and got the heart rate up a bit.

Separate tabatas are almost always more difficult than these rotating ones, but I'm ok with that.

WOD: Killer Routine

Warmup

joint/mobility stuff

apartment sprints

deadlifts

squats

Workout

5 rounds of this circuit (double 35lb)

1 clean, 1 squat, 1 jerk, 1 man maker

2 cleans, 2 squats, 2 jerks, 2 man makers

3 cleans, 3 squats, 3 jerks, 3 man makers

Finsished with some rack/waiter/farmer holds

Note: the man-maker consists of a pushup + renegade row (l/r)

Results

It's been a while since I've done this workout, and this was easier than I remembered. Not easy, just easier than I remembered.

It took me 20:33 to complete the 5 rounds. I didn't keep track of each round exactly, but it was somewhere around 3 min per round + 1 min of rest.

When I first tried this workout about a year ago, I couldn't do the renegade row. I would instead just balance myself on the one bell with the other arm straight out to the side.

Overall I'm pleased with how I did and might try to do 3 sets of 1-4 ladders next time....

WOD: One Arm Ladders

Warmup

-joint/mobility stuff

-deadlifts

-windmills

-walking lunges

Workout

One arm ladders, 10-1, alt l/r

-swings

-cleans

-jerks

-snatches

Results

Failed on the swings due to sore back. I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with my lower back on the left as it always hurts on high reps of swings. And it's sore in general - during other exercises and even when I'm not working out

Cleans were relatively easy. I really enjoy getting into that rocking motion with one-arm cleans

Jerks were tough. I'm gonna try to concentrate on jerks more and more. right foot still cramping up a lot on jerks too, not sure what i can do about that.

I tried just chalking up for the snatches...that didn't last long. So I ended up using the double glove solution. That does save my hands from getting torn up, but that extra padding makes the grip a lot tougher. That's great if I'm working on my grip, but sucks when trying to do high reps of snatches.