C2 Rower Workout

Basically a longer, slower repeat of Tuesday's workout. I warmed up dynamically and added 10# medicine ball circles (both directions). Then hit the Gravitron for 100# assisted pull-ups (2/3/2/2/3). I moved over to the rower and finished 5k in 21:57 (145bpm avg/155 max). I hope to run 5k in that time soon.

C2 Rower TT

Sunday took a bit of a toll and with some tightness in my right calf I decided to skip running this week. Swimming doesn't really get me in shape. I get through the water efficiently so I only train my stroke a few weeks before a race (I consider swimming 10% fitness and the rest a mix of technique and water courage). I didn't wake up in time for a Spinning Class. I really needed a workout today. Thankfully the crew @ Crossfit Endurance rx'd a Time Trial (TT) for today's workout so I got to row 2k. Right now I want to improve my overall physical conditioning so I plan on adding some C2 rowing to supplement my program. I like the rower because: a) it provides a total body workout, b) it ain't weight bearing, c) it requires technique and d) it allows you to push your heart rate to high levels.

I cruised to the gym after work to rip a 2K TT. I warmed up with some arm circles, leg swings, hip rotations, glute bridges and sumo squats. Then I hit the Gravitron Machine for some 100# assisted pull-ups (2,3,2,2,4 ((I followed the 100 push-up challenge plan))) and then hit the rower for 2K in 7:50 w/ 155 avg hr & 168 max hr (roughly 83% of 220-age hr). I think I went under 8 minutes once before so this might be a PR but I felt pretty solid while redlining. Then I walked the indoor track until my hr got under 112.

Finally, I broke out my massage stick and gave my calves some attention so I should get put back together again.

Oh yeah, a sub-8 min means a reward I went with a Green Flash Le Freak.

Hundred Push-up Challenge

T & SnowLep started the 100 Push-up Challenge. It seemed like a good idea (after I saw the link on T's blog) so I hit the deck for the initial test. I knocked out 21 and then paused and started figurin' out a strategy to keep going (anybody that's been in the service knows how that goes: do I shift my hands, change my speed, wait for a breath) so I stopped and recorded 21. Then I watched 24 and got mad thinkin' I should have done 24+1 for Jack Bauer. Oh well, I'll be doin' a'hunerd in six weeks.

Lake Tahoe Fresh Tracks 5k Snowshoe Race

I wanted to baby my sore right calf today but Slowrunner77 invited me to cheerlead (called me out) so I rented some snowshoes and got my mind right for the Lake Tahoe Fresh Tracks 5k Snowshoe Race. Turi (I ain't got a nickname for him yet) kindly drove and Team Library Dork (TLD) headed uphill to Tahoe to run in the snow. I broke one of my few rules about racing and ran with untested equipment. I never in my life wore snowshoes and really struggled to try them on @ Eclipse Running (Reno's Awesome Running Store!). I spent a restless night worrying about snowshoeing.





We got up to Camp Richardson and it ended up raining instead of snowing so I figured to put in a hard day at the office. After the normal pre-race lollygaggin', the race started. Snowshoe starts differ from other races because of the spray of snow from everyone taking off but after a hunerd meters everything settled into a normal race experience. Snowshoeing expends more energy but you put one foot in front of the other and go to the finish. The effort seemed weird because the distances felt off based on the workload. I really felt the effort during the second mile but finished in 37:38. They measured the course long but my GPS measured short but I know my famous "run the tangents" "strateegery" saved me several steps.

Slowrunner77 took the overall win; Turi finished top-five and second in his age-group and I took third in my age-group; so the TLD made the Washoe County Library System look good. I hate SnowLep missed the race but she can borrow my award until she wins next year.

Yoga Practice

Last year, I started taking yoga classes @ my gym to supplement my strength and cardio training. I missed a few classes the past couple of weeks but made class tonight. My calf limited me on some poses but hopefully I loosen up -- the temptation to snowshoe race on Sunday sounds like a Siren's Call.

Run Training

Jogged the Verdi Loop for 3.31 mi in 32:16. My strained right calf poved problematic during the second mile and bothered me enough to skip my strength session tonight. I hope I get it loose during yoga on Friday.

St. Patrick's Day Stout '09

A bunch of folks take pride in their Irish Heritage. I understand that; if you take every person in America that celebrates their Irish Pride on St. Patrick's Day and put it all together it almost equals the pride in the pinkey toe of a Georgia Man.

Anyhoo,
my father takes a great deal of pride in his mother's Irish ancestry. He and my Aunt Lorraine did a bunch of genealogy and tracked the family back to Ireland. Interestingly, my family worshipped as Protestants so the records in Ireland end up a tad more murky than Catholic folks. To honor my father, I decided to start brewing an Irish Stout every year to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day.

Today I bottled the first batch. I used the mrbeer.com to make a batch. I consider mrbeer.com idiot proof because I bought the kit, brewed a batch and nobody got the ptomaine poisoning. I plan on using slowrunner77 as a consultant (without asking him of course) and we'll see what's what.

Here's the recipe:

1 can Irish Stout extract with the added yeast pack
1 can Creamy Brown extract
1 pack Booster
regular sugar prime

I plan on tweaking the recipe with another Booster pack on the next boil and using raw sugar to prime the next batch.

We'll see!

Strength Training

After work I headed to the gym to toss some plates. I donkied my nutrition and felt a bit of a hunger knock but managed to motivate myself to train. I plan on easing into real workouts with deliberation so tonight I wanted to grove the habit and re-learn movements.

Warm-up: 2K row 9:09
12x135# Barbell Deadlift
12xDip
Cool-down: 2K row 8:53

I really lollygagged the warm-up and prefer more consistent times.

Run Training

Jogged 3.28 mi on the Verdi Loop in 30:57. Got to jog in the snow again -- yippee!

You Gotta Be Crazy Run pt. II

Some pics from yesterday and the course profile thanks to Turi & Snow Lep.

The course profile.

Before and after w/ the team back in street clothes collecting the loot. Yep, pink shorts count as street clothes for Slowrunner77.

When you finish as the team donkey, you get to be a clothes rack.

You Gotta Be Crazy Run 5K

I ran my first race of the season today. The day started nice and sunny but the day got worse by the hour. I joined Team Library Dork and we slipped into the library before the race for warm bathrooms, warm coffee and a little Metallica to get ready for the race. I finished in 28:08 slower than I wanted but the course contained three hills that really slowed my time. Also, it started snowing during the race and I found that just special. Team Library Dork made out pretty well. Slowrunner77 took 3rd place overall, Snow Lep and I took age-group prizes and Turi finished ahead of Snow Lep and I, but ran in a more populated age-group and missed out. I never believed I'd be the slow man on a team so I got some homework to do to climb the team ladder.

Based on the course's hills I consider the race much like a triathlon leg so I feel I get the opportunity to post some improved times during triathlons later in the year.

After the race, we sampled Avery Brewing's Hog Heaven Barleywine and Alaska Brewing's Barleywine. While we lacked a bonfire, It seemed pretty cool to sip a proper malt beverage in the snow. Slowrunner ranked Hog Heaven higher, Turi ranked Alaska higher, Snow Lep thought they both seemed pretty strong and I barely rank Hog Heaven higher because of the hop profile, but I really waffled.

Well Week One training went well and we'll see what happens March 16th -- my next race.

Preacher Coach Fires Up the Hoop Dawgs!

The defending SEC Basketball Champion Georgia Bulldogs lost to tech, got their coach fired and stared down the barrel of on 0'fer the SEC season. Instead, Georgia Football Coach Mark Richt got up in some grills and motivated the team to a lovely Georgia Bulldog victory over the florida gators. If Georgia can tank the rest of the games, it's a dream season.

Hey gator fan, "Do the jean shorts fit with a Hoop Dawg boot in your arse!"

Run Training

Slow, Cold, Easy Run
I took an easy jog on the Verdi Loop 3.27 miles in 33:07--slower than slow. I withstood the temptation to run intervals because I want to run faster in June not January. I felt cold and slow so that motivates me for Sunday. I might be running in the snow, though. The Second Graders at Verdi Elementary love my toughness because I run in shorts everyday so I got to fire them up about being tough Verdi Kids (best part of my job).

Run Training

3.25 mile jog on the Verdi Loop right outside work. I jogged easy and finished in 31:20 a little under 9:40/mile. The part I liked best--I got my run done before the weather turned bad. I ran in shorts, gloves, beanie and two shirts and I figure the temp around 45 degrees. I noticed in my running log that my time lands close to my "tempo runs" but I felt slower and more relaxed. That leads me to believe I need to improve my running economy. I plan on running easy Thr and racing on Sunday but next week I plan on adding 1/2 mile intervals on the Nature Trail to improve my footspeed.

20 Week Countdown

Today kicks off twenty training weeks to the Indian Springs Sprint Triathlon in Flovilla, GA. It marks the third summer in a row I get go down to Georgia and race a triathlon with my best friend Aubie. I feel more fired up for this race than I did gearing up for an Ironman. GATA!!!