The Challenge, Part I : Olympic Lifting

I started my challenge day like all my other days, eggs & coffee. With a full bell and slight buzz, I started to lift heavy weights very fast.

Matt strugglin' in the morning.

The first event was the Snatch, one of my weakest events. Ironically, I get by being relatively strong. The video catches the end of my best lift. It would have been 3 red lights in Beijing. My backyard rule: If the bar goes up, the lift is good.

Snatch, 155

The clean was up next. I tied my PR which was disappointing because I had done a far amount of training for this lift in particular.

Clean, 205

I was so excited to test the slow lifts that I forget to test overhead squats in my backyard, where I could dump the weight. I had to do it at the UCSB Recreation Center and play it safe.

Overhead Squat, 155X1

The Challenge, Part III : Track (and rowing)

I was siked about the 400m after setting a PR, 1:04, last weekend. It was completely different his week because I had to time trial and turned in a 1:08.

Feeling Strong, Good Form, But All Alone

I rested and refueled for the 800m. It was decidedly slower, but Matt was my rabbit for last 400m. After I finished I felt like the day was beginning to be a Birthday Challenge.
2:41 = painful & slow

Feeling Weak, Bad Form, But With a Friend

I went back the UCSB recreation center and threw down a 500m row. The time was okay, 1:39.

My legs were tore up, and it was time for the 1600m. Matt was my rabbit for the last 800m. It did not help that he ran the first 100m backwards because my pace was so sadly slow, 6:21.

This is my official recovery position.

The Challenge, Part V : The Finishers

I finished all the max weight, max rep events, and fast events by 4 pm. All I had remaining were the long slow events. The events that would slowly eat my soul.

The first one was Clean and Jerk, 35lb X 2, 100 reps in 10 minutes. My strategy was Tabata interval the whole thing : 5 reps in 20s, rest 10s, repeat 20 times. It was a mind fuck, but I did it!! It was nice to hit Elite Standard that late in the day.

The second to last event was 5K in 20 minutes. That is the Advanced Standard, but I was taking what my legs would give me at this point. I cued up Rancid on my iPod, very loud.

"Maxwell can't tell he's in hell
He just wants you to visit him there
Same old game that he's playing
His rules are never fair"
Maxwell Murder
Rancid

My Private War:
rowing negative splits for 20 minutes, including a sprint at the end.


I went home and showered. My wonderful girlfriend, who supported me the whole day, fired up the grill for some tri-tip. The last event, sandbag carry with 130lbs for 1 mile, I did "off the coach." I have never even picked up a sandbag that heavy in my life. I thought training for it would not be fun, just suck it up and do it.

MGD - Check
Sandbag with 75% of bodyweight - Check
Let's Start the Party.

I did it!!Last event, Elite Level. If you are curious, it took 20 minutes without setting the sandbag down.

Looking for steaks, beer, and a hole to die in.

Nails in the Coffin

WOD

1) row 6k, 23:59

2) L-sit 3:00, parse as needed

Notes: It sucked.

Forgetting to Disengage the Emergency Brake

WOD

800m X 1 (2:40), rest 5:00
400m X 2 (1:18, 1:21), rest 1:1
200m X 2 (:38, :41), rest 1:1
100 X 1 (:18)

Notes: The poor air quality from Gap Fire has finally improved enough to resume outdoor training. It felt like I forgot to disengage the emergency brake and I was wearing a 20lb vest. I suck at running. Part of the problem was my "warm-up", which including jumping rope. Jumping rope is suppose to make you more athletic, i.e. improve coordination, agility, balance, blah, blah, blah. If is not part of challenge I need to stop doing it. I am banning myself from jumping rope and air squats until after my challenge. I had planed on more 100m sprints but my left knee became unstable. I tore my meniscus 5 years ago mountain biking. The muscles around my knee make up for the slack but when they get tired my knee becomes unstable. Time to stop training for the day. I have been overtraining lately but I am hoping for some Supercompensation .

Pacing

WOD

row 2:00 w/o straps

row 1000m
rest 1:1
(3:35, 3:42, 3:41)

Notes: I did the math. I need to row 1:40/500m for 20 min for my challenge. NO FUCKING WAY! Today I worked on pacing and finding my aerobic threshold, it is about 1:50/500m. I come out the gates too fast at the start of each interval and the first interval. I am still thinking about dropping down down to advanced standards (for this and all other events). I suck.