Boatguy's New and Final Log (Ongoing)

Training Training Logs
61

26 September 2012
Wednesday - Deadlift
HRV - 78, Green

1A. Deadlift - 135 x 10, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 240 x 5*, 255 x 5*, 270 x 5*, 7*;
1B. Box Jump - 37" x 3, 3, 38.5" x 3, 40" x 3, 3, 3;
Front Squat - 135 x 10, 190 x 10, 10, 10, 10;
Reverse Hyper - just legs x 10, 25 x 10, 50 x 10, 75 x 10;
Rope Climb (hands only on the way up) - 3 times up with breaks in between

Prowler 30 yds - 90 x 5 high/5 low - 10:00

PM - CoC Gripper - Trainer x 10, 10, 10, 10 sec hold x 1, 1, 1;

Felt slow, but good this morning. I did the top set of 5 at 270, then went to do the last set of box jumps, then came back to write in my log and realized I didn’t push past 5. Got a little pissed, so I immediately went and did 7 just because.

Haven’t done front squats in a couple weeks due to hectic schedules, so I am feeling these now. Quads are already a bit sore, but a run tomorrow should flush that out. Hit the Prowler, and felt a lot better this time than Monday did. Got all 10 done, which was mygoal for the day, probably won’t go much above that number for training since I am also running on the other days.

Found out today I can do no-feet rope climbs still, haven’t actually tried those in a couple years. Mainly because when our work gyms hang a rope for climbing, they use old fast ropes(which are 4-5" thick - hard to get a grip). Did three climbs up, using my feet to come back down.

This evening, pulled out the Captains of Crush grippers, and did a quick workout with the Trainer(about 100#), followed by the finger bands to work the extensors(from Ironmind, same place that sells the CoC grippers.

62

27 September 2012
Thursday - Conditioning
HRV - 83, Green

3 mile Run - 24:35 / Heart Rate Average - 170 Peak - 186(?)

Didn’t have to go to work today, so I ran from the house. I use the US Track and Field website to map runs, it has a good app on the site which uses Google Earth (usatf.org, click on Map It). 1.5 miles out and back (3 total), turn around point is actually my daughters school.

Didn’t do any ‘base’ running today, wanted to push a decent pace (close to ‘race pace’, even though I don’t race). Turns out my pace kind of sucks right now, was at 12:00 at the turn around, so I was averaging 8:00 miles up till then, and slowed enough on the way back that I averaged an 8:12 pace all around. Running on a track is boring, but at least I can monitor my pace. Also helps on a road run to have milestones to pace off of, but this was the first time I have run this route.

Also, this is the second time my HR monitor has shown me a peak HR well above anything I was seeing during the run. It did it on Tuesday as well. Today, I was just hitting 180 when I stopped, but it recorded 186 as the peak. Spent most of the first half in the 160s, hit the 170s just before the turn around. Never saw anything above 180, but it says what it says. Anybody ever seen this as a monitor gets old? Might be time for a new one, I’ve been wanting to get one of the newer soft strap models anyway.

63

EDIT - somehow skipped the 28th when I posted the 29th, so here it is.

28 September 2012
Friday - Pullup/Military Press
HRV - 83, Green

1A. Pullup - BW x 10, 35 x 7, 65 x 5*, 70 x 5*, 72.5 x 6*;
1B. Military Press - Bar x 10, 75 x 8, 115 x 5*, 115 x 5*, 120 x 7;
2A. Pullup - 25 x 9, 9, NG- 9, 9;
2B. Seated Overhead Press - 45 x 8, 50 x 8, 8, 55 x 8;
Band Pullapart - 30, 20;

Wall Ball - 20# x 40, 30, 20, 10 - 6:04

Decent day, pullups felt pretty good. Weights are finally getting up near my threshold, curious how many more cycles before I have to back down a few pounds. Misloaded the first work set of Mil Press, it was supposed to be 105 and I loaded 115. So I did two sets of 115 x 5, then moved up.

Wanted to do something other than Prowler, as much as I love that thing, for conditioning. Original plan was to do Karen, 150 x 20# wall ball for time, but part way in I let fatigue make the decision. I’ve been feeling a bit more fatigued at the end of my workouts lately, wonder if I’m going a little quicker or something and that is what is sapping me.

29 September 2012
Saturday - Conditioning
HRV - 87, Yellow*

400s on the Mill - 0.25miles @ 12.0mph x 4 (#1- 0 inc/#2 & #3 - 3.0 inc/#4 - 4.0 inc)
HR Peak - 176

  • Measured at 6:50ish, got an 88 yellow, then fell back to sleep for a couple hours. Measured again at 8:30ish, and got a 78 green, didn’t like the 10 point drop after 2 more hours sleep so I tried one more and got 87 yellow. That was one point below the original and yellow again, so I went with it.

We brought the kids to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA this weekend, so I ran on the hotel’s treadmill. I had already planned on doing the 400s, so I only brought what I would need for that specifically. I brought my HR strap, but left the watch receiver in my gym bag at home, so there is no Average, and the HR peak I recorded was the highest I saw on the treadmill, which was reading off my strap. Since it was right there in my face, I was watching it a little. My heart rate would go up a bit, then back off a few, it was kind of weird. And first iteration didn’t seem too bad, so I added a little incline.

Today marks 9 weeks out from Tough Mudder.

64

01 October 2012
3 Week
Monday - Bench
HRV - 81, Green

1A. Meadows Row - 75 x 8, 85 x 9, 100 x 8, 110 x 8, 125 x 8, 8;
1B. Bench - 135 x 10, 185 x 6, 205 x 4, 230 x 3*, 245 x 3*, 260 x 4*;
2A. Stretcher - 120 x 10, 10, 132 x 10, 10;
2B. Incline DB Bench - 55 x 9, 9, 9, 9;
Kroc Row - 85 x 20, 20;
Rope Climb x 1 (no feet up and halfway down)

Changed stuff around a little (not much) today. Got a good training session in, but got to the gym late and was getting pressed, so I had to skip the other couple rope climbs I was going to do. Also skipped the Prowler, partially due to time, and partially because I was hedging due to a softball double header tonight.

Finally was in town for a church league game, first double header I’ve made all season (we have two doubles left - they are all double headers for some reason). Also the first time I’ve played in about 14 years. I feel like I played like crap (big error by me in the first game allowed a grand slam, and the rest wasn’t too good either). Hit decent, but kept finding the outfielders (and pitcher once), so I never got on base.

65

02 October 2012
Tuesday - Conditioning
HRV - 88, Green

3 Mile Run - 23:51 Heart Rate Average - 164 Peak - 179

Ran from the house again today before work. Felt good on the run, and after comparing times (which I am still not happy with my current run times) with last week, I shaved almost 45 seconds off the total, which is a decent improvement in my opinion. Heart rate was decent, didn’t break 160 until almost the first mile mark.

First mile I cut a 7:30, second mile 8:00, and apparently the third mile was about 8:20. I think I was running an 8:30 pace, but when I turned on the final stretch, the barn sour horse kicked in and I ran a little faster without even meaning too.

66

03 October 2012
Wednesday - Squat/Deadlift
HRV - 82, Green

Hang Pull - 95 x 5, Clean Pull from Floor - 95 x 5, 5;
1A. Safety Bar Squat - 155 x 8, 205 x 5, 245 x 5, 300 x 3*, 320 x 3*, 340 x 3*;
1B. Box Jump - 37" x 3, 38.5" x 3, 40" x 3, 3, 41" x 3, 3;
Front Squat - 185 x 20;
Deadlift - 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 255 x 3*, 270 x 3*, 290 x 3*;

Prowler Suicide - 110 x 5/10/15 - 0:35 - 90sec Rest - 0:40;

So I was lifting on Monday, and a guy at the gym was doing Safety Bar squats, and I mentally kicked myself a couple time for not even thinking to try those when my shoulder started bothering me. I had dropped squats a couple weeks back since supporting the bar aggravated my right shoulder (once again, think it is the bicipital tendon, but really don’t know). So I tried that out today, and WOW. I’ve played with the SSB in the past, but never actually loaded it and went for it. I knew the design of the bar pulls you forward, and that it made it harder to keep the scaps tight. I did not know, however, that it puts LOT more stress on the lower back, and on the VMO. Seriously, I could feel it just above the knee after a couple sets. Probably doesn’t help that I used what would have been my working weights at 3 x 3 this week on straight bar squats. Won’t be able to try those next week at 5/3/1 - which is probably good - but I might try starting the next 3 x 5 week with it, and lower the weights a little. On the last set I forgot to go for more than 3. On the 3rd rep, I felt like it was a little shallow, so I stopped racking the bar, got set up again, and di another rep. This one was proper depth, but my shoulders were caving on the way up. So I counted those two crappy reps as one. (Screw you, it’s my log)

Since I had already felt some decent work in the VMO, I threw 185 on a straight bar after the SSB, and just did one 20 rep set of front squats. These were the bulk of my front squatting for a while, but I switched to multiple sets when I started 531.

Went ahead and did deadlifts at full working weight for this week, since I still don’t know how I feel about the SSB. Wanted to be able to say for sure that I got some quality work in. Again, forgot to go for more than 3 on the last set until I went to log it, but still didn’t go back for more (like last week) since I had already squatted.

Decided to change up my Prowler work today, since I haven’t done suicides since I started using the Prowler. I used DeFranco’s suicide protocol, using the ‘advanced’ weights at 110#. DeFranco runs it like this: Low handles for 5 yards, jump through, vertical handles back; low handles 10 yards, jump through, vertical poles back; low handles for 15 yards, jump through, and vertical handles back, all for time. Take a 90 second rest, then do it all again, aiming for less than a 5 second drop in time. I was hand-timing on my watch, but being as strict as I could on the starts and finishes. I was right at the 5 second mark between them, so not oo bad. The low handle runs felt like I was pushing through mud. Anybody else feel these mainly in the quads?

Worked late last night, out on the bay as a safety swimmer for a troop in training. And since where I work is so awesome, I didn’t have to work today.

67

04 October 2012
Thursday - Conditioning
HRV - 87, Green

Run - 2.85 - 23:16 (8:10 average pace)
HR Average - 165 Peak - 180

Got up this morning with the intention of running on base, and using the obstacle course. But, after being a little slow getting up, and then ‘taking care of the wife’, and then getting sucked into my email, I was way behind my timeline. Got to work, got ready to go to the o-course, and realized I didn’t have time, so I just did what I thought was a 3-mile run. Mapped it later to find out it was only 2.85, giving me an 8:10 average pace. Got back into the locker room, only to find out I didn’t have to work today (or tomorrow), so I could have hit the o-course. Oh well, guess I’ll hit it after I get back from Nevada (again).

68

[quote]boatguy wrote:
Anybody else feel these mainly in the quads?

[/quote]

Yep. To get more glute activation, stay as low as possible and take bigger strides. Make sure to get full hip extension when you drive forward.

But yes, with the low handles it’s tough to get low enough to fully extend the hip, so your quads end up doing the most work.

69

05 October 2012
Friday - Pullup/Military Press
HRV - 82, Green

1A. Pullup - BW x 10, 30 x 6, 50 x 4, 70 x 3*, 72.5 x 3*, 77.5 x 5*;
1B. Military Press - bar x 10, 75 x 6, 95 x 4, 115 x 3*, 120 x 3*, 125 x 5*;
Pullup - neutral grip - 25 x 13, med grip - BW x 15, 14;
Scarecrow - 36 x 15, 15, 15;
DB Shrug - 80 x 10, 10;
Reverse Crunch - 6#MB x 10, 10, 10;
Rope Climb - Twice, hands only going up
Bulk Up - 10;

Today was decent. After doing reverse crunches and rope climbs (which were alternated), I wanted to try bulk ups, which I haven’t done in years. This was a little ambitious, since bulk ups are hard enough on their own, let alone after doing a few sets of weighted reverse crunches. Didn’t finish with any conditioning, and travelling again this weekend, so I won’t get a run in for a few days.

70

SN - Yeah, I’ve also noticed the Prowler moves better the lower I get. If I get up on my hands too much, its like it tries to dig into the concrete.

71

Back at it in beautiful Nevada.

8 Weeks to Tough Mudder
08 October 2012
Monday - Conditioning
HRV - 80, Green

Originally planned on benching or floor pressing today, but being as it is Colombus Day (still not sure why this is a holiday), the gym on base was closed during my available lifting time. So while I was trying to decide what to do, I decided (again) that I really need to let my tendonitis heal. So, between that, the closing timeline till Tough Mudder, and my schedule the rest of this week, it made for a perfect week to drop Bench day, and just lift twice this week (deadlift and pullup/military press days) while getting 2-3 days of running/conditioning in. Travelling again at the end of the week, but not sure what day. If I am still here on Saturday (very likely), maybe I’ll put together a circuit/complex thingy and beat myself up.

Run - 3 miles - 24:30 Heart Rate Average - 166 Peak - 182

This back and forth between sea level and 4000 ft every couple weeks doesn’t seem to be doing me any favors, conditioning-wise. Run today kind of sucked, and I wasn’t really pushing the pace. Or maybe I was, but the altitude was kicking my ass (again).

72

531 Week
09 October 2012
Tuesday - Deadlift
HRV - 78, Yellow

1A. KB Swing - XXX, 50 x 6, 60 x 4, 70 x 3, 100 x 3, 3;
1B. Deadlift - 135 x 10, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 240 x 5*, 275 x 3*, 305 x 3*;
Front Squat - 135 x 10, 185 x 8, 225 x 8, 8, 8;
Glute Bridge - 185 x 8, 225 x 8; 275 x 8;

Woke up to a yellow today, so I still hit the gym but dropped the sprints I intended to do after. Felt pretty good, but started to wear down about the time I got into front squats. Haven’t goone over 200 in a while, so I figured I’d bump it up - that’s probably why I felt slow. I can obviously handle a heavier load on those as an accessory, so I will keep to that in the future.

73

Sitting in the Salt Lake City airport waiting on the redeye flight home, after a hectic week out here. Since my notebook is packed, I will get the log updated some time tomorrow.

On a side note, Felix Baumgartner broke several world records on Sunday. He broke: the highest manned balloon flight, highest successful skydive (24 miles up), broke the sound barrier on the way down (speed of mach 1.24). He pulled 16 seconds short of Kittinger’s longest freefall record, however. Still freaking awesome. You should be able to find it on youtube. The shot where he salutes, then steps off into nothing and fades into the distance below is just Epic. Seriously, that shot alone could be Red Bull’s entire ad campaign for the next 5 years. Stock prices go up every time the commercial airs.

I am still geeking over this. Just amazing.

74

11 October 2012
Thursday - Pullup/Military Press
HRV - 84, Green

1A. Pullup - BW x 10, 30 x 8, 50 x 5, 65 x 5*, 72.5 x 3*, 80 x 3*;
1B. Military Press - bar x 10, 65 x 8, 85 x 5, 105 x 5*, 120 x 3*, 135 x 3*;
2A. NG Pullup - BW x 12, 10, 10, 10;
2B. DB Javelin Press - 45 x 6, 7, 8, 10;
Band Pullapart - 25, 25;
Hanging Leg Raise - 10, 10, 15;

Good workout, but didn’t have time to hit the sprints like I wanted. Training schedule was just too condensed to fit in.

12 October 2012
Friday - Conditioning
HRV - 83, Green

Treadmill Intervals - 5:00 blocks - 4 blocks/5:00 rest/2 blocks, 35:00 total
5:00 = 1:00 @ 6mph/1:00 @ 6.5mph/1:00 @ 7mph/1:00 @ 7.5mph/1:00 @ 10mph; 5:00 rest at 3.5mph
Heart Rate Average - 157 Peak - 181
followed by:
A. Scarecrow - 40 x 15, 50 x 15, 15;
B. Ab Rollout - 10, 10, 10;

Decent workout. I used to do these 4:00 @ 6mph/1:00 @ 10mph in two 4 x 5 blocks (total about 45:00), but I felt like I was spending too much time at the slower speed. Originally got this out of Muscle and Fiction years ago.

I’m back home now, for 3 weeks straight. Hopefully I can get some good work in.

75

16 October 2012
Tuesday - Conditioning
HRV - 86, Green

RUN - 3 miles - 21:46 (7:06 @ mile 1) (average pace 7:15ish)
Heart Rate Average - 160 Peak - 184 (197*)

Felt really good on this run. Slept in later than I meant due to jet lag, then wee had a couples massage scheduled late morning, so I ended up running about 5PM. HR monitor was acting up on me again, about a minute in it read 133 (which is probably true), but about a minute or so later it was reading 81 (which is not). Later in the run it was reading in the 190s, peaking at 197. I don’t buy that one, because I have had my heart rate in the low 190s before, and I was basically smoked at that point. SHortly after I saw it in the 190s, it was reading 174 again. It was back up in the 180s by the end, so I guesstimated about 184ish for my peak this run, and I was pretty happy with my time as well.

76

17 October 2012
Wednesday - Deadlift
HRV - 78, Yellow

A. Deadlift - 135 x 10, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 250 x 5*, 265 x 5*, 280 x 10*;
B. Box Jump - 40" - 3, 3, 42" - 3, 40" - 3, 3, 3;
Front Squat - 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 225 x 8, 8, 8, 8;
Single Leg Hamstring Bridge - 135 x 8, 8, 8;

Sled Pull - 90# - 30yds x 10 - 10:00;

Good workout today, in spite of the yellow measure. Guessing that is from my afternoon run yesterday. I know I underestimated my deadlift 1RM when I started this, but I may do a no shit 1RM at some point to see where I should be. Almost 3 months on 531, and I just got over 300 last week.

Lifted at work because my 3 month membership at Brute Strength expired and I don’t have the cash to re-up. It’s a good no-frills gym, but BSG has more for accessory work. Work gym doesn’t have any Prowlers, they have Sorinex sleds. I tried pushing one, but it has a flat bottom, and just dug in. It rocked up a little, but didn’t budge. A lot shorter than a Prowler. So I hooked up a belt and drug it instead of pushing.

Tried a set of floor presses, didn’t bother the shoulder at all. I’ll throw those in next week, as a replacement on bench day. Probably do just the floor press as a main movement, then fill the rest of the session with rowing and upper back moves.

77

18 October 2012
Thursday - Conditioning
HRV - 86, Green

Swim - 20:00 (500M - 11:06)

Didn’t go for a set distance, just swam continuous for 20:00. Did pay attention to laps though, and I hit 500M in 11:06. Yes, I know that is slow, but funny thing, it’s not much slower than the time I swam when I screened into SWCC. Think I was in the mid 10’s back then, maybe high 9’s at best. I’ve never been a fast or especially strong swimmer, which strongly contributed to my never going to BUD/S. After teaching myself sidestroke (the only stroke I am decent at), it took several years to get to where I was comfortable screening, and then took a little longer before I did so successfully. I was in the Navy for 9 years before I screened positive, and at that point, I figured I had one shot at SpecWar. To be perfectly honest, SWCC looked to be more of a sure thing, so I took the easy(er) road. Regretted that for a long time, although I have enjoyed my time on the boats quite a bit. Better than the regular Navy any day.

Was going to run afterward, but looked at my watch once I was back in the locker room, and I was running short on time to get back for my wife’s neurology appointment with a new specialist. So no run today. Thinking I’ll try Hurricane sprints after my pullup/mil press workout tomorrow.

78

19 October 2012
Friday - Pullup/Military Press
HRV - 77, Yellow

1A. Pullup - BW x 10, 30 x 7, 50 x 5, 67.5 x 5*, 72.5 x 5*, 77.5 x 5*;
1B. Military Press - bar x 10, 65 x 8, 85 x 5, 110 x 5*, 115 x 5*, 125 x 5*;
2A. Pullup - 12, 12, 12, 10;
2B. DB Javelin Press - 50 x 10, 8, 9, 10;
2C. Reverse Crunch - 10# MB x 10, 10, 10, 10;
Cobra - 45 x 10, 50 x 10, 9;

So I should have woken up with a Green HRV measure this morning… However, I woke up at 3AM heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, from an odd dream. The dream was my family being the victim of a home invasion, except the house in the dream was not the house we are living in. Also, in the dream… let me back up. I occasionally have dreams which come true. I won’t call them premonitions, or claim to have any kind of psychic ability, I will just randomly dream something, and then quite some time later, it will actually happen. I’ve been getting these most of my adult life, and it is usually completely random, useless info, like the dream which comes true is a little snippet of a scene, in which I am talking to someone and I have deja vu when they say something - because I had dreamed it before. Sounds crazy, I know. The one time it could have been useful, I was in an MMA fight (my third), and shot in for a double leg. Dude was mid-kick, and I ate it on the way in. White flash, and I had the most overwhelming deja vu. So, me being stupid like I am, spent the rest of the fight trying to remember what happened next in the dream, instead of trying to win. Which I did not.
So back to last nights dream. In the dream, I saw a car coming up the driveway in the dark, and experienced deja vu in the dream. I knew the home invasion was coming, so I was running from room to room pre-staging weapons as I recalled where the fighting had taken place. My family wasn’t directly in the dream, but they must have been in the house, because there was a reason I didn’t just dip out the back door. I had to fight for some reason. But I wake up mid-dream, like I said, and spent the next 10 minutes or so just frozen, listening to every sound and hoping that dream wasn’t a warning. And nothing happened, so if it was a warning, it wasn’t for last night at least. Took a while to get back to sleep after that, and I remember thinking before i fell asleep that it would screw up my HRV measure for the morning. That, or the 20 minutes I swam yesterday (the only PT I got), was quite a bit harder than I realized (that better not be the case).

So anyway, today’s workout. Decent workout, but I just was not hitting on all cylinders in the gym. I lifted at the Y, which I have never really liked. I usually train at a powerlifter/strongman gym, in the morning before work when there is hardly anybody there. Even with no one there, I seem to get a better workout just on pure atmosphere. Usually have no problem getting at least 1-2 extra reps on the last work set, but not today. Was thinking of doing some sprints on the treadmill after lifting, but after my performance lifting, decided not to.

Also, had our final double header (all games are double headers) for the church league fall season. Totally redeemed myself for last time (when I did nothing but fly out and commit errors in the field). Struck out once, but fielded quite a bit better, and got on base every at-bat. Finished the second game with an inside-the-fence home run for two, giving us the win via the 12-run mercy rule.

79

22 October 2012
Monday - Swim
HRV - 87, Green

Swim - 20:00 continuous side stroke (500m - 9:40)

In a course all week, sitting in class all day. The hours make it a little difficult to schedule lifting around, so it seems like a good week to take off from lifting entirely. Who knows, maybe it will help my shoulder tendonitis finally. Planning to swim three days and run three days, alternating all week. Switching the running up a little bit, going to try the running prescription from Crossfit Endurance, mainly medium to long sprints (200 - 800 meters), with a longer run on Saturday. Planning to pick the lifting back up next week, so we’ll see what happens.

Swam this afternoon, was feeling pretty good so I kicked it a little. Dropped my 500m time down to 9:40, then continued swimming at a slower pace for the remainder of 20:00. I was pretty happy with that, haven’t swam that quick in years.

80

23 October 2012
HRV - 83, Green

RUN - 6 x 200m, 2:00 rest interval (each repeat between :31 and :36)

Hit these late afternoon on the track at my daughter’s middle school. Planned on 8, did 6 and had to leave to piss because the bathrooms outside were locked up. Also, I think I may have pulled something Friday night on that home run. When I crossed the plate, the catcher was standing about 5 feet or so behind it, without moving. As I came across full speed to beat the throw (which I didn’t, but it was way too high for her anyway), I had to kind of dance around her to keep from taking her out (she was a little thing). When I did that, I think I may have pulled a hammie, because I could feel it a bit when I was running today. So, to avoid making it worse, I won’t be running the rest of the week either. Looks like all I’ll be doing this week is swimming. I might try riding the bike or something, just to keep moving.