Cal's Big Log II: The Revenge

Training
461

Heh. I had year 4 for PE today. Working them on their handstands - just the beginner drills but I decided to let a few of the better ones try for one against the wall. They were all too tentative - planting their hands then trying to kick up, so I thought, the hell with it, I’ll show 'em. I could have made a giant tit of myself but I did it, I totally nailed it.

Felt pretty pleased with myself, too (until I watched Nadia’s handstand vid, grumble grumble…) I have a long way to go but considering I couldn’t do any gymnastic moves at all before September, I’ve made a lot of progress. Gotta say I’m pleased with that.

462

Way to go Cal! Moments like that at your job must be so satisfying. I haven’t thought this much about gymnastics in years. Between you and Nadia, I’m itching to go see what I can still do… Also, nice work on your bench.

463

Well first off, congrats on not making a tit of yourself. Second, congrats on nailing the handstands.

Maybe I should join that class, I’m just as tentative as the poor chickadees.

464

Cal: You are making a ton of progress. The effort and the commitment that you have shown in learning new and difficult skills is very inspiring. I’m not doing anything nearly so impressive. I’m just trying to get back what I have lost.

465

Thanks. I’m a bit bummed because I’ve had to cancel gymnastics this weekend - there are engineering works on the tube which prevents me from getting there (well, I could get there another way, but it’ll take much longer and cost much more. Nah). I’ll do what practise I can at the gym, anyway. And more running. I’ll report back tomorrow, in any case.

466

yeah, you are making a lot of progress. so happy you managed to nail it!

467

I was all psyched to go to the gym today but when I got there, my workout sucked a bag of dicks (to borrow a CBearism). I’m not going to bother writing down the details but basically, I was struggling with weights I normally have no problem with and lost momentum pretty quickly. I left it and did a bit of handstand and headstand practise which went OK, but my motivation to work hard had evaporated.

When I sat down and thought about it I realised that I a) was premenstrual (always a sucky time for me) and b) my diet yesterday was appalling - cakes and biscuits at the staff meeting, a huge bag of trail mix and some lentil and tomato soup. Plenty of calories but no animal protein whatsoever. What a stupid twat I am.

I will have to redeem myself tomorrow - I’ve a lot to make up for now.

468

eat beef.

cereally, mother nature and work stress are two big sabotagers of great workouts. At least you didn’t just pack your shit and go home (like I would).

Handstands ftw!

469

Nice job on the handstand teaching! just goes to show that you should have more faith in your skills.

Sorry about the shitty gym day - but yeah, premenstrual is my absolute weakest time of the month as well. Everything just feels so freaking heavy. This probably also explains your weak will towards the cakes and other goodies, so give yourself a break. Here’s to redemption!

470

We have those days Cal (I definetely know about those days) but at least you know why.
Bad (or lack thereof) of food definetely sets up for no motivation.

I’ll be here tomorrow to see some more awesome-ness from you.

471

aw that sucks Cal! My eats have been the poops lately too…lol, I am blaming February; the last horrible month of winter sucks the life out of people! Oh, and the Valentines day chocolate…and the easter chocolate…

Leave the bad day in the dust :slight_smile: You rock to much to let it get ya!

472

Sorry about the sucky workout. It happens. Hopefully, tomorrow you’ll hit it like a rock star.

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No gymnastics today due to the rail engineering works, so I went for a run. I wanted to develop some mental toughness so I decided two laps of Streatham Common (aka muddy hill hell) in addition to a lap of my local Tooting Common, were called for.

Once I got on to Tooting Common and nearly skidded over in the mud, I began to wonder if I shouldn’t choose a less treacherous route, given that Streatham Common has a lot more mud than Tooting. But I went for it anyway, and did my two laps without walking (except to negotiate the same mud bank I had trouble with last time).

Thing is, Streatham Common (pronounced Stretam, for those of you across the Pond) is basically on a hill, so you’d think that it would be muddier at the bottom than the top. But no. It is muddy the whole fricking way. In fact, in places it is downright boggy. It’s the kind of mud that you basically have to stop and pivot in order to stop yourself from sliding off in the wrong direction. Sort of fun, in a sick, masochistic way.

The run was somewhere between 8 and 8.5 miles and took me 1 hr 35 approximately. If that seems slow, it’s because the hills were tough and I had to be very cautious in the mud. My “three common death run” is 9.5 miles approx and I’ve done that in 1 hr 40 before now.

Bad points were the sciatica kicked in hard and my groin wasn’t too chuffed (it’s the hill - I had a very unhappy groin the day after the cross country race there back in September). The good point is that, if I choose to enter this year’s cross country race, which is three laps, I’m pretty sure I can do it without walking.

Incidentally, these shoes were white when I got them.

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The mud soaked right through my shoes and socks. Face it, those Nike Frees are shit for mud. The woman who does my service wash at the laundrette won’t be too happy about the socks and tracky bottoms, I bet. (Hot bath was very nice, though!)

475

Running in the mud is hardcore, but I have a feeling those shoes won’t be white anymore…

476

AWESOME.

I have done that to my share of shoes. I NEVER buy white running shoes any more. But damn I love springtime and weather I can go outside in. (Yes, I declare late February to be springtime.)

477

I don’t, as a rule, buy white shoes either but that was the only colour they had of that model (Nike Free 3.0). Fortunately my new Frees are black with a green stripe. I’m saving those for better weather.

478

Cal- Love the pedi! I know what you mean about sick, masochistic, fun training. Pushing oneself though something as utterly ridiculous as running 8.5 miles in the mud can sometimes be just what you need. I used to do a lot of trail running and between the mud and the tree roots it can be treacherous. Nice job. Hope you are feeling more balanced and strong today. Go rock it it the gym!

479

Seriously cal a mud run is ridiculously taxing. Nice job. And my what lovely tootsies you have. Green nail polish is so very fun.

480

Today’s gym session had good moments and bad.

I now have pain on the inside of my right elbow - possibly one of the forearm extensors. I also have a bit of tennis elbow going on from squatting, so it’s generally unhappy. Behind my right knee (I guess it’s one of the hamstring tendons) doesn’t feel quite right either. It’s not painful, it just feels a bit jammed up, somehow.

Anyway, I started warming up with the body bar, did some snatches, which didn’t feel too good, and some cleans, which felt better.

C&J:

3 x oly bar x 5

(Cleans were squat cleans).

Squat Clean:

3 x 30kg x 3

Tell ya what, adding in the squat mades cleans so much more tiring. I actually grunt when I squat back up.

Box Squat:

30kg x 10
40kg x 10
2 x 50kg x 3

On reflection I should have stuck a 45kg set in there. I am not quite confident enough with the 50 at this point to really sit my arse down. It’s more touch and go.

Superset:

Negative Pull-ups: 3, 3, 3
Push-ups: 10, 10, 10

This is when the inner elbow got cranky. I was going to do some dumbell rows, but got such a sharp pain when I picked up the 24kg dumbell that I thought better of it and went to practise my gymnastics instead.

Forward roll is fine. Backward roll is messy but it’s getting there. Handstand was a bit disappointing today - I was able to get my feet up but not keep them against the wall. I guess I was slightly tentative because of the elbow. Handstands are almost entirely a mental thing - you have to commit to them or it won’t happen.

Did a bit of stretching and then finished because I was hungry.