There is no part of me that is not feeling yesterday. I am deep down tired. As if I ran miles. I can only assume this is good thing.
I will get out of bad soon. And see about getting started.
So - today is a great day. After 10 months of waiting I FINALLY have my provisional endorsement for driving a CAT C commercial vehicle.
Why is this important? I can start to apply for jobs as an ambulance driver (trainee EMT). To say this is a dream come true is a step too far right now. But it’s the start of a dream come true. I’m so happy. I had worried that I would be rejected on medical grounds. My episode of poor mental health a few years back and the fact I stopped treatment was a red flag. However after a consultant with my GP it’s all fine.
Tomorrow will be spent apply for trainee EMT jobs.
Training:
I’m currently getting changed so I can try Grace in sub 3 mins. I’m sick nervous again. I know this will hurt. It’s torture. But I know I have it in there.
After this I will be picking the kids up and then maybe Fran later in the day.
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So my attempt at Grace went tits up.
I went too quick in attempt 1. Got to 12 reps in 30 seconds and died.
Attempt 2 I tried to go slower and pace it. It’s only 1 rep every 6 seconds. Well I managed to do 18 in 60 seconds and again died. Worse this time as it was shoulder strength that went not CV.
Over all still satisfied. I did 50 reps over all. (20 warmups 1-2-3-4-5-5). So good volume. And 2 periods of 100% effort.
I might do the tabata for not squats before tonight. They seemed to work.
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Went out side to do some thing conditioning wise again and - bam nothing in the tank. Yesterday was a lean day. Hardly any food. And lots of effort. Today I fluffed my grace attempt BUT I still had 2 periods where I was at 100% effort. I think I’m just feeling it.
But no excuses. I used the 60kg sand bag. Row, press up, deadlift 1 of each.
Then 2, 3 ………… all the way to 14. 105 reps total. Stopped here as press ups were failing and rows where sloppy.
Not a great deal of conditioning BUT total volume is good. And I’m out of breath. An easier work out. But good.
I fancy the mile walk with the bag again. I might take it with me over night in the van. On nights I finish early I can park up close to home and do a mile up and down a hill near me. One of those bad ideas that make a change.
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So - leg day.
Fuck leg day. Front squats
One set as per the 3x-2, 2x-1, 1xman
140kg x 6 Went for 7 but failed. Notably not due to core strength / not being able to breath. So maybe this conditioning is either strengthened this part of me OR as I’m better conditioned the collapse of my chest cavity is not so much of an issue. Losing 5% of your lung capacity is a lot when you are already operating at 150%.
From here - I did my leg day conditioning challenge. But because I’m stupid I’m adding in reps. I will stop when I can do 20 reps of FS, BS and DL. Today was 12,17,20. In under 6 min.
Video to come.
As a note. I have ALWAYS loved doing 20 rep squats after front squats. It is just good. Doing these AND dead lifts is even worse and changes the complection on my skill set. I know I’m not as “strong” as I was in Summer 2021 when I did a 152.5kg front squat - 5 times and then 20 reps back squat. But I look at like a video game. And skill points or for clarity percentage of effort point.
Last year I spent all “100” my effort skill points on strong. Great. But everywhere else I was lacking.
This year I’ve taken 66% of my skill points and spent it on “looking good” and “conditioning”. And what I’m getting is lots of “synergy”. As lets face it - doing that leg day work out is brutally hard on my conditioning. But it will also be helping me get stronger (at a slower rate) get build / retain muscle mass and lose fat. So that 6 min work out did 18 minutes worth of work.
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Good news mate. I admire anyone who devotes their life to the cause of helping others. I had a look at doing something similar or nursing myself a while back but just couldn’t financially afford to do it
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Love this so much mate. Love to see this.
Also, i see Mass Made Simple upthread, which also makes me happy.
It makes me so sad that in this country, the people we need the most and who do the most good for others get absolutely robbed. The wages for teachers, police, medical professionals and all the other essential members of society are criminally low.
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@dagill2 good to see you mate. Glad you are back.
@aholding88 yeah I’ve had to save to afford the training. And I’ll need to volunteer for over time. But my wife also works. There is no way I’d afford this with out a second wage in the house.
We will notice the drop in ££££ but it’s my dream profession. I ALWAYS wanted to be a doctor. But I feel out if live with the idea about age 16. When I found booze and boobs. I quit studying
But you are right. The money is a bit poor. Less than £30k a year as an ambulance practitioner. Which on the surface sounds okay. Until you realise the sorts of things you have to see and experience to do this job.
But once I qualify as a paramedic the money goes up. But that’s a multi year process.
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So today I did 90 mins of easy touch rugby. Never really pushed it. Had a fair amount to eat already. And I will be going in the players super tonight. For non rugby people. It’s the end of year dinner party at the rugby club. Players only. Normally very messy.
It starts at 19:00 but out team is meeting at 16:00 in the pub for “pre drinks”. Which is a shit idea. But saying that it’s 15:45 and I need to leave.
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love the beard
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Thank you. It started off out of pure laziness. Now it’s for keeps.
Press x6.
Well rep 1 is. Dip and press. But that how I start all my press sets. Those first few inches are the hardest 
Them some BTNP- 50kg for sets of 12.
Kroc rows 60kgx15 with straps.
Finish off with Tabata front squats. Was gonna finish off with some sand bag stuff but I’m already late for work.
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Strong
How’s the hangover?
Thank you. My back is an area I’ve always thought was weak. My pulls ups are shocking. And my kroc rows have a lot of body English.
You know what - not too bad. We have the kids of other players in my team (I’m U9 coach). And they were bad. I kept my night “fairly” well managed. I think I was on 10 pints or so. Which with the port and shorts had me pretty well lubricated.
At one point I thought I was not going to make the dinner though. I’d had 3 pints before 17:00 and brought a double vodka and coke to “slow down”. I got caught with a drink too close to the edge of the table and BOOM I had to down that. Then a few more finger fines and I was feeling it.
For the non rugby lads - there are few standard drinking rules. Which can result in drinking all the drink or just a fingers worth.
No drinking with your dominant hand
No putting a drink down within 1 fingers length of the tables edge
Saying banned words
Pointing
Letting the queen drown (someone takes a coin and drops it in your drink)
Covering your drink
Also - not being fined in the last hour is also a finable offence. It pretty messy. I genuinely saw a player once get issued a whole drink fine with a 4 pint jug in hand twice in 1/4h a few years back. It was not pretty.
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I was VERY worried about today’s work out. I did press yesterday but today I wanted to give the Grace work out a go again. And try for the magic sub 3min. I warmed up with my standard 1-2-3-4-5 and then went for it. With a simple timer on the side for 2 reasons. To keep pace - push me on AND the alarm would let me know if I made the mark or not. If the alarm goes off BEFORE the log gets to the very top of the 30th press then its a hard fail. I can review footage if needed. I organise my own photo finish.
I did not have to. I BEASTED it - and got well under 3min. I was 2:50 something. I think 2:52. But as the clock was coutning down I can;t remember if I saw a 8 or 9 seconds left. But I do not care. I hit the sub 3 mark. I’m so happy. I paced it wrong again. But this time i did not panic I just rode it out. The first 15 reps went in under 60 seconds. I then slowed to about 8 reps a minuet. And that took me to 30 in just under 3mins.
The noise you can hear in the video is the my other phone giving 1 min timer intervals.
FYI - according to a few web site this means I’m an “elite athlete”. I will be wearing that badge often 
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Congrats dude! Really pulled it out there at the end.
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Genuinely thank you. This is my “biggest” strength and fitness feat. As it’s the one I solved by myself.
200kg deadlift I used 5x5 mad cow
100kg push press I used 531
200kg back squat and 100kg log I used a coach.
This one was all me. I set eyes on Grace back in December 2021 (but had no way to do cleans. I literally brought this log for this reason only. Do not tell my wife ).
I borrowed knowledge from people. But I set my own training. I worked on my own goals. I feel like this one is all me. It’s much more personal.
I’m not sure where to go next with it. I’m crap at maintenance. I need a progressive goal. I might add 5kg each side and try and keep the time below 4 mins. Eventually aim 80kg175lbx30 in sub 4 mins.
Edit:
I have another 3h before work. I have meal prep and meal time to squeeze in. But I think I’m going to do Tabata front squats and then ladder press up and rows with the sand bag. No deadlifts. There is no need today.
2nd edit
Tabata front squats. For some reason it was my shoulders and back today hurt the most.
Then ladders on the sand bag press up and tow. To 15. 120 reps of each. Filth.
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Well done mate, watched it twice it was so good. Quality
Thanks @simo74 it was a tough one. But worth it. It is satisfying to set your sights on a target then get there.
As an fyi - my 2 sons now think I’m a living legend. They checked out good times for the grace WOD. I say they checked out. I told them to check out.
All the web sites say under 3 mins is elite or similarly impressive banding. That’s what this is about.
The eldest actually said after “You did 14 in 1 minute. If you did 1 more and for twice as long you’d do all 30 in 2 minutes.”
Yes son - because that is how that works.