Ouch! I skipped class Wednesday b/c I looked at the workout (which I *thought* was going to be “Barbara”) then thought about my legs, then said “I think I need another day to recover.

I went at 6pm today with Victoria and the workout was “Running Grace” which consisted of the following:

3x

• 10 squat clean & jerk (I used 95lb*)
• 400m run

My time was 13:15.

As simple as those two lines above look, this workout was really hard. I can definitely tell when my form is good and when it’s not. The weight feels VERY different when you are just trying to muscle it up. I’m happy that we have such great coaches that break this stuff down for us.

This was followed up by what seemed like 30 seconds of planks (3x) with maybe 15-20 seconds in between. Nikki didn’t tell us.

*I was informed by Nikki that this weight is the woman’s elite weight. I am moving up in the world.

I couldn’t wake myself up at 5am today to go to Nikki’s class, so I went at 12:15pm after getting some work done. This was my first workout with clean & jerk in it, so I didn’t really go Rx on the weight. I wanted to learn the form to make sure I didn’t end up in the ER again…

6 (yes, 6) rounds of:

• 30 air squats
• 10 pull ups (I did jumping pull ups)
• 5 clean & jerk (65lbs)

My time: 12:13.

Although I finished really quickly, I had a sense of disappointment in myself for not doing a heavier weight. Although I still feel that I did the right thing by focusing on form this first time around, there’s still a little part of me that wishes I’d have gone heavier. Even so, this workout kicked my ass.

I can’t wait to eat the steak that is finishing up in the oven.

Dave, whatever happened to you before the workout this morning, I am sorry, but did you really have to take it out on us? Ouch!

• Walking Lunges to the Red Line (approx 250ft – 300 ft) Weighted (35lb plate)
• 25 Overhead Squats (with above weight)
• Walk the weight back in (overhead)
• 50 burpees
• 50 air squats

I don’t know the exact distance that we walked for the lunges but I got somewhere between 65 and 70 reps in. The overhead squats were surprisingly difficult as I’m not really that great with the form yet.

The rest really just, sucked.

My time was 14:21.

I am leaving to go to the Chicago area today. Ryon gave me a great link of travel workouts (http://youcantu.blogspot.com/2009/08/workouts-to-do-while-traveling.html) so that I will be able to get my next two in for the week.

Gotta pack…

We weren’t able to go to Master Joe’s black belt boot camp this morning b/c of an appointment that we had. We got out after 9am and would have gotten there too late. Instead, we headed over to the open gym at Cedar Park Crossfit. I had never been to one of these, so I wasn’t really sure of what to expect.

What I got was a huge group warm up followed by a partner workout consisting of:

• 100 push ups
• 90 squats
• 40 inch worm burpees*
• 80 sit ups
• 2000m run

Since this was a partner workout, the reps are shared between the team of two. My partner was the lovely Victoria. I picked up some of her slack on the inch worm burpees then she totally repaid me by doing a bit more of the sit ups. The rest was pretty evenly split.

Combined time: 19:20

*Alan from Crossfit CP claims to have invented these. I have never done these before and they suck. You start from a standing position, bend over at the waist, walk your hands out to a plank, do a push up, walk your hands back, then finally jump and clap. Suck.

Firstly, I want to say that I am really proud of myself for not wussing out over the last week and a half and going to every workout I had scheduled for myself. There have certainly been times where I really didn’t want to. Especially, being sick, I really haven’t felt like doing anything but laying around.

Anyway, today, I made the mistake of looking at the WOD before class (thank you, Google Reader). I finally felt that feeling of dread that my friends Ryon and Cindy had told me about. Still though, I was intrigued. We have great coaches at Tillman, so I knew they’d help me through it.

The workout was:

Death by 10 meters. (for every minute, run the round number of 10 meter laps)

Followed by a Tabata workout (8 sets each, 20s on 10s rest) of:

• Kettle Bell Swings
• Air Squats

3 things. Just 3 things. Never underestimate just 3 things.

I made it through 16 minutes of the “death by 10 meters” before I felt that my heart was going to break my ribs. I couldn’t start the 17th round on time. This is deceivingly hard. The first 8 or so rounds aren’t really bad, but once the running time becomes greater than the rest time, you are in trouble.

As far as the Tabata set went, at Crossfit, they have us count total reps for the entire set. My total amount of reps was 166.

I would like to write more, but after Master Joe’s meteor fist class this morning, then morning class, then work all day, then Crossfit, I am shot. I am happy to do nothing else tonight.

We have been sick since about Friday. I started getting a sore throat Friday night and was pretty much sick all weekend. It progressed from my throat into the rest of my head and I laid around like a vegetable all weekend and today.

Thank goodness Victoria wanted to go workout today b/c I would have just laid around some more. I am glad I went. Although I didn’t so as well as I could have on a “non-sick” day, I am still happy that I beat this one in under 20 minutes.

• 400m run
• 25 pull ups
• 400m run
• 50 medicine ball slams (20lb)
• 400m run
• 25 pull ups
• 400m run

I finished in 14:10. Victoria finished in 17:40.

For every minute of this workout my lungs felt like they were on fire. Every breath in was mixed with, well, stuff you don’t to hear about as it made it’s way down into my lungs. The runs were by far (I’m sure you’ll get sick of me saying this) the worst part. Hopefully, as time goes on, I will be able to get further into the running portions without having to take walk breaks.