Break

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog.

I am truly enjoying keeping it, and I will continue to update it, but not for a couple of weeks. There is a lot going on in my life, and I have to take a break from the blog in order to manage it all.  Of course, that doesn't mean I will take any breaks from CrossFit!

Please check back during the first week of May!

A concert and a WOD

The Keyport Concert Series is a staple for Navy Band Northwest. It is a constant conglomeration of concerts that run all year, except for a little while in the summer. Today was one of those concerts, and assisted living facilities all around the area were there in force! 

Anyway, my hand is still good and mutilated, but it is healing pretty well, despite losing a couple of stitches today, maybe during the gig. Oh well, I feel fine. Good enough to do overhead squats!


AMRAP in 20 minutes:

15 knees to elbows (K2Es)
15 overhead squats (95lbs)
15 back extensions

This workout kicked my booty, especially the overhead squats. I think it is a neglected movement for me. It is odd, because I do plenty of squats and overhead work, even a great deal of thrusters, but I am having some difficulties translating the skills. I am keeping my grip wide and my shoulders shrugged. The weight is back and over my heels. Anywho, I am having difficulties with it, which might just be a matter of developing the fine muscle control and muscular endurance to keep the weight stabilized overhead.

Rounds: 5 + 15 K2Es

Not bad for the gimp.

Kitsap County March For Babies!

This is my amazing wife, Emily. She is the March of Dimes Community Director for... uh... like half of the state of Washington, actually. This is the busiest time of year for March of Dimes, because it is when they raise the majority of their money through the "March For Babies." If you have never heard of it, people ask their friends to donate money to their "walk," which they collect and then turn in on the day of the March For Babies, just before they do a 5 mile run/walk around the city. There are a lot of moving parts, she had 45 volunteers working for her today - lots of work!

Of course, she does all kinds of fund raising and awareness activities for the March of Dimes throughout the year, but we are all especially proud of her today for pulling off such a flawless event, and everyone think about her next Friday when she does the same thing in our state's capitol (she is the only Community Director in the state who manages more than one March For Babies event each year... crazy).

You rock, babe!

Ok, now for the CrossFit. My hand is still gimp and will be for a while, but I am slowly forcing it to do my bidding. Today I took on thrusters. I have to forgo the form a bit, which I am sure Dan would yell at me for, but I have to "death grip" the front squats. Sorry, Dan... it is the only way, because I can't bend my fingers back, yet.

Thrusters
3-3-3-3-3

Loads (lbs): 135, 135, 140, 145, 150

I am fairly convinced I could do a bit more when my hand heals, but my front squat PR is only 175lbs, and my push press PR is only 165lbs, so I think I am pretty close to where I should be for a 3RM, especially for not having complete use of my right hand.

There is great news today though, and I will let the video tell the story:

20 double unders, in a row! After eating a relatively Paleo lunch at Mandarin Chinese in Silverdale today (except for the excess salt, it really was mostly a Paleo meal...), I felt like a MetCon big-time. I am still suffering in this department, because I hate running, I don't own a rower (YET!), and most of my favorite CrossFit WODs are still inaccessible, due to the condition of my hand. I am making do with what I know, though!

2 rounds:

100 double unders

1 minute rest between rounds

Record times.

Times: 2:50; 3:05

I really almost had a better time on my second round, but the last ten double unders just really got to me, and I couldn't get my rhythm in sync. Oh, well, I am totally proud of this time. A month ago I was still afraid of double unders.

GHDs and back extensions

I am posting a day late, I know. Today is actually my rest day, but yesterday I had a frustrating WOD, discouraging me from wanting to talk about it.

I need a Glute Ham Developer. My makeshift solution really hurts my feet and makes my legs cramp up, not to mention the discomfort in my... *ahem*

So, this is an excellent lessons-learned about purchasing a GHD without a split pad, since that is essentially what I am working with now, and it is very uncomfortable.

Alright, here was the WOD:


5 rounds for time:
30 GHD situps
25 back extensions

My time? Well, it is hard to say. My stopwatch read 19:05. That is what I recorded in my logbook, but I could've gone so much faster if it wasn't for the balance issues trying to flip over in my contraption. The sharp edges of my plyobox aren't a problem when I am jumping on it, but rolling over on it scratches my legs and draws blood!

So, any ideas? I am leaning towards the Wright GHD. Thoughts?

More double-unders

Get used to it, people! My right hand is mush, so I need movements that don't require a tremendous amount of grip strength or my right-hand ring and pinky fingers. So, today I pull this one out of the main site March 2010 Archives.

5 rounds for time:


40 double-unders
30 box jumps (24" box)
20 1.5 pood kettlebell swings

Again, no pictures. Sorry, I just don't have it in me, plus my hand is gross and camera shy.

Time: 26:32

As much progress as I made on the double-unders, the box jumps proved the most difficult part for me, and the kettlebell swings were challenging due to the fact that I was so concerned about my hand. The last thing I want is to pop a stitch, because anyone who knows me realizes I would sew it back up myself with a paper clip and twine before going back to the emergency room - I hate "public health spaces," which is what call doctors' offices, e-rooms, hospitals, clinics, labs, etc. To quote Steve Carrell, "The office is not where you go to die... that is what hospitals are for."

Anyway, I am super proud of my double-unders. Not only did I do more today in one sitting than I ever had before (previous record was 150), but I also did 8 in a row!!! That is, one right after another, just like those crazy folks at the CrossFit Games. Awesome. I am amazed at my own improvement in this regard. Not a bad time, although there were much more impressive ones posted in the comments on the main site! I love it - Lots of room to grow!

I look like Hellboy...

I realize as I sit here and type, looking down at my hands, that one hand is easily twice as big as the other. That, and I look like Franken-Hand.

Again, no pictures today. Those might not come back for a while. My life is just a little haywire at the moment, so I am lucky just to get out there and train.

I can't play trumpet, I can't focus very well, and I am in some pretty serious pain, but I tell you all right now - This will not deter me from CrossFitting.

Back Squats

3-3-1-1-1

Then....

3 rounds for time:
50 double unders
50 back extensions

The back squat workout comes from KCF.

PRs all around!

Back squat loads (pounds): 165, 175, 180, 185 (PR), 190 (new PR!)

Time on double unders/back extentions: 18:30 (PR by over 10 minutes!)

I am especially proud of my progress on double unders. I actually did 15 without stopping the rope. This really improved my time, compared to only a week ago when I did this workout at over 28 minutes!

My hand really hurts, despite being on tons of meds. I have to go back to work tomorrow, and we will just have to wait and see what that is like. Ah, life... always keeping things interesting. I would like to say how awesome my wife, Emily, is for stepping up around the house, especially with respect to doing dishes, which is usually something I do, since she makes most of our awesome meals. I love you, baby!

Tonight's meal: Grass Fed Beef Filet Mignon with baked broccoli florets. mmmmmmmmmm

Baker

I have to share a tragedy that occurred this weekend. Baker, our newly-adopted English Springer Spaniel, attacked me on Saturday night, at about 11:00pm. It was a brutal attack that has left my right hand in pretty bad shape, lots of stitches and swelling.

We no longer have Baker, it is very sad, and we are heart-broken. The next day, I had to workout, and relieve some of the stress and anger. I made up this workout and named it "Baker," a goodbye to the dog I used to know.

Baker

Tabata Sequence:
box jumps (22.5")
36lb kettlebell swings
AbMat situps
95lb back squats

No pictures. No videos. Just a painful farewell WOD.

Box jumps: 9, 10, 9, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9

KBS: 8, 8, 9, 9, 9, 10, 9, 9

Situps: 16, 15, 15, 15, 13, 13, 13, 14

Back squats: 6, 5, 6, 6, 6, 5, 6, 6

So, to all my fellow CrossFitters, I am looking for WODs I can do without my right hand for the next couple of months. Please e-mail me your ideas.

Squats, squats, and squats... oh, and some PRs, too!

Today was 1RM squat day!

Overhead Squat
1-1-1-1-1


Front Squat
1-1-1-1-1


Back Squat
1-1-1-1-1

After an upper-body week from hell, it felt really good to knock these squats out. Also, I spent the entire day, starting at 8:30am, sitting in a chair doing schoolwork. So, I was glad to get out in the garage and get some!

Loads: Overhead squat: 95, 115, 135, 145 (PR), 150 (fail); Front squat: 135, 155, 165, 175 (PR), 180 (fail); Back squat: 135, 155, 170 (PR), 180 (PR), 185 (fail)

So, 15 squats (yeah... ok, so I only actually completed 12), and 3 PRs!

Now, I think I will watch the Men's Chipper from the 2009 CrossFit Games.  

Rowing intervals and command PT

Row 1600 meters
Rest 3 minutes
Row 1200 meters
Rest 2 minutes
Row 800 meters
Rest 1 minute
Row 400 meters


Record each time.

Can I just say how much I love rowing? I really wish I had one of these, because I think I would use it all the time. Now, having said that, feeling like your legs are going to fall off at about 600 meters and thinking to yourself, "Oh good, just 1000 more meters!" is unpleasant at best.

There is a great volume of data (articles and videos) in the CrossFit Journal that discusses rowing technique. A couple of months ago I really clued in on a couple of points, including the damper setting, the start strategy, and some basic form issues. It has been extremely helpful. I am hoping next month to break my 3k time.

Times: 5:57, 4:29, 3:00, 1:27

So, today was also command PT, and we had these guys do "Angie."

Angie


for time:
100 pullups
100 pushups
100 situps
100 squats

Great efforts all around, as usual. With our semi-annual PT test coming up, the pushups and situps give us a good idea of where everyone is in terms of projected performance, but it should be noted that we uphold standards on these events. Pushups go to the floor, and all the way back up. The Navy... well... they do the best they can :)

Push presses, knees to elbows, lunges, pullups - Busy day!

Today was supposed to be a rest day for me, but I completely forgot about it and hit a WOD anyway! Oh well, good for me. I was planning on an AMRAP WOD from the main site, but again was distracted by the siren song of Kitsap CrossFit's programming. I love presses, so I couldn't resist trying my hand (arms, legs, core, anything else I could use to propel that weight upwards) at this WOD...

Push press 5-5-5-5-5

Max reps knees to elbows between rounds.

After Angie and the Bear Complex, my upper body is pretty well gone, but hey, as Mr. Salo would infer, "Sisu." Ok.  Get some!

 

I used my rings for the K2Es, because the pullup bar was honestly ripping up my hands.  I am not sure if that is cheating, but if it is, try telling my abs that!

Loads (lbs): 135, 145, 155, 165, 170 (fail)

K2Es: 10, 8, 8, 8

Is that all?  Noooooooooo.

Here is the rest of today's WOD!

For time:

40-30-20-10 reps of jumping pullups and walking lunges.

Time: 4:56

Sometimes you get the bear...

... and sometimes the bear gets you!

"Bear Complex"

5 rounds of 7 sets of the sequence:
power clean
front squat
push press
back squat
push press

115lbs. Bar is not allowed to rest on ground.

Record time for each round.

Alright, Kitsap CrossFit, we are even now for the Smokehouse Relay! That's right, The Bear Complex is the posted WOD from KCF today, and what a workout!

Admittedly, I was pacing myself during the first round, but that totally went out the window once I realized how difficult certain elements were to become as the WOD progressed. I felt comfortable with the weight, but lowering the weight into the back squat position proved my undoing.

Times: 1:46; 1:59; 2:20; 2:41; 3:17

The inability to rest the weight proved rough, but, again, the worst part was lowering the weight into the back squat.  I will definitely be tackling this WOD again... just maybe not for a little while :)

The board says it all:

Great WOD! I will definitely be popping the fish oil tonight - come to think of it, I believe Emily is making mahi mahi!

Angie

For time:

100 pullups
100 pushups
100 situps
100 squats

Ah, days off! The day was spent doing schoolwork. Hours and hours of schoolwork... but I always get my WOD in! On a side note: These straps made from athletic tape are amazing. Shoot me an e-mail if you want instructions. Last time I did near this amount of pullups in one sitting, my hands were destroyed and I have learned my lesson.

Here is the video of WOD excerpts.

Time: 18:46

Don't fear the double under...

I have been working on so many movements and exercises during my skill sessions - muscle ups, overhead squats, split jerks, butterfly pullups, handstand pushups, L sits, and yes... double unders.  I have an excel spreadsheet filled without every workout I have done since October 2009.  It also contains all the WODs I plan to do in the future, updated each day from the main site and Kitsap CrossFit. 


This growing list of WODs is filled with double unders and GHD situps, because I don't have a GHD, I hate my globo gym, and honestly, as much as I am ashamed to admit it, I have been exceedingly apprehensive about double unders.  Well, today I conquered my fear.


3 rounds for time:

50 double unders
50 back extensions 

At best, I can only do four or five double unders before the rope gets caught under my toes or heels, the rope gets out of sync with my jumping, or I just lose the rhythm altogether.  It is embarrassing, but I have realized that before I could knock out 21 kipping pullups on the first round of Fran, there was a time not that long ago when I couldn't kip.  On my first visit to Kitsap CrossFit, I couldn't do the requisite 10 pullups for the baseline assessment.  I ask myself, "Sullins, how did you get better at pullups?  How did you learn to kip?"  The answer is not that I waited to do WODs that incorporated those skills until I was comfortable.  I did Fran.  It sucked really bad and took forever.  I did Angie.  It sucked and took forever.  In facing those exercises, doing my best, and working hard at it, I am stronger, faster, more coordinated, agile, my balance is far and away better than it was, etc.

So, that is my strategy on double unders.  You will notice on the video the quality of my double unders is not good, but I am going to keep doing WODs with double unders until I own them!

You will also notice I am, for the first time on my blog, wearing long sleeves.  I am also not wearing my Vibrams.  Yeah - both of those elements are circumstantial.  Please, see the medieval torture device below. 

Invented in 1066 a.d. by William the Conqueror, it was one of the most effective torture devices until outlawed by the Papacy in 1429.  Some methods are just too much.

Also, I am again faced with not having a very effective way of doing back extensions, so I improvise.  CrossFit is all about no excuses, which is one of the reasons I think it is so popular.  I try my best to stick to this philosophy.

At last, here is the humiliating video of excerpts from this WOD.

Alright, great WOD, but would someone please get Will Ferrell out of my garage!

I have often heard that there is something wrong if you don't fear your workout.  I believe this completely and without reservation.  I also believe that avoiding an exercise out of fear is not in keeping with the highest traditions of CrossFit, and it only can deter progress.  Fear your WOD, respect it, and then conquer it!

Time: 28:24

Smokehouse - Take 2

Today's WOD performed at Kitsap CrossFit - but should be familiar if you have been following the blog.  Derek and I crafted this after doing the team gymnastics relay at KCF the first week of March, and Dan and Amy decided to use it at their premo facility in Poulsbo, WA!  It was an invite (not to mention challenge...) Derek and I could not refuse.

"The Smokehouse"

For time:

10 burpees
100 thruster
10 burpees
100 sumo deadlift high pull
10 burpees
100 chest to overhead
10 burpees
100 front squats

Performed in teams of 2.  Both members must complete the 10 burpees prior to beginning barbell repetitions. Only 1 team member is allowed to work at any given time.  Repetitions do not have to be evenly distributed.

Recommended weight: men - 75lbs; women - 55lbs

For media on this one, you will have to visit http://www.kitsapcrossfit.com/!!! 

Time: 21:46 (shaved off 2:54 from our last time - we must keep coming back to Kitsap CrossFit!)  Once again, it was totally brutal.  During the SDHPs I really felt for a moment like I was going to have to "step out" for a moment.  Hard work!

Thanks to everyone who gave this WOD a shot and committed their maximum effort.  It is inspiring and continues to drive me forward in my own quest for elite fitness.

Awesome community.  Great coaches.  Good people.

Split Jerk!

This workout was fueled by GRASS FED BEEF!  Our "chill" order came in today and it was soooooo amazing.  I haven't had meat that wasn't at one point frozen in a very long time.  Sullins' two thumbs up, especially for all your Paleo-ers out there.  Way delicious and packed with Omega-3s!

Split Jerk

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

I love this lift.  I have been working on it in skill sessions, watching Mike Burgener videos from the Journal, and just generally getting psyched to try this left again.

The lift from the video is my PR!

LOADS (lbs): 115, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, X (failed attempt at 185)

My last personal record, about 4 months ago, was only 135lbs.  I feel like things are really starting to come together.  I have a long way to go in many ways - HSPUs and muscle ups need work, as do double unders.  My o-lifts still require a great deal of professional help to clear out issues with form, but I feel like I am at least being safe and making improvements.

At the same time, I look at repeat WODs "across broad time" and realize amazing improvement in speed, endurance, stamina, and strength.  Perhaps more importantly, I find that the "sport" elements of CrossFit such as agility and coordination are dramatically improving.  The other day I was walking up my garage stairs with a box from Costco (yes, we shop at Costco, but we don't purchase 30 lbs of rice at a time... we buy eggs in great quantity, though!).  Anyway, I was wearing my crocs, which really have seen better days in terms of tread, and I slipped down the stairs.  Not only was I able to catch myself on one leg at the bottom of the stairs, but I maintained my balance in a one-legged squat position and didn't drop any of the groceries.

I wouldn't want to make a regular practice of this clumsiness, but even just a year ago, something like that could have ended rather badly, at least a rolled ankle.  Again, thank you CrossFit!

On a side note, I was going to hit a second WOD today, a metcon with KBSs and double unders, but after a three-hour-long funeral honors job this afternoon, I was just too tired.  Ah, the Navy.