Well, it’s been real, couch. Week 5 will be the last time I get a full 7-day stretch sleeping in my own bed for a long time. It’s been both refreshing and challenging to train with regularity between running and CrossFit while things at work have been on the calmer side.
CrossFit’s been serving up a few doozies this week, and I was more than happy to be able to show up and participate in some serious sweat extravaganzas with friends. So many 1RMs programmed, and all I learned is that my strength is currently able to hit about 85% of what my lifetime maxes are. Fun stuff.
#SeaKatyWheeze: Week 5
Day 29 – Sunday 6/24
REST DAY
I went to Dave Matthews on Saturday night. Adult beverages were consumed. Let’s just say on Sunday, I took it easy. I was going to eventually hit some golf balls with my Dad in the evening, but then some massive rain clouds had other plans for us. #whompwhomp
Day 30 – Monday 6/25
CrossFit
STRENGTH
Work up to a heavy 1RM back squat for the day – Got to 165, nothing to write home about.
WOD
For Time (25:00 cap)
3 Rounds of:
10 Pull-Ups
5 Snatches 75lbs
then, 3 Rounds of
15 Deadlifts 75lbs
30 Pistols
then, 3 Rounds of
10 Pull-Ups
5 Cleans 75lbs
Early on in this training cycle I was starting to get the miles in, but my ability to make it to CrossFit was a bit stretched. One day Joanna told me that if I couldn’t cross-train as much as I was last year, then I better start doing some box jumps or pistols on the side.
Welp, lo and behold Monday’s WOD had pistols. 90 pistols. And I did every. single. one. I may have gotten time capped at 2 pull-ups into the 7th round, but I didn’t care. My goal was to complete all the pistols Rx, and I was happy as a clam having accomplished them all before “TIIIIMMEEE!”
Forever I’ve been very confident on my left leg and hesitant on my right, but I had a bit of a breakthrough on Monday and was able to confidently bang them out on each leg. The best I’ve ever felt. The WOD was tough but I finished it feeling over the moon.
Also, I did something unprecedented – I TOOK THE TAGS OFF MY SEAWHEEZE SHORTS.
Day 31 – Tuesday 6/26
Run 5mi HR<145
On Monday my legs were like “YEAAAH!”
On Tuesday they were like “F*CK YOU.”
So, that’s how that one went. Slow, creaky, ugh. My legs were still doing that weird thing where they’re feeling locked up and slow to react. I kept having to slow it down to a walk to keep my stupid heart rate in check.
Day 32 – Wednesday 6/27
CrossFit (Run 6x800m)
I was able to sneak my way out of a tempo run this week because the CrossFit workout for the day was a mega long chipper that included 3 miles of running.
WOD
For Total Time:
2 Rounds of:
800 M Run
18 Clean and Jerks 65lbs
Rest 5 minutes
2 Rounds of:
800M Run
12 Clean and Jerks 65lbs
Rest 5 minutes
2 Rounds of:
800M Run
6 Clean and Jerks 65lbs
The Rx female weights were 95-125-155, but I scaled way the F down. 155 is my lifetime PR, and I couldn’t hit it right now if $87,000,000 were on the line. The workout was programmed with instructions for athletes to ‘rest’ on the run and push it on the barbell, but I shifted my priorities in the opposite direction, trying to keep my pace between 8:00-8:30/mi and go light on the barbell.
Unfortunately the stupid “800m” loop at CF clocks in at 0.45mi so I don’t have any full 800m segments to accurately show how fast I was going. The first run was obviously the fastest, I tried to keep it around 8:00/mi.
The second run in each round got tougher, of course. It’s super frustrating how fast I fizzle. I wish I could be more consistent in my more challenging efforts.
Again with the awkward and disconnected feeling, I was still having trouble running because it still oddly felt like I can’t entirely trust my legs not to give out on me.
Day 33 – Thursday 6/28
CrossFit
STRENGTH
Front Squat
15 minutes to build to a 1 rep
WOD
4 Rounds for time:
30 Abmat sit ups
30 Thrusters 35lbs
45 Double Unders
This one was kind of the wild card workout for the week. I thought that even though I despise them that the 120 thrusters would be good for my fitness. I still scaled from 15 GHDs to 30 Abmat situps, and after my first 10 reps I took the 55lb thruster down to a 35lb. Immediate post-WOD feedback from TrainingPeaks:
WTF. I am usually the double under master and I tripped on the first 2 of the first set because my quads wouldn’t fire.
Also, I did 35lb thrusters instead of the 55 RX because the workout was meant to be fast. Poured sweat this entire workout, even with the lighter weight.
Whether it’s a light weight or no weight, I feel like my legs have no explosive capability. I can go at 70% effort for HOURS on end but it feels pretty demoralizing when I try to do something relatively simple for a quick sprint and my body just doesn’t respond like I want it to.
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve beaten myself up on training for the last few weeks that I’m just tired, or if I pretty much have 0 fast twitch muscle fibers in my legs. I used to be so fast with a barbell, and now, I’m molasses. Discouraging, to say the least.
Day 34 – Friday 6/29
Run 3mi HR <155
Joanna gave me 10 extra BPM to account for the fact that it was hot outside. Between work and waiting for the sun to start setting, I hit a bucket of balls at the range to kill some time. FWIW, I did far less terribly than my last outing a couple weeks ago. If only I could watch back the footage of both good & terrible swings… and actually be able to tell a good swing from a bad swing without watching where the ball goes.
When there was finally just an hour left of daylight, I put some SeaWheeze gear on, laced my shoes up and got outside. I was able to keep my heart rate relatively in check, and shuffled 3 miles together before pizza, ice cream and super lame movies on the couch.
Day 35 – Saturday 6/30
Run 7mi
If I could CTRL+ALT+DELETE this run from memory, I would. It was 90 degrees out, and it didn’t go well. While I didn’t all-out cry (like I did 4x during that miserable 11-miler in Minneapolis last year), there were a few audible whimpers of misery and a ton of walk breaks.
Legs didn’t have much left to give after training 6 days in a row, and the weather was a nice middle finger at whatever shred of confidence I had when starting this one. 3 miles in, I tried popping 2 of these chewable salt tabs I picked up at REI recently. In mile 6, I had a side stitch. So… not sure how well their cramp-evading claim on the pack held up. I had one of those pink PRO BAR chews from last week at mile 5. Maybe that sugar was a culprit.
Not really sure if I can blame either ‘snack’ for said wannabe cramp, or if it was all around just too hot. I probably filled my vest with 40oz of water, and went through most of it. Only gripe with the vest so far is that the water in the tube warms in the sun, and drinking enough to get to the cold stuff is sometimes too much. Can’t win.
#SeaKatyWheeze Stats
Week 5
Miles Run: 18
WODs Done: 3
Calories Burned: 2913
Miles Traveled: 0
Nights on the Road: 0
Cumulative Total
Miles Run: 100
WODs Done: 9
Calories Burned: 14527
Miles Traveled: 14491
Nights on the Road: 9
