“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.”- Pat Riley
An ok month overall. Really need to get the bikes out more but struggle with it with all the gym time and running. Only have so much time/energy and I get more enjoyment out of running/gym right now than biking for whatever reason.
“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”- Robert Frost
Monday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Jogging, mobility and drills
3 RFT: 19 mins 10 secs 3 rounds of: Run, 800 m 30 Overhead Squats, 40% 1RM | 45 lbs 15 Burpee Box Jump Overs, 20 in
Had to switch to front squats for a few reps at the end due to shoulder pinch.
10 AM: 20min sauna followed by a 5min cold plunge.
--Spent the evening getting the half sleeve worked on. One more session in 3 weeks and it will finally done. Really loving how this is coming together.
Tuesday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym.
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
Chipper: 16 mins 20 secs | Rx'd
10 Power Cleans, 75% 1RM | 140 lbs
20 Pull-ups
30 Toes-to-bars
80 Wall Balls, 20 lbs
30 Toes-to-bars
20 Pull-ups
10 Power Cleans, 75% 1RM | 140 lbs
3 PM: Walk 3.3 miles. Easy walk around the hood. No motivation to run but at least I got some sunshine. Seems I have lost all mojo to run anymore. I have been forcing it and kind of over it the past few days. We will see what the rest of the week brings. Pretty damn sure I am not doing the Grand Traverse Run/Bike this weekend. Last thing I feel like doing is racing long.
Wednesday:
7 AM: 6.4 miles averaging 7:30 pace. Two easy laps of Davidson Mesa. Did not feel like I was moving this well. Only goal was to keep the HR under 150. Quicker than expected.
50 med ball sit-ups 50 med ball superman 25 med ball russian twist right 25 med ball russian twist left
Thursday:
-NOTE: Weight check in: No weight check in this week....
7 AM: 7 miles w/ 700ft of vert averaging 8:30pace. Easy miles from Flatiron Vista for a loop around Springbrook and back. Awesome morning out there!! Kept it chill and did walk a little bit (50 yards or so) coming back up Dowdy Draw.
2 PM: Walk 2.2 miles in 35mins. Easy afternoon walk through the neighborhood.
3 PM: 15mins doing core work in the garage before 20mins in the sauna and 5min cold plunge.
Side Bends : 5x15- 25lbs Sets 15 Side Bends 15 Side Bends 15 Side Bends 15 Side Bends 15 Side Bends
L Sit : 6x 20 secs Sets L Sit, 20 secs L Sit, 20 secs L Sit, 20 secs L Sit, 20 secs L Sit, 20 secs L Sit, 20 secs
Plank Hold : 3x 60 secs, rest 30 secs Sets : rest 30 secs Plank Hold, 1 min Plank Hold, 1 min Plank Hold, 1 min
Friday:
7 AM: 1 hour in the gym
Warmup: Rowing, mobility and drills
AMRAP 20 mins: 12 rounds + 5 Single Arm Dumbbell Push Jerks + 5 Single Arm Dumbbell Push Jerks + 7 Push-ups | 437 reps 20:00 AMRAP: 5 Single Arm Dumbbell Push Jerks, 20% 1RM | 35 lbs 5 Single Arm Dumbbell Push Jerks, 20% 1RM | 35 lbs 10 Push-ups 15 Row Calories
1 PM: 6.4 miles averaging 8min pace. 2 easy laps of Davidson Mesa in the 95 degree heat. Thought since the
donk race next weekend does not start until noon that some heat training
would do me some good for next weekend. I suffered today. Will try to do this a few times next week plus some sauna time so next Saturday won't be so bad if it is hot. Followed this up with a cold plunge.
Saturday:
7 AM: 7 miles w/ 700ft of vert averaging 8:15pace. Easy lap from Flatrion Vista- Dowdy Draw- loop of Springbrook and back. Ran this 3mins faster than earlier in the week without really trying too. Paula was out there too walk/jogging with Venus. Awesome morning out there!
9 AM: 1:15 at the gym
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
30 RFT: Partner Wods, 34 mins 55 secs
30 rounds of:
Partner Wod
1 Rope Climb
5 Box Jumps, 28 in
10 Assault Bike Calories
- with Jeff
Sunday:
9 AM: 6.25 miles w/ 1400ft of vert in 1:12. Easy jog from NCAR over to a lap of Bluebell trails and back. This was a
go to this spring for some easy vert. Going to get back to this route
more often. Pretty wiped today. Did not sleep well last night and it was hot out already this morning so super chill.
Spent the afternoon at 4 Noses catching up with Paula and her friends. Great group of people! Had to get me a beer slushie before the summer was over.
Total Weekly Numbers
Not a bad week overall. Could have done more but a shit ton in the gym which for some reason right now makes me happy so going to keep rolling with that right now. Some good trail runs are starting to make their way back into the week as well. I had plans to race Cyclocross on Wed night (first race of the year) but did not get my tires fixed in time. Maybe this coming week.
I did bail on the run and bike of the Grand Traverse this weekend. I could not justify the cost of $300 for a place in Crested Butte on Friday night and $700 for a place in Aspen on Saturday night. Not only due to cost but also not confident enough in my fitness to do a 40 mile run and bike in back to back days right now too. I just get burned out by this time of year. Think in the years going forward I will just stick to the ski in April. I do really enjoying doing the 40 mile ski.
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”- Dolly Parton
Monday:
-- Took a complete rest day today due to the lack of sleep over the weekend and still being sore. Even though I slept 9 hours last night I still needed 2 short naps today of about 20-30mins to feel like I could function. Almost like I ran the damn race.
Tuesday:
9 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Rowing, mobility and drills
FT: 5 mins 6 secs | Rx'd
30 Back Squats, 50% 1RM | 135 lbs
Row, 1000 m
-then-
Not for time.
50 med ball sit-up throws
50 superman med ball throws
50 Russian twist med ball throws (25 each direction)
-- Got this in the mail today. Thanks JT! Always a surprise.
3:30 PM: 5.2 miles averaging 8:30pace. Easy cruise from the house on roads and trails by the lake. Fucking hot as balls out there at 95 degrees this afternoon. Followed this up with a cold plunge to cool down.
Wednesday:
-NOTE: Weight check in: 173.2lbs w/ 9.4% bodyfat. Down a little bit but pretty much the same. Better than gaining I guess.
7 AM: 6.5 miles w/ 600ft of vert averaging 7:45pace. Easy miles on the Dirty Biz trails starting and ending at Coalton Trailhead. Did 4x1min hard hills in the middle of the run. Slowly adding in some intervals.
9:15 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Jogging, mobility and drills
10 RFT: 13 mins 44 secs
10 rounds of:
Run, 200 m
3 Jumping Ring Muscle-ups
4 PM: Sauna and Cold plunge... it was interesting how much colder I got with recycling. Recycling is when you warm up a little bit and go again in to the plunge. I was actually under a down blanket on the couch for over an hour trying to warm up after the second round.
2 rounds
20mins in the sauna
5mins in the cold plunge
Thursday:
8 AM: 6.4 miles averaging 7:25pace. Easy cruise over at Davidson Mesa. After a warmup of 2-3miles did
6x30sec at 5k pace with 2 min recoveries then easy back to the car.
Starting to put in some more efforts in the runs. Followed this up with a 1 mile walking cooldown.
9 AM: 1 hour at the gym.
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
7x RFT: Completed -- restart every 3:00mins 7 rounds, each round for time, of: 12 Assault Bike Calories 12 V-ups 9 Front Squats, 45% 1RM | 85 lbs Resting 0 secs between each round.
-then-
30sec/30sec of heel touches/rest x4 20 side crunches each side x2
8:30 AM: 6.3 miles averaging 8min pace. Easy 2 laps of Davidson Mesa after the gym. Really made sure that I kept it easy as possible.
---Finished book 22 of the year this afternoon. "What Doesn't Kill Us". Reread from 2017. Figure it needed to reread this one since I am getting back into cold plunging again. Been doing it almost every day for the past 3 weeks and plan on keeping it going. I just feel good afterwards.
Saturday:
6 AM: 5.1 miles averaging 8:30pace followed by a 5min cold plunge. Easy miles from the house before heading up to Fairplay for the day to celebrate Amy's birthday with Don, Paula, Mike and Nancy. Ended up doing a cornhole tournament in Alma in the morning where Paula and I were the first team eliminated, yes we suck at cornhole, but we did win a prize for the first team out! HA! Followed that up with some drinks and hanging out at Don and Amy's house until late into the evening playing cards. Got home about 11pm.
Sunday:
Shit day.... total depression, stuff my face day. Napped about 3 hours throughout the day as well. Starting to see a pattern on these days were I can't seem to do anything. They are always the day after having more than 1 alcoholic drink or staying up late (had 6 drinks throughout the day Saturday). Is that just part of getting older? I really do enjoy getting drinks with people whom I enjoy their company but I am over having days like this where I don't leave the couch all day. Need to come up with a new strategy since now I see this pattern.
Total Weekly Numbers
Started good with recovery from pacing Leadville, getting back to it until it all fell apart over the weekend. Even with giving myself a hard time about it, I would not change anything for I love spending time with friends. Just need a new strategy on drinking and eating when I do it.
“It is not enough to be busy...The question is: what are we busy about?”- Henry David Thoreau
So I started 75 Hard again last Monday, did not share that last week because I was not sure if I was going to keep doing it or not. Figured why not, it gives me little daily micro goals that over time lead to some habit changes that I need to get back too. So far so good..... would not be surprised if I have to start over a few times which is fine. Still only doing 75 days total.
Monday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym followed by 10mins of mobility before running. I have not deadlifted heavy since before the back injury last fall. Starting to trust the back more and more.
Warmup: Rowing, mobility and drills
Deadlift : 5-5-5-5-5 : 6900 lbs
Sets
5 Deadlifts | 245 lbs
5 Deadlifts | 265 lbs
5 Deadlifts | 275 lbs
5 Deadlifts | 295 lbs
5 Deadlifts | 300 lbs
-then-
5x 2 mins RemReps: 114 reps | 114
5 rounds, 2 mins each, of:
100 Speed Step Jump Ropes
max rep Row Calories
8 AM: 5 miles averaging 8min pace. Easy out and back from the gym towards Erie. All new trails since the gym moved over the weekend. Now it is by Acreage. This adds a lot of drive time round trip and not sure if I will be staying here after 10 years going to this gym. Instead of 12mins to get to and from the gym it is now 20-25 depending on traffic. Not because it is father away but because now I have to use Hwy 287 with all the traffic and lights. Not my jam... I am going to give it a month and make a decision then.
3 PM: Bike 10.5 miles w/ 550ft of vert. Easy cruise on Blueberry (MTB) on the Westmister Trails across from the house. Bike feels a lot better so far since the fitting. Think it was money well spent!
Tuesday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Airbike, mobility, and drills
4 RFT: 15 mins 49 secs
4 rounds of:
12 Dumbbell Snatches, 25% 1RM | 35 lbs
12 Toes-to-bars
12 AbMat Sit-ups
12 Dumbbell Snatches, 25% 1RM | 35 lbs
12 Toes-to-bars
12 AbMat Sit-ups
Rest 1 min
8 AM: 5 miles averaging 8min pace. Easy cruise from the gym going west on the Rock Creek trail. Made past Medtronic before turning around. Kind of like having the trail right across from the gym in the new location. Followed this up with an easy 1 mile cooldown walk.
-- Was not going to bring this up until it was done but changed my mind. Spent the late afternoon at Junkyard Ink starting the final phase of my arm tattoo. Bunch of wildflowers from the photos that I have taken over the last 2 summers around Colorado. Yes that is the main reason I have been taking so many wildflower photos but of course because I also love them. These are the first 2 flowers, should be able to get 4-5 more going around the arm.
Wednesday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Jogging, mobility and drills
AMRAP 20 mins: 7 rounds + 400 ft + 100 ft + 2 Wall Walks
20:00 AMRAP:
Shuttle Run, 400 ft
Walking Lunge, 100 ft
4 Wall Walks
8 AM: 5 miles averaging 8mins pace. Easy cruise from the gym on the Rock Creek trail heading towards Erie right after the workout. Lot hotter today than it has been lately. 1 mile cooldown walk afterwards.
1 PM: Bike 10.75 miles w/ 700ft of vert in 51mins. Easy spin from the house over to the Westminster Hills trails doing a bunch of different loops. Super hot out today so made sure I was on trails where I can see snakes. There is a lot of rattlers over there and they come out when it is hot.
Thursday:
-NOTE: Weight check in: Exactly the same numbers as last week and the week before. Super weird for I have actually cleaned up my diet the last 11 days and been doing more activity again since I started 75 Hard again. Not changing a damn thing weight or bodyfat wise. Will keep plugging away.
6:45 AM: 1 hour in the gym
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
8x RFT: Every 3 mins (starting at 0:00) complete:s, 8 mins 21 secs
8 rounds, each round for time, of:
Every 3 mins (starting at 0:00) complete:
10 Burpee Over Bars
4 Squat Cleans, 60% 1RM | 105 lbs
10 Box Jump Overs, 24 in
Resting 0 secs between each round.
8 AM: 5 miles averaging 8 min pace. Easy cruise on the Rock Creek Trail again right after the gym.
- Massage scheduled from 11:30-1 today then heading straight from there to Leadville to hang out and pace at the Leadville 100. Excited. Have not gone back up in the high country since Hardrock.
Sleeping at the trailhead of Missouri Mountain outside of Leadville tonight to hit the trail in the morning.
Friday:
7:30 AM: 10.7 miles w/ 4600ft of vert in 4:15. Missouri Mountain outside of Leadville with Bob. First time on a real
mountain trail since Hardrock. Felt great but fuck was I sore the next 2
days in my quads and really felt it when pacing Leadville.
Saturday:
7 AM: 5 miles w/ 400ft of vert averaging 9:20pace. Easy shakeout jog from Twin Lakes after sleeping in the back of the
truck there last night. Joined Don for the first half where he kept
going and I came back. I have to pace tonight so kept it short. Really love car camping at Twin Lakes the night before the 100. We were parked about 100 yards down the road from the General Store and where the runners cross over the hwy to start Hope Pass, so nice.
8 PM: 14.5 miles w/ 1800ft of vert in 4:18. Pacing Mindy from Twin Lakes to Outward bound. You forget how long this
section really is. For some reason in my mind I remember it being
shorter. Mindy might be the most efficient person I have ever paced at the aid stations. We were never in an aid station for more than 3-4 mins. Yes I timed them all... super impressed, especially since this is her first 100 run.
- So I saw a post on the Leadville Run Facebook Group from Mindy on Thursday who is from Michigan looking for help to find a pacer for her first 100 mile run. I looked up her Facebook profile to see what mutual friends we have, there was one, Paula. So I asked Paula how she knew Mindy only to find out that she is a bad ass pro multi day adventure racer from the back in the day. That just means that she knows how to suffer and there will be no hand holding, I am in. Figured it was the right thing to do, play it forward and get some trail karma.
Sunday:
3 AM: 12.5 miles w/ 900ft of vert in 3:32. Pacing Mindy from Mayqueen to the Finish... She rocked her first 100!!! I got a little break between Outward Bound and Mayqueen where I was able to get about an hour and half of sleep before bring her in to the finish. She did not have much left in the legs in this section but once we got around the lake she was able to do some jogging on road and the Boulevard. The goal when we left Mayqueen was to be under 28 hours. She did it, 27:48. CONGRATULATIONS MINDY!
That was a damn fun weekend! Thanks for including me in your adventures!
Total Weekly Numbers
Hell of a week this week!!! Between doing Missouri and pacing up at Leadville just might have been the kick in the ass I needed to get back to it. Super sore in the quads still on Monday morning but much better than yesterday where they were sore to the touch.
“You've got to fight through some adversity. You've got to have some tough times. You've got to have some rainy days.”- Tom Izzo
-- Feels like adversity is all I have had since Hardrock. Every week is a little bit better so there is that. Just gotta keep going.
Monday:
9:15 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Jogging, mobility and drills
Chipper: 25 mins 43 secs | Rx'd
80 Pull-ups
80 Push-ups
80 Dumbbell Sit-ups, 35 lbs
80 Dumbbell Step-ups, 35 lbs, 24 in
2 PM: Biked 11.2 miles w/ 500ft of vert in 50 mins. Easy cruise from the house through Westminster Hills and an out and back on Dry Creek. Perfect weather day!
Followed this up with some PT and Core work in the garage for 20mins, Sauna for 20 mins and a cold plunge.
Tuesday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
Complex: 1430 lbs
Sets
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 125 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 135 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 135 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 135 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 135 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 145 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 145 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 155 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 160 lbs
1x [ 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean + 1 Split Jerk ] | 160 lbs
-then-
24-16-8: 7 mins 15 secs
24-16-8 reps of:
Dumbbell Hang Clean & Jerk, 40% 1RM | 35 lbs
Burpee Over Dumbbell
8 AM: 5.1 miles averaging 7:25pace. Easy jogging over at Davidson Mesa after the gym. Actually felt normal on today's run. Seems that been only happening once a week or so lately so hopefully it keeps going this week.
8:40 AM: 1 mile cooldown walk in 16mins after the run. Going to try and do this more often verses just stopping.
2:30 PM: Bike 11.2 miles w/ 500ft vert in 50mins. Easy cruise around the hood on a combo of roads and crush gravel trails. On the gravel bike.
Wednesday:
6:45 AM: 1 hour in the gym
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
AMRAP 12 mins: 7 rounds | Not Rx'd
12:00 AMRAP:
Run, 200 m
3 Power Snatches | 75 lbs
6 Overhead Squats, 50% 1RM | 75 lbs
Switched to front squats halfway due to pinch in my shoulder
2 PM: 5.1 miles averaging 8:20 pace. Easy cruise around the hood. Only goal was to keep the HR under 150.
Did creep up a couple of times due to the heat and small hill in which I
would walk until it came down.
Followed this up with a 1 mile cooldown walk and a 5 min cold plunge.
Thursday:
-NOTE: Weight check in: 173.6 at 9.8% bodyfat…. No change at all for the past 3 weeks.
6:45 AM: 1 hour at the gym.
Warmup: Rowing, mobility and drills.
FT: 12 mins 35 secs
30 Burpee Box Jump Overs, 24 in
40 Dumbbell Push Press, 40% 1RM | 35 lbs
50 Row Calories
40 Dumbbell Push Press, 40% 1RM | 35 lbs
30 Burpee Box Jump Overs, 24 in
8 AM: 5.1 miles averaging 7:40 pace. Easy miles over at Davidson Mesa right after the gym. Did take a work call towards the end of this. Keeping HR around 140 for most of the run, give or take 5 beats either way.
Followed this up with a 1 mile cooldown walk
Noon: Had a bike fit over at Build in Louisville by my PT Caitlin who is one of the best in the business I think. She had gotten me to the starting line of both years of Hardrock. Last year it was a torn calf issue and this year it was my back issues. The bike has been locking up my back anytime I go over an hour so hopefully this will help some.
2 PM: Bike 10.4 miles w/ 500ft in 48 mins. Easy ride on Blueberry (mountain bike) after the bike fit. Seems to have made a difference in the upper back/neck pain I have been dealing with when riding. Did replace the stem as part of it as well for a little bit more reach.
Friday:
6 AM: 5 miles averaging 8min pace. Easy jog from the house over to Westminster Hills for a lap then back. Super chill jog at sunrise.
Followed this up with a 1 mile cooldown walk.
9 AM: 1 hour at the gym. Paula went with me today and she still likes me. Imagine that!! HA!
Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills
AMRAP 5 mins:3 rounds + 12 Assault Bike Calories + 7 Front Squats | 91 reps 5:00 AMRAP: 12 Assault Bike Calories 12 Front Squats, 35% 1RM | 65 lbs
-rest 5 mins
AMRAP 5 mins: 4 rounds + 6 Assault Bike Calories + 6 Front Squats | 84 reps 5:00 AMRAP: 9 Assault Bike Calories 9 Front Squats, 45% 1RM | 75 lbs
--Went home and did a cold plunge after this. Had visions to ride this afternoon but did not feel like it.
Saturday:
7 AM: Walk 3 miles in 48mins. Early morning walk. Was going to run but sore from yesterday and stomach was not happy with me this morning. Followed this up with some light lifting in the garage doing bench press for about 15mins and a cold plunge.
-- Paula and I headed up to Sidney Nebraska right after this for my cousin Avery's baby shower. She is almost like my kid since she used to live with me for 2 years while she was in school here. It was also the first time Paula meet a bunch of my family. Had a great time!
Sunday:
8 AM: 2 miles super easy on the track as a warmup before the workout below. Jogged the straights and walked the curves
8:30 AM: Done with Frank and Brett. Been to long since I seen these guys. Legs were smashed after this one. I had visions of jogging afterwards but that did not happen. About fell on my face at the end of this one when I took off for the mile run due to the legs giving out.
3 PM: Walk 3 miles in 47mins. Easy cruise around the neighborhood to loosen up the legs some plus it was the perfect day outside today.
Total Weekly Numbers
Not a lot of running this week but did get in good volume for everything else. Slowly getting back to it week over week. I do feel out of shape which I know is mostly bullshit in my head but does not change the way I feel. Going to keep plugging away.
