Jan 22nd- 28th

  “Don't make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” - Don Miguel Ruiz

Monday:   

--Took the day off work today just because.  I have too many vacation hours saved up and if I did not take some time off I would quit earning more vacation time.  Once I hit 300 hours (yes that is 7.5 weeks) saved up I quit earning.  I get 15 hours at the first of every month and currently sitting at 292 hours, so yes I needed to take a day before the end of January to get want I earned on February 1st.  I have some first world problems and will have to take a bunch of days in February as well.  No real plans today.  Just a day to myself I guess.  I was thinking of going skiing but did not get moving quickly enough this morning to make it to Eldora for uphill at 7am.  Guess it will be a gym and jogging day per usual. 

10 AM:  1:30 at the gym.

Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills

Chipper: 11 mins 15 secs
50 Thrusters, 40% 1RM | 75 lbs
50 Toes-to-bars
50 Box Jumps, 24 in
50 Ring Push-ups

-then-

30 mins of core work from Dan.

2 PM:  Walk 3 miles in 48mins.  Easy dog walk around the neighborhood. Little longer than normal. Was going to jog some today but hip joints are a little sore from yesterday so walking it is.  Followed this up with 20mins in the hot tub to loosen things even more.  Much needed.

6 PM: Spin class with Paula at Vasa.  17.3 miles per the computer on the spin bike so I guess that is what I am going with.  Plan on doing a few more of these this week to get the sit bones ready for Old Man Winter a week from Sunday.

Tuesday:  

10 AM:  1 hour at the gym

Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills

Hang Squat Clean : 2-2-2-2-2 :
Sets
2 Hang Squat Cleans | 135 lbs
2 Hang Squat Cleans | 145 lbs
2 Hang Squat Cleans | 155 lbs
2 Hang Squat Cleans | 165 lbs
2 Hang Squat Cleans | 175 lbs

-then-

AMRAP 10 mins: 212 reps
10:00 AMRAP:
10 Hang Power Cleans | 70 lbs
10 Front Rack Lunges | 70 lbs

2:30 PM: 8.1 miles averaging 7:55pace.  Easy out and back on the Costco loop so mostly dirt roads the whole way. Maybe a mile or two on concrete. Good run overall but the achillies decided to act up again after this run. Sigh....  I am at a loss with it, been going so well the past week or two.

Wednesday:

--Sad day today... found out Eric Nunemaker whom I worked with for 10 or so years at Medtronic passed away yesterday after losing his 2.5 year battle with cancer.  He was my age and left behind 4 kids and wife.  Eric, Scott and I (in the second photo below) used to go out for short runs and beers after work a lot back in the day when I first started at Medtronic.  He also helped me through my divorce from Ashley in 2015 since he was a divorce lawyer with his own firm before he quit and started working at Medtronic, yes legal advice for the cost of buying him a beer, can't beat that.  He quit Medtronic a few years ago and we lost track of each other over time as people do but even with that it makes me extremely sad to hear of his passing and the pain that the cancer caused the past 2.5 years for him.  Hope you are no longer in pain buddy for I heard stories of your battles with cancer...  Your light will be missed....  FUCK CANCER!

10 AM:  1 hour at the gym

Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills

40-30-20-10: 20 mins 50 secs
40-30-20-10 reps of:
Dumbbell Snatch, 25% 1RM | 35 lbs
Pull-up
Burpee

--that was a rough one.

2:30 PM:  Walk 2 miles in 33mins.  Dog walk around the neighborhood to take a break from the work computer.

6 PM: Bike 26 miles in 1:20ish.  Spin class with Paula plus a few extra mins to get closer to the 1:30 bike ride I had planned.  Mileage is based on the computer on the bike.  Was going to go ride outside but the gravel bike is in the shop getting all refreshed for 2024.

Thursday:  

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  Nope..... end of the challenge in 2 weeks.

10 AM:  1:20 at the gym

Got there early and spent 30 mins doing core work and PT work before class.

Warmup: Rowing, mobility and drills

FT: 17 mins 41 secs
75 Row Calories
21 Push Jerks, 50% 1RM | 95 lbs
75 Row Calories
15 Push Jerks, 65% 1RM | 115 lbs
75 Row Calories
9 Push Jerks, 80% 1RM | 145 lbs

--Rough.. been a rough week at the gym so it seems.

6 PM:  Bike 17 miles in 58mins.  Spin class with Paula over at VASA again tonight. Achilles still sore but not painful anymore so just rode at a moderate pace the whole time with no standing up unlike the class so that I did not re-aggravate it. Weird how when it gets aggravated a day or two of cycling I am back to normal, getting old sucks. Back to jogging tomorrow.

Friday:

9 AM:  7 miles w/ 1600ft of vert averaging 11:30 pace.  Beautiful morning out there at Eldo Springs. They got about 3 inches of snow overnight. Started at Fowler Trailhead and ran the Rattlesnake Gulch loop. Was first tracks on the loop which is surprising since I did not start until 9am. Anyways, thick layer of ice under the new snow and after falling on my ass twice I basically walked the whole way down after that. Not worth getting hurt over, my fault for not bringing traction.

Saturday: 

9 AM:  1:15 at the gym.

Warmup: Airbike, mobility and drills

20 RFT: Partner Wods, Assault Bike Calories, Wall Balls, and Push-ups : 27 mins 26 secs | Rx'd
20 rounds of:
Partner Wod
10 Assault Bike Calories
10 Wall Balls, 20 lbs
10 Push-ups
-- with Nick

Then some core work for 15mins.

11 AM:  9.1 miles w/ 1400ft of vert averaging 8:30pace.  Starting at King Soopers on Table Mesa in Boulder headed up to NCAR then did a few laps from the neighborhood to the top and back to get some vert on a very runnable road. Same run as last week but a little bit longer and 30sec a mile faster.  Paula and Venus were hiking up and down the road (bailed off the trails due to mud) while I was running.  Awesome run this morning! 

--  Spent the afternoon moving furniture from my house into the garage with Paula and even sold a few pieces on Facebook Marketplace.  Making progress getting the house empty for renters on March 1st.  While over there got the mail and got the first card of the year from JT... the cork board is already hung up at Paula's and cleaned off for the new year.  First addition today.  Yes I box all the postcards up every year and start fresh.  And yes I keep them all in a shoe box in the closet.

Sunday:  

9 AM:  16.2 miles w/ 3000ft of vert averaging 9:50pace.  Run up Sunshine Canyon with Donnie. The original plan was to go all the way to Gold Hill to get a snack at the general store before heading down but guess they are closed this week for their winter break. So we went to the high point about a mile from town before you drop into Gold Hill where we turned around making the run 2.5 hours that I had on my plan verses going over. Legs are a little beat up after this run as they were last week but not quite as bad. As I was telling Paula, this time of year after taking a break from doing long runs for a bit it is always a mental challenge to get back to doing them.

-- Jumping in the hot tub after long runs always helps too.

Total Weekly Numbers

Solid week overall considering I took Wednesday and Thursday off from running due to a sore achillies again.  Should be a little bit of a lower week this week due to having Old Man Winter run/bike on Sunday.  Little bit of a taper week even though I am doing it for fun and not all in on racing it hard, especially the bike.