think i'm catching a cold

so i was excited to get back into the gym and now i have a cold. :( bummer. Last night's workout had mixed emotions. I did front squats instead of thrusters and i was able to comfortably do 5 reps at 225. Not long ago, that was my max. i used to make sure my knees and feet were facing forward and never tracked forward at all. Now, i allow myself to stand with my toes facing out and track over my toes. That made all the difference in the world. I was really excited about how good the squats felt. I also have been spending a lot of my own time just getting under heavy barbells. not necessarily lifting them but just trying to get comfortable under or around them. last nights wod kicked my butt and i only got 4 rounds. it brought me down quickly from the high of the front squats. Today felt a little better but i still feel a bit compromised. Not hurt or anything. Just not quite 100%.I was telling Todd last night that my biggest fear is having an injury end all this for me. I think as long as i work on form and continue to strengthen my core, i should be ok and able to do this for a long time.

workout(courtesy of Nadine's blog. thanks Nadine)
Warm up:

Band walk
Squat band walk
Monster walk
Lunge
Bear crawl
Frog hop
Inchworm

Skills:

3 rounds:

5 snatch (20#)
5 1-leg kb deadlift (16k)
5 1-arm kb overhead squat (20 kb)

WOD:

Partnered with Jonas: 15 sec. on/15 sec. off while partner goes, then switch to second exercise and repeat. 6 rounds of every exercise; 90 sec. rest between stations.

jingle jangle/mountain climbers
rope snaps/kb swing
power wheel crawl/power wheel leg curls
ring rows (straight legs for first three rounds, then table top)/push ups

Diet:
8am Muscle Milk
Noon: Lean Body Shake

coming back today

i took a week off to spend time with Hannah and to let my injuries heal. It was a great week. Ate lots of food, saw some movies, relaxed. Got another massage and my shoulder is feeling a lot better. I went back to the massage therapist and she was able to get my shoulder back into position. It was the most painful experience ever and i still cannot wait to go back to her. I feel really good today. I'm looking forward to getting back into the gym.

Diet:
8am Lean Body Shake
12:30am Lean Body Shake

got mustache handlebars

i finally got some mustache handlebars yesterday on my bike. I just lucked out. i was at the bike shop next to the office and i only planned on getting my brake hoods raised a little. The shop owner remembered me asking about mustache handlebars and gave me the pair right off his bike(well we traded bars and he charged me a tiny bit) It is a dreamy experience to ride a bike with those bars. Everything else in my life was absolutely perfect and that was just the icing on the cake to get those bars. Today we did deadlifts in the gym. I only made it to one of the previous workouts in the cycle so i wasn't too sure what id feel motivated to do today. Nathan was experimenting with a very non traditional motivational support technique which turned out to work so i guess he knew what he was doing. I got a PR out of it so i guess it worked. If my parents would have tried that technique, maybe i would have learned to play the piano or been a better boy scout. Jonas is a damn champ and I am glad i got to share a bar with him today. he's so strong that i think it makes those around him feel stronger. i had a burrito for breakfast so i'm off to a good start.

workout:
deadlifts and play day. i took my time so no play time for me.
I don't remember all the weights i did but i got a PR so i'm happy about that. Especially considering last week my back hurt so bad, i couldnt do anything.

Diet:
8am: Amy's OG Frozen Burrito

im healed(mostly)

i just had one of the best massages of my life. It hurt a bit. I think I actually cried a little but after it was over, i feel AMAZING. it wasnt the typical rub down relaxation massage. It was deep tissue with nerve flossing. She was a miracle worker. I'm going to go once a week for a while. It was a very educational experience too. She gave me suggestions of ways to position myself for pain free form. She said that i shouldn't pay attention to the clock so much when doing overhead stuff since i've trashed my rotator cuffs to the point of tendonitis. I am so happy i went. She's an extremely gifted healer and only works through word of mouth. She has a great space in NE. She has a sliding scale too for folks who don't have much disposable income. She said she never wants finances to be a reason for not getting needed work done.If anyone wants her number, let me know. :) Also, had the best day ever at work. Our information security Auditor informed me that we passed a compliance audit that our team has been preparing for since March. It was one of the most challenging and time consuming projects i've ever been responsible for. When I received the email of our successful audit, I was so relieved and happy that i almost fainted. Life could not be any better.
Workout:
(i'll copy it from Nadine's blog later) :)
Diet:
8am Muscle Milk
12 Vegisaurus Sandwich from Hopworks
6pm Chicken kebabs from Arabian Breeze

yoga today

i took to advil and foam rolled my back for a long time last night. I feel much better today. we have Yoga classes at work in the morning so i did yoga today and feel great. I might do it more often. Hoping that MattyG and I are injury free for some tennis this week. Going to see if Liz and Mark are up for some doubles soon too. i promised the thmfic that i wouldn't serve since i have a bad shoulder. only groundstrokes until i am healed.

Diet:
9:30am: Muscle Milk


Workout:
8:15 Yoga

pain pain, go away please

I’m waiting to be pain free again. Today felt great all the way through the workouts until just after the box jumps. I don’t think the box jumps created any pain but I think I was then feeling the pain catching up to me from the med ball cleans. My back feels really really tight. It doesn’t feel like an injury. Just feels unbearably tight. On the drive home, I almost pulled over because the pain was so unbearable. This is pretty frustrating. I scheduled a massage for Wednesday so I’m looking forward to that. I think I’ll try working out again tomorrow. May roll for a bit tonight on the foam roller.
Workout:


Diet:
8am Muscle Milk
1pm Muscle Milk

Workout:
Warmup:
10 halos
10 other way
10 around the world
10 other way
10 good mornings
10 figure 8 to hold
10 spinal wave
10 goblet squats
10 per leg cossack lunge
5 per arm clean and press

Strength: 4 rounds
kb rack lunch 5 on each leg(16k)
Leg curls on rings


WOD(partner workout(below is just my share)
Row 500 meters
Ladder
10 - 1 med ball cleans (50#)
10 - 1 box jumps (short box)
10 - 1 ring row

the hot seat

so i was bored over the weekend and went to blockbuster. Melissa and Hannah weren't home so i thought id get stupid guy movies to laugh at. i got Zack and Miri make a Porno and another movie called Sex Drive. Hannah came home from school yesterday and thought that i had rented real pornos and just left them out in the open on the kitchen counter by mistake. She asked Melissa and I if we were doing OK and if we knew that we had left them out. She then put her arm on my shoulder and said "Dad, i'm going to need a therapist to get over how awkward this is" She then could see me squirming as i tried to explain that it wasn't a porno but just a movie with that in the title. She asked if I got in the "special needs" corner of the video store. I didn't even know what the special needs corner of the video store was until i was 18. I tried to convince her that they were just regular movies with silly titles. I went to blockbuster.com to show her that they were popular rentals. She rolled her eyes and said "dad, i know you're a geek and could make the computer screen show anything you wanted it to". She loves to make me uncomfortable. I know she was joking and just loving watching me blush and try to change the subject. She keeps me on my toes. I wasn't going to workout today but Joel got back from the workout and said its the hardest one he's ever done. i have to try it now. My back doesn't hurt today. Got a tour of MattyG's studio last night. Really cool space. He and I are starting up a tennis group and want to see if more recreate folks want to play. Joel said he wants in and Mark mentioned being into tennis too. Hoping to play pretty regularly. Its been a while for me but i do miss it.

Diet:
8am Muscle Milk
1pm: 9 Dot Cupcakes
3pm: Muscle Milk

FINALLY!!

finally, I got to be Todd's partner in a partner workout. i've been waiting damn near a year to be his partner. I think it would normally be a right i had to earn but tonight there were only 4 guys at the gym so i knew i had a 33% that this might be the night. I admire the hell out of Todd's form and effort so it was a real treat to be his partner. I almost wished it was a longer partner workout tonight. I still feel like a wreck even with time off. my lower back feels a little tweaked and my right shoulder has been almost unusable for weeks now. Ball slams didnt hurt but for some reason i couldnt even press a 20lb kb over my head. wishing for some good weather so i can try the freebord out some more. i was at the regular gym doing some bench press yesterday and went inside the tanning bed(not really a bed because you stand up in it). Usually gyms are known for having super weak bulbs so i didn't expect much. i burned the frack out of my stomach, chest, and back. i don't want to get face cancer or wrinkles so i wrap a sweatshirt over my face and hold my hands tight over my face when i'm in there. i know its such a bad idea but there are worse things i could probably do. as much as i hurt, i probably wont do that again anytime soon. at the gym, i was in reminiscing mode talking to Nick because we learned that Nick works closely with one of my oldest friends from grade school. I shared a story with Nick from the "good old days" which was WTMI and i'm blushing in shock right now as i'm realizing that i actually told him such a story. I hope i can face him again after telling him that story. i wasn't even drunk. usually my story filter is so good. ok, i've had to many m&ms. i should stop typing. Going to spend the night deciding which music festival to attend this year between coachella, Austin city limits, and bonaroo.

Workout
kb complex

Skill:
25lb dkb rack lunches
25lb skb sleg deadlifts
dead hang pullups. i want to become a Bartendaz member so i'm working on my pullups
WOD: partner 1 min at time
row 1min
ball slam
Todd and I scored 420(we actually got 421 but Todd thought it would be more hilarious to put 420 in our permanent record. I agreed and there you have it. 420)

Diet:
8am: muscle milk
12pm: small Vegan burrito from Taco Del Mar
3pm: Muscle Milk
5:30pm 10 salted nuts
9pm: Muscle milk and quarter cup of M&Ms.

felt good today

Since i'm only doing 3 workouts a week, i'm trying to be very focused and give it 102% at each workout. Today was a good workout. I tried to pick heavy weights when i could. I did mr. spectaculars instead of half moons and i think i think they are up there with burpees in how effective they are. i like them a lot.

Workout
Group A(3.3 rounds)
Heavy Medball Sqaut x 6 med ball walk(50,100,100,145(2 balls. got through squats and dropped them after 10 steps once Jonas asked if i knew what teabagging was.
Power Wheel rollout
Cross chop halos(16k)

Group B
3 rounds
double kb sumo deadlifts(32k, 36k,36k)
sandbag get up x1 on each side
Mr Spectaculars(16k)


Diet:
nothing yet



7.5 min kb snatch test with as many hand switches.
147 at 16k (switched MANY times but didnt set kb down)

freebording harder than expected

so i tried freebording(really spelled that way) on my lunch break and it is REALLY hard. Learning to snowboard is a little easier because snow is softer than street. I need a nerf suit and then it will be easy. I am going to practice some more tonight. i'm very proud of myself for resisting the urge to go to the gym today. Going to try monday, wednesday, Friday this week. Might do some back squats at globogym one day this week but not sure which day. Since my shoulder is injured and i miss push press day, i have to get another strength workout in. Back squats seem to be a good for bang for the buck.

Workout:
a little bit of freebording

Diet:
8am: Muscle Milk
1pm: Grand Central SAndwich and Blackberry HOt lips soda
4pm: Muscle Milk

i got a freebord

After Aaron posted a video about freebords, i just couldn't stop thinking about them. Its like snowboarding on the street. The thing i dont like about snowboarding, is the time it takes to gear up, drive up, lace up, buckle up, pay up, and take the lift up before you can ride. All the effort is not worth the reward to me. Freebording though just requires a hill. my friend surprised me with it as a belated bday gift. i'm really excited to ride it. I can tell already that its going to be way more like snowboarding than skateboarding. Should be fun. Workout was good today. took me 8 minutes longer than everyone else in class.

7 rounds
7 30lb med ball cleans
7 burpees(old coach style)
7 Ring Rows
16 or 17 minutes.

Diet
8am Muscle Milk
Noon Bunk Roasted Pepper pecorino and cured olive sandwich
4:30pm Muscle Milk
5:30pm 3 Vegan Tamales
6:00pm 2 slices Amy's og cheese pizza
8:30pm Muscle Milk

still sore

wow. i hadn't deadlifted in several weeks and boy did i feel it after this friday. My lower back, hamstrings, and traps were SO sore all weekend. It was a good sore. Not an insured sore. My birthday was this weekend so ate a ton of delicious food. it was nice. I also got my first new pair of jeans in 3 years. I used to be obsessed with denim. I found my favorite pair ever though this saturday. i'm not a very materialistic guy. i don't have a fancy car or any fancy toys. But I do love a nice pair of jeans. Hannah and Melissa made me an amazing birthday meal that included homemade cupcakes. It was wonderful. i also slept a ton.

workout:
none

Diet:
carbs,carbs, and more carbs.