The New Rx – What Will The Shoulder Do

So I’ve definitely had consistent tendonitis flare up in my left gimp shoulder since 12.3.  Oly cert last weekend did NOT help the situation (despite being such an awesome weekend).  Consequence – not able to do Games Prep for an additional week.  But rather than pulling a Ben Stiller double jug milkshake jiggle moment (In case you forgot this magical moment,) I’m trying to listen to my coach.  Yes, that means resting.  But it also means very shoulder rehab intensive programming brought to you by none other than Dickey Blaze.

My new daily warm up:

500 m row

2 rounds

10 scapular pushups

10 Dumbbell straight arms retractions (15#)

10 Superman holds

2 min airdyne @ 60 rpm

2 rounds

10 bar hanging scapular depressions

10 band to nose

10 band to forehead

2 min airdyne @60 rpm

2 rounds

60 sec. T-spine mobility

60 sec. calf stretch

3 Partner assisted OH squat pull down drill

2 rounds

10 GHD

30 double unders

Yes, ladies and gents.  ALL OF THAT is my WARM UP!  WTF.  BUT Dickey Blaze is right as far as it is helping my shoulder.  The rationale behind it is that while my shoulder is healing I need to do 2 things:  1) drive blood and nutrients into the injured area (high volume) and 2) get that shoulder to heal in the correct position (in nerdy terms: the “natural functional architecture for which the body was designed to achieve optimal performance”) – or as Spider Monkey put it “GOOD... Your shoulder movement is FUCKED UP.... said with love.”  Thanks Key!

So after that wonderful warm up (which doesn’t take too too long as long as I minimize the socializing in between things)…

Training 03.20.2012

Strength Warm Up: 

-Front Squat: 2x5 (45#), 90 sec. rest

-Hang Power Clean (from the hip): 1x5 (45#)

Strength Work Set:

Hang Squat Clean (from the hip)

-5x3 @ 70% 1RM full squat clean (70#), 2 min rest

Strict Press (more trying to maintain and increase that blood flow)

-2x15 @ 35#, 90 sec. rest  Yes.  Most definitely felt the burn in the shoulders at the end of that second set.

Metcon:

8x20 sec. bike sprints holding at 110-115 rpm, 2 min rest

This is a deceiving metcon.  Single modality.  Not a sexy metcon by any means.  Heck, y’all probably just yawned when you saw that.  God knows I looked at Stacey with “seriously?  I’m dealing with a special ed shoulder and you’re making me want to quit now and join water aerobics.”  But, “trust the process” (I’m going to have to get that tattooed on Stacey’s forehead for me to actually want to trust the process.)  So I did it.  And the burn….oh the burn.  Feeling every microounce of lactic acid coursing through my quads and hamstrings.  This is not your fluorescent lighted Lady Gaga spin class.  This is still CrossFit.  This is still instilling speed and endurance and is just as miserable as the sexy chippers and the siren call of Fran.  Plus, it tests coordination – as in how well can you walk in a straight line when you come off of the bike.

Garage Games One - Brought to You By Blog Slacker

Guess who’s uber behind in posting?  That’d be this working professional.  So much has gone on in the past month and a half, between my company being bought (thank God I’m still employed), the end of the Paleo Challenge at CrossFit Music City and not 1, but 2 CrossFit Competitions full of V-card losing, Kill Cliff, Paleo Bison Chili (Yes you read that right – and yes you should be jealous if you haven’t had it), Spider Monkeys, and crazy good times.

So it’s time for a long overdue update, starting with....

Garage Games One

Oh where to begin with this weekend o’ freezing fun.  CFMC brought some fresh meat to the competition with Shaunna Williams, Daniel Hightower, and Jamie Jarbeau all being competition newbies.  Rebecca Brown, Brandon Koechlin, and Rob Murden brought along the experience.  And well Elizbaeth, Trevor and I?  We brought our pom poms. 

Give me Meat!!!

Veteran + Newbie

Monkey acting normal....but just wait

Event One: Run.  Run hard.  Run over obstacles.  Run through puddles.  Run over walls. But Run!  As Rebecca can attest – this one every year is a doozy.  It doesn’t matter if you’re an excellent runner, this event will punish you for every ounce of ego that you made the mistake of bringing instead of bringing pure game.

Crystal - just running...and running...and running

Emily awaiting her turn on the wall for the obstacle run

Event Two: 21-15-9 KB Swings (70/53 – Rx, 53/35 – Scaled), Over the Bar Burpees, Push Press (95/75 – Rx, 75/45 – Scaled). 

I love a good triplet.  I love KB Swings.  But man oh man was I glad that I was just being a cheerleader.  Because that frozen cold ground + rain + wind + pain takes such a mentally strong game, I don’t care how awesome your shoulder strength is and that you’ve never been injured in your life.  If your will is weak, so will be your performance.  Guess whose will definitely wasn’t weak?  That’d be Shaunna.  Watched her attack this wod and never stop.  NEVER.  Yes she’s strong and can through 120# over her head.  So 45# and 1 pood are nothing.  But this ended up being one of her last events, and that girl was going to show that event who was boss!

Rob Going Rx on the Triplet

Event Three:  Clean & Jerk Ladder

RXmen - 135, 165, 185, 205, 225, 245, 265, 285, 305, 325

RXwomen - 95, 105, 115, 125,135,145,155,165,175,185

Scale men = rx women weight

Scale women - 75, 85, 95,105 115,120,125,130,135,140

Very proud that Daniel got all the way through the Scaled men ladder!  Sadly, Jamie decided this was the appropriate time to try and blow out his back – whoops.  But like a true champ he let the miracle of ice, rest, and sheer will power get him through the rest of the competition.

Good Lift Jamie

Easy Peasy for Daniel (Not Danielle, as I kept calling him in emails trying to coordinate the weekend)

Event Four: Hill Sprint w/Sandbag

Apparently the CrossFit military love must be brought to every competition – because sandbags slung across the shoulders and sprinting up and down a steep hill is definitely not an infrequent occurrence. 

What is infrequent and thus, caused all the spectators hearts to just melt is when someone who is not even competing jumps in for support.  It was the very last heat of scaled men.  Travis Mayer (that would be THE Travis Mayer, winner of the 2011 Garage Games Series) was sitting this competition out on injury.  The last guy was struggling to finish the event and what does the 2011 champion do?  He runs up the hill to run the rest of the event with this contender.  Just like in the military, CrossFit instills a belief that we never leave a man behind, we never let our friends finish alone, and we never quit.  Travis is sadly still injured (fractured L-5), but that does not stop him from being an inspiration and a truly amazing champion.

Event Five: This was called Sled.  Poor naming.  Like someone naming their child Petal.  What it should have been called (Simon and the rest of the GG crew take note) is Field of Death.  Seriously.  I expect better next year. 

3 Rounds of:

Sled Pull: (Rxmen 90#, Rxw/Sm 70#, Sw/Bm 45#, Bw 25#)

Stone Carry: (Rxmen 116#, Rxw/Sm 67#, Sw/Bm/Bm 35# dumbbell carry)

Burpee Broad Jump: down and run back

Distance is about 150ft down and 150ft back

This WOD was so awful that they had to reduce it to 2 rounds.  That should seriously tell you something. 

Dragon heading back to the sled (Dragonslayer - aka hubby Trevor, is screaming right behind the camera)

Oh Kristen - did that one hurt?

Best time to watch this event – Women’s RX.  You have Mariah Provost, Emily Leighton, Kristen Johnson, Crystal McCullough Rebecca Brown, and Kathleen Henderson all going amongst some other bad ass women.  Why does this particular event become exciting when these women compete?  Here’s the top reasons:

1.     Mariah burpee broad jumps like it’s her job.  Correction, she burpee broad jumps like it’s what God put her on this earth to do.  That’s it.  All she is supposed to do is burpee broad jump.  She doesn’t stop.  She doesn’t pause.  She just goes – down and up and forward.  She was several feet behind woman number 1, and after each round of broad jumps she was way out in front.

2.     Emily and Kristen are stone experts.  They often train with Cole and KLowe at AddFit/CFCG/We do wicked crazy stuff that only people on acid can come up with.  Which means when it comes to odd objects, especially heavy odd objects – these girls are the bomb dot com.  (And you know you wouldn’t have read that how I wanted you to if I put thebomb.com)

3.     Rebecca is a dragon.  She stays covered under this giant blanket (her lair) until the very last second, and appears out of nowhere going full beast mode.  True story.  Come to CFMC and you will see that these are not mythical creatures – there are real true to life firebreathers out there – they’re just all hiding until the time is right.

4.     Crystal and Mariah racing it out until the end.  Both amazing women.  Here’s how amazing – Crystal, goes on to do team competition the next day because 10 wods in 2 days is just how she rolls.  Mariah, goes so hard across the finish line for a first place finish that she immediately collapses forward to start puking.  Now I have mixed feelings about Pukie.  But you KNOW she was going hard.  No one can doubt that. 

Oh and guess what folks.  That’s just Day 1.  There’s a Day 2 for Teams.  Sadly, most of CFMC had to head back for jobs (work – so silly), but Shaunna and I stayed to volunteer.  What does volunteering get you?  Free awesome hoodies, more time with my favorite Spider Monkey (including judging his team of Monkey, D-Rob, McG, and Cobra Commander through double unders), FREE Paleo Bison Chili (is the jealousy back? Yah I figured it was), catching up with Irving and Kost (sad face – only for a minute) and quality time discussing the newest ongoings at Iron Forged Athletics with Nate & Emily Schrader.

At it again - day 2 for Crystal

Shaunna & Rich

Spider Monkey and Schrader

The leaders of Iron Forged

My awesome athlete - Shaunna

McG, D-Rob, Shaunna, and Baker

McG, Spider Monkey, & D-Rob

Some normalcy

And Spider Monkey doing what he does best

Overall, awesome weekend, even in the wicked cold. Super proud of all my athletes (you're no longer virgins!!!) and friends.  And a special shout out to the awesomeness that is Spider Monkey, Cobra Commander, McG, and D-Rob for winning team, even against some crazy impressive teams such as Mousclestache, Games Badass ( Froning + Bailey + EZ + Bret), World Camp Beast Club (three incredible female Games contenders + the man that dared to wod with them).  

I promise I will catch y'all up on the other ongoings asap.  But for now - the money calls, and we can only ignore wall street for so long.

Tower of Awesome

03.14.2012 - Training

Tonight's training was where I took out all the frustration of pulling out of the Open.  Because really? My shoulder is not doing 150 wall balls.  WTF!?!  This is a wod that I would gladly do.  I heart double unders - even though I'd probably spend the last minute or so watching the clock pass staring at the rings wondering hmmm what's a muscle up?  I kid.  But that doesn't mean I can do them.  :P

So tonight:

Skill - L-sits
5x10 sec on the parallettes, 60 sec rest in between Considering that a month ago I couldn't even get up on the parallettes, I'm pretty happy with this.

Metcon
Tabata Your Shoulder's Messed Up
8x20 sec on, 10 sec off of each:
Russian KB Swings (53/35)
GHD Situps
Box Jumps (24/20)
GHD Back Extensions

Score:
116 KB Swings
73 GHDs
79 Box Jumps
82 Back Extensions

I can't complain because I went as hard as I could.  I just don't like that as hard as I could meant super wobbly legs on the Box Jumps which I should normally would be able to rock out.  Wasted the whole first round trying to regain feeling in my quads from the GHDs and in my hammies from yesterday's row/deadlifts.  

Let's just say it's going to be a hard week struggling to resist the open.  :(

03.13.2012 Training

Missed out on Monday's training for the most part - just worked on Zercher squats to strengthen that upper back that I struggle with.

Skill
2x10 Split Jerk Ladder (65)

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=lkEUCer1MiI&list=UUpq5oEORgJ7sR0yglMVcXXA&index=1&feature=plcp

Strength - Back Squat
Warm-Up: 5x65 - 5x95 - 5x125 - 5x145
Work Sets: [3x155 - 3x135 - 3x135] 2 min rest in between sets

Metcon
12 Deadlifts (225/185)
200 m max effort row
9 Deadlifts
300 m max effort row
6 Deadlifts
400 m max effort row
3 Deadlifts
500 m max effort row

Score: 11:05 Rx'd  Not really pleased with my time.  Took way to much time on the Deads, struggling with touch and go.  Which is particularly aggravating since my max dead is 260.  WTF.  Bryn and Stacey both say it was the row, which I know I was going all out on (definitely was shaking every time I came off).  But even the first 12 were split into 6-3-3.  :(

The Open is Messing Me Up

So sadly life and the Open have been getting in the way of training.  Wait!  What?  Did I just say the Open is getting in the way of my CrossFit training?  How is that possible?  It is though.  I'm doing the Open not to make it to regionals, but for a couple of reasons - 1) to participate in this community-wide event that's bigger than any one person's training, one box's comraderie, one week's success; 2) as a coach to inspire and encourage my athletes to take part of the CrossFit community outside of CFMC's walls, and 3) ummm...because it's fun!

But all this doesn't necessarily jive with my training program.  Dickey Blaze has us on a competition prep that he has carefully thought out.  It's programmed - all of it - to lead up to the end of summer Garage Games events.  Every week is building upon another.  We spent January and February getting STRONG!  Heavy lifting and heavy weight WODs.  Plus throwing in the skills that we needed to develop to have a bigger base to work from (who didn't love spending 2 months with hands constantly sore from grip work on the monkey bars?).  March and April are very much about speed and power.  We're focusing on the Oly Lifts and our WODs often have components of high cadence work with short rest periods - over and over and over again (my forearms are cramping remembering the 6 rounds of 2 min max power cleans).  Who knows what the next 2 months are!? 

The Open however is unknowable.  Which while that is a huge part of the fun, it leaves me - miss retarded shoulders - doing a very high volume push press WOD, a heavy push press lift, and serious snatch work the same week as 12.3.  So it should have been no surprise to me when lo and behold, my left rotator cuff is jacked again after 12.3.  Ughhhhh!!!!  Seriously?  I feel like it was just yesterday that I was coming back from months of PT!  And here I am again, having to rest my shoulder, ice every day, and popping the antiinflammatories like they're jelly beans. 

While I love the Open and what it does for CrossFit and how people have life-changing experiences, I've got to focus on the bigger picture.  Do I want to compete in the summer RX at Garage Games events in top condition?  Or do I want to shoot for the top 300 in my region now to be useless in another 2 weeks?  That's a no brainer for me.  Which means listening to my body and my coach - as annoying as that is. 

Because this program was never meant to be pick and choose what you want to do.  That's not how we get better.  Very few things irk me more than when a person comes into the gym, looks at the board, and THEN decides maybe he'll do that WOD or something else.  Look at the board.  If there's something you can't do because of injury or a legitimate reason, your coach will modify or scale accordingly.  Me seeing ring dips is not a reason to say - No thanks coach, I'm going to do X instead.  How would I ever get better at ring dips?  I know I've done this in the past, and it wasn't until I finally got so frustrated with myself about not getting better at certain things that I realized my cherry-picking ways were to blame.  It took even longer for me to realize that listening to your coaches spans beyond doing the WOD assigned - it includes nutrition and *gasp* rest.  (Never thought you'd hear me say that Twinkie, did you?).  How long did I fight Drew on my eating? Where would I be if I had listened instead of uselessly trying to outrain my diet?  And even still I fight Twinkie and Dickey Blaze on the rest at times.  Better now that I have some of my own clients who itch to push every single day - but I know I still struggle with it. 

I just hope it doesn't require those I train to find me as annoying as all the coaches I've had that were right before things click.  Seriously - it can't be that they're all as stubborn as me...or maybe....?  :P

Good luck to everyone else doing the Open - particularly my favorite Spider Monkey who's giving it more than I thought someone could.

03.06.2012 Training

Definitely feel those power cleans in my hamstrings and forearms. 

Skill:
8x5 kipping pullups, 30 sec. rest in between

Strength:
Work-up to heavy set of 3 @ 90% 1RM, then back off 10% and do 2 more sets of 3.  2 min rest in between sets.
Warm-Up: 3x45 - 3x95 - 3x125 - 3x145
Work Set: 165-165 [3x155 - 3x135 - 3x135]

Decided that last week's 170 was not my one rep max.  Clearly that was only because I was fried.  I could have done 180.  So I decided my 90% was 165, not 153.  Way to go ghostwriter.  This is why we check our egos at the door at CFMC.  Couldn't get all 3 at 165 without reracking.  And as Stacey so aptly pointed out, a cluster is not a set.  No dice - backed down to 153 with much better result.

Metcon:
15 min amrap
10 Push Press (75/55)
15 KB Swings (53/35)
200 m run

Score: 6 Rounds + 10 + 14

Honestly, I'm not sure why we went so light on this metcon.  Stacey's had us go heavy in every metcon for the most part for 2 months.  Why this wasn't 85#, 1.5 pood for women, I'm not sure I understand.  The weight never got heavy.  Shoulders never gave out.  The only thing that slowed me down was the run - my legs felt like cement blocks after the power cleans.  But overall, happy with the work I put out.  Looking forward to tomorrow's Mobility Day.

Also, the eating has been going well so far.  My biggest cheats are often that damn latte from Starbucks when I'm really dragging at work.  What can I say?  Sometimes it has to be done.  But why cheat when you can eat like this?

Lunch: 6 oz shrimp sauteed w/mini sweet bell peppers, green onions, cilantro, and chilis + thai red cabbage slaw + avocado & tomato salsa
 

Dinner: spaghetti squash w/ meatballs, arrabiata sauce, and spinach

03.05.2012 Training

Today was one of those unbelievably long days in every aspect of my life.  Which means when I FINALLY got to the gym, all I wanted was to get in, work hard, and get out.  But that's not quite what the gym had in store for me today.  Rather, it was a lesson in humility and finding that straw that truly wants to break your will.

Warm-Up:
500 m row
Roll & Reach & Leg swings
Bergener Warm-Up
20 PVC OH Squats
10 Pullups
15 GHD Situps
15 Back Extensions
10 Hand Release Pushups
10 Ring Dips
100 Double Unders
2x3 Bar only Snatch Balance

Strength
2 Position Hang Squat Snatch (from knee then from hip: [1-1-1-1-1] @ 65% 1RM full squat snatch

Warmed up with the 25 lb. skill bar.  Felt good.  But then I grabbed the 35-lb bar and all hell broke loose.  This was the most frustrating part of the workout.  I just did Open 12.2 and got through 60 reps power snatching the damn thing.  And immediately after that PR'd with an 85# power snatch.  But that's exactly my problem.  I never worked on the full squat snatch before, and so now I struggle immensely with it.  I WAS getting better in December, but once I got into Games Prep mode, squat snatch practice is what went out the door whenever I was time crunched.  I was SUPPOSED to be doing this at 50#.  After a couple of good warm up sets at 35 to get back in the groove, I fell apart at 45# and had to do the rest of my work at 35#. Grrrrrrrrr!  Yes I threw a 5 year-old-style tantrum.  Luckily, there were no witnesses (or at least there won't be once i off Stacey.)

Snatch Balance: [2-2-2-2-2] @ 75% 1 RM full squat snatch

These felt immensely better than the hang squat snatch.  Was able to complete all of my sets comfortably at 55#.

Skill
5x5 negative close-grip push-ups Actually pretty happy with how these went.  Working on building shoulder stability and work through the pain in my left shoulder of that uncomfortable backward movement in the rotator cuff.  I really hope this doesn't make me wish I had just had the tears repaired.

Sexy Metcon (yes - I'm calling it that because I LOVED this one)
6 Rounds - 2 min amrap power cleans (95/65), 2 min rest

Score:  241 [46-40-38-38-38-41] Blew the first round out of the water and had to slow down.  Damn this one got to my forearms quickly, and it was a lesson in pacing.  But overall pretty happy.