Crawling and crawling....

When it's bike commute season (which is usually about 9 1/2 months out of the year), I typically do moderate level metcon-type WODs on commute days, or, heavier 1-3 movement WODs that are more strength based. That leaves the days I don't ride for the metcons, deadlift, or leg based (squat, lunge, thruster) WODs.

That being said, today was not a bike day. So, I set my sites on doing some deadlifts. And here's what I found:

5 rounds:
7 reps - deadlift, 275lbs
14 wall balls
50 ft bear crawl

Unfortunately, I can't remember the source of this WOD, so I can't give the proper shout out.

Somewhere between my desk, and the gym, the 50ft got translated to 50 yards, and since I didn't write it down, or have access to the file on my laptop, we did 50 yards. We have a big room for bear crawls, it's about 10 yards for one length, so we knocked out 5 lengths. Let's just say, 5 lengths was tough. The deads and the wall balls were fine, but 50 yards of crawling took some effort!!

I wrapped it at 14:22. Lots of sweat was generated with this sucker...

Triple Double

It's Cleveland Bike Week, and there's lots of stuff going on this week, to coincide with National Bike to Work Week. I typically get 2-3 commutes to work a week, and was hoping to do the same this week.

The weather lined up nicely yesterday for a commute, and then I attended the Ride of Silence. This ride was to honor those who have been injured, or lost their lives in cycling related accidents. For once, there was a cycling related event taking place here on the East Side of Cleveland. We gathered at Whole Foods (less than a mile from my house), I am sure there were close to 100 riders. There was a brief ceremony prior to heading out. We rode down through several East Side suburbs and picked up a few riders here and there. It was cool to see the variety of riders. There were kids and grandparents, road bikes, hybrids, brakeless fixed gears, mountain bikes.


We continued down to University Hospitals in University Circle, and met another large group that started out in downtown Cleveland. There was some additional ceremony, and mingling with other riders.

Cyclists are a cool bunch, and at the end of the day, there was a lot of respect shown for those who were honored, and a lot of respect for others on the road.

My man Pat and I road back up past Little Italy and made our way back home. So yesterday, I completed my first triple double (all fixed gear miles). I rode to work, 11 miles each way, and did the Ride of Silence, which was 10 miles by the time I got home. I survived, legs were a little rubbery, but I made it.

One funny side note. A bunch of us stop at a stop sign just prior to getting to University Hospital, I am very close to the right curb, unclip with my left foot for a few seconds and start rolling again...but...with a bunch of others dodging and juking around me...I was heading towards the curb!!! Ack, time to invoke my ninja training and in one [somewhat] fluid motion [for a 245lb cyclist] I manage to get up over the curb, in mid-air unclip my right foot and somehow get my left leg over and I end up on the sidewalk standing up holding my bike upright on the rear tire [it really happened]. Of course, as with any of my cycling follies, falls, or endos, I scrape up my left shin. I'm telling you, my shins have bulls-eyes on them.

Valhalla

What better name for a workout than where Vikings go when they die in battle. Raise your swords up people! I think I saw Valhalla's doors today about halfway through this little gem.

How can something so simple be so devestating. I approached this WOD without much thought, you can't, otherwise it will eat you up and you won't do it. The armor was pierced going into the 3rd round, legs were heavy, breathing was elevated, the seat on the rower was moving, not sure how....

Big shout out to CrossFit New Hampshire for this one. If you haven't checked them out, they have some killer programming, if you are training on your own, or at an affiliate, give these guys a look, their programming is thorough with lots of options and even extensions for CrossFit Endurance.

"Valhalla"
With a timer set at 5 minutes, first:
Row 500m, then
AMRAP in the remaining minutes:
5 reps - shoulder to overhead
5 reps - burpees

:45 second rest between rounds, 4 attempts total

Using 135lbs, I did 2.5 rounds in each segment. For some reason, when I got to the gym I thought it was 5 attempts instead of 4 - basically since everything was based on 5's. So, Brad and I did 5 segments!

This workout kicked my butt, I am not a puker, but my body was telling me I was in the zone where I was a zone that was uncomfortable. As I went down for another burpee, I just wanted to lay there and not be back up. I just kept moving. I know the paced slowed a bit for the row, but even though I was rocked, I kept moving. Wow.