Deadlifts, Clappers, Sprints

You know, most of my friends think I am a little whacky about this stuff. How can you get so fired up about some workout you just did? How can that pain be fun?

I have become more and more infatuated with the WOD's on the CrossFit Football site. Yeah, yeah, I played college football (years ago), I should like them, right??? For years and years after college, I was a bodybuilder, doing bodybuilder type training, NOT CrossFit. These workouts take me back, make me want to hit the 7 man, makes me smell the wet grass during the early morning practice at fall camp, makes me want to taste dirt, makes me want to smash someone in the mouth (in a football kinda way)!!

Today we lined up a deadlift based WOD, no name for it, but it was off the CFFB site from some time ago:

6 rounds

3 deadlift - 315lbs

5 clapping pushups

40 yard sprint

We train at a corporate GLOBO. We have access to a pretty large aerobic room, and at the time we usually do our WODs, the room is not filled with spandex clad fitness "guru's" bouncing around, yelling WOOO! and listening to John Cougar Mellancamp. It's filled with CrossFitters getting their WOD on. We usually use that room to warm up, and will also use it for bear crawls, walking lunges, jumping rope, etc. Today we used it to do the 40 yard sprints. One length of the room is about 10 yards, so we went up and back twice, making it like a suicide, touch the floor at each turn.

I was so fired up and 'in the WOD moment' that I ended up doing 7 rounds, I wanted to keep going, I don't know why, something just triggered in my head to go, go, go, hit it, hit it, hit it!!!

6 rounds: 6:06

[I took a few seconds to rest, then I realized I couldn't remember exactly how many rounds I did, so I said, **** it, I am hitting another one!!!! BRING IT.

7 rounds: 7:16

Today was a good day.

The Fantasic Cleveland Tweed Ride

I set out on Saturday for The Fantastic Cleveland Tweed Ride. I'd been following some Tweed events around the country, and in London and think it's a pretty fun thing to do. Not sure of the total number of people who attended, felt like about 40-50 and it was a great turnout. We gathered behind the Cleveland Public Libray near the Fountain of Eternal Life (behind everyone in the photo above). We did a slow ride around town for a bit, and ended up at the Happy Dog over on 58th and Detroit.

I had a great time interacting with some people I knew, and some I didn't. I also enjoyed a great ride to and from downtown with Rick Smith, the creative mind behind Yehuda Moon! Although the ride home was a soaker, and Rick needs a GPS (lol).

Here's Rick's Rivendell which took home 2nd place in the "Most Prized Steed" category.

A great time was had by all!

Week of Firsts

Well, this week I did my first back to back commutes, and my first 3 day commute week. I am pretty stoked about that, I really want to get the miles in. Commuting is much more fun with some usable legs. My 3rd ride yesterday was good, did a good bit of work out of the saddle on the way home, with a pretty good load on board (extra clothes in my bags). My legs responded pretty well.

I had some pretty fun workouts this week too, and introduced someone to a CrossFit workout! Coolness.

My Thursday WOD was heavy hang cleans.

7 rounds:
3 reps - hang cleans
6 clapping pushups

For the cleans, I did:

155,155,185,185,185,205,205

Form is very important with the hang cleans, you need good explosion and lift and good grip to maintain your hold on the bar.

All in all, a good week.