• Bodyweight Squats x 15 reps
• Push Ups x 15 reps
• Reverse Lunges x 10 reps/each
• Knees To Elbows (in push up position) x 12 reps/each
• Burpees x 10 reps

Time 18:12.
Prior times:
10/24/2009 – 19:12
9/25/2009 – 18:54
I’m happy with that, considering the layoff! w00t!

Warmups, including some rather intense hamstring/hip stretches I’ll have to video for you sometime, then:

• 10 x 36 kg kettlebell swings
• Standing long jumps, 30 yards
• sprint, 30 yards

2 x Kettlebell progression set:

With each kb in turn, 24 kg, 20 kg, 16 kg

• 1 arm swings
• cleans
• jerk, push press, military press
• bent-over rows

the 24kg bell got 4 reps each, 5 for the 20, 6 for the 16.

Insert sound of John “Bonking” in the middle of that set. I mixed up my recovery drink and started sipping, but it was too little too late.

Modified Tabata Intervals:

• 30 seconds of 36 kg kettlebell swings
• rest 30 seconds
• pushups, 30 seconds
• rest 30 seconds
• repeat

Tabata drill #2:

• jump, squat and hold, 30 seconds
• rest 30 seconds
• Bodyweight rows on the Blast Straps, 30 seconds
• rest 30 seconds

Fastest 30 seconds I’ve ever experienced!

Came home exhausted, ready to shower and flop.  Shower is out of commission due to aforementioned caulk.  True, we have other plumbing in the house, but all had to wait because it was time for sweaty-man to move furniture.  A large china hutch had to be moved from our second floor, up the hill to the house across the street (we sold it to them).  I grabbed the “downhill” side and the neighbor grabbed the other.  He set down his side no less than 4 times during the trip, while I just channeled my last deadlift session at 285.  “You want to put your side down too?” “No, thank you.”

Splashed myself off in the upstairs tub, called it a night.

New personal low for weigh-in this morning, so not eating did pay one small dividend!

Where's the article on how to crush Rod up Little Italy?

I am sure that they sell a lot of wood pulp by putting these “silver-bullet” one-liners on the cover, otherwise they wouldn’t.  Take a look at the magazine rack next time you’re in your local mega-mart.

News flash: no one ever got skinny/stronger/faster by turning the pages of a magazine.

Conversely, I don’t really believe that the way to be a better cyclist is by riding and riding and riding.  Let me tell you a story about “a friend”…

This guy loved cycling, and he could ride all freakin’ day.  He always got dropped on the hills, however, which bugged the shit out of him.  He paid to have a “cycling coach” work with him on improving speed and hill climbing ability.  The coach gave him week after week of interval training sessions.  Did he get faster?  Marginally.  Did he still get dropped on climbs?  You betcha.  He also had knee pain, occasional hand-numbness, and his back would start cramping after 20 miles.

Was this guy’s problem that his Anaerobic Threshold was too low, his bike didn’t fit, and a need for chiropractic adjustment?

In my systems work, when we have a “problem” we do a “root cause analysis”… if the user keyed a name change and the software didn’t save the new name, is it a problem with the code (software), the keyboard (hardware), or is it an operator (wet-ware) issue?  In the case of our cyclist, he could do hill intervals until the cows come home, but he will be plagued with the same problems until he manages to:

• Stop ordering pasta and fries, and lose 40 pounds or so (root cause of speed issue),
• Do some real strength training on his core and posterior chain… I’m not talking about balancing his fat butt on a ball and doing dumbell curls… we’re talking squats and deadlifts here (root cause of back issue),
• Increase hamstring and hip flexor range of motion (root cause of knee issues).

Yes, I’m talking about me, and no, even with all the gains I’ve made in the last few months I can’t say that there is a magic bullet that I could print in a magazine and make a gajilllion dollars selling as an e-book on the internet.  It takes a lot of hard work, but work that is targeted at the root causes of your weaknesses, not just working harder.

Am I still getting dropped on hills?  You bet your ass.  But my ass is skinnier now, and the smallest chainring on my bike is feeling neglected.  So while I’m not up to “ludicrous speed”, I feel great.

The path to your goal will almost never be a straight line, but a step-by-step progression from point “A” to point “B”…

Tonight was HIT session 4A, 90 minutes of sweaty goodness:

The HRM says my maximum rate was 206, but I’ve never been past 181 or so.  Must have been the influence of a solar flare or something.  I think I got up around 172.  Calorie count shows 1,000, but that is probably wonky as well.  Let’s call it 850, shall we?

The weird thing is that for the second session in a row, I’ve had a very strong muscle cramp form in at least one calf.  It happens after the standing portion of the workout (which for the past two sessions is 25 minutes).  As I start the spin-out (5 minutes at 105 rpm), the inside of my calf (most especially the right) begins to visibly form a knot which forces me to stop pedaling and stand to stretch out the gastrocnemius.  I’ve heard pickle juice (yes, pickle juice) is a good preventative for this, so I sucked on a Pickle Pop during the ILT portion.  Didn’t help.  I may have to work bananas back in the diet on spin days, I guess.

HR Monitor plot of interval training

Max tonight was 164.

I’ve lost just about 10 pounds in the last couple of weeks.  I’m not sure how the weight loss, strength & core training, and cardio intervals will translate to a 55 mile bike ride in the desert, but I’m ready.  The forecast is for a mild day on Saturday, sunny and mid 60′s.  A far sight better than the spotty snow here in Western Washington.

Andrea has also just returned from some Z-Health training.  From what little she showed me, it is a total body fitness/recovery/repair system.  When I described my knee discomfort from spinning, she gave me some moves to do using arms, ankles, and knees.  It reminds me of how acupuncture will focus on areas other than the area with the pain (like needles in the elbow for the opposite knee).  I’m really intrigued to see a little more of it.

Thursday I had another session with a different instructor, and we ended up getting off on some tangent of kettlebell-punch-through’s like Bruce Lee did or something.  Net result was that I kept whacking my wrists with the kettlebells, and I now sport some really cool bruises (almost a matched set).  No Bruce Lee stuff for me, thankyouverymuch.

Friday, interval day:

18 sets of 20 seconds work; 40 seconds active rest.

HR Profile - 18 x 20 second intervals, 40 sec rest

Max heart rate was 167. 7 minutes out of 18 spent above 162 (90%).

Saturday morning session with Luka Hocevar.  I’ve got this whole love/dread thing going on Saturday mornings.  He works my ass off, but I feel so good when I don’t throw up!  This could be a group session, if any of you wanted to come (bwaaahahaha).

Next week I interrupt the routine to go to Palm Springs for the Tour de Palm Springs.  In one of those “small world” moments, Susan – one of the organizers of my favorite ride on the planet (Century Ride of the Centuries) will be down there doing the same ride.  We’re meeting on Friday morning for a little tuneup ride.

CROC Registration opens February 23rd.

Max HR 159 tonight, although my legs felt like they were on fire.  I’m still a bit sore and tight from Saturday’s kettlebell thrashing.  I may have to hot tub while the dogs are wizzing in the woods tonight…