Running With Jack

Last night I met my running club at our trailhead for an 11K/6.8M run. I was still missing a tempo run for the week, so fell in with Walter, who usually runs with the fast group. As we started out we were eventually joined by two others from the mid-pack group. I guess I was motivated to run because I seem to have ended up in the front setting the pace. I paired with one of the guys and we quickly outpaced the other two. It was a mild 9C/48F outside and the rain that we experienced earlier subsided and we both seemed to have the urge to stretch our legs out.

We finished the first 5K in around 25:50, and my running partner decided he had enough and said he wanted to take the shortcut back to the trailhead. I debated on whether to slow and let the other two catch up, or continue on alone. I didn’t hear the other two, so figured they were several minutes behind, so I elected to continue on alone at my pace.

For the rest of the run I did my best to maintain the pace, but eventually started wearing down over the last couple kilometers. I ended up finishing the 11K in 58:22, for an average pace of 5:18/K (8:32/mile) – not too bad for this time of year.

When I got home I hurried up into the shed and did the Crossfit WOD (WorkOut Daily), which consisted of:

Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3-3-3 reps

I completed 6 rounds of 3 repetitions using 38 kg/84 lbs., and 1 round with 40.5 kg/90 lbs. For comparison, last time I did this workout in December I used 35 kg/77 lbs.

I am strongly considering running a 20K race on Sunday as a warm-up for my March 9th marathon. I ran this race in 2005, finishing in 1:52:41. I think I have a good chance of improving this time, plus it is supposed to be almost 50F, perfect weather for a race!

Posted by Jack at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight's Crossfit workout was "Joshie", which consists of completing three rounds for time of:

40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
21 L Pull-ups
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
21 L Pull-ups
This was a new workout for me and, is often the case, I had to modify the workout to account for my lack of upper arm strength.

Having never done a dumbbell snatch before, I first practiced with a 10 pound dumbbell. I then used 12.5 kg plus the weight of the bar, a total of around 31 lbs., for the snatches. I also substituted regular pull-ups for the L-pull-ups.

I was able to do 5-6 good pull-ups on the first round, but in each case had to finish with jumping pull-ups. My strength is increasing, but quite slowly. If I was doing just Crossfit and not training for a marathon I probably could/would push myself harder and see faster gains. I finished the workout in around 20 minutes, but this was the first time I did the workout, so I have nothing to compare this time with.

Posted by Jack at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I met several people from my running club for a couple 6.7K loops around the local research facility. I was feeling kind of tired from a hard day at work so stayed back with the pack. We finished the first loop around the lighted facility in around 40:19, for a roughly 6:00/K (9:40/M) pace. We stayed at roughly the same pace for the second round, but I sped up with one of the guys for the last mile, finishing the loop a minute or two faster than the first loop.

After chatting a bit we dispersed and I went home and did the daily Crossfit workout, which was 5 rounds of 3 repetitions of the back squat. The idea here is to try to achieve maximum weight. Including warm-ups, I completed:

3 x 38 kg. (84 lbs.)
3 x 48 kg. (106 lbs.)
3 x 58 kg. (128 lbs.)
3 x 62 kg. (137 lbs.)
3 x 64 kg. (141 lbs.)
3 x 68 kg. (150 lbs.)
3 x 70.5 kg. (155 lbs.)
3 x 72 kg. (159 lbs.)

By the time I reached 72 kg. I was kind of shaky and could barely do the squat, so decided to quit before I hurt myself. I need to build a squat rack before I go much heavier – I can’ drop my weights like some Crossfitters do – my workout room is in the shed over the laundry room, my luck and my wife would be right below when I did this.

I finished off my workout with 10 normal pull-ups (a new record for me), 20 16-kg kettlebell swings, 6 pull-ups plus 4 jumping pull-ups, and 100 rowing repetitions.

Posted by Jack at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night when I got home from work I spent some time with my wife taking care of various errands. When my wife settled down to return some phone calls we missed when we were out I hurried upstairs in the shed to do my Crossfit workout.

The workout was called “Grace” and had little to do with what we lovingly receive from God or may say at the table. No, Grace is 30 repetitions of the Clean and Jerk and for those untrained in weight lifting like me quite the challenge.

The Crossfit recommended weight was 135 lbs, but 95 or 65 (or a broomstick) could be used by those not up to heaving that much weight.

Being a weight lifting newbie I first viewed the video on the Clean and Jerk available at Crossfit.com, then practiced with a broomstick until I felt comfortable with the motions. I then completed the following repetitions, trying to rest as little as possible between each:

10 x 20kg (44lbs.)
10 x 30kg (66lbs.)
10 x 40kg (88lbs.)
10 x 40kg (88lbs.)

I was starting to struggle towards the end of the last set, my arms were starting to quiver. I cooled down a bit with 4 x 5 pull-ups, then decided to try out my new toy, I mean fitness device:

The rowing machine is no top-of-the-line Concept 2 Rower, but it gets the job down. I have been searching for an affordable machine for several months and final found one through e-bay. The only flaw is that it doesn’t record the mileage, only the time, calories and repetitions.

In any case I knocked out 100 repetitions at the hardest level setting (5). I anticipate having a growing relationship with this machine, it was fun and I feel it in my muscles!

Posted by Jack at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I seem to be behind with my posting again, let me try to catch up. On Sunday evening my legs felt good despite have running a race in the morning, so I decided to do the daily Crossfit workout. The workout was called “CrossFit Total” which is one of the tools to measure ones progress in the exercise regime. The workout consists of:

Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

In other words you try to work up to your maximum weight in each exercise before moving onto the next one. My results were:
Back squat: 64.5 kg/142.5 lbs. (new record)
Shoulder Press: 32.5 kg/72 lbs. (no improvement)
Deadlift: 84.5 kg/187 lbs. (new record)

I showed improvement with the back squat and deadlift, probably due to my strong running legs. My raw upper body strength, which is required for the shoulder press, still seems to be lacking based on the results. I think I need to focus more on strength building in the area.

On Monday night I met some friends from the running club for a couple rounds around the local research facility. There were seven of us as we started running around the lighted path surrounding the facility. We stayed more or less together for the first 6.7K loop, but as we began the second our speedy runner Walter pulled ahead. I continued on with the pack, chatting away with Lena at the front of our little pack. Before we knew it we had left the others behind and were running on our own. We both felt good with the pace so kept it up, finishing almost 4 minutes faster than the first loop and a couple minutes ahead of the others. Walter in turn finished several minutes ahead of us.

When I got home I went upstairs in the shed and did my Crossfit workout. The daily workout (WOD) was “Cindy”, which consists of completing as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

I completed 17 rounds, which is two less than the last time that I did this workout, but still not bad considering that I had just finished running 13.2K (8.2 miles). I should mention that this time I did “real” pull-ups the first five rounds, rather than “jumping pull-ups” like I did the last time I did this workout. I did resort to jumping and pulling myself up to the bar in the latter rounds as my arms failed me. I highly recommend this workout if you want to get your heart pumping!

Posted by Jack at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I picked my wife up at work and we headed out to do some shopping. My wife was kind and we only spent about 45 minutes walking the mall, bless her! When I got home my wife left again to go to the supermarket, so I changed quick to do my Crossfit workout.

The Workout of the Day (WOD) called for 7 x 1 repetitions of the snatch for maximum weight. I never did the snatch before, which consists more or less of grabbing the barbell and heaving it over your head as you squat and stand up with it. I tried it unsuccessfully several times, then just used an empty bar (8 kg) to practice the form. I then practiced several other lifts using about 20 kg (~45 lbs). I finished the workout with a round of 30 each push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and pull-ups.

I have an appointment Saturday morning (haircut) so am doing my long run this evening. I want to try to get in at least 2 ½ hours on a flat, asphalt path. On Sunday I have a 10K cross-country race. I ran this race two years ago, the course was snow covered and it was 19F outside. This year it is supposed to be around 40F and may rain. The “cross country” trails are pretty civilized here in Germany, so I should be able to run at a good pace. My goal is to beat my 2006 time on the course, which was 55:22. I think I can do it!

Posted by Jack at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night I ran a 11K/6.8M loop with my running club. I started out with the mid-pack group, but they were running much slower than my feet wanted to go, so I slowly eased ahead of them in the hope that I might draw a couple others along with me. This worked well, two other broke from the group and the three of us picked up the pace and finished the loop in 63 minutes, around 9-10 minutes faster than the others.

The Crossfit workout called for 4 rounds of a 400 meter run. Since I just ran 11K I decided to do some other things when I got home from my run. I warmed up with 30-each jumping jacks, push-ups, squats and sit-ups, then did:

20 Pull-ups (8 real, 12 jumping)
20 Wall-ball (6 kg ball)
20 Back-extensions
20 Kettlebell swings

Then I practised rings dips and a few other things for a few minutes before deciding to call it a night. I want to run my long run Friday night after work, I have a busy day on Saturday so won’t have time.

Posted by Jack at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I met several member of my running club for two loops around the lighted path surrounding the local research facility. I completed the first (approx.) 4-mile loop in 34:18 with one of the runners who wanted to run just one round. I then jogged back and joined the other runners. As this group completed the first round and started the second, I again moved ahead with a couple of the faster runners. We finished the second loop in 37:47, still much faster than our normal 40:00-42:00 minute rounds that are typical for Monday evenings.

I then went home and tried to do the daily Crossfit workout, which consisted of:

Complete as many rounds as you can in twenty minutes of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 L Pull-ups
15 Steps, Walking Lunge

I can’t do handstands, let alone handstand push-ups, so substituted a push-up with my lower body supported on a gymnastic ball, which is a method used to eventually work up to the real thing. I also substituted regular pull-ups for the L-Pull-ups and Kettlebell swings for the Lunge. After a couple rounds I reached muscle failure and called it a night, I was too worn out from the run.

Gestern Abend habe ich Freunden von mein Lauftreffgruppe getroffen um ein paar Runden rund die Kernforschungszentrum zulaufen. Die erste Rund habe ich gelaufen mit eine das nur ein rund laufen wollte. Wir haben es in 34:15 geschafft. Die nächste Rund habe ich mit zwei von die andere Gruppe gelaufen, wir haben das in 37:47 geschafft. Nach dem Lauf habe ich schnell nach hause gefahren, ich habe risse Hunger gehabt und wollte immer noch mein Crossfit Übung machen.

Die geschriebene Crossfit Workout war etwas zu schwer nach dem Lauf, so ich habe ein leichter und kurzer Workout getan. Ingesamt es war ein gute nachts Training, ich hoffe es bringt etwas bei die erste Marathon in März.

Posted by Jack at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

On Saturday shortly dawn I drove to Weingarten to run my hilly route. I took a day off from training on Friday, so was hoping for a good long run. My plan was to run for at least 2-1/2 hours, without any walk breaks if possible. I warmed up with a relatively flat kilometer, then headed up the largest hill. The 7-8 minute climb left me breathing heavy, but not drained like the last time I ran the hill two weeks before. I should mention that two weeks before I ran on Friday night AND did a Crossfit workout with some heavy lifting – not the best idea the night before a long run.

Anyway I cruised around the 15K/9.3M loop, then headed up the hill a second time. This time the hill took a little more effort, but I again rounded the top and continued over the rolling hills on top. As I neared the 2-1/4 hour point and a turnoff that would bring me back to the car, I decided that I could continue for awhile so kept going. Eventually I headed back down the hill to my car, ending my run after 2:49:33. According to Google Earth I ran about 25K/15.5M, a kilometer short of what I had hoped, but a steady run without any walk breaks.

This afternoon (Sunday) I completed the Crossfit workout of the day. The workout called for 7x1 repetitions of the deadlift, working up to maximum load.

I warmed up with:
30 Jumping Jacks
30 Push-ups
30 Squats
30 Sit-ups
10 Pull-ups
3x10 Back Squats (38 kg/84 lbs)

Then I did the deadlift, my best being :
62 (137 lbs), 64,5 (142.5 lbs), 68 (150.3 lbs), 72 (159.1 lbs), 74,5 (164.6 lbs), 78 (172.5 lbs), and 80,5 (177.9 lbs)

This was the first time I deadlifted more than my bodyweight (165 lbs)!

I was still feeling motivated after the deadlift so completed:
10 Pull-ups
20 Kettlebell swings (16 kg)
30 Jumping Jacks
30 Push-ups
30 Squats
30 Sit-ups

All in all a good workout, I can slowly see some improvement from when I first started Crossfit a couple months ago. So how was your weekend?

Ich habe zu wenig Zeit um das noch mal in Deutsch zu schreiben. Die Highlights:

Langelauf an Samstag morgen: 25K in 2:49:33. Ich habe mich gut gefüllt, viel besser als für zwei Wochen früher wenn ich habe auch am Freitag Abend gelaufen.

Heute habe ich ein Crossfit Workout gemacht. Die Übung, Kreuzheben zum Maximal Gewicht war eine neue Rekord für mich. Es war die erste mal ich habe mehr als meine Gewicht gehoben.

Posted by Jack at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Many of us began the New Year trying to get rid of the extra pounds accumulated over the holiday season. Whether fine food, sweets or whatever I think we were all guilty of a little over indulging (if not, then why not?). Anyway the solution is quite easy, you only need to follow the simple formula:

Calories IN < Calories Out (burned) = Weight Loss

Who knew that it could be so simple, right ;-)

Some have more luck than other implementing this formula, myself being one of the unlucky ones who seems to fail with the Calories IN part. I have decided that the main reason that I run must be so that I can eat more of what I like without fear of bursting out of my clothes.

Last night I was home a little early from work so headed out for a 14K/8.7M run. My goal was to try to pick up the pace compared to most of my runs over the last couple months. I warmed up with a 6:00/K (9:39/M) paced kilometer, then took it up a notch, around 5:15/K (8:30/M). It was still light out so I was able to keep up the pace for most of the run, finally slowing down over the last couple kilometers as dusk settled in.

After the run I did a modified version of the daily Crossfit workout (WOD). The WOD consisted of:
Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups

I’m not strong enough (yet) to bench press almost 170 lbs., so I tried 35 kg (77 lbs.), which is the weight that I left off with the last time I bench pressed. I used my bench press machine rather than free weights, because I don’t have a spotter. The machine is actually much harder and I can’t lift as much weight when I use it.

For pull-ups I did as many normal pull-ups as I could each round (6 being my max.), then did jumping pull-ups to bring the total to 12 for each round. It ended up being a good workout, but I could have probably gone with a bit heavier weight and more jumping pull-ups.

Tonight we are meeting friends for dinner, so will take a rest night. On Saturday morning I want to do a long run on my hilly route in Weingarten. Have a nice weekend!

Ich schätze wir haben alle ein bisschen zuviel über die Feiertag gegessen. Die Lösung ist eigentlich ganz einfach, die Kalorien wir konsumieren muss weniger als was wir brennen. Es klingt so einfach, aber ich, zum Beilspiel, habe Problem mit dem ersten Teil weil ich esse so gern.

Gestern Abend habe ich ein 14 km rund gelaufen. Ich habe versucht ein bisschen Gas zu geben, auf Grund meine Tempo ist im letzte paar Monaten etwas langsamer geworden. Nach die erste Kilometer habe ich die tempo auf 5:15/km gesetzt. Ich konnte dieser Tempo halten bis die letzte paar Kilometer wenn es war etwas zu dunkel.

Nachher habe ich die Tägliche Crossfit Training gemacht. Cross fit ist ein Mischung von Krafttraining und Gymnastik. Die „Workout Daily“ oder „WOD“ war fünf Runden von:
Bankdrücken (Körper gewicht)
Klimmzug (maximal Wiederholen)

Ich kann mein Körper gewicht nicht drücken, so habe ich weniger gewicht benutzt. Ich kann auch nicht so viel Klimmzug machen, so habe gemacht was ich könnte. Nach die fünf Runden war ich müde, aber nicht ganz kaputt.

So morgen früh will ich einem Langelauf in Weingarten auf die Weinburg laufen. Ich hoffe du hast mein schreckliches Deutsch verstanden, Schönes Wochenende!

Posted by Jack at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

On Monday night I arrived home in just enough time to suit up and meet some friends from my running club at the local research facility for a run. The semi-lighted, flat (approx.) 4-mile loop is a great alternative to running with a flashlight in the dark.

I joined two of the runners who wanted to run a faster loop. We ran on ahead of the other three and settled into a comfortable pace, around 8:30/mile, which is not too bad for me for this time of year.

On Tuesday night I completed a Crossfit workout:

For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood (16 kg)
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

This was the first time that I had done this workout and it about kicked my butt. It definitely gets the heart pumping and leaves your arms feeling rubbery. I finished in 30:43, but had to substitute a couple exercises. I couldn’t raise my knees to my elbows on the pull-up bar, so just raised them as high as possible. My medicine ball is only 14 pounds, and I can’t do double-unders with the jump rope, so did 100 singles instead. I highly recommend this workout on a rainy day :-)

Posted by Jack at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Friday after work it was still halfway light outside so I quickly suited up and went for a run. I was 54F and very mild outside as I made my way around a roughly 12K/7.5M loop. I kept the pace down, around 9:45/mile as my long run was the next morning.

After the run I did a modified Crossfit workout. The prescribed workout was 21 plus 15 plus 9 reps of:
225 pound deadlift
Handstand push-ups

I did 128 pound Deadlifts and assisted handstand push-ups (legs supported on a exercise ball)

On Saturday I slept later so it was almost 8:30 before I finally made it out the door. My legs were tired from the run and deadlifts the night before, so I decided to run a flat loop to Karlsruhe 11K away. I quickly settled into about a 9:30/mile pace and cruised the 11K and part of the way back without breaking the pace. Somewhere around the 10-11 mile point I started slowing down some, but did my best to keep going. I finished the 24K/15M run in around 2-1/2 hours, or an average pace of 6:15/K (10:03/M).

Later in the day I did the daily Crossfit workout, 21-15-9 repetitions of:
Clean 135 pounds (I used 84 lbs.)
Ring dips (I had to support part of my weight)

Normally I could have cleaned more weight, but the long run left my legs a bit stiff for lifting heavier weights.
Overall I was very pleased with my exercise over the last couple days, I hope in the long run the hard work will pay off out on the trails. We’ll see – have a great weekend!

Posted by Jack at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I was quite tired after work, but still managed to meet my running club for a run at 6:00 p.m.. I had planned on running with the faster group, but I was feeling weary and decided to stay with the mid-pack group. The air was fresh and warm (around 50F), it had stopped raining moments before we set out on our run. Our group of 8-9 runners made our way around the 11K loop catching up on the holiday happenings. My legs started getting stiff towards the end and a couple of sprang on ahead at a faster pace over the last couple kilometers.

When I got home I went in the shed and knocked out a modified version of the Crossfit daily workout. The official workout was:

For time, threes rounds of:
800 meter run
50 back-extensions
50 sit-ups

Since I just finished a 11K run I did:
Three rounds of:
50 back-extensions
50 sit-ups
50 squats

I completed the three rounds in 15:55, but since it was my first time doing the workout I can’t compare it to any previous performances. In any case it was a workout that really gets the heart pumping!

Posted by Jack at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...and her name was "Cindy"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

I completed 19 rounds plus 5 pull-ups and 1 push-up for a total of:
100 pull-ups, whereas 90 were jumping pull-ups (jump up to the bar lower down slowly)
191 push-ups (the last 40 with some loss of form)
285 squats (unweighted)

By the end of 20 minutes my lungs were bursting and my arms quivering, but I made it through the 20 minutes! After collapsing on the floor I eventually rolled over and did 30 sit-ups for good measure.

My first Crossfit "Cindy" workout behind me!!

Posted by Jack at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I got home tonight it was a balmy 11C/52F...this is January, right?

I warmed up quick with:

30 x Jumping Jacks, Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

Then I suited up quick and met some of my running club for a 13.2K (8.2M) run around the local research facility. The time went quick as we caught up on the holiday tales. I sped ahead with one of the members on the last half of the second loop, finishing the run in almost exactly 1 hour 20 minutes, about a 9:45/mile pace.

When I got home I warmed up for my Crossfit workout:
30 x Jumping Jacks, Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups
10 x Pull-ups

The workout for today was:

10 x 1 Front Squat, whereas my 10 best lifts were:
2 x 38kg (84lbs)
3 x 48kg (106lbs)
2 x 50.5kg(111.5lbs)
3 x 52kg (115lbs) - maybe not all the way down
1 x 54.5kg (120.5lbs) - not all the way down

I finished off with 20 jumping pull-ups

The last time I did the front squat I only made it to 50 kg (110.5 lbs), so I am slowly improving.

Posted by Jack at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Warm-up: 30 x Jumping Jacks, Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

Run: 9K in 47:28 @ 5:16/K (8:29/M)

Warm-up: 30 x Jumping Jacks, Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

Crossfit: 3 x 5 sets of Power Clean:
3 x 38kg (84lbs)
3-3-3-3 x 42kg (92lbs) – PR!
6 + 4 Pull-ups
20 x Jumping Pull-ups
10 x Kettlebell Swings (16kg)

Comfortably tired after workout.

Posted by Jack at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Crossfit Workout Daily: 30 Muscle-ups for time
If you cannot do the muscle-ups do 120 pull-ups and 120 dips.

I can't do muscle-ups (yet), so
My Workout:

Warmup: 30JJ, 30PU, 30SQ, 30SU

20 Normal Pull-ups (6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 2)
100 Jumping Pull-ups (5 x 20)
80 Dips
10 Ring Dips
30 Kettlebell swings (16 kg)

30JJ, 30PU, 30SQ, 30SU

My arms are still quivering!

Posted by Jack at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wednesday was my first day back to work in 2008, half of my coworkers were still on vacation so it was quiet and productive. I managed to get home and out the door for my run with still a half-hour of daylight left. I quickly picked up the pace and maintained it until darkness set in. This ended up being one of my faster training runs for awhile and felt good!

Workout last night:

30 Jumping Jacks
30 Push-ups
30 Squats
30 Sit-ups

Run: 12K/7.5M in 1:04:23

30 Jumping Jacks
30 Push-ups
30 Squats
30 Sit-ups
10 Pull-ups

Posted by Jack at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Warm-up
2 rounds of
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Toe-touches
20 Air squats
20 Push-ups
20 Sit-ups

11K run with running club @ 6:10/K (9:55/M) pace.

1 round of
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Toe-touches
20 Air squats
20 Push-ups
20 Sit-ups

For time:

30 Squat clean @ 62#
30 Pull-ups (5 unassisted, rest jump)
800 meter run

30 Squat clean @ 62#
30 Pull-ups (a unassisted, rest jump)
800 meter run

30 Squat clean @ 62#
30 Pull-ups (jump)
800 meter run

I finished the first round in 13:37, but shut my stopwatch off after that - just too hard.

My arms and legs are still quivering! Wow!!

Posted by Jack at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was going to run with my coworker-friend after work today, but the 1°C/34°F and windy weather changed her mind. I had a second appointment with my neighbor to hook up his new PC, but when he arrived home he came over and said he had a severe headache and postponed his until Thursday. Luckily I had another date with Fran who I knew would not stand me up. Fran is a Crossfit workout-of-the-day (WOD) consisting of 21-15-9 repetitions of the thruster and pull-ups. See this link for a better description.

Last time (also the first time) I did this WOD I used 62 lbs. for the Thruster and struggled. I also could only do one unassisted pull-up, the rest were up jumping pull-ups (jump and pull myself up to the bar). This time I struggled with 84 lbs. I was thinking how good I was doing about halfway through, then realized I wasn't squatting deep enough before the thrust upwards - so for all practical purposes I cheated myself. Next time I need to cut the weight back and get the form right!

As far as the pull-ups, I did three unassisted pull-ups in the first set, and 1-each in the remaining sets - the rest were again jumping pull-ups. But I am making some progress, so am encouraged to keep going with the Crossfit.

Other news: Nothing new on my wife's missing suitcase, this is really putting a hamper on her relaxing vacation. On the other side she is having a fun time shopping with Kim in St. Clair Shores, a girl has to has clothes - or so I am told ;-)

So I'm off to the grocery store, I only wish I remember what I needed there...

Posted by Jack at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday was a busy day. First I drove my wife to the airport (more on that later), then I went for a long run, followed by some domestic chores, then finally did the Crossfit workout of the day.

For my long run I drove to Weingarten and ran my hilly route in reverse with a few extra out and backs mixed in. This gave me several good hill climbs and practice on quad-pounding downhills. My quads were still sore from Wednesday night’s run and back squats, so this was training on tired quads! I ran for 2:39:41, or somewhere around 23-24K. Despite being the middle of the day it was quite cold, around 1°C/34°F. The hills slowed me down, I barely managed a 7:00/K (11:15/M) pace. For some reason the bottoms of both feet were sore towards the end of the run. My theory is that it is my newer ASICS GT2110 shoes I was wearing, it was the first time I wore them for a longer run. I suspect that they don’t have quite as much padding as earlier models – I’ll have to keep an eye on this.

After the run I took a warm bath and did some domestic chores, a load of wash, the dishes, grocery shopping, etc. I then cooked some dinner chicken cutlet (Schnitzel) , salad with tomatoes and some packaged kraut-salad.
To finish off my night I went upstairs and did the Crossfit workout of the day:
(weights in lbs.) Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
5x1 Shoulder Press: 61,9 61,9 67,4 70,7 70,7
5x3 Push Press: 67,4 70,7 76,2 76,2 84,0
5x5 Push Jerk: 67,4 70,7 76,2 84,0 89,5

So in closing why did I drive my wife to the airport? Many of you may know from reading this blog that she was in school all year learning technical writing and recently got a new job. I plotted with some good friends of ours in St. Clair Shores to reward her remarkable achievements with a little vacation. So for the next nine days she will be freezing to death in the far north, and hopefully having a great time with Kim and Brian.

Note to wife: The house is still here, I haven’t burned it down yet. I also managed to avoid tripping over any roots in the forest. I’m still working on the Christmas cards. Love you!

Posted by Jack at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last night I had a nice run with the running club, we met at 6 p.m. at our trailhead and headed out for an easy run through the dark woods. This time we actually had to use a flashlight a couple times because a logging crew has been cutting some trees down along our route and the trail was a mess. I am happy to report that no one was injured, although one almost ran into a truck that was parked in the middle of the path (it was quite dark).

After my run last night I went upstairs in our shed and completed the Crossfit workout of the day (WOD):

Back squat 5-3-3-3-1-1-1-1-1 repetitions

This means 5 reps., rest, 3 reps., rest, 3 reps., rest and so on. The emphasis is reaching maximum weight.

I warmed-up first with some light weight, around 35 lbs., this helps me get the right form. I then did the following repetitions:

5 x 106 lbs. (48 kg)
3 x 112 lbs. (50.5 kg)
3 x 115 lbs. (52 kg)
3 x 121 lbs. (54.5 kg)
3 x 121 lbs. (54.5 kg)
3 x 106 lbs. (48 kg)

10 x Kettlebell swings 16 kg (35 lbs)

During the second set at 121 lbs. I felt like a muscle in my left quad had torn or stretched too much, so I backed off the weight again. Afterwards I tried out my new 16 kg Kettlebell that the UPS man left at our door – the first time I swung the thing I almost flew across the room :-)

After showering my wife and I went to the monthly running club get together for some dinner – it was a super night!

Posted by Jack at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was already almost dark when I got home from work yesterday, mostly a result of the rain that was falling gently. I really did feel like another run in the dark, so I decided to drive to the local major research facility and run around the outside of their lighted facility. I knew that some of my running club ran there Monday nights, so was hoping to meet them there.

As I pulled into the parking lot I quickly spotted a couple runners from my club. We waited a few minutes for the others to arrive, then took off on our first 6.6K loop around the facility.

It was nice to catch up on the latest news and let them distract me from the aches and pains that I have been experiencing on the last few runs. I was easily talked into a second loop and felt good enough for a third, but two loops was enough for the others, so we all headed home.

I felt good enough to do the Crossfit workout when I got home:

Push-Jerk: 7 sets of 3 repetitions – maximum load

Being new to weight lifting (and having just ran 8 miles), I only used 35 kg (77 lbs.). This was heavy enough to be challenging, but not too heavy to potentially hurt myself.

I finished off my workout practicing pull-ups and ring dips. This morning I feel really good, I left the aches and pains from last week somewhere out on the trail!

Posted by Jack at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last night I was home and on the trail before dark, so upped the pace as best I could. I ran a 9K/5.5M loop in 47:08, which is an average pace of 5:14/K (8:26/M), faster than normal for this time of year.

The Crossfit workout for yesterday was “Michael” which is three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

Since I just ran 9K I decided to modify the workout.

I did in rounds with sets of 10 or 20:
100 Squats (without weights)
100 Push-ups
150 Sit-ups

I tried to find a place around the house to do back extensions, but wasn’t clever enough. Later I was reading that I can use a gymnastic ball and prop my legs under a bench – I’ll have to try that tonight.

I have been doing a do-it-yourself version of Crossfit for about three weeks now and already think it is having a positive effect on my running – I have been pushing my pace more on the shorter runs. This really doesn’t have to do with an increase in fitness, rather I think the new variable in my training routine is motivating me to push myself harder and maximize my training time. Hopefully my fitness level will begin to improve before the newness wears off.

Tomorrow I am off to Switzerland for two days on business, no chance to run, but I can do some Crossfit!

Posted by Jack at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Friday evening I went out for a 9K/5.5M run in the dark. With a little help from my headlamp and warning vest I managed not to hit any trees or get shot at by any hunters (it’s hunting season again). I ran somewhere between marathon and 10K pace, but tried not to push too hard because I had a long run planned the next morning.

On Saturday morning I arrived at my hilly route trailhead just as it was getting light out at 7:30 a.m. I always wait until its light out during hunting season, and was sure to wear my bright orange warning vest!

I warmed up with a relatively flat kilometer, then headed up the first major hill. I felt surprisingly tired as I wound my way up the 10 minute climb, I didn’t think I had pushed the pace so much the night before. I guess the running/Crossfit training combination is harder than I imagined – or maybe holiday stress is setting in??

Anyway, I made my way around the roughly 15K/9.3M loop, then turned around and headed around the loop in the reverse direction. I quickly discovered that the reverse direction contains much steeper hills, which normally I would enjoy, but ended up being quite challenging on this particular morning. I ignored my inner grumbling and kept moving, albeit slower than normal. My goal was a 2-1/2 hour run so I took a shortcut back to the trailhead, arriving there just past my time goal – mission accomplished.

I was pretty wiped out by the time I finished my run, I wearily made my way home and tried to bring myself back to life so I could get my Saturday chores done. I guess I’m not a teenager anymore ;-)

On Sunday I spent the better part of the day trying to catch up on a project for work. Around four in the afternoon I took a break and did the Crossfit workout:

5 minutes of Double unders
5 minutes of 95 lb Clean and Push jerk
3 minutes of Double unders
3 minutes of 95 lb Clean and Push jerk
1 minute of Double unders
1 minute of 95 lb Clean and Push jerk

I can’t do a double under with the jump rope so did singles (a double under is where you jump up and swing the robe twice before hitting the ground).

I also am weak, so only used 68 lbs. for the clean and push jerk.

Results:
5 min. 105/25
3 min. 110/16
1 min. 65/6

Posted by Jack at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Wednesday night it was still light out when I returned home from work, so I quickly suited up and headed out for a run. I completed about 2/3 of my 14K/8.7M run before darkness set in, I was able to maintain a faster-then-marathon pace.

I think the worst problem I have this time of year is TIME! It gets really busy at work, plus the holiday season also includes lots of activities at home, it can get really hectic. So far I have been able to keep up my training, but its getting hard!

Wednesday run: 14K/8.7M at 5:34/K (8:58/M) average pace

Thursday night Crossfit:

10 Shoulder Press (62 lbs.)
10 Back Squats (62 lbs.)
10 Pull-ups (jumping)

3 rounds of:
10 Back Squats (84 lbs.)
10 Ring Dips (jumping)

3 rounds of:
10 Deadlifts (84 lbs.)
10 Pull-ups (jumping)

Posted by Jack at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Monday I was late coming home from work so set out for an easy run in the dark instead of my planned tempo run. The moon was hiding behind a thick cloud covering, so it was really dark, I had to use my headlamp for much of the way. I completed the 9K/5.5M loop with about a 9:15/mile pace, not too bad considering the darkness.

I skipped Crossfit on Monday after the run, as my wife was already giving me strange looks when I came in well after dinner time from my run. Tuesday was a rest day from Crossfit, so I made up my own workout that night:

Warmup – two sets of:
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Toe Touches
20 Push-ups
20 Squats (no weight)
20 Sit-ups

Workout – for time, 5 sets of:
20 Squats (no weight)
10 Hang Power Clean (with 28 kg./62 lbs.)
10 Ring Dips (jumping)

I managed to forget to hit my stopwatch, so didn’t record my time.

Afterward I added a few more exercises:
20 Push-ups
20 Sit-ups
20 Jumping Pull-ups
20 Sit-ups
10 Wall ball (6 kg. medicine ball)

All in all a good workout, I’m still enjoying myself, I only wish I had more strength and could whip through normal dips and pull-ups. Patience was never one of my finer traits…

Posted by Jack at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Friday after work I headed out for an easy 10K run. My muscles were stiff from my cross-training activities, so I decided to keep the pace down. I finished the approx. 10.5K loop in 1:07:00, an easy pace in the dark.

Saturday morning I had an appointment for a haircut and did some shopping afterwards, so postponed my run until after lunch. My goal was a 2 to 2-1/2 hour run at marathon pace. I headed out over the flat bike paths and forest trails surrounding our town and managed to maintain a 6:00/K (9:39/M) average pace for the first two hours. By that time though I was running on empty, I only had water with me, so I backed off the pace a bit and slogged through the last half-hour arriving at my doorstep after almost exactly 2-1/2 hours – mission accomplished. According to Google Earth I also reached my distance goal of 24K/15M, not bad!

Saturday night we had dinner with friends, so of course ate way too much :-) In any case I was looking forward to my Crossfit workout Sunday afternoon. The workout called for 3 rounds (first round 21 reps., second round 15 reps., third round 9 reps.) of:
Clean 135 lbs.
Ring dips.

As I am old and weak, I downgraded the weight to 31kg/68 lbs. and had to do mostly jumping ring dips (jump up to dip position, lower myself slowly to bottom).

I survived this and still had some energy, so I added some weight and completed 10 cleans of 38kg/84lbs. I had to really struggle with the last few repetitions, but that’s what its all about, right!

Posted by Jack at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night’s Crossfit daily workout called for 30 muscle-ups on the rings for time, something that I can’t do yet. The alternative was 120 pull-ups plus 120 dips. I was pretty warn out from the night before, but started doing the latter. I can only do a couple pull-ups on a good day, which yesterday wasn’t, so I did one, then switched to jumping pull-ups. I did 2 sets of 20 jumping pull-ups and dips (between two chairs) before collapsing.

I knew I wasn’t going to get much more out of my arms, so piddled around trying a few other things. I practiced my clean and jerk, bench pressed whatever was on the bar, tried some dips on the rings, then finally I finished off with 10 each push-ups, sit-ups, and box jumps.

I can really tell that I haven't done any serious weight training lately, say for the last 17 years - since I was in the military. I have a long hard road ahead if I want to reach the level of fitness that I see on the horizon. Tomorrow I want to run a longer run, around 2-1/2 hours or 15 miles, whichever comes first :-)

Posted by Jack at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I decided to skip running with the running club and run earlier so I could get my Crossfit workout done too. I wanted to run at least part of my run at a faster pace, so decided to drive to the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (one of Europe’s largest science and engineering research institutes) and run around the outside of their fenced-in complex. The advantage of this 6,6K/4.1M loop is that it is mostly lighted, other than a few dark corners.

I warmed up with a 5-minute jog, then took off at near 10K pace, completing the first 4.1 mile loop at a pace of about 8:25/mile, a bit slower than I would have liked, but okay. I then tried to hold the pace for a while longer as I began the second loop, but started fading about halfways, losing about 3 minutes compared to the first loop.

I then drove home (8 minutes) and warmed up with two sets of:
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Toe Touches
20 Push-ups
20 Squats (no weight)
20 Sit-ups

Last night’s Crossfit workout was "Helen"
Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
1 1/2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
12 Pull-ups

I skipped the 400 meter runs, having just come back from a 13.2K/8.2M run. I don’t have a Kettlebell, so used a dumbbell for the swings. At first I tried a dumbbell loaded with two-10kg. weights (around 48 lbs. with bar), but this was much too heavy (and bulky) to swing over my head down to a squat position and back again. I don’t have any 5 kg. weights, so had to go down to 2 kg., for a total of about 11 lbs., which was too light, but I did 42 swings instead of 21 each round.

I really struggled with the pull-ups, even though I was doing jumping pull-ups (e.g. jump and pull up until the chin touches the bar, then lower slowly down, repeat). My arms were totally destroyed from my first week of Crossfit and I felt weak as a kitten. On the last round I substituted a barbell row (approx. 40 lbs. total) for the pull-ups.

I was definitely ready for the showers by the time I finished, but could barely lift the soap to wash :-) This morning I am sore in a good way and looking forward to more torture this evening. I guess I need a few months for my muscles to get used to all this new attention they are getting.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the USA!

Posted by Jack at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last night I tried the Crossfit daily workout, which consisted of 5 sets of 3 repetitions of the Clean and Jerk.

Warmup:

2 sets of:
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Toe touchers
20 Pushups
20 Squats (no weight)
20 Situps

I don’t come from a weight lifting background so I first practiced the Clean and Jerk using an 18 lb. barbell. Once I felt I was doing it right (according to videos from Crossfit), I switched to the other barbell with weights (total weight 62 lbs.). After two sets of 3 reps. I decided to increase the weight, but I only have 10 and 15 kg weights so had to go up to about 84 lbs. I struggled with this a couple times and decided to go back down to 62 lbs., as I deemed it more important to maintain good form at this point.

I finished off the prescribed workout, but still had a lot of energy. I decided to continue working the upper body with:

3 sets of:
10 Bench Press (with the 62 lbs.)
10 Jumping Pull-ups

I then added a few random things:
10 Wall ball shots
20 Box jumps
Several attempts at the ring muscle-up

Finally, with tired muscles I finished off with 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups and 20 squats.

Under lessons learned:

I can really imagine how beneficial it would be to go through the Crossfit orientation and train with a group. I think this is especially important when technique plays a large role, such as with weight lifting. I think it will take a lot of practice before I start doing the lifts correctly, especially when I don’t have someone spotting my mistakes.

Posted by Jack at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday I had intended on meeting a few people from my running club for a run, but got home late from work, so headed out on my own. I was hoping for a tempo run, but as I started out I knew my muscles were still aching too much from Saturday’s long run and Sunday’s Crossfit session. After 10-15 minutes my muscles loosened up some and I was at least able to run a few 8:00 minute miles before finishing my 9K/5.5M loop in the dark.

I have been looking at different cross-training possibilities over the summer and have decided to give Crossfit a try, which has become obvious if you have been reading my posts for the last week. I have tried to do weight training, supplemented with swimming but find lifting free weights to be a bit stale. The diversity of exercises that Crossfit offers, as well as the severity, is quite refreshing. I look forward to continuing the program at least until race season begins, and from there we’ll see.

Posted by Jack at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday I had intended on meeting a few people from my running club for a run, but got home late from work, so headed out on my own. I was hoping for a tempo run, but as I started out I knew my muscles were still aching too much from Saturday’s long run and Sunday’s Crossfit session. After 10-15 minutes my muscles loosened up some and I was at least able to run a few 8:00 minute miles before finishing my 9K/5.5M loop in the dark.

I have been looking at different cross-training possibilities over the summer and have decided to give Crossfit a try, which has become obvious if you have been reading my posts for the last week. I have tried to do weight training, supplemented with swimming but find lifting free weights to be a bit stale. The diversity of exercises that Crossfit offers, as well as the severity, is quite refreshing. I look forward to continuing the program at least until race season begins, and from there we’ll see.

Posted by Jack at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday I awoke at 6:00 a.m. and dragged my aching body out to the car and drove to Weingarten for my long run. As I approached my trailhead there was a sign posted indicating that there was a battue hunt in progress (where they drive the deer to the hunters). Not wanting to be mistaken for a deer (by any city slickers with an itchy trigger finger), I drove to the next town Untergrombach and ran up and down the hilly vineyards for almost 2-1/2 hours.

On Sunday I did another Crossfit workout, or at least gave it my best effort:

For time (see Crossfit for exercise demos):
50 Box jump
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

This workout has been named the “filthy fifty” by some, I don’t disagree. I modified some of the exercises as I am a beginner or lack the equipment:
- I don’t have a box for the box jump, so I stepped up and down on the stairway.
- I don’t have a 36 lbs. kettlebell, so substituted a dumbbell with about 20 lbs.
- My medicine ball for the wall ball shots is only 13 lbs.
- I did a modified knee to elbows, whereas I raised my knees as far as possible – I need to work on this.

I did pretty good until I got to the Burpees. A burpee is kind of like a squat thrust and push-up combined, whereas you jump up as you rise. My arms and legs were jello by the time I got to that exercise, so I ended up doing mostly squat thrusts. I also could not do many double unders with the jump robe, I was too pooped – I at least did 50 normal jumps.

Posted by Jack at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tomorrow morning I want to go for at least a two hour long run on my hilly route in Weingarten. Let me stress the word WANT. I say that because tonight instead of chilling out and resting for my run tomorrow morning I was up in the shed attempting to my rendition of the Crossfit workout “Fran”.

Fran sounds easy enough 3 rounds consisting of repetitions of thrusters and pull-ups. The first round consists of 21 thrusters and pull-ups, the second round 15 each and the last round 9 each. A thruster is where you start with 95 lbs. at your chest, do a squat and then thrust the bar over your head until your arms are straight. Oh, and you are supposed to do all of this for time, e.g. as fast as possible.

I’m a wimp and only used 62 lbs. and I also had to break the sets up a little more, e.g. 3 x 7 thrusters. I also had to do mostly jumping pull-ups because I can’t do many correct pull-ups (jumping pull-ups are where you jump up to the bar and lower yourself down as slow as possible). Lastly, time doesn’t matter at this point, I’m still a wimp – we’ll start talking stopwatch when I can do the exercises correctly and at proper weight.

Anyway, my arms are still quivering 30 minutes after showering – tomorrows run should be really interesting. Hey, at least I didn’t use my legs too much…

Posted by Jack at 7:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night I decided to practice some Crossfit exercises. There are no Crossfit gyms in my area of Germany, so I am left to learn the techniques and program myself. If you don’t know about Crossfit, or aren’t familiar with all the exercises I mention below, I encourage you to checkout their website.

Anyway I did a warm-up including 20-each overhead squats, Samson stretch, push-ups and sit-ups, plus a few other callisthenics. Then I moved upstairs in the shed and practised my pull-ups (I struggle with just a few), ring muscle-ups (nearly impossible still), deadlift (30kg), push-press and back extension (using a table and a piece of rope) to try to get a handle on the technique.

I then went through three sets of 10 reps of air squats, deadlift, box jump and push-press. Finally I finished off with 10 (jump) pull-ups and five minutes on the elliptical trainer. I wanted to go longer on the trainer, but my legs were dead, along with the rest of my body.

In any case it was a kick butt workout, as evidenced by my aching body this morning. If I can stick with the training through the winter I am hoping I will eventually be able to perform all of the routines at the weight prescribed. In the moment I am doing the grandpa version with scaled down weights and technique – but you have to start somewhere I guess.

Posted by Jack at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)