And then...

 I attended a change of command and managed to finally get in a visit to BrandX.
There, on 25 August, I managed this gem (Jeff Martin's programming):
50 DUs, 5 rounds of "Cindy" (5 pullups/10 pushups/15 squats x 5)
40 DUs, 4 rounds of Cindy
30 DUs, 3 rounds
20 DUs, 2 rounds
10 DUs, 1 round

Total time was 16:49.  Blocks like this-  4:37/4:33/3:56/2:35/1:09
Not awful and at least the altitude was only about 3500'.

On 28 August, I went for a run before hopping on a plane. It was uphill the entire start and downhill on the way back.
2.63 miles in 23:38.  12:17/11:21.  Works out to about 9 min/mi.  Not great, but I got some work in.  Now down in Louisiana, in absolutely stifling heat, trying to convince myself to go workout.  Chow sounds so much better right now...

Harder than I thought

Wow, my workout schedule has taken a beating to my travel schedule.  Actually, maybe not true.  My writing schedule has taken a beating.

I got on a plane to Montana for the CrossFit Affiliate gathering at Big Sky Resort.  Wow.  That place is incredible.
I did manage two/three workouts at altitude there.  It hurt.

Saturday, August 20, I did this workout with the group.
AMRAP in 12 minutes of - 9 thrusters at 95 lb., 9 pullups, run 100m (50m out/back and up a decent hill).  The best was 6 rds plus some thrusters and pullups.  I managed 5 rds complete.  The whole time it was like someone was sitting on my chest.  I forgot how different 7600' of altitude can be.

Sunday, 21 August I managed this:
24 kb swings (1.5 pood), then 21-15-9 of
24" box jumps, clapping pushups, switch lunges
24 kb swings (again)
I finished it in 8:11.  I think the best time was about 6 minute.  Again, O2 was at a premium.

Right after that workout, because Coach Mike Burgener was around, I worked on snatching to get some free coaching.  I managed to work up to 205 (in my Reebok Microns, or whatever they're called) and failed twice.  Not bad, really, after the box jumps and in running flats.  Flew back from Montana on Monday morning, the 22nd.

August 16th-18th

Did the May 23, 2011 Main Page WoD:
35 Double-Unders (passing a rope twice under your feet on one hop)
1 snatch
Post time and total weight lifted (don't count missed lifts)

I finished in 9:33 and lifted 1155 total, but I didn't know you weren't supposed to try again after a miss, so it really should have been 995 (6 makes at 165lb snatch).  My rounds with DUs varied between slick (first round DUs in about 27 seconds) to sick - Rd 5 was an anemic 1:35 or so for the DUs.  Just kept tripping up - lost all rhythm.  Hard work.  I saw some times on the main page for people who lifted about a 1000lb and finished in just over 4 minutes - that's flying.
My rounds: 0:48/1:20/1:41/1:00/1:52/1:36/1:13 = 9:33

Next day I did a light no-gi striking and grappling workout.

18 August was a late workout, almost 9 pm and it was a self-designed "goat" workout - doing skills and things that I suck at.  Yummy.
3 rounds for time of:
50 DU's, 20 foot handstand walk, 30 seconds of L-sit, 40 air squats, and 40 pullups
Rounds were - 5:57/7:28/8:36 = 22:02
Pullups were largely the limiting factor, although DUs in one of the rounds were a little frustrating, as well.  Handstand walk was adequate, but not where I want it to be yet.  L-sit for 30 seconds is harder than it sounds.  Tomorrow, try to keep the workout streak going even though I'm on a plane most of the day across the country.

Esse quam videri.

Then again... I could be wrong.

So much for the idea that having my girls around full time wouldn't affect my workout schedule.  Not their fault, at all.  Entirely mine.  I guess because I don't see them as often as I would like, when they're here, I try to cram in so much in a short time.  We saw several movies, ate vast quantities of popcorn, mostly successfully tried to make origami dragons together (that was something funny - the guy on Youtube should be shot for deciding at the 33rd minute of 38 to move the camera so his machinations and folds took place off-screen.  A**hole), and did about everything but exercise, besides one 3-mile run.  Entirely my fault for not getting up early and doing the work while they were sleeping.  As it turns out, my back also suffered from sleeping on the couch one night and getting my neck yarded on a few days ago during BJJ.

Anyway, got back at it on August 15, but with a pinched neck, sore shoulder, and sore back. Notwithstanding, managed two workouts.

WoD 1
Shoulder Press 1-1-1-1
Push Press 3-3-3-3
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5

1/3 CFWU, some DUs and stretching, Press 95lb x 4, 135x5, 155
SP: 160-165-170-175f
PP: 175-180-185-190
PJ: 190-190-x-x
Took a pass on last two sets.  Going overhead was painful - I couldn't push my head "through the window" and get the weight truly overhead, so I decided to call it.

WoD 2
Interval work.  Row 500m x 4, with 2 mins rest in between each 500.  Target pace was 1:45 for each 500m.  I'm working my way toward a 7:00 2K row (kind of an industry standard for rowers).  If I ever pull this off (at my height), I'll feel like I've accomplished something.
Managed the following splits:
1:45.1, 1:45.3, 1:45.5, 1:45.9
So, I got steadily "slower", to the tune of a few tenths of a second each time.  Very happy about it.  now I just need to do that consecutively - without any rest at all.  Uh-boy.

Monday, 8 August

Having children doesn't have to be a hindrance to getting some work in!  I managed to help middle daughter through some rowing intervals (500m rows with 3 mins rest x 4) and then have oldest and youngest show up to my garage while I got started on Tabata Something Else.  4 separate tabata intervals (8 'rounds' of 20 sec. of work, followed by 10 sec of rest) for pullups, pushups, situps, and air squats.  Middle daughter joined for the last 2 exercises because she didn't think the rowing was enough, despite my admonitions of caution... the next day she said she was "pretty sore."  But, being young, she healed in 24 hours.  Ahh, youth is wasted on the young.  (GBS, I believe).

So, my numbers looked thusly:
Pullups: 15/10/9/8/8/8/8/8 = 74
Pushups: 18/14/10/9/9/6/7/7 = 80
Situps (GHD): 9/8/7/6/6/7/8/7 = 58
Squats: 16/12/17/16/15/15/15/15 = 121
Total = 333
I was a bit disappointed/surprised at how hard the pushups became.  I must have been more blown out from the work on the 6th than I thought.  Then I looked at my numbers from when I did it on June 22nd for comparison.

Pullups: 14/14/7/6/7/7/6/8 = 69

Pushups: 17/14/10/10/9/7/7/8 = 82

Situps (GHD): 6/7/7/6/6/7/6/6 = 52

Squats: 19/15/16/15/14/15/14/17 = 125
Total = 327
Very similar numbers, with a net gain of 6 reps.  I'll take it!  Goal is to get every round for all of the exercises to be 10 (at worst) and break 20 on a few rounds here and there.
Ad astra per aspera.

Okay - on to August

So, the latter part of July was spent in Carson, CA, at the CrossFit Games.  An amazing event that is an eye-opener as to exactly what kind of fitness can be achieved.  I will never reach those levels, but it was inspiring, nonetheless.  Unfortunately, a nagging back injury made me about crippled for two of the days I was there and I'm still on the mend (and in search of a new mattress, as well).
I did manage to get in a kind of "test" workout on Friday, the 4th.
5 Rounds for time of:
Run 400m
Back Squat (pick the weight)
I'd previously done this with 245lb for the back squats (a few months ago) in 13:27, so decided to see what I could do by comparison.  I managed a 12:57.  So, 30 seconds better and it wasn't nearly as mentally taxing (last time I can remember wanting to quit during round 3).  I grappled later in the day (no-gi).
Today - August 6, 2011
I stopped in at Elm City CrossFit and they were doing a nice beasty that went like this:
Three rounds (18-15-9) for time of:
Push Jerk at 115lb, Pullups, Run 800m (an 800 for each round), then rest 2 minutes and do...
3 rounds (9, 6, and 3 reps) for time of:
Push Jerk at 155 lb, Clapping pushups, and 400m runs.
Times looked like this:
Rd 1/2/3 - 5:06/5:57/5:43 = 16:46, then rest two minutes
Rd 1/2/3 - 3:53/3:07/2:41 = 9:41
Total time of 28:29 (the math doesn't quite add up, I know).  Close enough.  That workout levelled me as I was pretty useless for the rest of the day.  I managed to get a little work done while the Red Sox evened up their series with the Yankees on the radio in the background.
Ad astra per aspera.