CrossFit Endurance and CrossFit work. Even after the swine flu.

Holy shit.  I haven’t posted in a long time.  My bad.  My renewed mental focus is clearly due to my first week of the The Label Says Paleo challenge.

I’m going to write the end of this post first, and then I’m going to come back up here and write my original post.

Ok, original post time.  There are so many things I want to say, so I think I’m going to limit this to one topic and make more posts (I swear) over the coming weeks.

About 6 weeks ago, I was supposed to start training for the Rock n’ Roll San Antonio 1/2 Marathon.  I only needed 6 weeks because, well, I CrossFit, and I know I can run 13.1 miles.  It was just a matter of how long it would take to do so, and whether I wanted to PR that race.  Then… life kicked in.  One bachelor party in Vegas.  One trip directly from Vegas to Uruguay.  ACL.  Swine flu (serisouly, I got fucking swine flu).  Recovering from swine flu brought me to 3 weeks out from the race.  Then I had a confluence of shitty scheduling on my part (see end of post).  Fast forward to 2 weeks out.  I decided that with 2 weeks left, it was time to start training.

• I went out on a Tuesday morning and did the CFE WOD.  10k, 85% effort for the first 5k, 95% effort for the second 5k.  47:something.  Not bad.
• Continued my regular CrossFit regimen.  3-on, 1-off.  Strength and metcon mixup (which I going to organize soon).
• I went out and ran a 10-mile race last Sunday.  1:17:something.  7:41 pace.  That puts me spot on for a 4-minute PR for the Rock n’ Roll.

3 weeks of training, folks.  3 weeks.  Why? Because I CrossFit.  Because I focus on strength and muscular endurance, 13.1 miles at a pretty decent clip isn’t so hard.  It just takes a while.  Combine this with some proper CrossFit Endurance protocol, and I know I’ll see huge PR’s in my future.  Maybe I can get that 25mph bike pace that I need to start placing in Duathlons.

Which brings me to my next point… CrossFit Central Endurance.

Tomorrow (and I know no one has read this in weeks, so I’m going to assume that no one will show up because of my blog, but if you do, holler!) we’re hosting a free community workout at the Austin High track.  We’ll show you some run efficiency skills and drills… breaking running into the “first principles” that Christopher McDougall so eloquently describes when he talks about his book.  Then we’re going to put you through a light CFE WOD, some 100s, hopefully using your newfound skills.

Here’s the kicker… are you ready for the kicker?

We’re going to continue these free track workouts.  Wednesday mornings (6am) and Thursday nights (6pm) in December, over at the O’Henry track.  I’m coaching the Thursday nights and one Wednesday morning… December 3, 10, and 16.  Show up.  Improve your running.  Add some quality to your miles, not trash miles.  No. more. garbage. miles.

See ya at the track!

–e

Now for the blur… quick recap since I last posted on my blog (sad, I know.  I shouldn’t have to do this)

• I participated in the LiveStrong Challenge 5k and 45-mile bike ride, raising over $300 for the LiveStrong Foundation. HUGE thanks to my supporters for donating to a great cause!
• I rode a Team Time Trial for the first time on November 2.  The Tour de Grune 27.3 miles is pretty tough — hilly, chip seal, some crosswinds.  Fun ride, but we didn’t keep the 22 mph pace I wanted.  Next year.  Moving on…
• I ran the Run for the Water 10-miler on November 8.  First distance longer than 10k since February, and it went well considering that I haven’t run.
• All kinds of cool shit is happening with CrossFit Central Endurance, Pure Austin, The Label Says Paleo… it just keeps coming.
• I’m a Nuun Ambassador.  Hell yes, Nuun!
• I’m starting to see the power of tribes and the communities that can be formed.  Mind boggling.