It’s been a while…

2010 started off with a vengeance.  One of those situations where everything simultaneously blows up, and all you can do is hold on, wait for the end, and assess the situation.  Here’s the assessment.  (warning: this is a long post… get some coffee (make sure it’s local, organic coffee!))

With respect to life, I can say I’ve learned a lot about myself and my friends, but I’m only scratching the surface.  I still have trouble coping with the simple fact that as an adult, you have to do your dishes, laundry, and clean your own damn apartment.  Obviously I do these things, but only when it really needs to happen.  It’s not just-in-time… more like almost-too-late.  For example, I go through so much athletic clothing that easily over half of my laundry is gym stuff.  And since I need to use it just about daily, I end up doing two loads of gym clothes per week, at the sacrifice of other clothes.  I really wanted to wear that shirt I wore out the other night… oh well.

Basic “adult things” are eschewed for stuff that’s far more fun or interesting.  The funny thing is it’s not just me… many of my friends are doing the same.  It makes me wonder if this is common for the single late 20s/30s crowd — reverting back to dorm-style life management skills — or if this is new for our generation.  Maybe it’s an Austin thing…

Speaking of… early 2010 + life + Austin = Eric was a zombie.  Let’s review:

• Mid February: everyone seems to have a brithday; let’s all drink. Heavily.
• Work sends Eric to perform a production deployment… sweet.
• Customer asks (requires) Eric’s presence the following week, right before his first ski trip of 2010.
• Eric returns to said customer, rebooking flights like crazy, and flies AUS-SAN-DFW-GUC, chill for a week (at a bachelor party, so we all know how that goes), then GUC-DFW-AUS.
• Home for 5 days.  phew.
• Not just yet… drive to Houston and back for the Muse show (which was amazing, btw)
• Oh wait, SXSW.  Shit… ZOMBIE ATTACK!
• Ski trip #2, Whistler.  One bottle per person condo entry fee.  4 people dust off 5 bottles in 5 days.  3 bottles alone on the last night.
• Return to Austin, try to resume life.

The rational person would simply tell me to stop drinking so damn much.  Good point.  Now let’s return to reality.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so disconnected in a long time.  With all that traveling, the only connections you retain are the people you randomly text while traveling and the ones you see when you get to your destination.  In fact, my schedule has been such a mess lately that I’ve honestly felt like I’ve alienated myself from the CrossFit Central Tribe.  And that’s scary.

So I’m in the process of re-establishing myself in the tribe that has provided me with so much over the last 2 years.  Going back to my 6:15am CrossFit class (although that didn’t happen today… there’s another post coming on that one).  Heading up to the gym to support/participate in events.  Getting back into The Label Says Paleo.

That also means writing stuff down here, for whoever reads it to read.  Seriously, I have no idea who reads this.  I have the Google Analytics on it, but that doesn’t identify an individual… I just know how many hits I get.  But I digress…

Coming in the next couple weeks:

• How I finally got a 190kg (~418lb) deadlift, and won a duathlon
• Why I can’t stand up straight today, reach for tall things, or otherwise move correctly
• My race schedule updates and training plan for the remainder of the season
• Other random (hopefully entertaining) musings

If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading… and leave a comment, dammit!

PIT workout April 18, 2010

A little late in coming, but in case anyone follows these (post to comments if you do!)…

Warm-up

• 800m run
• Stretches/joint work
• KB warmup: 3 rounds of [4 press L, 4 press R, 8 cirlcles, 8 figure 8's].
• Burgener Warmup

Skill work

• Snatch balance, hang snatch: after practicing the movement with PVC, move up to an open bar.  Complete 3 rounds of 5 snatch balance, 5 hang snatch, for form and not time (take your time through this and make sure you’re doing it right).

Workout

• 10 rounds of 10 pull-ups, 10 ball slams @ 20lb.  15 min time cap.

Cycle 109 (hill repeats)

Some hill repeats, with each hill getting tougher as we progress.

Warm-up

• Cream Dream – Simian Mobile Disco
• I Can Talk – Two Door Cinema Club
• Up In Arms – Foo Fighters

Hill 1 (easy hill resistance)

• Be Near Me – ABC
• Dear God – XTC (attack at the end)

Rest: Crystalised – The XX

Hill 2 (moderate hill resistance)

• Head Over Heels – Tears For Fears
• Undisclosed Desires – Muse

Rest: American Dream – Better Than Ezra

Hill 3 (steep hill resistance)

• Optimistic – Radiohead
• White Flag – Gorillaz
• Tonight, Tonight – Smashing Pumpkins (attacks)

Cash-out: Call Call – The Faint

Cool down

• Home – Foo Fighters
• Fix You – Coldplay

Cycle 106 – PA Expo

Special playlist, just for Expo.  Name of the game here is INTENSITY.  Bring it!

• Time Bomb – Dave Matthews Band: warm up to power push
• Discipline – Nine Inch Nails: seated/standing climb
• The Royal We – Silversun Pickups: power pushes/up-down
• Worked Up So Sexual – The Faint: cadence ride
• House of Jealous Lovers – The Rapture: cadence ride/standing sprints
• HFM – Ghostland Observatory: cadence ride
• This Is War – 30 Seconds to Mars: seated sprints
• 100 Suns – 30 Seconds to Mars: cool down

Adventures of a traveling CrossFitter

Handstands in the snow, with snowboard boots, are tough.

After you’ve thrown yourself off the deep end with CrossFit, there’s not much that can compare when it comes to a fitness facility.  Maybe you’ve got a traditional gym membership and a CrossFit Affiliate membership.  When you walk into the traditional gym, what’s your attitude?  I know what mine is…

“screw the machines and most of the contraptions… just give me a pull-up bar, some kettlebells, a med ball, maybe a rower. if i can lift heavy weights, even better.”

The way my job works is that I travel sporadically, and when I do, it’s a lot all at once.  For example, I left Austin on February 20, returned on February 25, left again on February 28, returning March 4, and will be leaving for two more trips this month.  What does that do to my training plan?  Shot. To. Hell.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Here are my tips for success in training on the road:

• Decide right now: do you care to stay on your training plan?  Does it matter that you do the .com WOD 3-on, 1-off?  Or, can you maybe get a couple runs in and call it a week?
• Plan ahead.  While you’re making your travel plans figure out what’s in your hotel and what’s around you.  Find the nearest CrossFit Affiliate, shoot them a note.  I guarantee you’ll be welcome there, and I’m willing to bet you’ll fit in.
• If you’ve decided you’re sticking to the plan, then do your best to stick with it, but don’t freak out if you miss something.  Remember the words of Rip: “training is a process, not an event.”  So I can’t do MEBB in every town I’m traveling to, but I can at least find a place that allows me to lift heavy.  I can search the programming of all the CrossFit boxes in the area and find out which ones might work the best for me.
• Pack versatile and light. You don’t need your oly shoes, running shoes, fivefingers, rings, abmat, chalk, tape, and 5 pukie shirts for your 4-day trip.  I bring the following: fivefingers, enough workout clothes for 2 days (and wash out in the tub/air dry to rewear… if you have good gear, it won’t smell), some tape, and a TriggerPoint ball.  For example, if you’re running and CrossFitting, do your CF workouts in your running shorts.

No CrossFit gym?  Then start heading to the fitness center in your hotel.  Use the dumbbells, treadmills, and mats to construct a workout.  Do “Fran” with dumbbell thrusters and body rows using the cable cross machine.  Do “Angie” with bench dips or body rows.  Or, hit up CrossFit Endurance and use the treadmills to do the WOD (or just run outside).  Get creative… the point is to just keep moving!

Case Study: Vegas and San Diego

Last week, I was in Vegas for a conference.  Vegas is a tough town because it’s hard to get around… cabs are expensive and they don’t like to go too far off the strip.  I’ve made it over to CrossFit Las Vegas a couple times — great place — but this time I didn’t have the time.  So, I took my Vegas hangovers to the MGM Spa and did a modified version of the CFE Recovery workout a few times:

Run 400m

3 rounds of:

• 15 bench press
• 15 swings
• 15 bench dips

Then do 2 rounds of:

• 50 situps
• 5×30:30 hip bridge

Keep the weights light but challenging — your third round should be tough but unbroken.  Move with purpose but not like you’re racing.  Then go hit the steam room.

In San Diego, life’s a lot different.  I wasn’t crazy like Vegas, and I had control over where I stayed.  So I stayed near CrossFit Invictus.  CJ and his crew (which includes the rockstar Sage Burgener) are awesome, and every time I show up, it’s only better.  Turns out I got 3 days of exactly what I needed — some lifts, and some metcon.

Conclusion

I’ve been around states and tried to keep up with my training.  At first I felt guilty because I was off “the plan.”  Then I began to realize that when you travel, it’s so much easier to simply do nothing.  So go do something.  Try to get it as close to what you’d do if you were home.  Meet some new people.  Buy a shirt from another affiliate.  Not only is CrossFit a good cult, but it can be done just about anywhere.