Fun of a different kind!

[Catrin]

Irulan, your coach and mine are related!

I've heard through the grapevine that our coach has the Hell Mill planned for us tomorrow morning. Basically it is an assortment of exercises done around a 200 meter track, a single exercise for each 200 meter lap (8 total laps). So lap one (or one of them), will be bear crawls for 200 meters. He has different versions of this particular workout so we will see in the morning what is in store for us. We don't do this often, it isn't a common workout. He does usually pull the stops out around holiday time. It should be a lot of 'fun', and an interesting way to prepare for a 7.5 hour drive directly afterwards

[Catrin]

We didn't do the Hell Mile last week - which is a good thing since I had that really long drive right after. I am considering doing a more shoulder-friendly version of it this Saturday, we will see.

This morning was a great workout as always, and we did an EMOM (every minute on the minute) for 15 minutes. The idea is very simple, the first minute you do 1 of each (2) exercises. Rest for the remainder of the minute. Second minute complete 2 of each and continue that way until the 15 minutes are up. The goal is to complete all reps of both exercises within each minute. If you fail to complete all reps of both exercises within the minute time frame then you cut the reps for both in half and just complete that number for the rest of the time.

So, for example, if you make it to the 8th minute and complete all 8 reps of the first exercise but not the second, for the remainder of the 15 minutes you complete 4 of each during each minute.

Our two exercises today were kettlebell goblet squats and pushups. He actually had me do something else for the second exercise as pressing is a problem for me right now. I got all the way to the 15th minute I did not, however, complete, I failed on the 15th round. I am pleased with that however, it is the closest I've ever gotten to completing this particular EMOM workout. The only thing better than goblet squats for this are deadlifts

[Crankin]

I felt like I was dying in boot camp today. It was the evil one, but while it wasn't tough cardio wise, almost none, she had us doing planks with sliders. I hate those things. I can do the standing stuff with them, no issue, but today was misery. I always use smaller weights in her class, and even those were hurting me. But... I felt better afterwards, and then I went to PT, where I got a very good massage.

[Catrin]

I hear you Crankin, planks and sliders can be...interesting for me as well because of my bad shoulder. Things seem to be improving though - slowly - but improving.

[Catrin]

Today I met with a training partner and we did the Partner 100's workout. The actual exercises can differ, but this is what we chose to do:

100 Chin-ups (her) or TRX Rows (me)
100 back squats (her) or goblet squats (me)
(I am not allowed to do overhead work or pullups right now and while back squats aren't "over head", one must go there to get the bar in position and, of course, remove it!)
100 Abmat situps
100 95-pound deadlifts
100 TRX hip extensions

How this works is one partner runs a set distance while the other partner starts the exercise. At the end of that distance the partners switch and partner 2 starts up with the number where partner 1 stopped. We normally do 4 exercises in this workout, but we seemed to have some fuel left in the tank so decided to do a "bonus" round. I've no idea how far we actually ran, and it took us 54:12 to complete this workout. We were focusing more on form than time, and now my hammies are sore. This is a GOOD thing as I hardly ever get sore...tomorrow all I will do is mobility work and, possibly, some rowing. We will see.

[Catrin]

Our coach gives us a "weekly challenge" every week to do on our own, and this week the challenge had a Christmas connection - it was the "12 Days of Christmas" workout. It is pretty simple, with each round add the next exercise, just like the song. I had to change the overhead work since I can't do that, so this version has my modifications.

1 Burpee Pullup
2 Deadlifts (body weight)
3 Medball Cleans (originally Medball Clean & OH Toss)
4 Tire Flips (originally handstand pushups or pike pushups)
5 Box Jumps
6 Pushups
7 TRX racked rows
8 Split Jumps
9 Kettlebell Swings
10 TRX Crunches
11 Medball Forward toss (replacing Medball OH Slams)
12 BB Front Squats (originally BB squat and press)

It was a lot of fun and took me 44:06 (not counting warming up). My goal was to finish the workout + warmup in an hour and I succeeded. This was the most equipment heavy workout I've ever done on my own! I know I've team-mates who would have done it faster, but my goal was to FINISH it, and to focus on proper form. I will do it again in a couple of months and see if I can improve my time

[ridebikeme]

Sounds like a great workout Catrin! Glad to hear that you are having fun and being challenged

[Catrin]

Sounds like a great workout Catrin! Glad to hear that you are having fun and being challenged

Who needs a working shoulder!!! (tongue thoroughly in cheek) It actually is VERY stable because of the nature of the mechanical problem with it, I just can't go overhead with it.

[ridebikeme]

[I]'m glad that you were able to find something to challenge you while your shoulder is recovering! It's some times a very hard place to be in, and obviously you took the challenge head on. Congratulations!!!I]

[Catrin]

[I]'m glad that you were able to find something to challenge you while your shoulder is recovering! It's some times a very hard place to be in, and obviously you took the challenge head on. Congratulations!!!I]

Thanks for the encouragement! I am uncertain that it will actually improve more than it has, it's been like this since I was 12 - I just didn't know about it as my life was so sedentary for so long. The neck injury from the mtb crash didn't help. Surgery is an option, but I won't go that route unless they can guarantee that my shoulder would be more functional afterwards, and of course they can't do that. My OD is convinced that we will, eventually, get there without surgery, we will see Giving up just isn't an option, I know what lies in that direction and I refuse to allow myself to be in that kind of condition (or lack thereof) again.

[Catrin]

Just a little bragging, only because it made me feel good and it validates all the hard work I've been doing. I saw my doctor this morning for my annual "wellness appointment", and in the course of our conversation he mentioned that I am more fit than most of the people he sees in my age group It does feel like I must work harder than my younger team members to maintain (let alone progress), but that made me feel good

[Crankin]

That's great, Catrin. This becomes more reinforcing as you get older, believe me. A big part of this is knowing when to rest and how to modify, just as you have. I've had pressure from some of my fellow boot camp people and a sly comment from the instructor I like, that I should use another riser when we use the step, whether it's for jump ups or just any step move. But I know that I'd probably trip and kill myself and also that my achilles would be screaming. Maybe eventually, but right now I'm happy with what I am doing.

[Catrin]

That's great, Catrin. This becomes more reinforcing as you get older, believe me. A big part of this is knowing when to rest and how to modify, just as you have. I've had pressure from some of my fellow boot camp people and a sly comment from the instructor I like, that I should use another riser when we use the step, whether it's for jump ups or just any step move. But I know that I'd probably trip and kill myself and also that my achilles would be screaming. Maybe eventually, but right now I'm happy with what I am doing.

I agree, it pays to know what is going on with our body. My coach isn't pushing me to use the next higher box for box jumps, even though I am only using the 14-incher. He pays attention at how far we clear the current height and I don't think I clear it by much. I am short It gets humbling when he puts me on a lower height than the others for step-ups (especially weighted), but I know it is for my own good. The way he pushes us, I know he isn't just trying to be easy on me. I've been focusing on trying to keep my ego out of things when I do have to modify, and that in itself can be a challenge...

[Crankin]

Well, one thing that makes me chuckle is when people (we are all regulars and the others all seem to be tri-athletes or runners) start out with heavier weights for certain sets. I, on the other hand, start out with the ones that I know will let me complete all of the reps, with good form. By the end, the others have put the heavy ones down and switched out to what I use. Of course, I vary the weight by type of exercise and who is teaching. I try not to let my ego get in the way, because I know I am at least 15 years older than most of them. So, they are not babies, but in their 40s, a few are 50-ish and occasionally, we have a young one come in (they can't stick it out!). I often, though, can outlast them in all things cardio, and end up running with 2 of the super fit tri-athletes, who are also the oldest next to me. But, one of them, who I really like, is a bit of an exercise bulimic (new diagnosis), as I have seen her going off to do more on the eliiptical, or run outside after class. And, she's always fighting injuries. It is hard not to compare, but even when I was in my early 30s and teaching at the gym, I could not do what others did... like teach back to back classes a few days a week. As it was, I was sick all of the time from no rest and 7-8 classes a week.

[Irulan]

Today was the annual mile lunge day.
Right.
I opted for the 1/2 mile option; that's more than enough. Anytime you paused for any sort of a break, you had to pcik one of the following and do it to failure: bridge, side bridge, push through, curls, presses, skydivers, single leg extensions.... I added burpees to the list since I've been doing my friends' "30 Burpees a Day Holiday Challenge" on Facebook.