Pierini's December 2006 Workouts

[tim_mcf]

I have heard that about the longer stride before - what's it called, the "pose" technique or something, where you supposedly can run faster if you never extend your stride too far? Are you familiar with that?

Sunday, December 10, 2006
Complete day of rest. But I did get a quick evening forearm workout scooping several servings of ice cream into a cup for me. Delicious.

So I bought a pullup/dip combo station on Saturday for $148 which is a lot less than I was planning on spend. It doesn't have a vertical knee lift unit which the original ones I were looking at did but I don't care as it's the pullups and dips that I am primarily interested in. Plus it has handles at the bottom for doing full-range deep pushups. I'm satisfied with its durability. I'll have it delivered this week. It's my Christmas gift to myself.

I'll be tapering this week as I prepare for a Sunday 5k fun run. Everything is feeling pretty good right now and I'm grateful for that. Hopefully nothing will change between now and then.

Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

p.s. Hi Tim, I've heard of that method but have not really read up on it or studied it. In general, I'm satisfied with my stride and Saturday's efforts was a little self-administered advanced training trying to perfect my existing running form.

Monday, December 11, 2006
Unscheduled rest day due to unscheduled work demands.

I was trying my hardest to get to the gym, but I kept getting telephone calls from clients and I was trying to get a report done for an evening meeting I had which took me longer to complete than what I anticipated. I was trying to force things too hard and this was creating unncessary stress for me. Fortunately, I caught myself in this unnecessary frenzy and told myself that I am fit enough that I can skip today. But it still bugged me. I know I could have done something for 10 minutes to live my talk that something is better than nothing, but I just decided that there is always tomorrow, or hopefully there will be.

I'll try again tomorrow. Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

[JDR3]

Look forward to your "Nicole" post, will be interesting to see your rds.
I predict 8 rds.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by pierini

Monday, December 11, 2006
Unscheduled rest day due to unscheduled work demands.

I was trying my hardest to get to the gym, but I kept getting telephone calls from clients and I was trying to get a report done for an evening meeting I had which took me longer to complete than what I anticipated. I was trying to force things too hard and this was creating unncessary stress for me. Fortunately, I caught myself in this unnecessary frenzy and told myself that I am fit enough that I can skip today. But it still bugged me. I know I could have done something for 10 minutes to live my talk that something is better than nothing, but I just decided that there is always tomorrow, or hopefully there will be.

I'll try again tomorrow. Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

yadda yadda yadda.... Mr P... you exercised your common sense! That is all you should need to know to be able to sleep at night.

Now do you really believe that a day of unplanned responsibility is really going to convince you to hang up your Nikes and quit the game? I certainly don't.

As far as how it looks to others, what people will think or expect from you, well I think they are perplexed :confused:, either thinking, "gee who is this pierini guy, god among men, who can skip a workout and not falter?"

or

They are thinking, "Man he's cool! He's been so fit and dedicated for so long now that he can juggle all aspects of life, and have it all, even the unexpected. I'm not going to make excuses for my workouts anymore because I want to be just like him!"

Hi Brat,

Good observations, thanks for your psycho-analysis. Can I get off the couch now that the therapy session is over?

When I wrote that post I was ticked off because I missed my workout, pure and simple and I just wanted to rant somewhere. I never realized that I could be unassumingly jerking myself off as some omnipotent man-dude while looking at myself in the mirror combing my hair.

My guess is that most here take me for nothing more than some middle-age man with hair growing out of his nostrils and ears. Actually I have neither, but my moustache whiskers are growing whiter by the day.

Thanks for sharing.

[tim_mcf]

Hmmm...I kind of like the sound of "Tim's 2007 omnipotent man-dude training log"

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by pierini

Hi Brat,

... Can I get off the couch now that the therapy session is over?

When I wrote that post I was ticked off because I missed my workout, pure and simple and I just wanted to rant somewhere. I never realized that I could be unassumingly jerking myself off as some omnipotent man-dude while looking at myself in the mirror combing my hair.

Oh yeah I forgot - you are human after all. Be thankful you have hair to comb.(Must be all that manly testoterone from sports.)

(Go for the title Tim! It could be the next DF-xfit style challenge of 2007)

Just kidding!


Opps sorry. (Rant away) I'm surprised that you don't get more POed at that kind of thing than you do.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Finally arrived at the gym today at 3:30 p.m. I could have easily missed again but I said no way - the unfinished business can wait until tomorrow. Clients calling for year-end tax planning is messing with my training this week. They don't know that I am an "athlete" and like getting to the gym by 3:00 p.m.

Warm-up of 800 meters on the treadmill at 7.5 mph, 1% incline.

CrossFit's "Nicole" WOD
400 meter run on the treadmill at 1% incline followed by standard grip pullups max effort set = 1 round. Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

I completed 7 rounds in 19:57.

#1 = 9.0 mph and 15 - #2 = 9.5 mph and 9 - #3 = 9.5 mph and 7 - #4 = 9.7 mph and 6 - #5 = 9.7 mph and 5 - #6 = 9.8 mph and 6 - #7 = 10.0 mph and 4. A measely 52 total pullups.

It sure would have been nice to do this WOD outdoors on a track with a pullup bar waiting to greet me at the end of the run. I found the start up and slow down time on the treadmill to be a nuisance. I could have run faster for all rounds but I don't know if it would have been enough to give me another round as my pullup performance today left alot to be desired.

I'm wondering how many additional reps people get by doing kipping pullups. My pullups were strict except I tried kipping for one round once my pullup performance started to fade and what I discovered is that if you don't know what you are doing it's a wasted effort. I think I'll stick with strict pullups on the WODs just as a matter of personal preference.

For "Nicole", my average HR was 154 bpm (83% of max) and my highest HR was 170 bpm (92% of max). I like a "woman" who can elevate my HR. But I'm embarrased to say that it was a "man" named "Michael" who has gotten my HR the highest while doing a CrossFit WOD.

I sure like this WOD because it is time efficient. I'll do it again and another variation of substituting max effort pullups with max effort dips. Those will be great brief workouts for me once I get busy with my work starting in February.

I'm devoting the first two weeks in January to CrossFit WODs after I complete my final fun run which is New Year's Eve. After this, I'll start training for my self-administered Marine PT test which I give myself on my birthday. This will be my 3rd year doing that.

Tomorrow I get my new pullup/dip unit delivered to my house so I'll probably train tomorrow in my basement and break in my new unit.

Oh, I spent about 5 minutes after the WOD on the floor stretching my hams, quads, glutes, calves, etc.

Guess I was a little "chatty" today. Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by pierini

Clients calling for year-end tax planning is messing with my training this week. They don't know that I am an "athlete" and like getting to the gym by 3:00 p.m.

boy do i hear ya pierini! i am having the same frustrations right now.

anyway, great job on nicole, 7 rounds is fantastic! you really increased your speed there by the end! i agree the start-up on the treadmill is a pain, wastes a good 10-20 sec each round.

i'm not sure how many additional reps people get from doing kipping pull-ups vs. strict. i know that i find when i do kipping i am 10x more wiped out then with strict, yes i can manage more but i am really out of breath. also that is one of my favorite things about these types of WOD, they are time efficent and you get a great workout. oh and speaking of michael, that's tomorrows WOD!

what do you do for the self administered Marine test?

i enjoyed reading your thoughts on the workout; and have fun your new pull-up dip unit!

The Marine PT test has 3 components: #1 = how many perfect form pullups you can complete in 2 minutes or failure - 20 reps = 100 points - #2 = how many Marine crunches (like a sit up, feet supported, knees bent, hands on chest and up until your elbows touch your knees) you can complete in 2 minutes or failure - 100 reps = 100 points - #3 = 3 mile run - 18:00 = 100 points. For the ladies, substitute the pullups for a pullup hang (chin above the bar and hold till failure).

The first time I took this test on my 50th birthday I scored 237 points. Last year I scored 238 points. Last year I believe I did 17 pullups, 73 Marine crunches and I ran the 3 mile in 20:30 or something like that. My training and test is buried deep in the bowels of my prior posts.

I have had goal of scoring 250 points and that will be my goal again this year. I sure have fun training for this and trying my best. You'll see once I start training in mid-January.

[JDR3]

Good job, now go wipe up on Michael!

[minime]

so if you can hold for 2 minutes its a perfect score? i'd like to try this test sometime.. not right now as 3 miles would take me 24 minutes at best. Is there such a thing as minus scores? lol

good job on nicole - and i know what you mean about the treadmill - i was thinking the exact same thing: a track with a pullup bar (assist for me!) would be great, starting and stopping the treadmill for 400m would be so annoying.

could try this with pushups instead of pullups, this could be done on the track.

Hi minime,

Here is a link which explains how the Marine PT test is scored for women:

Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test Chart - Female

For anyone else interested, you can click the section that discusses the scoring for men.

This is a fun test that I have enjoyed taking. The scoring ratings are age-adjusted but I've decided that I don't want any age adjustment rating. I want to be compared with the young bucks. Any score over 225 points is considered elite for those in the youngest age group, so I am proud that I am among those in that crowd.

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by pierini

Any score over 225 points is considered elite for those in the youngest age group, so I am proud that I am among those in that crowd.

that's fantastic pierini! can't wait to follow your training come january.