Pierini's February 2007 Training

[CF-OC_gal]

Here's a happy birthday wish for your journal. If I felt I was qualified I would design a WOD named after you.

Instead I'll just let you know how much you are appreciated around here with your middle-aged man words of fitness wisdom.

Monday, February 19, 2007
Arrived at the gym at 5:55 a.m.

Elliptical trainer - resistance and incline both at level 10 for a 5 minute warmup, completed 960 strides.

Marine PT test

#1 = standard grip pullups x 18 (tried 19 and got about 60%, same as last Monday). Pointed earned = 90

#2 = Marine abdominal crunches - I call them Marine situps x 77 in 2:00. This is a +4 PR for me. I won't be doing these for a long time, although my core feels stronger in some different areas. Points earned = 77

#3 = 3-mile timed run on the treadmill at 1% incline - first I did 4-count cherry pickers x 25 slow reps to warmup my lower back and hamstrings. Then I ran 400 meters at 7.5 mph to elevate my HR. Then I ran 3 mile in 19:32 which is another PR for me by 11 seconds better than last Monday's effort of 19:43. I am absolutely amazed! In 3 weeks of Monday 3-mile timed trials, I've gone from a 20:15 (which was a PR) to 19:32 today for a total improvement of 43 seconds.

My running pace was 1,200m at 8.6mph, 400m at 8.9mph, 1,200m at 9.2mph, 400m at 9.5mph, 1,600m ranging from 9.7 to 10.0mph, but the treadmill was inconsistent at maintaining 9.8mph and above. On a better treadmill I'm sure I would have been at 19:28 as my goal was at least 19:30 and I felt I could have done it. Points earned: 90

Total points earned today was 257! This is a +5 point improvement from last Monday, an 18 point improvement from last year, and a 20 point improvement from 2 years ago when I took the test for the first time on my 50th birthday. I'm very pleased. It was possible with God's grace my consistent and progressive training.

I do want to give a special thanks to my fitness brother JDR3 for his post last night of something like "get some rest and post some big numbers!". I think he told me 260. It helped. After the situps I really believed that it was possible. And during the run I had this vision of him on a bicycle yelling at me with a bullhorn "harder, harder, get that 260, post some big numbers", over and over in my head. So thanks a million JDR3. I'm grateful. If you were as pretty as my cyberspace fitness sisters here at DF, I'd run up and give you a big kiss. But since you are not, when I see you on Saturday, I'm going to reach for your big hairy, catcher's mitt, karate hand and give you a man-to-man handshake!

Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

p.s. thank you gymgirl, minime and Brat.

[gymgirl]

wooooohhhhoooooo FANTASTIC JOB PIERINI!

you did great and nice work on those PR's! All of your hard work paid off. you must feel amazing right now!

[minime]

GREAT JOB PIERINI!!! woohoo!! you are one lean mean "middle-aged" running machine :

[Rufiedodg]

Great job running Mr. P. It’s nice when all the hard work is paying off.

I hope you crush your previous best on your upcoming marine fitness test.

Dan

[Eric_B]

Happy Birthday sir and great work today. :

[JDR3]

: Very very nice! Have a great B-day and I'll see you Sat.

[Bob44]

Great job on your test score and happy birthday from one old man to another.
Bob

Thank you everyone who stopped by and wished me a happy birthday. It's been a long day as I have been up since 4:30 a.m. and I am now just going home.

When you are 52 I'll be thinking of you as I am standing in front of a mirror combing my full head of hair, looking like a 16 year old kid!

Train hard but train smart, and never be afraid to put the pedal to the metal!

[gcs118]

257 total! That's great! That workout does not look like a walk in the park by any means. It's amazing the level of fitness you have at age 52.

[.V.]

Wow an 18 point improvement. You've worked hard this year. How much you going to improve by next year?

And about the hair

[minime]

hope you had a nice birthday Pierini : i'm wondering if we will see anything out of the ordinary crop up in your fitday. As it was your birthday you get a 'get out of jail free card' for see's candies.

Those 16 year old boys love candies you know

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Arrived at the gym at 6:05 a.m.

Elliptical trainer - resistance and incline both at level 10 for a 5 minute warmup, completing 990 strides (+30 from yesterday).

Ab plank hold - back doing this as I am done with Marine situps, had enough of them. Today a single hold for 4:00 which ties my PR. I guess next stop is 5:00 but I don't know if I want it bad enough.

4-count cherry pickers - a single set of 25 slow reps to warm-up my lower back for the power clean & push press.

Power clean and push press - 130 lbs. for 4x6 which was the plan for a total of 24 reps. For the 4th and final set, I was planning on 7 reps but I struggled and had to muscle rep 5, spent too much fuel and was glad to get rep 6. Next week's plan is 4x7.

Squats - warmup of 45x10. Then: #1 = 135x5 - #2 = 145x5 - #3 = 155x5 - #4 = 165x5 - #5 = front squat 95x5 - #6 = front squat 115x5. No progress here. Tried front squats today and I really like them. Think I will do more of them. My form for these was excellent as was my range of motion.

Other stuff
So last night was Chinese food. I ate too much but I didn't eat much during the day as I was very busy at work. No cake, cookies, candies, ice cream, chocolate, crackers, chips, alcohol, sodas or fruit juices for 56 days of "sobriety".

For my birthday, my wife had a Mass said for me, my son bought me a DVD of Andre the Giant classic wrestling matches and the current issue of Black Belt magazine, my Dad bought me a rosary, and my Mom gave me a gift card for Home Town Buffet. I got to bed past 11:00 p.m. for a very long day as I was up at 4:30 a.m. I didn't sleep very good last night but I managed to get up at 5:00 a.m. which was my plan.

I'll surf DF today but will be out tomorrow which is Ash Wednesday. I will be observing the abstinence and fasting obligation that is expected. I'll take the day off from the gym but be ready to go on Thursday with something CrossFit style. Have a great day!

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

[minime]

when you say fasting pierini do you mean you are actually going to fast (no food at all)? I won't eat meat, and even that is posing a dilemma for me! what am i going to have for lunch?! hehe. I don't know how vegetarians do it all the time.

good job on resisting the good stuff even on your birthday : you are one tough cookie

Hi minime,

Actually the fasting requirement permits one meal and two small meals that should not be more than one meal, actually quite easy to fulfill. In years past, I misunderstood the requirement as being one meal or two small meals that should not be more than one meal.

I am going to stick with my erroneous understanding and have two small meals. Since I normally eat about 3,000 calories a day, I will limit myself to about 800 calories in two small meals. And yes no meat. If I didn't need to use my brain for work I would be willing to have a strict 24 hour fast and drink only water. But I need food for my brain to work, and my brain needs to work tomorrow because I am busy with my work.