Friday

For time:

30 Snatch
100 Situps

Mainpage

Today we will do the "mainpage" Crossfit WOD.  It is good to try and follow the main site for at least some of the time and some would say "all of the time."  Every once in a while something pops up there that we can be limited by due to equipment or ability and while scaling is always an option we need to remember to work on our weaknesses and never sacrifice our mechanics and try to not sacrifice our intensity.

So the WOD as prescribed on Crossfit.com for Tuesday:

21-15-9
95# Front Squat
Burpees
Pullups

Should be fun following the 100 pullups and 200 pushups of Monday. . . it will make us stronger.

Memorial Day

Well, I couldn't find a specific WOD for Memorial Day.  Crossfit has numerous "hero WODs" that are in memory of fallen service members, police officers and firefighters. 

This is one of the earliest hero WODs that I remember doing:

"Murph"
Run 1 mile
100 Pullups
200 Pushups
300 Squats
Run 1 mile

You can partition the work however you like.  Unlike "Angie" you don't need to finish all the pullups before you move on to the next movement.  I am probably going to just go with max reps for pullups and then try to hold 20 pushups and 30 squats as long as I can.  If I could do ten rounds like that I would be thrilled.  Max Rep pullups will start out over ten, but will fade quickly. 

Post time to comments.

Eleven Questions

Okay, so Kevin tagged me to do this "blog" challenge.  Crap.  I fashion myself a "non-blogger that keeps a blog" but I like Kevin, so I will play along. 

I am one of 11 he tagged, and I am supposed to tag 11.  I don't read 11 blogs unless you count the various Crossfit affiliates whose cyberspace I haunt, but I doubt they would appreciate this as they are "strictly business" and I am more of a whimsical trainer.  I don't think that there are eleven people who even read this one.  So here is what I will do.  I know that Jonny, Fish and Jenn keep blogs, so I will tag you and anyone else who reads this and keeps a blog or knows someone who keeps a blog.  I am going to throw a little wrinkle into this and ask that anyone reading this blog answer the 11 questions I post after answering those assigned to me in the comments. 

Here goes.  In yellow below are the questions Kevin sent me.  My answers follow.

1. Which movie best describes your life?I don't know if it is true or not, but I would like to think "Rocky Balboa."  I am not a boxer, but I am a crazy old man that still thinks he can do the things he did years ago.  I also like the idea of not backing down from any challenge.  There are some others I could choose, but this is as good as any. 
2. What is your favorite comic strip? Peanuts.  Charles Schultz sealed the deal being from Minnesota.
3. Who or what is your favorite Star Wars character? Han Solo.  I too am a scruffy looking nurfurter.  I do dig Yoda's wisdom though.
4. What song can you listen to over and over ad over? Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash "Girl from the North Country"
5. Are your farts loud, silent but deadly or in between? When my diet is on, neither.  When I eat like crap I am toxic and volume doesn't really matter does it? 
6. Who is your favorite stand up comic? George Carlin, then Adam Sandler but Louis C.K. is pretty funny.
7. If you were stranded in the desert and your wagon lost a wheel, how many pancakes would it take to cover a dog house? Damned if I know.
8. Are you allergic to anything? Shrimp.
9. What is your ideal vehicle? Bicycle, or my own two feet.
10. Would you put one of those ridiculous stick figure families on your ideal vehicle?   I don't do tattoos.
11. If we were to look in your browser history what would we find in the top ten? Sports sites, fitness sites, Facebook, email, news, Youtube. . . nothing exciting. 

So my eleven questions for all of you and for myself, to be answered in the comments. . . with two minutes rest between each question.

1.  How many pushups can you do in 2 minutes?
2.  How many situps can you do in 2 minutes?
3.  How many squats can you do in 2 minutes?
4.  How many pullups can you do in 2 minutes?
5.  How many burpees can you do in 2 minutes?
6.  How many double unders can you do in 2 minutes? 
7.  How many box jumps can you do in 2 minutes?
8.  How many lunges can you do in 2 minutes?
9.  How many handstand pushups can you do in 2 minutes?
10.  How many dips can you do in 2 minutes?
11.  What is your favorite beer?

Graduating

Today Ione's teacher called me in after school.  She was thrilled with our Field Day, but wanted to talk with me again about Ione's writing.  She has come along with her reading and other things and I was informed she will graduate to first grade.  There is concern with her writing though as she will need to do more of it.  So now I have another project.  My crash course and intensive reading program will shift to writing.  Her teacher is phenomenal and I was honestly okay with her doing kindergarten again if she could stay in her class.  But first grade will make her happy as she has great friends and all those parents will be a nice circle for us to stay with. 

At the same time she again wanted to thank Lisa for her service and praised the job I have done with three girls by myself.  I admitted that I feel I could have done better, but I did the best I could at the moments along the way.  I always want to have done more.  I always want to do more.  Crossfit, running, child rearing. . . I want to live up to my own expectations. 

Tonight I am carrying around some weird guilt about a toilet that I can't unclog.  Tessie flushes entire rolls of toilet paper and this time the toilet won't drain.  I can't plunge it.  I can't snake it with the makeshift coathanger.  So tomorrow it is off to the hardware store for reinforcements.  I hope this isn't my "bad luck" Kevin posted about.  If the toilet is the whole of it I will take that though.  I am hoping it slowly drains overnight so I can assess the situation tomorrow.  I think I might be getting sick to boot.  I felt bad yesterday and today.  Working in a cesspool of a bathroom is not making it better. 

Field Day was a smashing success.  Ione's class dominated the long jump, which I took great pride in as that was the one thing I had an effect on with coaching.  They finished second in the relay, which I attribute to the hundreds of miles they have done at Running Club.  We are trying to push so every child earns at least a medal at the end of year ceremony.  Some are going to come up short, but many will get a medal and quite a few ran even more and will get a trophy.  Two more months of kindergarten.  I will have to start dropping the girls off to run alone on Tuesday and Thursday so I can make it to the gym for 9 AM.  Life evolves however and they have had my support every day this year.  Gwen and Ione will each reach the 100 mile mark and Tessie is nearing the 50 mile mark (47.25 as of today). 

In honor of all that running the WOD for tomorrow:

Run 5 miles for time.

Field Day

Okay, so I was volunteered to be the Field Day coordinator for either Ione's class or the whole kindergarten.  I don't actually know.  Information from "the top" is sparse.  I have assembled a crack squad of parents (read those I talk to the most so it was easiest to get them to volunteer).  The mom who was supposed to do refreshments ended up in the hospital, for what I don't know but being hospitalized when you are not having a baby at our age is serious.  So I was pressed into action of securing refreshments, when Ernie, one of the other dad's who frequents the school and in fact does an awful lot of volunteer work in the classroom, says to me "I am going to Costco anyway, I will pick it up."  Awesome.  I am going to have to write "thank yous" after this as these folks are making it too easy for me.  Anyway, the girls and I picked up some oranges and grapes and Ernie has the rest.  I bring the coolers of ice. 

So while shopping for fruit at Sprout's, which is like a whole foods/farmer's market, the girls asked for spinach and heirloom tomatoes for dinner.  Sold.  We mixed in some cottage cheese and crackers and that was our "dinner" today. 

Tessie and I toured what will be her new preschool today.  She is very excited and asked me to drop her off on our way home from the gym today.  No separation anxiety to deal with.  She won't start for a few weeks and I am just hoping to pick up enough hours to pay her tuition.  I am hoping my wages are adjusted for San Diego like the tuition is.  On the plus side, I mentioned that she wouldn't start until "after Mom comes home from Afghanistan" and I was notified of the 10% military discount.  I am falling into all sorts of good luck today.  That is my life though.  Fraught with good luck.  We keep the hard work quiet and it makes everything "look" easy. 

Another tell of our good fortune:  Tessie's storytime teacher, who had us over several times since Lisa left including Thanksgiving after I got stitches, volunteered to take the girls for a weekend so Lisa and I could have a "weekend getaway" after she has been back a while and is ready for a childless outing.  What good fortune I have!  I finalized my work schedule at the gym and taught Crossfit Kids this afternoon.  Even Tessie and Ione were doing thrusters and pullups in the "kid version of 'Fran.'"  Great day. 

Now on to Field Day tomorrow and hopefully more great times. 

The WOD:

Row 500 meters
20 Deadlifts
Run 600 Meters
20 Deadlifts
Row 500 Meters
20 Thrusters
Run 600 Meters
20 Thrusters

Post time to comments. 

If this looks familiar it is what I did today.  Tomorrow I will do what you did today.

Heat Wave

It was up to 75 degrees in the house today.  That is hot here in San Diego.  I wouldn't care really, but the upper end for the yeast strain I used in the scottish ale I brewed yesterday is 75 degrees.  I am hoping that it isn't going to leave undesirable phenols and fruity esters that make it less than what I had hoped for.  I was so thrilled with the mash yesterday and everything went so well.  It will cool down tonight, but if it warms up tomorrow I may have to move it to the coolest room off the garage and keep the kids out of there.  Bummer.  I was hopeful that it would be the best beer ever.  Time will tell.  It is fermenting like crazy.  All is not lost as the range is 64-75.  Hopefully the air temperature only raised the liquid to maybe 73 or 74.  I can hope. 

The WOD tomorrow will be fun as I won't get to it until after story time with Tessie and it will smack in the heat of the day. 

The WOD:

I am stealing this one off or Iron Major Crossfit. 

Skill work:  Wall climbs

Start in a pushup position and climb your feet up the wall to a handstand.  Practice until you are comfortable.

Then:

75 Double Unders

Rest 3 minutes

Then

18 minute AMRAP
5 Wall Climbs
10  Box Jumps
15 Kettlebell Swings

Bottling Day

So today I sanitized 97 bottles and then filled 95 of them.  I scraped the seven or so bottles that I wanted to throw into the rotation and then spent a long time scrubbing them out so that I could fill them.  First up was the peach/apricot ale.  Fifty bottles of that in the end.  I sampled a little bit of the uncarbonated stuff and it seems like it will be much better than the raspberry/blackberry which wasn't bad.  I followed that up with a second of sanitizing equipment, but at least the bottles were already done.  Then I mixed up a 4 gallon batch of root beer and put that into bottles.  I "cut" two to weaken the flavor for Gwen.  I actually reduced the sugar on all of it as I am not a huge fan of super-sweet soda and figured that if I am making it then I can make whatever the heck I want.  So I reduced the amount of sugar and then replaced some of that reduced amount with honey.  Why?  Why not!  Did you miss the sentence about "I am making and can do whatever I want?" 

In any event, there are 95 bottles of something or other along the wall in the dining room now.  If ever there was a time when bottles were going to burst this is it.  I had a steam beer blow up in Kansas, but there is so much more sugar in these two concoctions that I fully anticipate cleaning up a mess.  We'll see.  I left a little extra headspace on the bottles of root beer to try and beat the odds.  The yeast strain is the same as you would use for bread so it shouldn't make much gas and no alcohol. 

The WOD:

5 Overhead Squats
15 Pushups
25 Situps
10 Overhead Squats
30 Pushups
50 Situps
20 Overhead Squats
60 Pushups
100 Situps

Post time to comments.

I will go with maybe 75 pounds for the OHS.  65 if I am struggling with form and 95 if I am feeling "beast-like" as there are still 35 reps to knock out.

T-shirts and Recorders

Tonight was the "Recorder concert" for the third graders at school.  Gwen told me that she HAD to have a pair of sunglasses for the concert.  I tried to convince her to wear mine or one of the numerous pairs floating around.  Nope.  So we went to the store to buy sunglasses.  She didn't like anything I suggested and I was getting pretty irritated.  Finally she found a pair that set me back $20 plus tax.  Ugh.  She is so particular, but in a "pair of jeans and a hoodie" kind of way.  Not only that but the other two insisted on getting a pair for themselves.  Since they each found something under ten dollars I caved.  While I was at it I picked myself up a pair as I am always breaking them anyway.  All said and done $61 worth of sunglasses.  I could have made 5 gallons of beer for less than that!  Even better, out of 100 third graders there were about 8 that had on sunglasses.  But Gwen was one of them!  I hope someone noticed that I am such an awesome Dad.  Doubtful.

Anyway, the recorder concert was surprisingly good considering that it was a bunch of nine year olds blowing on plastic flutes.  I will hand it to the Music teachers, those kids not only performed but they were all on the beat and everything sounded harmonic.  They only played about 20 minutes but the place was smoking hot for San Diego so that was all anyone could bear anyway. 

Afterwards we did baths and snacks and I did some laundry.  This is where the t-shirts come into play.  My closet here is of a width that Lisa figured out a very specific way of folding t-shirts so that two rows would fit on each shelf.  I wear t-shirts pretty much all the time.  Except for church.  So for the past 7 months I had been folding them however I could get them neatly folded quickest.  They didn't fit as well.  About 3 weeks ago I realized that Lisa would be home eventually and my closet really looked like crap.  So I did what any guy would do and did nothing. . . at that moment.  I pledged to start folding my shirts the "proper" way when they came out of the laundry and eventually the situation would rectify itself.  I am so freaking smart!  So tonight I was folding up the shirts and smiling at my genius as the closet is really coming together.  Not only that, but I actually have disciplined myself to fold them that way and now it is a piece of cake.  It is not that crazy "japanese shirt folding" trick I once figured out, but it is all I need for now.  Someday we will move and I will be folding them the wrong way for about a year before I am motivated to adjust to the new environment.  This is why I loved Glacier National Park.  I can relate to glaciers.  I am constantly moving.  But I like to take things slowly. 

The WOD:
12 Minute AMRAP

5 Knees to Elbows
7 Back Extensions
9 Dips
11 Hollow Rocks

Post rounds to comments.

Salmon Burgers

Yeah, I know that it sounds kind of gross.  But it isn't. 

I had some hamburger and hot dog buns left after our BBQ with Oscar on Saturday.  He was supposed to be back tonight so I went shopping in search of "something to serve on buns." 

I wanted some kind of chicken, pork or fish.  Well, I picked up some bratwurst and more hot dogs for the kids.  Hot dog buns solved.  For the hamburger buns I found some bratwurst patties.  Now, I love bratwurst and I love burgers.  This interesting new synergy was too good to pass up despite the fact that I know full well it can't be healthy.  Since there were six buns and only four brat patties, the salmon filets cut into neat little rounds and flash frozen were the winner.  They were on sale for $3.99 and I love me a sale. 

Fast forward to 4 o'clock.  Oscar calls.  There was a "going away" and he caved to the peer pressure and had a few drinks.  He is gunshy about driving after even one until he gets promoted.  So now I have a crapload of meat and me and the girls to eat it.  So I did what any reasonable person would do.  First I ate a salad to make sure I didn't overeat in the higher fat fare.  Then I had a 22 ounce Amber Ale from Ballast Point.  Then I had one of my own "deporter" porters.  I ate a salmon burger which was very good and half of a bratwurst that Ione thought she wanted until she tasted it.  I ate some "california blend" vegetables and cleaned the kitchen.  Then I realized the coffee pot had some dregs in it.  I mixed up an iced coffee with Bailey's irish cream.  I am on my way to the moon tonight if I don't slow down.  Good thing I have a nice WOD planned for tomorrow.  Pay special attention because we are going to do this one over again on July 11 regardless of what day of the week that is.

"Seven Eleven"
Seven rounds for time
11 Burpees
11 Squats
11 Pullups
11 Situps
11 Pushups
11 Box Jumps
11 Lunges (per side)

Post time to comments.

Tuesday May 15, 2012

I have nothing witty or clever these days.  Well, I might have something but it would just make everyone sad.  I don't do sad.  Life is meant to be fun and enjoyable.  Nobody likes a downer.  Just have a good time and some parties when you can. 

The life insurance people are coming to poke me tomorrow.  Evidently they didn't poke me enough months ago.  Since my application was filed I had a birthday and they want to check me some more.  It is a good thing that I am interested in this transition to a new setup or I would just keep the old policy.  This is a hassle.  Just because it is the way I roll, I drank a bottle of wine tonight to make sure I look and feel my best.  I know that they are doing their jobs, but I know that I am one of the healthier 36 year old males out there and find myself perturbed that they won't take my word for that.  That is not what I wanted to talk about.

I love the brew catalog and the homebrewer magazine.  Even though I have more beers that I want to make then I will ever have time for it doesn't stop me from coming up with even more ideas.  Some day when I own my brewery I will be able to make everything I want and maybe a little bit more.  I don't want to be sucked into the trap of always making the stuff people "expect" but I know that will happen.  Even if you brew professionally you need to homebrew because where else can you make things like a peanut butter cup beer?  You sure as heck don't want to sell it in your pub.  Unless you already know it is really good.  This isn't what I wanted to talk about either.

Okay, so this life insurance thing.  They said "no strenuous activity 24 hours before."  I didn't listen.  I was thinking "what could they possibly be looking for that would be worse because I did a workout 22 hours beforehand?  It is just like when they did the EKG and the guy said to not workout.  Then he came and he apologized for "not knowing I was in shape."  Crazy world we live in.  I don't think I realized that only out of shape people got new life insurance policies.  I have been asked at least 50 times if I have lost or gained a lot of weight in the past 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years.  Nope.  Maybe 9 years.  But they didn't ask that.  Again, this isn't what I wanted to talk about.   

That is enough of that. 

The WOD:

Run 400 Meters
25 Pullups
Run 400 Meters
50 Pushups
Run 400 Meters
75 Situps
Run 400 Meters
100 Squats
Run 400 Meters
75 Situps
Run 400 Meters
50 Pushups
Run 400 Meters
25 Pullups
Run 400 Meters

Post time to comments.

Monday May 14, 2012

5 Rounds for Time
5 Front Squats (75/45)
10 Pullups
15 Pushups
20 Situps
25 Push Press (75/45)

Then run for a while.

Nitrites and Nitrates

So as I continue my slow creep, it is more like a surrender, despite the fact that I know it is better for me and my family I am always on the lookout for a way to feed everyone better food without paying exorbitant prices. 

So this next little story was a HUGE surprise.  I found some coupons for Oscar Mayer Naturals.  I wasn't sure what they meant, but I had high hopes.  So I checked it out and lo and behold the bacon and the hot dogs are free of nitrites and nitrates and are uncured.  Cool. 

Now I know that hot dogs are still probably not the best option, but the kids love them and I have only bought them once since our wandering/camping excursion last summer.  The bacon has to be good, right?  With my coupons I only paid $2.50 per package of bacon (they aren't pounds anymore--12 ounce) and 1.99 for the hot dogs.  Just to add some fun I bought one package of Chicago recipe and one package of New York style and I plan to do a "taste test" for the kids to see who wins. 

I know that hot dogs and bacon are not really newsworthy, but the fact that this whole healthy eating thing has companies the size of Oscar Mayer thinking this way is very exciting.  Imagine what another ten years will bring if we can stop getting fat and start getting fit? 

The WOD:

Run 5 miles
Every quarter mile do 10 pushups. 

Post time to comments.

The Vacuum Cleaner

Not once.  Never.  In the past thirteen years I have no memory of ever catching the cat, Nomar, with the vacuum cleaner.  I don't even remember getting close to him with it honestly.  So why?  Why is he is so afraid of it?  He has lived all but a few weeks of his life with us or with a friend or relative that watched him on one of our moves.  I am pretty sure that none of them ever tried to suck him up either. 

He flees as if his life depends on it every time the vacuum is turned on however.  Even if he is under the couch or the bed and the vacuum comes on he evacuates as if it is emitting nerve gas. 

Sierra would just lie there and I could have sucked her tail up with it before she moved.  So there is the difference between cats and dogs I guess.  Cats don't trust you.  Dogs don't know how to not trust you.  I have no point for this and really don't care about how trustworthy my cat finds me.  I just think it is funny to see him flee when the vacuum comes on.  It could be a fun game. . . but then he would be justified in his terror. 

The WOD:

5 Rounds For Time
5 Deadlift
7 Pullups
9 Thrusters
11 Pushups

Peaches

They are small, but they are good and they are free! 

I picked about 10-12 peaches off a tree out back.  They weren't ripe when I picked them.  Today they were and they didn't last long.  The girls destroyed them!  I did get to try a couple as well.  Pretty good.  I hope some more come through the year like the grapefruit and tangerines do.  Lemons as well.  Good crop this year. 

In addition to those fruits, let me tell you about "little apples."  Manzanita Brewing in Santee is bottling now and I picked up their IPA last week when I was hanging out in the plaza near the vets office an awful lot.  If my Spanish is correct, then Manzanita is "little apple."  This seems appropriate with the fruit post, but also because last year when we were in Manhattan, Kansas for Lisa's graduation from Kansas State with her Master's we went to Little Apple Brewing.  I thought that this was a rather clever name for a brewpub in Manhattan.  Manhattan, Kansas.  So I am enjoying this IPA tonight which is great.  I am usually more of a Double IPA and Imperial drinker.  Most "regular" IPAs leave me wanting in terms of body and flavor aside from the hops.  Not this one.  I am not sure if it has a higher original gravity or not, but they sure did manage to squeeze in a lot of flavor. 

So that is whay I have for you today. . . and, oh yeah, one more thing:

15 Minute AMRAP
15 Box Jumps
15 Pushups
15 Situps
15 Squats

Pancake Mix

Can someone tell me why you have to pay more for the pancake mix that requires you to add eggs, oil and milk than you pay for the kind that you just add water? 

I KNOW that there is more processing involved to hydrogenate that stuff so that it can sit on the shelf for 17 years, so why is it cheaper?  I moved to the "old school" stuff as a healthier option.  I don't think I am going to bother with pancake mix anymore.  I am going to pirate Lisa's buttermilk pancake recipe and then maybe steal one from my father for the sake of variety.  I don't use mix for waffles, so why should I do it for pancakes?  None of it is exactly health food, but I don't want the ultra-processed crap. 

The WOD:
20 Minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible)
Run 400 meters
10 Pullups
15 Pushups
20 Situps
25 Squats

I just know that this is going to hurt tomorrow after my run today.  That is life.  I am glad that I am able to do it.

Run like a dog

Run as fast and as far as you can today.

Enjoy it.  The fact that you are able to do it means that you are alive and healthy.  Pay attention to what you see, what you smell and what you hear.  Use your senses.  If you are indoors, I am sorry.  Still try to look, listen and smell. 

Post the details of your run here.  Most of all, have fun and take joy in your physical capabilities.