Kennesaw Mountain

Saturday, I ran 20 miles at Kennesaw Mountain with my buddy Sean O.

Kennesaw Mountain is a popular trail running destination with rolling hills, and for the most part, wide, runnable trails. The climbs can be challenging, but short – just enough to feel it.

But, we also ran the paved road portion which is 1.75 mile lung-busting ascent, and then anouther 1.75 back down. That was the hardest by far.

Woody Gap to Blood Mountain

But today, wow.

Today, three of us left in the foggy dark, out of Woody Gap, and headed towards Blood Mountain, the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian trail.

This was an incredible run with beautiful, runnable trail, long climbs and fast descents.

A trail runners dream.

Might not have gotten any CF in, but I worked hard none-the-less.

Next week, 50 miles.

Running 30 or more miles requires a bit more recovery than traditional athletic training, and I can see my CrossFit times and loads being affected – slightly.

But that’s not going to stop me.

I love both disciplines.

Today’s WOD

Run training

• 3.2 mph powerhike – 5 minutes + every minute 2% incline increase
• 5 mph run, at 10% incline, for 5 minutes
• alternating run 6.0 mph / walk 3.2 mph, every minute, at 10% incline
• warm down starting at 10% incline, + .2 speed increase with -2 incline, per minute

Skills (light)

• berg warm-up
• snatches with 65 lbs & 95 lbs
• 11 overhead squats with 65, and 95 lbs
• handstand push-ups, 4 & 3

The hill training wiped me out, making the light skills training sort of a joke.

Lots of races upcoming with a trip to meat grinder, a 50-60 mile timed event race March 14, and the ING Georgia Marathon, March 29, 2009.

This year is playing out well so far on the trails with PRs (personal bests) at both the mountain Mist 50K, (6:19), and the Mount Cheaha 50K (6:48).

I’m resting today due to an upcoming 31 mile trail race in the hills of Huntsville, Alabama this coming Saturday. This is where my love for multiple training disciplines overlaps.

There is just no way I can swing lunges a day and half before running a long trail race – especially since I’m feeling the last two days.

BUT, I’m still poking around. Staying loose and perhaps skills training a little this evening.

Weight: 194 this morning, back on track from the gluttunous weekend. Looks like I’ll be running at this weight on Saturday which is not optimal.

Diet: portion control is saving me because I’ve been forced to eat in a hurry, and not-so-wonderful. Sticking to my steak salads or sushi at lunch, a little fruit and nuts at breakfast, mid-day protein drink with water, and, for the most part, sensible dinner at night.

It’s not perfect, but as always, diet and nutrition is my nemesis – portion control is my best defense.

All this being said though, my physique continues to transform for the better. More abs and more obliques are starting to show which means a transformation is occuring, despite being over 190.

In this morning’s WOD (workout of the day), I got to experience some of that crazy Zen-shit.

Rounds one, two, and three were pretty tough. Even at am scaled weight of 215 lbs, instead of 250, I didn’t think I would get through a total of 75 deadlifts, …but I did.

It’s those latter rounds, four and five, were you move into a psycho, almost trance-like state, where all you are thinking about is proper form, to stay injury-free, coupled with monster intensity to simply get through this sh@!.

The end result? a satisified, but tired and hungry, trainee.

Monday WOD

Complete for time – Five rounds of:

• Run 400 meters
• 30 GHD sit-ups (No GHD – did Abmats instead)
• 15 deadlifts at 250 lbs

Training notes

Weight: ~198 (yikes! – see weekend notes)

Diet: scale of 1-10? …1 (yikes! – see weekend notes)

This was very hard. I suppose with a real GHD machine, it would ave been even harder. I actually felt like I got a small chance to recover during the sit-ups.

Deadlifts at high rep are just brutal. Grip starts to go, form starts to flail, grunts get louder and louder until your wife wonders what the Hell is going on down there …it gets a little crazy.

I ran all the 400s at 8mph except the first which I ran at 7mph. My treadmill sucks, but it’s still better than freestyle running since it forces you to a pace.

Weekend notes

Egad. The only thing that I am proud of is the 10-mile hillclimb on Saturday (1:58)

Other than that, I had a party Saturday, got drunk, and floundered all day Sunday eating crap. Monday was my son’s birthday, …same deal.

I am sure the bump in weight is just reactionary and by wednesday, I’ll be back to normal, but of course, it’s a setback.

2003 WOD

Three rounds of:

• 400 meter run
• 21 back squats, 135 lbs

WOD summary

WOD – Nicole

As many rounds as possbile in 20 minutes of:

• Run 400 meters
• Pull-ups

WOD Summary

1. 9.6 mph – sorry ass ~8 pull-ups
2. 9.7 mph – ~7 pu
3. 9.8 mph – ~6 pu
4. 9.9 mph – ~6 pu
5. 10.0 mph – ~5 pu
6. 10.1 mph – ~5 pu

I swear I made seven rounds, but the numbers above only show six. hmmm…

This workout is a VO2 Max builder and if you are running hard, tougher on the lungs and heart rate over anything else. Managing pull-ups with sweaty hands is a challenge. I was sans chalk which didn’t help my PU efforts.

Last 1/4 mile was 1:45 which I think was the fastest of the workout.

I guess I’m a day ahead {wink}

This is great since I’m pacing my 13 year old step-son tomorrow in the Doug Kessler Lightning 10K in Sandy Springs.

Go Austin! …win the 1000 bucks

• Run 10 miles (Instead of 3 rounds of 400s)

1:39 …a little slower than could be but using tapering for the 100-miler as an excuse.

Sunday WOD – HQ

• 10 weighted pull-ups with ~10lbs of chains
• PLUS: hundredpushups.com, week2, day 3
  • 15
  • 15
  • 12
  • 12
  • 20

Finish it up today with a little cross-training at White Water Park. {wink}

Lulu – CrossFit Metro custom WOD

• 32 pullups
• 32 dips
• 22 pullups
• 22 dips
• 12 pullups
• 12 dips
• 25 kettle bell swings 30lbs
• 12 kettle bell snatches right arm 30lbs
• 12 kettle bell snatches left arm 30lbs
• 20 situps

Christian says, “Technically, I am two weeks out from my first 100-mile trail race and should be moving into a ‘taper’ mode; however, I believe CrossFit training actually helps me to recover and I plan to continue training, even scaled if I have to, up until about 5 days out.”

Wimpy WOD

• warmups
• deadlift – ramp up sets up to 280 lbs x 3
• squat – ramp up sets up to 225 x 3
• OH push press – ramp to 165 x 1 — missed 175 again

Saturday – Meat Grinder

Another trip the meat grinder for some gnarly trail running. Sorta’ nixed doing “michael” as WOD