• Run 800 meters
• 28 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
• 28 Strict Pull-ups
• 28 Kettlebell clean and jerk, 2 pood
• 28 Strict Pull-ups
• Run 800 meters

Because of the time I did doing Russian kettlebell work, I still struggle a bit with the American version, that brings the kettlebell all the way above your head. However in an attempt to overcome my bias, I did some reading about why the American version is ideal in terms of power.

2 pood is roughly 72 lbs. I did the swings at 1 pood (36#), and the clean and jerks at 25#.
For the pullups, I used two bands. I can do a few unassisted pullups, but there was no way I’d get through over 50 of them! I threw in a few chin-ups as well to mix it up. By the second set I was only getting through 2-3 at a time before resting.

There was one girl in the class wearing a shirt from the Moab Relay – Crossfit Lodo put in team for a 70 mile relay this past weekend. The team averaged a 7:40 pace and came in 4th out of 100 – nice! She was a really well-rounded athlete – the fastest runner and then did heavy weights and unassisted pullups. Wowza!

I came in at 19:38, which I was happy with. But I often feel a touch of remorse when I’m “first” in a workout, wondering if I should have used a heavier weight or less resistance.

Afterwards we got in pairs and did 100 medicine ball pass sit-ups. Loren and I used a 14lber. I seemed unable to count.. huh?

This was my first “paid for” workout after my pass was over. Even though it’s not pleasurable to have to hand over cash before a workout (it’s easier to question “was that worth $X?”), I have sufficiently sipped the kool-aid to be content paying for pushing myself every Tuesday and Thursday.

I was actually reflecting on it this morning as I headed home. Having to take a break after every pullup or two (but continuing to work your way through it) is so empowering. Back especially when I first started lifting, you’d lift until it seemed tough and then you’d stop. Here you push push push and no doubt see more gains physically as well as mentally.

McGhee:
AMRAP 30 minutes

• 5 deadlifts
• 13 pushups
• 9 box jumps

Leo said to go with 75% of your one-rep max, but I wanted to do the same weight as last time to compare. For some reason I was thinking my 1RM was 155, so 116# would be about right. However, Loren reminded me afterwards that our 1RM was actually higher than that. Oh well..

I was confident I’d do better this time. Last time I struggled with the lifts and got some instruction mid-way through, had to wait to share a box with someone, and failed a few times on the pushups.

Today I executed everything SO much better! The deadlifts were relatively easy (*ahem* funny how that happens when the weight is lighter than it “should” be), I approached the pushups smart in breaking them up into sets and never going to failure, and I flew through the box jumps. I’d take a few seconds to rest between a few of the exercises but I never felt really tired. SO much different than last time!

At one point I grabbed water at the end of a rep and soon after was doubting I’d tracked that rep. Ugh… the guy next to me really struggled so I tried to gauge my reps by him.

I was really amazed with how I was able to keep it going through the entire workout. Last time I definitely faltered near the end, I remember trying for a single pushup at a time and failing. I flew through these. There were 35 seconds left when I started my last set. I got through the deadlifts and started the pushups and powered through 9 before we got the sign to stop.

I looked at my numbers: 15+14, or 16+14? Given the fact that in February I did 14 with the breaks and I knew I’d been much steadier, I felt like it was probably 16. Then (bad Andrea) I saw some of the other numbers people were putting up and felt that 16 was even more likely. There is one older woman in the class and I saw her resting a lot, and she posted 16. I know it’s not about competition but I felt like I was pretty consistent through the workout. I just wish I knew for sure!

Loren continued to impress as it turns out she was doing 135# in the deadlift! Whoa! She actually didn’t even know; Leo had told her to grab certain weights and she loaded up without doing the math. I’m glad she didn’t because I think mentally that would have held her back. She’s super strong, but I think her head gets in the way! But she only posted 14 rounds and I’m not sure I did over 2 rounds more than her. Hmmm..

Today was my last day on my pass but I think I’m going to pay for a few more workouts until I move to Boulder. I really like the box and going with Loren. I’ll miss it when I move!

Even being conservative with 15+14, that means I deadlifted my body weight 80 times, did 224 pushups (the workout plus warmup), and did 135 box jumps. Whoa…

Oh yeah, the workout.

1. Snatch Practice
2. 21-18-15
   • Burpee Box Jumps

   Handstand walk steps/ handstand chest slaps/press

And then for ‘dessert’…

1. 10-1s of
   • medicine ball V-ups
   • pullups or pushups

We started on the snatch instruction, which just further cemented the appreciation Loren and I have for Crossfit Lodo. It doesn’t matter that much of the class has been doing this for months or years, we started with the basics and a PVC pipe to work on technique. Crossfit gets a bad rap for sacrificing form for speed, but there is a lot of good instruction and practice here.

For the actual workout, gals did a 20in box. I actually found the burpee box jumps not as bad as regular burpees – the more lateral jump was a nice change from the repetitive motion. For the handstand walks, I just used the wall and lifted my hands. It’s the most basic of the options but I was happy to focus on just getting the technique down. I finished first in the class with an 8:06. The instructor said that was a good time.

I felt great after the workout, with plenty of energy so I jumped up and did some kipping pullups: one set of 8 and one of 4.

Then they introduced our “dessert” workout: medicine ball V-ups and either pushups or pullups. You weren’t allowed to switch modalities between pushups or pullups mid-stream. I decided to challenge myself and do the pullups.

The workout was run where you did 10 V-ups and 1 pullup, then 9 V-ups and 2 pullups, all the way to 1 V-up and 10 pullups. At first I had a 20lns medicine ball and I couldn’t even do one V-up! So I swapped out to a 14 and got to work.

Although there were a good 10 people in the class, there were only 4 of us (I think) attempting the pullups – me and three guys. I was the short one who needed the box to even reach the bar! I was sorry I’d done those 12 pullups before we started! I think I managed 6 unbroken the first time, but after that I’d generally only get through 3 or 4 before having to reset. I was pretty beat by the end but I worked my way through. I was the last one done (no big surprise) but I felt a great sense of satisfaction! At the end, the instructor complemented me on my form. I commented that I’d lose momentum after 3 or 4 but he said I looked notably better than the last time he’d seen me. More importantly, I did like 57 total today! And then had trouble gripping the steering wheel on the way home…

It was SUCH a great workout, I’ll miss it when I move. I’d like to believe all boxes are the same, but I really doubt it….

I LOVE the Choosing Raw site, and here was exactly the main ingredient I needed! Although of course I had to make some significant modifications…

The real recipe: Eggplant and Arugula Wraps with Tomato Basil Cashew Cheese.

I knew I didn’t have any cashew cheese on hand and didn’t want to spend the several hours soaking the nuts, so I compromised and bought some Rice Shreds (mozzarella flavor). I tried them and was really impressed with the flavor… and then I turned over the package to find that there is casein in it. What the what??

I’m also not a big fan of sundried tomatoes, so I diced up a roma tomato with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and basil (basically, bruscetta).

And of course, no whole wheat tortilla for me, so my last modification was to use Nori to hold it all together!

My meal did NOT look at all like the pictures Gena posted, and the wraps were really hard to eat, but they were remarkably tasty! I ran out of nori sheets and ended up just having a plate of the eggplant, cheese, tomato, basil and arugula and it was still great; the different flavors complemented each other really nicely and the eggplant had a nice hearty feel to it.

I’d definitely consider buying eggplant JUST for this recipe again! (but next time I may give myself the prep time to make the cashew cheese)

As it stands now, I’ll be registering for the AB corral; the 3rd overall. Not too shabby. But what would it take for me to get into the AA corral with some of the races I’ve run this year?

Yup, that’s four race distances and four times that place me squarely in the AB corral. I suppose at least I’m consistent! It’s been frustrating to set each race goal at that next level and not see it materialize (the 5K was the roughest.. I still can’t help but wonder what would have happened had their been a timing mat at the starting line..), but at least I can see that my race efforts seem to be consistent? Hopefully as time goes on I can push these all a little further.

I’d debating making one last ditch effort and trying to pull off a qualification on the treadmill (12:22 for 2 Miles), but I think I’ll just accept that this is where I’m meant to start..

So, I guess that’s an answer for myself, isn’t it? It’s NOT just health issues, because if it were, I’d be willing to go back if it were a health-based recommendation. I stuttered out some excuse about how I was “grossed out” by the treatment of animals to get them prepared for food. It wasn’t really an “animal cruelty” response, but it was something deeper than “I think it’s better to eat plants than animals”. Although I’ve said that I just see food as fuel, I guess it’s not all that simple.

I am nervous about my new diet, though. My last two races haven’t gone well, and I don’t know if it’s related to some sort of deficiencies. I’m actually more concerned about the gluten than the animal products, though. Although you can’t really be carb-deficient.. and I am eating a lot of quinoa, rice and fruits and veggies.

The acupuncturist did say that a vegetarian diet is one that is cooling, and the body needs to expend extra energy heating the food you eat (I sorta think that is more raw than vegetarian, but I accepted what he was saying). Since I already expend a lot of energy with my workouts, I should be aware of the extra work my body has to do.

I want to be healthy and strong and good for myself and I guess the world around me. I listened to a podcast the other day where the speaker discussed the idea of optimizing versus maximizing your performance. That sometimes there are trade-offs between health and performance, or other factors. I haven’t quite figured out yet where that line lays with me.

Secretly, I wanted to run 1:08:00 (6:51mm) to get into that elusive AA corral at the Bolder Boulder. More practically, anything faster than 1:25 (8:32mm) would be a PR. I had chased a 6:51mm at the Platte River Half a few weeks prior, so that number was taunting me. Could I do it?

I know I didn’t really approach this like an A race, because I think I knew that I had to be smart. If my calf hurt, I was going to have to be smart about it. Yesterday I did a few things wrong: crossfit (including jumping lunges), frozen yogurt and red wine. I actually said to someone the other day “IF I finished the race”. Yeah, my head and my heart weren’t 100% in it.

The weather was great, a bit brisk at the start but it warmed up to perfect as the race went on. I did my best not to get too caught up in placement and just tried to run my race. Still, I’m struggling with nailing the pace I want to settle in, and I’m not sure it’s not coming back to bite me.

M1: 6:39 – a little fast, but not near as bad as the Platte River Half
M2: 6:47 – closer, good!
M3: 6:45. There were quite a few out-and-back sections on the course, and Luke yelled out to me during this one. It was cool to see people I knew on the course. There was a bit of an uphill on this mile so I was pleasantly surprised to see my pace still ahead of my goal. I saw Bean running along the course, encouraging Dianne Gates (who supposedly is part of the RRBs but I never see her). A spectator told me I was 10th woman (surprise!), but then Dianne passed me
M4: 6:50. So far so good…

I decided to try to power up this hill too. BAD MOVE.

M5: 7:24. Yup, I took a little walk break. And had a couple more ladies pass me..

It wasn’t that the wheels fell off per se, but they just didnt want to turn as much. Yes, with that one tough fight up the hill, I felt like I just bonked. So, I told myself I just wanted to try to stay under 7mm for the rest. Just get it done.

M6: 6:58
M7: 7:08 (not sure what happened here). Around this point I made my revised goal 1:10 (7mm average)
M8: 6:59
M9: 7:00

And then was the last mile. I know I should have been able to really pick it up and fly, but when I made the final turn onto 1st, it was like there was nothing left. I picked it up a bit but not like I should have been able to.

M10: 6:59

and then according to my watch, there was another 500ft which I ran at an 6:08 pace

Overall: 1:10:06 Official

Honestly, I know 1:10 is a decent time, especially since I didn’t run at all on Wed and Thurs this week due to injury. But I’m starting to see a pattern I don’t like in these races: aim for 6:51. Do a few miles at 6:45, then die and just try to hold on.

I don’t know if it’s partially nutrition. I’ve cut out glutenous bread over the past few weeks, maybe I AM bonking because of that. Because I feel like I SHOULD be able to sustain the paces I’m going out at. I do think that I am going to try to do some more sustained tempo work at around a 6:55mm and just see how comfortable I can make that. Or, the past few weeks my crossfit workouts have included squats or deadlifts and maybe my legs just could use more recovery? I just know that I’m not really content with my running right now and I want to fix it and get back to loving my sport.

Apart from that, the day was great! I met with Courtney and Luke before the race, and we also hung out for a bit after. Then I went to Pura Vida and rolled out on their foam rollers, and eventually headed over to Heather Alvaredo’s house for a post-sneak party. They had some masseuses there who worked my hips over something great! (My hips were fine during the event, but they can always use work). It was fun to chat with some other runners as well. I was reflecting on how many runners I’ve gotten to know here in town (this was the third of three runner parties I was invited to by different groups this weekend). It’s pretty amazing to know so many (crazy?) like-minded people!

Oh and P.S. if anyone tries to tell you this course is flat, they lie:

Monday: Less than a mile into my run, I got a shooting pain in my left calf. Jogged it home. 1.5miles at 9:03pace. I’d let my calves bother me for days, and finally my left one said ENOUGH.

Tuesday: Crossft in the morning, I wore a calf sleeve just in case. Met the group for our training run, but felt the stiffness in my calf right away. When we did our strides I felt myself changing my gait and knew running on my leg wasn’t doing me any good. Let the run after the workout, only running 2.57 miles @ 8:24. (I blogged about my calf issues). I did stop at the gym on my way back from Boulder just to burn off some energy (and frustration). I worked on my bench press a bit. My goal for next May (2013) will be 50x70lbs. Yes, lower weight than the Pump and Run but more reps! I benched: 5x55lbs, 5x65lbs,5x75lbs, 4x85lbs, 3x85lbs, 2x(5x80lbs), 4x(10x70lbs), 7x70lbs, 25x45lbs.

Wednesday: NOTHING. Nada. I iced and heated and compressed my leg, but I didn’t exercise at all!

Thursday: considered going to crossfit, but turned off my alarm and actually slept in til almost 9! In the evening I went to the gym. I considered doing a short run to test my leg but when I arrived at the park it started to lightening, so I took that as a sign to give myself one more day. At the gym I focused on my back and biceps, but of course I also worked on my bench press: 5x(5x70lbs), 5x(5x75lbs), 5x80lbs, 4x80lbs, 15x65lbs.

Friday: Finally ready to try my legs out again. I did one loop around Sloan’s Lake, where it was super windy. It felt great to be running again! My leg felt a little achy by the end – interestingly enough, it was my left knee, not my calf. Did 2.5 miles at 8:43. Then a few hours later I had to go to the bank, so I decided to run there. Felt MUCH better! On the way home I decided to see how I felt to run fast – felt great! Ran 2 miles at a 7:47 pace – the first was ~8:45mm, the second was ~6:51! (granted, it was also downhill a bit) Then I was really good about rolling (foam and stick) my legs out completely.

Saturday: Crossfit in the morning, then in the afternoon I hammered out 4 miles at an 8:09 pace. I’d told myself to run easy, and this is what happened!

Sunday: Cherry Creek Sneak 10 Miler in 1:10:01 (unofficial) – 7mm. Got some active release and acupuncture after. My calf at least seems fine!

Total: 23 miles this week. I’m really frustrated with how my race went. I tried scaling back on miles, but I’m not sure that helped. I need to figure this out..

Perhaps lower “intensity” isn’t the right word. Lower skill level, perhaps? Because the workout was tough, there just weren’t any intimidating lifts to worry about.

30-20-10 of:

• ground-to-overheads with a 25 lbs weight plate
• jumping lunges
• burpees
• sit-ups

Between each set as well as to start and finish, we did a 200m run carrying the weight plate (4 runs in all)

I’d considered a heavier weight-plate, then just went with the 25. The carrying was the most awkward of the whole workout!

I am definitely starting to nail the crossfit burpees where you throw yourself down onto your chest. When I first tried them in our intro classes, I hurt my shoulder something fierce. I’ve figured out the technique now. I went to the bathroom afterwards and thought I had a line of boob sweat across my pink tank top. Nope! It was dirt from the floor (ewwww), definitely proving I’d done the prescribed “Chest to deck”.

In all, I finished i 15:34. I was pretty happy with it. I got the vague discomfort in my stomach that tells me I was up above my aerobic threshold. Nice!

Then because it was someone’s 27th birthday we had to do 27 air squats, then hold at the bottom for 27 seconds. I’m glad no one was turning 45!

Obviously I can’t normally make Saturday workouts b/c I run, but it was nice to be able to drop in and get a great workout in!

With the abundance of talented runners from the country, the task of selecting which runners would head to London was not trivial. But for all the talent, a few names have earned some recognition state-side:

Geoffrey Mutai – Boston 2011: ran the world’s fastest marathon, New York 2011: broke the course record
Patrick Makau – Berlin 2011: set the world record

However, neither will be setting any records in the Olympics in London in 2012, as neither was selected for the team.

At first blush, this seems ridiculous. Two of the fastest men in the world, why would they not be selected for the Olympics? However, sometimes what we don’t do can speak as loudly as what we do.

Geoffrey Mutai – Boston 2012 DNF
Patrick Makau – London 2012 DNF

We don’t know why these men didn’t finish their races, but we can safely assume that this was interpreted as weakness: be it physical or mental. Certainly in the past these men have come out on top, but the selection committee must make their decision on who they think will perform best in the future. Regardless of what they did several months ago, within the past several weeks these men were unable to complete the distance they’re expected to excel at. Who is to stay they will be able to be back on top in only a few months?

If the past were all that mattered, we wouldn’t bother with the Games at all. That being said, these men HAVE proven themselves superior to all others at one time or another. Did they “earn” their spot to the Olympics? That begs the question if the Olympics should be considered a type of reward for past displays of excellence, or if potential is paramount.

What do you think of the decision to leave out these athletes?