Salt

What does the title of this post have too do with it's contents? Not a damm thing. Had an excellent run today.

10 Miles total with a 2 mile walk home. haha

Did .5 mile warm up, followed by 9.5 miles of hard running. (the warm up was not included in the times that follow. The 1st 5 miles were 7:50 pace average, by the end I dropped back to like an 8:15 or 8:20 pace over all. The last 4.5 had the rolling hills and it got dark on me. So I'll take that. At 1 hour I was at 7.4 miles. No gels, or any crap, just water. Although, I could feel that my blood sugar was dropping somewhat towards the end. So 1 hour 19 minutes total time for the 9.5 miles. That is moving, baby!
AVG HR 159 MAX 177.
One of the most amazing things is that in less than a minute if I walk, the HR will drop 25 to 30 beats. That bodes well for pacing and interval/recovery. The 2 mile walk home was mostly because I started getting a blister on my right foot, and truthfully, I was running out of gas too.
So, another good day on the run training. Also did a few KB snatches with the 32kg bell. This weight feels heavy, so I am backing off some on my intensity and getting used to the feel of the bell. I need to hit another 2 week cycle of Viking Warrior, but this time with the 24kg bell on the 15:15 and move to the 36:36 with the 16kg bell. That should put me where I need to be for 7 minute paced miles for a half marathon. That would be nice and fast enough for now. Will work on that the 1st 2 weeks in March. I have the Nueces Trail Marathon next Saturday, I am hoping for a 4:30 time, but its a nasty course, so it will be hard to run it that fast, but I plan on laying it on the line and running till the wheels fall off. On March 20th I have a 50k in Birmingham, I plan to do the same, run till the wheels fall off. It's at Oak Mountain State Park, I have run there once, lots of good climbs, but not too steep. Will be visiting my sister out there also. Should be fun. Then a quick trip to Seaside.

WOW, I am Getting Faster.

Ah, I know I haven't posted since Friday, but so what.

Over the weekend, I drank beer and screwed around. Sat morning, put up my pull up bar from Stud Bar. That is cool, still haven't used it yet, but it makes for a great place to hang my ropes from.
Saturday night, I ran into Chris Nall a dude I went to high school with at my local Hooters. We sat around and drank beers and shots, and hit on some cougars. Had to get a cab home, hahah. You, know safety, safety.

Monday I finally got my competition 32kg bell from American Kettlebell Club, that I ordered back at the beginning of December. I am still waiting on the other one and a t-shirt. I am a little pissed off. They have a kettlebell training seminar in Ukraine this summer that I would like to go to, but after my experience so far, I think I will wait.

Also, Monday afternoon, I went to a Barefoot and Pose running seminar in Austin which was presented by Josue Stevens and some folks who train in POSE Running. Best damm seminar I have went to. Afterwards, I chilled out with my trail running friends and my good friend and pacer Naresh. It was a good day.

So on Tuesday, I started trying to run POSE style. Went for 4 miles in the MT100 from New Balance.
Hellva shoe. Didn't record any times, just practicing. Went well.

Tonight, I went for 8 miles, with the recording equipment.

8 Miles total with .5 mile cool down, and a stop for a piss.
1 hour and 5 seconds (7.5 miles). That's nice and that's moving baby.
AVG HR was 155 max was 175. I'll take that, had some nice roller hills in there.
Came out to a 8:05 pace. Best pace was 5:30, but only on downhills.

So, I am sold on POSE. WHY?? Well, last week when I was throwing back some hella paced runs, it really felt like I was stuck in 3rd gear with the pedal on the floor. Now its like, hey i am running sub 7, and yea my lungs feel it and my heart rate is high, but I got 3 gears left. So, bought some videos and books. I will be studying this method. Also, my legs didn't even feel anything. I am pumped, about this.

More in the coming weeks.

It's Friday, Bitches!

Never look back, if there was something there you need, you'd have it with you.

No workout on Thursday. Said, "John, you know, you should take a day off and drink some beer." And, I agreed. Wow, that was one hell of an argument but I knew I would convince myself of the necessity.

Today. Woke up late, as usual. Gonna get some discipline one day.

Workout:

8 total miles. 1/2 mile warm up and 1/2 mile warm down.
On the road, 7 miles at 8:10 pace. Pretty good, considering I was somewhat dehydrated and 8 shots of expresso today. HR Max 171 Avg. 161 getting better I think.

Shooting for 7:30 with avg of 155 be really cool if I could roll Sevens at 155 HR AVG. I'll keep working on it i guess.

Tired at The Gym

After my runs today, I went to the gym tonight. It was kinda crappy. Mostly just a little tired.

Here was the run:
2 miles in 15minutes comes to a 7:30 pace, but broke it up in 2 minute intervals with 4 2min intervals at 10MPH and 4 2min intervals at 6.5MPH.

Core:

4-S X 5R of rollouts and rollups.

1 set of suitcase holds @ 65lbs.
2-S of 10R Long Cycle at 35lbs KB
1-S of 10R KB snatch at 35lbs KB.

Grilled chicken salad at Hooters for dinner. 2 beers.

BS'ed with my buddy Brice who stopped by, and also Kelli who came in after class.

Charlie, who works there there, but just stopped by on her way out to party was getting primed for a night out. She recently had an "enhancement" Job well done, very enhanced I would say. The twins almost fell out.

Blazing Speed?

Well, I wouldn't call it blazing, but I had a nice little run at lunch today.

My director goes running at lunch everyday and has been for the last 5 years. I have run with him in the past but he is pretty fast so I kinda quit after I started running ultras. But, today I challenged him to a run. Well I lost, but we pushed each other.

We did 3.5 miles in a 7:17 pace. That was nice. Real fast for this fatty. Ultimately, I'd like to run a 5K in sub 6.

The best part is I feel fine, and that makes 9 miles for the day so far. All systems go right now, knee good, hip good.

Panzerkampfwagen

Some of you may know that German is an amalgamated language. The term panzer every knows as a tank but the actual word is panzerkampfwagen. Which means something like "slow moving caterpillar like armored vehicle". Well not anymore, I was moving faster for longer this morning than I have in about 10 years. See below.

Yesterday for lunch:

10 KB snatch each arm with 32kg.
20 Bulgarian Bag Swings each direction with 26lbs.
2X15R Bulgarian Bag Swings with 37lbs.

Didn't workout last night but worked late till about 8PM. We never stop working for you.

I did drink 6 beers and waste a bunch of time reading blogs and Facebook crap.

This A.M. did a run to Starbucks and back. 3 miles each direction. 8min pace up there, then a double expresso, then 7:30 pace on the way back. Even left them a present in the latrine.

Good Day for Training

Today was a doosey!

Lunch Workout:

50 reps of KB snatch @ 24kg with each arm. WKC rules says you can not set the bell down or rest in the hang position.
I was going for 70 reps each arm, that would have been WKC LVL-I rank, but didn't make it. Will try again next Monday. My heart rate was crazy.
Check the you tube video.

After work was the running workout.

Overall it was 5 miles.
I did 6 hill repeats on treadmill.
Also 6 speed drills on treadmill.

The hill repeats had 3 minute slow down between sets but speed was always 5 MPH for the rest period and the hill period.

1st 2.5 min @ 15% incline HR to 170
2nd 3 min @ 15% incline HR to 173
3rd 3 min @ 15% incline HR to 176
4th 1.5 min @ 15% incline HR to 174
5th 2 min @ 15% incline HR to 176
6th 1.5 min @ 15% incline HR to 170

The speed workout was fast (10 MPH) for 1 minute the to 5MPH for 2 min, then repeat.

1st HR to 170
2nd HR to 174
3rd HR to 173
4th HR to 174
5th HR to 171
6th HR to 182 (.5min @ 12MPH and .5min @ 10MPH)

So getting some turn over speed work in and some hill work.

After that, I was like I outta here.

Weekend Workout

The past weekend was Valentines weekend. I was supposed to run the Austin Marathon, but decided that I was not ready for that many miles. Didn't want to find out at mle 15 that my knee is still messed up. haha

But none the less, I did go to Austin on Saturday night.

My friends Mark and Naresh had talked me into running the half marathon course with them. I was really glad that they got me out there. I felt great, running extra full speed up the hills. Also went to the capitol grounds at night. The Capitol is one impressive building.

Other than the 13 miles, I mostly worked out my jaw, talkin shit all weekend and drank too many beers. Back to the grindstone.

Cheered on runners at mile 21 for the Austin Marathon on Sunday with my friends from Hill Country Trail Runners. That was way more fun than running it!!

Building Momemtum

Wholly Shit. I just blew up the 1st VWC protocol.

It calls for 15sec @ 7 KB snatches per set followed by 15 sec rest, then repeat for 80 sets with a 35lbs kettle bell.

Well last night after my treadmill run, I was able to do 40 sets.

Not tonight baby, 80 sets, in YO face!

80-S KB snatch @ 35lbs KB. For the 1st 40 sets, my HR never went above 170. The average for the whole workout was 168, and the max HR was 178. The whole protocol take 40 minutes to complete. After 1 min my HR was 144 and after 2 min the HR was 122. Now that is some hella conditioning.

The Viking Warrior Conditioning workout was after the 5 miles I ran on the treadmill. At a 7mph pace for 5 miles max HR was 167 avg was 160. Getting better.

Next goal is to do 75 KB swings each arm with a 24kb (50lbs) bell with each arm with out setting it down in under 10 minutes. Gonna go for this Monday at lunch. Give my hands a break.

Miss Sarajevo

This song by U2 has always held a special place in my heart. I was in Bosnia in'98. What a beautiful place it could have been. To know the possibilities of a place and to see what it became, you would understand the why free markets are important and how central planning fails.

The translation for the Italian part of Miss Sarajevo

You say that the river
finds the way to the sea
And as the river
you'll come to me
Beyond the borders
and the thirsty lands
You say that as river
As river
Love will come
Love
And I cannot pray anymore
And I cannot hope in love anymore
And I cannot wait for love anymore

Simple Truths

Here is something I put together a few years back, maybe you like it, maybe you don't.

Simple Truths

1. Discipline of children is unconditional love.

2. When choosing acquaintances judge not by appearance but by the three I’s, in this order: Integrity, Industry, and Intelligence.

3. Most problems we have as individuals are caused by lack of discipline and failure to set standards for ourselves.

4. Most all men desire to be told what to do, hence the importance of Leadership.

5. You must always take care of number one. When married you are number two the spouse is now number one. When children arrive they become number one.

6. The hardest tasks in life are the most fulfilling.

7. To be respected, first you must respect yourself and secondly you must respect others with the same enthusiasm.

8. The proper order of values are: accountability and responsibility. Adherence of these will bring about the second tier of values, which are: honesty, loyalty, love and respect.

9. To lead your first task is to set the example and secondly to demand compliance of previously established standards in every instance.

10. When examining a problem the first conclusion you come to is not likely to be the true cause of the problem, you must challenge yourself to seek the deeper underlying problem.

Texas Lady

TEXAS LADY (Yea, I wrote this in '98)

Barely sixteen when she had a child
It was the blind, leadin the blind
But, with four years down the road she's twenty now
Workin late nights with school and a child can take its toll on your soul
Now she's startin to learn what lifes about
....
She's a texas lady, tryin to make her way
Playin the hand, she's been dealt today
She's been California dreamin,
Lord, she's dancin on England's stones
But she's a lady and Texas is her home
....
She's finally found the love shes needin
In a cowboy from Abilene
He gives her the love and the strength that she needs
But he's left for a job in Dallas, and now he's in Tennessee
She gets a call from her cowboy every week
....
She's a Texas lady
Trying to make her way
Playin the hand that she's been dealt today
Well, he's been Tennessee livin
He's headed for music row
But, she's a lady and Texas is her home,
She's a lady and Texas is her home.

Hardrock Training Day 3

Nice one today. Heart rate training like a MOFO.

5 miles total run in 43 minutes. Here is the breakout.
3M @ 8min Pace
.5M @ 7:30 Pace
.5M @ 10:00 Pace
.5M @ 7:00 Pace
.25M @ 12:00 Pace
.25M @ 6:30 Pace
Avg HR 168 Max 187

Viking Warrior Conditioning Workout.
This workout is 15sec of snatches with a 35lbs KB min of 7 snatches followed by 15sec of rest. Then repeat till you die.
I went for 40 work sets, @ 7 reps per set.
21 min total time.
Avg Hr 176 Max 182.

So basically I spent 1 hour at an Average HR at 168 or above. Nice!

More information on Viking Warrior Conditioning:
http://www.dragondoor.com/b39.html?gclid=CMjHqbaH7J8CFZhf2godOSLrew

Lunch Work Day 2

Nice one today:

1-S 30R each arm 50lbs KB Snatch w/o setting down bell.
1-S 30 swings each direction with 26lbs Bulgarian Training Bag.
1-S 10R each arm KB Snatch 70lbs bell.
1-S 15 swings each direction with 37lbs Bulgarian Training Bag.

Some Equipment I use:
http://www.mckinneygymequipment.com/
http://www.suples.com/bulgarian-training-bags/
http://www.dragondoor.com/kettlebellkettlebells/

Hardrock Training Day 2

Running:
Treadmill run:
2 min warm at 5mph
3 min @ 15% incline HR to 175 @ 5mph
2 min flat at 5mph HR to 153
3 min @ 15% incline HR to 182 @ 5mph
2 min flat at 5mph HR to 152
1.5 min at 15% and 1.5 min at 10% HR to 178 @ 5mph
3 min at 10% incline HR to 170
2 min flat HR to 140 HR 140
1 mile at 7mph (8:29 pace) HR to 170
2 min flat HR to 140
1 min at 8mph (7:30 pace) HR to 180
Cool down.

Heart Rate Training:
HR 184 Max & 162 avg over 16 min. with:
1-S X 30R 35lbs Long Cycle
1-S X 20R 35lbs Double Snatch
1-s X 20R 35lbs Double Snatch
1-S X 25R 35lbs Long Cycle

Core Training:
Rollouts:
2-S X 3R 3/4 out
Rollups:
2-S X 5R

Fun:
5 Handstand pushups
2 Inverted Frog pose leg lifts.

Flexibility Drills:
Hip Stretches
4R Wall Walk Backwards.

Enjoy the Pain.

Lunch Workout

1-S X 20-R KB Snatch each arm 50lbs
1-S X 10-R KB Snatch each arm 70lbs
1-S X 20 Bag swings each Direction 26lbs
1-S X 10 Bag swings each direction 37lbs

Hardrock Training Day 1

Well, I got in. Lucky pick in the lottery. So, I gotta get down to business. Been having a problem with my knee, hoping its just an it band issue, but who knows. It should be ready to go soon, we will see.

Here was today's workout.

Heart Rate Training:
Long Cycle 2 X 30 reps @ 35lbs KB.
Double Snatches 2 X 20 Reps @ 35lbs KB.

Core:
Standing ab roll outs: 3 @ 1/4, 2-S X 3-R 1/2, 2-S X 2-R 3/4, 1 Full roll out.
Feet rollups 2 sets 4 rollups.
4 Leg lifts overhead from the frog position.
Farmers walk 70lbs 1 arm 2 X 30second walks, each arm.

Working the backside, working hamstring tie in with the glutes.
Romanian Deadlifts (RDL) 2X8R @ 95lbs

Fun:
Handstand pushups 4-S X 3-R.

Flexibility Drills:
2 Overhead squats with 45lbs bar.
Various hip stretching.
3 Reps of Walking down the wall. Reach back, walk down the wall.

Running:
2 min warm up @ 5mph
3 min 15% incline @ 5mph
2 min @5mph flat
2.5 min @ 15% incline @ 5mph
2 min cool down.
This only equaled about a mile on the treadmill, but I am going to start with quality, over quantity. Heart rate training is my goal here, and hill running. Trying to stay very erect and force the glutes, hamstrings, abs to engage.

I will work this type of workout, hopefully everyday for a while and see where it goes.

Cactus Rose 100 Video

Here is a clip i put together from Cactus Rose 100.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LMuywX-J_Q



Enjoy!