KTE, Push-ups, Row

Kirsten's new workout partner, Kim joined us for a Friday workout.

Strength

• 3 x 5 Press

WOD

3 rounds

• 5 Knees To Elbows
• 10 Push-ups
• 200m Row

CW: 8:18.  I was slow on push-ups.  Also my rower wouldn't work, dead batteries. There, that's all of my excuses.  Press 5 x 85#.

Deadlift, Knees to Elbows

Kirsten getting as good as she gives.

Today was a workout day.  Kirsten programmed an excellent little CrossFit workout.  Normally these go on my garage gym blog, Keweenaw Strength & Conditioning.  Since I no longer operate a gym for others, I thought I'd put all of my training on here.  Old workouts will still be archived on the KS&C website as long as Blogger.com keeps it up.

Warmup

• 500m Row
• Arm/Leg Swings

WOD

4 rounds

• 6 Deadlifts at 50%
• 12 Knees To Elbows

CW: 5:48 with 105# deadlifts.
KW: 7:39 with 95# deadlifts.

The KTEs never reached my elbows.  I went as high as I was able.  That will have to do for the week, I don't think I'll get enough time to workout until next weekend.

Whoa, Mama!

After. Kirsten is excited, I'm unwell.

Long Skate

Swedetown, 37F, misty, little wind.  Yesterday's wax.  The new skis need a few waxings.

The snow was wet and a bit slow. The trail would sink down on the outsides. Naturally, just where one would push off.

Due to the slow snow, we decided to only do one 'Bear,' Mama Bear loop.  I stopped about six times to sip water, catch my breath, and later to avoid making a chunky puddle.

8.07k in 58:46, average pace of 7:16/k.

Here's a map:

After lunch, it was off to the barn.  Shootim was more settled down from yesterday.  We lunged (same as yesterday,) Drove (much improved) and then rode!  Jack and Susan coached us.  Jack kept both of us busy; turn, yield, change flexion, turn yield stop, spin, trot, turn, yield, circle, stop back one step, spin, trot...  By the end Shootim had forgotten about paying attention to anything else and I was the one sweating and ready to stop.  

Tabata Bing

The map.  Out of season, I know.

No workouts this week due to driving and tuning.  Argh!  

First today came Shootim.  He lunged very boringly.  Driving was another story.  Partly goofiness, partly ice falling off the roof.  He reared, he bucked, he flew through the air.  He also started to learn collection at the canter.  At first, he fought the steady contact. When he did collect, I started to 'give,' ease off the contact.  A few of those and he was figuring it out.  Smart boy.  Also time to quit.

Then on to the skiing.  MTU trails, Birch loop.  36F, little wind.  New wax (finally,) HF warm + structure.  I tried out some new skis we picked up cheap at a ski swap.  Fischer RCS Plus Skates, nice.  I'm planning on using them for warm/wet conditions. They worked well today. I imagine that after repeated waxings they'll do even better.

Drills

• Mobility: couch and frog stretch
• Weight shift
• Hop shift
• Hop ski
• Cossacks

Short Intervals - Tabata

8 rounds

• 20 seconds on
• 10 seconds off

Here's my data, distance and pace.

1. 57m,   5:34/k
2. 63m,   5:18/k
3. 76m,   4:11/k
4. 57m,   5:53/k
5. 56m,   5:53/k
6. 50m,   6:35/k
7. 56m,   5:50/k
8. 56m,   5:50/k

Terrain varied from interval to interval.  My form also degraded, probably starting after two intervals.  I did what I could to hold it together.

A Very Satisfying Ride

Not a great picture, I know.  Shootim's head buried in his feeder.  This picture is from November 2nd.  Since being worked I think Shootim has lost fat and gained muscle.  I'm next.

We'll try to remember to get some more pictures next weekend.

With a barn visit sandwiched in between church and a concert, I figured I might get to drive my horse.   A good chance of success in a short time.  Shootim's only 'hole' is his habit of getting mouthy with his owner.  Five years with a mini as a pasture mate plus some bad habits that the previous owner found 'cute.'  Jack always calls him 'Guppy.'  Arrrrrgh.  We've all been working to create some space for Shootim to learn to respect.  I've got this kind of chicken wing arm dance that I do.  A way better solution than smacking him every time.  Kudos to Stacey Westfall for the idea.  Stall tying has helped calm him down a good bit as well.  Nonetheless this issue has and must be forefront in my mind every time we work together.

Imagine my surprise then when Shootim behaved like a complete gentleman.  No scalawag tricks, he stood calmly while I got him ready.  In the arena he lunged well, a bit playful, then settling down.  He was so calm that I went and got the saddle and rode!

Kirsten had left out a triangle of cones which we used to work on serpentine turns.  At first, Shootim wouldn't sharpen his turn until I put the spur against him.  After three or four times, though he figured it out and worked off my leg.  What a handy fellow!
Stuff we worked on:

• Walk/trot/canter
• Turns on forehand/hindquarters
• Two tracking along a wall

He doesn't know what every cue is for, but he was trying to figure everything out.  When he was guessing, he ended up backing. A very nice back, too.  I couldn't fault him for trying, so we did something easier, then came back to it.  Violá!  Turns on the forehand both ways.  A good place to stop and the end of a very satisfying ride.

Jack gave me some ideas of collecting Shootim at the canter, holding him more in the manner of a hunt horse.  We'll see next weekend when I'm back.

Ready . . . Adapt!

Apparently my head is too large.  The sign says Swedetown Trails.

Swedetown then. 20F. The snow had thawed some previously and had been groomed since it refroze. Pretty nice, medium fast.  We were still on warm snow wax (what's left of it.) I wonder how much better mid-temp wax would have worked.

The Bear Chase can be divided into 3 main parts.

1. Ed's loop / Cedar loop / Birch loop / Tamarack loop / Valley trail. Part of Tamarack, Cedar and Valley are the start; the rest is the end.  9k.
2. Len's loop / Powderhouse loop / Pine loop.  The second half of Powderhouse is not used and Pine is done opposite of the usual direction.   7.2k.
3. Greenstone loop / Mama Bear / Baby Bear / Papa Bear.  Access via Valley trail.  14k.

The kilometers include getting in and out of each part.

Long ski

Saturday we did the Tamarack loops.  I suppose since our last long ski was 5k that was why I felt fine until about 6k.  Hopefully now I'll adapt to the 9k distance.

Of course it could have been the steep hill on Birch.  After that it was 'let the stopping and catching our breath commence!'  So, not only a distance piece but a hill workout as well.  On flats I could still keep moving; that was nice.  The ideal would be to be able to recover on the flats and downs while still moving.  I'll just have to be patient.

My data, distance, time and pace:

9k - 52:10 - 5:48/k

The GPS map.  Kirsten says it looks like somebody running.  Wile E. Coyote?

Working Off The Turkey

Actually, it was steaks with veggies and cheesy potatoes courtesy of Harold and Mary Cook.  Thanks, Cooks!  We got in only one CrossFit workout that week and the travel took away two weekends of skiing.  We did have a good time, though.

Tonight after work we went to MTU trails.  29F, no wind, snow getting fast, maybe a little icy.

Drills

w/o skis -

• Weight Shift
• Hops

with skis -
3 rounds

• Hop Skate
• Locked & Loaded (ab crunch only double poles)

Long Intervals

• 800m repeats

until form/pace deteriorates.

We used Birch loop.  It measured just shy of 800m.
My data, time - pace:

4:00 - 5:00/k
3:58 - 4:58/k
3:59 - 4:59/k
3:38 - 4:33/k

It was fun and I'm pleased at my pace.  I only really burned in the last interval, so I lost form by the end.  We'll just have to wait and see how this pace translates into the race.