OldManAsh stays accountable

[OldManAsh]

JKD
Flow drills, high-intensity Kali stick sparring.

Felt a little beat up yesterday and today, so opted to take the full two days off from serious training to focus on refueling and getting some extra sleep. JKD didn't fry me too badly, so back to the regular grind tomorrow.

[OldManAsh]

AM: 15% Incline Treadmill
2.3 miles
1:00:00
26:05 avg pace
133 bpm avg
140 bpm max
1816' elevation gain

Starting to add extra endurance work using the incline treadmill. It's very easy to stay right around 70-75% max HR, and offers a lot of value in a very low impact form.

PM: OP I/A #8 - 85%
SQ 235 3x3
BP 195 5x3
KB Swing 32kg 2x20, 1x10

Weights felt smooth and crisp. Solid session.

[OldManAsh]

OCR training
15% incline fartleks
Assorted heavy carries, farmer's walk, pull-ups, grip SE
x3 rounds

15% incline at low aerobic pace

Total
1:40:00
2.5 miles
1921' elevation gain

This one was rough. I plowed through, but needed to rest more than I would have liked between stations and rounds. Definitely need to bring nutrition with me for these long sessions.

[OldManAsh]

On vacation in the Pacific northwest. No structured training the last couple of days in lieu of much needed relaxation and eating lots of amazing food, but did get some good hikes in around Mt St Helens. One month until my next Spartan, so went out this morning and bought a 50lb bag of sand, wrapped it in duct tape, and it'll be my companion for the next 10 days up here.

OCR training
Fun run
2 miles on a .4 mile loop at aerobic pace
Sandbag lunges and squats every 5 min
2.3 miles total
0:37:45
15:56 pace

[OldManAsh]

Vacation is over. Didn't get as much use out of the sandbag as I would have liked, but did get some solid hiking and kayaking in. More importantly, my batteries are recharged and I feel fully relaxed for the first time in a long time. Jumped back into structured training today. 18 days until my next OCR.

AM: 15% Incline Treadmill
1:00:00
2.48 miles
24:08 avg pace
131 bpm avg
137 bpm max
1965' gain

PM: OP I/A #1 - 70%
SQ 205 3x5
BP 170 3x5
KB Swing 18kg 3 x 10R/10L

Starting a new OP I/A block with the same calculated weights as the last block. Kept it to the minimum as I ease back into training. Squats felt nice and smooth even after an hour on the incline this morning. Slight sciatic pain on my right side during bench; not unprecedented, but something I'll be mindful of.

[OldManAsh]

OCR training
15% Incline Treadmill @ aerobic pace
1:00:00
2.39 miles
25:03 avg pace
133 bpm avg
140 bpm max
1893' gain

Heavy step-ups, grip SE, pull-ups/hanging
x6 rounds

Total time
1:36:30

Step-ups and grip work were done using a 32kg kettlebell. Refueled every ~30 min with a cliff bar broken into thirds...not a fan of Gu or gels, but can't deny that they're a lot easier to use on the fly and tend to sit a little more easily.

[OldManAsh]

HIC
15% incline fartleks
7 slow / 3 fast
x3 rounds

0:30:00
1.3 miles
23:05 pace
143 bpm avg
160 bpm max
1030' gain

Still feeling yesterday's session, so kept this one to a minimum.

[OldManAsh]

OP I/A #2 - 70%
SQ 205 3x5
BP 170 3x5
DL 225 2x5

Maybe it's a combination of being back from vacation and the increased E/SE work this week, but I'm feeling seriously beat up. Questioning if it's really practical to try for 3 strength sessions a week, versus dropping to Fighter and keeping my lifts around maintenance until after the Spartan Beast in Sept.

[OldManAsh]

Spent the weekend at an OCR training clinic. Had my VO2 max and lactic threshold tested, interesting results. I'm pretty well fat adapted, and have been too conservative with my E work; should be holding around 145 bpm instead of the 130-135 I've been aiming for. On the other hand, my oxygen utilization is on the low end of 'Good' (on a scale of poor -> superior) for someone my size and age, so I have some work to do there. I had been thinking about switching from I/A to Fighter as OCR training was ramping up, and now seems like the right time to do it (just started a new I/A block, did 2 sessions last week, so identical to the first week of Fighter). I'll keep MS in maintenance through the end of Sept and my big races, while I emphasize E/SE and get my conditioning where it needs to be.

Sat 7/22 - Sun 7/23
OCR clinic

Mon 7/24
Rest

Tues 7/25
Fighter Week 2 - 80%
SQ 215 3x5
BP 180 3x5
DL 245 1x5

Wed 7/26
Stadium Stairs
1:04:04
37 sections (full tour of the stadium) running up the big steps and down the small steps. Definitely felt the burn in my quads.

[OldManAsh]

Thurs 7/27
15% incline alternating 3 min weighted / 90s 50lb wreck bag

This was a bad idea the day after a long stadium stairs workout. My calves were shot, and I spent the next three days hobbling around and barely able to bend my knees. Foam rolling felt like someone was driving daggers into my muscles. Good times. I loved the stadium workout, but will scale it back while my calves adapt to the new stimulus.

Fri 7/28 - Mon 7/31
Recovery. See above.

Tues 8/1
Fighter Week 2 - 80%
SQ 215 3x5
BP 180 3x5
DL 245 1x5

Restarting week 2 of my current block given that last week got derailed. Weights felt surprisingly heavy, we'll see how Friday feels.