Training Day 20121227

Another view of my new gym

In Gates of Fire, Pressfield writes: “Nothing fires the warrior’s heart more with courage than to find himself and his comrades at the point of annihilation, at the brink of being routed and overrun, and then to dredge not merely from one’s own bowels or guts but from one’s discipline and training the presence of mind not to panic, not to yield to the possession of despair, but instead to complete those homely acts of order which Dienekes had ever declared the supreme accomplishment of the warrior: to perform the commonplace under far-from-commonplace conditions.”  The reason I bring up this quote is because I found myself screaming profanities due to the cold on the walk to the gym from my apartment as I was dressed in shorts and a hoodie.  I realized how soft I've gotten the last few years, might as well call me Kleenex 'cause I'm softer than tissue haha.  Anyway, the quote reminds me that the point of enduring training sessions, exposing yourself to the elements, and stepping outside of your comfort zone is primarily about building mental toughness.  Strength and all those physical capabilities are the bonuses that come with training, but the mentality to keep pressing forward no matter the circumstance is the true reward.

With that said, I haven't taken a rest day in a few days, so I took it down a notch this session.  Tomorrow, I'll take a full rest day yet will still be active as I roam New York City, taking pictures... weather permitting.  Though mainly by myself, it's been a really good vacation so far to step back, have this time to think and prioritize my life.

PART I.
OH Presses
5/65#, 5/75#, 3/95#, 5/115#, 3/135#, 1+/145# (I hit 5/145#)

PART II.
EMOM For 6mins
5 Power Cleans @ 105#, then

500m slow, recovery row (I completed at 2mins 23sec)

PART III.
Cleans & Jerks
5/75#, 5/95#, 3/115#, 5/140#, 3/155#, 1+/175# (I hit 2/175#)

PART IV.
For Time
Row 200m
2 Pistols each leg
Row 200m
1 pistol each leg
Row 200m

I finished in 3min 6 sec

PART V.
I cashed out with:
15 T2B
20 Airsquats

Couplet
Calf Raises- 25/135#, 25/135#, 25/135#, 25/155#
10 Dumbbell Thrusters - 20# each hand

AMAP KB Swings @ 70#

Notes
- I know that after vacation, I'm going to have to drastically shorten the workouts and consider more frequent two-a-days if I want to squeeze in a lot of things.
- PART I: Although I knocked out 5/145#, according to strength standards, my 1RM decreased by 4# haha! Ugh!  I should've went for 6 or 7 haha.
- PART II: Loving the EMOM work.  The more I do it, the more I feel like I'm getting better at the movements I incorporate EMOM with.
- PART III: According to strength standards, my 1RM should increase by 10#.  I'll take that!
- PART IV: I went out too fast on my first 200m, so luckily I only programmed low reps of pistols haha.  I could barely feel my legs after this.
- PART V: T2B and Air Squats felt smooth.  It also was nice to do calf raises with a loaded barbell.  I also haven't attempted 70# at KB Swings in awhile and will need to work with that weight more!  I ended up doing 11.

I didn't end up going out last night, so my roommate, a couple of friends, & me are probably going to hit up Brother Jimmy's BBQ for happy hour and perhaps watch the Rusell Athletic Bowl... go RU!

The Embed - Initial Thoughts

I remember the last run we went on together... not necessarily the date, but how it went down.  Perhaps it was days or weeks before I left for a training evolution in the Mojave Desert and at that point we've already been sleeping in separate rooms for a few months.  We were always cool with each other and I believe we still are and will always be.  Before I digress further, she was helping me acclimate to the conditions of the desert.  I put on a 40# vest, Banana Republic cargo pants, and a rugged pair of Timberland boots.  She put on light running garb and agreed to do a 2 miler with me.

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You see for the past few months, she'd been training for the Rutgers Half Marathon, which I think took place in April.  I remember when she came up with the idea of wanting to train for it and wanting me to train her.  We trained briefly, yet all the credit goes to her, because she mainly trained herself for the few months prior to the race.  I remember being so proud of her (and still am) for being pro-active.  A few weeks before the race, I remember feeling like dog sh*t when I found out I couldn't show up to the race because of military duty.  And I basically think stuff like that would characterize the last 7 years of our relationship- me picking the military over her.  It wasn't fair, it isn't fair, and that's part of the reason we are where we are now.  I'm glad we're on good terms, perhaps friends, and I'm glad she chose not to entirely shut me out of her life.  I remember her breaking down and balling when I told her the news that I couldn't be there, I felt like dog sh*t then too.  And in April, when I was following her progress on base through her friends' Facebook statuses and pictures, again, I felt like dog sh*t.  

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So we went off in the middle of the night on our usual "hard" route, which had a challenging incline for about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile.  Leaving from the bottom of our condo stairs, we started striding into the darkness dimly lit by steady street lights.  Even a few weeks after her race, she had quick feet and trying to keep pace with her with the extra weight almost smoked me into the first mile.  When we hit our turn around, I told her to leave me behind as I slowed down, because I didn't want to ruin her work out.  I'm not a fan of metaphors, but I think, in essence, our last run was one.  In general, she told me that she felt like she slowed me down from my ambitions in the world... debatable yes... but I think in the scheme of things, I slowed her down from reaching her full potential.  She's such a great woman, has taken care of me a great deal, and I've truly learned a lot of things from her that have only added to my future survivability.  All the things she used to do for me last year, I do them myself now, which can be crazy to think about some days.  Many things can happen in 365 days, unfathomable at times, especially when things/situations are left unguarded or are not addressed for months, even years.

This initial post is in no way an attempt to get her back.  The paper work has already been filed and I think we're content with how our relationship as friends is.  I've understood for quite some time that it was meant to be this way.  And she's stated to me that she's truly happy having it this way.  I've been wondering for the past few days how I was going to kick this thing off and I think the best path was to pay tribute to this great woman.  All of my positivity and faith in humanity have stemmed from her and my mother.  Despite being alone for the holidays, I think having this time to make this retrospection can only lead to good things.  I would consider this blog successful if one person learns from it, does something positive, and vice-versa.

Happy Holidays All,

Don