What Was Your Work Out Today?

Today was full body plus bodybuilding-style assistance for the upper body:

• Muscular activation and prehab
• Front squats- 5 sets of 10 (aaaargh)
• Bench press- 5 sets of 4
• Chinups- 8 sets of 3-4 reps
• EZ-bar preacher curls- 5 sets of 10
• Cable tricep pushdowns- 5 sets of 13-15
• Wide grip incline DB press- 4 sets of 10
• Bonus facepulls and chest-supported rows
• Side planks- 4 holds each side

This was a long workout. Also the first time I have done 5x10 squats of any type for more than 10 years. Still have the weight light to take it easy on my back and to build tolerance for higher volume.

Rowed twice yesterday (Friday), sort of:

In AM, regular row in 3 seat of the quad, mostly moderate steady state but with some pause drills, most of us trying to get in an enjoyable recreational row, but also invest in bringing along the skills of the novice rower in 2 seat. (It's that time of year! Experienced folks helped us along when we were new, now it's our turn. )

PM, I took out a woman in my double who's never been in a rowing shell before. (She's used a Concept 2 RowErg at her Crossfit gym.) We started with a little RowErg review of the stroke cycle (because some Crossfit trainers do better than others at coaching this for on-water compatibility). Then we carried the double down and rowed it. On the water, she rowed for a bit while I stabilized the boat, then I'd row us back on course solo, then she'd row again for a while.

This morning (Saturday), a coached row of around 9.5k, 5' pieces with a paddle in, the piece, then a paddle down and rest in between. Our club launched 2 women's doubles plus a guy (new this season) in a skinny racing single. The collegiate club launched one mixed eight. The collegiate club's coach had them row by 6 and capped their rating (strokes per minute) so they didn't get too far ahead of us The single took a bad stroke on the next to last piece and flipped - other than a scratch, he was OK, just wet.

It would've been unseemly of me to comment on it there, but it pleased me that my double (ages 67 and 78, but 20+ years experience each) caught and passed the other double (women 40- and 30-something, half our age but less experienced) on every 5' piece.

No electricity at my house since Thursday night (storms), so I'm running on limited sleep (sleep apnea, no CPAP, neighbor's gas generator running below my bedroom) and over-caloric but undernutritious restaurant meals since. They've changed the restore estimate multiple times (longer), now saying 9:30pm tonight.

Five of the six triathletes who raced last week turned out this morning for a 56 mile ride I had mapped out. Two of the group have fall 70.3 races on the schedule, so I knew this would be a tempo ride that would test me.

Since I was the route creator , I started off pulling the group at a 19-20mph pace. It wasn't bad for the first twenty miles, but I could feel that our strongest cyclists wanted to go harder. So, when we reached a turn on to a 14 mile "backstretch" I asked a friend to take a turn in front. That started a horse race of sorts. There was a large gap that opened up quickly, and I tried to stay within reach of the two faster riders. I couldn't stay closer than a quarter mile and the two women in the group lagged behind, saying "we don't want to play that game today" (Smart move on their part).

When we pulled into a convenience store at mile 30, our average pace was just under 20 mph. I knew this was way too fast for me to maintain for 56 miles today.

The second half of the ride is almost all open country and it became both hilly and very hot in the bright sun. By the time we hit the last turn, I was out of fluids, having consumed 3.5 bottles in 50 miles. It just wasn't enough. The finishing leg is a long slow uphill until the last mile, which is a 5% grade. I was cooked. Left quad cramped enough that I had to get off the bike twice in the last two miles. I limped into the parking lot, stripped off most of my kit, and put a water soaked towel over my head.

My speed and power numbers fell off a cliff, finishing the 56miles at a 16.0mph pace. Power meter showed a 2200 calorie expenditure at a 156w ave. Despite bonking fairly badly at the end, it was a very good ride with my favorite riding crew. I plan to do it again soon, only slower and better hydrated.

Plan to do a short, slow run tomorrow.

Guess what? Rowed again. Big surprise, eh?

At least my electricity is back on (after 3 flippin' days), and my flat tire is . . . well, still flat and on my car's spare tire holder until Wednesday, but that'll have to do for now).

Upper Power

Bench Press 5x5
Cable Row 5x5
DB Press <superset> DB Row 5x5
Seated Smith OHP <superset> BB Shrugs 3x8
Cable Pushdown <superset> Preacher Curl 3x8

I am in north Florida, so my workout today was putting plywood on my windows and cleaning up the yard so that old kids bicycle does come crashing though someone’s window.

70 minutes

782 calories (per Apple Watch)

Catching up here. I do a regular short early morning elliptical. Extra elliptical work on Saturday but nothing else. A short bike ride on Sunday. 25 minute run outside, late in the evening on Monday. Today I rode the bike to the pool and back, swimming 1600m. Mostly front crawl but included 100 IM, 100 flutter kick w/board, and 100 fr w/ pull bouy, as well as some awkward technique drill lengths. Then this evening, another 25 minute run outside just after sundown as the air started to cool.

Lower Power

Rack Pull 5x5
BB Hip Thrust 5x5
One-Leg Press 3x8
Seated Leg Curl 3x8
Seated Calf Extension 4x12
Cable Crunch 4x10

Quick leg workout for me. 2 warmup sets on squats and then:

1x failure leg extensions then took the 3 steps to my squat rack and then:
1x failure (well, almost, no way I was getting another) backsquat and then immediately:
1x failure body weight squats

Then I tried not to puke for 30 mins.