Victory

Kind of.

I'll start from the beginning.

Today for strength we benched. Ended up doing 235 four times. Yessir. Getting stronger.

Oh and we superset that with chin-ups. Like old school. No Kipping and we turned our grip around so it was all bicep. Different.

Then for conditioning we did the following: run 200 meters, 10 ring dips and then as many burpees as possible before the two minute time limit is up.

For four rounds. I know what you're thinking. Why do the burpees at all?

Well, that's because that's how we keep score at RFM. It's called "pain."

So we start. And I pace myself. I'm last as I come in for the first 200.

The ring dips suck, and then I crank out about 8 burpees.

But I'm not tired or winded. We rest for a minute and run again. Same thing. I pace myself.

Same for the third round. But I look around and see that Garth is on the ground hunched over and Bumper is asking him if he's going to lose his lunch.

He was cranking out the burpees I guess. I was going another route.

We line up for the last 200 and Bumper says "go." I blast off. I'm talking about sprinting at full speed.

I'm going so fast I have to grab the gate to guide me as I run out of the parking lot. It was about there that I notice that might knees are pumping so high they're almost to my chin.

Thank God Derek wasn't there because I wouldn't have been able to beat him. But he wasn't and when I hit the fire hydrant and turned around everyone was still behind me.

I got back and tried to make the most of it. I jumped up and tried to crank out the ring dips but I could only do one or two at a time. Everyone started catching up. When I finally got done I only had time to do 8 burpees.

So yeah, not my greatest performance but it was fun blowing past everyone on the sprint. And now Kehau wants to race me because she said she can beat me at short distance. Yeahhhhhhhh maybe if we do a 50 air squats first. Or four sets of 10 front squats or box jumps.

But a nice sprint with no other foolishness attached to it? Not happening. If my back isn't blown out I can run against anybody. (Short distance of course)

Like I've said many times during this blog, I'm taking my victories where I can.

Rest day tomorrow, see ya Friday gang.

Rod 

Lifted 4000 pounds today

Yessir, I've reached Hulklike strength levels at last.

Not really, but I did move 4000 pounds. I had to throw up 135 pounds 30 times to do it but I got it done.

And it wasn't that hard actually. Ha.

Bumper was making fun of my technique too. Called it some sort of "reverse curl, split foot jerk" or something like that.

Whatever, it worked. I almost came in first but Troy went 20 pounds lighter and beat me by about 30 seconds (I think).

Ah well. But I DID beat Kehau's time. And Lori's. HAH.

Take that.

Wimpy girls.

Of course the other day was much tougher and I did not beat either of them.

As many rounds as possible of five pullups, 10 boxjumps and 15 kettlebells in ten minutes.

I think I did five rounds using the 53 pound kettlebell. Tough on my back but that's because there was something wrong with my shorts.

Yeah, you heard me. My shorts were kinda tight and short and I couldn't really do that thing where you swing the kettleball between your legs because there was no give.

This is hard to explain, except that I'm not using those shorts again. Just take my word for it, tight shorts are not good for swinging the kettleball.

Anyway I ripped through the five pullups, did the 10 boxjumps without too many problems but the kettlebell swings killed me.

Just another day at RFM. But I'm not looking forward to tomorrow's workout.

Oh yeah and I might start Paleo again for April. Maybe. I need some motivation damn it.

Rod

It's been a while but there was this tsunami . . .

Just so you know, I'm not making excuses about why I haven't written in this blog for like two weeks.

That said, the story behind why is interesting so I'll share it with you.

It all started with my last post back on March 9th. I was talking about running with rubber bands or some crazy foolishness like that.

Then on March 10th we had a special Crossfit workout for Maui County workers. There's a Health and Wellness program going on and five of  them showed up to take advantage of a free Thursday class.

Right after helping my fellow Countians work out I headed for Kaahumanu to meet some friends for drinks. I was still in my workout clothes when I get the call.

Ryan (my assistant director at the County): "Rod, did you hear about the earthquake in Japan?"

Me: "Earthquake? Wasn't that yesterday?" (In truth there had been an earthquake the previous day)

Ryan: "No brah, I just got the Civil Defense email."

Me: "Wait. Let me check the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Website."

Sure enough, it says something like "TSUNAMI HEADING TO HAWAII NUMBNUTS.RUN!!!!"

Me: "Crap. I'll see you at the E.O.C."

The EOC is the Emergency Operations Center for Civil Defense. The time was 7:56 p.m. I stopped to get a six pack or Red Stripe beer at Uptown Chevron and then hit the County building. I'm still in my sweaty workout clothes.

Anyway, I end up working there until 3 p.m. THE NEXT DAY. After that Ryan and I down the six pack in my office after sending out the umpteenth press release and I head home to sleep. Since then I haven't written my blog. Sorry but it's kind of like skipping workouts. The longer you skip the harder it is to get back on track.

Well that's over. I'm back now. And in order to make up for these lost weeks I'm gonna write about all the days I missed. Right now:

- March 11. Tsunami made me miss my Kaiser appointment so I can get my back checked out. SCREW YOU TSUNAMIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- March 12. I workout even though I still haven't slept enough. It's some damn team workout. I feel less than stellar as Dawn, Derek and I do 100 burpees, 100 pullups and other ridiculousness.
- March 15. Lori and I have a handstand contest. I win. Then we do more handstand pushups and L-sits followed by a series of 5 different kind of pushups and 200 meter sprints. I am happy there are no squats involved despite the pain.
- March 16. Seven kettlebell swings followed by seven push presses followed by seven knee to elbows for TEN ROUNDS!!! Hardass Fitness couple from Oahu in the house. They kick my ass. It is not a surprise.
- March 17. No workout but the RFM crew plus the HAF couple whoop it up for St. Patrick's Day. I make Tehau shotgun an Irish Car Bomb. She does not mock me for the rest of the night. I am pleased.
- March 19. Turkish Get-ups suck. Also I bust open my own upper lip because I fail to catch a wall ball, which also sucks. This makes sipping martini's afterwards VERY painful as well as other lip-related activities. Despite this I go out for Supermoon with the RFM crew in Kuau and then more foolishness later by myself. If only I worked my legs like I do my liver I could be a male version of Tehau. Aurite.
- March 21. - Burpee wall balls and situps. This time I do not catch the ball with my face.
- March 23, today. - I deadlift, power clean, front squat and jerk 115 pounds for a measly 7 rounds while everyone else does between 12 to 22 rounds. My back hurts and I remember that I still have to reschedule my Kaiser appointment. Damn you tsunami gods.

There you have it folks. No tsunami no cry. I'm back and that's all that matters.

Till the next big one hits,

Rod

You want an "I Hate Cardio" tshirt, don't you?

C'mon, it's going to be cool.

The front of the tshirt will say "i HAtE cArDIO" and then in the back I'll have the website address, http://www.cardiokiller.blogspot.com/

Maybe I'll have a little Power Ranger logo somewhere too. (Read past blogs for why this is funny)

Anyway, that's my sales pitch. It's gonna catch on FIYAH.

I no keed you brah.

So it's been a deloading week as I've mentioned before. Lighter weights for more reps. Always good to relax.

Today we had a three part workout. The first deadlifts and toes to the nose. Not bad. And my toes to the nose lifts are getting easier.

Then we repped out 30 pullups as fast as we could do them. I'm doing alright in that respect. Got those kipping pullups going. Cranked out 16 pullups before I had to rest then cranked out the rest in two more sets.

My rubber band days are long behind me.

But then Bumper has us do these freaking sprints with said rubber bands around our waist while our partners hold us back.

My partner was the new guy Troy, who did a good job holding me back. Too good. By the time I hit the 6th sprint I was wasted.

Then came my turn to hold Troy back. Not such a good idea to go first. I was so tired that he almost ran out of the building and dragged me behind him.

So next time Derek helped me hold Troy back. Ha. That was a good rest. Thanks D.

Then the final lap I actually slipped in and put the band around my waist and ran aganist Troy.

Two hundred pounds plus running in the other direction and he was going NOWHERE fast.

A fun day, if I wasn't in so much pain.

Speaking of pain, I've FINALLY set up an appointment to go to Kaiser to see a doctor about my freaking back.

Can't wait. I want some damn answers.

Oh yeah, and I get to workout on Thursday. We've got a County Wellness seminar at RFM and I'm going to watch some of my fellow co-workers hack up a lung.

Can't wait to watch Bump bring the pain. Hahahahahahhahaha.

See ya guys.

Rod

My. Back. Sucks.

I swear to God I'm going to Kaiser. I'm making an appointment and gonna get someone to x-ray my spine and see if there's an effing crushed vertebre something back there.

Because this sh!t is getting ridiculous.

Today we shoulder pressed light weight. Yep, it's time to deload. But of course we superset with dips. My ring dips still need work, damn torn pectoral.

Anyway, that wasn't the problem. The problem was once again that Rod's lower back hates him.

Oh yeah? Well I hate him back. YOU SUCK!!!

So we run the 400, come back and do 15 box jumps and then 15 situps. Not bad at all.

I've even got BRAND NEW SHOES. Know what I'm sayin? My kicks are just outta the box. Wore 'em straight from Foot Lockah brah.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuutttt, my back hates me.

So we run. And I come back and do the jumps. Then I do situps. No problem.

Except there is. My back tightens up. The second run is more painful and I'm running slower. The jumps are a little harder and the situps hurt.

Then I run the last 400. I'm hobbling like a 90 year old man. Did I tell you I took off my shoes? I thought it might help.

Nope.

I'm running as stiff as a ramrod on the third lap. It's like there's a steel rod running down the length of my back and another shorter steel rod running horizontal just above the waistline.

In other words I felt like I was nailed to an upside down cross and trying to run. Get the picture? I'm so not exaggerating.

I get back to the gym and try to jump. I almost kill myself because I'm jumping with socks and almost slip off the box. I take off my socks and jump and maybe complete three more. I'm done. It's over.

I think I need to change the name of this blog. I don't hate cardio anymore. I hate my back and I hate the fact that it's preventing me from achieving my full potential.

This means war.

The big 2 zero zero

So I'm 38 now and I'm thinking the next big number I need to worry about is the big 4 oh right?

Yeahhhhhh. Not so much. Seems I forgot about another number.

The big 200. As in 200 pounds.

Dude, for real.

I'm not sure what happened. I started Crossfit at 195 or so, then did the Paleo diet and went down to 185. Then just today I weighed myself at the office as part of the Wellness challenge thing and saw that I was 200 pounds.

Two hundred. WTF?

I'd be more worried about it but my stomach is smaller even though I weigh more. Bumper says I'm getting my body is getting "more dense".

Yes, I know, lots of Portuguese jokes to be made after that. Insert "dense" pocho jokes here.

But seriously, I have noticed that some long time weight limits have gone up as well, strengthwise. Here are some observations:

- Since high school I've never shoulder pressed more than 135 pounds. I'm doing 155 now and that's still not my one rep max.

- I'm up to or close to deadlifting 300 pounds. Thanks to Kats who always inspires me to push myself when I see him throwing on the big weight.

- I'm back to benching 225, which is unreal considering I ripped my pectoral last year. My chest is deformed but getting back to full strength.

So I guess I can't expect those kinds of improvements in strength without some weight gain.

But damn, 200? Time to eat more salad.