Well, I drove on down to San Jose Saturday morning to hit the Open Sectionals 3rd workout. I felt very ready to go and was excited to see what I could do. Not to make excuses, but I realized in retrospect why I did not score as many as I really expected. I finished with 28.5 rounds (that 28 squat clean and jerks and one squat clean) and to be honest, I was rally expecting to get in the 35 range. What happened was that we we ended up taking a TON of time between the two heats and I found myself just pacing back and forth for a good 30 minutes. Then all of a sudden, I was standing in front of my bar and my biddy Neal Maddox (who got 45 freaking rounds by the way, beast!!) was violently getting my attention. When I looked up I had 2 seconds and boom, the buzzer sounded to go. It took me about 4 or 4 reps to actually realize that we were doing the workout! My technique was thrown off like crazy and I ended up dropping the bar twice. Let me tell you, in a workout like this, dropping the bar is about the most demoralizing thing that could happen. I was just NOT there mentally for this one.
Still, in the end I was happy enough that I was keeping my placement high enough to make Regionals in the end; after all, that's all that really matters right now! So, Lindsey and I hit the gym and I got a few rounds of heavy pause squats and a crap lad of body weight reps to work on control of the body. But my mind kept on drifting back to how I wasn't mentally prepared and I really, really wanted to try it again. So, even though I was a little sore, I decided to just go for it!
Today's effort went a little better, 30 rounds, but it was the process that made it just so much more exciting! Apparently the clock decided to count all randomly and confused Brendon and Lindsey (my support/count/judge group). Because of this I ended up getting an additional 40ish seconds of work in and I banged out 33 reps. Going back to video and counting it next to a stop watch was quite a downer, having done 33 and having to take 3 away! Oh well, a better score is a better score. And to be honest, being able to up the score after doing the workout AND heavy back squats makes me feel pretty good (even though I expected more...).
On to other news: I have decided to push my move back east forward a few weeks. This came about because Lindsey and I are headed out to Utah for some adventure on that last week of April (for my Birthday) and I figured if we are headed out then, I may as well hang out here until then! So, to all my East Coasters waiting for me, it'll be just a little longer! And to all my West Coasters, let's live it up for a little longer!
Never Stop, GET FIT.
Josh Courage
Yesterday brought a good little workout, after a delay. My plan was to get after the first portion of the session in the AM, but my energy levels were just not there. So, I read my body and did what I needed to do throughout the day so that I had proper energy at the workout. And when workout time came, it was great:
3 x 10 forward rolls
3 x 5 skin the cats (2 rounds on the bar, 1 on the rings)
3 x 3 max handstand holds
3, 3, 3, 3 Power Snatch
4 rounds of:
300 meter row
15 toes to bar
The gymnastics at the start were great, the skin the cats felt very strong and controlled and the handstands are feeling more secure as well. The best part of the handstands was that I was able to adapt to falling off balance really well. The snatches lacked in a little focus but I pulled 165# with relative ease. My feet splayed open a but, but I was able to lock it out overhead fast and strong. After a bit of a breather I hit that metcon...
My goal was in the 5 minute range and after the first round I realized that was just NOT going to happen. This got me so bad in fact, that with the final round, after the first four toes to bar, I finished the rest with just singles. I squeezed in the last rep at 9:05 and was wonderfully spent! I stretched a bit and headed home to catch the end of the NCAA championship game. Today, after resting up and cooking up a huge breakfast after Lindsey headed out for work, I hit the trails for a 50 minute run. This turned out to be WAY harder then I was expecting, not because the trail was brutal, but because my ankles and calves were still so brutally sore from the Sectionals workout. I felt like I had no control over my legs as I ran, they just thumped along getting heavier and heavier with each step. Ugh. So I guess a whole heap of rolling and stretching is in order tonight!
But what is best about tonight (potentially) is that I plan to run off all alone to camp out in the wilderness! Have no clue where r how it might turn out, but I have a sleeping bag in the car and after my last session tonight I plan to just drive out to the mountains and find myself a little secluded spot to hang and connect with nature. Hope it works out!
Never Stop, GET FIT.
Josh Courage
Along with Lindsey and my ‘splorin the neighborhoods for our new lives in the greater Washington DC area, I had an additional positive for being in DC this past weekend. The great folks at the CrossFit and Parkour gym Primal Fitness were putting on their second DC’s Most Primal CrossFit competition. Last years event was a huge hit and I finished with a come-from-behind sprint on the final WOD to win 2nd place (I was apparently about 10 seconds away from tying for 1rst…). This time around I guess I just lucked out with the competition being on the same weekend we’d be in town! Things started off with two attempts at a 1 rep max deadlift. I decided to declare my first attempt at 465# and then, depending on what the competitive field was like, I’d jack it up or stay conservative. That first lift felt real good, fast, smooth and such, and seeing how there were a couple people working with weights around 500#, I decided to go for it. If I could pull 500# (technically a 15# PR from the PR I set almost two years ago! I would really say my PR at that point would be the 465# I pulled about a month back) I would get a 4th place spot on the first event. I had a great feeling approaching the bar, felt confident and strong. The crowd added a whole level of motivation and I fed off that energy right from the get-go. Pulling that weight up felt awesome! I rounded only a little in my thoracic spine (upper back) , and I had a small little dip past the knees, but besides that, so strong! And yes, I am proud to say I am officially part of the 500# club! Sweetness! Before the second event was announced, I had a great time catching up with all my friends. Being able to hang with all of them and just talk about this and that really helped to fuel the excitement building up inside of me for our big move back to the area. It was really nice. It also seemed to make the day just fly by, the second workout was set up and ready to go!
For time:
15 or so meter prowler push, down and back with 90# added
100# sandbag under rope, over 46” hurdle, under rope, over 36” hurdle, placed on top of 56” platform.
Return back over and under hurdles and ropes.
80# sandbag through same course.
Return back.
Repeat prowler push
This was sneaky hard! What was so cool about this one was that you were so focused on maneuvering around the obstacles you never really noticed how tiring it actually was until you got back to the prowler. That second prowler push felt like trying to move a mac truck, not easy at all. My focus through this one was to just keep moving no matter what. I noticed that people were getting stuck on the last length with the prowler and that was eating up all the time; so, I decided to go at around 90% through the sandbag course so that I could go all out on the prowler. I feel as though I could have given a tad more on the obstacle course portion and still had about the same energy for that last push. I crossed the line at 1:56, enough for 5th overall on that event and placing me 4th overall going into the final workout. At this point I was happy to have a bit of a break because my lungs and legs were on fire! I love the prowler so much; it has got to be one of the most humbling and effective tools I can think of. So fun!
The final workout was announced and the air was a mix of moans, groans and excitement. For Time do: 800 meter run 50 burpees 50 overhead lunges w/ 45# 800 meter run The run was a loop around the neighborhoods in the rough terrain that is the Washington DC sidewalks. I was excited. This type of workout, while hard as hell, I tend to do pretty well with; just a “put you head down and GO” type of thing. The only negative was that it had a 15-minute cap and there were 7 heats going...I was in the 7th heat. I started off at a comfortable pace, just ahead of the rest of the group. I felt very good, short, light steps, agile, relaxed. Entering into the gym I knew I was about 10 steps ahead of the guy behind me, so I just ran up to my station and began the burpees. Again, stayed at a good pace, tried staying light and rhythmical. After getting all 50 burpees unbroken, I grabbed my plate and hoisted it up for the lunges. I chose to do reverse lunges instead as to decrease the impact I would have to take; and while this helped out my legs, it was my shoulders that really failed me. I was able to get 10 right off the bat, but from there on through 50 I was only able to get 5 at a time. The thing that helped me however, was the fact that I never let go of the plate. Even when I rested it on the ground, I kept my hands on it as to not break momentum. I finished that up in a fatiguing mess and just took off for the run. Oh lord was the first half of that second run brutal. Slightly nauseous I just kept moving, and when I rounded the second to last turn I glanced back. The red shoes of Jason Gerrard (last years winner and the man to beat this year) caught my eye; I switched gears and took off. The last bit of motivation was seeing my good ol’ dad all the way around that last turn just pumping motivation at me! I got a final burst of energy and crossed the line at 11:29, good enough for a solid 3rd place in the event.  When the scores were tallied, just like last year I was able to push myself up to a 2nd place finish. Not enough to de-thrown Jason (an absolute beast of an athlete and an awesome guy), but still, very happy with how things turned out. Having not competed since last years Sectionals, I was in some serious need of one, and finishing 2nd after a red-eye flight and two days of driving around searching for housing and gyms boosted my confidence quite a bit! Big Dan (a great friend and training partner) gathered up the 3rd place spot!
A HUGE amount of respect to Jesse and Mark at Primal for putting on such an awesome event, and to their whole crew for helping out and being such warm-hearted people. And then, to all the competitors, impressive work all around! It was a blast to be able to be around all my old friends (AND to have my dad and Penda out there to cheer me on!). I am feeling that excitement of being around all those people soon!
A day off yesterday and I am back at it. Open Sectionals begin in two weeks exactly!
Never Stop, GET FIT.
Josh Courage
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