Monday, November 10, 2008
Warm-up:
600m run
Burgener warm-up
20 burpees

Workout (with 10’ PVC):
400m run
40 OH squats
400m run
40 Snatch balance
400m run
40 hang snatches

Time:  19:18
+ 16 burpees for my daily total
This was a redo of a workout that I did at PF.  I was several minutes slower this time, but almost 2 minutes were lost due to a “gate malfunction” (I got locked out, necessitating… well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I’m a locksmith).  In addition, without the eagle eyes of the PF coaches looking over my shoulder, I’m even more careful about my form.  I suspect that I actually did each and every movement better, as opposed to being a bit sloppy but faster as I tried to beat the clock.

Excitingly, the REASON that I had the PVC was because I found all of the “ingredients” to make my own parallettes!  Granted, it took me a few stores before I found everything (*wistful sigh*  no Home Depot here…) but I got the PVC taped and ready to cut.  Before I did, though, I figured I might as well use it.  A 10’ piece of PVC can be fun!

I’ll cut it tomorrow.  I asked if they could do it at the store; the response was twofold:  1)  Yes, but it will cost 50 cents per cut and 2) We don’t cut it straight.

I suppose honesty is a good thing.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Warm-up
6x:
5 dips
5 burpees + 1
5 wall squats
+ 5 planche push-ups

Workout with 1 gallon water bottle:

50 OH walking lunges (right)
50 Sit-ups
50 OH walking lunges (left)
50 Sit-ups
50 One-armed thrusters
50 sit-ups

Tme:  17:11

Fun with a water bottle!  It did take some self-control (yeah, like I have that in abundance) not to start drinking from it.  That would have the dual benefit of hydrating me during a good workout, PLUS, it would lighten the load.  However, I stayed strong and finished with a full gallon – well, less the gallon that I was sweating off.  The humidity really does make your body get warm quickly!

Saturday, November 9, 2008
Warm-up
1200m run

3x:
10 wall squats
10 burpees
10 sit-ups

Workout with carpet bag (40#?):
5x:
10 SDLHP
10 front squats
10 shoulder press
10 snatch

Time:  13:50

I have to get more creative.  I really, REALLY don’t want to do anything on the ground (outdoors there are MANY bugs, indoors it’s hard tile) and I don’t have any equipment.  I decided to run around the US Embassy living compound for a start – no doubt my warm-up jog is immortalized on a security video; hopefully I can track it down and use it to critique my running form – and then loaded up my bag with enough books to weigh approximately 40 pounds.  Working out with something that’s rather squishy and uncooperative is a bit more challenging, so even though the weight was really light it was fun just trying to keep it from flying out of my hands.  It also worked stabilizers since it was unevenly weighted and wobbled from side to side.

Rather like me.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

26 burpees for time (1:39)
100 situps for time (4:21)
100 wall squats (for form, not time)
100 bunny hops

Monday, November 3, 2008
Warm-up
600m run
5x
5 burpees
5 arch rocks
5 hollow rocks

Workout is pictured below… *whew*  Now this IS a Belizean workout!  With all of the rain, the roads here are pretty bad (and they were NOT good to start with).  While trucks are willing to drop off the filler (which is just dirt and rocks – some BIG rocks!), the real fun is shoveling, hauling it down the road and spreading it.  This helped rebuild some of my calluses on my hands (which were getting soft from the lack of a pull-up bar) and added some new ones on the side of the thumbs.  Somehow, I think that maintaining my “hardened hands” won’t be too difficult here.

Sunday, November 2, 2008
24 burpees

Tabata This!  Belizean Style

Hammock swings
Caribbean punch (ml)
Naps (snores)

I am proud to say that I was able to maintain my pace all the way through.  It’s a brutal workout, but I think I will make a habit of doing it on a regular basis, just to insure that I keep up my stamina.  It took me several hours to recover from this.  *whew*

I intend to do a similar workout but try repping out on each of the exercises.

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Workout:
5x
400m run (probably closer to 300m, actually)
10 broad jumps (5 forward/5 back)

Time:  12:17

Fun to be able to do the WOD as Rx’ed!  It was like I was back at PF… except for the 50 or so parrots squawking overhead, the guinea hens clucking around and the complete lack of traffic noise or people around.  Oh, and the chickens.  And the toucans and toucanettes in the trees.  And the fact that I was in the middle of the jungle.

Okay, I guess it wasn’t anything like being back at PF.  But at least I did the same workout!  But it was like a little bit of home…

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

1 mile run
19 burpees

Running on uneven, bumpy paths is much more difficult than zooming through Santa Monica!  On the good side, my speed has improved, since mosquitoes are attracted to heat, carbon dioxide and moisture – something I generate in abundance when I’m running.  As a result, I rarely pause, or even slow down because there’s too much blood loss if I do.  I find this even more motivating than working out with other PF folks.  Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been comfortable leading a pack of evil, mindless, blood-sucking creatures… no doubt why I chose the profession that I did.  It had lots of them.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Warm-up
3x:
6/6/5 burpees (for my daily allotment)
10 10# dumbbell sit-ups (anchored)
10 good mornings

1RM Turkish-getups

4-2-2-1-1-1
15#/20#/30#/35#/40#/45#(m)

5x
5 deadlifts (50# dumbbells)
5 squats (30# dumbbells)
Time:  8:01

Interesting… my overall strength appears not to be affected by the heat, as my last attempt at a 1 RM Turkish get-ups was 35# (only about a month ago, too!).  It really must be my body’s ability to cool itself that is causing issues.  No doubt this will improve with time.

I can technically flag this as a new PR, but because it’s so darned unimpressive I hesitate to do so.  It rather begs the question of whether there should be a MINIMUM before one starts counting, or at least crowing about it.  Otherwise, my entire first YEAR of CF would probably one long string of PR’s, setting me up for great disappointment in the future.

Saturday, October 25, 2008
Warm-up
10 good mornings
10 sit-ups
6/5/5 burpees (for my daily 16)

Workout:
The Great-tailed Grackle (redux)
3x:
21-15-9
Thrusters (20# dumbbells)
Chair sits (seconds)
Push press (20# dumbbells)
OH lunges (15# dumbbells)
Time:  13:40

Well, this is 1:20 less than last time I was in Belize, but I really thought it would be faster.  It’s amazing how quickly the humidity sapped me - the first set of 21 thrusters was done unbroken, but after that, it all went downhill FAST.  The push presses were in sets of 7 for the first round, which is pathetic!  After the thrusters, I was red-faced and gasping for air, and never was able to get my breath after that.  The weights felt really light, but the humidity and heat really slowed me waaaayyy down.  I felt lucky to finish.  The humidity will absolutely take some time to get used to again!  But the humidity has a definite upside – this is even better than a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon for getting rid of wrinkles. 

I can easily see how my “Belizean Burpees” will go.  Get up in the morning, do a burpee or two, watch the toucans fly through, do another few burpees, pick some fresh fruit, do a few more burpees, make a smoothie, do some more burpees, throw myself into the pool, do a couple more burpees…  This should keep me fairly busy for the next 84 days.  It’s a rough life. 

Oh, I did my very first unassisted pull-ups on October 20!  And the word of the day is pellucid.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Warm-up
3x:
Neck rolls
10 hollow rocks
10 arch rocks
3/2/2 burpees

Workout:
Broomstick Mile aka Jo Stairs

25 back squats
25 front squats
25 overhead squats
8 flights of stairs
25 shoulder press
25 push press
25 push jerks
8 flights of stairs
50 cleans
8 flights of stairs
50 snatches
8 flights of stairs

Time:  27:38

I’m going to try to keep as close to the WOD as possible, with only those changes necessary to accommodate my limited (for a time) space and equipment.  So, instead of PVC, I had a 705 gram jo in my luggage.  (Doesn’t everyone?)  It’s a little shorter than the PVC, which made the back squats a bit awkward, but I adjusted for it.  (I am a bit curious as to how much the PVC weighs; if anyone cares to give me the length and weight, that would be greatly appreciated.)

Since I’m staying near LAX, the idea of running in the dark, while certainly good exercise on many levels (and a potential source of additional income), seemed less than wise, so I substituted running up and down the stairs.  I have no idea how 8 flights of stairs compares to 400m runs, but it certainly was taxing.

For my last LA workout tomorrow, since I *am* near LAX, I contemplated going to Girls! Girls! Girls! and asking if I could borrow their trapeze and pole for a workout.  Thinking this through, though, it seems there are several potential problems:

1.  I might be recognized from “the old days”.
2.  My Crossfit skills might so overwhelm the discerning audience that the working girls would lose their attention.  (Paco is not the ONLY one with talented boobs.)
3.  Vibram 5-fingers might become the Footwear of Choice for the exotic dancer community, subjecting Burch and Jonesy to much abuse when they wore theirs.

I hope, therefore, that tomorrow’s workout is something that I can do in the comfort of my hotel room.  Otherwise, I make no promises about being able to leave the country without either an outstanding new job opportunity, or an international warrant for my arrest.  But then, really, that’s nothing new…

Word of the day: invigilate

Monday, October 13, 2008

Warm-up
600m run

3x:
20 arch rocks
20 hollow rocks
10 wall squats

Workout:
3-3-3-3-3
Deadlift
125-135-145-155-175 (x4)

I love deadlifts!  Of course,  I’ve also done enough of them with the whole “moving boxes and furniture thing” these past months… Practice really does help!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Warm-up
600m run
Burgener warm-up

Workout:
400m run
40 OH squats (9# PVC)
400m run
40 Snatch balance (9#)
400m run
40 hang snatches

Time:  15:44

Saturday, October 4, 2008

3x:
5 push-ups
10 Turkish get-ups (20#)
15 weighted sit-ups (10#)
20 walking lunges (20# dumbbells)

Monday, September 29, 2008
Warm-up
600m run

20 sec, 20, 20, 40, 20, 20, 20
Partner situps – total 187

Stretches with rope

Workout:
3x:
400+ m run
12 pull-ups (green/black)
21 thrusters (20# dumbbell)

Time:  17:50