Sept 11, 2016

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A friend is one with whom you are comfortable, to whom you are loyal, through whom you are blessed, and for whom you are grateful.
William Arthur Ward

Sunday long effort today

We met at the Baylor track and Mike put together a 90 minute workout combining the track, stairs and field.  By request, I brought our 2 Rogue small sleds with a 25 lb weight for each.  The workout looked like this:

Run on track to the first set of stairs, run up and down, continue on and run every stair in the stadium up and down and make your way around the track back to the starting point where we pulled the sled down 50 yards and back, then did 25 yards of walking lunges and one 25 yard bear crawl.  We continued this for 90 minutes.

This was a fantastic workout that helped to prepare me for the Upchuck 50 k and also just to get a longer, slower pace workout in for the week.

Kudos to:

Mike D

Lisa D

Chris R

Rusty G

Doug "The Snowman" F

Jody "Bolt" B

and Reggie V

September 9, 2016

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“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Show respect to all people, bow to none. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

— Tecumseh

 

5:15 am

WHM Breathing x 3 + pushups

RRL Warmup

Build to 1 Rm Clean and Jerk

2 Man Tag Team Partner workout

Run 200 m + 1 Rope Climb

200 KB Swings with 70 lb Gorilla Bell

The way this one works is one partner(P1) starts on the run while the other (P2) swings the KB as many times as he can before P1 returns from the run and completes 1 rope climb.  The partners tag out and continue the running total of KB swings.  P2 takes off on the run and P1 starts swinging.  Continue like this until 200 KB swings are completed by the team.

Good times this morning.  Great group and a fantastic way to start the day and end the week.

September 8, 2016

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“When you finally decide how successful you really want to be, you’ve got to set priorities. Then, each and every day, you’ve got to take care of the top ones. The lower ones may fall behind, but you can’t let the top ones slip. You don’t forget about the lower ones, though, because they can add up to hurt you. Just take care of the top ones first. In 25 years as a head coach and assistant, I think I might have missed one practice. Why? Because practice is my top priority.  A day doesn’t go by when I don’t accomplish something in my family life or my profession, because those two things are my top priorities.”

-Dan Gable

RRL Warmup

Then

Bench Press 5-5-3-3-1-1-1

Then

Row 5000 with a goal of 20 minutes

or Run 5k

Sept 6, 2016

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“Take pride in yourself. Be your own person. Don’t do things because everyone else does them. Don’t be part of the crowd. Dare to be different. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe to be right, even when it means standing alone.”
— Jack Lambert

RRL Warmup

Deadlift 5-5-3-3-1-1-1

Then

100 KB Swings @ 53 lbs

EMOM do 5 burpees

4:52Top score 4:32, 4:35 from Mike and Trevor

then

Max Air Squats in 2 minutes- Goal 120 per SealFit Assessment

123 for me

Sept 5, 2016

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"It is moments like this that one needs to face his fears. The best way to have such a moment is to gradually confront the fear and approach it in a way that is both exciting and inspiring. You have to be decisive and physically prepared to do your best. After that, little by little, you will see progress."

-Wim Hof

Team workout today

First,

RRL Warmup

then

Hang Squat Clean 5-5-3-3-1-1-1

then

2 Man Leap Frog Workout

10 Pullups

10 Assault Bike Calories

10 Wall Balls

AMRAP 15 min

then

Gratitude 6 minutes

The Filthy 15 Miles

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"Demand more from yourself than anyone else could ever possibly expect"

-Tony Robbins

There is an internet unicorn with the initials SS that I have been following for quite some time.  This guy has created and completed some absolutely crazy workouts.  He did them in preparation for BUDs training.  He has also completed some of the most intense, endurance challenges that I have ever heard of or seen.

I have chipped away at many of the challenges that he put on the internet, but there have been a few that loom large on the horizon that I was unsure that I could complete.  After doing Marathons, Tough Mudders, SealFit Kokoro, Goruck Selection and many others, I am now finding great fun in simply finding a challenge and doing it right here in my driveway with my friends.

Yesterday we tackled one that I have been considering for a long time but refrained for any number of reasons that keep all of us from doing difficult things.  Finally, the challenge was accepted and completed.

This one was

The Filthy 15 Miles

Run 400 m

10 burpees

1 Muscle Up

x 60 Rounds

This equates to running 15 miles, doing 600 Burpees and doing 60 Muscle Ups.

Mike, PSC, Rusty and Jody showed up and took on this challenge with me.  Mike mentioned that he was more nervous than when he was at the starting line of a Marathon, PSC remained confident and I know that I felt like not doing it....about 50 times.

At 7:30 am, we started the clock for 99 minutes (the longest the clock allows) and started a slow pace, hoping that we could keep it through the workout. 

We made it through the first 10 rounds in 30 minutes and started losing a few minutes each 10 rounds, but continued to chip away for 3 hours 30 minutes and 12 seconds for me.  PSC finished in 3:19:00 and Mike was in at 3:34:15. 

The first 30 rounds was a great workout and would fit into a Challenge Saturday perfectly.  Getting to 40 was mentally tough, but around round 46, I started to have some demons creep in.  Thoughts of not finishing were clearly present but this workout is so beautiful because 1 round is not really difficult so when things got tough...which they did, it was really easy to say, "well, Ill do one more round and see how i feel.  The next thing you know, you mark down 50 rounds and start feeling better.  After pushing through some very dark places, a second wind is found and I was looking at 5 more rounds.  While the muscle ups were getting extremely challenging, I was able to hit every one without failing on the rings. 

I have never done 60 muscle ups in any workout or even in a day.  This is another great thing about this workout.  The way it is laid out makes this amount of work possible.  To just try to do this work load straight through would be much more difficult for me.

Many people ask me why we do things like this.  I learned at SealFit the importance of always having goals out there that kind of scare you.  Always having something to train for.  This keeps us sharp, focused and continually putting ourselves in situations that create discomfort.  Pushing through creates confidence, mental toughness and durability.

We will continue to set the bar high and challenge ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally.  I encourage you to do the same, whatever that means to you.  Try the Filthy 15 or try a 5 k for the first time.  Challenge yourself

September 1, 2016

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“The toughest thing about success is that you’ve

got to keep on being a success."


—IRVING BERLIN

 

Today we started chipping away at the SealFit Assessment

1. AMREP 2 minutes- Situps to Navy Standards with a partner holding feet and judging reps- Goal 100

2. AMREP 2 minutes- Push-ups with a partner with their fist under the sternum.  Chest to fist every rep- Goal 100

3. Work to 1RM Thruster- You can use the rack for this

4. AMREP 1 Minute- Thruster @ 95 Lbs- Goal 30

August 31, 2016

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“What no one could have realized at the time was how much Jeff and his team’s ignorance of the sport would turn out to be an asset”
— But Now I See by Steven Holcomb

This quote is from a book I am listening to and quite interested in.  The book is But Now I See by Steven Holcomb.  Steven is the driver of USA 1 Bobsled and an Olympic Gold Medalist.  He was diagnosed with Keratoconus which degrades vision and became legally blind (while still the driver of a sled going 90 mph).  Not only is this book a great story about overcoming a condition to restore sight, but it also has a parallel story about USA bobsledding that is fascinating to me. 

The USA at one time had to buy their sleds and equipment from the Europeans.  There were no sleds built in the USA.  It was no wonder that we consistently finished poorly, not only off the medal stand, but really never having a chance as we were using outdated equipment and no one was really taking the sport as seriously, in a gear or technical sense, as our competitors.  This all changed when Jeff Bodine of NASCAR was watching the Olympics when Herschel Walker was a pusher and the commentator pointed out this flaw in our team's equipment.  Jeff Bodine decided that he was going to change things.  

He didn't know anything about Bobsledding, but he had tremendous pride in his country and he did know about racing.  He did have a complete garage that could build a NASCAR vehicle overnight.  He committed to a task and got it done...eventually.  

I LOVE this quote above because it embodies my own career and what I have seen from so many others as well.  What may seem like the biggest weakness, challenge, hurdle, or giant mountain in front of you will turn out to be your greatest asset if you stick with it long enough.  In my case, I grew up in Tennessee and had never seen a bonefish, tarpon or permit in my entire life.  I had never been on a guided trip and had never once been to the Florida Keys.  There is no way that you could look at this situation and conclude that I was operating at a distinct advantage over my competition in my quest to become a bonefish, tarpon and permit guide in the Florida Keys.   It certainly wasn't an advantage...for 10 or 12 years. My competition grew up in Key West, they had fathers who were guides, they had been on the water their whole life.  My situation was one of almost complete impossibility, but I did have one crucial ingredient, passion and determination.  I simply wanted to be a fishing guide in the Florida Keys so bad that nothing was going to stop me.  One other asset that I had was a work ethic, an ability to endure pain and a never quit attitude forged by my wrestling background. 

I knew that I had to work harder than everyone else, 10 times as hard, because I had no idea what I was doing.  I had to learn more, faster than everyone else, because I knew nothing. I knew that I had to treat my customers better than they had ever been treated before, because they were the only ones that I had.  This developed a work ethic and passion for learning that became the normal, every day operating procedure.

In Steven Holcomb's book, the fact that Jeff Bodine knew nothing about bobsledding certainly wasn't an advantage at first.  His first sleds were slightly better than our old ones, but still no medals.  However, because he knew nothing of protocol, the way it had always been done or tradition, Jeff did what he knew how to do and used his resources to get a job done.  The result was something that the Bobsled community had never seen before.  Pit crews, engineers, the ability to change things instantly or rebuild the entire sled overnight became their normal operating procedure.

At first, this looked like a circus act and all the competitors watched in amusement, but Bodine and his team stayed with it and did what they knew how to do.  They knew how to make instant corrections toward improvement and they knew how to make things go fast. 

It didn't work right away, but eventually the fact that Jeff Bodine knew nothing about Bobsledding became the Team USA's biggest advantage.  In 2014 at Sochi, the Team USA sled, driven by Steven Holcomb won the Olympic Gold Medal.

Take Home Value:  Do not let ANYTHING intimidate you from doing something that you want to do.  No matter how impossible it seems, if you commit and stick with it, whatever your biggest challenge is today will become your greatest advantage.  This might be your health, your location, your education, your upbringing or your experience level.  It is definitely not going to happen overnight, but any of these things can be corrected and in that process, you may discover your advantage and dominate your competition. 

Do you have a story about how this has been true in your own life or in the life of someone you know?  If so, I'd like to hear it.  Send me an email at Permitfly4@aol.com

 

This morning 5:45 am

6 Mile Run as fast as possible

I finished 48:32, slower than I had anticipated.  PSC came in around 42:00, Mike D and Alan L beat me by a minute or two.  Good work!

August 30, 2016

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Renaissance Park Loop

This is one of our favorite field trips.  I simply made a loop course 8 years ago and we return to it now and then to see if we can do it just a little faster.  For a long time the record stood at 21:30 with me and Trevor tied.  Today, Trevor came in at 21:00 but was 5 seconds off his all time PR.

PSC was fast too and Mike D and I came in with a photo finish at 22:42

Ren Park

For time:

24 Push-ups at first corner

Crossovers on pier

10 Burpees at end of pier

24 Push-ups in second corner

24 Box Jump 24 in.s on picnic tables

24 Push-ups in 3rd corner

100m Burpee Broad Jump across bridge

24 Push-ups on 4th corner

50 Body Rows on railing by stairs

Go down stairs and come up big steps anyway possible

100m Bear Crawl up hill X2

Second round- All reps by 1/2

12 Push-ups

Crossovers

5 Burpees

Crossovers

12 Push-ups

12 Box Jump 24 in.s on tables

12 Push-ups

100m Burpee Broad Jump across bridege. Take 2 steps after hop

12 Push-ups

25 Body Rows

Go down stairs and up big stairs

100m Bear Crawl up hill

Done!

August 29, 2016

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One of my favorites made its way back around today:

The Chief

I felt great and was able to easily complete at least 5 rounds and change on each round and 6 on the first one.  This was an all time PR for me.

Each year in the United States Navy, a highly qualified and elite cadre of Sailors are selected and promoted to the join the ranks of Chief Petty Officer. Since 1893, "The Chiefs" have been relied upon by subordinates and superiors alike for their personal example, technical expertise and above all, their unique leadership capabilities. As the induction process for newly selected Chief Petty Officers is now underway throughout the US Navy, we thought it appropriate to inaugurate "The Chief" in honor and recognition of all past and present CPOs. Thanks to them and their families for their self-sacrifice, ability to adapt, tireless dedication to mission and devotion to country.

 

 

The Assessment

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SEALs getting it done in tough conditions

I am certainly not a Navy SEAL.  I have never been one and unfortunately, I think I am too old to ever become one now.  I have had the very good fortune to train with some of the Team Guys in SealFit Kokoro, my SealFit Level 1 certification, my Goruck Selection and a few other times.  Each time, I have learned alot and developed a deeper respect for these individuals. I will also say that I have had the good fortune to train with other Special Operators such as Rangers, Green Berets, MARSOC, Marines and others.  All of these guys have my ultimate respect.  They are highly trained, physically extraordinary, operate with extreme discipline and are always seeking excellence.  I have simply had more exposure to the SEALs through my reading and through SEALFIT.  All special operators are extraordinary and many have minimum standards that far exceed anything I am about to write about.  The assessment I am going to describe would be the absolute bare minimum that someone would have to have to show up to training and if you were barely meeting these standards, you better be ready for some serious pain.  The guys who make it far exceed most of the standards listed.

I am a 48 year old guy who has never been in the military.  I train regularly and use these standards to test myself and stay in relatively good condition.  With that being said, here is the Assessment.

SealFit has an Assessment which provides standards that we can strive for to excel at any task in air, land or water.  The standards are aggressive and paint a picture of a very fit person who would be extremely capable. 

Navy Seal, Josh Bridges is among the fittest humans on Earth

The real SEALs will far exceed these standards in most categories.  For those of us who are not SEALs, will never be a SEAL but respect the dedication, durability, and overall athletic standards to which these people are held (this describes me), this assessment provides some excellent goals to strive for. 

When completing this assessment, it requires planning and training.  It is certainly not something that I can do in a day.  Rather, I plan on fully completing the full Assessment by the end of September.  Even this is fairly aggressive with my travel schedule, however, I have invited my friends to do it with me.

The Assessment calls for max efforts in the major lifts to determine Functional Strength or the ability to do hard, heavy work (BW=bodyweight.  1.0=1x bodyweight, 1.5=1.5xbodyweight etc...)

Front Squat Men 1.5BW / Women 1.0BW

Deadlift Men 2.0BW / Women 1.5BW

Press Men 1.0BW / Women .75BW

Bench Press Men 1.5BW / Women 1.0BW

Squat Clean Men 1.25BW / Women 1.0BW

Clean & JerkMen 1.0BW / Women .75BW

then it tests Strength Stamina: Overcoming resistance repetitively with efficiency over time

BW Squat > 120 in 2 minutes All the way down on every rep

BW Push-up > 100 in 2 minutes Full range of motion

BW Pull-up > 20 in 2 minutes Full ROM / Kipping allowed

BW Sit-up > 100 in 2 minutes Full ROM / Abmat allowed

The next section is Functional Endurance: Developing functional LSD competencies in the water, air and land

Run 1.5 Miles in 9:00 minutes

Run 3.0 Miles in 20:00 minutes

Run 6.0 Miles in 45:00 minutes

Run 14 miles to completion

Ruck 26 Miles with 40# Ruck

Swim 500 Meters in 8:00 minutes

Swim 1 Mile in 35:00 minutes

Row 2,000 Meters in 7:45 minutes

Row 5,000 Meters in 20:00 minutes

And finally, they test Power and Speed: Overcoming resistance explosively

Row 500 Meters for time Target 1:30

Thrusters Max in 1 Minute (95#M/65#W) Target 30

Box Jumps Max in 1 Minute (20" box) Target 45

Run 400 Meters for time Target 1.25

Burpees Max in 1 Minute Target 15

 

Most of these can be completed during normal morning workouts, but things like the swims, 26 mile ruck, 14 mile run will have to be done on a Saturday or Sunday.  I fully expect that we may try some of these more than once, but I have set the end of Sept as the date that it will all be complete. 

I have sent an email to my group of regulars, but if you are reading this and want to complete this with us, shoot me an email at Permitfly4@aol.com and I can send you an Excel or Numbers file that will populate the goals based upon your bodyweight.

Here is my previous post on the Assessment