Thursday May 12, 2016

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““The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence, regardless of his chosen field of endeavor.”
”
— Vince Lombardi

5 am

Bulger

Run 150 m

7 Chest 2 Bar Pullups

7 Front Squats @ 135 lbs

7 Handstand Pushups (HSPU)

x 10 rounds for time

 

Canadian Forces Corporal Nicholas Bulger, 30, of Peterborough, Ontario, assigned to the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based out of Edmonton, Alberta, died July 3, 2009 while on patrol in the Zhari district of Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle. Cpl. Bulger is survived by his wife Rebeka, and daughters Brookelynn and Elizabeth.

Tuesday May 10, 2016

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5 AM

Small

Row 1000m

50 Box Jumps - or step ups for old guys

50 Burpees

Run 800 m

X 3 rounds for time

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Marc Small, 29, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, died on February 12, 2009, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and small arms fire in Faramuz, Afghanistan. He is survived by his father and stepmother, Murray and Karen, mother and stepfather, Mary and Peter MacFarland, and fiancee Amanda Charney.

Friday May 6, 2016

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Today was Wade's last day before shipping off to Afghanistan for a while.  We will miss you Brother!  Be safe.

We said Bon Voyage to Wade and remembered a hero with today's workout:

Hortman

Run 800

80 Air Squats

8 Muscle Ups

AMRAP 45 minutes

U.S. Army Captain John D. Hortman, 30, of Inman, South Carolina, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died on August 8, 2011, in Fort Benning, Georgia, in a helicopter accident during a military training exercise. He is survived by his mother, Brenda Jones, sister Jill Hortman, and brother, Andy Pierce.

 

Wednesday May 4, 2016

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Beep Test today

You can search Beep Test in my search bar on this blog and see the other posts for this test.  I really like it as an occasional test and I like it even more when I improve upon my last score...like today.

The search feature brings up these posts

 

It is a simple test using a measured 20 m shuttle run and the same recording each time.  We have used this one each time

Today, I beat my previous score of 11.8 and improved to 11.10.  I think it is possible for me to get 12 rounds, but it was becoming incredibly difficult at 11.10.  I know I had another round or so in me today.  I fell slightly behind in the 10th round but was able to catch up and make it into the 11th.

We finished with some core work and mobility.  Great day, awesome weather and better friends!

Thursday April 28, 2016

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So good to be back in the garage this morning with my friends.  While I do love traveling and visiting other gyms, there is no place like the RRL and no group of people that I feel as comfortable around or as supported by.

We hit it hard out of the gate this morning with a Hero Workout called Tommy Mac.  As with all Hero workouts, there is a larger and more meaningful story to the workout. 

Thomas Raymond MacPherson was born on July 20th, 1986 in Long Beach, CA and was killed in action in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan on October 12th, 2012.

After graduating locally from Los Alamitos High School in 2004, Thomas Raymond Macpherson, 26, enlisted in the United States Army in 2007 and was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Headquarters and Headquarters Company at Fort Lewis, Washington. He served three years as a Mortarman Team Leader in HHC, and was then assigned to D.Co. (short for Delta Company), where he was a Fire Team Leader with 3rd Platoon. He counted the men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion as true blood brothers. Sgt. Thomas MacPherson was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan and was previously deployed

The following statement is from Tommy’s former Platoon Leader…

 The whole thing with Tommy is that he embodies everything that’s right about Ranger Battalion. He held the position of Ranger Team Leader which is literally the tip of the spear. He was the consummate, quiet professional—he expected absolutely zero recognition for what he did. He loved his job because he was a born protector. He was perfectly content to carry out his life’s work under the cover of darkness, with his and his comrades’ actions to remain forever under the cloak of shadows. He died doing what he loved; protecting all of us. What stood out about Tommy the most was his maturity beyond his years. I believe it was the fact that he was the older brother of younger siblings, but like another Sgt. said “Tommy wasn’t one of those guys who joined the Army and grew into a man. He joined as a man and grew others.” He left behind his beautiful wife wife, Claudia MacPherson, and their son, Brayden.

“Tommy Mac”

2 rounds for time:

12 Burpees
12 Thrusters (115#/75#)
12 Burpees
12 Power Snatches
12 Burpees
12 Push Jerks
12 Burpees
12 Hang Squat Cleans
12 Burpees
12 Overhead Squats

I tried something new today and wore a heart rate monitor during the workout.  I wore it throughout the Wim Hof breathing + pushups and then the warmup and workout.  It was interesting to me.  It started out around 50 as I was moving around and stayed around 60 through the breathing and up to 115 while doing the 93 pushups this morning.  It dropped back into the 90's through the warmup and then went to 165 as soon as I started the thrusters.  I got it up to 176 for a few minutes and then was able to drop from 176 to 116 in 2 minutes. 

I decided to check resting heart rate this afternoon and layed down for a few minutes and let my heart rate drop as low as I could get it.  It bottomed out at 43.

I'm not sure what any of this means, but I have used a heart rate monitor to train with before with really good results.  Mark Sisson has some incredibly interesting stuff out right now about heart rate training combined with a ketogenic (or close to it) diet.  Very interesting stuff and I urge you to check it out.  I have been following his Primal plan for 3 weeks now.  The results are good so far. 

 

Wednesday, Thursday April 13,14,2016

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Wednesday

Hold onto your Balls

4 rounds for time of:

Med Ball Run, 20/14 lbs, 400 m

40 Overhead Walking Lunges,

20/14 lbs 20 Wall Balls, 20/14 lbs

25 burpee penalty due immediately if you drop the ball

 

Thursday

Front Squat 5-5-3-3-1-1-1

then

 

2 Man team.  One guy starts on bike while other does swings, switch.  continue...

2x 6:00 AMRAP:

21 Assault Bike (Calories)s

21 Kettlebell Swings, 70 lbs 1

5 Assault Bike (Calories)s

15 Kettlebell Swings, 70 lbs

9 Assault Bike (Calories)s

9 Kettlebell Swings, 70 lbs

Resting 5 mins between each AMRAP.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

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RRL Warm up

Then

Maupin

4 rounds for time of:

Run, 800 m

49 Push-ups

49 AbMat Sit-ups

49 Air Squats

For time

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Keith “Matt” Maupin, 24, of Batavia, Ohio, disappeared on April 9, 2004, when insurgents south of Baghdad attacked his convoy with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. His remains were found on March 20, 2008. Prior to his disappearance, Maupin served as part of the 724th Transportation Company in Bartonville, Illinois.

 

He is survived by his mother, Carolyn; father, Keith; a brother and sister; and many other friends and family members.

Watch this video below to learn more about Matt Maupin and the firefight where Matt disappeared.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Maupin

Hero WOD Maupin is named after SSG Matt Maupin, who gave his life for his country. Hear his story and a little about the workout we created to honor him.

Posted by Bare Hands CrossFit on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

April 4,5,6,7, 2016

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Monday

Max Double Unders in 2 Minutes

then

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 mins of:

Run, 400 m

9 Pull-ups

12 Wall Balls, 20 lbs

15 Box Jumps, 24 in

 

Tuesday

Assault Bike for Max Calories in 1 minute

For time:

20 Assault Bike Calories

25 Pull-ups

50 Push-ups

100 Battling Ropes

Run, 400 m

100 Grasshoppers

50 Sit-up (standard)s

25 Pull-ups

Row, 500 m

then

Max Calories on Assault Bike in 1 minute

 

Wednesday

Run 3 miles/300 pushups

Any way, any combination...just get the work done

 

Thursday

Back Squat 5-3-1-1-1

then

21-15-9

Curtis P @ 95 lbs

Hindu Pushups

If you are not familiar with these exercises, see below

Hindu Pushup

 

 

Kokoro 41 AAR from GRT, HCL and Goruck Selection participant Jonathan Hurtado

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I started this blog to document my training toward the most difficult event of my life (so far), Goruck Selection 015.  Shortly after posting a few training days, another 015 prospect started leaving a comment or two and posting his training.  I connected with him and through the miracle of the internet became cyber-friends with Jonathan Hurtado.  It turned out that he was just as crazy as we were and we continued to train together or at least tell each other about our training through this blog and email.  Jonathan had done quite a few Goruck events and was training hard for 015.  We met at Selection and ate together before and after our time in 015.

I told Jonathan about my experience and graduation from SealFit Kokoro 30.  He was interested and we have kept in touch since the event.  Jonathan has had some challenges getting to Kokoro, but he finally did it and here is the interview shortly after he returned home.  Enjoy...


TR: Congratulations on being secured in Kokoro 41!  I am so excited to hear how it went for you.  Before we get started, give the readers a little of your background. 

I'm in my late thirties and I've been working as a programmer in the video game industry for about five years.  I live near San Francisco, but I grew up in New Jersey and worked in New York City before moving west.  My journey to endurance events started with a Tough Mudder in 2012.  Always looking to challenge myself, I've since done two more Tough Mudders, several Spartan Races (including a Trifecta), and fifteen GORUCK events, including an HCL (Heavy, Challenge, Light) and a Double Heavy.  I also attempted GORUCK Selection 15 back in 2014.

 

TR: You and I met through this training blog when we were both preparing for Goruck Selection 15.  We trained together virtually and then finally met in person at the event.

Before Selection, I had completed Kokoro 30 and talked with you about it. I am so excited that you did it.  As I remember, you encountered some difficulty after Selection and while training up for Kokoro.  Tell me about the process.  Was 41 the first camp you trained for or was there another?

I had originally signed up for Kokoro 36 (February 2015) to help me prepare for Selection 17 in Bozeman, MT. However, I did a poor job of creating a sensible training plan, and I overtrained to the point where I tore my calf during a six mile run. The injury derailed my Kokoro and Selection plans for 2015.  I was able to transfer to a later Kokoro class, but 2015 wasn't an option because I needed time for my calf to heal and I was committed to doing the first ever GORUCK Triple Heavy in October. I ultimately ended up transferring to Kokoro 41, which was a year after my original Kokoro class.

TR: So many people in the Goruck community are interested in Kokoro and the same for SealFit people being interested in Goruck events. As one of the few who have done multiple Gorucks and been a part of Selection as well as completing Kokoro, how would you compare/contrast Kokoro from Selection?

Although both events will push your physical and mental limits, they do so in drastically different ways. For GORUCK Selection, the cadre are actively trying to make you quit through brutal smoke sessions and extensive taunting.  You're pretty much alone out there because you are forbidden to interact with the other participants and you cannot talk unless spoken to by the cadre.

In Kokoro, the coaches can be as tough as the Selection cadre (especially during the grinder sessions), but their primary goal is not to make you quit.  They want you to succeed and make it to the end, provided that you give your best effort all the time.  I didn't have to deal with fending off negative energy in Kokoro like I did in Selection.  The other big difference between Kokoro and Selection is that teamwork is actually expected at a Kokoro camp.  There will be times when Kokoro will be very difficult, and you'll either reach out to a teammate and ask for help or assist a teammate if he or she is struggling.  That type of team camaraderie is not allowed in Selection.


TR: How about Kokoro vs other Goruck events that you have done

The big overlap between Kokoro and the GORUCK events that aren't Selection is looking out for the person to your left and right.  Working as a team and caring for one another are some of the most important lessons you can learn from Kokoro and GORUCK.  The big difference between Kokoro and the other GORUCK events is that there's a lot more running in Kokoro and it lasts much longer than most GORUCK events.


TR: How did you train for Kokoro 41?

Training for the GORUCK Triple Heavy (HHH) in October 2015 left me in good shape, but I still needed to work on push-ups, pull-ups, and running for Kokoro.  After recuperating for about a month after the HHH, I started my Kokoro training.  On the advice of another Kokoro finisher, Troy Angrignon, I picked up Stew Smith's Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness to get stronger on my push-ups, pull-ups, and runs. I took cold showers to mentally prepare for cold water immersion.  I did sandbag shoulder-to-shoulder presses and 45# plate overhead holds to strengthen my shoulders.  I already had a strong rucking ability due to my Triple Heavy training, so I only rucked once a week.

 

TR: How did you feel you were prepared?

The push-up and pull-up volume work in Stew Smith's book helped me prepare for the PT and Murph tests.  However, I wish I got the book earlier because I was only able to do eight weeks of training instead of the full twelve.  I regret not running more, specifically doing sprint runs.  My legs were feeling heavy after the first day of Kokoro and I was one of the slowest runners in the class.  I did well in strength tasks such as the log carry and log PT.  I also did fine in the mountain rucks, although I should have done more mountain rucks in my training.


TR: How did the training for Kokoro differ from Selection or other Goruck events?

I did a lot less rucking and a lot more running in my Kokoro training, although I wished I did more sprint runs.  I primarily focused on improving my PST scores.


TR: One of the worst parts of Kokoro 30 for me was getting to SealFit headquarters and waiting around.  I was intimidated, nervous and the waiting was killing me.  Walk me through your morning before the event.  What time did you wake up, did you eat?  How did you prepare that morning?  Give me your recollection of showing up to the event and expectations.,  Tell me about the collection of athletes that showed up for 41.

I slept early the night before so that I could wake up at around 5:40am (start time for the event was 8:00am).  It gave me enough time to check out of my hotel and drive to a nearby Denny's for breakfast.  I ordered a pepper jack steak omelette.  I wanted to give myself enough time to eat breakfast and arrive at the Vail Lake Resort at 7am.  Thank god I did, because I had a brief scare where I showed up at the GPS coordinates from a Kokoro email and the attendant had no idea what Kokoro was.  Turned out that I went to Vail Lake Resort's RV park and the actual Kokoro start location was two miles further down the road.  Despite the slight detour, I still made it to camp early.

I was the second person to arrive and was told by the coaches to wait near a tree.  There were nine of us total in our class, including two GRTs (GORUCK Tough folks who completed a GORUCK event) and three who had signed Navy SEALs contracts.  While we were waiting, we talked about where we were from and why we were doing the event.  The low number of participants made it easy for us to bond quickly.  Six of us would ultimately finish the class.

Waiting for the event to start didn't bother me.  Troy mentioned that it was a deliberate ploy to mess with your head, so I didn't let it stress me.  I anticipated and correctly guessed that we would start with a brief welcome party (boot camp exercises), then have the PST test, and then suffer through a Grinder session.  I didn't have any more expectations besides this, and was determined that I was only going to concentrate on the present and not worry about what was coming next.

TR: What is the one thing you brought to the event that you were really glad you had?

Knee pads that I bought from REI.  They protected my knees during the first day, but I had to take them off for a wardrobe change and never had the opportunity to put them back on later.  My knees were roughed up a bit during the second day, but it wasn't too bad.


TR: What is one thing that you wish you brought?

Better energy bars.  I made the mistake of bringing Hammer Nutrition Chocolate Coconut Almond bars without trying them before the event.  Someone recommended the brand in their Kokoro AAR, so I bought a few in blind faith.    They didn't taste great, and I realized that it's not a good idea to eat chocolate because the energy spike from the chocolate would eventually wear out.  It wasn't catastrophic, but I really should have tried the bars beforehand.  This is what I get for waiting until the week of the event to finalize my nutrition supplies.

 

TR: What was the most difficult part of Kokoro 41 for you?

Running, specifically the "pays to be a winner" races.  I was okay with running during the first day (even ran about 6:40 during the PST mile run), but those races were taking a toll on me, especially since I wasn't the faster runner in the group.  It was getting harder to run as the event progressed, and I quickly realized that as much as I ran during my Kokoro training, it wasn't enough.

TR: Things were really bad near the end of the event.  I got sick and it was really hard for me to take full breaths.  I wasn't moving as fast as I would have liked, but I knew I was close to the end of the event, so I was determined to continue no matter what.

TR: What did you think you were most prepared for and why?

Anything that involved strength, so the log carries and the log PT.  I was already in good shape from the Triple Heavy, so the Kokoro training just built on top of that base strength.  The first mountain ruck went well because of my extensive ruck training.  The second mountain ruck was a little harder because of the steeper elevation change.  I wished I had done a few more mountain rucks to mitigate that.  I also was running on empty at one point during the second ruck, but I started feeling better after we took a break and I ate an MRE.

TR: What lessons will you take back to your everyday life from Kokoro 41?

With the right team and the right attitude, you can accomplish just about anything.  Finishing Kokoro proved that, and I'll be carrying that for the rest of my life.  There was also an exercise in Kokoro that helped me address several negative emotions that have been hiding in my mind for a long time.  I didn't know how to deal with them, and being able to finally let them go is an amazing feeling.  Furthermore, most things in life don't seem so hard anymore after enduring Kokoro.  That's an awesome confidence builder.

 

TR: Would you recommend Kokoro to the Goruck community?  

Kokoro is very expensive, but I felt I got my money's worth from the experience. I would definitely recommend it to the GORUCK community, with the caveat that you really need to have a strong reason for doing the event.  When Kokoro gets really hard, whether you succeed or fail will depend on how good and convincing your "why" is.  If your "why" is weak or selfish, you will not finish.  


TR: What type of athlete do you feel is ready for Kokoro?

You must exceed the minimum standards of Kokoro's initial PST. Be strong in the ability to crank out push-ups and pull-ups (especially when you are tired), as that will help you in Murph.

You must be able to finish Murph in under 70 minutes AFTER you do a workout that smokes you.  Doing Murph after 24 hours is a lot different than doing it fresh.

You need a good running base because you'll be doing a lot of running.  Be great at suicide sprints (especially on sand) because it pays to be a winner.

Do several mountain rucks (no more than 12 miles) so that you are used to rucking with elevation change.

Being able to do proper overhead squats will help immensely.

Doing a GORUCK Heavy or an HTL will help you deal with endurance and sleep deprivation, but it is not required.  Most of the guys who finished Kokoro with me never did a GORUCK event.

Be mentally tough. The above steps will get you physically prepared, but your mind also has to be strong enough to resist the urge to quit when things get tough.  Mental toughness is a skill you can learn, and books like Mark Devine's Unbeatable Mind provide those lessons.

TR: Can you give us a brief description of the workload in Kokoro?

You have Grinder sessions (fast-paced boot camp exercises), running, mountain rucking, log carries, log PT, beach PT, and surf torture.  There's other stuff in Kokoro, but those are the main things you'll encounter during camp.


TR: How did this compare to the workload of Selection?

I can only talk about the first hour of Selection's Welcome Party as that as far as I got in Selection 15.  I remember it being the most intense thing I have ever done.  Kokoro's Grinder sessions were very difficult, but its intensity wasn't as brutal as Selection's.  The attitude from the Selection cadre is different from the Kokoro coaches, so that probably played into my perception of Selection's workload.

TR: What is next for you?

I've signed up for several GORUCK events and I'll be leading a team to run their first Spartan Sprint.  I'll also be doing the GORUCK Triple Light in August, and then attempt once again to finish the GORUCK Triple Heavy in late September.  I'll be taking a big break after that one.

TR: Man, thanks so much for talking to me about this event. Kokoro 30 was one of the most powerful, meaningful moments of my life.  I have heard so many Kokoro graduates say that they have thought about the event every single day since graduating.  I cant say that I have thought about it every day, but certainly every week.  It made me mentally and physically tougher and I brought back many lessons to my life and I have become a better person because of it.  I am so glad that you enjoyed your experience.  Welcome to the Kokoro family!  Hooyah!

 

Monday Tuesday 28,29 2016

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I was traveling last week so I missed a few days here.  I did not, however, miss any workout days.

Yesterday

I did not do as well on 16.5 as I did in 2014.  Not sure where I lost time, but I am not ready to give this one another try yet.  Legs sore today

 

Today

I liked today's workout.  Single arm snatch followed by 100 kettlebells swings with 53 lbs, but every minute on the minute, you have to do 5 pullups.  I finished in 5:31 but Trevor pushed through and finished all his swings before his minute came up and beat me badly.  Good job

We also did 1 minute sprints on the Assault bike.  Wow!  Byron got 44 calories which is incredible.  Trevor got 42 but the rest of us were around 30 or 28.  Very tough.  Second round was worse...way worse.

We have lots of work to do on this one.

Tuesday March 22, 2016

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5 am

1. WHM Breathing x 3 + pushups

2. Squat clean 5-5-3-1

3. Klepto

27 Box Jumps

20 Burpees

11 Squat Cleans @ 145 lbs

x 4 rounds for time

U.S. Air Force Major David "Klepto" L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Massachusetts, assigned to the 11th Air Force, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, died on April 27, 2011 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from gunfire from an Afghan military trainee. He is survived by his wife Susie, daughter Elizabeth, and son David.

 

Monday March 21, 2016

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We are having fun with the Assault bikes and I plan on using them alot more

There is no doubt that the AirDyne and Assault measure calories and output differently, but we have not worked out exactly what the ratio is.  The Assault is definitely smoother and seems more solid, however, that was never my complaint about the Airdyne.  I have 3 Airdyne bikes that the monitor does not work and it makes it tough to use them like we do the rower.  The new Assault Bikes have a very good monitor and give us many different measurements on a single screen.  With this ability to measure consistently, I can do far more with these bikes than just Tabata intervals or other interval training.  We can use them like we do the rower by bringing them into lots of workouts.  20 calories on the Assault Bike/10 clean and jerk x 5 rounds or something like that.

Today, on the 10 minute challenge, Byron set a new benchmark for us at 146 Calories in 10 minutes on the Assault Bike.  I only got 118 after both of the other workouts, but did score 127 on the same workout over the weekend.  200 would be amazing and may be the equivalent of the OPT benchmark of 300 calories in 10 minutes on the Airdyne.


Friday March 18, 2016

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I put together 4 Assault bikes yesterday and we were excited to try them this morning.

 

5:02 AM

1. Wim Hoff Breathing x 3 rounds + Pushups

2. Dips- 15/15/15/10/5

3. 2 man teams-Leap Frog Format

10 Pullups

10 Row Calories

10 Kettlebell swings @ 70 pounds

10 wall balls

10 AssaultBike/Air Dyne Calories

Amrap 20 minutes

I really like this format.  Any time we do a team workout, it seems to increase the intensity.  The leap frog format creates intervals which I really like as well and no one gets bored because the intervals are short and you can do them all unbroken. 

Set up equipment in a line in order as written above.  Pullup, rower, kb, wallball, bike.  Partner 1 (P1) starts on the pullups while Partner 2 (P2) rests at the rower.  Upon completion of the 10 pullups P1 calls his partner's name and P2 starts the row.  P1 moves to the Kettlebell and waits.  When P2 finishes the 10 row calories he calls his partner's name and P1 starts the KB swings.  P2 then moves to the wall ball and waits.  Upon completion of the swings, P1 calls out his partner's name and he starts on the wall ball while P2 moves to Assault Bike and waits.  Continue like this for 20 minutes getting as many rounds + reps as possible. 

Trevor and I got 10 full rounds + 10 pullups + 7 row calories.  Several teams were just behind us.

Great format.  Assault bike is a nice addition to the mix.  We will do LOTS of stuff with the new bikes.