Kokoro Prep

AJ Hickey or 037 doing overhead work in Selection.  037 was one of the most badass people I have ever met in my life.  He was the strongest candidate but was medically dropped as one of only 2 remaining.  037 suffered serious kidney issues but has since recovered.

Matt Lawson is headed to Kokoro in Oct so I thought I would design a little prep workout for him today.  One of the worst things I encountered in both Selection and Kokoro were overhead ruck or sandbag holds. They are tough and can break you when simply standing with the bag overhead, but they are made far worse when asked to maintain an overhead hold in a deep squat.

Our workout was really very simple but looked more complicated on the board:

Run 400 round 1, 800 round 2, and 400 round 3

After running, Complete:

16 Burpees

8 kettlebell swings at 70 pounds

4 straight bar muscle ups

2 Turkish Getups at 70 pounds

1 double rope climb with no legs (this is a 15 foot climb with one rope in each hand)

x3 rounds

"Rest" exactly 2 minutes between rounds by maintaining a 45 pound sandbag in the overhead position on round 1, in full squat on round 2 and in overhead position on round 3.

Many, including myself, found it to be difficult to maintain the overhead position for the whole 2 minutes so we did an accumulated 2 minute hold, counting only the time the bag was held in an overhead position with arms locked out.

For Matt Lawson, he incurred an additional 10 burpee penalty for every time the bag touched his head.  Ouch.

At one time, I rated workouts in the summer with a sweat index.  I cant remember exactly what the standards were, but a 10 was completely soaking shoes and socks, like we had jumped in a pool and a 1 was a small ring around the collar.  I give this one about a 7.  Pretty good, completely covered, all clothes soaked but shoes and socks not completely drenched and I could not ring out my shirt.

Goruck Selection and SealFit Kokoro Interview with Jonathan Hurtado

When I was getting ready for Goruck Selection Class 015, I set up this blog and began documenting my training.  I didn't really think that anyone would read it...I didnt care.  I just wanted to document the training.  Along the way, I met a guy named Jonathan Hurtado who came across my blog.  We conversed via email and through the comments and started to kind of train together for Selection. 

We posted our times and weights to the blog.  I could tell that Jonathan was a serious athlete and in some events was killing me.  In others, we were even and others, I was ahead. 

When leaving for Selection, Jonathan and I set a meeting place and got together to discuss strategy and gear.  We probably should have had this talk much earlier because we both made mistakes.  Who knows...if we had talked more, maybe we would have made even worse decisions that we did.  You can't second guess, but rather just learn from your mistakes and continue to move forward.

I liked Jonathan right away and was impressed with his resume of Goruck events.  I learned a few things from him right away.  We shared a couple of meals before the event and then had an awesome meal of 4 cheeseburgers, 3 orders of fries, and 2 large chocolate milkshakes after Selection...one of my favorite meals of all time.

Jonathan aced the fitness test and made it a long way into the Welcome Party.  I saw him throughout the event and drew comfort and motivation from a familiar face.  I went there with 3 friends, but in a dark and uncomfortable place like Selection, you draw from any little thing.  A familiar face goes a long way.

Jonathan and I have stayed in touch and I recently sat down and got to ask him a few questions about the last Selecton, the next one and a possible stop at SealFit Kokoro.

Hey Jonathan,  great to hear from you.  Thanks for sitting down and talking for a few.

TR:  Tell us a little about yourself…where do you live?  What do you do for a living?

JH: I currently live near San Francisco, working as a programmer at Crystal Dynamics, a video game studio.  I've been in the video game industry for four years, having worked on games like Grand Theft Auto V and the recently released Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris.  Prior to that, I worked as a web developer in New York City.

TR:    What was your athletic background?

JH: I got into weight lifting when I tried wrestling in high school and later biking when I moved to Washington (state).  I was in decent shape, but it wasn't until I started training for my first Tough Mudder in 2012 that I improved my fitness.  Besides running, I purchased some kettlebells and did a program of two handed swings and Turkish get-ups.  That got me into incredible shape and I was able to finish my first Tough Mudder.

TR:  How did you get interested in Goruck and what events have you done to date?

JH: I remember when I first read about GORUCK well before I did my first Tough Mudder and thought how stupid it sounded. "12 hours?  While carrying six bricks?  Why would anyone do that?"  After finishing my first Tough Mudder, I was hooked on obstacle course racing and immediately started looking for other events to finish.  After completing another Tough Mudder and a Spartan Super, I reconsidered the GORUCK Challenge as the next event to do.

My first GORUCK Challenge made a huge impact on my life that I still feel to this day.  The stories Cadre "Big Daddy" told during that event taught a powerful lesson of appreciating how my life is going (as others unfortunately have it worse), and completing the event instilled confidence in confronting matters that are outside my comfort level.  I have since finished seven other GORUCK events, including a back-to-back Light & Challenge and an HCL (back-to-back-to-back GORUCK Heavy, Challenge, and Light).

TR:  We trained virtually for Selection through the use of my blog.  We were both using the Military Athlete program to get ready.  Tell us about your road to Selection and how you prepared for the training that we did.

JH: When I found out about GORUCK Selection, I thought it was insane and I wouldn't even consider doing it.  After finishing my first Challenge, I went back to view the Selection promo video and its “This probably isn't for you.  Or is it?” tagline goaded me to consider doing the event.  I purchased my Selection entry on January 2014, giving me ten months to train before Selection 015 at Jacksonville Beach in October.

I was a fan of Military Athlete’s GORUCK Challenge plan, so I purchased their Heavy and Selection plans.  The training strategy for GORUCK Selection was to use one plan to train and do its corresponding event in order to be strong enough to do the next plan.  Thus, I start with their Challenge plan and do a GORUCK Challenge, then follow their Heavy plan and do a GORUCK Heavy, then go through their Selection plan before GORUCK Selection.

I ended up doing an HCL instead of a Heavy due to a scheduling conflict, which was good and bad.  Good in that it gave me experience in exerting myself for 48 hours with very little sleep, but bad in that I sprained my ankle near the end of the Heavy portion of the HCL.  I was able to finish the entire event despite my injury, but I thought that my injury was going to prevent me from doing Selection.  After the HCL and some rest, I started the first couple of weeks of the Military Athlete Selection plan while avoiding exercises that would put weight on my foot.  I had an MRI done on my ankle and decided that if the results were not good, I would not do Selection.  The MRI indicated that I had no torn ligaments on my ankle, so I resumed the full training once it was feeling better.

TR:  Do you have training partners?  Where do you train?

JH: I mostly work out alone.  There's a gym near where I work, so I go there early in the morning to train.  There's also a trail right next to where I live, so I use that for my runs and rucks, although it's mostly flat.  I have done a few training rucks with a friend who completed a Challenge with me.

TR:  I saw you throughout the fitness test and then through most of the Welcome party.  You were doing great.  I had heard before Selection that you never really see how people exit, you just look around and they are gone.  I looked around for familiar faces and they were all gone.  What happened to you?

JH: There were three issues during the Welcome Party that broke my resolve.  The first was my gear set-up.  I went with GORUCK's recommendation to use a GR0 for Selection, but the boots I planned to use did not fit in the rucksack with a full hydration bladder and other items.  I concocted a set-up where I attached a GORUCK brick bag to the GR0 with carabiners so that I could store my boots (and later shoes).  This was a terrible idea in retrospect because it made the rucksack heavier and certain exercises more difficult than they needed to be.  Also, the reflective belt I used on my rucksack kept coming off (tip: don't use velcro belts), and that warranted special attention from the cadre.

The second was a weakness that came up during Selection, overhead squats.  I did not have the flexibility to do these properly, and this affected how I perceived my performance during the Welcome Party.

The third were the warnings of being performance dropped after finishing last in a couple of Welcome Party events.  At that point, I was tired, my legs were feeling heavy, and I felt I couldn't perform to standard.  I was already fighting doubts on whether I trained hard enough for Selection, but I was able to keep those doubts at bay as I progressed through the PT test.  The warnings, however, psyched me out.

Those three issues created a perfect storm where I doubted my ability to continue and convinced myself that I was better off quitting, address my weaknesses, and come back stronger for the next event.  Was that really the case?  It's debatable.  I probably could have stuck it out longer, but my gear and flexibility issues would have made that very difficult.

TR:  What lessons did you learn from Selection?

JH: Test my gear thoroughly.  Due to time constraints, I didn't have an opportunity to fully test my final Selection load-out before the event.  If I did, I wouldn't have gone with the brick bag set-up. I might have used a GR1 over a GR0.

I also learned that I needed to work on my flexibility.  I saw a personal trainer after Selection and he pointed out areas where I was really tight.  He recommended a variety of exercises to loosen up, so I now incorporate those into my workouts.  I'll also be working on my overhead squat.

TR:  Looking back at Goruck Selection in Jacksonville.  Do you consider it a success or a failure in your eyes?  Explain why…

JH: While not finishing Selection was a disappointment, I still consider it a success because I got to see what my weaknesses are.  I have a clear idea on what I need to do to address them, and I'm excited at the thought of getting even stronger.  I've learned that failure isn't necessarily a bad thing if you approach it as a learning experience and use it as an impetus to make yourself better.

TR:  Are you going to try Selection again?  What will you do differently?

JH: Yes, I have registered for Selection 017 at Bozeman, MT in August 2015.  Jon Eytchison, the sole finisher of Selection 015, described his Selection training plan in his AAR.  That will be the blueprint for my Selection training plan.  I’m also doing a Pre-Selection prior to Bozeman to gauge whether I'll be ready for the actual event.  What I learn from Pre-Selection will guide the final months of my Selection training.

TR:   What pack do you expect to use in Bozeman Selection?  Which did you use in Jacksonville Selection?  How do you think you will prepare your gear differently for Bozeman Goruck Selection considering what you have learned from the Jacksonville Goruck Selection?

JH: I used a GR0 for Jacksonville, but I couldn't fit my boots in the ruck with a full hydration bladder.  One thing that was interesting was that Jon had the same problem fitting boots into his GR0, so he didn't bring any to Selection!  I'll either have to find lighter boots (which are hard since ultra wide boots that drain are not common) or consider using a GR1 instead.  I'll also pack as few items as possible.  Since the cadre are going to dump all our gear out at the beginning of the event, having fewer items will make stuffing them back into my ruck a lot easier and less stressful.

TR:  One of the things that we have discussed extensively is the possibility of doing SealFit Kokoro.  Is this something that you are going to do?

JH: Yes, I'm registered for Kokoro 36 in February.

TR:  How are you preparing for Kokoro?

JH: I'm doing a mix of Wendler's 5/3/1 Lifting (for strength), Military Athlete's Murph plan (to prepare for Kokoro's Murph requirement), the running portion of the BUDS Warning Order for Navy Seal Training, and long runs on Saturday.  I have also been taking cold showers to prepare for the Pacific Ocean surf torture.

TR:  Did you have any foot issues in Goruck Selection?  What are you doing to prepare your feet for Kokoro and Selection now?

JH: No.  Despite my ankle injury from HCL, it didn't come up at all during Selection.  I didn't get any blisters during Selection, and I attribute that to my set-up of Trail Toes, Injiji toe socks (as a liner), and Merino Wool boot socks.  I've rucked as far as 20 miles in this set-up without issues, so I imagine that it will serve me well during Kokoro.  As for preparing my feet for Kokoro and Selection, I train in wet boots when I can.

TR:  Do you have any expectations or goals for Kokoro?

JH: A key point that keeps being brought up in Kokoro videos and AARs is to know your why, as in why are you doing this?  There are various reasons why I’m doing Kokoro (such as becoming a better leader), but my main reason for going through a crucible like Kokoro is to give me insight on what's needed to pass Selection.

TR:  I think that the best meal I have ever had were those 3 burgers, fries and 2 milkshakes that I had with you the day after Goruck Selection!  I know you are probably watching your diet now and dreaming of food.  Do you have a meal that you plan on eating after Selection Bozeman, SealFit Kokoro?

JH: It will either be a burger, fries, and shake combo, or a whole pizza pie.

TR:  When I have the opportunity to talk to someone who is into the same things I am  (Selection, Kokoro, heavy training) I always want to know one thing…why are you doing this?

JH: Jason McCarthy, the founder of GORUCK, had said this and it has stuck with me ever since, "Live life to the fullest, because tomorrow is not a promise."  Since there is no guarantee that I’ll be around tomorrow, I have to treat each day as a gift and make the most of it.  Training for these events and testing my limits is my way of fulfilling that credo.  Also, I enjoy a good challenge, and I get pleasure out of completing something that people consider hard or impossible.

TR:  Imagine that it is 3:45 am, you are submerged in the cold Pacific Ocean and you are as cold as you have ever been.  The instructors demand that you continue this beach party for another 4 hours.  What are you going to think about to get you through?

JH:  I'll have to rely on my mental toughness techniques to get through that.  As bad as the surf torture will be, it will end at some point.  Others before me have gone through a similar experience, and if they can complete it, so can I.

TR:    The thing I struggled with most was training for the lack of food and electrolytes.  In Selection, we did not get anything to eat and only a few stops for plain water for 18 hours of intense exercise.  I started cramping, throwing up and having issues related to electrolyte imbalance.  037, ended up in the hospital with very serious Rhabdo, and eventually Tubular Necrosis.  Do you think that you can train your body to be ready for the lack of nutrition and electrolytes?  If so, what are you doing?

JH: I talked to some Selection finishers regarding their diet plan prior to Selection and both recommended Intermittent Fasting, where you only consume calories during a specific period of the day.  One also suggested Ketosis, where you restrict your carbohydrate intake to get your body fat-adapted.  This was the diet I followed before Selection, and I wasn't feeling hungry during the Welcome Party.  I don't know how my body would have reacted if I got past the Welcome Party, but I see myself following the same plan when I'm prepping for Selection again.

TR:    From what you learned from Goruck Selection in Jacksonville, do you think that you could lay out some benchmarks that anyone would need to be able to complete easily to make sure that they made it through the Fitness Test and the Welcome Party?

JH: You need to do 80 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, run 5 miles in 35 minutes, and ruck 12 miles with 45# dry in under 3 hours.  That will give you a fitness cushion that will ensure that you’ll complete the standards regardless of your state.  I guarantee that you won’t be at 100% when you do the Selection PT test, most likely because of nerves.

Proper form is also vital.  Cadre will no-rep any push-up or sit-up that is not up to standard, so make sure that when you’re hitting those benchmarks, that they are done properly.  I strongly recommend asking GORUCK cadre to review your push-up and sit-up form.  Mark Webb has an excellent write-up on push-ups that can also help.  

I got this tip from Cadre Surfhog after Selection: do the hardest workout imaginable, then do the PT test.  If you can pass the PT test in a fatigued state, you have an excellent chance of passing the Selection PT test.

As for the Welcome Party, it's a non-stop nightmare of ruck PT, so do something like Boot Camp or Crossfit with your ruck.  View the last fifteen minutes of GORUCK Selection (see "1230 Saturday / Shark Attack" in the Selection 015 recap) and do those exercises.  If you have issues with any of those exercises, then you know what you need to work on.

I would also recommend seeing a personal trainer and have him or her review your flexibility.  If you are tight in certain areas, learn the corrective exercises from the trainer and incorporate them into your warm-ups and cool-downs.

TR:  Jonathan, it is an honor to know you.  You are a true inspiration and a great example of someone living his life to its full potential.  I wish you all the best and I know that you will be successful in your quest for Selection and Kokoro.  Can we catch up and do another interview after Kokoro?

JH:  Thanks!  I appreciate the advice you've given me as I prepare for Kokoro.  I will absolutely do another interview after SealFit Kokoro.

Work, Work, More work

Traveling lately and filming the remaining episodes of Saltwater Experience. 

I had 2 of the best days of my fishing and filming career earlier this week as I filmed 2 shows with my boys and one with my daughter.  Doing shows with the kids is the absolute highlight of my year and career.  I love it so much and enjoy spending time with them with or without the cameras.

This time, the weather cooperated and we had outstanding fishing!

Here are some shots from the trip:

Hayden caught this BEAUTIFUL Permit and my BEAUTIFUL wife got a picture of me, Turner, Hayden and Hanna with it!

Hanna with her first ever bonefish!!

We did a snorkel segment on the show.  Hanna and Dad on a beautiful day!

Turner gets a HUGE Bull Shark

Careful!  These guys bite

Hayden gets a HUGE Goliath Grouper!

Good thing that Hayden has been lifting weights

Then, Redfish and Snook for Turner and Hayden

The ride home with Hayden

Slick Calm and flying in the Yellowfin 24

These will be some of my favorite shows.  We have filmed more than 100 shows now and the ones with my kids are always my favorite.

As for Training:

Since Selection, I have been taking some well deserved rest, however, I cant completely rest.  I have been hitting some of my favorite travel workouts while on the road.

Deck of cards

Spades=Burpees

Clubs=Pushups

Hearts=Situps

Diamonds=Squats

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Jackie

Row 1000 (There is a rowing machine at Hawks Cay)

50 Thrusters @ 45 lbs

30 Pullups

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Magic 50

5 Dumbbell Swings per arm

5 Dumbbell Snatches per arm

10 burpees

x 5 rounds for time

Use a 50 lb dumbbell if you want a great workout.  I did this one today in 6:57

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LSD Run.  5 miles

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Train hard, work hard, enjoy life.

Back to Training

Selection is over, I have reflected on the lessons learned and actually have begun to apply them to my everyday life...Success!

Now, it is time to get back to training.  Admittedly, I am returning slowly partly because I am out of town filming my fishing show, Saltwater Experience now, but also because the last several months have wrecked my body.  Intense rucking with 45-150 pounds combined with the 18 hours of Selection has left me moving a little slow. 

My cure has been to drink tons upon tons of water, do Mark Divine's Warrior Yoga twice a day, work on breathing exercises from SealFit and Unbeatable Mind and work on mobility in my injured ankle with help from Kelly Starett's MobilityWod.

All in all, I am feeling great.  Certainly well rested and my mobility is increased.

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Yesterday:

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Deck of Cards:

Spades=pushups

Clubs=Squats

Hearts=Situps

Diamonds=flutter kicks

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Row 2000 m

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30 pullups

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I told you I was coming back slow!  Give me a little time and I will be back to the SealFit OPWOD soon. 

Today:

Run 3 miles

100 pushups

100 situps

100 squats

McCallie Baylor

We have one of the biggest rivalries in High School sports in my hometown.  McCallie, the school I went to, and Baylor the rival have been bitter rivals for 100 years (I don't really know how long but a long time).

McCallie is an all boys school, 6-12, that is an outstanding school.  Baylor, also an outstanding school, is a former all boys school that went Co-Ed about the time I graduated.  I think that the Co-ed change may have actually made the rivalry more intense because instead of splitting the all girls school also in the area, they kind of became a sister school to McCallie.  Now it is really, McCallie/GPS vs Baylor.

To make things more intense this year, both schools have exceptional teams.  In fact, McCallie just defeated 4 time State Champs, Ensworth (Nashville) 62-34 last weekend to become the number 1 ranked team in Tennessee.  Baylor, also on a roll is number 2.  This is the first time in history that McCallie/Baylor is a 1 v 2 matchup.

Things go crazy this week...literally.  Signs are hanging all over, vandalism of said signs and even campuses also exists, pranks, and more, but the underlying theme of all of this is that there is tremendous school spirit and both sides are proud to be a part of this history. 

Almost every boy with a pickup truck makes a giant flag from a bed sheet and puts it on the trailer hitch of the truck.  Baylor does it too, but not like McCallie.  Sometimes, the kids make the flag with a giant M from a black bedsheet with a giant blue M.  This year, a highly concerned resident posted on facebook that she saw a truck with a flag like this and thought is was a splinter cell of ISIS.  Now that is funny. 

The rivalry extends to every workplace, talk radio, golf courses, bowling alleys, bars, restaurants and yes...even to the garage.

In our group we have a number of Baylor alumni and parents but maybe a slightly higher number of McCallie alumni and parents.  Today, I put together a workout to polish for Selection and also have some fun. 

With a front from Canada to Mexico on top of us, we experienced heavy rain this morning which was kind of fun.  The workout was:

Run 400 m

55 Pushups

Run 400 m

65 situps

x 3 rounds for time

I felt great!  No ruck, no boots, no pants.  I flew through the runs and made sure my nose was to the floor on the pushups and that my situps were solid.  We took the top 3 times for each team and decided a winner. 

This time it was McCallie by a landslide!  Lets hope that the game will have the same outcome. 

Oh, by the way, this thing goes in long streaks of winning or losing.  McCallie had a 10 year run before Baylor beat us and then continued their streak for the last 7 years.  This year, the game returns to McCallie for the first time in 25 years or so...needless to say, it is a big, big deal around here. 

Good luck to both teams and I hope that no one is injured.  With such an emotional game, it could go either way.

12 mile ruck

Traveling today

Venice Louisiana

12 mile ruck @ 50 pounds

2:28:26

Felt great

I was really worried about getting this weeks long ruck in while working.  This morning, the wind was blowing hard and we stayed at the dock.  I saw an opportunity this morning so I left at 6 am and was back before 8:30.  Done!

Bench/Pullup/SBGU

"The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't like to do. They don't like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose. They have a burning yes that makes it possible to say no to other things.
An independent will power to do things when you don't want to do them"

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Warm up:
4 Rounds
3x Pull ups
5x Bench Press (95, 115, 135, 165)

10x Situps
Instep Stretch Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:
(1) 5 Rounds - Every 90 Seconds
40% of Max Bodyweight Bench Press, then Max Bodyweight Bench Press in 60 Seconds

(2) Perform the following weighted pull ups (25#) 100% max reps Pull-ups Rest 2:30 sec

80% max Reps Pull-ups Rest 2 min.
60% max Reps Pull-ups Rest 1:30 sec.

40% max Reps Pull-ups Rest 60 sec.
40% max Reps Pull-ups Rest 30 sec.

20% max Reps Pull-ups

(3) 8 Rounds - Every 90 seconds, 10% of max reps SBGU (round up) + 1 rep

Magic 20 miler

Since I will be traveling next week, I had to get in the 20 miler early.  I packed 68 pounds with water.  63 without.

For some reason, I was having a pretty hard time around mile 12.5-16.  Something happened and I was able to rally and get a second wind.  My time was very bad though and I am concerned.  In order to hit sub 15 min miles, I have to run...alot.  I did not do that today and came in at 5:22:27.  My splits just kept getting slower through the whole ruck.  The weight felt really heavy and I just felt slow.  I only stopped to pee 2 times and to refill my water once.  Other than that, I was moving the entire time.

Run/Ruck

1. Pushup Progression

5 rounds at 35% of 2 Min Max plus 1 final set

2. Situp Progression

5 rounds at 35% of 2 Min Max plus 1 final set

3. 3 x 1.5 mile run

4. (PM) 3 x 3 mile ruck at 45 pounds

I did the pushups at 30 for all 6 rounds, situps at 26.  I was not able to complete all 6 rounds at 26.  One round I only got 12. 

Runs went well today despite the 18 mile ruck yesterday.  10:31, 10:37, 11:14

I will ruck either at lunch or tonight.  20 miler tomorrow.

18 miles/60 pounds

18 mile ruck at 60 pounds dry.

I carried 6 liters of water with me and started around 65 pounds.  I finished at 59...cant let that happen again!

This one took me 4:29:00 and I realized I was going to miss the cutoff with 1 mile left.  I ran the last mile and barely made it.  It was a tough distance, but made easier by our fall-like weather.  73 degrees is a LONG way from 93 degrees.  I have not had to pee during a ruck in the last 10 weeks, but today, I had to pee 5 times!  The cooler weather was nice and I was not sweating that much. 

I hope that this time is decent...I really have no way of knowing. 

Friday 6 Miler

Ruck 6 miles at 65#

Finished this one in 1:21:00.  Felt good, feet good

Mon 5 miler

2 minute Pushup test

2 minute situp test

5 mile run on flat ground

75/70/36:47

16 mile sweat fest

Sweat-fest 2014.  I drank all this, plus another 2 liters during the 16+ miler, crazy amount of sweat!

Traveling...

did a 16 mile ruck with 70 pounds in the Florida Keys heat and humidity.  I know I have been saying this alot lately, but I seriously do not think that I have ever sweated this much!  I filled my 3 Liter bladder 2 x, had a liter before leaving, then had another liter after.  I really felt like it was coming out of me faster than it was going in.

This was challenging.  I started late afternoon because I thought I might actually die in the 94 degree heat.  Probably pretty smart on my part.  The whole workout took me around 3:45:00.  I say around 3:45 because my phone died and I dont know the exact time, but I feel good that it was under 4:00:00.  I ran alot, although my running pace with a 70 pound ruck is slow it is still faster than my walking pace. 

The Florida Keys are lined with power poles so it was real easy to run one, walk one.  I did that through the majority of the run.  However, around mile 14, it got real and got very difficult to run.  I was ready to put the pack down, but I pressed on and through and made it back to the room to drink some more water.  I was actually a little concerned about Hyponatremia since I did not have my Hammer Endurolytes.  That is scary stuff and several young football players have died recently.  I just kept drinking small sips.  It was pouring out of me faster than I was putting it in.  I felt fine throughout, but did feel cold when I got back and took a shower.  That was kind of weird, but it passed.

This was good training because I watched the sun go down, then the mosquitos came out...and when they came out...they really came out.  Good training!

I have to get in 5 x 2 miles at some point over the next couple of days to complete this week fully.  It will be quite a challenge with my work schedule, but I will do everything I can to get it in.

Run/Ruck

This week, I have to travel, so I am mixing up the days a little to try to make sure that I get in all the running and rucking.

Today:

Pushup Progression x 5 rounds @ 40% + 1 final max set

Situp Progression x 5 rounds @ 40% + 1 final max set

Run 1.5 miles x 4

Ruck 2 miles x 5 at 60 pounds dry

Labor Day

Did this one straight through..thanks to Rusty and Ben for coming at 5 am.

pushup progression

40% of 2 min max x 5 rounds plus final max set

situp progression

40% of 2 min max x 5 rounds plus final max set

run 1.5 miles x 4

ruck 3 miles x 4 @45 lbs dry

run times were all around 11:00

ruck times between 38-44 minutes

Strength

“When you see a successful individual, a champion, you can be very sure that you are looking at an individual who pays great attention to the perfection of minor details.”
— John Wooden

1. Warm up

Barbell Complex x 6 @ 65 pounds

Instep Stretch

x 3 rounds

2. Back Squat

4-4-4-4-4-4

Increase every round

Do 2 broad jumps after each set

3. Mr Spectacular (double KB clean, walk out to pushup position, 1 pushup, walk back to stand)

4-4-4-4-4-4

Increase weight each round

1 burpee after each set

4. Work Capacity

5 Back Squats @ 135 lbs

5 burpees

x 6 rounds

5. Stretch

Squat stretch

pigeon

x 3 rounds

6. still water

Step ups and ruck

AM:

Warm Up

1. 150 step ups x 4

16 inch box, 40 # ruck

Try to get each one under 5:50.  Mike Drew scorched this one with all under 5 minutes and one as low as 4:33

2. Various durability exercises and physical therapy exercises for calf.

PM:

3. Ruck 2 miles x 4

60 # ruck before food or water

Keep each interval as fast as possible.  Really they should be around 24-25 minutes.

When I had time to get this workout in, it was 94 degrees.  The heat seriously affected me, but I was conscious of making sure to drink tons of water and take Hammer Endurolytes.  I drank over 12 liters of water during this workout and I have still not had to pee!  At times, I was sweating so profusely that it was as if it were raining. 

I have to admit, I do like the feeling of sweating like that, the problem comes if you cant get more water in as fast as it is going out!  I did my best to drink as much as possible. 

Tough day of training, but the good news is that Allen Bible has my calf feeling damn close to 100%.  Hell YES!

Another Victory

1. Pushup Progression x 5 rounds + 1 max set @ 35% OF 2 min max score

2. Situp Progression x 5 rounds + 1 max set @ 35% OF 2 min max score

3. 3 x 1.5 mile runs

4. Stretching and foam roll

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Calf held up and there was no soreness from rucking yesterday.  Funny injury...just cant quite figure it out.  Oh well, figuring it out is not the most important thing...keeping it healthy is.

As of now, looking good!

recovery

Last week was a tough one for me.  Out of nowhere, I somehow reinjure my calf after a month of hard training.  It wasnt an injury that I could pinpoint when it happened or where, it kind of just started hurting and prevented me from running or rucking.  Very frustrating.

The injury was so frustrating that I decided to go to the Doctor.  I chose a Doctor who helped me get through my torn Soleus a few years ago.  He told me about what I thought he would...strained Gastroc, no need for MRI.  He suggested Physical Therapy, so I called my PT friend Allen Bible.

Allen did some Ultrasound, massage, and gave me some exercises to try.  I have been doing them 2 x day and they have helped, I guess.  I also took 2 days off completely and 5 days off of any rucking or running. 

Today I felt good and thought I would give my ruck schedule a try. 

3 x 3 miles at 45 pounds dry before water

1. 42:52

2. 38:46

3: 40:00

It was 93 degrees, I was in boots and pants.  Even in wrestling practice where the heat was turned up high and we wore plastics, I did not sweat as much as in this workout.  I was soaked, dripping, boots sloshing, but the calf felt great. 

38:46 is as fast as I have ever rucked 45 pounds for 3 miles.  It is amazing how a little victory like that can improve my attitude.  Last week I was down.  I was not able to complete the training that I needed to and it really brought me down.  It was hard to rest when I knew what I needed to do.  There were several moments that I questioned whether or not I could even do Selection at all due to the injury.

Setting a PR brings the spirits up, restores confidence in my conditioning and strength.  I am back to my original confidence.

Now, I just need to figure out how to keep the calf healthy and strong.