Getting my ass kicked by chicks. . .

First it was Cindy on Friday. That made it hard for me to raise my arms.

Then it was Kar-slam-en on Saturday.
50-40-30-20-10
Wall ball @ 20lbs
Ball slams @ 20lbs
16:23

My legs were shattered after that, so The Wee One and I rode an "easy" lap on the Glenwild Loop today. My legs still hurt.

Boring update.

This is a very boring update. Honestly, the only reason I'm writing this is to keep track for myself. Move along. Nothing to see here.

WOD: "Cindy"
AMRAP in 20 minutes of
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats
13 rounds (I did the first 6 rounds in 6 minutes. And then everything went sideways. Ehhh. Fuck it.)

Then

5 rounds of
10 back extensions
10 GHD sit ups

On the DL. . .

That's the Disabled List, not the down low. My left foot is still fucked, but a little less so this morning. My toes don't tingle, and I can walk without a limp. Mostly.

After some highly technical telephone consultation with Dr. Z, I've decided to "rest" for a few days. But I can't rest for real, because (1) I'm a stressed-out prick right now, and (2) I'm trying to stay on track to finish The Steeplechase in two weeks. So...

It's low impact for me for a few days. Last night, I rode the Turner for a couple of hours. Tonight, I think I'll head to the gym for a date with Cindy. Tomorrow, I think breakfast with Karen might be the ticket. The Wee One and I are hoping to hit Flying Dog on Sunday.

Must keep moving...

FKNA!!

I swear like a sailor. This is well known. In the last 24 hours, though, I've been a particularly prolific fuck-sayer. Here are three reasons:

1. EFFING PAGO!! There's a new restaurant and wine bar at 9th+9th -- yes, I said a wine bar at 9th+9th -- and it's fantastic. PAGO. Go there. The food is great, the people are great, and the prices are reasonable (for now...). I joked with the chef that "if you guys started doing brunch I would need a cot in the back." Heh heh. He looked at me sideways and muttered "we start brunch in two weeks."

2. MY EFFING LEFT FOOT hurts like hell. Somewhere along the way on the volcano trip I picked up an ailment in my left foot. It's not the blisters -- they're healing well -- this is something deeper, more structural. My latter three toes were a little tingly when I woke up this morning. After an ill-advised search of The Internets I am stressing that I have developed a Morton's Neuroma. I'm going to try to go for a loooong run today. We'll see how it goes.

3. AN EFFING LEAD PIPE connects my house to the City water line. The sprinkler crew let us in on that little secrect this morning. Lead?! WTF? Did I buy house in ancient Rome? I've already ordered a lead test kit for my tap water. The results of the test may explain my sneaking suspicion that I am getting dumber.

Lassen = Success.

On Monday, Dr. Z and I skied Lassen. Like Shasta, it was an unmitigated success. About 6 hours car to car, climbed 4500', skied 4000'. We spent some time stumbling through pumice looking for the road -- in our ski boots -- and it just didn't matter. Lassen is fantastic. It's an Intermountain-style volcano if there is such a thing. Drive there, bootpack up 4000' of corn-ish snow, rip down, drink a Limonata. Perfect.

I'll get pics up this evening, if I don't get too tipsy at the official opening of Pago.

Today I'm trying to keep my wits about me as I re-engage at The Firm, re-worry about The Steeplechase, and catch up on The Usual.

Done and done.

We did it. Skied the Hotlum-Wintun Ridge on Mt. Shasta from the summit. 24 hours car to car, 8500' of climbing, 7500' of skiing, and then a thousand vertical of bumbling around in the woods trying to find my truck.

More details and pictures to follow. I need a nap.

And here. . . we. . . go. . .

Everything is packed. Map and summit permit secured. Time to begin the slog.

I will update tomorrow evening. With luck, it will be a glorious recount of a fine descent. No matter what, it will be a tale of a sports adventure.

It's time to get up close and personal...

You'd think I'd be better at this...

This is not the first time that I have dealt with the crush of trying to get the hell out of town. You'd think I would remember that EVERYTHING takes twice as long as I expect -- assignments at work, gear prep -- everything. But I always forget, and the crush always arrives.

And then there's the giant question mark looming at the end of "how will my legs hold up to 7000' of climbing?" This is probably the strongest I have ever been -- sure, I've been lighter and faster on the bike before, but it came at a cost -- and still there's that little seed of doubt. Am I ready for this? We'll find out at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday when I start booting up this:

The triangular "ridge" right of the center rock band is the Hotlum-Wintun.

If all goes well, come Monday we'll make a run at Lassen Peak. From what I can discern from online trip reports and The Internets, Lassen is a very Wasatch-like tour: rise early, climb directly up, rip down, drink beer. Perfect.

And then there's Mount McLoughlin. Can we squeeze it in? Perhaps...

Boring "training" update:

Saturday:

Assemble planter boxes. Shovel lots of topsoil. Assemble sprinkler system. Try to remove sod from front lawn. Fail.

Sunday:

Mountain bike up Dry Creek, to the top of Bobsled, back down Dry Creek, and over to the Zoo. Get a sunburn.

Monday:

Run up Memory Grove, onto the Shoreline, to the top of I-Street, and then reverse it.

40ish minutes, as hard as I could maintain.

EUREKA!! I need to spend the next couple of weeks -- the last couple before The Steeplechase -- training the downhill run. First, it's A LOT more fun. Second -- and I should've clued in to this before now -- half the frickin' course is downhill. I don't care if I limp to the top of Black Mountain; I want to finish the descent strong.

When I return from NoCal, downhill intervals are the name of the game.

Just like a toddler...

If it's possible to lose your temper while working out, I did it this morning. I'm not saying that it was a full blown tantrum . . . just that I may have thrown the bar down in frustration. And then kicked it. While swearing at the top of my lungs.

WOD: Nancy

5 rounds for time

400m run

15 overhead squats @ 95lbs

32:10 (junkshow)

I've got the anger. Now I need the superhuman strength to match. And the green skin. Definitely need the green skin.

What are the chances?

As we all know, the url of this epic tome is:
http://upperlevelgumby.blogspot.com/
So, say you accidentally transpose the 's' and the 'p' -- what could possibly go wrong?. Well, you'll find yourself here:
http://upperlevelgumby.blogpsot.com/

A bible study site that uses "upper level gumby" in its url? WTF?! Hey, I'm all for bible study, and I obviously endorse the concept of the upper level gumby, but mixing the two . . . I don't know. It's kind of like eating a can of tuna with a layer of strawberry jam on top.

Wait, I actually do that. Never mind...

Boring "training" update:
Tuesday's WOD:
It was supposed to be a long run, but by the time I got to the top of Memory Grove, I realized that I'd left my tiger* in the truck. So I did another three laps up Memory Grove -- walk/jog back to the start -- as hard as I could muster without exploding. My legs hurt, so I think it worked.

Wednesday:
Legs and back were smoked. Slept in, ate lots, played with power tools in the back yard.

Today's WOD:
21 wall ball
21 deadlifts @ 175lbs
800m run
15 wall ball
15 deadlifts @ 175lbs
800m run
9 wall ball
9 deadlifts @ 175lbs
800m run
23:15
Then
Muscle ups: 1, 1, 1 PR
3 rounds of (10 pullups, 5 ring dips)

Just trying to keep up...

The firm, training, working on the house -- it's all running full speed right now.


Boring "Training" Update:

Friday's WOD: Helen
3 rounds, for time, of (400m run, 21 KB swings @ 53lbs, 12 pull ups)
13:04 (Slow, but I did it rx'd, which is a first. I'd forgotten how hard it is.)

Saturday's WOD:
In teams of two, AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
10 wall ball, 10 burpees, 100 singles
14 rounds (The Wee One finished the last round with about 3 seconds to spare.)

Sunday's WOD:
Work on a brief.
Go to Lowe's.
Lame.

Monday's WOD:
Push jerks (115x3, 115x3, 135x2, 135x3, 145x2, 145x2, 145x3)
Deadlifts (4 sets of 10 @ 175lbs)
(Definitely need to do more deadlifts. Lots more. They've become a relative weak spot.)

Happy Birthday Manimal

The Manimal turns 30-something on Friday. He can out-skin, out-ski, out-ride. . . he can out- anything just about everyone I know.* He's a total stud, he's always game for a sports adventure, and he looks good in a habit. If you see him, raise your glass and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Need someone to ski super-wet mank while carrying two packs? Call The Manimal.

This is what happens when you marry a girl that went to Catholic school .

And here's another update for the Jason/Scientist/Six Triumverate:

WOD: Avenues Intervals

Starting at South Temple, run up one block, walk across one block, to 11th Avenue.

Eleven all out efforts.

Ugghhh. I lost the mental game towards the end. This about sums it up:

* Angell, Esq. is in a whole other league. But he grew up in New Jersey, so he's probably a mutant. And don't get me started about Dr. Z -- he should be called Dr. Off the Couch.

Eyes on the prize...

My motivation is waning. Which is rather inconvenient, as The Steeplechase is getting closer, and my workload is growing. I need something to look forward to, something to focus on, something . . . oh yeah, there's this:

The left skyline is the Hotlum-Wintun Ridge on Mt. Shasta. 7000' of fall line corn snow. Another view from a different angle:

The red line is the descent. If all goes to plan, Dr. Z, The Hibbs, The Melton, and I will tick this off the list around May 23rd. But only if I stay fit, and only if I keep burning through the never-ending workload. Eyes on the prize...

...

And now for the boring stuff. Don't say I didn't warn you. Everyone except Jason (who really needs a nickname), The Scientist, and Six should ignore the following.

Yesterday's WOD: My legs were smoked from Tuesday's "fun," and I just wasn't feeling Helen, so I took an active rest day.

10 rounds, not for time

5 air squats

10 pushups

10 situps

10 supermans

Helen is still out there. I have a feeling she and I will collide on Saturday morning.

Yes. I know. This is boring.

El Manimalito told me, straight up, that my blog is pretty boring. He's right of course. I would make an effort to spice things up -- perhaps post some more pictures from my recent trip to Escalante, or a clever rant regarding how Facebook is evil -- but after drinking beers and margaritas at El Manimalito's house tonight, I can barely stay awake for the new episode of Rescue Me. I'll split the baby.

WOD:

21 back squats

250m row

15 back squats

250m row

9 back squats
250m row

24:34 (185lbs for the first 28 squats, 165lbs for the rest)

Sometimes it's nice to have been a climber. And to be tall.

A nice spot for a snack along Thunder Mountain. I still shake my head at how good this ride was.

Gaining on The Scientist...

Although The Scientist currently holds the gym record for the 500m row -- a blazing 1:29 -- I'm gaining on him. I have no doubt that upon reading this he, Six, and a host of others will dust off their five-hundo sprints and push the record even lower. It's the natural order of things, and it's part of what makes the gym tick.

WOD: 5 x 500m rows, 4 minutes rest between each interval
1:34.2 (PR), 1:51.9, 1:52ish,* 1:47.0, 1:44.4
Rest...then...
2 minute isometric squat (This was Jason's version of punishment for letting my times slack so much. He was kind enough to do it with me.)
Rest...then...
3 rounds of (10 GHD sit ups, 10 back extensions)

*The C2 rower is a devious machine. You set it for 4 minutes of rest, and if you're late getting back in the game -- say, if it takes you a little more than 4 minutes to peel your carcass off the floor -- it starts the clock while you're not looking. In short, I got caught with my pants down.)

The last seventy-two...

What follows is a terribly non-clever recount of my "training" over the last three days. I recommend against reading it. You will want that 43 seconds of your life back. Seriously, move along.

Friday, May 1
WOD: Turkish get-ups
5 sets of 3 on each arm
35lbs (I can manage a 53lb TGU on my right side, but not on my left. Something to work on...)
Then
Rowing: 10 rounds of 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off
1607 meters total

Saturday, May 2
WOD: In teams of two, alternating reps:
50 Medicine Ball Pass Burpees
50 Medicine Ball Slams
100 Twisting Medicine Ball Passes
100 Box Jumps
16:04 The Wee One and I teamed up. The Wee One looked strong, but I was having an off day, and it slowed us down. So did accidentally doing 200 twisting passes. Oops.
Then
A half round of the above. Dr. Z and I teamed up against The Malinator. I tried to hide my off-the-backness by using a 36" box. It didn't work.

Sunday, May 3
Inadvertent rest day. I should have run -- I intended to run -- but we were working on the yard, it started to rain, I drank a beer, blah blah blah. Bottom line: I got lazy.

Weak and slow, but less so...

Noon WOD: "Heavy" Overhead Squats

It was supposed to be 5 sets of 3, but everything went pear shaped in a hurry.

135x3/135x2/135M/135M/125x1/120x3/115x3

Not great -- I hadn't lifted over head in a while, and it showed -- but still waaaaay better than it used to be.

Evening Run: From Downtown to the top of the hill above the Bobsled four-way, down Terrace Hills, and back to Downtown. The views along the trail did not suck.

Life is just too good...

when you can run to views like these.

I gave up the ghost at the end and walked the last mile back to my office. It's better than last time, and I've still got a long way to go to survive the 18 miles of the Steeplechase.
8.5-ish miles, 1 hour 50 minutes