A Season of Recovery

[Willie]

PT last night. I told him of my recent pains and we agreed that it was likely a combo of lifting and an off-set boat. He didn't seem terribly concerned. I always warm up there by walking backwards on a treadmill. The first day, I made it for 30" before the pain was so bad, I had to stop. Last night, I made it to 5:30, turned around for a few minutes to let the pain subside, and then finished out the WHOLE 20 MINUTES! He said that was a better indicator of my progress than any other he's seen, so as long as the rest of the week is better than the beginning, he's happy. So am I.

The work was hard. I'd list it, but honestly I don't know what to call so many of the exercises! It was 60' of core training-- who knew I could sweat so much from a million variations of plank?

This morning's workout was ok. No coach, and an inexperienced coxswain, so we had trouble finding our groove in the ever-shifting wind. Warm ups, drills, 2 x 15'.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Kate are you making sure that the bike you are using is a good fit for you? That will hurt your back faster than just about anything else I can think of. If you are on a spin bike make sure it fits you perfectly before spinning.

Good luck tonight. I have my fingers crossed for you.

Karla, thank you. I haven't been biking a whole lot (wish I could find more time, but am trying to limit my cardio to mostly rowing)... when I was biking almost daily, I took a lot of time to figure out what worked, but in my gym, a lot of the spinning bikes are different. I don't have a heck of a lot of experience there, so for all I know, I look like an idiot. It feels ok, though.

[DanceDiva]

It is nice to hear you are making progress in PT. Keep logging those milestones. That will be like progress pictures. On a day when you think you haven't made much progress, you'll be able to look back and see how far you've come.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by DanceDiva

It is nice to hear you are making progress in PT. Keep logging those milestones. That will be like progress pictures. On a day when you think you haven't made much progress, you'll be able to look back and see how far you've come.

Thanks Tracey! I keep telling myself that-- even though I still have persistent pain, it is MUCH less intense, and still no tingling.

[Willie]

Tonight's workout with team:

warm up

50 bw squats
40 walking lunges
30 Kettle Bell clean and Press OR swings
20 horizontal pull ups
10 burpees
10 TGU (5/side)
20 push ups
30 TRX squat and row
40 Wall ball
50 step ups (fast)

x2

My first round was 9:22 and my second was 9:47.

Bonus round of partner core exercises.

This was a blast!

[Willie]

Man, I am pooped from last night, but that workout was so fun!

This morning in the pair: 1x2000m @ 9:53, 2 x 1k (didn't get a time on those)

We have to post a 2k time in order to get into a boat for a HUGE race in Seattle in May, which is frustrating because we're still training for the race in San Diego, in two weeks. Gah! Anyway, this was a practice piece, so that we could figure out the real starting line (it's like, "the one anchor chain on the one yellow boat that never moves" in a shipping canal... surrounded by about 350 other boats) and finish line ("that one flag pole after that big building on the starboard side). Anyway, it was good, but we were both tired. We'll do our "for real" timed piece on Wednesday, when it's not pitch black outside.

Hey-- in 3 hours, I'll be on Spring Break! Woot! Now I can still work, but in peace

[mel]

OOH spring break. That would be so nice, LOL.

I'm really glad to read that the PT is going well and the boating as well. Good luck with both the races!

mel

[Willie]

Originally Posted by mel

OOH spring break. That would be so nice, LOL.

I'm really glad to read that the PT is going well and the boating as well. Good luck with both the races!

mel

When is your spring break (I feel like ours is really early this year).

And, thanks! PT is great. We got our lane draws for the San Diego race (called the Crew Classic) and I'm getting excited... butterflies in my stomach already!

[Willie]

This morning's row:
Very race-specific, working on our race plan / strategy (there is no defense in rowing, only offense, but it can be a long 7 1/2 minutes if you don't know what's coming).

warm up
starts
"broken 2k race piece" x 2:
start 5, 20 high, 10 lengthen, 10 shift to base pace
half pressure to 950m
20 strokes at base pace-- 32spm
half pressure to 500m
15 @ base pace, up 2 beats for 15, up 2 beats for 15, up 2 beats for 10 to finish line

So, this was basically an interval workout that would be broken down like this:
1'30" on
3'30" off
45"on
2'30" off
2' on

12' active rest, row back to start line
repeat.

This was a really great, confidence-building workout for our crew. I'm so excited for our race!

[nutbar]

I so don't understand your race-speak workout logs but I still have fun reading them. LOL

Happy spring break!!

[Willie]

Originally Posted by nutbar

I so don't understand your race-speak workout logs but I still have fun reading them. LOL

Happy spring break!!

I used to keep track on paper, but it's so much easier here; I don't imagine that it makes a lot of sense!

Basically, we race 2000m or 1000m in the Spring, and 5000m in the Fall. 2000m should take about 7'30", though weather is always a factor. We take short, quick strokes to get started (imagine 8 people moving a 200#boat, a 110#coxswain (driver), and all our own weight, as fast as possible). Then we take anywhere from 15-20 strokes as high as possible (totally not efficient) since we're anaerobic anyway, then "settle" into an anaerobic threshold place for the next 5 minutes or so, and then sprint to the finish.

[Willie]

Sooo... I'm going to try something new, since I lost my workout notebook and all of my notes, anyway. Might as well come up with a new plan. It seems to me that Stage 7 best compliments my current rowing-training regimen, especially since I cannot load my spine with any kind of heavy weights (yet). Really, the only lift that scares me at all right now is the deadlift (at any weight), though I'm not willing to try heavy barbell squats yet, either.

So. I'm starting Stage 7 today, and will get in four workouts, I think, before I taper down for my race on April 5-6. Then I have another race in May (if I make the boat) and then late June... and perhaps in August. So, I might be repeating Stage 7, or variations on that theme, for awhile. I'll go back to heavier lifting in August and September, if I'm healthy, and then again, post-season, in December and January.

[Willie]

So. I did my own version of Stage 7, in that I had to come up with a list of lifts that I thought I could do without relapsing.

Warm up: Mobility drills, TRX squat and row**, TRX chest press**, squat to stand
**very shallow angle on both of these

Work:
Alternating sets with <90" rest--
A1. Flat Barbell Bench 1x8@95, 3x6@125
A2. Asst. Close Grip Chin ups 1x8@52, 1x7@46, 2x6@46

B1. TRX Squat and Row (deep angle) 4x20
B2. DB Squat with raised heels 4x20@12.5/e
B3. Pike Press from bench 4x20
B4. Romanian Deadlifts 4x20@35

60"work / 30"rest each:
plank
side plank
plank
plank
Bent knee drops
Cat/cow

Notes: I like the format of this workout, though I need to do a better job of assessing the exercises and appropriate weights for the B Circuit.

DB Squats-- was planning to do the overhead squat with one db "up" and one hanging down, but in the first set I observed that I was really twisting in order to give room to the hanging dumbbell. Am I not flexible enough for this? Will have to get help from my husband.

RDL--
I had intended to do these on one leg, which has been advised by the PT and would require a lighter weight, but for some reason I suddenly got it in my head that these needed to be "fast" reps, and I thought I wouldn't be able to do those very fast... so I went with the traditional deadlift which was just too light. I was breathing hard, but I wasn't lifting hard.

Planks-- my PT wants me to be able to do this for 2 minutes, and for some reason, I simply cannot. I don't know why, but I am apparently plank-incompetent. I'm working on it, but it's stressing me out.

All in all, I like this workout as, aside from the A set, it's very similar to what I do on some of my Thursday workouts with my team. I could get used to this. I will post the actual plan that my husband helped me create, later.

[stingo]

Hi Kate - don't get discouraged regarding planks. Have you ever tried one when you were fresh? I think one thing that has helped me is virtually all the exercises I do work the core in some way. That said, I'd suggest switching out the bench press in favor of a renegade row + push-up, or a weighted t-push-up.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by stingo

Hi Kate - don't get discouraged regarding planks. Have you ever tried one when you were fresh? I think one thing that has helped me is virtually all the exercises I do work the core in some way. That said, I'd suggest switching out the bench press in favor of a renegade row + push-up, or a weighted t-push-up.

We're like this ><. I decided earlier that I should do my plank series at the beginning of my workouts, because yes, everything I do is "core", especially the TRX stuff.

I have bench for two main reasons-- 1. I really like bench pressing and 2. it's something I can do "heavy" enough for 6-8 reps. I could do push ups at an angle, but those are still pretty manageable for me, and a really steep angle hurts my back.

My plan is something like this-- can't remember exactly because it's in my core--
1. bench + chins 4x6-8 reps + circuit "A" (what I did tonight, though I think I'm going to sub in 1-arm DB clean and press for the squats)
2. BSS + 1-arm row 4x6-8 reps + circuit "B" (walking lunges, push ups, front squat / push press, horizontal pull ups)
3. Seated row (?) + DB incline chest press 4x6-8 reps + circuit A
4. Step ups + (weighted or angled or T-style with db's) push ups 4x6-8 reps +circuit B

That will take me two weeks... because in addition, on Thursdays I do my "crossfit-esque" workouts with my team, and my Wednesday PT is pretty substantial.

Oh, and as we continue to explore new exercises, the next few rounds of Thursday workouts have Renegade rows and some push up variations in them. I hadn't though of wearing a weighted vest for those, though... hmm...

[kfisherx]

Your physicall activies schedule boggles the mind. I love this log. It actually makes me feel like a slacker!

[DanceDiva]

She boggles my mind too! And then I saw her reply on the naysayer thread and she does even more than she mentions in this log! Kate you are AWESOME (and just think when those women are old, they'll be wishing their bones were as strong as yours).

[Willie]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Your physicall activies schedule boggles the mind. I love this log. It actually makes me feel like a slacker!

Originally Posted by DanceDiva

She boggles my mind too! And then I saw her reply on the naysayer thread and she does even more than she mentions in this log! Kate you are AWESOME (and just think when those women are old, they'll be wishing their bones were as strong as yours).

Thanks Karla and Tracey
I am a busy gal, indeed, but it's the way I like it. I work really hard, and really enjoy my downtime, with my husband, at home, on the couch. It also really helps that he is so supportive and doesn't mind the fact that I'm crazy. Most days of the week, I leave the house at 4:55am and return sometime after 7pm.

Also, keep in mind that I don't have any children. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to get it all in before that storm happens.

[Willie]

This morning's row-- AFTER I SCRAPED THE ICE FROM MY WINDSHIELD!!! wtf?!?

Normally I row the pair on Mondays, but we had a team practice since we're in our last week of real race prep.
Drills, starts, longer start sequences
Things were going well.

Then we did one 1000m piece against the other boat (we're in the"B" age category--34 to 42 and they are in the "A" -- 27-34). We won by a boatlength, which either speaks very highly of us, or not so well of them. They later said that their row had been pretty good, so that leaves me very excited.

Two weeks!

(and, if anyone wants to "watch" the race live on the internet, PM me and I'll send you the link and additional information (like, how the h*ll to know who you're looking for!).)

[Willie]

This afternoon's workout-- #2 of my own version of Stage 7

warm up: hip mobility, squat to stand 2x10, inchworm 2x7, lunge and stretch

Close-grip chin ups from a full hang 4 x 2 @ bw (just kind of felt like doing those, as my dad was admiring my biceps last night and asking how many curls I was doing these days, and was surprised when I told him none... then he said that girls who can do chin ups are "way cool".

Alternating sets with 90" rest--
A1. DB Shoulder Press 1x8@30, 1x8@35, 2x8@40 (+5)
A2. BSS 2x8@25/e, 2x8@30/e (+5)

Straight through with 30" rest
B1. Front Squat / push press 4x20@35
B2. Horizontal pull ups 4x15
B3. Walking lunges 38/30/30/30 (total, =15/side)
B4. Pushups, on toes, chest to floor 4x15

Stretching

PT exercises--
Plank 1x90"
Side plank 2x60"
Cat / cow 2x60"
Bent-knee reverse crunches 3x15

This was a weird workout. I was kind of dreading it because my leg was pretty sore (though it didn't get any more sore throughout the workout). I was surprised that I had some good pr's! The BSS and the shoulder press were HUGE pr's for me, as was the 90" plank. I was very pleased.

I had planned to go lighter with the B set of this workout as the intensity and volume of my race-prep rowing are both elevated this week, and will taper down next week. I figured I'd do the workout as planned, but not go crazy with the weights. Then I got excited for the A set... oops.

front squat / push press-- I am really working on engaging my core during these, and used what I thought was a fairly light weight. I could go heavier for those, but only after my husband checks out my form.

Horizontal pull ups-- I really like these, as they are a great rowing-specific exercise


Walking lunges-- no weight, as we have a really hard practice tomorrow morning (4x4' all out, race pace). It is exactly 30 walking lunges from the smith machine (using it for horizontal pull ups) to the water fountain!

Push ups-- these were hard by the last set. Some guy made a crappy remark about my sweat puddle.

Had a fun conversation with a trainer today about a potential study of the correlation between noise made in the gym and actual weight moved. There were a lot of grunters in the gym mid-day. Why? WHY MUST YOU MAKE SO MUCH NOISE???

[kfisherx]

Congrats on the win.... And wtf indeed??? If there is ice on the road I dn't go near the water.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Congrats on the win.... And wtf indeed??? If there is ice on the road I dn't go near the water.

Thanks Karla!

It's awful, and we were doing so well there for a week or two of sun! Although, it is beautiful right now...

[Willie]

This morning's row was easy drills in our race lineups. It was a good, confidence-building, easy row. I liked it... but my back did not.

I am trying to get in to see my PT today as both yesterday and today it's clear that my pain has drastically changed. The pain WAS searing, immediate upon standing, relieved when sitting, only in my leg, and accompanied by tingling (to numbness). This pain is dull, constant, still exacerbated by standing but not relieved (much) by sitting, and moving into my back; no tingling for at least three weeks. Feels like I have a major cramp in my butt and calf. I can't stretch my leg.

Gah! I was doing so well! And maybe this IS good... I hear that shifting pain can often be a sign of improvement. But this sucks.

[DanceDiva]

Ach! Just in from my day and checking on you. Hopefully it's just a transitional phase. I won't worry if you don't (you know that's not true). Take care of yourself.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by DanceDiva

Ach! Just in from my day and checking on you. Hopefully it's just a transitional phase. I won't worry if you don't (you know that's not true). Take care of yourself.

Thanks Tracey,
I'm really hoping that as well. I take (odd) comfort in the fact that this pain is totally different than the other. I have PT tomorrow and will fill him in. I'm kind of hoping that he doesn't make me work much.

[nutbar]

Sorry about the new pain!

Originally Posted by Willie

Planks-- my PT wants me to be able to do this for 2 minutes, and for some reason, I simply cannot. I don't know why, but I am apparently plank-incompetent. I'm working on it, but it's stressing me out.

Planks are of the devil.

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Your physicall activies schedule boggles the mind. I love this log. It actually makes me feel like a slacker!

Ditto that!

Originally Posted by Willie

Also, keep in mind that I don't have any children.

Want some? I have some extras. I'll even split the shipping costs.

Originally Posted by Willie

Had a fun conversation with a trainer today about a potential study of the correlation between noise made in the gym and actual weight moved. There were a lot of grunters in the gym mid-day. Why? WHY MUST YOU MAKE SO MUCH NOISE???

I'm a HUGE noise maker! I grunt and groan and downright growl -- and loudly, too! I was just telling hubby today (who had heard my noises from outside and came in to check that no one was being murdered ) that no way could I ever work out in a public gym, if only for that reason.

[Willie]

Sweet Mother of All That is Holy.
My leg is killing me... like, I literally cannot stand up. It feels like one giant cramp; totally different than any of the other sciatic-type pain that I've had. I'm in hell right now, and can't take any days off because we have one of the biggest races of our year next weekend. (oddly enough, rowing itself doesn't hurt at all)

Praying for a miracle at PT today.

On a good note-- our NEXT race is a local rowing festival in Seattle, and boats are selected from the entire club rather than just from my team. To get into a racing boat, you have to post a 2000m time (in a pair) in March. My partner and I did ours this morning, and it was pretty damn quick. No one else has posted yet (lots of women have done them, but are being coy with their times), but I'd be surprised if our piece today (into a head wind, no less!) didn't put us at the top of the heap. We'll see.

PT in two hours. I'm counting down the minutes.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by nutbar

Sorry about the new pain!
Planks are of the devil.
Want some? I have some extras. I'll even split the shipping costs.
I'm a HUGE noise maker! I grunt and groan and downright growl -- and loudly, too! I was just telling hubby today (who had heard my noises from outside and came in to check that no one was being murdered ) that no way could I ever work out in a public gym, if only for that reason.

I HATE planks. But, I am still excited about my 90" victory from the other day.

No thanks on the kids, Diane, though I do appreciate your very generous offer (no one gives deals on shipping these days!). For the while, I'm content just to hold my friends' kids and then toss them back when they start squirming. I can't even face television births... what am I gonna do?!?!?!?!

It's not the grunting from effort to which I am completely opposed; it's more the loud racking and purposeful dropping of weight plates, seemingly symbolic of an "I'm a big stud" attitude. Dude. Newsflash. You're not. Period. Get over it.

Women (or men) who grunt when truly, honestly working hard? No problem here. It's the grunting / dropping noise when NOT working hard that really gets me.

[kfisherx]

Huge grunter and noise maker here. I vowed I would never be one but I can't help it. It just comes out of me as it gets really hard to do a lift. I don't really care anymore about it. Yesterday I made some noises as I was doing my 155lb deads when I finished I saw that several people were watching me. Not in a bad way but in the same way I will watch when I see someone with a really good ethic. I look pretty little next to that olympic bar with the big girl plates. It isn't about the noise that you make at all. It is about the effort you expend.

[stingo]

I think Kate's and Karla's points are well taken. If you're grunting under a significant amount of weight that's one thing. But doing it just to draw attention isn't.