2020 Kickoff and Mid-West Work Trip

New Year's Eve was quiet.  I worked during the day and wasn't even sure if I'd stay up past 8pm that night, but I did.

Wednesday, Jan 1:
I did have New Year's Day off.  I had to pick up a car from a mechanic.  I wanted to get in some kind of a workout.  Before Horizon really ramped up, I wanted to get in some pure running miles.  I decided to run to the mechanic.  Saved me an Uber trip.

The route took me by the airport landing strip.  It's fun to watch airplanes land and come by really close.  It's an industrial area, so I passed big rigs, railroad tracks, and planes on my way there.

6.5 mi in 1:07:09, 10:19 average.

In the evening, I did Tom Merrick's 20 min Full Body Flexibility video plus foam roller work, followed by 2 strict rucking miles with 20# in my bullet in 22:34, 11:16 average.

I also continued to work on leg lifts and side lunges.

Thursday, Jan 2:

My right back was tight at work today, so I used a TENS unit for 2 hours.  Afterwards, I did a core workout for 25 min, plus more leg lifts and side lunges.

Friday, I finished off the New Year's Week NC Ruck Club Callout challenge.  Over the course of the work week, I had done 500 side squats, 15 min of 6 in, 1750 leg lifts, and 2,000 side lunges.  I wanted to support 2 clubs in my area, so I did work for each of them.  It was still easier than the push-ups.  The 6 in holds are easier than the leg lifts.  Side squats were harder than the side lunges.

On New Year's Eve, I think one of my colleagues might've seen me when I thought I was pretty much alone on campus at work and was doing side lunges on the main sidewalk between buildings.  The sun was setting, and it was pretty.  Fortunately, she already knows how I'm a little crazy, and she's a little crazy, too, because she asked for advice on marathon training, so we've been discussing that for a while.  

Saturday, Jan 4:

I was pumped up to get in work and knock out some things that I had to get done.

• ATM
• Trader Joe's
• 11s and Penalty Holds Ruck Workout from TEAM SPEARHEAD in 42 min with 20#.  This was the first ruck workout that I ever did as part of PATHFINDER Ruck Training.  It was brutal the first time, and I like to try try to do it each PATHFINDER class to see how I progress, and to stay humble.  I wore MACV-1s because it had recently been raining, and I don't want my feet to get wet with sneakers.
• 4 mi ruck with 30#.  I want to gradually start using 30# more. I had done the workout at a park right off of a greenway that led to UNCC and one of the waypoints from the Charlotte 50 Mile Star Course.
• IKEA for my birthday treat.

Tuesday, Jan 7:

1 mi ruck in 11:25, full body workout, 2 mi strict ruck in 28:06, all at 4am before heading out for a flight.  I was really tired yesterday, otherwise I would've done it then.

I flew out to Iowa, where I got in a ruck before dinner.  It wasn't quick, due to traffic lights.  Small town, though.  Got a geocache along the way, which was the main purpose of the ruck.  I rucked with the 40L GR2 that I packed for the 3-night trip.  It was 23# in all.  I wore the steel-toed safety shoe boots, with no added insoles.  The insoles would've been nice, because I needed them by the end of the day.  2 mi in estimated 46 min, 23:00/mi average.  

Wednesday night, I was in Minnesota.  It was 20* colder there than in Des Moines, and there was a lot of black ice, so I didn't ruck there.  I just went across the street to get a Minnesota geocache.

Thursday, Jan 9:

Did a morning core workout in the hotel room in Minnesota using the 23# 40L ruck with clothes in 57 min.  A bulky ruck is harder to maneuver.  

After morning work meetings at a customer site, we drove 4 hours back to Des Moines.  Downtown Des Moines is very nice... clean, and it has a river that runs through it.  They have a good beer scene, too, which was a nice surprise.

Friday, Jan 10:

Flew back home.  Was a little sore, so I worked it out with Restorative Yoga with Muscle and Mat.  It was good and different, with moves that I haven't seen before.  

Saturday, Jan 11:

To prep for Bragg, the Cabarrus Ruck Club was hosting the PT portion of the Robbie Miller WOD.  I wanted to get the full effect, so I went in early to get 4 mi in 1:04:14 (16:03 average).  Then the 12 rounds with a couple of buddies.

We capped it off with 3 rounds of 25 ruck thrusters and 50 dead lifts (with ruck and a 30# sandbag that was too light for the exercise but that's OK).

And then I got them to do another 2 mile in 36:13, 18:05 average, with 20# and gear.

Sunday, Jan 12:

HDT workout to try to maintain some competency with sandbags.  A 30 min AMRAP that includes a bunch of push-ups.  The first time I tried this AMRAP, the push-ups were tough.  This time, after doing the 1,250 pushups in 5 days Christmas week, I wasn't really bothered by the push-ups.  That's a good sign.  Followed it up with a 2 mi interval ruck in 25:54, 12:55 average.  I tried out GORUCK's new inside/outside (I/O) shoes.  They worked for that distance.

Tuesday, Jan 14:

Ruck workout, including a 1 mi ruck in 12:32.  Second time in the I/O.  I did missing having the extra arch support of insoles, though.

Then, taper time for the Great Raid Tough and 10K Star Course Sprint.