Summer Training Madness

Wednesday, July 5:

18A "Dynamic Warmup" in 28:14, then "Hanging Abs" in 15:40, then "Lower Body Prep" in 323:28 nice and easy, then "Lower Push BW" in 32:43.

Thursday, July 6:

18A "Upper Body Prep" in 38:10, then 2x "Upper Vert Push" with only a 45* bend for HSPUs.  It was my first time trying HSPUs.

Friday, July 7:

45 min nose breathed easy run at the topmost end of zone 3 in GORUCK Rough Runners for the first time, around my neighborhood at night.  I was craving cardio after having backed off of it since my right glute has been sore.  I covered 4.7 min in that time.

Saturday, July 8:

In the morning, 18A "Upper Push / Chin-up" in 41:34 with hamstring stretches during the rests, then "Dip Abs" in 20 min.

In the evening, range day, working on the July Drill.

Sunday, July 9:

Yoga for Runners 60 min class with Faith Hunter from Lululemon.  Needed a rest day today for sure.  Glute has been so sore this half week.

Visited SB for some catching up.

Monday, July 10:

Slow ruck with 49# total wearing Garmont T8s so that I could get some movement in, without stressing out my glute too much.  At least I can try to get my shoulders used to the weight.  The MOLLE II ruck still needs adjustments to make it fit my shoulders better.  Lots of pokemon.  4 miles in 1:26:39.

Tuesday, July 11:

Tried out the new G19C after installing the Holosun.  Many failures to eject, maybe because of how it was cerakoted.  You'd think that the cerakoting people would know what they're doing.

Wednesday, July 12:

18A "DL/KB" with relatively light weights for active recovery in 42:10.  The single-leg DLs were hard, though.  Afterwards, "Dip Abs" in 24:18.

Thursday, July 13:

Pickleball with dad

Afterwards, a 6 mile nose breathed run around the neighborhood in 59:39.

Friday, July 14:

18A "Upper Body Prep" in 26:25, "Push-up" in 56:20, a casual 30#RPC walk around the neighborhood with dad, wearing Garmont T8s.  Saved some tires along the way.

Afterwards, doing Center - Day 27 - Yin, and Day 26 - Connect Yoga with Adriene was a good combo for recovery.

Saturday, July 15:

Single loop of Stone Mountain State Park NC with dad in 2:54:17.

We went early and were able to see deer.

Sunday, July 16:

18A "Dynamic Warmup" in 29:41, then "Hanging Abs" in 18:51, then 6x (20 burpees in 56-51 min, followed by 1 min rest).

Monday, July 17:

USNWC Open Flow Yoga, followed by a 3 mile ruck on South Main in Innov8 X-Talons with 20# plus a yoga mat in 1:07:39.

Tuesday, July 18:

18A "Dynamic Warmup" in 22:41, then a half marathon row (a distance PR by 10 miles) in 1:55:23 at resistance 5 and 25 strokes per minute.  It was part of a challenge in a training group that I'm in, that a fellow member put out there.  I started easy to make sure I'd make it all the way through without hurting myself.

The rowing machine has a monitor where you can follow different training sessions, or just row to some scenery that makes you feel like you're in that place.  I chose Thailand.

I picked up the pace at the end.  I started to get hints of blisters on my hands towards the end, but it wasn't too bad.

Wednesday, July 19:

I was hoping that a cleaning and more rounds would help to break the gun in, but it still malfunctioned.  Partial chambering this time.  

The red dot also came loose, even though I had used Loctite and torqued it to spec.

Thursday, July 20:

2 min HRPU: 43 (up from 38 from 7 weeks ago)

1 min Pull-ups: 11 (up from 9 from 7 weeks ago)

49# Molle II ruck in Garmont T8s, covering 2.5 miles in 54:35, not for speed... just to move a little.

Friday, July 21:

18A "Upper Body Prep" in 27:08, then "Pullups", including a burpee finisher, in 55:45.

Used the TENS unit, since my glute's been sore.

Saturday, July 22:

Center - Day 25 - Amor & Day 24 - Explore Yoga with Adriene, which was a good and therapeutic combo for my jacked up body and glute.

Range day, working on some awesome drills from Haley Strategic.

Also did some fun drills with movement then shooting, and a 1-round reload drill with all the mags.

And we practiced rimfire position building and transitions, shooting at 100, 200, 300, and 400yd targets.

Sunday, July 23:

In the morning, went to my first Carryology meetup, a gathering of backpack nerds.

It was held at Camp North End.  I had come to this area before for the Van Gogh Experience, but I hadn't seen this part of it.  There are many small creativity-related businesses there.  Like an arts district.  Neat place.  Lots of cool things to discover.

Center - Day 22 - Align & Day 23 - Soar Yoga with Adriene

Monday, July 24:

2 mile ruck in 44:13 wearing the MOLLE II pack wieghing 49# total, with Garmont T8's around the neighborhood, since I wasn't in the mood for a strength session.

Tuesday, July 25:

Drills w/ SB at Blackstone.

The new cerakoted Glock did better today, although it wouldn't last.

Wednesday, July 26:

At Blackstone, the Glock did a bit better with 124gr rounds than it did with 115gr.

18A "Upper Body Prep" in 24 min, then "Push-up" with breaks for important distractions so time wasn't as meaningful, then "Plank Series" in 18 min.

Thursday, July 27:

18A "Dyanmic Warmup" in 23:20, then "Kettlebell" in 41:17.

Friday, July 28:

Still trying to get the Glock to work smoothly, and zero the red dot.

Worked on isolating my trigger finger.

30 min of glute and pec PT, then a 6 mile nose breathed run around the neighborhood after it rained, at a 8:26 pace in reflective Kinvaras.

Saturday, Jul 29:

Glute and Pec PT for 30 min, then 18A "Dip Abs" in 26:19, then "Lower Body Prep" in 26:29, then 6x (20 burpees within 1 min, then 1 min rest).  The garage and house felt a little warmer than usual today. 

At night, did the 18A "Kinstretch" mobility video.

Sunday, July 30:

Went to a CLT ruck club ACFT-inspired workout for 33:55 using a 20# ruck (I thought it was 30#, but it felt easy... realized afterwards that it was only 20#).

Afterwards, we floated down the river, which was a lot of fun.  I had heard about this Fort Mill activity before, but had never tried it.  You do need 2 cars so that you can drop off yourselves and your floats at one spot, then have a ride to get back to the start point afterwards.

There's a swinging bridge in the middle of the journey.  Many people were out there, hanging out.  It's what people without boats do for fun.  Beverages are a plus.

Monday, July 31:

Center - Day 29 - Pleasure & Day 28 - Freedom Yoga with Adriene

Tuesday, Aug 1:

Took my dad to Riverwalk, to show him the fun area and explore the riverside trail.  We went 3.5 miles in 1:17:17 as the sun set.  I carried 50# and wore Ballistic Trainers.

Wednesday, Aug 2:

Glute and pec PT in 31:44, then 18A "Upper Push / Core / Cardio" in 1:09:05.

Thursday, Aug 3:

Center - Day 5 - Hug & Day 6 - Fan Yoga with Adriene

Friday, Aug 4:

52 pushups in 2 min, 84 situps in 2 min, 14:46 2 mile run in Saucony A4s.  2 mile strict-ish ruck with the V3 rucker with 50# in 28:38 wearing Garmont T8s.  Then glute and pec PT for 28:31, and 18A "Hanging Abs" for 22:03.

Saturday, Aug 5:

Did the August Shooter Drill about 8x.

Did some moving and shooting straight-on.

A butterfly joined me today.

Sunday, Aug 6:

18A "Lower Body Prep" in 22:12, Glute and Pec PT for 34:02, "Lower Push BW" in 35:34, "Dip Abs" in 23:19.  I think I'm getting diminishing returns from the glute and pec PT now from a neural perspective.  

Read "Rising Above" by Sean Rogers.

Monday, Aug 7:

Center - Day 8 - Melt & Day 7 - Flow Yoga with Adriene.  Glute and pec PT for 26:31, then 18A "Ketllebell" in 30:19.

Tuesday, Aug 8:

18A "Upper Body Prep" in 29:57, then "Chest Barbell" in 33:14.

Wednesday, Aug 9:

Did dry needling on my glute and shoulder.  Glute nad Pec PT for 29 min, then 18A "Lower Body Prep" for 25:34, then "Squats Barbell" for 46:54.

Thursday, Aug 11:

Glute and pec PT in 27:01, then 18A "Lower Body Prep" in 24:08, 6 mile trail run nose breathed, at the Iswa Nature Preseve in Innov8 X-talons in 82* temps.

Front-facing yoga flow at USNWC, then a 1.5 mile ruck with 30# plus 2 yoga mats in the v3 rucker wearing Salomon Speedcross, around the parade loop.

We hung out and listened to live music for a little bit afterwards.

Saturday, Aug 12:

Glute and pec PT in 31:03, then 18A "Upper Body Prep" in 30:06, then "Pull-ups" in 56:18, then "Hanging Abs" in 20:18

Sunday, Aug 13:

18A pre-ruck dynamic warmup in 26:14, Glute and Pec PT in 29:25, then a 4 mile ruck in Garmont T8s with 50# in the v3 rucker in 57:07.  I slept a lot today, maybe making up for nights this past week where I only slept 4 hours because of how busy work was.

I think my sweat got the toes of my boots wet.

Monday, Aug 14:

Glute and pec PT in 39:36, 18A "Plank Series" in 22:49, "Lower Push BW" in 39:59.

Tuesday, Aug 15:

Armory work

Wednesday, Aug 16:

18A "Dyanmic Warmup" in 22:22,"Upper Body Prep" in 26:45, "Upper Vert Push" in 12:29.

Thursday, Aug 17:

18A "Dynamic Warmup" in 24:47, Glute and Pec PT in 36:50, "Chest Barbell" in 41:31 where the 2x30# were so hard that I had to break it up into sets and almost smashed my face with dumbells.

Denver

BACK AT HOME FOR A BIT

Monday, June 26:

18A "Lower Body Prep" in 20:24, "Plank Series" in 24:26, then 45 min of a nose breathed progression run covering 5.16 in that time, wearing lime green Kinvaras.

Tuesday, June 27:

Took my dad to the airport to send him off to Denver.  I'd meet him there later.

In the meantime, I rucked 5 miles in 1:07:48 with 47# total for a MOLLE2 pack for the first time, wearing Garmont T8s as well.  I sweat a lot, even though it was only 73* that night.  There was an air quality warning because of the Canadian wildfires, but it didn't seem too bad.

DENVER

Thursday, June 29:

Flew in to Denver myself...

And since it was a morning flight, we were able to go hiking in Boulder that day.

There were so many types of wildflowers there.

We didn't go that far, and turned around when it started raining and the rocks were getting too slippery for my mom's comfort.

We went back just in time, as the last few minutes of our journey was in the hail!

For dinner, we made bison burgers.

In the evening, I did Yoga for Uncertainty with Adriene.

At night, my sister and I planned a last-minute multi-day trip around a section of Colorado.

Friday, June 30:

In the morning, we drove out to Crested Butte.  We crossed the Continental Divide on the way.  It's crazy to see snow in June!

We came across cows that were walking from one place to another along our road, too.

Once in Crested Butte, we did part of Snodgrass trail, which was out and back.  There were mountain bikers that occasionally passed us.  I can't imagine riding on stuff as steep as that, with the drop-off in some parts, too.

This was our turnaround spot.  It took a lot of convincing to get my mom to even get this far, and this seemed like a nice landmark.

The eyes in the trees were gross.

There was a surprise body of water.  Mosquitos liked that spot, too.  

We hit 3.5 miles total.

We checked into the Grand Lodge, and while the family napped, I got in 18A "Chest Barbell" in 45:40, and "Hanging Abs" in 14:45.

At night, my dad, sister, and I rode the shuttle into town, to explore the village.  My mom was still recovering from the hike.  It was near closing time for a lot of places, but it was still festive there.  We got takeout for Secret Stash pizza.

Sunday, July 1:

The next morning, we took my mom into town, to show her all the cool stuff there.  She loved it and took pictures all over the place.

We left Crested Butte and drove to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  The park is mainly one road, with many overlooks and mini trails along the way.  You can get different views of the Canyons, or see the same thing from multiple angles, since the stops aren't very far apart.

We listened to a Ranger Talk on geology, although we stayed in this spot away from the view the whole time, and just talked about types of rocks and petroglyphs.  

We did do one somewhat longer hike.  The coolest part was that someone spotted a bighorn sheep from super far away.  You wouldn't be able to see it without a spotting scope.  At most, you saw a tiny black dot with your eyes.  

At night, we stayed at an old schoolhouse that they turned into an unmanned inn.  It still had desks and old furniture.

We tried Nepalese food for dinner.  I was quite hungry by then, so it tasted very good.

Sunday, July 2:

The next morning, we drove a couple more hours to go to Great Sand Dunes NP.  It's crazy that nature just ended up moving a bunch of sand there.  It's a random giant 30 square mile pile of sand in the middle of Colorado, nestled between mountains and next to a dynamic waterway that seeps out of the sand, giving kids a true beach-like experience.

There are no trails, either.  You just walk through the dunes however you want.  You are even allowed to venture out at night.  That would be cool to do one day.

A good number of people were here to sled or sandboard.  Walking through that sand was challenging, since it was deep.  Uphill was even more challenging.  It saps the energy right out of you.

Monday, July 3:

I went to the REI flagship store.  It's huge!!!

In the evening, we went back out to Boulder, but to a different trail called Flatirons Vista.  We saw prairie dogs!  They were very cute.  They make a strange noise, too, to alert each other about stuff.

There were surprise fireworks at night, and the townhouse was perfectly situated.

Tuesday, July 4:

My last full day in Denver.

As a workout, I did 18A "Push-up" in 55:45, followed by "Plank Series" in 19:00.  

My sister and I went to Denver Brewing Co for a flight.

For dinner, we made bison burgers again.

Wednesday, July 5:

The line for security was massive.