First day

The plane flight was nowhere near the ordeal I remembered long distance flights to be. I slept for 2 hours at a time twice I think, helped by having got up at 0300 and going like crazy all day to get ready.


I was trying to get some sculptures finished to take over as presents, but didn't make it, so they'll be completed when I get back and mailed across. "Speed sculpting" is an interesting exercise in carving away the non-essential to focus on what you really need to capture. Shame it's so stressful.

LA is having a cool spell so it's just pleasantly warm here. We went for a couple of wanders to 7/11 stores near to the Motel 6 we're staying in. We also bought a pre-pay card for our unlocked NZ cellphone, so we have a US number to use. Lots of new junkfoood to try at the 7/11. I resisted some of it, gave in to others. I don't think it will be too hard to keep my falls from grace to a minimum as it makes me feel like crap to eat that stuff.

I did 30 burpees before we headed to Panda Express for dinner. I didn't like the food a lot, but I suspect that was partly due to poor choices. I got my first fortune cookie, something about "You have only just begun to live the life of success you will have". I'm tired, it's been a long day, details like that are hard to hang on to, stop picking on me. Are you supposed to eat the cookie part of fortune cookies? I have no idea, so didn't.

I did another 40 burpees poolside and then had a little swim while Lynette used the internet. We found out how to get the train station and after a myriad of top-ups, managed to print the various bus numbers and changes out.

I'm blogging this using up the extra credit.

Tomorrow we meet our first real live Brand Xer when Laura picks us up from the train station.
It will be to much to hope that the cool spell follows us to Ramona and it's been nice to have it here. The temperature isn't a big deal, the hardest part is getting used to it being light at 1950. Mid winter at home so it's dark at 1730.

Off to bed I think. Another big day tomorrow, and then it really gets tough when I submit myself to Jeff's tender mercies, although it's Andrea and her apparent desire to kill me with hill-sprints that really worries me.

The photo in this post is from this album, feel free to browse around.
http://picasaweb.google.com/metric.nz/Flight_over

HSPU and L-pull-ups 080713

For time:
15 Handstand push-ups
1 L Pull-up
13 Handstand push-ups
3 L Pull-ups
11 Handstand push-ups
5 L Pull-ups
9 Handstand push-ups
7 L Pull-ups
7 Handstand push-ups
9 L Pull-ups
5 Handstand push-ups
11 L Pull-ups
3 Handstand push-ups
13 L Pull-ups
1 Handstand push-up
15 L Pull-ups

18:30

Down from 22:19

HSPU; Piked, feet on a 20" box
L Pull-ups; Supinated grip. L pull-ups were my usual "lower case h" sub for the "L". Hamstrings too tight.

"Smokey"

Did the Pack version of

"Smokey"

30 Bear Complex for Time:

Deadlift from floor
Hang Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press
back to floor
= 1 rep

*bar must touch floor between each rep

Big Dawgs
95/65
Pack
65/45
Puppies
45/25
Buttercups
15/PVC
30kg
12:08

I went back and did 5 extra front squats because I caught myself missing them in one round and wasn't sure how many other rounds I'd done the same thing.

And that's the end of my knees for a few days. Tuesday may be Helen if they're feeling better, or I may do Muscle-ups for time and leave Helen for Thursday or Friday.

Michael

Pack/Puppies

3 Rounds
400m run
35 abmat situps
35 x 20kg good mornings


20:32

I tried to use what little I knew of Pose running technique and did fairly well at getting my heels up behind me according to the shadows from the street lights, but completely dropped off the tempo. I didn't remember my watch with the tempo pacer in it unfortunately, but I'm not
sure that would have helped, I just couldn't move my legs faster.

Situps etc were a struggle only because I was puffing so much.

They're going to cream me at Brand X.

But.
I ran.
I ran all of a WOD.
I didn't hurt my ankle.
I didn't hurt my knees.

While not impressive by most people's standards, that's extremely satisfying to me.

Crossfit Games deadlift and burpees workout 080705

Pack
5 Rounds for time
5x 90kg Deadlift
10 burpees

11:20

I tried 100kg to see if it was going to work, but it was a bit dicey and fell back on Pack weights.

135 pounds of death 080702

Did 30kg of death, the pack version of 135 pounds of death.
Five rounds for time of:
65 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
65 pound Hang power clean, 12 reps
65 pound Front Squat, 9 reps
65 pound Push Jerk, 6 reps

13:25
Didn't bother with the splits this time.

My back was rounding a bit in the early rounds of the front squats. I think I fixed it toward the end.
Front squats to a 12" box. Missed reps were repeated.

5k run 080623

Cherry picked the 5km run.

I walked 3 laps of our 1 mile block and ran 2 sides of the last lap when I was nice and warm. Ankle twinged a little on the last run.

I wanted to stretch my legs a bit and persuade my spine to uncurl a little.