The Adventures of El Oso

Back in Action

2009-08-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

update

Went to SB, had a busy week, now in Cambria. Beefcake continues.

Starting Strength #7

2009-08-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

SS #7

Squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (60#) / 1x3 (90#) / 1x2 (120#) / 3x5 (155#)

Bench Press: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (60#) / 1x3 (80#) / 1x2 (105#) / 5x3 (120#)

Pullups (90% deadhang): 8 / 8 / 6

notes

Bumped the NO-Xplode to 1.5 scoops and felt like I was bursting with energy. The squats are starting to get heavy. Deadhang pullups are improving too.

food

pre-workout: NO-Xplode

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: breakfast sandwich & hashbrows from mcD's

lunch: 3 tacos w/ avocado and horchata

snack: the other hashbrown from the AM, dried apricots, lard cookie

dinner: leftover pizza

snack: milk

Rest + CF Freestyle

2009-08-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

"Sheila"

3 rounds:

25 squat

10 pushups

50 core-kickers

Then run around the block (barefoot).

food

pre-workout: NO-Xplode

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: egg / bacon / cheese sandwich from boudin

snack: cheerios and milk

lunch: indian food leftovers

snack: chocolate milkshare from mcD's

dinner: pizza

76 miles by Bike

2009-08-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

ride to healdsburg

Left Sports Basement SF around 9:15 with Henry. Great weather, with a little fog around the bridge. Felt good heading out. Brought 1 bottle of Prolong, my 2L hydration pak, plus cinnamon bread, dried apricots, chia seeds, and clif drink mix. The route was as follows:

SF > Sausalito > Larkspur > San Anselmo > Fairfax > San Geronimo > Nicasio > Petaluma > Santa Rosa > Rohnert Park > Healdsburg

notes

Ate lunch in Petaluma along the water. Felt stuffed and happy. Then I downed a blended coffee milkshake, and felt like crap. This continued for the next 20 miles. Then we filled our bottles and the hydro pak with ICE and it was like a whole new beginning. I love COLD WATER. The last stretch was great, and I felt like I could ride all day. Before we got to downtown Healdsburg we took a quick break to jump in the Russian River -- this was f***ing amazing and again I felt like I had 100 more miles in my legs. Arrived in Healdsburg and had an ice cold beer @ Bear Republic Brewing Co. Henry's folks arrived shortly thereafter and we made short work of garlic fries and calamari before heading home.

food

pre-ride: cinnamon toast w/ peanut butter

on the bike: prolong, clif drink, cannimon bread, dried apricots, chia seeds

lunch: turkey meatloaf sandwich, greens, kettle chips, coffee milkshake

post-ride: beer, garlic fries, calamari

dinner: sushi, gyoza, miso soup

bedtime: whole milk with scoop of protein poweder

Day @ the Beach

2009-08-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

notes

Went to Stinson Beach w/ the family. Also walked around the neighborhood. Nice day. Started with a hangover that took a while to shake, but a long walk (with some errands along the way) around Fisherman's Warf / North Beach / Russian Hill took the edge off.

food

breakfast: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

lunch: three tacos from nick's - pollo asado, mahi mahi, carne asada

dinner: spinach salad with chicken, nuts, cranberries, and fries

snack: whole milk

Starting Strength #6

2009-08-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

SS #6

Squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (60#) / 1x3 (90#) / 1x2 (120#) / 3x5 (150#)

Press: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (45#) / 1x3 (60#) / 1x2 (75#) / 5x3 (90#)

Pullups (90% deadhang): 6 / 6 / 6

notes

Felt good, real calm at the gym. Trying to plan out workout schedule and debating whether or not to keep taking NOX.

food

pre-workout: NOXplode

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, raisins, 2 eggs

lunch: procutto and cheese sandwich, lard cookies

snack: dried apricots

dinner: german sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, a bite of schnitzel, and a 2L boot of Bitburger pils

Rest Day

2009-08-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

notes

Feeling vry tired today, although I got ~ 7 hours of sleep last night. New meds maybe?

food

breakfast: cinnamon break, milk

second breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, cranberries, raisins, 2 eggs

lunch: burger w/ bacon and blue cheese, fries, bread

snack: cheerios and milk

dinner: chicken tikka masala, rice, naan, samosa

nightime snack: milk

Starting Strength #5

2009-08-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

SS #5

Squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (55#) / 1x3 (85#) / 1x2 (115#) / 3x5 (145#)

Bench: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (55#) / 1x3 (80#) / 1x2 (100#) / 3x5 (115#)

Power Clean: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (50#) / 1x3 (65#) / 1x2 (80#) / 5x3 (95#)

notes

Felt especially scatterbrained in the AM, but once I got to the gym I felt great, high-energy, motivated. Changed ADHD meds on Tuesday, and now the caffeine seems to have more of a pronounced effect.

food

pre-workout: NOXplode

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, raisins, 2 eggs

lunch: turkey bacon avocado club sandwich

snack: green tea + chocolate frozen yogurt w/ almonds + blackberries

dinner: pad thai, shrimp, chicken, couscous, greenery, garlic bread

dessert: oatmeal cookies

1 min Interval Ladder

2009-08-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

intervals

12 intervals total

60sec > 10sec > 60sec RI

Pacing: 6:03 / 5:54 / 6:02 / 6:48 / 6:49 / 7:02 / 7:29 / 7:11 / 6:30 / 6:36 / 5:57 / 5:48

notes

Cold and damp outside. Good post-work run w/ Sheila. Ran hard! Very happy with my splits, especially since I haven't run in a couple weeks. Glutes & hamstrings feel tight. Went to Safeway on the walk back.

food

breakfast: cinnamon bread

second breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, raisins, 2 eggs

elevensies: milk and cheerios

lunch: chicken guacamole burrito bowl

snack: medium chocolate mcD's milkshake

dinner: chicken cobb salad

Starting Strength #4

2009-08-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

day four

Squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (55#) / 1x3 (80#) / 1x2 (110#) / 3x5 (140#)

Press: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (45#) / 1x3 (55#) / 1x2 (70#) / 3x5 (85#)

Pullups (deadhang w/ touch): 7 / 7 / 6+1

food

pre-workout: NOXplode, chia

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, raisins, 2 eggs

lunch: ham and feta sandwich, greens, vegan cookie

dinner: quarter pounder

supper: hot link, nachos, sundae at AT&T park

No Beer

2009-08-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

hike

Drove the long / scenic route to Mt Home Inn on Mt Tam. Hiked to the Tourist Club. They were closed, and hence no beer.

food

breakfast: PB&J

brunch: scramble w/ toast

dinner: big mac w/ fries and milk

supper: santa fe chicken salad, curly fries

Wine Biking

2009-08-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

route

Rode through Livermore to Bent Fork winery. It was hot, so we rode back and opted for an afternoon in the pool instead. Probably pedaled 10-15 miles total.

food

breakfast: cinnamon bread

brunch: egg & bacon pie

dinner: chicken super burrito w/ guacamole

snack: glass of milk

Starting Strength #3

2009-08-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

day three

Squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (55#) / 1x3 (80#) / 1x2 (105#) / 3x5 (135#)

Bench: : 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (55#) / 1x5 (75#) / 1x2 (95#) / 3x5 (110#)

Pullups: 112 / 10 / 6

food

pre-workout: NOXplode

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: oatmeal, eggs, etc

second bfast: cereal and milk

lunch: indian leftovers

dinner: ahi and potatoes leftovers

supper: casserole leftovers

snack: cinnamon toast w/ peanut butter

Starting Strength #2

2009-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

day two

squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (50#) / 1x3 (75#) / 1x2 (100#) / 3x5 (130#)

press: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (50#) / 1x3 (55#) / 1x2 (65#) / 3x5 (80#)

deadlift: 2x5 (50#) / 1x3 (80#) / 1x2 (110#) / 1x5 (135#)

notes

Weight was hard for all work sets - feeling just the right amount of strain I think. I thought the deadlifts would be too light, but I had to work for 135#. Also I'm feeling much better today (not as sick). Still didn't feel 100% during lifts, but I rode to work and feel 10 times better than yesterday.

food

pre-workout: NOXplode, chia

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, raisins, 2 eggs

second breakfast: milk and cheerios

lunch: hot pastrami sandwich, pumpkin seeds

dinner: mcnuggets, fries, apple pie

supper: casserole

Rest Day

2009-08-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

notes

Another day off. Worked from home again, also went to the Doctor. It's too early to tell what's got me sick, but I'm taking mucinex and I have a Z-Pack prescription ready to go if needed.

food

breakfast: starbucks coffee cake

second breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, cranberries, blueberries

lunch: roast beef sandwich

snack: strawberry banana vivanno with matcha from starbucks

snack two: manchego, almonds,

dinner: dal makani, chicken tikka masala, naan, rice, curry fries

dessert: mini ice cream sandwiches

Rest Day

2009-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

notes

Trying to recover from the flu. Got plenty of rest yesterday (worked from home in the afternoon).

food

morning: protein shake

breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, raisins, 2 eggs

second breakfast: cherios and milk

lunch: chipotle burrito and york mints

dinner: large chocolate shake

supper: seared ahi, salad, mashed red potatoes, green onion, mochi, mini ice cream sandwich

total: 4,400 calories

Starting Strength #1

2009-08-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

day one

Squat: 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (50#) / 1x3 (75#) / 1x2 (100#) / 3x5 (125#)

Bench: : 2x5 (45#) / 1x5 (50#) / 1x5 (70#) / 1x2 (900#) / 3x5 (105#)

Pullups: 1 set to fail (12)

notes

First day of Starting Strength protocol + beefcake diet. Got out of bed and immediately realized I was sick. Thought that drinking some water and getting to the gym might trick my body into being not sick. Didn't work, but I lifted anyway (despite knowing better). Hit all my lifts but I'm not sure if I can put down a half-gallon of milk today as planned. Took the bus to work, planning to go home after lunch.

food

pre-workout: NOXplode

post-workout: milk, protein powder, creatine, cinnamon

breakfast: oatmeal, almonds, rasins, 2 eggs, tabasco

second breakfast: cereal & milk

lunch: big mac, fries, milk, cappucino

dinner: club sandwich, green salad

supper: combo pizza, salad, gatorade

total: 3,800 cal

(http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/account/report.php)

SF Urban + Jungle Hike

2009-08-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

old people stair hike

Solid day of stairs, hiking, and forest, including Tank Hill and Mt. Olympus. Probably covered 3-5 miles in 2+ hours.

Stairway Waks in San Francisco

Masters

2009-07-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

swim

1400-ish yards with masters @ Presidio YMCA. Arrived 15 minutes late, but this was good - I missed the fly set!

4+ Miles Easy

2009-07-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

run

4.5 miles

55 minutes

notes

This turned into a big running day. Easy pre-dinner run w/ Sheila to the Ferry Bldg. Knees weren't very happy with all the concrete. Nice to be outside and run w/ She. Started today with the phos serine and also the ZMA. Hopeful of the results.

10 min TT

2009-07-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

w/u

easy run, hill sprints

cfe wod - 10 min TT

Ran 4 1/4 laps around Union/Franklin/Filbert/Gough - 1.33 miles

Pace: 7.5 min/mi

c/d

Walk/run back to apartment

notes

Took a complete recovery day yesterday - really sore from back-to-back WODs! Today, the battery on my Garmin was dead, had to use bus clocks! Originally set-out to do the 10k CF WOD from yesterday, but without a watch I opted for the TT.

C&J - Running Clock

2009-07-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

wod - C&J running clock

85# clean & jerk, one rep the first minute, two reps the second minute, etc.

1:00 - 1

2:00 - 2

3:00 - 3

4:00 - 4

5:00 - 4 <--- fail here

6:00 - 3

7:00 - 4

8:00 - 4

9:00 - 2

10:00 - 4

notes

Feel good & sore after last night's Cindy and this morning's WOD. Tomorrow = swim.

Run + Cindy

2009-07-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

Quick 1-mile run w/ Sheila after work. Ate dinner (lobster & cheese ravioli with greens and chicken), then ran to Ft. Mason.

wod - Cindy

5 pullups

10 pushups

15 squats

10 rounds in 20 minutes

notes

Felt good, went hard, but paced myself. Ran back afterwards. Looking forward to getting back to 3+ WOD's per week. No milk left @ home so post-workout food is string cheese.

Late-Night "DT"

2009-07-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

cf wod - dt (scaled)

Deadlift x 12

Hang Power Clean x 6

Push Jerk x 3

Time: 3:10

notes

Shit workout, YMCA was closing, didn't feel exceptionally strong or in control. Did one set and had to bail.

Tempo 90%

2009-07-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

w/u

Quick jog

cfe wod - tempo 90%

3 x hill sprints

2 miles @ 90%

Time: 17:22 (8:22 / 9:00)

notes

Second mile barefoot! Fun to run barefoot and feel the ground underfoot, but the second mile was slower. Also concrete is not the friendliest surface for 1st-time barefoot run! Noticed a small amount of heel contacting the ground with each strike. Will continue to train this way.

bike commute

Been riding to work almost every day! Occasionally I opt for the bus when I want to read or recover. Didn't feel 100% today, and my right cleat is protesting with the occasional squeak. Now that I think about it, I should also replace the chain with a new one.

Back in Action

2009-07-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

After a quick start and a long hiatus (which included a new apartment, better job, and a few triathlons), I'm beginning again. I'm going to post workout descriptions daily, in addition to the google docs training log I've been keeping.

CrossFit: Ass-Kicking Made Simple

2008-08-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered CrossFit, a training methodology that focuses on functional workouts that differ every day. The principles and exercises are simple, but the result is powerful. Instead of my usual weight lifting routine, I've been using the CrossFit "Workout of the Day" (WOD) twice a week. My ideal week is as follows:

Monday: CrossFit WOD
Tuesday: Swim
Wednesday: Run (CrossFitEndurance WOD)
Thursday: Swim
Friday: CrossFit WOD
Sat/Sun: Long Bike Ride + Run (Brick)

The WODs are "scalable", i.e. they can be adapted for any level of fitness. For example, I usually lift about 3/4 of the weight suggested on the WOD.

I've found that my endurance has maintained while I've gotten stronger over the past months. CrossFit has a number of "affiliate" gyms, but I can do all of the workouts at my local university gym.

It's worth noting that a lot of CrossFitters are very vocal about their belief in the methodology, to a degree that some call "cultish". However I think they are a good group of people and anything that motivates people to workout and get in shape is good with me.

On a similar topic, I saw a post on Zen Habits today about getting in shape with minimal equiptment. The suggested exercises (pushups, pullups, "burpees", etc) are very reminiscant of CrossFit, and would make a great introduction for those who don't want to jump right into the WOD. Here's the full post link:

Minimalist Fitness: How to Get In Lean Shape With Little or No Equipment

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Coffee and Stretching

2008-08-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

I came across two interesting articles in the New York Times this week that are relevant for athletes, and one of them focuses on my favorite vice: Coffee. Forget alcohol and dark chocolate, I’ve tried to stop drinking coffee a handful of times with zero success. According to the NYT article, this might be OK after all.

While the article doesn’t break any new ground, it claims to give the definitive answer on coffee’s health effects, and clarify the conflicting evidence. Here are some highlights:

So even a Starbucks grande, with 330 milligrams of caffeine, will not send you to a bathroom any sooner than if you drank 16 ounces of pure water. Drinks containing usual doses of caffeine are hydrating and, like water, contribute to the body’s daily water needs.

’Contrary to common belief,’ concluded cardiologists at the University of California, San Francisco, there is ‘little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk’ of heart attack, sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms.

In an international review of 66 studies last year, scientists found coffee drinking had little if any effect on the risk of developing pancreatic or kidney cancer. In fact, another review suggested that compared with people who do not drink coffee, those who do have half the risk of developing liver cancer.

For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel instead of its carbohydrates.

Here’s a bummer. Although caffeine speeds up metabolism, with 100 milligrams burning an extra 75 to 100 calories a day, no long-term benefit to weight control has been demonstrated.

In summary: Coffee helps you stay hydrated, and it might be good for your liver! It looks like I can keep all of my vices! Read the whole article here:

Sorting Out Coffee’s Contradictions

The second article is about stretching: Does it do more harm than good? While the author doesn’t provide an answer, she points to a number of studies being done on the subject.

In the past I’ve done yoga and found it helpful with overall flexibility, but I can’t say it helped my athletic performance. I still have my foam roller, which I use at least once a month after a long ride or a long run. This feels good and helps to get out the knots, but I don’t use it after every workout.

My take on the matter is that I stretch when I’m sore, or after workouts that are especially taxing, and other than that I don’t stretch much.

Here’s the link to the full article:

Is Stretching All It’s Cracked Up to Be?

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First Post Ever

2008-08-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

I'll update this blog with training, thoughts, articles, and rants on any of the following:

- Cycling
- Triathlon
- CrossFit
- Other Sports
- Camping
- Hiking
- Environment
- Economy
- Health
- Food
- Beer
- Wine
- Coffee
- Music
- Zen

...plus anything else that catches my eye or sparks my interest.