52 WEEK ENDURANCE: SESSION 10 
4 Rounds
8 Cal  (Hard) Assault Bike
1 Min Slow Spin/Active Recovery (not full rest)
After 4 Rounds go STRAIGHT INTO-
2 Rounds
15 Cal (Very Hard) Assault Bike
1 Min Slow Spin/Active Recovery (not full rest)
Rest 2 Minutes (after the 2 Rounds)
Then
4 Rounds
12 Cal (Sprint) Assault Bike
Rest 2 Minutes between all 4 rounds
Then
2 Rounds
30 Cal (Hard) Assault Bike
2 Min Slow Spin/Active recovery (not full rest)

Score: Average Time on 12 Cal Sprint (27.75 seconds)
Score: Average Time on 30 Cal Bike (2 minutes 11 seconds)

Skipped ahead to week 10 because I am saving Week 9 for a nice day in my garage where I can turn the music up. Opted for the Echo bike for today's Endurance piece. My legs were completely trashed after the max effort bouts of 12 calories which impacted my effort on the rounds of 30 cals. This indicates to me that both extremes of my fitness need work. Max output, plus the long-slow aerobic work which trains your body to flush waste and recovery between efforts.

12's: 26, 27, 29 & 29 seconds
30's: 2:12 & 2:10

Block One 
FOUR ROUNDS
10 Sandbag Pendlay Rows @ 55-pounds
2 minute RowErg sprint
2 minute rest
(505, 503, 510, 511m)

Block Two
TWO ROUNDS
10 close grip bench press @ 135-pounds
30 seconds SkiErg sprint
1 minute rest
(141, 139m)

The sandbag was a little light for the rows but I wanted to have something close to the rower. Don't be afraid to go a little faster on the row since you have a full two minutes to recover.  Took 3-4 minutes between blocks to clean up and set up for the bench/ski. Drag was set to 117 for the RowErg and 112 for the SkiErg.

52 WEEK ENDURANCE: SESSION 8  
3 Rounds
1000 Meter (Moderate) Row
Rest 15 Seconds
500 Meter (Comfortable) Row
NO rest - Straight into-
375 Meter (Hard) Row
Rest 1 Minute
250 Meter (Hard) Row
Rest 1 Minute
125 Meter (Hard) Row
Rest 1 Minute

Score: Round 1 (not including final minute rest): 10:00

Score: Round 2 (not including final minute rest): 9:46
Score: Round 3 (not including final minute rest): 9:48

Goal Time Per Round: 9:40

This was not so bad, yet worse than I thought it might be. Due to circumstances beyond my control - namely impulsivity and inattention to detail, haha - I rested between the first 500 and 375. I grabbed my towel and had a quick sip of water before realizing the clock had already started and was about 25 seconds in. I had to scramble to catch up and mitigate the damage. An area to improve for the next time out is the moderate 1K -- I got slower each round. I just didn't have the push in my legs as this workout went along. 

2022 VAULT 12: "BROKK & EITRI" 
For Time:
80 Air Squat
60 Alternating V-Up
40 Push Up
1000 Meter Row
40 Push Up
60 Alternating V-Up
80 Air Squat

Score: 22:03
Goal: 16-24 Minutes

This was a good bodyweight burner! Broke up the reps early and often as suggested. Abs are smoked from the v-ups, these took the longest to complete. It can be easy to take a few extra seconds of rest when you are already laying on your back, haha. The row option will definitely put you towards the back end of the goal time, but still is achievable if you are tight with your transitions.

Rowmania 2022 Event #4 - Banana Split 
Row 500m
Zero rest
Row 1 minute
1 minute rest
Row 500m

Score A: First 500m (2:00.1)
Score B: 1 minute distance (265m)
Score C: Last 500m (1:55.3)

DF 116

Warmed up with DH 10-minute build. Was a little conservative on the first 500m, not knowing how it would affect the minute sprint. If I try this again, do it at home (instead of the Y) and turn the drag up to around 130-135. 

DUMBBELL STRENGTH: SESSION 1 
Part 1
4 Sets of:
6-8 Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats (Left)
6-8 Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats (Right)
—Shoot for 1 min of slow continuous movement per leg on these sets.

Part 2
4 Sets of:
16 Alternating Floor Press (8 Right/8 Left)
—Rest 1 min between sets

Part 3
Finisher: 5 Minutes of
Sets of 5 Burpee Squat Jumps 
—Rest 10-20 seconds between sets

Those split squats were straight fire 🔥🔥🔥! Start light and focus on controlling the movement. Used 25lb dumbbells and a 20-inch box for the split squats and floor press. This was so humbling! 

Workout 19 - RowErg - True Tolerance 
50 Minutes Steady State

We are working to create separation between the stroke rate and power.  Our goal is to maintain the same moderate to low power (5-6 on our RPE* Scale) at three different stroke rates as guided by the podcast.

Stroke Rate of 20 = Recovery
Stroke Rate of 24 = Rhythm
Stroke Rate of 28 = Tempo

This was both the longest duration and longest distance I have rowed in a single session. We want to see the same steady power effort throughout the duration of the workout.  Try not to let your power fluctuate as your stroke rates change. You should be breathing heavy, but still able to hold a short conversation. 

RowMania 2022 Event #2 - Piece of Cake 
Row 30 seconds
Zero rest
Row 9 minutes

Score A: 30 seconds distance (146m)
Score B: Total distance (2216m)

Warmed up with DH 10-minute build. Sprint start and then hang on, easy right?😵😵😵 I slowed down too much after the 30-second sprint but happy with the sprint start. Drag was set at 121.

52 WEEK ENDURANCE: SESSION 6 
5 Rounds
500 Meter (Hard) Row
250 Meter (Easy) Row
Rest 1 Minute after 5 rounds
Then
1000 Meter (Hard) Row
Rest 3 Minutes
1000 Meter (Hard) Row
Rest 5 Minutes
2000 Meter (Moderate) Row

No stopping at all during the first 5 rounds. Go straight from the Hard interval to the Easy interval - and then right back into the Hard.

Score: Total Time Including Rest. Note average "hard" 500 meter times - average "hard" 1000 meter times - and final 2000 meter time in notes. 

Total Time: 43:27.6 

Average 500m: 2:10.3 

Average 1000m: 4:19.9 

2000m Time: 8:32.4 

A: STRENGTH 
Bench Press
Warmup to working weight, then:
75% x 5 (205-pounds)
85% x 3 (225-pounds)
95% x 1 plus (250-pounds)

Used last known PR of 265 - was able to muscle out 3 reps at 250! 

B: METCON
5 Rounds 
3 minute AMRAP
32 calorie row
remainder of 3 minutes, max reps floor press (45s)
2 minutes rest between rounds
Score: Total Bench Reps (101)

19-20-21-19-22 reps

As rx'd called for 135/85-pound bench press, went with dumbbell floor press because of where the rower is located. Each row took ~2:10 and I was able to get right to the floor and start knocking out reps with the dumbbells. The weight was light enough that I was able to go straight through until the bell. 

Alternating between machines, complete rounds of: 
44...33...22...11 calories of: 
SkiErg
Rower
Echo Bike

Start at 55 calories the next time out. 

3 Rounds 
18 calorie row
1:00 sandbag hold (100-pounds)

-then-
3 Rounds
15 calorie assault bike
1:00 db farmer's hold (50s)

Partner workout with the Valley Creek men - we split into two teams of two. Matt and I started on the rower and Ed/John on the bike. While one partner is on the rower, the other partner is holding the sandbag across his chest. Same with the bike and the farmers hold. Complete three rounds each and then switch to the bike. The idea was that you would spend no more than a minute on the rower or bike. I finished the rower in about a minute each time and the bike around :45 seconds. 

Row Conditioning 

30 minutes broken into 10 intervals of: 

2:00 @ r19/20 steady, max speed 2k plus 20

1:00 building in rate and speed with each subsequent interval

Each minute increase the rate by 2spm and speed by :02/500m. Start at r20 and 2k plus 13. Step up each time until r38 and 2k minus 5 🔥🔥🔥. I don't spend enough time at the higher rates (34-38) and have to work to hold without sacrificing technique. 

Metcon
50 calorie row
30 bench press @ 135
50 calorie row

Love a good bench with a high heart rate. Maybe 155# would be better here as I opened with a set of 15, but finished up sets of 5 with 5-10 seconds between the rest of the way. You don't want to spend too much time resting between reps so I think the 135 ended up being a good match for the intended stimulus. Besides I got a good pump from the accessory work below. 

Accessory: Pushing
3 sets for quality:
10 weighted tempo pushups (15lb sandbag)
20 banded triceps extension (purple band)
20 banded pull-aparts (red band)

Rowmania 2022 Event #1 - Apple Crumble

Row 750m 

2:00 rest

Row 750m

1:30 rest

Row 750m

1:00 rest

Row 750m

:30 rest

Row 750m

Score A: Best 750m time

Score B: Worst 750m time

Score C: Total time

Decided to hold negative splits, getting faster as rest periods got shorter. Held manageable rates (24-25) until the last round sprinting the last 500 or so meters knowing that was all that was left. 

Crossfit | 220113
Power Clean 5-5-3-3-3-1-1-1-1 reps
5s: 135-pounds
3s: 155-pounds
1s: 165-175-185-195(f)

The goal is to go heavy for the last four sets, ideally looking for something above 80% of your 1-rep max. Failed the 195-pound bar - dropped the weight to 190 and tried again but still failed to turn the bar over. Video below is 185-pound bar.

Warmup: 10 minute DH build 

3 Rounds
3 OHS @ 135-pounds
50 heavy rope singles

-then-
3 Rounds 
15 handstand shoulder taps
50 heavy rope singles

Must take the bar from the ground. Rest as needed between rounds but go immediately from the OHS and shoulder taps into the jump rope. Sneaky jump rope volume and some shoulder stability work. I was a little more conservative with the OHS as a) I was taking the bar from the ground and b) I hadn't done this exercise with a barbell in over a year.

Row Conditioning 

2000m split as follows:
500m @r22 max power
250m recovery paddle
500m @r22 max power
250m recovery paddle
500m @r22 max power

Time to open the gates and test that horsepower. Wanted something short and simple, but painful. Happy with those split times for the 500s at a lower rate. Trust those legs and drive hard to get splits below 2:00. 

SkiErg // Wall Ball Ladder
15 minutes of:
3 cals // 3 wall balls
6 cals // 6 wall balls
9 cals // 9 wall balls...
adding 3 reps to each movement every round until 15 minutes is up. 

Finished the round of 21s plus 5 calories on the SkiErg. Used 20-pound wall ball to 10-foot target.

Workout 14 - RowErg - Raise You 20 
Warm Up 
3:00 WORK @24 
REST
3:00 WORK @24/26/28
REST
3:00 WORK @28
WORK intensity is defined as...
:60 Easy, :20 Very Easy, :40 Moderate, :40 Very Easy, :20 Hard

Workout 
Segment 1:  8 Rounds of 20 Second Sprints @28 with 10 Seconds Rest in between 
~2 Minute BREAK 
Segment 2:  4 Rounds of 40 Second Sprints @28 with 20 Seconds Rest in between 
~2 Minute BREAK 
Segment 3:  2 Rounds of 60 Second Sprints @28 with 30 Seconds Rest in between 
 
Bumped up the drag a bit for these sprints (DF 132). My goal was consistency across all sets of a particular segment. I was able to get faster during the longer intervals. I think this is because it took me a few seconds to settle into r28 before I was able to apply the power. 

Workout 15 - RowErg - Master of Control 
Warm Up plus Workout (30 Minutes):
5 Rounds of 5 Minute Intervals with 1 Minute Rest in between
 
Each 5 Minute interval is split up into 5, 1 Minute segments.  Each segment has a defined Stroke Rate goal.  The intensity in the first interval is light.  Beyond that first interval, we remain working at a 6 - 8 on the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale.
 
Interval 1: 20 - 22 - 24 - 22 - 20 
Interval 2: 22 - 24 - 26 - 24 - 22
Interval 3: 24 - 26 - 24 - 26 - 24
Interval 4: 24 - 26 - 28 - 26 - 24
Interval 5: 22 - 26 - 30 - 26 - 22

Interval 6: Steady-state cool down
 
Increasing speed and intensity is the easy part.  Where the challenge lies is in dialing back but not dropping off. The intention behind this workout is to maintain composure, technique, and strength on the back half of the pyramids.  Work with the feeling of the rhythm and the focus on the stroke rate number to keep you from letting go of your control.

Bench Press 

6-6-5-5-4-4 reps
155//175//195//215//230//235-pounds

Row Intervals
4x 3:00 work // 2:00 easy between intervals
Increase stroke rate each interval
18//20//22//24

DF 117

Kept the pacing easy to moderate, focusing on positional awareness. 

For Time

100 Calories

@ open rate and pace

When it is 75 degrees in March, you need to get out into the garage and on the rower. Wanted something quick and simple and this delivered. Sat around 2:10 for the first 60 cals then bumped up incrementally over the next 20 calories before sprinting home the last 20 calories. 

A: 21-15-9-6-3 reps of 
hollow rocks (hold 10# med ball above head)
abmat butterfly sit-ups

B: Every 3 minutes for 21 minutes
21/17 calories ski
60m farmers carry (70/53# kettlebells)

I opted for the ladies calories and weight on the farmers carry because I am not as strong on the SkiErg as I am on the rower. Done correctly, both the SkiErg and farmer's carry require you to engage your core, made all the more difficult by part A. Finished each round with ~1:20 of rest. Did not check ahead of time where the drag was set - 139 seems to way too high for this type of effort. 

10 Minute EMOM
20 air squats
plank hold for remaining time

This was the first workout with the Valley Creek men's group. Wanted a workout that had a low barrier to entry from a skill perspective but could be scaled to each individual's level of fitness. I scaled the air squats to 15 per round and kept a pace where I spent half of each minute squatting and half in a plank. 

Workout 77 - RowErg - Back to Back and ‘Fourth’ 
4 Minutes (Warm Up)
Rate increase to Stroke Rate @26
Three 12 Minute Work Sets
4 Minutes at Steady State Endurance 

4 Minutes with 3 Short Higher Intensity Intervals
4 Minutes at Steady State Endurance 
No Rest Between Intervals

DF 122

Forty minutes at r26? 💩This was faster than my 10K pace but I found it to be pretty sustainable over 40 minutes. Rowing along to the podcast helped me stay locked in to my pacing.

Time Intervals 
16x 1:00 work // 1:00 rest
r20 
🎯 2K plus 6 
DF 117/129

Did not hit the target pace during any of these intervals. Turned the drag up after the second round from 117 to 129. Been going without a rest day since Feb 19 and it shows. 

Warmup 
15 minutes steady state row
5 minutes @ 20spm
5 minutes @ 24spm
5 minutes @ 28spm
DF 116

Crossfit | 220302
10 minute AMRAP
10-calorie Echo bike
10 strict handstand push-ups*
*intermediate scaling: 5 handstand push-ups per round

Finished 6 full rounds. My shoulders were pretty sore from the past couple of days so I decided to scale the HSPU to allow for quicker sets. Strict HSPU can add to the cardio feel of the workout - I took a little longer to kick up to the wall during the later rounds. 

Bench Press 5-5-5-5-5
*6 pistols between sets, alternate 3/3

185-195-205-215-225 pounds

Warmed up with DH 10-min build on the rower (2163m). I started a ski/pushup workout but a few rounds in I decided to switch to bench press. Pistols were done assisted, with one hand on the barbell to help get out from the bottom. This was the first time trying pistols since knee problems plagued me most of 2021. My focus was on steady movement and good depth - felt pretty good overall.