First video up...

My 2009 CrossFit Games competitor profile is finally out!

Check it out here (and leave a comment, if you're so inclined to)!

Now, if only Rogue Fitness would get their shit together and upload those videos and photos of the Qualifiers that they've been promising us eager beavers since eons ago...

Well, in the meantime, I managed to finally obtain complete footage of WOD #1 from my friend, and uploaded it on Youtube. Here you go:


More videos coming soon!

***

WOD
NavySEALs.com WOD
"CAR 15"

(1) AMRAP in 7 min
20 Wall ball Shots (14#)
10 Box Jumps (24")

Rest 2 min

(2) AMRAP in 7 min
20 Situps w/ 25# weight plate
10 KB SDLHP (32 kg)

Rest 2 min

(3) AMRAP in 7 min
20 KB Swings (32 kg)
10 DB Push Presses (2 x 40#)

WOD
Run 200 m
30 Thrusters (95#)
Run 400 m
20 Thrusters
Run 800 m
10 Thrusters

Time: 16:49

WOD
"Death by Ring Dip"
With a continuously running clock do one ring dip the first minute, two ring dips the second minute, three ring dips the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

Total rounds completed per clock: 13
Worked my way all the way back down the ladder, to finish with 26 minutes and 169 total ring dips.

***
My pecs feel as though they've been doused in kerosene and set alight!!! God help me.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Made a trip down to Practice CrossFit in Troy, OH today for a workout and a cookout after. It was awesome working out with Josh and Chastity, whom I met at last week's Midwest Qualifiers -- both superb athletes -- as well as the rest of their crew. Their box was incredible, everyone was super welcoming, and I had a total blast. Great way to spend a Saturday.

WOD
AMRAP in 20 min:
5 DB Renegade Rows (2 x 40#)
5 C2B Pullups
5 DB Front Squats
5 Plyo Pushups
5 DB Push Presses
5 Ring Dips

Total no. of rounds completed: 7

WOD at Practice CrossFit
:45 on/:15 off x 4 rounds -
Box Jump (24")
DB Push Press (2 x 35#)
Burpee
Situp
Med Ball OH Carry (20#)

Total score: 362

Friday, May 22, 2009

WOD: Combat
With a partner, perform 10 rounds of:
Jump Squats
Pushups
Kicks to Groin/Hammer Fists (using pads, obviously)
Sprint to mailbox and back

Time: 20:13

WOD
3 rounds of:
10R/10L DB Hang Squat Snatch (40#)
20 Ring Pushups
30 Air Squats

Thursday, May 21, 2009

WOD
3-mile run to U-M track, followed by -
35-minute tempo run w/ fartlek intervals

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Hang Squat Clean (2 x 35#)
Wall Ball (14#)
American KB Swing (24 kg)

Time: 15:31

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

WOD
Using 105#, perform 10 rounds of:
1 Power Clean
2 Hang Squat Cleans
3 Push Jerks
100 m Run

Time: 12:05

WOD: Revolution
20-minute Spin, followed by -
Using 95#, perform 15-12-9 reps of:
SDLHP
Power Clean
Overhead Press (I chose Push Press)
Run 400 m before the start of each round.

Time: 18:03

WOD: Kettlebell
800 m Run, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
21 KB SDLHP (32 kg)
15 Double KB Cleans (2 x 16 kg)
9 Double KB Push Press (2 x 16 kg)
Finish with a 800 m run.

Time: 22:55

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

WOD
30-20-10 reps of:
Ball Slams (25#)
Box Jumps (24")
Double Unders

Time: 8:23

WOD
4 rounds of:
400 m Run
50 Squats

Time: 11:02

Monday, May 18, 2009

WOD
Using the same weight for all squats (95#), perform 2 rounds for time:
10 Overhead Squats
15 Plyometric Pushups
20 Front Squats
25 Ring Pushups
30 Back Squats
35 Regular Pushups
400 m Run

Time: 21:26

I am going to the CrossFit Games!

Stay tuned for my recap of the weekend! I am going to bed now -- haven't had a good night's sleep in 3 days!

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 13

Workout 1
"Hansen"

Five rounds for time of:
2 pood Kettlebell swing, 30 reps
30 Burpees
30 Glute-ham sit-ups (substituted weighted situps w/ 25# plate, arms locked out)

Marine Staff Sgt Daniel Hansen died February 14th in Farah Providence, Afghanistan when an IED he was working on detonated. Daniel is survived by his mother Sheryll, his father Delbert, his younger sister Katie, and his twin brother Matthew (also a Marine).

Time: 33:33

Workout 2
"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps (substituted 115#)
6 Push-ups
9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

Post rounds completed for each of the 5 cycles.

Total rounds completed: 3,3+1PC,3,3+2PC,3+2PC

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 18

Workout 1
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Overhead Squat (95#)
Box Jump (24")

Run 400 m at the start of each round.

Time: 29:51

Overhead squats @ 95# felt great today. Real stable, hit full depth without any problem each time. Running into a strong headwind, on the other hand, sucked balls. Am looking forward to a week of hard workouts. I have only myself to blame -- it was my turn to plan WODs this week! ;)

Workout 2
Clean & jerk - 75% x 1 x 3 (115#)
Snatch pull - 97% x 3 x 3 (100#)
Snatch deadlift - 105% x 3 x 3 (110#)
Front squat - 81% x 3 x 5 (145#)
Stiff-legged DL - 3 x 5 (145#)

***
“Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.”
- John Wooden

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 19

Workout 1
25-minute Spin, followed by -
AMRAP in 20 min:
10 DB Manmakers (30#)
20 DB Walking Lunges
30 Ring Rows

Workout 2
Great Basin Regional Qualifier WOD
800m run, followed by -
3 rounds of :
10 Squat cleans 155lb/100lb
20 Chest to bar pullups
30 Box jump 30"/24"
800m run (after 3 rounds are completed)

Time: 24:19

:) :) :)

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 20

Twenty days... ooosh. Thinking about it gives me an edgy feeling in the pit of my stomach that makes me wanna leap out of my chair right now, load up my bar and bumpers, and crank out a good hard CrossFit WOD. Bring it on!

Workout 1
I
4k Row

II
"Fat Helen"
5 rounds of:
400 m Run
21 American KB Swings (24 kg)
12 Pullups

Time: 20:06

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 21

Workout 1
Combat Charge
AMRAP in 20 min:
100-yd run
20 Kicks to Groin/Hammer Fist Strikes
20 Pushups
20 Knee Strikes
20 Jump Squats

Total no. of rounds: 3 + 10 Kicks to Groin/Hammer Fist Strikes

Workout 2
400 m Run
21 Overhead Squats (65#)
21 Box Jumps (24")
400 m Run
15 Overhead Squats (65#)
15 Box Jumps (24")
400 m Run
9 Overhead Squats (65#)
9 Box Jumps (24")

Time: 11:13

Workout 3
With 2 x 16 kg KBs, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Double KB Swing
Double KB Clean and Jerk

Time: 13:09

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 22

Workout 1
1.3 mi. warm up, followed by -
12 x 400 m @ 5-K race pace w/ 1-min recovery between sets

Workout 2
"Monsoor"
4 Rounds of:
800 m Run
20 KB SDLHP (32 kg)
20 Burpees
100-yd Farmers' Walk (2 x 32 kg KBs)
40 Situps

Time: 49:31

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 23

Workout 1
30 KB swings (24 kg)
30 Ring Dips
30 Wall Ball (14#)
30 Situps w/ 25# plate
30 Knees-to-Elbows
30 Walking Lunges
30 Push-ups

Workout 2
20-minute spin, then -
3 rounds of:
50 KB Swings (20 kg)
15 Burpees
10 KB Situps (20 kg)

Workout 3
With 20 kg KB, perform 21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead KB Walking Lunge (L/R)
KB Situps
Ring Rows

Perform 100 swings after each round.

Time: 25:30

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 24

Workout 1
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Burpees

Time: 24:19

Workout 2
SoCal Regional Qualifiers WOD
6 Rounds of:
30 Air Squats
10 Chest-to-Bar Pullups
5 Power Clean/Anyway Overhead (105#)

Time: 13:09

Really, really pleased with my time on this workout (if you do a little snooping around the Games site, you'll see why).

Workout 3
Revolution
20-minute spin, followed by -
Tabata :20/:10 x 5 Rounds
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Plyometric Squats
KB Swings (24 kg)
Elevated Pushups (20")
KB SDLHP (24 kg)

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 27

50-minute Spin

Workout 1
"Murphy"
1-mile Run
100 Pullups
200 Pushups
300 Squats
1-mile Run

Time: 32:04

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 28

Workout 1
Combat Charge
AMRAP in 20 min of:
30 Partner Thrusters (25# DBs)
20 Hammer Fist Strikes (R)
20 Hammer Fist Strikes (L)
20 Kicks to Groin
30 Partner Box Jumps

Total no. of Rounds completed, with Mika as partner: 6 + 17 Hammer Fist Strikes (R)

Workout 2
Instructor WOD
3 Rounds of:
400 m Run
30 Overhead Squats (65#)

Time: 10:01

Workout 3
10-8-6-4-2 reps of DB Manmakers (30# DBs)
Waiter's Walk 50 yds/Farmer's Walk 50 yds after each round

Time: 18:02

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 29

Workout 1
36-minute fartlek run
400m/800m/1600m @ 5-K race pace; Tabata :20/:10 x 4

Workout 2
CrossFit Evolution
AMRAP in 10 min:
5 KB Swings (32 kg)
10 Knees-To-Elbows
15 Air Squats

Total no. of rounds: 8 + 5 KB Swings

Rest 2 min, then
AMRAP in 10 min:
2 Deadlifts (205#)
4 Handstand Push-ups
8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

Total no. of rounds: 6

Workout 3
Some light Oly training:
Strict Press - 45# x 5; 65# x 5; 75# x 3; 80# x 1; 85# x 1; 90# x 1
Jerk - heavy single; 80% of that x 1 x 3 (105# x 1 x 3)
2-position snatch (floor, mid-thigh) - 60% x 3 sets (65#/70#/75#)
Snatch - single, from floor - 80# x 1; 85# x 3; 90# x 1
2-position clean (floor, mid-thigh) - 60% x 3 sets (95# x 1 x 3)

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 31

Workout 1
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Box Jumps (24")
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
KB Russian Swings (24 kg)
Pushups

Time: 17:10

Workout 2
"DT"

Five rounds for time of:
155 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
155 pound Hang power clean, 9 reps
155 pound Push jerk, 6 reps

(I scaled the weight to 105#.)

Post time to comments.

In honor of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on February 20, 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy is survived by his wife Megan and one-year old son T.J.

Time: 14:08

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 33

Workout 1
Kettlebell
:30/:30 x 5 rounds; 1-min rest upon completion of each set.
1. 1-Arm Swing (R)/ 1-Arm Swing (L)
2. Jumping Pullups/ Knees-to-Elbows
3. 1-Arm Thruster (R)/ 1-Arm Thruster (L)
4. Hindu Pushups/ Jumping Squats
5. 1-Arm Overhead Walking Lunge (R)/ 1-Arm Overhead Walking Lunge (L)

What does it take to be a Champion?

From IntenseMuscle.com:

The 12 Traits of Champions:

(1) Champions are positive thinkers; they believe in themselves.

Undoubtedly the most important quality that all champions share is an unwavering belief that they will succeed. Champions always look for the good in every situation. No matter what obstacles they encounter, they always continue to think positive. Without confidence, faith in your abilities, and positive mental attitude, you've defeated yourself before you ever step onstage.

(2) Champions visualize their successes.

Champions understand the importance of positive mental imagery or visualization. Champion bodybuilders visualize exactly how they want their bodies to look, they see themselves standing onstage accepting the first place trophy, and they mentally rehearse every workout in vivid detail. They do this over and over in their minds hundreds or even thousands of times before it becomes physical reality.

(3) Champions surround themselves with positive people and avoid negative influences.

Champions keep themselves in a "positive shell" and do not associate with negative people, places, or things. Arnold Schwarzenegger put it this way: "I have nothing to do with negative relationships. I stay away from negative influences. I have no time for negative thinkers and pessimists. Such people will suck you dry until you have become as pessimistic as they are. Then you'll have not just one but two losers."

(4) Champions are goal setters.

Champions realize that if they don?t know where they're going, that is exactly where they'll end up; nowhere! Champions consistently set long and short-term goals. From day to day workout goals to long term career objectives, champions have written out specific, measurable goals with a deadline.

(5) Champions have a burning desire to succeed.

Champions not only have goals, but they ardently desire them. Robert Collier, summed up the idea of desire beautifully in his 1926 self-help classic Secret of the Ages." He said, "Very few people know how to desire with sufficient intensity. They do not know what it is to feel and manifest that intense, eager, longing, craving, insistent, demanding, ravenous desire which is akin to the persistent, insistent, ardent, overwhelming desire of the drowning man for a breath of air, or a desert-lost man for a drink of water, or the famished man for bread and meat." Champions have burning desire. They want it and they want it badly.

(6) Champions are disciplined and consistent.

Champions live and breathe the bodybuilding lifestyle all year round. They are committed and disciplined in training and dietary practices. They know that in bodybuilding there is no off-season and success does not come overnight. Champions never miss a scheduled workout and never miss a meal. Champion bodybuilders are probably the most dedicated athletes in any sport.

(7) Champions are persistent

Champions never, ever quit. Thomas Edison was the epitome of persistence: He conducted 10,000 experiments before finally finding a filament that would burn in the electric light bulb. Champion bodybuilders approach their vocation with the same diligence of an Edison. They know that if they persist long enough, eventually they must succeed.

(8) Champions learn from their failures

Champions don't view losses as failures, they see them as learning experiences. When asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times, Thomas Edison replied, " I didn't fail, I learned 9,999 ways that wouldn't work." Champions know that they haven't failed until they quit; but once they quit, then they have failed. A champion finds a lesson in every apparent loss and finds ways to grow from it.

(9) Champions have incredible powers of focus and concentration

Champions set goals and then maintain a laser-like focus on them. They have the ability to always keep the long term objective in their sights while focusing 100% on what they are doing at the moment. If you watch a champion train you will notice that they are completely oblivious to their surroundings. 100% of their focus and concentration is on what they are doing. They almost appear to have slipped into a hypnosis-like trance. This peak physiological and psychological state has often been referred to as being in "the zone" or being in "flow." Champions can access this state instantly at will. When it comes time to train they turn everything else off and zero in on what they are doing.

(10) Champions have a deep love and boundless enthusiasm for the sport.

To a loser, training and dieting is work and drudgery. To a champion, training and dieting are a love, a joy, and a passion. Champions are enthusiastic about what they do; they can?t wait to train each day. Motivational speaker Tom Hopkins once said, "Work is anything you're doing when you'd rather be doing something else." Champions are doing what they love, so to them it's not work at all, it's fun!

(11) Champions strive for constant and never ending improvement

Champions are never satisfied with the status quo; they never rest on their laurels. Champions aim for small improvements every day in every way. Champions are open-minded and are always looking for a better way to do things. Although champions are always striving for more, they also realize that success is a journey, so they enjoy each moment and savor every step along the way.

(12) Champions are hard workers; they are willing to go the extra mile

Positive thinking, goal setting, visualization, desire, persistence, and enthusiasm are vital, but without action and hard work, these traits are all worthless. Edison said, "Success is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration." Champions are hard workers. Champions take consistent action and they are willing to do the things that the losers are not. Champions make themselves go to the gym when they don?t feel like going. Champions stay on the bike another 15 minutes, even when they are exhausted. Champions do 5 extra reps after the losers have stopped. Champions are steadfast with their diets when the failures break down and cheat. Champions have the willingness to train through the pain barrier while the failures quit when it starts to hurt.

In short, champions go the extra mile.

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 34

Workout 1
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of Full Squat Clean and Jerk (105#)
Alternated with:
20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 reps of Pushups

Time: 26:13

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 38

Workout 1
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
2 Muscle-Ups
4 DB Renegade Rows (2 x 35# DBs)
6 KB Russian Swings (32 kg)
8 Wall Ball Shots (14#)

Total Rounds Completed: 12

Workout 2
CrossFit.com WOD
Shoulder Press 1-1-1-1-1
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5

SP: 65#/75#/80#/85#/90#F/85#
PP: 90#/95#/100#/105#/110#
PJ: 95#/100#/105#/110#/115#

Workout 3
3 rounds of:
5R/5L 1-legged DB Deadlift (2 x 35# DBs)
20 2-for-1 Wall Ball Shots
30 Double Unders

Time: 10:15 (why was this so much faster than yesterday's? 2 rounds less, yes, but in less than half the time? Weird.)

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 39

Workout 1
5 rounds of:
5R/5L 1-legged DB Deadlift (2 x 35# DBs)
20 2-for-1 Wall Ball Shots
30 Double Unders

Time: 21:06

Workout 2
I:
Max Pushups in 1 min
Rest 1 min
Max Situps in 1 min
Rest 1 min
Max Squats in 1 min

II.
100 Barbell Thrusters for Time
== Perform 5 burpees (as a penalty) each time you set the bar down ==

I used a barbell loaded with 95# and this ended up being the breakdown:
10 Thrusters/5 burpees; subsequently, 5 thrusters/5 burpees through the rest of the workout.

Time: 27:15

Workout 3
CrossFit Main Site WOD
Walking lunge 100 ft.
21 Pull-ups
21 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
18 Pull-ups
18 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
15 Pull-ups
15 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
12 Pull-ups
12 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
9 Pull-ups
9 Sit-ups
Walking Lunge 100 ft.
6 Pull-ups
6 Sit-ups

Walking lunges are gnarly! I think we ended up doing 125 ft. of lunging each time. Oh well.

Time: 21:02

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 51

TRAINING

Workout 1: 0930 h
Combat Charge
With a partner, AMRAP in 25 min of:
20 L/R Punches
20 Pad Pushups
20 Knee Strikes
20 Squats
20 Roundhouse Kicks

Workout 2: 1115 h
Instructor WOD
"Murph"
1 mile Run
100 Pullups
200 Pushups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

Time: 34:16

Performed "Murph" sans 20# weight vest; partitioned "Cindy"-style (20 rounds of 5/10/15).

45-minute Spin @ 1200 h

Workout 3
With a 20 kg KB, perform 3 rounds of 10 reps each:
Snatch (R)
H2H Pushup
Snatch (L)
Situp
Clean and Jerk (R)
American Swing
Clean and Jerk (L)
Figure 8 Upper Cut

***
NUTRITION
Meal 1:
4 oz grilled chicken breast (4P)
3 oz mixed salad greens (1C)
1 oz goat cheese (1P)
Total: 1C, 5P

Meal 2:
4 eggs (4P)
3 oz mixed salad greens (1C)
1 c mushrooms (1/3C)
Total: 1 1/3C, 4P

Snack 1:
Oasis lentil dip (2C, 1P)
4 c broccoli (2C)
Total: 4C, 1P

Snack 2:
1 apple (2C)
1 oz string cheese (1F)
Total: 2C, 1F

Snack 3:
2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges (2F)
3 oz whey protein powder + liberal sprinkling of cinnamon + water (3P)
24 almonds (8F)
Total: 3P, 10F
***

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 52

TRAINING

45-minute Spin @ 0930 h

Workout 1: 1045 h
NavySEALs.com CrossFit WOD
4 rounds of:
800 m Run
21 Box Jumps (24")
21 Deadlifts (185#)

Time: 39:10

Deadlifts at 185# felt heavy today. Had to break them up into sets of 6,5,5,5. I attribute that to the CFSB strength work I did yesterday -- d'oh, I deadlifted.

Workout 2: 1345 h
CrossFit Evolution
7 rounds of:
10 Medicine Ball Cleans (20#)
10 Knees to Elbows
10 Double Unders

Time: 11:32
***

NUTRITION
Today was a more forgettable day, eating-wise. I met a friend whom I hadn't seen in ages at a Chinese restaurant for dinner, since she had an intense craving for all-you-can-eat crab legs. I valiantly attempted to eyeball portions and remain in the Zone, and I think I did pretty good save for ingesting some battered chicken pieces in a goopy sauce. Here's what I had (approximate amounts):

2 c mixed salad greens
1 c broccoli
1/2 c stir-fried tofu w/ vegetables
1/2 c beef with green peppers and onions
1 c aforementioned battered chicken pieces in goopy sauce
1 pc egg foo young

I have absolutely no idea how to convert those into blocks. I suppose it didn't really matter, since I felt sick to my stomach after eating that (I think it was the grease and general nastiness of the food), and went home and headed straight for the bathroom.

I feel significantly better now after clearing all that crap out of my system. Lesson learnt.
***

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 53

TRAINING
Workout 1: 0730 h
3 rounds of 30 reps each:
Double KB Racked Walking Lunge (2 x 30#)
KB Burpee to High Pull (63#)
KB Flip Squat (44#)

Time: 30:16

Workout 2: 1130 h
With a 16 kg KB, perform 5 rounds of :45 on/:15 off:
H2H Swing
Snatch L/R
OH Walking Lunge L/R
Goblet Squat
Chest Press to Rocking Chair

Workout 3: 1315 h
CrossFit Evolution
"Ivan"
AMRAP in 10 min of:
2 Muscle-Ups
4 Handstand Push-ups
8 KB swings (32 kg/24 kg or 70/55)

No. of rounds completed: 9 + 1 Muscle-Up

"Olga"
AMRAP in 10 min of:
4 Pullups
6 Pushups
8 KB Swings (16 kg/12 kg or 35/25)

No. of rounds completed: 11 + 4 Pullups

I basically did both workouts back-to-back (so it sort of evolved into an AMRAP in 20 minutes workout).

Notes:
"Ivan": M/Us started from kneeling position, HSPUs were performed down to a 25# plate for full ROM, and I performed 32 kg Russian KB swings.

"Olga": Performed as Rx'd, with 16 kg American KB swings.

CFSB Programming
Strength:
Deadlift
3 x 185#
3 x 195#
3 x 205#

20 x 165#
***

NUTRITION
Meal 1:
4 oz grilled chicken breast (4P)
3 oz mixed salad greens (1C)
1 oz goat cheese (1P)
Total: 1C, 5P

Meal 2:
3 oz grilled chicken breast (3P)
3 oz mixed salad greens (1C)
1 tsp sunflower seeds (4F)
Total: 1C, 3P, 4F

Snack 1:
Oasis lentil dip (2C, 1P)
4 c broccoli (2C)
Total: 4C, 1P

Snack 2:
1 navel orange (2C)
1 oz string cheese (1F)
Total: 2C, 1F

Snack 3:
2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges (2F)
3 oz whey protein powder + liberal sprinkling of cinnamon + water (3P)
Total: 3P, 2F

Snack 4:
2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges (2F)
4 tbsp peanut butter (12F)
24 rice crisps (4C)
Total: 4C, 14F

(And the question is, when did Laughing Cow wedges ever develop such winsome appeal? Damn, they're sabotaging my attempt at being Paleo!). Hungry today -- maybe I ought to up my fat blocks. That explains the peanut butter shoveling and rice crisps (not quite Paleo, again).

Grand Total: 12C, 12P, 21F
***

Countdown to D-Day: T minus 54

TRAINING
Workout 1: 0600 h
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Ring Dips
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Situps

Time: 13:13

Workout 2: 1415 h
NavySEALs.com CrossFit WOD

Phase I: Preparation
Run 1 mile

Phase II: Intensity

Fight Gone Bad V 2.0: 4 rounds:
20 Wall Ball (14lb)
20 SDLHP 55lb
20 Box Jump 24in
20 Push-Press (75lb)
Row for 20 calories
rest 1 minute between rounds

CFSB Programming
Strength:
Back Squat
5 x 145#
5 x 150#
5 x 155#

Skill Development:
30 HSPU (to 25# plate)
***

NUTRITION
Meal 1: 1830 h
4.5 oz salmon (3P)
6 c mixed salad greens (1C)
Total: 1C, 3P

Meal 2: 2030 h
Produce Station makes a mean grilled steak salad! It's even got bleu cheese (non-Paleo, but WTF) and grilled veggies. If only it didn't burn such a hole in my pocket.
4 oz beef (4P)
6 c mixed salad greens (1C)
1/2 c cherry tomatoes (.5C)
1/2 c mixed grilled vegetables -- onions, peppers (1C)
1 oz bleu cheese (1P)
Total: 2.5C, 5P

Snack 1:
Oasis lentil dip (2C, 1P)
4 c broccoli (2C)
Total: 4C, 1P

Snack 2:
1 gala apple (2C)
12 almonds (4F)
Total: 2C, 4F

Snack 3:
3 oz whey protein powder + liberal sprinkling of cinnamon + water (3P)
24 almonds (8F)
Total: 3P, 8F

Grand Total: 9.5C, 12P, 12F
***

SLEEP
7 hours
***

Eat to Thrive

From "World-Class Fitness in 100 Words":

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

I'm leaping on the Paleo-Zone bandwagaon. The Zone Diet is a restricted-calorie diet (as Nicole Carroll put it succinctly, we tend to overeat, and by overeating we fail to thrive -- we'd do better on threshold calories) and so I'll be using an Intermittent Fasting (IF) protocol to make it slightly more manageable. My fasts will range from 16-18 hours in length (10 p.m. to 2 p.m.-4 p.m.).

I've had success using a cyclical ketogenic diet protocol (a la the Anabolic Diet). High fat, moderate protein, almost negligible carbs. So why fix something that ain't broke?

I'm not seeing gains of the magnitude that I'd like to see, by doing the AD alone, and weekends are kind of a free-for-all. If you know me well, I can be quite immoderate at times. So I'd like to bring it back to basics for two weeks or so and then black-box my diet from then on. To be honest, I've never given the Zone a fair shot before -- one of the things that irks me about it is coming up with a halfway decent meal based on block prescriptions (which is the foundation of the Zone Diet itself). A selection of various foods does not equal a meal, in my opinion. For instance, a 4-block meal might comprise 4 oz turkey breast, 12 almonds, and 2 apples. Hardly close to something you'd find in a gourmet restaurant. But for the sake of performance I'm going to suck it up and partake of several such food selections. And I've discovered several good Zone recipe blogs which I fully intend to peruse over the next couple of days.

While I'm going to stick by the block prescriptions, I'm going to be a little looser when it comes to other aspects of the Zone -- i.e. my topmost goal is to hit the targeted number of blocks by the end of each day, so I'm not too concerned about perfect macronutrient proportions at individual meals. In fact, doing Zone on an IF protocol is counter-intuitive to Zone principles themselves, since you should never allow more than 4-5 hours to lapse between meals.

I don't want to get too far ahead of myself but it looks as though I'll potentially tweak my nutrition by dropping some carb blocks and upping the fat to reach and sustain an optimal state of performance. Based on the 11-block Zone recommendation that I came up with using the block calculator, I've already tinkered a little with the plan that I'm going to experiment with for the next two weeks, and come up with this:

Daily Zone Block Intake
Protein: 12 blocks
Carbs: 9 blocks
Fat: 12 blocks

So basically I've upped my protein and fat blocks by 1, and taken 3 blocks off my carb total, which will give me an approximate macronutrient ratio of 36% C/33% P/33% F. Not too far off the golden Zone ratio of 40% C/30% P/30% F.

The common refrain in the CrossFit community when it comes to a nutritional protocol is that Zone is for quantity, and Paleo is for quality. According to Nicole Carroll, maximizing performance in CrossFit lies on a continuum -- starting out with Paleo is good, going Paleo-Zone is the best.

So for the Paleo aspect of things, I'm going to adhere to Paleo guidelines as far as possible, which essentially means cutting out grains, legumes, and dairy from my diet and dosing up on lean meats, copious amounts of fibrous, non-starchy vegetables, some fruit, and nuts to round out my healthy fats. That being said, I won't sweat it if I have an ounce or two of cheese on my salads once in a while (an ounce of cheese = one block of protein), as well as supplementing with Optimum Nutrition whey protein as a quick source of protein, but other than that, I intend to stay on the Paleo straight and narrow.

Whew. That's quite a bit to digest (pardon the pun)! I'll report back daily on how it goes. I need the accountability, so thank you for reading!