My Journey into CrossFit.

WOW (workout of the week)

5 rounds of:
100m run
10 burpees
10 kettlebell swings (24kg/16kg)

WOW (workout of the week)

Time yourself to complete:

1000m row
20 burpees
30 shoulder press (40kg)
40 sit-ups
1000m row

Again Faster v's Rogue

WOW (workout of the week)

5 rounds of:
30 sec row/30 sec rest
30 sec box jumps(30"/24")/30 sec rest
30 sec kettlebell swings (32kg/20kg)/30 sec rest
30 sec burpees/30 sec rest  


To a continuously running stopwatch complete 5 rounds of the above exercises as prescribed. For each round, count the calories rowed and the reps performed for the other exercises.  Record your total for each round, and then your total at the end.  

Courtesy of Inner West CrossFit

WOW (workout of the week)

Due to the week off with bootcamp training this week, I have included a few different workouts for you all to keep yourselves occupied with.


Pyramid Workout
Mark out a distance of 25 metres
Perform one sit-up, one push-up and one burpee, then run 25 metres and back.
Perform two sit-ups, two push-ups and two burpees, then run 25 metres and back
Continue this process, adding one additional rep to the sit-ups, push-ups and burpees, until you get to eight, then reverse it back to one.


Death by Burpees
Time yourself to perform 100 burpees
(it is not as bad as it looks)


Sandbag run
Fill a bag with sand/dirt/books/gravel etc.  You want at least 5 kgs of weight. The heavier it is, the more challenging it will be.
Perform 5 rounds of:
15 squats
25 metre run, carrying the weighted bag
15 shoulder presses with the weighted bag


Pull-up practice
Perform 5 rounds of:
60 seconds of max pull-ups (rest as required)


(Scaling options - jump up to the bar and lower yourself down slowly; or inverted rows where you lie under a railing with your feet on the ground and pull your chest towards the railing)

Who doesn't love burpees?

BRIAN'S CITY2SURF TRAINING PROGRAM

Doing the City2Surf? Hopefully your training is going well. Now, with less than 7 weeks to go, you're really only left with about 6 weeks of actual training time. If you've decided to run the whole way this year, or even to set a personal best time, then here are some drills that will help you improve your endurance and speed.

Before we start, you will have to accept the fact that in order to run 14K, you have to run 14K. That means you need to put in the distance and train your body to handle what that will feel like. Running a couple 5Ks a week is great for general fitness, but that's a world of difference to a 14K. As you put in longer distances, it demands more and more energy from your legs - energy which you need to condition yourself to store and use. The pounding on the pavement and constant exertion of the muscles can not only wear you out quickly, but it can also cause injury. To avoid this, and hopefully have a run to remember for all the right reasons, it's important to build yourself up gradually to a point where you can handle the distance, both mentally and physically.

On that note, it should also be said that proper shoes, socks and even apparel are important. Regular gym shoes are not designed for distance running. Invest the money in a decent pair of running shoes and your body will thank you. Running socks may seem gimmicky, but they do reduce friction on your feet and help avoid blisters. Specific running apparel can also help with moisture and friction issues, as well as allow freedom of movement.  

Now, if you had several months to train, we would break it down into two major blocks: 1) build up your endurance by gradually increasing your time and distance, then 2) work on speed to decrease the amount of time it takes you to cover that distance. During those two blocks, it's also a good idea to do strength drills to increase leg strength to help you on those hills. Well, we've only got 6 weeks, so looks like we're in for the crash course!

So enough with all the words, let's do some training. You'll want to train at least 3 days a week, but no more than 4. You'll need a little recovery time after the harder sessions. I'll give you a Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat schedule, but it'll be up to you to decide what actual days to schedule the following sessions. 

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Monday: 

Long Steady Distance. Find a pace you can sustain, run as far as you can at that pace. Start with 5K, or more if you can. If you can't make 5K, that's OK, but you've got some work to do over the next few weeks!

PROGRESSION - After the first week, you'll need to start adding distance/time to each Monday run until you cover at least the required 14K, so the farther you can run right now, the less you need to add each week and the more you can focus on speed. So, if you run 5K next week, that leaves you with 5 more Long Runs. You'll need to add at least 2K a week until the big day. It sounds like a lot, but it can be done. 

THINK ABOUT - Try and keep your pace steady and DON'T WALK. Focus on steady breathing and a relaxed posture. Keep your head and chest up and take long deep breaths. If you find yourself stopping often to walk, then try slowing down to a running pace you can sustain. 

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Wednesday: 

Hill repeats. Hill running is like weight training without the gym. There are limitless ways to incorporate this, but let's keep it simple - Find a hill, run to the top as fast as you can, then jog back down. Repeat as many times as you can in 20 minutes without stopping. 

PROGRESSION - Next week, progress by A) adding more repeats, B) doing the same amount of repeats faster (or with less rest), C) finding a longer/steeper hill, or D) a combination of A, B and C. The hills in City2Surf aren't that bad by themselves, but add in the fact that most of them are in the second half of the race, and they become quite a challenge if you're not ready for them. 

THINK ABOUT - Running hills involves a different running posture and therefore different muscles than running on the flat ground. Run tall, lift the knees, drive with your arms and keep your head up. 

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Friday: 

Light jog. This is like Monday's run, but with more of a recovery focus. Your legs should be sore from Wednesday, so don't push it here. Just try and stay loose, think about your breathing and running posture and try and relax. Speed isn't important. Put in at least 30 minutes, no more than 40. Don't worry about how far you go. You shouldn't be pushing your limits here. 

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Saturday: 

Speed work (Intervals). Intervals train you to sustain a higher rate of speed for a longer time. There are an infinite number of ways to do this as well, so again, let's keep it simple. You can do this on flat ground, but if you have a course with moderate hills, that's OK. Start with a 50/50 Work/Rest ratio. Run as hard as you can for 1 minute, walk or jog lightly for 1 minute. Do this at least 10 times. 

PROGRESSION - Next week, either A) increase your run time, B) increase the number of intervals, C) decrease the amount of rest, or D) a combination of A, B, and C. Try getting to a point where you're doing ten 5-minute intervals. If you can manage that, you're going to be very pleased with your result on race day!

THINK ABOUT - Really push your speed here. Don't worry if you fall flat towards the end and your last intervals are slower. Like weight training, you need to push harder than your capacity in order to improve. This is not about consistent pacing, this is about improving speed and endurance!

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If you need to drop a session (i.e., you're doing another fitness program and don't have time for additional sessions), then your key sessions should at least be the Long Steady Distance run and the Hill Repeats. These will go far to get you prepared for the City2Surf.

Good luck!

RogueFitness.com - Miagi WOD