IM Training Log w/c 04/11/19

* I am not including the classes I coach in this training log (apart from my indoor cycle classes) but for reference I also coach2 Insanity, 2 Boxercise, 1 LBT and 1 Tabata class a week between Tuesday and Friday.

This week things got back on track. The smallest hints of my cold were still lingering but overall I was feeling pretty damn good. I didn’t have any specific goals for this week, apart from 6 days on, one day off and that wasn’t ever really in doubt.

Mon: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

Usual Monday of Row, Bike, Ski. This week, for 39 minutes. 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off. Actually not as bad as it first sounded.

Mon: 1pm Brick Session

I sacked off the CrossFit class today as I really felt I ought to do some running. I decided to haul an Assault Bike to the entrance of the gym for a brick session and set the clock for 30 minutes. Another simple workout; 20 cals on the bike, 100m run, 20 cals, 200m run, 20 cals, 400m run and repeat. I got 2 rounds plus a bit extra in my self inflicted time cap.

Tue: 1pm CrossFit Class

November is the month of remembrance and at CrossFit Iron Duke we pay our respects by completing one Hero WoD a week, every week. We started this week with ‘The Chief’; 5 x 3 min AMRAPS, with one min rest in between, of 3 Power Clean, 6 Push Up, 9 Air Squat. I’m pretty good at pacing the longer workouts but I was definitely grateful for the push from Coach Harry before the start of the last round to get the extra reps and not just coast home. I’m leaving the coasting to my Coach, who does it so well, right Kerry? ;0)

Wed: 6:45am Indoor Cycle Class

Quite a few people have asked why I don’t include the classes I coach in my Training Log as surely they are adding to my training. As a Class Instructor I am a Coach and not ‘Paid to Train’ which is how some instructors view it. If I am training I am not coaching. I can’t be. There is no way I could do a class such as Insanity as well as watch everyone else, consistently check form, cue movement patterns, correct common errors, motivate effectively etc and if I’m not doing all of that then I am not there for the full benefit of my participants. The only class where I am actually capable of being an effective coach while still engaging 100% with the content is in the cycle studio. I will occasionally get of my bike if I feel it is needed but overall most members want to see you up there, sweating, struggling and suffering with them. I know this because I get told this a lot! So I am now including the Cycle classes as I do on the training log.

Wed: 1pm PT Session with my Coach

Today was about overcoming a bit of a fear, although I didn’t know this was the plan. I’m not too bad at box jumps and can jump on to a 30 inch soft box. However, turn a wooden box from 20″ to 24″ and I just can’t do it… or rather I couldn’t do it. Kerry had me move from wooden to soft box at increasing heights and lo and behold I can now add 24 inch box jumps to the ‘can do” list 🙂 Kicking up into a handstand though remained firmly on the ‘nope’ list with no real improvement made. Oh well, luckily I don’t need the skill of kicking up into a handstand to complete my Iron Man whereas explosive box jumps have some actual carry over.

Thu: 9:30am Indoor Cycle (with Myzone HR Training)

As I coach Indoor Cycle more as a Power Trainer, and put my Thursday pm lot through regular FTP testing, I run my Cycle classes on a 12 week periodised training plan. All of my classes follow the same programme whether we are using HR monitoring, Coach by Colour Power Training or just a regular indoor bike. The idea is that after every 12 week cycle your levels or FTP should go up so that every time you restart the programme the easier beginning weeks should still feel challenging and we can still push for the desired adaptations.

Thu: 1pm CrossFit Class

Partner Workout with the Hubby today. We don’t actually train together often at all so this was quite fun. If we are in the box together during a busy class we try and work with other people. Head Coach Toby used to split us up when we first joined to ensure we got to know other people and the habit has stuck. The workout was a 40 min AMRAP where one person rests while the other works. The work consisted of 100 single under skips, a 200m run and a 300m row and as Carl is faster than me (on the running and the rowing… not the skipping, I kick his ass at skipping!) I got a little less rest than him but we both gave everything we had and did a pretty good job.

Thu: 2:15pm 10 Min Pull Up / Push Up EMOM

My weekly upper body strength piece to get back the lost strength thanks to “the rib” and to hopefully surpass my previous best. 10 minutes of Pull Ups, followed by 10 minutes of Push Ups, done as a 3 rep EMOM (every minute on the minute).

Thu: 6:30pm Coach by Colour Indoor Cycle

Coach By Colour is specific Power Training technology, created and run on ICG bikes and by far my favourite way to run a cycle class. It is robust, there is no time lag like there is with Heart rate Training and you cannot hide, either from yourself or me as your power zone is literally beaming out of the front of your bike. If you are serious about improving your bike, or overall, fitness then Power Training is definitely the way to go.

Fri: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

Three 10 minute workouts; Firstly 10 mins (1 on, 1 off) on the Assault Bike. Second, a 10 min EMOM (40 secs on, 20 off) of Dumbbell Thrusters and Dumbbell Swings and finally a 10 min AMRAP of 10 Calories on the Ski Erg, 8 Burpees to a Plate and 6 Plate Ground to Overhead. Nothing complicated and I actually felt better after the workout than before.

Fri: 2:30pm Zone 2 10k Run

I pushed the distance on my Zone 2 Training from 5k to 10k and it was nearly doubly frustrating. As usual, the first couple of miles were straightforward. Running at a comfortable and easy pace, HR where I want it to be and everything going all good. The next 4 miles though…same old song and dance. Try and hold a decent ( and by that I do not mean fast, just decent) run pace and the HR shoots into Zone 3, and then sometimes Zone 4. Walk to bring it down, push into a run and it shoots straight back up. I perservered though. I did the whole long (!) thing in Zone 2 as much as possible without intentionally pushing up. A couple of the guys in my Accountability group are joining me on the Zone 2 training thing and I think we are all finding the same thing, which is that it is a slow but worthwhile process.

Sat: Rest Day

Sun: 9:30am, Sunday Funday with the Forza Fitness Squad

6 of us turned up to play and so we all contributed to the plan. I chose to revisit the 5 min bike test, Suzanne wanted more Core work (she always wants more Core work!), Angela wanted to incorporate the Kettlebell and then we put some boxing around all of that and away we went. One hour later we are all very happy, sweaty and ready for cups of tea!

Another week done 🙂