Setting New Goals

In addition to my goals I set for myself that are strength/oly lifting based, Joey Warren, set additional goals for me.
1. Fran sub 5
2. Helen sub 9
3. 5k Row @ 2:15 pace
4. 1k Run in 4min
5. FGB (350 womens weight) (300 mens weight)
These are great goals to keep me driven and determined. If I break each goal down this is how I look at it;
1. A sub 5 Fran is doable for me, I actually would like to see myself more at a sub 4 time. I have only done Fran once and that was over two years ago in 6 minutes, so I think I could do a sub 5 Fran now. I will put myself to the test sometime soon.
2. A sub 9 Helen would be a great score. Last time I did Helen, I suffered a lot on the runs. Now that I have been adding running work outs into my programming, I feel confident that I could complete a sub 9 Helen within the next few months.
3. A 5k Row sounds awful. I know I could keep a 2:15 pace for a few thousand meters, but I don't know about 5,000 so this is something I will have to keep working towards. Plus rowing just sucks, I am not a fan.
4. A 1k run in 4 minutes would mean I can do two laps at a 6 minute mile pace (1:30/400m) and that will give me another minute to run the extra half lap. I think this is doable for me. I am actually quite fast when I sprint, and 1k is a lot longer than I would want to run, but I still think it is short enough for me to be able to maintain a quick pace.
5. FGB of 300 at the men's weight is doable. It will be tough, but the weight is light enough to handle, I just have to plan it and pace myself towards a 300 point score.

I just started a 5 week olympic lifting cycle, on top of the OPT training I do. The goal of the cycle is to improve my max olympic lifts. I also have incorporated running into my training(i.e. hill sprints, long trail runs, races, etc) at least twice a week. This sounds like a lot on my plate, but it really isn't. I have nothing else to do right now. Once school starts up I will be a lot busier and distracted. It will be my last year in college so I know there will be times when I stray away from training to enjoy myself a little. Right now, my life sounds ridiculous because I have all the time in the world to do whatever I want, but this is as good as it gets and it is only temporary. I will start school in September and I have to take 19 units so I've got my work cut out for me. Right now I need to keep myself on task and see where I can be by the end of the summer. Rest days will be extremely important, as right now I am finding almost everyday to be a double or triple. I am starting to clean up my diet and sleeping better, but there is always room for improvement. I cannot commit to a true Paleo diet at this point in my life, but I can try my hardest to eat the cleanest I can without stressing out. I still enjoy my ice cream, slurpees, oreos, candy, sandwiches, Patron shots, etc... but in small doses. I try to take naps daily and sleep at least 9 hours per night, but that isn't always the case. If I can eat well and sleep well, I am sure it will only help me attain my goals, but it is always easier said than done.
There comes a point in everyone's life when you realize you must change something or you will just keep doing what you've always done, and getting the same results you have always gotten. This time came to me during the open/regionals. It blew my mind that I got my ass handed to me in the open by the individuals I saw competing during regionals. I know I didn't really work that hard in my training building up to the Open, but once I realized the level of competition had really increased, I decided to make a commitment and get my ass in shape for next year. The commitment was a little late for the 2011 open/regional time period, but it's just in time for 2012. That's mainly what has inspired this blog; I am tired of just being okay. I want to be better than that, and this blog has helped hold me accountable for the things I do and doubles as a constant reminder of my goals. I have taken a week off here and there, but this is still the most consistent I have been, and the hardest I have ever been working. I will keep working towards my recently set goals, ultimately preparing myself to be competitive next year.

Gearing Up For A Race Day

In December I will be 22. I have set some goals for myself to try and get while I am still 21:
1. Squat Clean 200#
2. Power Clean 175#
3. Jerk 185#
4. Snatch 150#
These goals are all strength because I know I will have more fun "reaching my goal" if the training for it is something I enjoy. However, I have been working on my cardiovascular conditioning outside of CrossFit. Every Tuesday and Thursday I still do hill runs/sprints/long runs. Last Thursday I ran about 6.6 miles in the hills. It was a single track dirt terrain trail, with lots of hills, this past Tuesday I ran hill sprints, and today I ran about 5 miles on flat, paved road. I am running a 10k this weekend which I am pretty excited about. I usually do not enjoy running all that much, probably because I suck at it. But now that I have been working on running and have signed up for a race, I am finding myself liking running more. Once I get a feeling for a 10k, I will be able to set some goals for more of my endurance training. What's my goal for this weekend's 10k? Don't stop! It will be interesting to see how I do. When I was younger I could run forever, but now I have a lot more muscle on me and I need to learn how to carry and run with the extra weight. I also need to learn how to pace myself. I always go all out in the beginning, no matter what it is I am doing. A 10k will be awful if I blow it on the first mile. My plan is to sign up for a lot of running events to remain driven because the training I have been doing for running has really complemented my performance in CrossFit, which really is all I care about, but if I am in some sort of race I am way too competitive to not try my hardest. An all out effort in a race environment will only "up" my training and carry over more positive results to my CrossFit training.

Right now is my prime time to train. I have nothing better to do and I am on summer break, so I really have no excuses. Once school starts up again, my days will be busier, but now is the time to take advantage of my free time and get fit! I am living in a really awesome house next school year with a lot of girls so I need to stay on top of my training now, because my senior year in college is going to be a bit crazy but I am stoked for it!

Today I did somewhat of a run-thru of what the race will be for the weekend. The paved roads really beat my body up and it was hot as hell. I stopped to stretch a few times and catch my breath because I didn't want to blow my legs up too much and I wanted to keep my heart rate in Zone 1. My feet were bothering me a bit because my shoes weren't really meant for distance running (I usually wear my trail shoes but I wore light weight shoes for the pavement today) and my feet were roasting with the heat and thick socks I had on. After the run today, I bought some new shoes for the 10k that are meant for road running. The race is early in the morning so I won't have to worry about the heat, and my new shoes will hopefully make the run a bit more comfortable! And hopefully they'll make me run faster!