Geezer's Long March Toward the Elite Sneaking Up On the Finish Line

[Mark E. Hurling]

Heh. He never used that language in the house, my Mother would have handed him his ass. Although he would break out in some semi-obscene Jody calls out working in the yard if he had had a few too many beers.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

I reviewed purple belt techniques today in preparation for teaching Ken tonight. I haven't had occasion to practice them since leaving California. I remembered them just fine and did a solo dry run through them just to be sure I still had the movements well oiled. Easy-peasy.

Ken and Jacob both did great tonight. It seems as if overnight a bunch of Jacob's synapses and neurons started firing and connecting with each other. He didn't have all the fine elements of the movements down pat, but his transitions and flow through the techniques have smoothed out.

The purple belt techniques begin to synthesize the other elements of the lower rank techniques into more complex combinations. So far, Ken breezed through several of them.

A really good night once again. Things are going to get complex for me now, I'll be juggling three ranks of teaching at once.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Well that was interesting. The Row for Dough at the Henosis crossfit boxes went swimmingly, given the torrential downpour that started last night. Given that it was Halloween and costumes were encouraged, I dressed as a viking. With horned helmet, eye patch, scars, and woad-like blue face paint. Along with a short sword serving as a scramsaxe and my double bit ax that I use to cut up limbs.

I got placed on the Henosis team when one of their own turned up MIA. A group of friendly folks who welcomed a substitute geezer to row with them. There were some of the Olympians there, Eric and Val. The task was to row 42,125 meters ASAP, which took us around 2 1/2 hours. We were not the winners. This was split up among 10 on the team which each of us rowed 250 meters and then relayed it off to the next one on the team. Took around a minute to do each time and it got easier for me as I went. I normally row at 35 strokes a minute but since this was a competition, I hauled hard and fast at a pace of 40-45 strokes a minute.

One of the owners of the crossfit box was on the team and he was informed by some of the Special Olympics folk that I was an active, competing powerlifter. At the end of the event he asked if we could meet and discuss powerlifting, since he used to compete too. So I have that prospect coming up. I'll ask him if I can post a Jujitsu flyer in his place and maybe stir up some more students.

So now, a little stiff, I am contemplating taking a nap.

[Mark E. Hurling]

The speed cycle/deload continues.

Deadlift: 255 for 10 singles.

Hip Belt Squat: 175 for 3 sets of 3.

Swiss Bar Lockout: 85 for 3 sets of 3.

Crunch: 75 for 3 sets of 3.

Rolled and external rotator work.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Training Jereth and Val tonight, with Jessica the diligent loader of all things iron.

Both are improving as they go in terms of form. Both are chomping at the bit to go heavier fast. I relented a little and loaded a little more on their last set of the 5-3-1 routine they were doing. First set: 5 reps. Second set: 3 reps. Third set: as many reps as they could do.

Jereth stayed conservative on his last set of deadlifts with 1 rep. And with good reason he wanted to be sure he didn't get a strain so as to limit his performance in the upcoming flag football championships. His form in the squat is coming along nicely. His foot placement was much improved tonight. His stability on the bench press is improving by stages as well.

Val has her form pretty much nailed down and was REALLY trying to push the envelope tonight. It was no small task to keep her poundage on the last set within limits that I was confident she wouldn't get hurt.

[Mark E. Hurling]

More speed based conditioning this morning with emphasis on the hands. Now that only my right middle trigger finger was grumping at me and my wrist felt solid, I led off with clap push ups, followed by speed bag, box jumps, SciFit (arms only), flogging the heavy bag, medicine ball toss, and handball.

Hitting the heavy bag with a closed fist punch does not feel good on the finger. Hammer fist, back fist, dead hand, palm heel, elbow, and knife hand strikes don't bother it.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Dynamic effort/speed training/deload finis.

Seated Press: 110 for 10 doubles.

Lateral Raise: 50 for 8 triples.

Cable Pulldown: 50 for 8 triples.

Calf Raise: 140 for 8 triples.

Rolled and external rotator work.

In other news, I've picked up a few pounds since I had that corticosteroid shot. I'd been wondering about the hows and whys of that and then it struck me, this started after the shot a little over a month ago, along with some sleep problems. Both of which are side effects of this stuff. It's a measure of my failing memory to note that I've had the prednisone packs do the same thing to me. Mystery solved.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Squat: 250 for 7 singles followed by a backoff set of 3 with 225.

Hammer Cable Curl: Sets of 12, 170-180-190.

Reverse Hyperextension: Sets of 12, 55-60-65.

Rolling and external rotator work.

I screwed up today, tomorrow was lifting. Lost track of things. I blame Halloween.

[Mark E. Hurling]

So yesterday was the adjusted conditioning day. My lower back was feeling the squat singles, so I did upper body things to promote recovery. Arms only SciFit and rowing, speed bag, medicine ball toss, and heavy bag. Rolling and external rotator work to finish.

This morning was a pleasant hike through the Fernlands site between Carbondale and Makanda. It always strikes me as another Middle Earth place with the stream running through it and the moss and ferns. I helped rebuild the 35' bridge last year.

[Mark E. Hurling]

The lower back was still creaky so I took a long walk around the neighborhood to loosen up. Time for a trip to the chiro I guess, and get some chassis realignment. Out along Hillendale Road I saw three bucks in a group. This seemed a little odd given the deer are in rut around here and I thought they wouldn't want to group up like that so as to avoid the competition for does. The last one was either a 6 or an 8 pointer too.