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

[Mark E. Hurling]

Busy morning. I jammed through lifting in 20 minutes with speed sets on 30 second rest intervals. Done in 20 minutes.

Bench Press: 140 for 10 sets of 3.

Hammer Row: 250 for 3 sets of 5.

Cable Pressdowns: 12 for 3 sets of 12.

Why the rush? Special Olympics basketball skills assessments today and DB and I volunteered. Set up started at 7 and it all ended around 1. We were there as support for Region K but still got hugs from a couple of Team Lightning Bug ladies when they saw us working the entry table. Very sweet and heartwarming.

I sucked at basketball and knew there was no chance to play on the team in high school, but I wanted to letter in three sports. So I was the equipment manager, which made me eligible for a letter. I have the dubious distinction (I think) of being the only equipment manager to get a technical foul called on them. It happened at a home game when one of our players accidentally kicked a rosin can onto the floor. Without thinking, I dove after it as a down court drive was headed my way. The ref turned, saw me, blew his whistle and hey presto! I got a technical foul to the hilarity of both teams and ALL the spectators. The coach was not so amused.

Ah well. Things happen.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Ball Cap.jpg

I knew Jujitsu was going to be a grind tonight. I was and am whacked after my morning, as rewarding as it is. It began with a big surprise. I have one of my students bring in the mat if they seem capable of doing so. The beginning class with small kids, I do myself. Emma was there and disappeared for a bit while waiting for others to arrive. When Jacob arrived I asked him to get the mat. He came back saying Emma (all 5 feet and under 90 pounds of her) was hauling it in. She has just turned 12 and is a sweet but gritty girl.

Ethan and Ken arrived and we got to work, rotating through three belt ranks again. Jacob had more trouble than usual staying focused and I had to admonish him a few times. OTOH, he did ask a really good question about why a technique he used on a friend who was fooling around by grabbing his wrist. The answer was simple as it turned out. The technique he used was the wrong one. The wrist grab is a linear attack and I explained to him the correct counter is to circle around the grab and apply an ulna press. The circular counter to a linear attack.

Despite operating on fumes, it turned into a better class than I had anticipated. Also, I had Jacob put away the mat.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Took it easy today. Which normally would mean a walkabout, but given the rainy damp and 38F? Nah. The temp is no issue, but I don't like the rain. So into the gym. Speed bag, elliptical, SciFit, rower, interspersed with easy walking around the indoor track, and finished with rolling and rotator work.

[Mark E. Hurling]

More of the dynamic effort/deload/speed sets.

Deadlifts: 250 for 10 singles.

Box Squats: 100 for 8 doubles. I decided to give these a try for the first time since I have a little trouble coming up at the low bottom of the squat. Much easier than I thought they might be although I'm not entirely certain the box is as low as I want it. Gotta measure.

Swiss Bar Lockouts: 115 for 3 sets of 3.

Rolling and rotator work.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Trained Special Olympians John and Jereth tonight. A little challenging given I had to juggle John's routine with a lighter break back in routine with Jereth, since he had been busy with winning the S/O state football title earlier this month. Jereth has shown big improvement in his deadlift. He is much more stable in the final stage of standing upright and locking out. No wobbling or staggering. Just a little more work on not bending his elbows. But then loading up with heavier weights will take care of that.

[Mark E. Hurling]

This morning's festivities kicked off with some expert technical assistance from DB at the Rec Center. I enlisted her support to check the depth on the Samson steel lifting block I used for box squats yesterday. She pronounced it not only low enough, but a couple of inches BELOW parallel. So I have some wiggle room to use a slightly higher box. All good news.

Off to the conditioning with speed bag, prowler, battle ropes*, rower, long bag kicks and sweeps, rolling and rotator work.

I managed to booger up my left thumb unloading the deadlift bar yesterday. It peeled the nail back and bled like crazy. Hurts too, leaving bloodstains on white my squat shoes. Bloodstains on athletic gear always look cool. Back on the SIU Judo team, anyone with a cut had others on the team wiping it onto their gi's where it would show. It tended to intimidate opponents in meets.

*I always mocked battle ropes as the latest "new and improved" gimmick. But, I gave them a try just to see. Meh. They do get your heart rate up. Otherwise . . . who cares?

[Mark E. Hurling]

Last gasp of the dynamic effort/deload/speed sets.

Seated Press: 110 for 10 sets of 3.

Lateral Raise: 80 for 3 sets of 12.

Cable Pulldowns: 70 for 3 sets of 12.

Calf Press: 200 for 3 sets of 12.

Rolling and rotator work.

Now, a few days respite from lifting. Then, a mock meet to test my current 1RM's.

[Mark E. Hurling]

In keeping with active rest, I took a amble around the Southeast side of Lake on the Campus. A nice walk on an overcast 39F day. SIU has just added some new features to their outdoor fitness courts. Get in shape at SIU’s new Campus Lake Outdoor Fit Court

While I was at it, I took a nice contemplative look at the beach at the Becker Pavilion, where the Special Olympics Polar Plunge is held in the Winter. This was where DB and I got our feet wet (as it were) in the Special Olympics world earlier this year. It's been great meeting the people and doing what we can.

[Mark E. Hurling]

A mixed bag of easy things today just to keep things oiled up. Speed bag, rower, crunches, SciFit, heavy bag, and some testing my left thumb in the hook grip. The last went fine given the tenderness of that thumb having lost part of the nail last week. It hurt just to pull on socks. But this afternoon, while it stung a little with a token 135 on the bar, I don't think it will hinder a good heavy pull come Wednesday.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Just out of curiosity I looked myself up in the Open Powerlifting rankings. I discovered I was ranked 12th in my age and weight class worldwide across all powerlifting federations in their raw unequipped divisions. Raw means no bench shirts or squat suits that assist the lifter in doing their thing. You are on your own against the weight on the bar.

Rankings

The 11 lifters above me all lifted in meets that were not listed as drug tested. The dirty "secret" is that federations, including the USPA that I lift in, issue waivers for testosterone replacement therapy when prescribed by a doctor. However, if you lift in the USPA drug tested division, which I do, you get no such waiver. So you lift with no chemical assistance either.

Number 11 is only a few pounds ahead of me, which I will remedy when I test my 1RM's this week and probably add to by Nationals next year.