A shitty run and some thoughts about motivation

Ran 3.5 miles very, very slowly.

Running is a love hate relationship and I'm head over heels in hate.  Sometimes, I really do love running though, and I wonder why that is. 

Where does motivation come from?  Why does it ebb and flow?

I read a really great quote once from the Mendes brothers that went something like, "Inspiration is overrated, just get out there and do the work."  It seems you don't have to be motivated, you don't have to like it, but you do have to do it.

The irony of my situation today was that I didn't want to go on a run because I felt a strong feeling of discontent, that I needed to set something straight, that I wasn't going where I wanted to go, that BLAHPASHG9(*^(^##q feeling.  However, I ran anyway, and mid run I figured it out.

Inaction = discontent

When we want something but don't act upon our desires (instead choose the passive way), we feel inept, depleted, empty--and look for something external to fill that void: TV, books, youtube, "yes" people, excuses, etc.  Anything that will give us external validation, anything that will tell us we're doing great, we're the bee's knees, we are Achilles reincarnate...all because we have a strong discontent inside ourselves because we did not act upon our dreams, we are unfulfilled so we seek outside support to rid our guilt and save our destructive egos (yeah, this is what I think about when I run...weird eh?).

The impulse for comfort is so strong sometimes, but it seems we must be Spartan and shun this desire for it gets us nowhere.

November 25th

Shoulder feels a lot better, but I'm still being tentative on it.  I did some rehab for it today as I outlined in my previous post.

Low Seattle to Miami's @ 7.5 lbs.
High Seattle to Miami's @ 12.5 lbs.
Bitch Slaps @ 12.5 lbs.
Back Hands @ 10 lbs.
45/45s @ 10 lbs.
Lat rows @ 12.5 lbs.

I went through this twice as a circuit and my shoulders felt great.  I'll definitely be doing this more often, probably after lifting sessions a few times a week.

I also did a "monster complex" with is a mix between monster walks, farmer's walks and calf raises.  I did three laps around the gym of monster walk straight to 15 calf raises with 30 DBs.  I feel this is a great workout as it seems to simulate carrying the IBS to a degree.

I finished with some light barbell squats but my hip flexor is still bothering me.  I'm going to put a lacrosse ball into that tissue later tonight to try and loosen it up some.

God, it feels good to be back.

Staying Positive.

So I spoke to a chiropractor friend of mine today about my shoulder (from Thursday, which is still giving me problems) and he told me it's probably a small tear and to take at least two weeks off.

Damn.

I guess this is a sign that I was training hard but not smart...I've never been good at the latter, to be honest.

Five days of PT in a row probably wasn't a good idea considering how much weight and maximum efforts I was doing...shut up, hind-sight.

When my shoulder and hip heal up I'm thinking this:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Full Body + Medium Effort Run

Wednesday: Push/Pull/Core + Tempo/Interval Run

Thursday: Easy Run + Lower Body

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Push/Pull/Core + Easy Run

Sunday: Push/Pull/Core + Long Run

This will give me three full days of rest for my upper body, two full days and an active rest day for my legs (Saturday).  This sounds good to me, if you have an opinion then please comment.

Hurting my shoulder has opened my eyes to the fact that, regardless of my slight megalomania, I am NOT superhuman.  I am a biological creature that is prone to breakdown and structural imbalance.  However, I am a thinking creature and a problem solver so these breakdowns or imbalances are treatable.  The question I must ask myself now is, where are my weaknesses and how to I eliminate them?

I think the way to answer this is to see what the most common injuries are in BUD/S, the type of exercises that I'm doing and what specifically can I do to address the issues.

The most common injuries/problems that occur in BUD/S are:

• Stress fractures from running
• ITB syndrome from soft sand running
• Rotator Cuff Injuries
• Shoulder Labrum injuries (overhead training with the logs and boats)
• Neck Injuries

So in general, the problems break down largely into two areas: legs (hips, knees, ankles/shins) and the shoulder girdle.  I have plenty of ways to strengthen my neck, which I should absolutely do due to the demands of the boat carries, but I digress.

Prehab for the legs should include:

• foam rolling and stretching everyday, especially the calf and achilles
• run in properly fitting footwear
• strengthen muscles around the shin
• strengthen the lateral hip muscles
• run on unstable terrain
• warm up and cool down
• supplement with calcium and vitamin c

Prehab for the shoulders should include:

• loosen things up with lacrosse ball every now and again
• stretch the pecs and lats
• warm up and cool down
• Rotator cuff strengthening work (listed below and in the videos)
• Lots of overhead work with arms in front of the ears!

Lat stretches
prayer stretch
fetus yoga
Pec stretches
corner stretch
Rotator cuff/Shoulder stability stuff
internal rotation NW to SE (from outside the body)
external rotation: NW to SE (from across the body...should be felt in back of shoulder)
arm at the side position (bitch slap): keep shoulder blades open
arm at side (back hand bitch slap)
straight arm shoulder lift: 45 degrees dont go too high
cable rows: contract between shoulder blades
straight arm lat press
Turkish get-ups
bicep douche curls
ball Y's and T's
Leg stuff
monster walks
calf raises
lateral cable rows
pistol squats on bosu ball
balance trainer


My shoulder is feeling much better right now, but earlier today it felt pretty terrible.  One of my clients gave me a sling and it's helped to limit my movement and not allow me to search for the painful angles (stupid, I know).  Ibuprofen has helped a TON.  The inflammation I think was causing my shoulder to impinge upon itself, pinching the nerve or bursa sac or tear.  Heat has also helped a ton, but ice at this point makes it feel worse and tight.

Rest + Ice/Heat + Anti-Inflammatory = An impatient athlete, but a humbled and determined athlete.

My mind kept going back to the internal dialogue of, "this is bullshit, I'm so fucking pissed off, why does this always happen, here's another damn hurdle, blah, blah, blah."  Victim type stuff.  But I kept forcing myself to think positive, to control my internal environment and to adapt to the event.  "This is just another test of will, this time will pass and I'll be smarter and stronger, this is a  learning experience meant to teach me self control and it's an opportunity to settle some things, read some books, hang out with my dog and enjoy the holiday with my family...I'll be back in no time and will completely forget all these frustrated emotions, and I'll create more intelligent programs for myself."

Maybe it's my fault that you didn't see that my failures gave

me strength; that my pain gave me motivation.                        

              -Michael Jordan

Adapt, Improvise, Overcome.

I read an interesting article about how SEAL training tries to instill the qualities of asymmetrical thinking.  Having the ability to adapt to a new stimulus, improvise a solution, and overcome a problem is obviously key to mission success.  It also applies to everyday life as well.

I came to a road block in my journey to become a SEAL about a month ago when my eye sight disqualified me for the SEAL Challenge contract.  Adapt?  This is an opportunity to finish school, get in the best shape, get my mind in order, get my finances in order, see my sister graduate from college, etc.  It is a blessing in disguise.  Improvise?  How will I get this surgery done?  I'm still saving money and trying to find a co-signer but truly, it is embarrassing to ask, but it must be done.  Overcome?  Get the surgery, tie up the loose ends, build momentum and kill the PST, ASVAB, and C-SORT when it comes time.

Like it always does, the morning will come and the sun will rise.


Adapt, Improvise, Overcome.

Hooyah.

Taking a week off...

So I've been pushing myself hard for around eight weeks, with progressively heavier weights and rep loads and training too many days in a row.  This has ultimately led to a strained hip flexor (left side) and strained rotator cuff (right shoulder).  I'm going to take a back off week, do some light runs to keep the legs loose, and stretch and ice my shoulder and hip flexor to get them back in tip top to get back at it and kick ass next week.

Besides the rehab, I'll be trying to tie up some loose ends while I have the time.  I'm int he middle of three books right now and I'd like to widdle that down to one and finish one at a time.  I love reading but I have literature induced super ADD. 

I've also noticed that one of my biggest flaws is distractions and procrastination.  I made a list of all the things that clutter my time:

• Hitting the damn snooze button...just fucking get up!

• Getting up and lolly-gagging on doing not much of anything.  Start each day with action and get into a routine.  Walk Bruiser.  Feed Bruiser.  Feed yourself.  Plan out the day.  Go to the gym.  Get.  Shit.  Done.
• The internet should be a tool, not a past time...get off of Facebook.
• Prioritize.  Run first, go the gym first, then rest.
• What does TV do for you?  Exactly.  Unless it's something that enriches your life and educates you (not solely entertain) then it may be worth it...if there's nothing left to do.

This all ties in to the concept of delayed gratification.  Delayed gratification=prioritization.  Fulfillment/Comfort.

Overall, I'm trying to get "squared away."  I want this and I need to be as much a SEAL as I can be in my brain and actions before I ever get a pin on my chest.  Refinement is the key, clear away the clutter and get rid of what is unnecessary.

Hooyah, bitches.

November 15th

Dead Lift: 135x10
                  225x5
                  335x3
                  345x3
                  355x3
                  365x3
                  375x3

5x5 weighted pullups @ 30 lbs.

100 pushups in two sets...75 in two minutes and then a set of 25.  i strained my right delt on this and called it short.  Rest tomorrow.

November 14th

Bench: 195x3
            205x3
            205x3
            210x3
            215x3

weighted pullups @ 30 lbs. 6, 5, 5, 5, 5

5x10 dips @ 40 lbs.
5x15 cable rows @ 27.something

100 pushups in as few sets as possible

3 mile run

November 13th

My workouts are feeling a little bland, maybe they're not, but I get bored easily.  Here are some movement ideas that sound fun to me:

front squats (i may stick with back squats because of my new DVD coming in though)
power/hang cleans
Jerks
handstand pushups
weighted pullups
weighted dips
sumo/Romanian/straight legged/speed dead lifts
deep position squats
planche/L-seat work
BW rows (I need to add these in order to balance with all the pushups)
Firemans's carry
Overhead sandbag lunges
Sandbag carries
Ladder drills
Dragon flags
wheel rollouts


I think in a few months I'll transition to a power/explosion/plyo phase of training...maybe I'll be able to actually dunk!  damn white-man's disease...

I will update later on my workout today...will probably be simple as I'm pretty tired.  probably weighted pullups, inverted rows, pushups, maybe some dragon flag practice.

November 12th

Press:  120x3
            120x3
            120x3
            125x3
            125x2 +1 jerk

I felt a difference in my fatigue when i started at a higher weight and didn't increase throughout all the sets.  My logic is even though the weight isn't constantly increasing, you're still moving more weight in total and forcing your body to adapt to the stimuli of consistently heavy weight.

Dips: 5x10 @ 30 lbs.
Pullups: 5x5 @ 20 lbs.

3 max pullup sets with 5 minutes in between:  12.5
                                                                           10
                                                                           10

I think I can squeak out 14 unfatigued.  Pullups are my nemesis and I shall conqueror them...

I just ordered Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" DVD and a dip belt...doing weighted dips and pullups with dumbbells is a pain.  plus i look way more bad ass with plates around my waist than with my feet crossed under a little dumbbell.

I also ordered a new SEAL book.  As my SEAL library continues to grow (and my library in general), I'm going to try to put up some reviews and thoughts I have about what I read, why I read it, and what I think about it.  We'll see.

November 11th

5.25 mile trail run through the rain.

 i enjoyed the extra mental push that was needed for this, not that it was really that stressful, at all.  but on the same token, it takes making a decision to stay out there in the wind, rain, and mud to finish what you started.  i'm sure i looked like a crazy man running through the nature preserve with no shirt in rain...to Texans a "cold rain."  Not quite.


Squats:  235x3
              245x3
              255x3
              265x3
              275x3

progress is a beautiful thing.

November 10th

Easy 3 mile run. 

It feels weird to not be going to the gym two days in a row.

November 9th

REST

November 8th

3 mile run

Dead Lift: 315x3
                  335x3
                  345x3
                  355x3
                  365x3

Pullups: two pyramids to 5...50 total
Chinups: two pyramids to 5...50 total

100 total pulls.

Pushup workout:
    2 min max: 60
    1 min max: 32
    50, 40, 30, 20, 10



I literally got HIGH in the gym today.  It felt so good.  I was stressed out before I went in, didn't really feel like taking the time to work out...especially run on the god-forsaken treadmill.  I was afraid of getting hurt doing the heavy DLs, I was bitching at myself on the pullups about how long they were taking and then it hit me.  It didn't matter.  I didn't need to be psyched to do something, I didn't need to feel inspired, I just had to do it...this feeling would eventually subside and would be replaced by something else.  I turned "it doesn't always get worse," to "it always gets better" and I learned that it's not how you feel walking into the gym that matters but how you walk out of it...push through the hard times to get to the high times because it is those moments we live for.  I wrote this on the front of my journal:

"Pain is manageable, shame is not."

Hooyah.

November 7th

Bench: 185x3
            195x3
            205x3
            215x3
            215x3

5x10 dips @30 lbs.
5x5 pullups @20 lbs.  (6 on the first set.  i was absolutely shot for this.  this was very challenging.)

November 6th

3 mile run

Squat: 95x5
           95x5
           185x5
           225x3
           235x3
           245x3
           255x3
           255x3

Pull up sets:  pyramids to 5 of regular pullups, close grip chin ups, wide grip pullups, close grip pullups, and mountain climbers.  Total of 125 pulls.



I was thinking in between pullup sets tonight and I realized why so many people are out of shape in the gym and a perpetually frustrated with their appearance.  I wrote this, "Don't do enough simply to satisfy your ego or your conscience, but don't stop until you reach your goal.  Just don't.  Fucking.  Stop....Hooyah."

 ...Hooyah.

November 5th

Over head press: 115x3
                            125x3
                            130x3 (plus 1 jerk)
                            130x3 (lots of back bend for last rep)
                            135x3 (last two jerked)

5x10 dips @ 30 lbs
5x6 pullups @ 20 lbs
(done back to back...pretty tough)

pushups workout (1 minute rest between sets):
    2 min max: 65
    1 min max: 25
    50, 40, 30, 20, 10

240 total in approx. 15 minutes

November 4th

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-5
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-5
1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1
3-3-3

pullups, 100 in total

November 3rd and 4th

REST....

and an awesome video on mental toughness.  I've listened to this many-a-time and I continue to pick out new cues and ideas.

It is well worth the time to watch this.  Watch and enjoy...input equals output.

October 28th

12, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 4

Max sets of pullups with 1 minute rest in between sets.

2 miles easy





(I have a whole bunch of slips of paper with workouts written on them but with no date, this is obviously out of chronological order but I don't care enough to go back and rearrange my posts...nor do I know how to.  I'm still new to this bloggin' stuff.)

November 1st

3 miles easy

Dead Lift: 315x3
                  325x3
                  335x3
                  345x3
                  365x3  (no hitches in pull at all, felt really good.  could've definitely done more)

25 pullups....had plans that night and couldn't finish in time  >:-/  damn it.

October 31st

5x5 weighted pullups (25 lbs)

Bench: 185x3
            185x3
            195x3
            200x3
            205x3

Weighted Dips: 45x5
                          45x5
                          55x5
                          55x5
                          55x5

Pushup Workout:
  
       2 min max: 60
       1 min max (after 60 second rest): 31

I feel good with these numbers considering they're after a heavy chest and dip workout...and the second set, the 1 minute interval, still increased in number.

October 30th

Pullup Ladder: (1-2-3-4-5-6-4) x 2= 50
Pullup Pyramid: (1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1) x 2= 50

3 miles easy

Squats: 225x3
             230x3
             230x3
             235x3
             235x3

"Retard Squats": 120x10
                              95x10
                              70x10

October 29th

Over Head Press: 105x3
                             115x3
                             120x3
                             125x3
                             135x1 (plus 4 jerks)

Pushup workout (1 minute rest between sets, on maxes hands cannot move nor can the knees touch):

       2 min max: 75
       1 min max: 26
       50, 40, 30, 20, 10

6 miles LSD

5x5 pullups with 20 lb dumbbell