Training Log: Entry 3502

AM WORKOUT (0520 wake up via alarm), 0730 workout

**12 LABORS: CAPTURE AND BRING BACK CERBERUS (FINAL WEEK)**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 2, Week 6, Workout 6

10 mile run

Notes:

* Got it done this morning.  My left foot is a little achy, around the arch, but otherwise no issues.  We kept the pace comfortable, able to talk to each other the entire time.  My Garmin shows that my heart rate reach a high of 155 at one point during the process.  I felt good through it, and had some more miles in me when we were done.

* Right shoulder is still achy from the dog pulling on it during our walks.  That should heal during this week.

* I'll keep up the daily sandbag work for now, but think heavy training has concluded.  I contemplated getting some stone work in today, but at one week out from my strongman comp I'll do more harm than good with that.

* Fueled up the run with a breakfast of an omelet with 4 whole eggs, 5 whites, 10g of grassfed tallow, and 3oz of sirloin, topped with some grassfed ghee along with 11oz of air fried lamb and a piece of beef liver.  The best part was after the race though.  It's called "The Early Bird" because it's hosted by a local Brunch Place, and, along with cinnamon rolls and donuts at the end of the race, there was bacon.  I've never had that at the end of a race before, and despite my fasting/2 meals a day approach, I couldn't possibly turn that down.  It was some of the best bacon I've ever had in my life...or maybe it just always tastes that way after 10 miles.  But either way, I got 2 pieces of it, and the Valkyrie gave me her 2 pieces as well.  That's love right there.

* I’ve been running this race every year since 2021, and this was the best I’d ever felt doing it. Tactical Barbell did an outstanding job of balancing fatigue and stimulus to the point that I didn’t come into this carrying any fatigue at all: just ready to perform.

* Got in my daily sandbag as well. It keeps getting better.

 Training Log: Entry 3501

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURE AND BRING BACK CERBERUS (FINAL WEEK)**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 2, Week 6, Workout 4

90 minute treadmill walk

Speed: 3.8
Incline: 1
Distance: 5.7 miles

BREAKFAST

3 mile walk w/puppy

Notes: 

* Abided by the easy conditioning rules for this week and made this a full up recovery walk.  3.8 is still a brisk pace for me, but no weight vest and a low incline had the desired effect.  I finished feeling better than I started.  And by following that up with the 3 mile walk with the dog, I had 21k steps before 0800.  That's off to a good start for the day.

* Got Tang Soo Do tonight.  Last night was a real solid workout.  It was a small class, so we just drilled the hell out of basics, with line marching down the floor before we got to a bag to strike, then line marching back for about 40 minutes of non-stop movement, followed by 10 minutes of open hand forms.  Drenched with sweat when it was done.

* Piloted running up to the sandbag for yesterday's work.  Glad I'm giving that a go: it should carry over well to the comp.  The throws felt explosive as well.

* Weighed myself at 81.2kg after my first walk.  Almost a full kilo down from yesterday.  My plan for the bridgeweek is to do a lot of walking, and I can weigh in as early at 1000 on the day before the comp, so I should have no issues making weight at this rate.

* Breakfast remains unchanged, in terms of composition and deliciousness: 1lb of lamb, omelet of 3 eggs, 5 whites and 1 tablespoon of beef tallow, and a piece of beef liver.

 Training Log: Entry 3500

AM WORKOUT (0355 wake up via dog)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURE AND BRING BACK CERBERUS (FINAL WEEK)**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 2, Week 6, Workout 3

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat
3x2x275

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and strict press away
1x190
2x2x190+1 push press rep per set

Log clean
1x200

(4) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls
14+5+5x405

ASSISTANCE

Lateral raise dropset (35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands)

BPA
4x25

Core circuit (3x20x180 reverse hyper/3x10 HLR)

50 axle curls

35 band pushdowns

BREAKFAST

3 mile walk w/dog

Notes:

* Got the day off work, but my nearly 15 year old pug woke up this morning at 0355 with some disaster poops, and that was 5 minutes before my alarm, so I used it as an opportunity to get up and get moving. However, I got up once in the middle of the night to take care of them before that moment, and I practically fell out of bed.  My balance was way off: felt like I was on a boat.  I was feeling similar at 0355, trying not to fall INTO the poop as I was cleaning it.  Feeling did not go away during warm-ups, and I'm actually still a little dizzy now, but on the front squats I managed alright.  However, log is historically a lift where my blood pressure makes or breaks it, and I was seeing swirls just looking down at the log before the first clean.  I got it in place, but pressing it really put me in a bad way, so I shut it down at one rep (still technically within program compliance) and re-evaluated.  My head got straight after that and I had some good lifts, but for the heavy cleans I shut it down at one.  Best to practice succeeding vs failing.

* Still not going to my absolute limit on the mat pulls, which is for the best, especially this close to the competition.  Happy with what I can put out in those circumstances.  Haven't skipped a beat despite the long period of time without straight bar pulling.

* My left arch is still in pain.  I'm going to employ some manner of compression, given I have to run 10 miles on it on Saturday.  

* Took the dog for a long walk this morning since they won't have day care.  Wanted to tire them out.

* Tang Soo Do turned out to be basics week instead of one-steps, so we got a decent workout last night, along with me getting in a 3 mile walk beforehand.  Should be able to attend tonight as well.  I experimented with the sandbag yesterday and started with it standing up vs on it's side, and I think that's a smarter way forward.  It holds it's shape better when I do that.  I also think I need to start drilling running UP to the sandbag and picking it up for the future, since that's the context I'll be executing under.

* Weighed myself this morning to get a better idea of daily fluctuations leading up to the comp.  82.1kg, same as Monday, and exactly on point for my weight class.  Good place to be.

* Breakfast remains the same through the week, and I look forward to it every time.

 Training Log: Entry 3499

AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURE AND BRING BACK CERBERUS (FINAL WEEK)**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 2, Week 6, Workout 2

“OXYGEN DEBT 101” (Basic)

2 rounds of

200m sprint-30 second rest-200m sprint-30 second rest-200m sprint

3 min rest

6 minutes on rower

Notes:

* Heavy week of training, so basic week of conditioning.  Worked out well, because my legs felt like lead today.  Did my best to really focus on pushing off midfoot vs heal and getting the legs up high on the rebound strike, and I had at least 1 solid sprint per round and felt my lungs burning, but output wasn’t what I was used to.  

* Still just playing around on the rower when I get some downtime.  Not pushing hard enough to impact recovery, but trying to figure out what I’m doing with it.  And it’s honestly just enjoyable.  Having good equipment matters, because I never cared to use that cheap rower I bought.

* Got in a good walk after dinner last night, and the sandbags just keep getting more and more natural as I go.  The Milo of Croton meets Easy Strength approach here has really panned out well for me.  I think I want to keep this up after this training cycle.  1 carry a day doesn’t take much time away from me.

* I’ve got Tang Soo Do tonight.  It’s one-steps week, which tends to be pretty low activity.  I also am most likely working a half day today, so I may be able to get in another leisure walk.

* With my travel coming up, I started re-thinking my training strategy leading up to my next cruise, and since I’ll have 7 weeks between my return from my trip and the start of my cruise, I think I’m just going to restart my ROM progression cycle and get in one full one leading up to the cruise vs trying to rush this current cycle to completion and do a partial one leading up.  I’m in no rush at this point: I’ve got nothing but time.