This Week

This week I decided next year I would do 3 ultras: Mississippi 50 in March, VT100 in July and Heartland100 in October.  I plan to use Mississippi as a gauge as to how well Crossfit is working for me. 

I am now going to Crossfit 3 times a week.  Which is about 3hrs of cross training which, I am translating to 18 miles of running.  So, if I would usually run 80 miles on said week now I will run 62 miles along with Crossfit.  I am super excited to see how this works out for me.  There are some things I am already noticing.  Last week on Tuesday I was out running a 20 miler, my endurance is definitely starting to fade in the off season and it should a little.  This is supposed to be a down time but, I was a little scared when at mile 12 I was feeling tired.  At around mile 17 I realized something was up with my route and I was going to get back to the car at 19 miles and I could either run in circles to get another mile or just drop the hammer and make the last two miles count.  I decided to go all out and I mean all out.  I stood up straight, concentrated on having my legs rotate under me, I pulled in my core, and hot damn my old sticks took off.  When I peaked at Garmin she said I was running a 7:05, then I hit a hill and I dropped to a 7:15, what the heck...7:15 going up hill, me, Tara Tosta... whose legs were these?  Then I hit the down hill dropping below the 7mm mark.  Holy Crap! I was flying and I felt awesome.  Ummmmm....I guess Cross Fit is working for me.  Those boys may have hosed my shoulder for a few weeks but in return they are giving me speed. Wahoooooo!!!!

I am going to have to make sure I keep my long runs up in order to preserve my endurance but,  I am loving the feeling of being stronger over all.  There are days I walk into the gym and think...WTF! But then, I actually do said work out and am so dang proud.  One day this week I walked in to see ropes hanging from the ceiling and I thought, oh no, because you know the boys didn't hang them there for decoration, you know before they even say it that they are going to want you to climb to the top of those suckers but you know what...I did it.  I climbed the rope, like a little kid, I climbed that rope not like Phil my monkey friend who took to rope climbing like a gazelle takes to running but, I did it!  I used the first method described here but you should know if you do that method with running shorts on you are going to get a rope burn on your ankle, ughhhhhh.

On Thursday I walked into Crossfit to see that Austin (one of the two trainers that run our sessions) had come up with some frickin nutso workout for us that included Wall Climbs.  Wall Climbs????? I scratched my head and thought "OH NO."  If it sounds odd it is never good.  I am including a video of a Crossfit Wall Climb.So Austin's idea of a good time was: 2 x (1 wall climb, 25 burpees, 1 wall climb, 25 push ups, 1 wall climb, 25 box jumps, 1 wall climb, 25 air squats, 1 wall climb, 25 kettle bell swings).  I don't know if you noticed but the whole wall climb, burpee, push up combo, well it is a ton of arms.  I was so wiped out I was crouched gasping for air and praying I could get up the wall.  Yes I skinned my knees on the wall, you can do that if you are exhausted and your legs just fall down the wall as your arms give out.  Who knew? 

So to summarize the week: rope burn + wall burn + one long run = good week of working out.

45 miles this week, wooot wooot!!!!

Now to try and work in time to fix up this house.