The past week has been pretty busy, but I've managed to get in several 5k runs and different intervals of stair running. I went to Nafthio and Olympia this past weekend, where I did one workout of 150 burpees.

Last week at CF Hellas:

3x5 deadlifts @ 120kg

KB swings: 1-2-3...14-15

1 swing, 1 breath, 2 swings, 2 breaths ...

Complete, but difficult after round 12

Yesterday at CF Hellas:

Warmup:

2 rft

10 push ups

20 sit ups

30 burpees (!)

40 air squats

50 double unders

WOD:

AMRAP 15 min

5 deadlifts (80kg)

10 lateral burpees

rounds: 9 + 1 round after time

Daily (weekly) report:

• Body: Good.
• Sleep: Excellent.
• Nutrition: Good at times. New month, plan to stay strict.
• Notes: Staying active, still posting good times. Can't wait to put on my weightlifting shoes in 16 days.

sunday/monday @ stadium

Sunday:


Hero WOD - Michael
3 rft
run 800m
50 situps
50 back ext
for time: ~30 min


Monday:


Hellas website WOD:


50 Push Ups
25 Pull Ups
50 Push Ups
25 Air Squats
50 Push Ups
25 Sit Ups
50 Push Ups
25 Lunges ( Static)
50 Push Ups
25 Knees to Elbows

For time: Didn't time but ~30 min

Post-wod: stairs

Daily report

• Body: A little sore.
• Sleep: Good.
• Nutrition: Getting there.
• Notes: Michael always looks to easy on paper, but after the first round it really starts to kick my butt. Good hellas WOD, my push ups were not very strong but everything else was fine. I need to start doing more push ups.
• Cool link of the day:  Couldn't chose between the two. These are both from Conditioning research. The first one is a great video that shows some of the fastest marathon runners in the world going through their warm up routine. Looks like static stretching has finally taken a back seat to dynamic. The second is a video of the recent world record breaking snatch. Here is the commentary from Conditioning Research:
• Tim Egerton of Sprint Strong, had pointed to this video and noted:
  
  

  Interestingly, a new technique seems to be adopted here whereby he performed a 'pre-lift' before his actual attempt at performing the Snatch. This is legal so long as the bar does not break the line of the knees. I expect this 'pre-lift' will have provided a slight potentiation effect.
  
  Is anyone aware of this technique having been adopted previously? I wonder if it will become commonplace now.

back to hellas

Fighters Warm-up

WOD:
12 hspu
15 deadlifts @120kg
25 box jumps (30" box)
50 pull ups
100 wall balls (18#)
200 double unders
400m run w/ 10kg plate
time: 26:02 (yikes)

Daily report:

• Body: Back is a little sore. Good.
• Sleep: So/so. Could be earlier.
• Nutrition: Lunch was bad today, dinner was excellent. Clams and garlic green beans.
• Notes: Good workout today, except the deadlifts were surprisingly slow. double unders were not fast either. Oh well, good wod.

Two more in Athens

Quick stadium run:

5 min @ Z1

3 min @ 90% intensity
3 min @ 50%
x4

5 min @ Z1

Today:

Stair running: 20 minutes
Jogging: 20 minutes
100 pull ups: 20 minutes

Daily report

• Body: Blister on foot. Otherwise good.
• Sleep: Good.
• Nutrition: Okay.
• Notes: Good workouts. Nothing much more to say.

More training

A rather generic picture of Delphi. When I was there, it was snowing. The mountains are  quite a spectacle in person.

So I found out that Hellas isn't just a cool sounding name for the Crossfit I attend. Before adopting the Roman name, Greece, this part of the world was called Hellas in ancient times. Now you know. Went to Delphi over the weekend, which is perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever been. Incredible view of mountains where historically there was a shrine of the Delphic Oracle. Life changing, for sure... I don't possess the superlatives to do justice to the beauty of that area. If you ever have the chance to go, don't think twice.

Workout in Delphi hotel:

15-14-13...3-2-1
Burpees

After first 5 sets, 50 air squats
After last 10 sets, 10 pistols

Today:

Stadium wod:

42 pull ups
300m run
3 stair assents (200m)
300m run
28 pull ups
300m run
2 stair assents
300m run
14 pullups
300m run
1 stair assent
300m run

Daily report

• Body: A little sore after the burpees.
• Sleep: Good.
• Nutrition: Too much food at Delphi, without enough moving. Hence, the hotel workout. Not bad otherwise.
• Notes: Discovered an area at the stadium nearby where there are rings, a climbing rope, a glute ham developer, and most importantly a pull up bar. I will be utilizing this set up regularly, in addition to CF Hellas.

Post #200 on 11/11/11

Wednesday:

40 minute run @ panethetico stadio:
Run 600 meters
100 meters down stairs
100 meters up stairs

Thursday:

Warmup:

2 rounds Helen:
Run 400m
21 kb swings (1.5 pd)
12 pullups (butterfly)

Wod:
7 rft:
10 ohs (40kg)
50 double unders
for time: 10:02 (unbroken)

Daily report

• Body: Good, some T.V. is starting to flare up, but it usually does around this time of season.
• Sleep: Good.
• Nutrition: 1-10, 8
• Notes: Two solid workouts, now off to Delphi for the weekend to recover.

Team wod

Fighters warmup

4 rounds for time:
100m run
10 burpees
5 pull ups

For time w/ partner (male/female teams)
200 pullups
300 double unders
250 swings (1 pd)
150 thrusters (30kg)
43:10

Daily report

• Body: This wod kicked my ass. Very sore.
• Sleep: Not much, last night.
• Nutrition: Good, minus a few drinks.
• Notes: This was hard. Pretty straightforward, though. I need to get my pull ups back. Swings/double-unders were strongest.

hellas day 2

Fighter's warm up

WOD:

For time:
200m run
21 burpees
18 kbs (2 pood)
15 deadlifts (95kg)
200m run
12 hspu
9 kb snatches (2 pood) (per side)
6 toes to bars
200m run

Post-wod: DU's for reps. Score: 174

Daily report

• Body: Good.
• Sleep: Enough
• Nutrition: 1-10;7
• Notes: Fun WOD. Made some friends. I really like the community at CF HELLAS. Will soon be taking a BJJ class, too.

Crossfit HELLAS

After 3 days of classes, it was nice to have some time to get over to the local affiliate in Athens. It reminded me somewhat of Crossfit Minnesota, in that their facility is shared with a Brazilian Ju-Jitzu training center. I got there an hour early and watched an advanced class. I have to say, BJJ is a very respectable sport -- the accuracy and body awareness that's necessary to not get your ass-kicked is quite impressive. Actually, watching them made me want to slip in sometime for a beginners class. Anyways, I got in a great workout once the Crossfit crew made their way in:

Fighter's warmup (jogging around ring, arm circles, bear crawls, crab walk, walk-outs, etc)

5 rft
20 double unders
10 kbs (2 pd)
Time: don't remember, but unbroken and very short. less than 5 minutes, maybe 4.

5 minutes rest

10-9-8 ... 3-2-1
burpees
sumo deadlift highpulls w/ 2 pood kb
push press (95#)
10 double unders every minute into the wod

for time: 19:24

Daily report

• Body: Not sore, a little tired, good.
• Sleep: Need more.
• Nutrition: Getting there. Made a kick ass brussel sprout stir fry earlier.
• Notes: First wod was a breeze, second wod kicked my ass. Really like the owner at HELLAS, Mariana. I think it will be an enjoyable 6-weeks of training in addition to my studies and cultural exploration.