2010-05-14

Warmup: run 800m, ME, some burpees and air squats

WOD:
Four rounds:

15 Hang Clean 135/85
21 Wall-ball 20/14

*Scaled 55# cleans, 8# wall-ball

19:15
Round 1 - 1:08; 2:58
Round 2 - 1:52: 3:16
Round 3 - 1:43; 3:21
Round 4 - 2:03; 2:51


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Clean balls

4 rounds for time:

15 hang clean (135)
21 wall-ball (20)

12:57 sc (115# cleans)

Probably should have tried 125#, but I was scared of the 20 minute cutoff.

2010-05-10

Warmup - run 800m

WOD
As many rounds as needed to complete 55 reps of each exercise:

Max rep in one minute hang clean 115/75
Max rep in one minute push-jerk 115/75
Max rep in one minute front squat 115/75

30 minute limit.

17:03

Round	Cleans	Push-Jerks	Deadlifts
1	13	10	23
2	11/24	8/18	20/43
3	12/36	8/26	22/65
4	10/46	7/33	18/83
5	10/56	9/42	25/108
6		13/55	2/110

Used 45# and subbed 2 x Deadlifts for the squats because my right hip and knee were feeling tweaky and unhappy. I probably should have used at least 50, but even at 45# it was a really good workout - less like torture and more like fun.

i tried to keep my form pretty strict; I really worked on fast scarecrow elbows on the cleans, and Daniel said my jerks looked really good and crisp. The jerks were definitely the limiting factor, even at only 45#. Although they weren't so limiting that I failed to get all 13 that I needed in my last round. (further proof that I probably should have gone heavier)

I had the interval timer on my watch set to go off at 45 seconds and a minute so i always knew when i had 15 seconds left.    For most rounds, i used that 15 seconds as a rest period - i think it helped me to maintain a steady pace.

2010-04-28

Warmup: 1000m row, ME

20 rep Front Squat 45#

this felt hard starting at rep 3.  but i gutted it out and made it all the way through.

DT 'Light'

5 Rounds
12 Deadlift
9 Hang Power Clean
6 Push-Jerk

Used 58#

23:20

3:45 5:43; 3:21; 5:36; 4:53

I had to take one of my shoes off to fix my sock  in round 2, so I might have been able to do this closer to 21 min.

65# is my current 1rm for cleans - but i also haven't tested it in a while - There's a good possibility it's a little bit higher, but this is still a pretty high percentage of my 1 RM

2010-04-19

Warm up: run 800m, ME

warm up WOD:
1 min max rep burpees, 1 min static plank hold, 1 min max rep burpees, 1 min static squat hold, 1 min burpees, 1 min static hang.
Score: 29 burpees

WOD:
5 rounds:

12 Deadlift 95/65
9 Hang Clean 95/65
6 Push-Jerk 95/65
*subbed 53#

16:08
2:25; 3:36; 3:12; 3:07; 3:45

Judging by my time, and by my internal gauge of how hard I worked, i think this was the right weight. I took slightly longer breaks than i usually would, but it was my goal to get a complete set of movements done before i put the bar down, and I needed a little extra rest to accomplish that. my attempts were mostly successful except in the last round. And in general, my jerks were more jerk-like and less press-like than they've been historically - though there were still reps with press-out for the last few inches. I also really have to consciously work to keep weight on both feet. I found myself almost exclusively on my left foot a lot of the time.

I seem to have rediscovered the will and the ability to work hard in my workouts. It's nice.

Strength day

Warmup run 400m, ME, Bear crawl, aligator crawl, lunge twists, jump rope drills

100 single skips (subbed for 50 DU) + 25 pushups.

WOD:
Hang Snatch & Overhead Squat 7-7-7

Hang Clean & Push-Press 3-3-3

Results:

Snatch+OHS: 15-20-25
Clean + PP: 55-55-60

Run 800m to try out my new shoes - Thanks Hanna!!

Comments:

I'm pretty pleased with this workout. I kept the OHS light because I was concerned about being able to make it through a full set of 7. I probably could have done my last set at 30, but I wanted to make sure that I was really dialed in with my form - which could certainly use the work. Even at the lighter weights, my form was not great. I asked Polly to watch my last set, and she really got after me to keep my knees out even more.

My first set of cleans and push-presses felt extraordinarily heavy - i wasn't sure if maybe I had counted the weight wrong - but it was 55#. my second set felt better. so I decided to try 60# for my last set. 60# is my standing 3RM for both cleans and push jerks from March, and I got it without too much trouble, although I did have a bit of trouble with my 3rd clean. I had to try it twice to get it up - I was thinking too much. Makes me wonder whether I could have gotten any at 65#. I should have tried it. Alas - the second class was short on bars due to the first class taking forever, so I gave mine over. Besides, I was eager to try out an actual jog with my NEW SHOES!

Hanna - who was in the second class - had a pair of super cute Saucony running shoes pictured here she had bought online that were just a bit too small for her and asked whether, if they fit me, I'd be interested in them. Turns out they fit PERFECTLY, and i LOVE them!! I think part of the reason I did so well with the 60# clean and PP was because I was so jazzed about the shoes.

I originally intended to only run 400m, but by the time i got to the 400m turn around, I wasn't ready to stop, so I did a full 800m - just because I felt like it. That's certainly unusual for me. particularly AFTER a workout.

It was a good day. I had oatmeal with cottage cheese and some milk for breakfast instead of my usual eggs and toast. It definitely lacked in the flavor department. Maybe I'll substitute a block of cottage cheese for a block of bacon next time just to add some flavor - but it did a good job of getting me all the way through the workout and then a little bit extra without feeling hungry or overloaded.

Elizabeth

WOD:
"Elizabeth"

21-15-9

Hang Clean 135/95
Ring Dips

Results:
I forgot my watch - i think this took me 13:45 or thereabouts - maybe 14 something. I forgot to write it down too. Bad blogger, no cookie :-p

I used 50# for my cleans and the red band for my ring dips. It was the first time I'd tried ring dips in a WOD - i have such a hard time stabilizing the rings that I've neer felt comfortable trying them, but using the strap makes the rings stay together and i don't have to worry about accidentally ripping my shoulders out of their sockets. I'll have to practice this more. I was able to get a couple with the green band before the WOD started - when i was just trying it out - but I knew I'd never get through 45 reps using the green band. Even using the red band, I had to do lots of singles, and if I'm being totally honest there were several reps where I did not acheive full lockout at the top, but I counted them anyway.

A clean AMRAP

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes

5 push-ups
10 hang clean 95/65 (subbed 2 8kg KB)
15 sit-ups

14 + 5 pushups RX

I had my sights set on 15 for this one, and when 15 minutes rolled around I felt nowhere close, but I managed to pull out more rounds at the end than I thought possible. The only hard thing here was the cleans - the situps eat up time but are not particularly hard, and you can always do 5 pushups. I managed to do every set of cleans unbroken: a minor victory.

Barhell

Complete as many rounds as possible 20 minutes of:
95 pound Thruster, 5 reps
95 pound Hang Powercleans, 7 reps
95 pound Sumo Deadlift High-pull, 10 reps

5 rounds + 5 Thrusters RX

Designed to be a metcon, I think - this was really more of a strength workout for me. Very well constructed, though - each rep scheme was just about exactly as many as I could do in one set before reaching exhaustion.

ok, NOW we're back

Taking time off - even just a week - always results in some disturbance of workout equilibrium. After the months of training for the games, I stopped getting sore from just about anything we did. Then I didn't do much for a week, came back and did 280 weighted squat movements in Wednesday's morning, which severely crippled me for several days. It was like the Potomac CrossFit workout all over again.

Sunday's workout went much better. Still a little sore, I was feeling functional by the time we were warmed up.

3 Rounds

16 Kettlebell Swings 2.0/1.5P
12 Burpees
8 Hang Power Clean 135/95
4 Thruster 135/95
Run 400 Meters

21:17, scaled to 115#

Everything was unbroken. I was sharing a bar with Matthew and Bill, but Max started us several minutes apart, so it wasn't really an issue until the last round, when I caught up with them (and lapped Matthew, who was hangdogging). The swings felt good, the burpees went by fairly quickly, and I had just the right amount of weight on the bar for the cleans and thrusters to allow me to do the sets unbroken, but just barely. It felt good to be back.

Rediscovering intensity.

Warmup: ME, pullup practice, pushups,

WOD:
3 Rounds

16 Kettlebell Swings 2.0/1.5P
12 Burpees
8 Hang Power Clean 135/95
4 Thruster 135/95
Run 400 Meters

*Subbed 1.25P KB, 55# for cleans and thrusters.

Results:

Exercise	1	2	3	Total
16 Heavy KB Swings	1:16	2:22	3:36
12 Burpees	1:28	1:26	1:22
8 Hang Power Cleans	3:21	1:24	3:16
4 Thrusters		2:34	4:29
400m Run	2:19	2:29	2:31
Elapsed Round Time	8:24	10:18	15:17	33:59

Comments:
I very nearly did not finish this workout. The cleans and the thrusters were a weight that was hard when it started, and that I could just barely continue to do as the workout went on, and when I was nearly finished with the 3rd round of cleans, the bar slipped out of my right hand, and as a (stupid!) knee-jerk reaction, I tried to catch the bar instead of just getting out of its way. It hit me pretty hard in the thigh and gave me a bit of a charlie horse.

It took a few minutes to be able to squat at all let alone with weight, and even though I only had 4 thrusters left, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do them. But I'd dnf'ed so many work-outs lately, that I just decided this wasn't going to be one of them. My classmates were awesome at cheering me throgh the final few reps.

I was pretty pleased with the height I was able to get with the 1.25P KB - most reps were eye or even forehead level.

Cleans are my nemesis

Sleep:
12:15 - 7:30 - slept very soundly - only got up once.

Warmup:
ME, 1 round CF warmup

WOD:
155/105* pound Deadlift, 12 reps
155/105* pound Hang power clean, 9 reps
155/105* pound Push jerk, 6 reps
* subbed 55#

Results:
33:10

Round	Work	Rest
1	4:27	2:07
2	3:30	3:01
3	4:12	4:15
4	3:28	3:59
5	4:11

Comments:
I was sharing a bar, and we pretty much just switched off on rounds - which is why the rests are so hugely long. The first set is further skewed because I was having trouble with the cleans, so I let Ana jump in. In hindsight, it would have been interesting to wait until Ana was completely done to see how long it would have taken to go straight through. If I add up my work sets it comes out to 19:48. Obviously it would have come out something longer than that without the large rest breaks.

The hardest part of this workout for me (and it sounded like most people agreed with me) was the cleans. My best round was actually round 4, when i managed to get 7 before having to put the bar down. My form is truly funky with these, and there is just something in the mechanics that escapes me. Occasionally I get it right, and it just pops up - but most of the time, it's a real struggle. I think some serious work at either barbell SDHP or just practicing pull#2 of the clean - w/o worrying about getting my elbows around - might be helpful at drilling the order of operations into my body. My muscle memory is slow to pick things up, and needs lots of reinforement.

I was surprised that the push jerks were as hard as they were given that this is the weight I have been working my shoulder presses with - though since I haven't successfully gotten 5 in a row with them yet, i guess it shouldn't have been THAT shocking. Although I think I did fairly well with this weight in the FGB that we did not too long ago.

Food:
8:30 - 6oz black coffee
11:30 - cottage cheese, etc. Coffee with milk
1:30 - 2oz spicy cashews
3:30 - green curry
7:00 - 16oz milk
7:45 - Gordo's super carnitas burrito, 16oz milk
10:45 - 2 zma

DT, and hello Split Jerks

Max is convinced that the spooky amount of 155# overhead workouts lately is an indicator that they're going to feature in this year's games...but I don't know. I think we just find patterns in random groupings.

Five rounds for time of:
155/105 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
155/105 pound Hang power clean, 9 reps
155/105 pound Push jerk, 6 reps

20:44 at 105#

This one was a first for me, and I nearly took the AMRAP way out. My shoulder is feeling much better, but is still not at 100%, and I was worried about the push-jerks - so I was tempted to go with kettlebells and not do the jerks on the right side. But that's unbalanced, and I hate unbalanced workouts. So I went with the barbell and scaled it a bit low and took my time with it, which I think was the right call - at least my shoulder isn't angry with me now.

I started sharing the bar with James, which gave me ample rest while he did his rounds. But his back started tweaking in dangerous ways, so he pulled out after two rounds, leaving me with no excuse to not be working.

I experimented with split jerks today, which I've never really played with. I really like them. They feel far more stable, and shoulder flexibility on the drop doesn't really come into play. Alex told me I wasn't dropping very far after the first round, so I tried getting under the bar a bit more on subsequent rounds, with good results. They're a bit slower than regular jerks (you can't really chain them together so much), but I think I'm gonna stick with them for a little while to explore the possibilities.

A return to the 5x5

Today Daniel and I started back up with our 5x5's. At the moment, we're only setting aside one day to do this instead of going to class. So when I told Daniel that what I wanted to work on was OHS and SDHP in order to focus and practice on my core and stability, but he pointed out that I couldn't move any significant amount of weight with those two exercises, and I would be forgoing the main purpose of the 5 x 5 practice which was to move enough heavy stuff to inspire my body to release HGH so that I can get stronger faster. I also realized that I get a fair bit of core and stability work in the CFEB classes, so I decided to compromise and do back squats and either cleans or SDHP. If we do decide to add Sundays then maybe I can add OHS then.

Today:
Warmup: 600m row (at a 'jog' pace), ME, 25 squats, 15 pushups, 30 situps.

Back Squat x 5: 45-45-55-55-55-55-55

Hang Power Clean x 5: 45-45-50-50-55(PR)-55-55
Leg Lifts in captains chair (inserted between clean sets) : 5 reps + 10 second hold, 10 reps + 20 second hold

Hang Power Clean X 1: 60-65(f)

Comments:

I'm pretty happy with how today went.

The back squats were not the heaviest I've tried, and I am pretty sure there's room for improvement next week. My first warmup set felt ridiculously hard for an empty bar, and then Daniel reminded me about keeping everything tight and holding my breath, and the next set was MUCH easier. I am so lucky to have him around! He is going to be such a great trainer :-)

I found that the first 3 reps were pretty straight forward, and I'd start struggling around rep 4. I did not fail any reps, but a couple came close. Daniel and I watched a few squat and clean & jerk videos when we got home, and there was one from Coach Rip on "hip drive" in the squat - in which he essentially said you should lead with your ass when coming out of the hole in a squat, and that if you lead with your chest, you take the tension off your hamstrings and get stuck - which I think is exactly what was happening to me on the reps where I got stuck. On the whole, I feel like these have come a long way. My form has improved a lot, and a weighted bar no longer makes me stagger around in the cage. (let alone an empty bar)

As for the cleans, I didn't remember that I had ever really managed to clean more than just the 45# bar - though apparently I did on 11-8-08. However, I was still really encouraged at how (relatively) easy the bar kept going up. It's proof positive that I am a great deal stronger than once I was. I kept adding weight because 5 reps did not feel like enough work. The 1 rep max attempts were tacked on at the end while I was waiting for Daniel to finish his set. I was SUPER close to being able to pull 65 - i tried about 4 times (with rest in between) - but I just couldn't quite convert it. I think I'd be able to do it if I was well warmed up and otherwise fresh. I feel certain that it will come soon.

I'm glad to be doing this again, because as nice as the constant variety of CrossFit is, it's also nice to have something standard to go back to on a regular basis where performance gain (or lack thereof) is easily assessable.

5x5's: Back in Your Arms Again

It wasn't until today rolled around that I realized how much I've been missing 5x5's, and how much I was looking forward to doing them again. Now that the craziness of the holidays is over, Rebecca and I have resolved to begin the New Year with a return to the hybrid programming that helped us so much last year. At least once a week - Thursdays - we'll do a 5x5 routine. Possibly Sundays as well - we haven't decided yet. We really like going to class, but it isn't really feasible to do max effort deadlifts and squats in the same day, and the program feels deficient without doing both movements.

At any rate, for Thursdays at least, I'm thinking of mixing things up a little. I will anchor the day with a 5x5 back squat in linear progression. I will support this with a second movement that will let me mix up form and technique practice with some weight, but won't always be the same movement...at least until I find something I really want to focus on. For now, there are just so many things that need work. The list of options are: Clean, Jerk, Snatch, KB Snatch, Ring Dip, Weighted Pullup, Bench Press, Shoulder Press...and on and on.

So today:

Back Squat, x 5: 150-150-150-150-150
Hang Clean x 5: 75-75
Hang Clean & Jerk x 5: 75-75-75

The back squats felt pretty frickin' hard, but I know that I can do at least 175x3, so I'm hoping that it's just a matter of getting back into the movement and hopefully next week will be smoother. I think my form is better on these than it has been in the past, and (slowly, oh so slowly) my chest is staying more upright as I get to the bottom. Obviously, this deteriorates as I get tired.

I was really happy with my Clean & Jerk practice. Well, at least I was happy with the Cleans. Finally, after all these months, I'm starting to be able to receive the clean in a full squat, rather than only power cleans. I even did a couple sets of full cleans, and after some problems with never coming to full extension with my hips I was able to do something that didn't feel completely freakish. I really wish we'd brought our camera, so I could review it and post it for feedback. Next time.

Cleans and Thrusters, and a new daily challenge

Relatively low-key day today at CFEB, which suited me fine - give me a little more opportunity to recover, as I'm feeling a bit beat-up from the past few days.

5x5: Hang power clean and Thruster

75-85-95-100-105/3

My intention was to work up to 95 and then do the same weight for the next three rounds, but I got shamed into upping the weight by the folks around me (always good motivators), and was pleased to actually be able to do 100 and 105# thrusters, even if I failed on the last set. Thrusters have always been very difficult for me, but I think I'm getting the technique (if not the strength).


Twenty Deadhangs or Bust

I've also resolved to start the pullup program I posted a few months ago. My pullups continue to suck, and I can't seem to find the motivation to GTG the way I used to. I'm hoping this will provide the necessary structure to stick with it. My pull-up bar is mounted in our kitchen doorframe, so while I certainly can't kip on it, I can work on deadhangs while cooking dinner or doing the dishes or something - it only needs a few minutes each day. You're supposed to stay at each step for two weeks before proceeding. To mix it up a little, I'm thinking of doing chin-ups in the first week, and pull-ups in the second.

I skipped ahead to step 12 to start: 7-5-4-4-4

Second PT session

So today was my second personal training session with Max (i think i failed to blog the first one :">)

We mostly worked on cleans and push jerks ... right before a WOD with ... cleans and push jerks .... more about that later. We were going to work on pullups, too, but my hands just weren't up to that yet. I tried just gloves - not so good - i tried tape and gloves - also not good - probably worse - tape without a protective bandaid HURTS - bare hands definitely not a go. Max said he'd work with me on pullups next week.

I think that the cleans are coming along nicely - though I haven't yet successfully cleaned a heavier weight than 45# - and the push jerks aren't too bad - the two main problems (as they always have been :-w) is getting my right side to do an equal amount of work as my left, and keeping my right knee from falling in/keeping even weight on both feet. Max got some good video of me doing 20 HPC and PJ for time with an empty 45# oly bar - i think the total was 6:25.

Today's WOD:

Five rounds for time of:
135/95 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
135/95 pound Hang power clean, 12 reps
135/95 pound Front Squat, 9 reps
135/95 pound Push Jerk, 6 reps

I did 3 rounds in 20:55. bleah.

Round 1 was with a 45 pound bar - 15# bar + 30# of weight
Rounds 2 & 3 were 35# - 15# bar + 20# of weight.

Round 1 went really long (9 minutes!) because i was trying to find a hex hey to get the collars off my bar, so i could take the weight down. I don't know whether it was fatigue from the PT session or what, but the 15# bar with 30# of weight felt a lot heavier than the 45# oly bar I had been using earlier. I failed my last front squat in the first round pretty awkwardly , and ended up on the ground with the bar bell on my lap. (Max said we were not allowed to drop the bars directly on the roof - so i tried really hard not to). But it was at that point that I decided i should be using less weight.

Round 2 & 3 were about 6 minutes each. I decided to call it a night when folks around me started finishing up, and my muscle strength started failing. I figured the work I'd done earlier + the three rounds I completed were plenty. I'm definitely going to be sore tomorrow. Heck - I'm sore now.


I'm sure i would have done a lot better starting fresh.

I think the front squats were actually the hardest exercise, followed by the cleans, and, interestingly, it was my wrists more than anything else that really gave out. I also think I really just need to learn to engage my back muscles ALL THE TIME. they're lazy. They don't work when I'm sitting, they don't work when I'm rowing or squatting, etc. - i always have to consciously 'activate' them. It's something I should work on when i'm just sitting at my desk @ work.

I could get used to this

OK, so remember how I was all bitching and moaning about having to do a recovery week and blah blah blah? Well, this evening as I watched all my classmates suffer through a horribly grueling heavy "bear" workout while I got to toss around 65 pounds, I couldn't help but feel...a little relieved. Even at half-weight, this was a lot harder than yesterday's walk in the park, and had I done it at FULL weight (I would have tried 95#), I'd probably be a wreck right now.

Five rounds for time of:
135/95 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
135/95 pound Hang power clean, 12 reps
135/95 pound Front Squat, 9 reps
135/95 pound Push Jerk, 6 reps

~28:00, 65# barbell

I shared the bar with Elaine, so that time is a bit longer than it would otherwise have been. It'd be silly to keep serious track of these 50% workouts, so I'm pretty lax about the timing.

That said, it was still pretty rough - at least the cleans and front squats. The deadlifts were nothing, and the push-jerks (push-presses, really) were such low volume as to be over before they started. My shoulder gave me a little grief on the negatives bringing the bar back down at first, but I learned how to basically drop and catch the bar so there was minimal exertion in the pain-causing range.

Fight Gone ... Different

Warmup: run 800m (4:55 avg HR 169 - 20 seconds better than last time!)

WOD

Three rounds of:
Kettlebell Thruster 15#DBx2 (Reps)
Kettlebell Swings 16KG (Reps)
Burpees (Reps)
Kettlebell Front Squat, 16KG# (Reps)
Hang Power Clean 45# (Reps)

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
Front Sq	10	7	8
HPC	6	3	6
Thruster	9	8	5
KB Swing	6	4	4
Burpees	7	7	7

For a total score of 97 (avg HR 168).

I feel good about the way this workout went. My score is pretty low compared to the other folks in my class - but Max estimated that the number of reps for this particular workout should be about half of what they would be for a standard FGB - and the last time i did FGB, I scored 121, so even if it was only 50% harder (instead of 100%) that would make my comprable FGB score 146 - which is still several point higher than 121. Hooray for progress! I'm also pleased about how (relatively) consistent i was across rounds - and I was even able to increase my reps in some exercises in round 3.

Also, I knew that my score was going to be low because I was really pushing the boundaries of the heaviest weight i could manage for each exercise. I used the full 35# weight for my KB swings today - MAN that's hard! - i think the most consecutive swings i managed was 2 ... i might have gotten 3 once - and i never got it fully over head - just up past my eye level. But I am confident that with a little more practice these will be fully within my reach.

I heard Max telling someone before class that he thought the HPC were the easiest exercise - i thought they were the hardest (and my score really reflects that). I've never really done this exercise before, though, and I am sure some of it is just form. The movements that require squatting quickly to get under a weight to "catch it" - even just a little - are definitely harder for me.

I didn't get a chance to stretch after class because we had to leave, so I'm going to try to squeeze some in before bed. I need to be better about stretching after workouts. I think my body will appreciate the little bit of extra attention.

Fight Gone Bad...ish.

*17 hour fast*

Morning workout

50 Burpees, sprint sets
followed by brisk walk to work

Could have been brisker. Think I need to choose high-energy music to keep my heartrate elevated for this.

Evening workout

Three rounds of:
Kettlebell Thruster 12KG#x2/16KG#x2 pounds (Reps)
Kettlebell Swings 28KG#/20KG (Reps)
Burpees (Reps)
Kettlebell Front Squat, 32KG#/24KG# (Reps)
Hang Power Clean 95#/65# (Reps)

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2	Set 3
HPC	11	8	7
Thruster	10	7	5
KB Swing	12	9	8
Burpees	10	7	7
Front Sq	5	9	7

For a total score of 127. (Nearly RX - I used 24kg for the Front Squats.)

My last FGB was 184, two and a half months ago. Max said he intended this to be 50-100% harder than a regular FGB, which bears out in my score (~70% of my last score). I should have shot for 10 every exercise, every round - I think I could have done it. Though that may have been too much, I dunno.

I did have a grand total of 20 grams of carbohydrates today before this workout, after intentionally depleting my glycogen this morning, so I did NOT have a great deal of fuel to work with. That said, it didn't seem any more or less grueling than it normally would have. In fact, on the bike ride down after work I felt really good and energetic...a spike that was effectively gone by the time the warmup was over.

I'll be curious to see if I'm sore tomorrow. I feel worked, but not crushed, and I think the fasting IS improving my recovery times.

Update: Yeah, my shoulders/deltoids are quite sore - particularly my right shoulder.