Friday, June 5, 2009

Workout of the Day:
Five rounds for max reps of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (75/55 lbs.)
Broad Jump (6′/5′)
Walking Lunge with DB Farmer’s Carry (35/25 lbs.)

In this workout you move from each of the three stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a three-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of “rotate”, move to the next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, successful jump and lunge.

Invictus Rocked for 26.2 Miles
Written by Dan “The Man” Tandon

Let me preface this with a simple fact, I am not an elite athlete. Far from it. Before January 2008, I did nothing physically challenging.

Starting in January 2008, I began running in order to complete a life goal of running a marathon. I was not going to break any land speed records, I just wanted to finish. I prepared for the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon by doing long runs on Saturdays and track training on Tuesdays. The rest of the time, I would do a half hour to an hour on an exercise bike. I completed the marathon in 5:44 and some change. Then I stopped.

From June 2008 to January 2009, I went back to my old exercise routine of sitting on a couch and vigorously, and I mean vigorously, laughing at the Daily Show. As January rolled around I began ramping up to train for the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon again. I only changed one thing with regards to my training; I joined CrossFit Invictus. CJ had been talking about CrossFit with me and my wife for years and we decided to join when he opened his gym.

I still did my long runs on Saturdays and track training on Tuesdays, but I added CrossFit work-outs three days a week. I noticed a big difference in my 10k and 15k times and realized that I was on track to shave almost an hour off my marathon time. I’ll leave it to our fantastic coaches to explain how strength training helped me do this, but what I know is that the killer warm-ups and work-outs worked miracles for the mental road blocks I experience while I run. When I was feeling mentally exhausted while running, my mind would go to one of the Invictus workouts and I would realize that I felt way more physically challenged during the WODs. This allowed me to push myself harder during the run.

The marathon was this past Sunday and I finished at 4:39:20 – more than an hour quicker than last year’s effort. But the best part is that my exercise routine will not revert back to that old couch potato (couch spaghetti squash for you in the Paleo crowd). I now consider myself a CrossFitter.

I am looking forward to continued success and to cutting off another hour from my 2010 marathon time.

P.S. – I had “Invictus Rocks” written on my calves for the race.