High quality training and recovery on the return

I've lost 20 pounds since hiring a powerlifting coach, a track coach, working less, sleeping more, concentrating on nutrition, and putting myself first for once. On Sunday I did deadlifts from the blocks and my biggest weakness, lunges. On Monday my quads and glutes were so sore I dared not do my sprint training for fear of injury. On Tuesday I was recovered enough to do another strength training session. I was able to squat 15 pounds more than I did a week ago. And today I completed 5X125 meter sprints on an incline in front of GI Sanchez middle school before going in to watch my daughter's volleyball game. I already feel faster now with less training than I did earlier this year. Getting enough sleep and not working myself to death is the key to gains. Who knew?

First week with coach Vernon Smith

I finished my first week of being trained by Coach Vernon Smith. I sent him an update of how my week went. He sent me an amazing email explaining what we're doing, why the training I'm doing effected me the way it did, what to expect from my body in the next couple weeks, and what to expect from the training program in the upcoming weeks.

I understood coming into this that he was knowledgeable. But I wasn't expecting such great communication. Most coaches aren't able to spend that much time to go that into detail. Thus far I'm beyond happy with him as a coach.

The third annual Hellbox CrossFit triathlon

The WOD for the third annual Hellbox triathlon came out. I was wanting to do it. But this year's WOD is way to hard. Only super stud athletes will be doing it this year. I'm going to go and watch it. But you couldn't pay me enough to do it. If next year's CrossFit triathlon is a bit easier I'll do it. But not if it's anything like this year's. This year's is rediculous.

The Hellbox CrossFit triathlon

I just saw on Facebook that there will be a CrossFit triathlon here in Rio Rancho on October 22nd. That sounds like a ton of fun... And pain. I only need 17 more triathlons and duathlons to complete my bucket list of finishing 100 tri's and du's. Having a CrossFit triathlon on the list of 100 would be awesome. I'm going to train for this next year! Danm, that would be cool.

Last year this was what the tri and WODs looked like:

2nd Annual CrossFit HellBox Triathlon, Sunday, October 23rd, 8:30am. Swim, Bike, Run with a CrossFit Twist! 

Swim: 400 Meters (Individual and Team)

Transition WOD: Kettlebell Swings (Individual 50, Team 150)

Bike:10 miles (Individual and Team)

Transition WOD: Chipper

(50 Wall Balls, 40 Sit Ups, 30 Overhead Weighted Lunges 45/25#, 

20 Burpees, 10 Pull Ups. Individual 1 Round, Each Person in the 

Team completes 1 Round of the Chipper)

Run: 2 Miles (Individual and Team)

Back into it at 41

For the last three weeks I've been running stairs during my lunch, track training (100 & 200 meter) two days a week, powerlifting four days a week, and eating low carb. I hired a powerlifting coach, Vernon Smith. As of this morning I've lost 16 pounds. 106 more pounds to go.

My ultimate goal is to get back down to 224 pounds and compete in the 105k weight class of weightlifting. You may wonder, if his goal is weightlifting, why is he training powerlifting? I've tried losing weight with weightlifting before and it didn't work. I can easily maintain my weight with weightlifting. But not lose. I've heard this before from other people too. Im not the only one. Once I get down to 224 lbs I'll transition back to weightlifting. But until then I'll be doing low carb, powerlifting, and track training.

Day one back in the weight room

Yesterday was my first day of no longer working obscene amounts of overtime. After work yesterday I went to the gym. I haven't worked out consistently in almost a year. It felt great to get in there again. I'm pretty sore today. But again, I love it. It feels great.

Now that I've realized I need to make my health and happiness a priority i feel like a weight has been taken off my shoulders. I've realized the only one in this relationship who cares about my health and happiness is me. No more work weeks above 48hrs. If she makes more bad life decisions or wants a luxury item she needs to save for it or go out and earn extra money. It's as easy as that. I'm not going to kill myself with overtime anymore. 11 years of 80-90 hour work weeks was enough.

I also need to realize I'm partly to blame. At anytime I could have simply refused to work as many hours as I was. I should have. I didn't.

Training starting and working much less

Earlier this week my boss cut my hours from the 73 a week I had been working. At first I was freaking out. But I eventually realized this was the best possible thing for me. I emailed coach Vernon Smith and told him I wanted to hire him as my powerlifting coach. He had an opening for a client! The only down side was the days I'll be working out would be Wed, Fri, Sat, & Sun. Three days in a row is not a perfect training scenario. So today I called up my boss and told him I didn't want to work a 2nd shift on Monday's anymore. He agreed. So now I'll be able to work out Mon, We'd, Fri, and once on the weekend. From here on out I'm going to be spending more time working out, spending time with my kids, and sleeping. I'll never allow myself to be forced into working 70-90 hours a week ever again. I'll still be working 52 hours a week. So it's not like I've become a complete lazy slacker...... Could this be the fist step in me becoming happy for the first time in 11 years?

Dreams of spare time

I'd been working so many hours for so long that I had began to forget how to dream. I forgot what it was like to have enough spare time to do anything I want in life. To workout, to prepare meals, to have hobbies..... Since advising my wife I won't be working more than 48 hours a week as of November 1st I've started to day dream what my life will be like. Spending more time with my kids, making and having friendships, working out, sleeping a full 8 hours, being competitive in athletics. For the first time in over a decade I'm excited about about life. For the first time in 11 years I believe I'm going to be happy. I don't think my wife will be happy when she cashes my check with ungodly amounts of overtime. But I don't care anymore. She can either adjust her unrealistic lifestyle expectations or go and find someone else who can afford her.