Crossfit Endurance Cert AAR

If you’ve checked out the Affiliate blog for yesterday, you’ve already seen this, but wanted to consolidate it on here:

Steve and Kelley – thanks for hosting, great to see you guys!

Brian and Carl – as requested, here’s some pros/cons:

Issue: Course material being sent out prior to Cert.
Discussion: Power points and CFJ Articles were sent well ahead of the cert to prepare students.
Recommendation: Just thought this was a good move. I like having reference stuff around after certs and I like to have a baseline of how things will run ahead of time. I wish LVL I would do this!

Issue: Homework.
Discussion: Instructors provided a 6 week homework packet to work on technique and running ability.
Recommendation: I think this is terrific too – you’re only going to get good at skill work by continually working at it. I’m definitely going to take this on (as soon as I can walk again, my calves are still toast).

Issue: Testing.
Discussion: There is a final test due at the end of the Cert.
Recommendation: Again, thought this was a good move – even though we could work on it through the weekend, not just during a set “testing session” – I thought this was a good way to have some quality control.
However, I thought there were some issues with the test vs. the presented material. Specifically:
Endurance Certification Question 10Programming Questions 3 & 5
EDQ 10. Can Stamina Training replace long slow distance training?
The term “Stamina Training” wasn’t used (that I remember) in the entire presentation – so it was up to my interpretation what “Stamina Training” was.
PQ3. How many time trials should a triathlete do in their first week of training?
I think this is supposed to read “intervals” not “time trials”, I’m going off page 14, slide 2 of the .ppt handout.
PQ4. How many CFE “Crossfit Endurance” workouts should a single sport athlete (competing in an event longer than 5k) complete in a week?
I selected “4-6″ and Carl marked “2-3″. If you look at pg 13 slide 3 though it says 4-6 sessions a week. Also, I’m not differentiating between a “Crossfit Endurance” WOD and time trials, LSD training, etc. When I read “Crossfit Endurance” session, I think that includes the programming we discussed on Day 2 where the athlete would do 3-4 CF Workouts and then sport specific training 2-3, but I thought those would all fall under the “Crossfit Endurance” umbrella.

Issue: Verbally citing “studies”.
Discussion: During the presentation, Brian mentioned “studies have shown” on a few different occasions.
Recommendation: Either cite it specifically, link it in the handout, or don’t mention it. Granted, this is just a huge pet peeve with me, but I’m hugely swayed by people that have their citations handy – and way turned off when they don’t.

Issue: Myofascial Release and stretching.
Discussion: During the class we went over this.
Recommendation: Keep it up – it’s something I neglect and I think a lot of other people do to. We do some Sampson Stretch, some Shoulder Dislocates, and that’s about it. So great to get some info on some solid rehab techniques.

Issue: Timing of Cert.
Discussion: Cert was held in Ocean City the week after Bike Week and nowhere near Senior Week.
Recommendation: I brought down a trunk full of Zima for the weekend with no one to share it with. Seniors Rule!

Overall great cert.

20080920 WOD and Crossfit Endurance Cert

So went to the CF Endurance Cert with Brian McKenzie this past weekend. Worked on a lot and will have a more extensive review of the course, instructors and material shortly.

Bottomline: If you believe that the POSE Method of running makes sense, then you have to come to this cert.

For the WOD on Saturday, where we tried to incorporate the technique we were learning:

For time:
250m Run
40 Burpees
500m Run
30 Burpees
750m Run
20 Burpees
1000m Run
10 Burpees

Time: 17:05

Notes: This was close to DFL. I got started on the 750m run and had a pretty serious side stitch (which I never usually get). I shuffled the three laps around the building and went straight into the burpees, then finished the last run and burpees at a pretty decent pace. But the damage was done in that 750m run – I was getting passed by everybody at that point. Top times were around 12 min, last finisher was around 19 min.

Pretty unhappy with that performance though. That combined with a lot of pretty strong folks at this seminar is definitely pushing me towards weighing and measuring again to find my optimal Zoneish numbers. I know if I do straight Zone I’ll be heavier than optimal weight.

Today I ate pretty much how I’ve been eating the last few weeks – as much protein and fat as I want and some veggies at lunch and post-workout. It may have just been the driving and the cert, but after a lunch of just some meat, zucchini and tomato, and walnuts – I felt like I was having an insulin high/crash episode. Same thing at post-workout meal (which wasn’t even post-WOD as I was feeling a lot of muscle soreness and no energy) – just had some tuna salad, a very little carrot/sweet potato mix and almonds – and I’m feeling like I could go to sleep at 5 pm! I also went into this meal EXTREMELY hungry.

Need to write down how I’m feeling and weigh and measure starting tomorrow. Take notes for a week or two and email Robb Wolf.

20080918 WOD

4 rounds
20 slamballs, 20 PBS
20 situps
20 overhead lunge steps, 45 lbs
For time

Time: 9:59

20080917 WOD

Squat 5-5-5

275-275-275

Press 5

135

Notes: messed up my elbow on the press (again).j

20080915 WOD

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
KB Swing, 55 lbs
KTE

Time: 9:20

Notes: Fairly happy with this. My KB Swings have been strong lately, I did every set unbroken. KTE slows you down.