Snowboarding is Imminent.

I had a very good leg workout yesterday, setting a new PR in the Front Squat.  I have been working on a few of the Olympic lifts and some of the related exercises that are a part of the Cross-Fit mix.  I have it in the back of my mind that I may try some Cross-Fit competition in a year or two, after I have established a few milestones in my currently targeted areas of competition. So, I'm always happy to see my numbers go up in those lifts.

My history of shoulder issues, most importantly my torn scapularis which has never healed correctly, makes overhead lifts and holds difficult.  Nevertheless, I'm confident I can get the numbers up as high as I need to.  Looking at last Spring's Cross-Fit games 60+ events, I'm already at a point where I can handle the prescribed weights.  Now its a matter of honing form and improving the type of fitness that Cross-Fit demands.  Most of the events are of greater duration than the more explosive sprinting and jumping kinds of things that I am now focused on.

Looks like out local slopes are going to be open on Friday.  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get out.  I have a conflict on my schedule until noon.  Saturday and Sunday look like a bust with rain scheduled.  So, I may not hit the slopes until the latter portion of next week.  I'm a bit disappointed, but with retirement pending and the ability to get on the snow more days per week, I'm not sweating it.  Everything is looking good.

Trying to schedule heavy leg workouts in the middle of snowboarding season is always difficult.  One always seems to compromise the other.  Recovery is difficult when you're really taxing your legs four or five times a week.  At the same time, the fun greatly outweighs the concern.  No worries.

A Couple of Setbacks to Deal With

I thought I'd write a brief post just to provide some continuity.  I'm in a somewhat slack time, at the moment, between the active bodybuilding season and the start of snowboarding.  I'm actually hoping to hit the slopes in the next week or two and am looking forward to some freestyle and racing competition.

In the meantime, I have been getting all of my workouts in as well as staying on the "straight and narrow" when it comes to feeding and recovery.  The week before and the week of Thanksgiving I did have a bit of a hard time staying on track.  First, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I slightly hyper-extended my knee during the acceleration phase of my sprints.  It made running the next day very difficult, I ran extremely slowly with very short strides, and made the schedule sprint workout impossible.  Then, on the Sunday before the holiday, I came down with the first cold I have suffered in almost 10 years. 

The knee healed quickly with relative rest and I was able to sprint and lift heavy again within a week.  The cold responded well to a regimen of Zicam and steam inhalation and lasted just about the requisite week.  I did take two days off, when I was feeling particularly beat, but still managed to get in some walking and stair climbing on those days, so did not lose any ground.

Two weeks later, I'm feeling better than ever with some PRs coming in both the weight room and on the road.

I'm hoping to close out the year and hit my 60th birthday by being in all time best shape and hope to start posting some workout videos to INSTAGRAM, which I'll also share here, or provide a link.