Thursday - July 27

Mountain Bike w/ James
 - Vultures Knob plus the roads to/from home
 - 1:26:05
 - 14.54 miles
 - aveHR 135
 - maxHR 171

Wednesday - July 26

Road Bike - return from car oil change drop-off
 - 2.07 miles
 - 8:47
 - aveHR 132
 - maxHR 151

Seated Calf Raise
 5x 45, 70, 95, 105, 115, 115#

Clients and Lunch.....

Road Bike - pickup for car oil change
 - 2.12 miles
 - 7:22
 - aveHR 116
 - maxHR 136

Still tired from the weekend.  

Tuesday - July 25

Dynamic Warm-up / Jump Rope 2 minutes

Agility Ladder

Overhead Squat
 - 10x 20kg

Barbell Clean + Jerk
(full squat catch)
 - 20reps daily max limit
 1x 40, 45, 50, 55, 60kg
 1x 65, 65, 70, 70, 75kg
 1x 75, 80, 80, 85, 85kg
 1x 85, 85, 85, 85, 85kg

After Work....

Trail run w/ friends and pups
 - Wooster Memorial Park
 - sprint the uphills, walk the rest
 - 4.03 miles
 - 1:13:21
 - aveHR 104
 - maxHR 167

Sat.-Sun. July 22-23

25-Hours of Vultures Knob
 - team of 4
 - started at noon Saturday after an hour thunderstorm rain delay. Finished at 1pm Sunday.
 - the course was ridden in reverse direction after 1am.
 - I completed 5 total laps

Saturday
 Lap 1
 - 6.67 miles
 - 49:43
 - 8.0 ave mph
 - aveHR 154
 - maxHR 172
 - crashed hard on my right shoulder due to the slick course.  Happy no major damage.

Lap 2
 - 6.59 miles
 - 50:38
 - 7.8 ave mph
 - aveHR 156
 - maxHR 172

Sunday
 Laps 3+4 in reverse direction (2:15am start)
 - we did double laps at night to give everyone a bit more sleep
 - 13.93 miles
 - 2:15:59
 - 6.1 ave mph
 - aveHR 130
 - maxHR 158

Lap 5 in reverse direction
 - 6.94 miles
 - 1:03:55
 - 6.5 ave mph
 - aveHR 136
 - maxHR 162

Great time had by all even with the wet conditions.  18 total laps as a team.  

Thursday - July 20

Dynamic Warm-up / Jump Rope 2 minutes

Strongman circuit
 - day early so I can have a rest day tomorrow before the weekends 25-hour team mountain bike race.

10 Rounds on 1:30 clock
 - Sandbag Carry - down/back 10yds. @ 200#
 - Double DB Clean/Squat/Press @ 50# x5
 - this was very challenging, but 'fun'

After Work....

Open Water swim
 - Killbuck Lake
 - 46:39
 - 1.2 miles
 - aveHR 145
 - maxHR 160
 - warm in a full wetsuit but those are the rules for the lake.  Felt relaxed and good for the first swim since the ironman.

Wednesday - July 19

KB Long Cycle
 - warm-up:
 - 2 minutes, 8 rpm, 12kg
 - 2 minutes, 8 rpm, 16kg

Main Set
 - 10 minutes
 - 20kg
 - 8 rpm
 - warm and humid but completed smoothly.  Mental demons heavier than the weights.

Seated Calf Raise
 5x 45, 70, 95, 105, 115, 115#

Hangboard - 10 minute sequence.
 - 15 sec. hang Jug
 - 1x pullup Round Sloper
 - 10 sec. hang Medium edge
 - 15 sec. hang w/ 3 shrugs Pocket
 - 20 sec. hang w/ 2 pullups Large edge
 - 10 sec. hang Round Sloper w/ 5 knee raise Pocket
 - 4 pullups Large edge
 - 10 sec. hang Medium edge
 - 3 pullups Jug
 - hang as long as possible -Round sloper 40 sec.

Legs held in the forward position definitely makes a difference.  I had read that it is much more specific to climbing to hold in this hollowed position than legs bent 90 degrees behind.  Very noticeable on the pullups and I will continue in this style.

Tuesday - July 18

Legs needed the day off yesterday.  Still not 100% but not as tight and having the fullness feeling they did yesterday.

Dynamic Warm-up / Jump Rope 2 minutes

Agility Ladder

Overhead Squat
 - 10x 20kg

Barbell Clean + Jerk
(full squat catch)
 - 20reps daily max limit
 1x 40, 50, 60, 65, 65kg
 1x 70, 70, 70, 75, 75kg
 1x 75, 80, 80, 80, 80kg
 1x 85, 85, 85, 85, 85kg

After Work....

Trail run w/ friends
 - Wooster Memorial Park
 - 4.03 miles
 - 48:34
 - pace 12:03
 - aveHR 143
 - maxHR 172

Sunday - July 16

Vultures Knob Grassroots mountain bike race

 - 16.4 miles

 - 1:51:27

 - 8.8 ave mph

 - aveHR 158

 - maxHR 176

I'm borrowing a mountain bike for next weekends 25-hour race on this same trail and I wanted to test ride it beforehand.  Very glad I did as it took me 6-8 miles to figure out its handling characteristics.  Butt is sore from back to back days in the saddle.

Saturday - July 15

Bike ride to the ride

 - 1.99 miles

 - 6:26

 - 18.6 ave mph

 - aveHR 127

 - maxHR 148

Group Ride

 - 62.7 miles

 - 3:52:18

 - 16.2 ave mph

 - aveHR 136

 - maxHR 177

Great ride and felt good throughout but would not want to have done much more.

Friday - July 14

Strongman Circuit

5 Rounds
 - Yoke Walk 40' down/back @ 350#
 - Stone to Shoulder @ 165# x4
 - Axle C+P @ 175# x4
 - took a couple minutes rest between rounds.  Last 2 rounds were done with no rest between.

Thursday - July 13

De-Load Week

Dynamic Warm-up / Jump Rope 2-minutes

Sandbag Clean + Press
 - Squat + 4-count Press
 - 6x 40, 70, 100, 100, 100#
 - quickly becoming one of my favorite all-around series

Seated Calf Raise
 5x 45, 70, 80, 80#

Wednesday - July 12

De-Load week

1-arm DB Clean + Press (r/l)
 - pyramid the rack, only strict press
 - touch the floor each rep, single arm clean
 - 1:45 rest between sets
 5x 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15#

Bouldering wall traverse
 x 3 trips - different each time
 - time on wall: 2:55, 3:25, 3:25
 - 5 minutes rest between

Tuesday - July 11

De-Load week

KB Long Cycle
 - warm-up:
 - 2 minutes, 6 rpm, 12kg
 - 2 minutes, 6 rpm, 16kg

Main Set
 - 10 minutes
 - 20kg
 - 6 rpm
 - slower pace definitely makes it a boringly long set.

Monday - July 10

De-Load week

Overhead Squat
 - 10x 20kg

Barbell Clean + Jerk
(full squat catch)
 1x 40, 45, 50, 55, 60kg
 1x 60, 60, 65, 65, 65kg
 1x 65, 65kg

Bouldering Wall
 x 3 trips - different each time
 - time on wall: 2:50, 3:30, 3:08
 - 5 minutes rest between

Friday - July 7

Strongman Clean + Press Medley
 - 5 rounds of 1 rep each, increased weight each round

Log @ 110, 120, 140, 160, 180#
DB w/ FatGripz (r/l) @ 60, 70, 80, 90, 100#
Axle @ 125, 140, 160, 180, 200#
KB (r/l) @ 28, 32, 36, 40, 44kg
Sandbag @ 70, 100, 150, 150, 150#

Thursday - July 6

KB Long Cycle
 - warm-up:
 - 2 minutes, 8 rpm, 12kg
 - 2 minutes, 8 rpm, 16kg

Main Set
 - 10 minutes
 - 20kg
 - 8 rpm
 - better than I feared

After Work....

Road bike to trail race
 - 4.79 miles
 - 17:04
 - aveMPH 16.8
 - aveHR 142
 - maxHR 163
 - was running late so rode harder than usual to get there

Vertical Runner Trail race mini-series final
 - 3.1 miles
 - 30:12
 - 9:44 pace
 - aveHR 166
 - maxHR 177
 - felt strong at threshold pace

We were teamed up with another runner and I was supposed to do a 1.5 mile loop after my partner, Jenn, got back from her 3.1 loop.  Unfortunately, she rolled her ankle on a fast downhill section.  Other runners alerted us and we ran the trail backward toward her.  Ultimately, I ended up giving her a piggy back ride for 0.5 miles uphill and out.  We stopped 3 times to rest along the way.  Hope to see her back out there again soon.

Road bike back home
 - 4.81 miles
 - 17:19
 - aveMPH 16.7
 - aveHR 137
 - maxHR 162

Wednesday - July 5

Overhead Squat
 - 10x 20kg

Barbell Clean + Jerk
(full squat catch)
 - 20reps daily max limit
 - goal is to reach heaviest singles without form breaking down
 1x 40, 50, 60, 65, 65kg
 1x 70, 70, 75, 75, 75kg
 1x 80, 80, 80, 80, 80kg
 1x 80, 80, 80, 80, 80kg
 - best these have felt

After Work....

Mountain Bike
 - Vultures Knob
 - 6.56 miles
 - 46:54
 - aveMPH 8.4
 - aveHR 148
 - maxHR 170
 - legs felt good but bike handling skills need brushed up for offroad riding.  Also forgot how much hand strength is needed from all the vibration.

Sunday - Monday, July 2-3

Seneca Rocks and Smoke Hole Canyon

We arrived at Seneca about 1:30pm.  No need to set-up camp and climbing packs were sorted before we left so we topped off water and started the walk toward the trail.  At the trailhead were two guys, one clearly in issued forest fire gear.  We said hello and asked what was happening.  A forest fire had been start the evening prior somewhere beneath the observation deck and that this trail was closed but we would be able to enter via Roy Gap Rd. and as long as we stayed on the south peak we should be fine.  Easy enough for us.  My plan for our first afternoon was to do some easy warm-up pitches of Totem (1st pitch) and Skyline Traverse (1st) before heading back to set camp and settle in.

Totem had a guide group on it, which wasn't much of a surprise and 2-3 groups were lined up under and for Candy Corner.  We made our way around to Skyline which I was then surprised to see nobody on and one couple just rapping off.  Short belay up the initial ledge and then set up our main belay.  I climbed confidently and misjudged a couple of cam choices but to be expected for the first climb of the year.  Another couple rappelled past me on the way up and I reached the bolts about 60seconds before another group appeared from Candy Corner looking to rap down themselves.

We climbed on doubles only to familiarize ourselves with the extra rope for the next days trip to the summit.  It took me more time than I'd like to set the bolt belay (ATC in guide mode) with me hanging to keep room on the ledges for the emerging groups, another camp up another route between Candy Corner and Skyline, all were looking to use the rap anchors.  Everything double checked and up Josie came, cleaning on her way.  It seemed like a speed pull on the rope for me to keep up with her, she climbs well for apparently taking 10 years off, her best then was 5.10c on top-rope.

Sorting doubles to rappel on a single again took longer than I wished, but all was safe and smooth eventually.  On the start ledge we belayed up another couple before the short 15' rappel down to the ground.  We then walked back around to the start of Totem which had now cleared and we went up the first pitch here as well.  Climbing was smooth again, this was me first time leading this pitch and I did not extend my first piece enough and dealt with some rope drag.  I also managed to permanently stick a blue 0.3 X4 cam 2/3 of the way up, a donation to the route.  My rope drag apparently caused it to rotate upwards and walked deeper in.  I attempted for 15 minutes on the rappel to dislodge it with zero success.  Back to setup camp, cook burgers and watch the north peak fires glow in the night.

Monday morning we were up and headed toward the trailhead by 8:30am.  This time a mass of 25-30 forest firefighters greeted us.  They were optimistic but had the whole mountain closed down until further review and said to check back about noon.  We went to explore around the swimming hole and the visitors center before heading back for a short nap.  Back to the rangers stationed at the Roy Gap entrance but it wasn't good, the fire had shifted towards the south peak and everything remained closed for the foreseeable future but he gave us some info about Smoke Hole Canyon, a new place a short drive away he'd heard of.  We went to the Gendarme for more info, where other climbers had gathered to utilize the wi-fi and plan.  Some went to Franklin, we opted to try Smoke Hole Canyon.

The drive was closer to 45minutes and we backtracked a couple of times to find the parking spaces (just big enough for 4 maybe 5 cars).  The rakkup app and directions were great and much better than mountainproject.  The guide for the area costs $3.99 on rakkup.  We found the 5.8 routes easily from the pictures and descriptions.  We chose/found 'Synergy' first.  I took my time but climbed it with needing to hangdog any bolts.  Definitely a new area with most holds still dirty with lots of loose dust, pebbles and some vegetation/spiderwebs.  Otherwise, the rock was solid limestone.  I set a top-rope on my draws and was lowered down.  The 5.8 slowed Josie down a slight bit but she still climbed it well and without a problem.  I then went back up on top-rope to clean and rappel.

We went back to the app and found our way to 'Pray the Gray Away' 40yds away, another 5.8 but 55' tall instead of 40'.  Much of the same but more technical with balance and body position very much needed.  I hung on a few bolts after clipping, with the move around the bulge taking 4-5 attempts, one way had hands but no feet, the other feet but no hands.  Feet but no hands was victorious.  Thankfully the top had perma-draws and I just clipped and lowered.  Josie went next and struggled at similar points but still found her way to the top.  Safely lowered to the ground we packed up for the drive back.  Swimming hole to clean up and then pizza dinner on the Front Porch with a beer.

By the time we left Tuesday morning the burned area was everything 200 yards beneath the observation deck south to the gunsight and possibly the start of Old Man's route.  Most of the ledge above the Lower Slabs was also affected from what we could tell.

The mountain isn't going anywhere anytime soon.  We'll both be back again soon.