Introducing Team "Tone 40"

Ok, so you are probably wondering "what does Tone 40 mean?" And no, it doesn't refer to a bunch of toned 40-something year olds, although that's fine if you want to think that. It' a specific term used in my religious philosophy. The definition that applies to our team name is:

"INTENTION WITHOUT RESERVATION."

Team Tone 40 members so far are Shannon (on the right) and myself. We are about to have our very first adventure race this upcoming weekend and we are psyched! Already we have had quite a few obstacles to overcome and we still have some more preparing, but our intention is solid and there's no turning back now. The race we are doing is the Tahoe Big Blue Sprint Adventure Race. We are driving up Friday, camping overnight (in 29-39 degrees), then racing on Saturday. We may even squeeze in a little gambling fun! For the race we are borrowing most everything....camping gear, bikes, coolers, etc. But are already thinking about sponsoship plans for future races. (Shannon is a great salesperson!) We just need to be able to perform!

Who knows how we will compare since it's our first, but we are going to go for broke. We've even planned on minimizing our transition times by not changing from running clothes to bike clothes or shoes. If anything the bike section will be our weakest leg. We only learned mountain biking this past weekend by going on an REI outdoor biking class up in the Santa Monica mountains. It turns out that uphill climbs use a different muscle group than uphill running and my legs burned bad. But that's okay, I'm up for a bit of torture. It's the mental "oh, am I going to crash?" thing that is a little harder to deal with.

Our instructor had us do some pretty crazy things like biking over logs, big rocks, and fly down the hill, so at least we have more confidence. It's just going to take some more practice that's all. For me, the correct body position on the bike felt completely natural, more natural even than a street bike or a unicycle (yes, I did that when I was kid). And boy was it fun! Shannon and I are totally addicted to mountain biking and can't wait to get our own bikes and hit the trails! We're even thinking ahead to 24-hour races. By the way, I've heard that mountain biking is an excellent way to meet guys ;-)

Saturday, we did a 10-mile run in the Tujunga mountains to test our endurance. This was probably the longest run either of us had done. The first 3 miles were straight up, then 2 miles slightly downhill, then the reverse of that. We took the camelbaks this time so we could get a feel for running with a load on our back. Ten miles was tough, but totally do-able. I've already realized a half-marathon is within reach. Afterwards my knees were like rubber and I had two huge blisters, but the recovery was not bad at all. Shannon learned that she MUST EAT beforehand and then again afterwards even if she isn't hungry. The body needs fuel and needs to replenish its stores. Thank goodness I've been reading about what athletes need before, during and after workouts. One can bonk pretty easy if you aren't properly fueled.

Aside from our training-packed weekend, we've been pretty consistent with CrossFit too. The past week's workouts were:

Monday, September 15, 2008
Four Rounds For Time Of:
-400m Run
-21 Kettlebell Snatch (R)
-21 Kettlebell Snatch (L)
-15 Burpees
Time was 27:57 using an 8k kettlebell

Friday, September 12, 2008
Michael
Three rounds for time of:
-Run 800 meters
-50 Back Extensions
-50 Sit-ups
Time was 21:17 (beat my last Michael of 21:59)

Thursday, September 11, 2008
“The Murph”
-1 Mile Run
-100 Pull-ups
-200 Push-ups (jumping)
-300 Squats
-1 Mile Run
Time was 59:58

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Deadlift 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
Upon completion or failure of the Deadlifts:
-1000m Row for PR Attempt
PR of 145
I didn't get my row time but my pace was :30 faster than ever before.

6.5 mile evening trail run

Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Something Like Daniel
For Completion:
-200m Run
-50 Pull-ups
-400m Run
-21 Squat Thrusters (2x 25lb dumbells)
-800m Run
-21 Squat Thrusters (2x 25lb dumbells)
-400m Run
-50 Pull-ups
-200m Run
Completed

Monday, September 8, 2008
Lightening Bolt Variation
-4 Rounds For Time Of:
-400m Sprint
-15 Hang Power Snatches (M-75lbs, W-45lbs)
-10 Push-ups
We did this a a 3-person team where the runner set the pace. The result was that each of us did a LOT more power snatches and push-ups than called for! My team of Shannon, Kellie and me completed in 28:00 using 25lbs.