and so it begins.... the stairs of death and no speaking

Took a drive down to Maroochydore last Friday morning to get some boots, waterproof jacket and some other bits and pieces.  Took a while to find some boots that I liked but I came home happy, a little bit poorer and still had some fun despite hanging out in outdoor shops all morning. I even secretly liked it a little.


On Friday I also received my 12 week training programme. Bugger. I have just had 4 weeks off training over Christmas and New Year. About the only exercise I have done lately are some bicep curls using beers or very heavy glasses of mojito's, wrestled a goat, grabbed a turtle on the head and surfed.  Surfing is OK when training for Kokoda, paddling is good strength training and you never know when you will need that strength to escape attacking leaches or some other tropical vermin and I seem to be attracting all types at the moment.


On Sunday I took a small walk, only about 2.6 kms, which included some pretty big hills and the stairs at Little Hastings Street, which I have renamed The Stairs of Death and No Speaking (because you really can't speak it's so bad). I think there are about 220 steps, all different heights and sizes and it's steep, really steep. Found it not too bad, time to up the challenge.


Monday I just surfed for a couple of hours and I have to say it was pretty damn awesome. I love my new surfboard, it rocks.


After some motivational issues and sleeping in a couple of times through the alarm until 7.30 (crikey) I finally made my grand (OK well it wasn't all that grand) entrance at Crossfit Noosa http://crossfitnoosa.com.au/ for the first time in 4 weeks, on Tuesday.  Good workout.  Crossfit Noosa will perhaps be the most important part of my Kokoda training strength and conditioning wise.  Danny  at Crossfit Noosa is a good bloke who knows heaps and he is on to it and pushing me, which I need.  Later in the day I tackled the stairs at Little Hastings Street again, this time 3 times with a pack in the pouring rain. Good lord. You know those marathon runners at the end of the marathon? I suspect I looked like that afterwards.


This morning, Wednesday, I had an early morning surf session then off to Crossfit a couple of hours later.  Only to find the workout was 5 reps of 5 front squats, and as many rounds of 10 deadlifts and 25 double under's as you can do in 10 minutes.  Legs? What legs? I actually can't feel them at all, pretty certain I don't even have any! I definitely needed them for this workout.  For those of you who do not know what a double under is its when you skip a rope two rotations under your feet in one jump. I know, it's really really extremely mean, but very good for you. I struggled through the workout, seemingly having no strength left in my thighs whatsoever, really struggling with the front squats and lifting 15 kg less than normal. If a pullup fell from heaven this morning I would have kissed it, my legs were so up to shit.  


Late this arvo I met a friend at the stairs, and we did them together. Me x 2, him 4 times. Strangely my first attempt was pretty easy, much easier than the first time I did it just a few days ago. After the second I decided to call it quits not wanting to overdo it considering my already feeling pretty stuffed state. Finished off with a swim and body surf at Noosa Main Beach in my undies, classy, but maybe not so shocking for those who know me fairly well. Interestingly but totally unrelated, I unintentionally grabbed two jellyfish today, once this morning and once tonight. After the turtle head grabbing incident a few weeks ago it's making me kind of worried about what I will come across in PNG.


So I am not going to post every workout as this is a pretty normal week for me, even the animal grabbing is becoming normal.  The stairs being the different thing so far.  Will try and update from here on in about once per week as I add new parts into my preparation and training. That's if my legs bother to actually walk me in to next week.........


Lessons learned this week:


1. Protein drinks are the bomb and help you wake up feeling like She-man.
2. Always always wear a bikini even when you are not planning on swimming.
3. I still feel like spewing after doing double under's.