Relaxed Fit

090114 (Part I): 2009's First CrossFit Workout!

2009-01-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

0400 - wake-up, walk dogs (only 1/2 mile because of cold)

0450 - breakfast:
1-1/2c. Kashi Go-Lean Crunch with
1-1/2c. whole milk

0520 - Pre-workout:
3 T-Bomb II tabs
1 serving Trac Extreme NO

0600 workout:
Warm-up: 1 round of the CF warm-up, 10 reps:
3 rounds of 10-15 reps of
Samson Stretch (do the Samson Stretch once each round for 15-30 seconds)
Overhead Squat with broomstick
Sit-up
Back-extension
Pull-up
Dip

Workout:
For time:
67.5 pound Power clean 15 reps
30 Dips
67.5 pound Power clean 12 reps
24 Dips
67.5 pound Power clean 9 reps
18 Dips
67.5 pound Power clean 6 reps
12 Dips
67.5 pound Power clean 3 reps
6 Dips

Dips were done on parallettes with feet elevated on a 16 inch box.

Time to complete: 16:05.60

0715 Post-workout:
1 serving Dark Matter

Totals:
Calories - 820
Protein - 37.5g
Carbs - 133.5g
Fat - 16.5g

090113 Reset, Some Progress

2009-01-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

I've been worn out from working 3rd shift and being sick the last several days so today was the first day back in the gym since last Fri. I reset to Starting Strength Workout A and will continue from there.

Warm-up: 5 minutes elliptical cross-trainer
25 rep sit-ups with 10# plate on my chest

Workout:
Squat
2 sets 45 X 5
95 X 5
135 X 5
175 X 5
Planned 3 sets 225 X 5. Achieved: 3 sets 205 X 5 (I really wanted to get this number up today, but it wasn't going to happen - probably because of just getting over the stomach flu)

Standing Shoulder Press
45 X 8 (planned 5, but got in the zone and kept going)
65 X 5
85 X 5
95 X 2
Planned 3 sets 105 X 5. Achieved 2 sets 105 X 3, 105 X 4 (I don't know how I actually managed to get the last 4th rep as I tried for it on the previous two sets)

Deadlift
95 X 5
135 X 5
185 X 5
225 X 3
Planned 245 X 5. Achieved: 245 X 2

090109 - Running

2009-01-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today's workout was for cardio purposes:

5:00 minute warm-up jogging at 4.5 mph
35 minute Time Trial - distance 3.69 miles
5:00 minute cool-down

Really need to work on my endurance and speed.

090107 - Starting Strength Workoout B

2009-01-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

Warm-up: 5 minutes on Elliptical cross-trainer

Workout
Squats:
2 sets: 45 X 5
95 X 5
135 X 5
175 X 4
3 sets 205 X 5

Bench Press:
45 X 5
75 X 5
105 X 5
125 X 3
3 sets 145 X 5

Back Extensions: 5 sets of 10 reps on a Hammer Strength GHR

Pull-ups: 5 sets of max reps:
5/3/3/3/3

090105 Starting Strength Workout A

2009-01-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Warm-up:
Elliptical Cross-trainer 5 minutes
25 BW Sit-ups

Squat:
2 X 45 X 5
95 X 6
135 X 5
165 X 4
3 X 195 X 5

Press:
45 X 5
65 X 5
75 X 5
95 X 5
2 X 95 X 4 (These last two sets I just could not squeeze out the fifth and final rep)

Deadlift:
95 X 5
135 X 5
185 X 3
225 X 5

Soviet Boomer to be Scrapped

2009-01-04T02:09:00.000-08:00

In the news today:

A former Soviet cruise missile submarine that was once featured in a Hollywood film and sank in the Providence River during a storm nearly two years ago will be converted to scrap metal if no one agrees to buy it, the president of the foundation that owns it has said. The 282-foot submarine, known as Juliett 484, began serving as a floating educational museum in 2002, until it went down during a powerful nor'easter in April 2007. Army and Navy dive crews raised the sub in a training exercise in July, and inspections showed that the vessel had deteriorated and corroded during its 15 months underwater.

Restoring it to an operational museum would have cost more than $1 million, said Frank Lennon, director of the Russian Sub Museum and president of the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, a private, nonprofit group.

A local company, Rhode Island Metals Recycling LLC, has agreed to move the sub downriver and eventually dismantle it for scrap metal if no one offers to buy it intact by the end of this month.

"We remain hopeful that someone will step forward who might be interested in taking over the stewardship of this very interesting Cold War relic," Lennon said.

The sub, alternatively designated as K-77, was launched in 1965 as part of the Soviet Northern Fleet. The Juliett class was initially planned as a nuclear missile platform for strikes against the United States and later tracked U.S. aircraft carriers.

The sub was used in the 1990s as a restaurant and vodka bar in Helsinki, Finland, and as a set for the 2002 Harrison Ford movie K-19: The Widowmaker before being acquired by the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation.

It opened as a museum in Providence in 2002 and drew tens of thousands of tourists over the years.

Lennon said the museum would remove artifacts such as periscopes, torpedo tube doors, missile firing stations and other items before the sub is dismantled.

He said he had received inquiries about the sub, including one from an Australian group that wanted to sink it and use it as a reef, but no serious offers.

How cool would it be to go to a ballistic submarine reconfigured to be a vodka bar?

The Military Polled About 2008 Elections

2009-01-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Poll results published in the 5 January 2009 Military Times newspapers:

Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama's calls to withdraw combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months?
34% Approve
49% Disapprove
17% No opinion

Do you support plans by some senior military leaders to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by more than 20,000?
79% Yes
10% No
12% No opinion

How likely is the US to succeed in Afghanistan?
68% Very Likely or Somewhat Likely
20% Not very likely or not at all likely
No opinion: 8%
No answer 4%

As President, Barack Obama will have my best interest at heart.
36% Agree
43% Disagree
21% No opinion

*and the kicker*
President George W. Bush has my best interest at heart.
49% Agree
39% Disagree
12% No opinion

Also of note: 58% of respondents do not support Obama's call to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell while only 29% actually support him in this. (Significantly 71% state if the policy was overturned, they would continue to serve while only 9% would not even consider re-enlisting.)

Looks like the Military is going to be a tough audience for Barack to win over.

The online version of the Story:

When asked how they feel about President-elect Barack Obama as commander in chief, six out of 10 active-duty service members say they are uncertain or pessimistic, according to a Military Times survey.

In follow-up interviews, respondents expressed concerns about Obama’s lack of military service and experience leading men and women in uniform.

“Being that the Marine Corps can be sent anywhere in the world with the snap of his fingers, nobody has confidence in this guy as commander in chief,” said one lance corporal who asked not to be identified.

For eight years, members of the U.S. military have served under a Republican commander in chief who reflected their generally conservative views and led them to war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Now, the troops face change not only at the very top of the chain of command, as Obama nears his Jan. 20 inauguration, but perhaps in mission, policy and values.

Underlying much of the uncertainty is Obama’s stated 16-month timetable for pulling combat troops out of Iraq, as well as his calls to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to allow gays to serve openly in the military, according to survey responses and interviews.

“How are you going to safely pull combat troops out of Iraq?” said Air Force 1st Lt. Rachel Kleinpeter, an intelligence officer with the 100th Operations Support Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, England. “And if you’re pulling out combat troops, who are you leaving to help support what’s left? What happens if Iraq falls back into chaos? Are we going to be there in five years doing the same thing over again?”

When asked who has their best interests at heart — Obama or President George W. Bush — a higher percentage of respondents picked Bush, though Bush has lost ground over time. About half of the respondents said Bush has their best interests at heart this year, the same percentage as last year but a decline from 69 percent in 2004.

Nearly one-third of respondents — including eight out of 10 black service members — said they are optimistic about their incoming boss.

Even some service members who voted against Obama — only 1 in 4 supported him over Sen. John McCain in a pre-election survey of Military Times subscribers —now express goodwill toward him as their new commander in chief.

“Overall, the prospect of having someone who isn’t necessarily tied to old strategies is a good thing,” said Air Force Master Sgt. David Ortegon, who said he voted for McCain. “Sometimes you need a fresh perspective to be able to handle our military readiness and the needs of the nation.”

The findings are part of the sixth annual Military Times survey of subscribers to Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times newspapers. This year’s survey, conducted Dec. 1 through Dec. 8, included more than 1,900 active-duty respondents.

The responses are not representative of the opinions of the military as a whole. The survey group overall under-represents minorities, women and junior enlisted service members, and over-represents soldiers.

But as a snapshot of the professional corps, the responses highlight the challenges Obama faces as he prepares to take command of military careerists with different political and cultural attitudes.

In keeping with previous surveys, nearly half of the respondents described their political views as conservative or very conservative. Slightly more than half said they consider themselves Republicans, 22 percent independents and 13 percent Democrats.

Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University who has written extensively about civil-military relations, said a degree of uncertainty among service members toward Obama is appropriate, given their questions about how he will govern as commander in chief.

“Those numbers don’t convince me he has got a big problem on his hands because what he is seeing is not military hostility, but rather military caution, and caution that is reasonable because he has never been in the position of this office,” Feaver said. “It’s sensible and understandable that they have doubts about him.

“They respect the office of the commander in chief,” Feaver said. “As long as he wields that office responsibly, then these numbers need not morph into a problem.”

David Segal, a military sociologist at the University of Maryland, said respondents’ optimism toward Obama can be partially attributed to confidence in his military advisers, including Richard Danzig, former secretary of the Navy, and retired Gen. James Jones Jr., former commandant of the Marine Corps and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

On Dec. 1, the day the survey was released, Obama announced his national security team, including Jones as national security adviser and Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration, as defense secretary.

“There is an understanding that the president doesn’t do all his own paperwork,” Segal said. “The quality of any president is going to depend on the quality of the people he has around him.”

When to leave Iraq
While nearly half of the respondents said they disapprove of Obama’s proposal to withdraw combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months of taking office, a slightly higher percentage said they support the Status of Forces Agreement calling for U.S. forces to leave the country by the end of 2011.

Army Spc. Robbie Blackford, an infantryman with C Troop, 1-71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, who returned from a 14-month tour in Iraq in late October, said Obama should gradually reduce the number of U.S. service members in Iraq.

“In my mind, things were changing to the point where we could get out of there and the Iraqis could take over their own country,” Blackford said. “I think that he should just pull out a little at a time.”

Although realistic about the challenges ahead, troops overwhelmingly support the mission in Afghanistan.

Eight out of 10 respondents said the U.S. should have gone to war in Afghanistan. Nearly the same amount support plans to boost the number of troops there by more than 20,000, for a total of more than 50,000.

“We just don’t have enough manpower to be out there doing what we need to do, winning the hearts and minds and so forth,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jay Brewer, a meteorological and oceanographic officer with Marine Forces Pacific who has twice deployed to Iraq. “In Iraq, when we increased the number of troops, we were able to increase our presence full-time in certain areas.”

While the majority of respondents expressed some degree of optimism the U.S. will succeed in Afghanistan, 30 percent said troops will need to stay for more than a decade to achieve its goals.

The survey results also suggest that despite the military’s efforts to address mental-health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, stigma associated with the conditions lingers.

About 15 percent of active-duty respondents said they are suffering from or have suffered from PTSD, TBI or other mental health issues.

Most of those respondents said they sought help with the treatment. But four out of 10 said they believed seeking care for such disabilities would negatively affect their career.

Navy Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class William Rioseco, an instructor at Center for Security Forces, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, said mandatory post-deployment screening across all services would help to reduce stigma associated with mental health disorders.

“Like PT, it should be mandatory. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in action, or you’re doing support,” he said. “If you’re in a combat zone, you’re subject for mandatory psychoanalysis because people can get affected by different things.”

090103 - First workout of the New Year.

2009-01-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

1. Warm-up: 1/4 mile run
3 rounds:
5 X 35# Dumbbell Press (sub. for handstand push-ups)
10 X Push-ups
15 X Squats

2. WOD:
with a 95lb bar, as many rounds as possible in 20 min
5 Thruster
7 Hang Power Clean
10 Sumo Dead lift High Pull

I scaled the workout to 75# and completed 3 rounds in 15 minutes

This workout/warm-up came from the CrossFit Workout of the Day on NavySEALS.com.

Tues 081125: Max Reps

2008-11-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Todays workout was exceptionally hard for me. I just finihed a rotation of 6 days of graveyard shift, and hadn't slept during the day. I had been awake for over 25 hours when we started (except a 45 minute nap). So here's the workout:

1. Warm-up: 3 minute row - 795 meters.

2. workout: 3 rounds for max reps, no time limit:
154# Back Squat: 17, 9, 5,
121# Bench press: 9, 6, 6
Pull-ups: 7, 6, 4

3. Tabata Row: 20 sec hard, 10 sec rest. AVG 93 meters.

Returning...

2008-11-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

I had personal issues with work schedules, my wife's health, and other issues that took up all of my time. I am ready to start maintaining this blog again and will be making entries later today.

This doesn't happen in America...maybe in Ohio, but not in America

2008-11-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

Homer Votes for Obama

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2008-10-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Don't know if it is new or not, but the first poster to be released for X-Men Origins: Wolverine is out:

And a movie pic:

Hugh Jackman looks RIPPED! This movie is so going to kick ass.

In related news, Robert Downey Jr. has signed on to play Tony Stark in the Iron Man sequel and the Avengers movie which brings together the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Can't wait to see how they do Asgard.

Thurs 081030: 2nd Favorite CrossFit workout Ever

2008-10-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight's workout was awesome - I pushed myself to the point of a little puke and it was only 20 minutes of work

1 round of the CFWU

WOD:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
3 cargo net climbs
9 24" box jumps
12 squats

I got 5 rounds. Pictures to follow.

Happy Birthday Dr. Mason

2008-10-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Max Mason, mathematical physicist, born 10/26/1877. Combined three of my favorite subjects - mathematics, submarines, and electricity to devise what has come to be known as passive sonar during WWI.

During World War I he invented several devices for submarine detection - several generations of the Navy's "M," or multiple-tube, passive submarine sensors. This apparatus focused sound to ascertain its source. To determine the direction from which the sound came, the operator needed only to seek the maximum output on his earphones by turning a dial. The final device had a range of 3 miles. Mason's special interest and contributions lay in mathematics (differential equations, calculus of variations), physics (electromagnetic theory), invention (acoustical compensators, submarine-detection devices), and the administration of universities and foundations.

Sat: 081025: Metcon to the Hilt

2008-10-25T14:26:00.001-07:00

Sumo Deadlift High Pull

WOD:
As rounds in 20 minutes as possible:
5 Thrusters
7 Hang Power Cleans
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls

I completed 5 rounds and it kicked my ass.

Battle of Leyte Gulf

2008-10-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

Allied Forces at Leyte
October 25, 1944 is recognized as the beginning of the largest Naval engagment in history - the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The thrust from the American Adm. Halsey was to split the Japanese homeland from the islands they had occupied previously in the War. 1500 Americans gave their lives, as well as the loss of a light aircraft carrier, 2 escort destroyers, and 3 destroyers lost. Japanese casualties were far worse: 10,000 dead, 4 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 8 cruisers, and 12 destroyers.

This also marks a turning point for Japan in the War in the Pacific - this is the first use of the feared Kamikaze pilots.

What is lesser known however, is the lead in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the action that occurred on October 23 and 24 involving the American submarines USS Darter (SS 227) and USS Dace (SS 247), both Gato class.

Early on the 23rd. of October, the first contact was made with the Japanese ships, Kurita's Central Force was sighted by US Submarines Darter and Dace in the Palawan Passage. They fired a spread of torpedoes, Admiral Kurita's flagship, the heavy cruiser Atago was torpedoed and sunk, Maya also sank, whilst Takao being severely damaged was escorted away by two destroyers to Brunei, and took no further part in the proceedings. Unfortunately Darter ran aground on a shoal, had to be abandoned, and was stripped clean of anything that may be valuable to the enemy.

The Darters crew was all rescued and carried on.

Thurs 081023: Front squat

2008-10-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

1 round CrossFit Warmup

Max distance 1:30 minute row: 469m

Workout of the Day:
Front Squat, 125.5 lbs: 5-5-5-5-5

25th Anniversary

2008-10-23T01:48:00.001-07:00

23 OCT marks the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut. Memorials will be held today at Camp Lejeune to remember the 220 Marines and 21 other service members murdered by a truck bomb. This was the single greatest loss of Marines suffered since the battle of Iwo Jima. 109 children were left without fathers.

CNO Bullish on subs

2008-10-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

MCLEAN, Va. —Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, jokes that his fellow surface warfare officers believe he’s gone to the “dark side,” but he’s proud of it.

“I love submarines,” he said Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Naval Submarine League.

Roughead said in a former job as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, he considered the undersea force his “killer arrow in the quiver,” and not a Cold War leftover as some perceived.

“As a commander in the Pacific you rely on submarines more than anything else,” he said. “There’s nothing that represents the ultimate in stealth like a U.S. Navy submarine.”

Submarines are used extensively these days for intelligence gathering and surveillance and now as CNO, Roughead said he has heard more debriefs from submarine commanders home from patrol than from returning — and higher-ranking — strike group commanders.

Calling American submariners the “most professional and competent force we have,” he said the community nonetheless faces a growing fleet of undersea competition with 40 nations operating 350 subs with a projected 280 more on the way.

“They are not bush league submarines,” he said, noting that not all are allies. “These are pretty capable boats we’ll have to deal with.”

Roughead also said the Navy needs to “move aggressively” toward fielding unmanned underwater vehicles, as well as unmanned aircraft.

The theme of this year’s two-day event is the operational debut of the four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines converted to carry a high load of conventional ordnance and to conduct larger force special operations missions. The SSGNs Ohio and Florida are currently on deployment, Michigan will deploy in the coming weeks and Georgia deploys in 2009.
- (Navy Times)

A crack in the facade

2008-10-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Terrence Mahon, coach to Ryan Hall (American 1/2 marathon record holder and Olympic marathoner), was quoted in an article appearing in the November 2008 issue of Running Times discussing how it is possible to continuously set new world records for running:

"Heart rate training, lactate training, alactate training, and even strength training and movement skills have made a huge improvement from the past. Our top level runners are more all-around athletes than others in the past."

Sounds like elite runners are moving their training more towards CrossFit style training and seeing improvements through the process. I found this break from the more traditional strength training is bad mentality to be refreshing.

Of course this was a small quote in a larger article and most runners will miss the significance to their own training.

Mon 081020: Run, run, run

2008-10-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today's workout was taken from the CFE site.

Cover as much distance as possible in a 40 minute run. I got 4.40 miles. Whether I could have done more or not is debatable - I have done more, but I was just coming off of a cold (not an excuse, I know). I developed a couple of side stitches that required me to slow down before speeding back up a couple of minutes later.

Tues 081014 - Command PT

2008-10-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Another command PT day.

5 min Stretching.
10 arm cirlces both forward and aft (the most useless exercise ever)
5/5/5 diamond pushups/regular pushups/wide pushups
15/15/15 crunches center/left/right
2 mile run.

I discovered today I have no "Easy button." I am coming down with a cold - runny nose, stuffy head, sore throat, etc. Yet when I am running, if there is others running around me, then it is a race. I finished the 2 mile run 3rd at the age of 33 and sick, beating many 20 and 21 yos.

I was definitely crawling out proud after that effort.

Mon 081013 - 3 rep max deadlifts

2008-10-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

1. CrossFit Warm-up: 2 rounds

2. WOD:
Deadlift: 3-3-3-3-3 @ 211

3. Rowing:
3 min. Max effort: 834m.

Happy Birthday 233rd USN!

2008-10-13T05:06:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 13, 1775, meeting in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress voted to fit out two sailing vessels, armed with ten carriage guns, as well as swivel guns, and manned by crews of eighty, and to send them out on a cruise of three months to intercept transports carrying munitions and stores to the British army in America. This was the original legislation out of which the Continental Navy grew and as such constitutes the birth certificate of the navy.
To understand the momentous significance of the decision to send two armed vessels to sea under the authority of the Continental Congress, we need to review the strategic situation in which it was made and to consider the political struggle that lay behind it.
Americans first took up arms in the spring of 1775 not to sever their relationship with the king, but to defend their rights within the British Empire. By the autumn of 1775, the British North American colonies from Maine to Georgia were in open rebellion. Royal governments had been thrust out of many colonial capitals and revolutionary governments put in their places. The Continental Congress had assumed some of the responsibilities of a central government for the colonies, created a Continental Army, issued paper money for the support of the troops, and formed a committee to negotiate with foreign countries. Continental forces captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain and launched an invasion of Canada.
In October 1775 the British held superiority at sea, from which they threatened to stop up the colonies' trade and to wreak destruction on seaside settlements. In response a few of the states had commissioned small fleets of their own for defense of local waters. Congress had not yet authorized privateering. Some in Congress worried about pushing the armed struggle too far, hoping that reconciliation with the mother country was still possible.
Yet, a small coterie of men in Congress had been advocating a Continental Navy from the outset of armed hostilities. Foremost among these men was John Adams, of Massachusetts. For months, he and a few others had been agitating in Congress for the establishment of an American fleet. They argued that a fleet would defend the seacoast towns, protect vital trade, retaliate against British raiders, and make it possible to seek out among neutral nations of the world the arms and stores that would make resistance possible.
Still, the establishment of a navy seemed too bold a move for some of the timid men in Congress. Some southerners agreed that a fleet would protect and secure the trade of New England but denied that it would that of the southern colonies. Most of the delegates did not consider the break with England as final and feared that a navy implied sovereignty and independence. Others thought a navy a hasty and foolish challenge to the mightiest fleet the world had seen. The most the pro-navy men could do was to get Congress to urge each colony to fit out armed vessels for the protection of their coasts and harbors.
Then, on 3 October, Rhode Island's delegates laid before Congress a bold resolution for the building and equipping of an American fleet, as soon as possible. When the motion came to the floor for debate, Samuel Chase, of Maryland, attacked it, saying it was "the maddest Idea in the World to think of building an American Fleet." Even pro-navy members found the proposal too vague. It lacked specifics and no one could tell how much it would cost.
If Congress was yet unwilling to embrace the idea of establishing a navy as a permanent measure, it could be tempted by short-term opportunities. Fortuitously, on 5 October, Congress received intelligence of two English brigs, unarmed and without convoy, laden with munitions, leaving England bound for Quebec. Congress immediately appointed a committee to consider how to take advantage of this opportunity. Its members were all New Englanders and all ardent supporters of a navy. They recommended first that the governments of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut be asked to dispatch armed vessels to lay in wait to intercept the munitions ships; next they outlined a plan for the equipping by Congress of two armed vessels to cruise to the eastward to intercept any ships bearing supplies to the British army. Congress let this plan lie on the table until 13 October, when another fortuitous event occurred in favor of the naval movement. A letter from General Washington was read in Congress in which he reported that he had taken under his command, at Continental expense, three schooners to cruise off Massachusetts to intercept enemy supply ships. The commander in chief had preempted members of Congress reluctant to take the first step of fitting out warships under Continental authority. Since they already had armed vessels cruising in their name, it was not such a big step to approve two more. The committee's proposal, now appearing eminently reasonable to the reluctant members, was adopted.
The Continental Navy grew into an important force. Within a few days, Congress established a Naval Committee charged with equipping a fleet. This committee directed the purchasing, outfitting, manning, and operations of the first ships of the new navy, drafted subsequent naval legislation, and prepared rules and regulations to govern the Continental Navy's conduct and internal administration.
Over the course of the War of Independence, the Continental Navy sent to sea more than fifty armed vessels of various types. The navy's squadrons and cruisers seized enemy supplies and carried correspondence and diplomats to Europe, returning with needed munitions. They took nearly 200 British vessels as prizes, some off the British Isles themselves, contributing to the demoralization of the enemy and forcing the British to divert warships to protect convoys and trade routes. In addition, the navy provoked diplomatic crises that helped bring France into the war against Great Britain. The Continental Navy began the proud tradition carried on today by our United States Navy, and whose birthday we celebrate each year in October.

The first ship of the new Continental Navy was named Alfred in honor of Alfred the Great, the king of Wessex who is credited with building the first English naval force.

"Diane" (scaled) - 081011

2008-10-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

Following work at the Heroes at Home for Chris Strickland, I hit the gym at SECT CrossFit with Phil and Randy for a run at "Diane." Randy scaled it with recommendations that both Phil and I concentrate on form for the Deadlift.

"Diane"
For time: 21, 15, 9 reps of
133# deadlift
25# DB shoulder press

My Time: 7:54.32

Giving Back To Chris Strickland, Who Sacrificed So Much For Us

2008-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Volunteers transform Waterford home of wounded Iraq War vet

Waterford- Christopher Strickland no longer has to worry about slipping in the bathtub or tripping through his front door.

But more importantly, moving through his home with greater ease means that he will be able to spend more time helping his wife take care of their young son.

Volunteers from Rebuilding Together Litchfield County and the Naval Submarine Base in Groton have been at Strickland's home since Thursday, rebuilding the porch, making the bathroom handicapped accessible and renovating the basement.

While serving in the Army, Strickland was severely injured when a roadside bomb detonated underneath the Humvee he was driving in Ramadi, Iraq, in July 2006.

He was treated at Walter Reed Hospital for a shattered heel and ankles, two breaks in his right leg, eight compound fractures in his right arm, an open blast wound to his right arm, a skull fracture, a wire through his right eye, burns and shrapnel wounds.

Strickland, now 22, lives on Tenth Avenue with his wife, Amanda, and their son, Bradley, who will celebrate his first birthday next month.

”It's amazing that everyone is taking the time out of their day to do all this,” Strickland said Friday, when he stopped briefly at the house during his lunch break from NAPA Auto Parts in Mystic.

He walked into the living room, where he met Capt. Mark S. Ginda, commanding officer of the base.

”Thank you for what you've done,” Ginda said to Strickland as they shook hands. “It's really inspiring.”

Armed with power tools, Ginda headed to the basement to help.

Strickland heard about Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit that rehabilitates houses for low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities, through another group that helps severely injured service members, the Wounded Warrior Project.

He contacted the national office and volunteers were at his house within a week, taking pictures and planning for the renovation. Six people from the Litchfield County affiliate worked at the house this week, as part of the nationwide “Heroes at Home” program that Rebuilding Together has started with the support of Sears and Kmart.

More than 80 officers and sailors from the base have helped, along with a local landscaper, Lee Goss, of A.L.P.S. LLC, who heard about the project and offered to work on the yard.

The volunteers rebuilt the porch, adding wide landings and leveling the ledge between the porch and front door, so Strickland will not trip when walking inside.

They redid the bathroom, installing a new toilet, shower and sink that are easier for Strickland to use.

And they cleared out the basement, painting the walls and installing new carpeting, so Strickland will have a place to do his physical therapy exercises.

”We've made it more Chris-friendly,” said Ceia Webb, director of Rebuilding Together Litchfield County.

The volunteers, state and local officials, reporters and Strickland's family and friends are meeting at the house at 10 a.m. today for the unveiling.

Strickland, still slightly surprised that so many people want to help him, simply said that the renovated house is “awesome.”

-The Day

I was honored to be among the sailors from USS Missouri to come out and help Chris Strickland and his family. Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, his sacrifice for his country, as well as that of his family is truly honorable and noble. I would like to extend my own well wishes to the Strickland family in all of their future endeavors as well as to thank them for all that they have already done.

Command PT - 081006

2008-10-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

No CrossFit WOD today - rather had Command PT at 10:30. It looked like:

25 4-Count jumping jacks
5 minutes of stretching
5 4-count diamond pushups
5 4-count pushups
5 4-count wide pushups
15 4-count crunches
15 4-count cross crunches
10 pushups
2 mile run

5 minutes stretch
10 4-count jumping jacks

Of course thanks to CrossFit, I looked at the guys laying on the ground breathing heavily after this and said "So now that everyone is warmed-up, lets start the workout."

Marked for Spam

2008-10-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry...blogger had this blog marked as a spam blog for about a week therefore new entries weren't permitted. Obviously, this blog isn't spam - rather it is a workout log and whatever else I think is important to note here.

Sun 081005 - Starting Strength workout

2008-10-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Worked in a little heavy Starting Strength work today at the gym on base.

1. WU: Elliptical-Crosstrainer 5 minutes
Sit-ups X 20

2. Back Squat:
(45X5) X2
65X5
95X3
135X2
155X5
(165X5) X3

3. Standing Shoulder Press:
(45X5) X2
55X5
65X3
75X2
(95X5) X2; 95X4 (Couldn't get the fifth rep up)

4. Deadlift:
(135X5) X2
185X5
205X3
215X2
225X5

Good day overall. Really enjoyed lifting heavy iron.

Sat 081004 - "Lynne"

2008-10-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

1. CFWU: 2 rounds (minus pullups)
jump rope

2. WOD: 5 rounds for max reps. There is NO time component to this WOD.
Bodyweight Bench Press (only used 133#) 15/8/6/6/5
Pullups 12/10/8/6/5

This workout kicks ass. My shoulder have been sore for a while now, but today made them feel better even though I laid it all out. Even though there was no time component, We ran the stop watch out at SECT CrossFit to make sure we weren't taking like 5 minute rest periods.

Weds. 081001 - Heavy Strength work

2008-10-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

1. CFWU: 1 round

2. WOD: 3 rounds for max reps on:
133# Back Squat 19/12/16
87# Shoulder Press 4/6/7
155# Deadlift 16/12/11

This was an interesting workout because of the unique way high weight and high reps disrupt the normal workout energy pathways. Heavy weight/low reps or light weight/high reps each have their own unique place in workouts, but max reps with heavy weight is also an endeavor worthy of visiting.