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Back Soon….

Joe — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:54:32 +0000

I Haven’t forget…I am on the verge yo…

Crossfit Challenge Day 21

Joe — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:41:13 +0000

THE BEST WORK OUT YET!!!! Here is was:

Work out of the Day (WOD)
Warmups:
Shrug
Elbows High
Muscle Snatches
Power Snatches
Over Head Squats
Pressing Snatch Balance
Push Press
Snatch Land
Heaving Snatch Balance
Scotts Press
10 Air Squats
Stretching

WOD:
4 Rounds of:
25 Double Unders Jump Rope (or 100 Singles)
20 Wall Balls
15 Pull Ups

Final Results:
Time: 22:14

Like I said before, this was my best work out ever. I did the first three rounds of pull ups with the black/blue bands without stopping. I wasn’t even able to do 8 in one round about 2 months ago. I did the single jump ropes attempting only 2 dlb unders. But I was traight through though. Baby step sir, baby steps. The walls balls (squat throwing a medicine ball up against a wall) are still rough as hell but I for some reason not as bad today.

So what have I learned from this WOD today: Stretch the groin/hip mucsles, thrity minutes at a time, 2 times a day.

Next crossfit update: Wednesday July 22th, 2009

[via HRCF]

Crossfit Challenge Day 20

Joe — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:31:24 +0000

Well, I missed Friday’s update by about one hour but here it is. I didn’t have too much of a bad day. Here is was:

Work out of the Day (WOD)
Warmups:
300m Run
10 Squats
stretching

WOD:
Shoulder Press:2-2-2-2-2 reps
Push Press:5-5-5-5-5 reps
Push Jerk:3-3-3-3-3 reps

Final Results:
SP: 95lb-115lb-110lb-115lb-120lb(1)
PP: 115lb-115lb-120lb-115lb(4)-115lb-Extra Credit=(95lb(8))
PJ: 105lb-115lb-125lb(2)-130lb(2)-95lb(7)

I felt pretty good and it was my first time doing all three weight lifting types. I got really fatigued by the end of the push press and started losing form. So you can see at the end of Push Press and Push Jerk I logged 95lb. That was basically reviewing over form and technique. It’s hard to get out of my mind that its not about throwing weight around. Male mentality, damn you.

So what have I learned from this WOD today: Practice Technique, the weight will follow.

Next crossfit update: Monday July 20th, 2009

[via HRCF]

Crossfit Challenge Day 19

Joe — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:59:16 +0000

Yes, Nineteen. Remember that whole removing old posts things. Well, its been nineteen times I been to Crossfit and wow today was BRUTAL. Here is was:

Work out of the Day (WOD)
Warmups:
10 PVC thrusters
10 Over head PVC squats
10 pullups
10 PVC Cleans
stretching
WOD:
4 Rounds:
400 meter row machine
30 medicine ball cleans 16lbs
20 push ups

Time finished: 40:02 minutes

It didn’t sound so bad until I started. Oh momma my hips are feeling like they are jello, cherry flavor. I kick butt in rowing and was O.K. with the push ups. But those cleans are what got me in and wow was I last place today. I felt like the black rimmed glass nerdy fat kid in gym class that gets picked last in dodgeball. Wait, was I that guy??…(checking brain)…I…don’t think…so? By round 3, I got about 5 to 6 cleans in when I had to stop to breathe. That the problem with this, I can do all the WODs in problem, just my chest doesn’t cooperate. Chop this up to missing Mondays training and having to learn to breathe more effectively.

And yes, my wife beat me by 7 minutes. Damn her! My brother and sister-in-laws were there and I won’t even say what those freaks of nature did.

Next update: Friday, July 17, 2009

[via HRCF]

Looking Up in a Down RE-Profession…

Joe — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:07:47 +0000

So, I know this is a common thing I been saying lately but getting laid off has made for some interesting times in my profession. No new building happening, a horrible housing market, and no banks willing to lend basically let about +/- 50% of Denver, Coloradan’s architects and landscape architects know by getting the pink slip. As I worked on my resumes shortly after that, I started to look around for social networking places. You know, get my face out there and see who I can find. I tried linkedin, facebook, and myspace, which I liked but I felt I needed to ‘specialize’ more within my profession. I was googling late one night and found Land8Lounge.com. I browsed around and started smiling. This was exactly what I needed. Not only can you find you’re your own “facebook’ type of home page, but blogs, forums, discussions all within the landscape architecture profession. Check it out:

“Andrew Spiering and Kevin Gaughan created the site Land8Lounge as a means to provide an open forum for landscape architects to share their work and ideas. Spiering’s folio page includes a brief biography, a section on the various group he in which he is a member, his galleries and photo albums. All members’ pages have a similar layout and these pages include a roster of friends, similar to MySpace.”

There was a time there I was getting so frustrated and began to think I was going to have to find a new profession. But I am not in the same boat. Hundreds of my fellow LA’s are in the same situation and it was good reading up on the positive from them through articles and forums on that site, it got my creative juices flowing again. It made me realize I played with legos and have been drawing since the age of 4; design is in my bones. It made me realize that I got into LA not for the money, but for the passion. Though I do like keeping a roof over my head.

So my advice to other unemployed/panning out part timers wanting full time out there is to hold on to the passions, ride out the recession as much as you can, keep your options open, and have a good attitude; bad attitudes are infectious. I know that for fact. So keep your head up and expect great things to happen…[via Land8Lounge]

How to Love Life, Not Stuff…

Joe — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:05:54 +0000

As some of you know I am a gadget guy. I love buttons. The bigger they are, the more awesome that comes from it. So when I got laid off about 5 months ago, this gadget guy had to step up and declare “NO NEW GADGETS.” Not a happy time in my life along with, well no work too. But I have been managing through it. In fact I been enjoying my new freedom from gadgets. Then about 2.5 months ago I got myself a part time job along with my wife getting a part time nanny job; guess what, the gadget itch came back up again just recently. The devil on my shoulder: “You’ve got a little money now, you can get that one little thing, it wouldn’t hurt…” I listened and all of a sudden I have a new Guitar Hero World Tour box down stairs even though I haven’t finished Fallout 3, Wii Zelda, and Resident Evil 5. And recently I have been looking at a new IPOD. WHY WHY!!! I needed a reminder why I stopped in the first place. Then I found it on one of my favorite websites Zen Habits: Live life and not Stuff. The article was perfect in motivation. This line hit me:

“Realize that life, not stuff, is what matters. Objects are just objects — if you lose them, if they get stolen or destroyed…At the end of this short journey, you’ll look back and remember your experiences, the people you loved and who loved you back, the things you did and didn’t do. Not the stuff you had.”

But don’t they realize I am trying for 5 stars on “Stranglehold” from Ted Nugent. Damn that little Angel. Love you to death. So no ipod…for now. [via Zen Habits]