February Checkup

#BigBrnzChallenge check!! We just past the halfway point of the month and the challenge was to complete 1,000 single leg deadlifts (500 for each leg).  Have you entered the purgatory of hamstring destruction or are you still sitting on the couch? Don’t worry the pain isn’t that bad and building up that posterior chain is a good thing. Don’t save the 1,000 for the last week unless you don’t plan on walking for the first part of March. Knock off a few every day to bring that total down and make sure you use every moment you have. PRO TIP: February has 29 days this year…

Ok, update over… Now where have I been since the 31^st you ask? Well there’s been lots. First, my beloved 49ers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs through a combination of poor play calling and terrible officiating.  The wound is still very raw. There’s also been a combination of running challenges to keep me busy and all of the stuff below:

4^th Circle of Hell

Is reserved strictly for gyms that don’t provide CHALK! OMG, I thought I could make it through, but I couldn’t and I refuse (Oscar for best performance in a drama).  My hands were screaming after the 5 rounds of 3 Hang Cleans (@135lbs) every 2 minutes. I might have been able to go a little heavier, but with a WOD to follow and the issues I will lay out below, it was better to take it easy.  Why was the time right for a WOD? Because it was ‘Alcatraz’! 6 Rounds for time of 15 Goblet Squats (I did Air Squats), 15 Kettlebell Swings and 15 Push Ups. 16m00s later with a 40lb Kettlebell I was in a heap on the ground gasping for breath.  For those keeping track, the 5^th Circle of Hell is reserved for dusting Venetian blinds.

A Little Air Problem

So over the last little while I have been experiencing some wheezing (at random times) and some pretty brutal coughs after heavy workouts. Think Fran cough, but lasting for hours. For a while I thought I had a touch of pneumonia, but after it didn’t go away, well something needed to be done. So after consulting with my Doctor I got sent for tests. Breathing tests to determine if I have asthma (with and without a lung irritant). When that didn’t return any results, I had an echocardiogram. Here’s where the news gets less good. Less than 10 minutes into the test, we had to stop. Apparently my ‘borderline’ high blood pressure isn’t so borderline and they had to stop for my safety. I don’t have any directions from the Doctor on lowering it yet, but I have already started trying to naturally lower it.

So there’s nothing to be worried about… Just letting you know.

Beez