Deth

Last night I did not sleep well or nearly enough. I was up late watching the Eagles game. What a game that was too! I slept a little later than normal, but was still up before 5:00 AM.

I was drinking my coffee and feeling good. Tired, yes, but I felt good. I was thinking I wanted to head out into the home gym early this morning to give this week’s back squats a shot.

It was a little after 8:00 AM that I got changed and headed into the chilly garage to get working on my squats. I figured I’d see how it goes. Worst-case scenario, I retry later in the week. I know I am tired.

When I started warming up with the empty bar, I was not so sure how it would go. I felt like I wasn’t moving too well, and the bar was ice-cold. We have not turned the garage heater on yet. It did get better as I added weight. The empty bar can throw off my balance at times because it is so light compared to me.

By the time I was into the middle sets, the weight was feeling great, and I was really moving well. These sets are usually the ones that feel the best to me. The weight is heavy enough that I feel it, but not so heavy that it’s really that challenging.

This morning I did find myself taking my good old time between the sets. I think I did so because I was physically and mentally tired. That and I was enjoying myself a lot. Lifting has been bringing my inner peace back as I have gotten back into the heavier weights and more focused.

The final set today was a heavy five-plus rep AMRAP at 280 pounds. Five would tie a lifetime personal best for me. The first thing I realized was that the bar felt light when I unracked it. I felt centered too, which in itself is a miracle. The first squat felt fast and easy, along with the next couple. I did have to take an extra breath or two between reps, but the squats felt great. The final one I did felt just as fast, but not easy. Today I stopped at 5 reps with more in the tank, but it’s been since last March that I’ve done this weight for my 5 reps, and that was a lifetime PR. I tied it this morning.

I will say my hamstrings, glutes, and quads were really feeling it today. I could actually feel them firing, and even after I was finished, they still felt engorged with blood. Not too long after I was done, my legs felt like dead weight.

I relaxed for an hour or so, some of that outside in the sun. Quickly, I decided to get a simple WOD in while I was feeling relatively energetic. If I feel up to it later, I will do another with Molly, but I am not so sure about that today. I felt like I was rowing in slow motion, and I could still feel that my legs, particularly my quads, didn’t want to work too hard.

Music for today was Celestial Season.