Once upon a time, somebody asked Don Shula, legendary head coach of the formerly legendary Miami Dolphins, what the difference was between his two star running backs, Larry Csonka and Lydell Mitchell. Possibly I've forgotten the exact quote, but Shula responded something like this, "if I tell Larry Csonka to run through a brick wall, he says, 'okay, coach, let's go,' and if I tell Lydell Mitchell to run through a brick wall, he walks to the wall, counts the bricks, walks back and says, 'okay, coach, let's go.'"
And while I like Csonka, I'm becoming ever more like Mitchell.
I now have serious doubts about the N.O.V. muscle-up project. I have significant shoulder pain, probably from all the pressing I do, and now instead of doing as many muscle-up progressions as I must, I only do as many as I can. I'm not conceding the project until midnight, December 1st, but I rather doubt it's going to happen in November.
On the good side, I'm becoming better acquainted with the rings and with shoulder pre-hab. I'm getting much better at ring push-ups and ring dips, and even if that's all that ever happens, it's a good thing.
Somehow, and without much work at all, I can do a pistol on both legs again. I missed that pistol, and I think this time I'll keep it oiled.
November brought one of my best conversations as a coach ever. Incredibly Determined and Mentally Tough Woman [IDMTW] and I were talking about the 1,000 meter relay row, and it ended something like this:
IDMTW: "what's a good time for a 1,000 for a woman?"
Me: "3:45"
Me: "3:44"
Me "3:43, I don't like even numbers."
IDMTW: incredibly determined smile
I bet she'll do a 3:47 in training and surprise both of us on race day.
And then I still have my Larry Csonka days. Maybe it's only because I know this particular brick wall so well, but I can always turn on the animal for a 500 meter row. I decided a few days ago that as part of my rowing clinic, I'd do a max effort 500 to make sure everybody there knew what rowing looks like.
After a great start I found myself rowing a 1:20/500. I knew very well that I had to back down somewhere south of 1:25, but it was fascinating to see 1:20 on the monitor, and I wanted to see how long I could sustain it. I was done at 300 meters, but limped in with a time of 1:26.9 for an average power output of 533.3 watts, tantalizingly close to a triple bodyweight in watts 500.
I'm sure now that if I force myself to row a 1:24-1:25, I can break 1:25.
The readers are aware, doubtless, that a triple bodyweight in watts 500 is both rarer and cooler than a muscle-up anyway, right?
If you don't believe me, ask me.
Of course the wattage is only one variable, and probably I should be more concerned about my floating bodyweight. November is cooler, and I've been spending more time in the kitchen. Normally I consider that slightly dangerous. Directly over the stove, one acclimates to the increasing smoke quickly and may fail to notice its increasing volume and take decisive action to prevent the smoke detector from going off. Actually playing 1 minute chess in the adjoining room, I notice the smoke sooner. But cooking is basically taking something that's edible, possibly adding a few more edible compounds, and applying heat, and sometimes it's more entertaining to see how various compounds react to heat than to play yet another 1 minute game.
I've been watching this stuff.
I'm pretty sure I know how to make an obscenely large yet cohesive paleo pancake, and if I can in fact do that I'll have to find three more watts for every new pound I gain.
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