Wednesday February 20, 2008 - Update from Crossfit Balad

From Sgt Ortiz and Captain Thorstenson:

Hello from Balad! Juan and I have decided to be your correspondents on location - bringing you our cross fit workouts and other news from Iraq. We thought you should know that Balad went through its own little mourning period after you guys left. Due to some unannounced Iraqi water canal repairs, the base was faced with a critical water shortage the day after you left. We were without showers for a week - then up to a "combat" 3 min shower every other day. Can you imagine M tent or K,L,N or P tent for that matter? They even closed the Green Bean (I was pretty sure that was only because you guys weren't there to buy shakes everyday and cheer up our favorite TCNs). To make things worse, some ship cut 2 major internet cables by dragging its anchor causing us to lose internet for about 2 weeks. Our period of mourning is over, we have forgotten all about you (just kidding) and things are finally back to normal.

While you are working out in your brand new cross fit gyms, breathing beautiful pure and clean mountain air, we are still here kicking it combat style. Here is our workout for today:

Cupid - all rounds tabata style for 1 min (4 min total) then 1 min jump rope/jumping jack squats (P90X)

• 1st round
  
• 15 wall balls
  
• 20 air squats
  
• Jump rope
  
• 2nd Round
  
• 15 dumbell squat cleans
  
• 20 locomotives
  
• Jumping Jack squats
  
• 3rd Round - repeat 1st round
  
• 4th Round - repeat 2nd round

For added intensity - put on angry music and have Juan tell you how tough the "Nasty Girls" are (in the midle of your reps)- maybe that just works for me. Then, for extra pain, I added:
(turn up angry music)

• 5 min bike warmup
  
• 5 min bike intervals - 95 rpm 'rest'/above 100rpm during song chorus
  
• 8 burpee pull-ups
  
• 1 min plank
  
• 20 regular pushups
  
• Repeat bike intervals
  
• 8 burpee pull-ups
  
• 1 min side plank
  
• 20 dive bomber pushups
  
• Bike intervals
  
• 8 burpee pull-ups
  
• 1 min other side plank
  
• 20 medicine ball diamond pushups
  
• Bike intervals
  
• 8 burpee pull-ups
  
• 30 sec one arm plank on medicine ball (15 sec each side)
  
• 10 one arm pushups (5 each side)
  
• 5 medicine ball plyo pushups
  
• Bike intervals
  
• 8 burpee pull-ups
  
• 90 sec plank
  
• 20 reg pushups
  
• Bike intervals
  
• Cool down 3 min

These bike intervals are no joke - you should be out of breath at 5 min point. Thats all for today - we'll try to keep you posted!