Training for Crown

Crown Tourney is exactly 13 weeks from today. That's 91 days to get ready. I hVe not been practicing or even working out as much as I'd like. I have only fought three times since last crown--100 Minutes, Birka, and one Nutley. I've been injured, tired, and turned 50. My schedule isn't quite as good as last semester for working out-I'm busy during spin and yoga classes at school. But I have a lot of flex time Wednesdays and Thursday afternoons. 

Exactly how much to train at 50--and how much I can reasonably expect to train--is a tough question. But I don't expect it to be that much different than I trained at 49, which was hard. I think that once you pass 45 or so you need to train more, not less. Yes, recovery is longer, there are lots of nagging injuries, and you are just a bit more tired that you used to be. On the other hand, you become brittle, and if you don't work out regularly I believe you will atrophy at a quicker rate. And, if you don't work out fairly hard you are wasting your time. The last two years I've been working in some Crossfit WODs to my workouts, but I've found that, at my current injury level (chronic bad back, occasional elbow tendinitis, knees and shoulders that make a lot of noise) I can't do a lot of the workouts. But I do find that it is better to mix things up than try to keep tot he exact workout routine over a weeks time (legs one day, arms another, etc). I'm not working out to build my body, I'm working out to increase strength, endurance, and flexibility, but most to prevent injury. 

I'm a firm believer in explosive training workouts: kettle bells, tabata training, snatch, clean & jerk. The big problem is speed work. I find it next to impossible to sprint. I can jog, which is painful enough, but after blowing both Achilles' tendons a couple years ago, plus my back and hips, that's about it. My usual distance is 5 k, and I'm pretty slow. 

What I really need is a dance class. 

I don't want to over do it. Push-ups every morning and either yoga or cardio on days when I don't fight, is probably enough. As I recall, some of the best shape I've every been in was when I was doing three spin classes a week and yoga most mornings. But I also love working out. I love lifting, dragging the sled, throwing boulders, farmers carries and calisthenics.  I love weird found objects workouts and obstacle runs. That stuff I like almost as much as fighting. 

WORKOUTS

I've done 50 push-ups every day this year. I also had two gym workouts this week. 

FIGHTING

None

TRAINING PLAN/GOALS

I want to be in armor 20 times, which is a lot in 13 weeks in NYC, but not impossible. 

Push-ups every day

25 gym workouts

130 total miles

Fight in Two Beau Gestes, Mudthaw, and at least one other event. 

This week my plan is:

Fight tomorrow

Gym workout Monday

Class on Thursday

Nutley Wednesday 

Run on Thursday

Rest Friday

Not sure Saturday--depends.