Cardio&Strength - W3D2

 Hades: 00:48:23 

I'm back in the game (yes, again and again and again...). I did well in resting last week and not over doing it; my hand pain is completely gone now and my knee feels much better. So, I picked up where I left off; doing Hades. Next training is supposed to be Hyperion... One step at the time I tell myself.

I'm still far far away from my Hades PB (33+ mins), but I'm doing the exercises better now. I think that PB shouldn't really count because I was doing the modified Pull Ups "wrong" (actually the best I could, with my 0 strength at the time). I'm proud because I'm taking my time to perform the exercise correctly and not rushing to beat my PB, and that's important. I see a clear improvement in my Pull Up technique. Where before I couldn't do a singe repetition lowering my body in a truly controlled manner, now I can do 5 excellent, 5 good and the next 5 so-so... I'm not there yet, but I'm getting closer.

Even if the realization of that progress makes me happy, I had mentally a hard time during Hades. I don't know what's going on with my head, but I'm super weak, much weaker than other times. I've been thinking about quitting, about doing less workouts per week, about just doing some type of workouts and not all the coach says... I tell myself I don't really need to train this hard, that I'll start with soccer again next week and that two matches per week is enough exercise in my life...

Doing Freeletics requires a lot of commitment and dedication. It gets hard with a full time job. It gets really hard when you have to train at 10 or 11 PM, outside, in the cold and dark night, because you need a freakin' Pull Up bar and 40 meters, or 400 meters, or 2 km... It gets impossibly hard when you have to hide your training from a loved one.

I started this for myself. I want to finish it for myself. My original idea was to get fitter, yes, but now I see that, even more important than getting fitter is that finishing the 15 weeks will mean I'll be mentally much stronger. 

I doubt myself these days, but I'll keep fighting my own head. Maybe I'll have to take baby steps... But I'll do my best to get there in time.

Cardio&Strength - W2D1

 Hades: 00:42:11 

Today was one of those times where the training is so messed-up that I can't help to wonder "why the f**k am I doing this?!" This is not the first time I do Hades, but it turned out to be harder than the previous ones.

As I was doing burpee after burpee, just to move on to the pull-ups, which I cannot even do properly, I could only think of how much wanted to quit. It was super late, I was tired from work, I was hungry, I didn't want to do another burpee, I didn't want to try and do pull-ups the proper way... But I didn't quit. I kept doing the burpees, I kept trying to do each pull-up a little better than the previous, and I cannot explain why. Something kept me going. Something even more powerful than my own mind...

Cardio&Strength - W5D1

 Hades: 00:37:12 

Starting week #5, I realize I'm about to get to the "same" point as with the Free Guide... I was fearing I would get a "Hell Week" for week #5, but lucky me that didn't happen. In total I've been training (well, at the end of this week I will have trained) for 10 weeks. It sounds like quite a long time. There's been ups and downs, PBs beaten and struggles, a lot of sweat and almost tears... I feel I've come a long way from where I started (not even able to do a strict burpee... not even imagining myself doing a Pull Up etc.) and I'm very happy about that.

Yesterday I started at a new job. I will definitely miss being home and having tons of time to do whatever pleases me, whenever it pleases me. Of course that also means my training window has been dramatically reduced, I can't train at 1 AM anymore and, very important, I'm overall more tired. Today I got home late and exhausted. I had to do Hades again so I struggled quite a bit with finding the strength within me to train at 11 PM. I feel I have changed because, even with all that, I went out and trained, because WE REALLY NEVER QUIT, and that seems to have stuck with me for good. I did not beat my PB but today I don't care about that because for the first time I was able to do the modified Pull Ups the right way, i.e. getting down in a controlled manner, in (almost) every single repetition. It may have taken me almost 4 minutes more to finish the whole workout, but It's so worth it when I think that last week I was dropping down from the bar like a heavy potato while this week I'm lowering my body slowly!!! On top of that, I realized I'm getting quite good at the Push Ups; my struggles are a thing of the past, and so are the modified repetitions. I had no problem with doing all 15 repetitions the strict way!!!

So, there you have it. New job, new found strength, and soon new PB.
 Always remember: we are Free Athletes, and we NEVER quit.

Cardio&Strength - W4D1

 Hades: 00:37:55 

Starting week n° 4! It feels great to be moving yet another step closer to the 15 week goal. 

I woke up feeling a little bit sore and tired after yesterday's work out full of Pull Ups. Today I had to do Hades for the second time. As you may remember, this workout includes doing MORE Pull Ups. So you can imagine I wasn't thrilled by the thought of it. I absolutely dread doing Pull Ups. I suck so much at them that I even feel sorry for myself. It will take so much work for me to get decent at them... but that's the idea, right? To work your a*s off -specially at your weaknesses- to improve and be the best you can be. 

On the bright side, Hades also includes Push Ups and today I decided I was done being a baby and doing them girly style. I did all my Push Ups without any modified repetitions!!! (i.e. with my knees off the floor). I am super proud of this, and yes, I did not top my PB, and I went down almost 4 minutes, but finishing the Pull Ups series the proper way is so worth it! In no time I hope I'll be saying the same thing about the Pull Ups...

Cardio&Strength - W3D3

 Hades: 00:33:26 

Do not confuse Ares with Hades. They sound, look and are very much alike, but still are two different workouts. This is my first time doing Hades, which involves many burpees and my  always dreaded pull ups and push ups. Evidently I didn't do it with a star... I still struggle very VERY hard with every single "pull up", if I dare call them pull ups considering I do them girly style and not that great. I'm still not satisfied with the way I manage lower my body... lacking strength and control. I try to follow the instructions, but I have a really hard time going all the way down in a controlled manner. Also it takes me forever to finish a series and I felt the that tingly sensation in my left forearm again. I know practice makes perfect, but I can't help to hate having to do Pull Ups! 

Push Ups were another story. I still did them knees on the ground (since I wasn't aving a star anyways) but at least I could finish the whole 15 repetition set with no breaks, quite fast and lifting my body all the way. I feel confident I will soon be able to do them with my knees off the ground.

Today I felt I was particularly slow. I struggled with the burpees, when I shouldn't anymore. I think I'm a bit too tired. I've been sleeping too little and working out very late, 3 days in a row so that may be the thing. As a matter of fact, my eyes are closing as I write this so, let's just leave it at that for now...