Day 2 Paris

After 3 or 4 hours of sleep I was wide awake from midnight to 5am. At 5am I feel back asleep and would have slept through noon if it was for a call from the in laws. With the better part of the day gone we snapped into high gear and started day 2. Again the priorities were sites the kids wanted to see.
1. The Arc de Triomphe
2. Eiffel Tower

By this time the kids were wearing out and wanted to go back to the hotel or hungry for lunch. We put the kids and HC on a Batoboat back to the hotel. We would find out later that there was a detour to a famous chocolate/candy store.

Susie and I were excited to stroll about a little more freely. We decided to walk back to the hotel hitting as many parks as we could.

1. Champ de Mars
2. École Militaire
3. L'Hôtel national des Invalides
4. Esplanade des Invalides
5. The Pont Alexandre III arch bridge
6. Grand Palais
7. Marcel Proust park
8. Église de la Madeleine



















By this time it was late and we had promised to take the kids for a swim.
The gym was right next door so I popped in to hit a quick workout. I hit a old stand by dumbbell WOD. MONDAY 110214
Five rounds of:
5 Dumbbell deadlifts
5 Dumbbell hang cleans

5 Dumbbell push presses
5 Dumbbell squats
Increase the load each round. Rest as necessary between rounds. Josh Everett 50-70-90-90-100lbs.

I kind of messed this one up and forgot you couldn't put the weights down between movements and I couldn't change weights because of a limited selections I decided to hit 20kg for all rounds. Got it in around 8 minutes.

Dinner was at Pierre au Palais Royal. Roland and his girlfriend joined us.

Travel Day - Day 1 in Paris

Overnight flight to Paris for the long weekend. Travel had gone smoothly - easy drive to Logan, we all had seat assignments. Sadly I was not near Susie and the kids as the plane was full and we couldn't get seats together. Easy boarding, looked to be on time......then the pilot comes on "we are pulling back to the gate". That sound you may have heard was the jet bridge malfunctioning and it poked a hole in the plane". Massive groans..... Shockingly they were able to round up a new plane - clean it, fuel it, stock it re board us in 2 hours! Better a few hours late than a day late.

Usually I have no problem sleeping but I only managed 2 hours or so. Ended up taking a 30 minute nap while hanging out in my in laws room waiting for our room. It was great to see Mike and Helen Clay. Martha and Emma arrived a few hours after us.

Given everyone was operating on minimal sleep and the typical jet lag we kept it laid back.

1. Walk from hotel to Place de la Concorde
2. Musée d'Orsay
3. Bateau Mouche - short boat ride to next destination
4. Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris
5. Walked past the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville on the way to the subway back to hotel Excellent first day.

Weather went from overcast to sunny to rainy. Staying at the Hotel Costes. Quite the scene. Seems to be well liked by the celebrity and model crowd. Here is what the guide books say "The bar, restaurant, and hotel have in turn become a favorite among Paris fashionistas and entertainers. Most, though, come here to see and be seen The bar at Hotel Costes is a den of opulence, dedicated to detail, intimacy and the expectations of the frighteningly wealthy. Fun but not my kind of hotel.

Tonight I figured out that I won't be able to visit Crossfit France as it's way out in Villeparisis. About a 35 minute drive if I had a car. The other trouble is I can't pull up the website to confirm the class times as it needs flash which my iPad doesn't support. Hotel gym and run most likely.

Kettlebell Complex

I was happy to get this workout in before we set off for the long weekend. These wods were you pick a weight and have to hold it for 5 rounds are always a a good challenge. Pick to light a weight and it's too easy, too heavy and you can't complete it.

Warm-up 60 pushups 60 sit-ups Partition as needed Did them straight thru WOD KB Complex 5 Rounds 5 Swings 5 Cleans 5 Front Squats 5 Push Press The goal with this complex is to complete 5 rounds at the same weight. Once you begin a round you may not put the bells down until you complete all 4 exercises. You can take as much rest between sets as you need. 55lbs - last set was easier than first few as I got more efficient in my movement.

Weighed Pull Ups

Strength: Weighted Chin ups 5-5-5-5-5 (increasing)

My lats are sore from Fran so this is a little evil. Worked in with Power and he was making all the weights look easy.
25lbs (5)
30lbs (5)
35lbs (5)
50lbs (4 good 1 really sketchy)
55 lbs (3 - is all i could muster)


1.  Power Snatch, 1×2 reps at 75%   115lbs
2.  Power Clean and Jerk, 1×2 at 80%  165lbs
3.  Back Squat, 2×3 at 85%  265, and then 275lbs

Rest Day Travel Day

Flew to Chicago for a day trip - NO Workout.  I should check to see how many rest days are actually just travel days.

WOD #2 Fran-tastic 2

Fran - I'm not sure quite how this became the gold standard bench mark.  In fact I think too many people freak out over this WOD.   Even though I have been chipping away at Fran for years, what is burned in my mind is an epic fail on a PR attempt at Crossfit New England back in 2009.     See the footage here - Fran Disaster .  Not only are my pull ups ugly but I'm rolling around on the floor like I have been shot.

I was speaking with Kevin Daigle over the weekend on how he approached Fran as he crushed it last week - 2:38!   Kevin said he had asked Mel and she said just take the first round a bit easier and you will have a lot more juice at the end.   When I walked into the Craic house the energy was through the roof! I was picked to go in the first heat with Paul T.  I knew that Paul would  be faster on Thrusters but thought i might have a slight advantage in the pull ups.  John called 3,2,1 Go.   Paul finished the Thrusters about 2-3 reps ahead of me and then I passed him in the Pull ups.  Felt good.  You can see in the photo we finished in just over a minute.   The second round went well.  Was able to do the Thrusters unbroken as well as the Pull Ups.   When I started the last 9 I knew that I would have a good time.  We finished in a dead heat - 2:56!   A huge improvement over my previous PR.

WOD 1 - Strength

 Life's small pleasures - I got to drive my kids to school and we did our usual routine of listening to Science Minute and Stuff you missed in History class in Stitcher radio.    After drop off I stopped at the Craic house to hit the strength training session for the day. 

1. Squat Snatch 5 x 1




 - 95lbs (5) warm-up
- 115lbs (3) warm-up
- 135 (1)
- 145 (1)
- 145 (1)
- 155 (f)

- 155 (f)
- 155 (1)
- 95 (2)

2. Front Squat 5 x 1
- 95(10) Warm-Up
- 185 (5) Warm-up
- 205 (1)
- 225 (1)
- 235 (1)
- 255 (1)

I felt more comfortable in the movements.  The weights were not super heavy as i am trying to dial in my form.