Damn Tobata!

Who's Tobata? What's Tobata? Where's Tobata? When's Tobata? Why's Tobata? How's Tobata? Damn Tobata!

I came in significantly below my goal of 12 miles for the week, all because of a CrossFit workout known as Tobata. Named after an old Japanese fellow, Tobata is a fat burning workout that, as explained to me by the instructor, is as effective as 20 minutes of cardio. The theory is simple: 20 second intervals interrupted by 10 seconds of recovery. Sounds easy, right? Just 20 seconds of boom followed by 10 seconds of fizzle. Too easy.

Naturally, it wasn't that easy (or else this wouldn't be much of a story). The workout on Thursday was a Tobata format for 12 minutes. First came speed squats (no weight, squat with proper technique as fast as possible) followed by push press with a 45-pound bar and box jumps. I started off with something like 19 squats in 20 seconds then 20 and then 19 again before the pain began to build. I struggled to 18 in the fourth set (half done) and grunted out 16 on the final four. During the entire series I kept a watchful eye on Sarah, a black belt of CrossFit if there were such a thing, as she pounded through her reps. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have tried so hard and maybe I could have regained my ability to move at more than a waddle-like stroll by today. But, she was there and she absolutely killed the workout. Sadly, my brain is programmed, 1) Not to lose, and, 2) Not to lose to a girl.

As I mentioned in my previous CrossFit entry, this Sarah girl is a machine and has obviously worked incredibly hard to be as fit as she is. Hence, I don't really feel too bad that she pretty much trampled me and my unborn children en route to the end of the Tobata. After the 10-second layoff between squats and push press, I breezed through my first set for 13 reps. (Damn me and my stupid competitive persona!). Next came seven. Then came six. Then six again. And again. And then it took everything I had to put up six more. (Still two sets to go.) At this point, I was sucking wind, my hands were on my knees and it was noticeably tough to get the bar to my chest to begin the set. Who knew 45 pounds could weigh so much? I didn't even care about competing anymore. I simply wanted to finish the workout.

After the push press, I felt a familiar feeling building at the bottom of my stomach. During my sports career up until the 2006-07 track season, I had one workout-induced vomit experience. (That all changed during my last year of track when I seemed to let loose every other week...when I wasn't injured). Had I not been in piss-poor shape heading into this workout, I think I could have pushed myself enough to make good on that blossoming sensation in my stomach. However, I was so drained by the time we got to box jumps, I simply couldn't exert the energy necessary to for a dinner-losing moment. I managed five box jumps for the first seven 20-second bursts and six on the last. Then came the eye of the storm.

Hurricane-savvy readers would note that the eye of the storm is a temporary solace. I say the eye because the next morning was even worse than the workout itself. Every bit of my quadriceps moans and groans when I do anything leg related. Roll out of bed, my quads are in pain; get up from a sitting position, my quads are in pain; climb up stairs, you better believe my quads are in pain (going back down a flight of stairs is even worse, making this weekend rather inconvenient for my cousin to hold his wedding reception in a building without an elevator).

It was an incredible workout, but...damn Tobata!

In other news, this is my last night in Petaluma. Tomorrow it's back to SLO Town to continue my fitness campaign with Mr. Jason "I Might Like Food But I Don't" Cater. Here's the weekly recap:

Monday
1-mile run - 2 laps jog/2 laps run straights-jog turns

Tuesday
Summer All Comers Meet @ Montgomery High School, Santa Rosa, CA
400 meter - Time inconclusive
Total distance run during the day (including warm up): 1 mile
Comments: I was disappointed that the timers missed me crossing the finish line (which is the only explanation I can offer because they clocked first place at 58.9 seconds). I may be in bad shape, but I'm not running 58.9 seconds for a one-lap race. Especially after timing 55 seconds over one month ago. Nonetheless, I felt strong during the race.

Wednesday
Gym - 24Hour Fitness
1,000 meters of rows
5 mile bike ride
100 abs
Sonoma County CrossFit
500 meters of rows
3-3-3-3-3 push jerk
500 meters of rows

Thursday
Track Workout, Petaluma HS
2.5 miles
1 mile warm up jog
1 mile @ 5:58
2 map cool down
100 abs
Sonoma County CrossFit
Tobata - 20 sec on/10 sec off for 12 minutes
Squats
Push Press
Box Jumps
Comments: What did I do to deserve so much pain?

Friday
Softball!
Comments: My return to the softball field following the infamous black-eye incident. Went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, booya! Luckily softball isn't a leg-intensive workout or I would have had to decline the offer to play.
500 abs

Saturday
OFF!

Sunday
700 abs