1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV
This week was filled with some setbacks that makes this post hard to write because I wasn’t able to train as often as I wanted nor as hard. Last Sunday, I took a day off after training six days that week. On Monday, I felt great, and since it was Memorial Day, our team of gunfighters decided at the last minute to do the Murph.
If you are not familiar, it’s a workout named after Navy SEAL LT. Michael Murphy, who sacrificed his life by leaving cover and moving to higher ground during a firefight so he could call in support for his team. The movie Lone Survivor tells the Hollywood version of the event, and if you haven’t seen it, I urge you to do so. The Murph workout consists of a one-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, then execute another one-mile run, all while wearing a 20lb weighted vest.
There were six of us, so we decided to do it in two teams of three, splitting the work between two teams of three team members each. This would allow us to complete the workout in a reasonable time frame and finish together. I have some nagging knee pain, and I tweaked my low back, both of which I acredit to me neglecting my flexibility training and stretching.
Given the circumstances surrounding the Murph, we pushed ourselves and each other to go beyond what we thought may be our limit and found that place where you see spots, can’t catch your breath, and your muscles are on fire. We completed the workout in good time, and everyone had pushed themselves to the limit and beyond to honor LT. Murphy.
And then Tuesday happened. I was on the range Tuesday, outside in the heat and humidity, with my full kit on (about 35 pounds altogether). I was training our team on CQB tactics as part of active shooter response training for our church security team. We trained without a break for almost three hours, moving up and down hill in deep sand while putting rounds on steel. When I got home, I crawled into a hot bath with Epsom salts, then ate and fell asleep.
Wednesday morning came around 0300hrs, but when I moved to get out of bed, every muscle in my body screamed back in defiance. My calves were cramping, as were my lower back and hamstrings. I got through the day, but there was no part of my body that wasn’t exceptionally sore and, at times, cramping. I focused on hydrating and resting so I could recover. That evening, I loaded up on aspirin and hit the garage with the gunfighter crew and pushed through a run, a boxing heavybag workout, and some other odds and ends.
Thursday and Friday, I was still sore, so I focused on doing bodyweight movements to loosen up a little, and then I tried stretching. My back was spasming (an old injury got aggravated), and I was so sore that stretching was unproductive, so I focused on hydrating, eating extra protein, and getting some extra sleep.
Saturday I was back on the range training our Church Security Team in CQB and advanced pistol tactics for over three hours in the Florida heat and humidity. After a shower, food, and some rest, I opted not to go to the gym and train as I was dehydrated despite consuming more than half a gallon of water. I settled for a stretching session, a long walk with my family, and then one hundred pushups and one hundred air squats before bed.
Sunday was a day off from training, because it was a long workday, around 14 hours. Tomorrow we are back on the regular schedule.
I definitely over-trained on Monday, and that set the tone for my entire week. I don’t regret the workout as it was a special event to honor a belief system I stand in support of, but having the ability to do far more work than I can recover from means I need to train smarter and build my endurance over time. I should be fully recovered from my workout within 48 hours, or I need to ease back on the workload.
