This last week has been both monotonous and exciting, and also very frustrating. Generally, mornings are exciting because that means PT, and when you're in a platoon that values a good workout, you enjoy getting up at 0500 every morning to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, my knee is still on the mend, with a recent x-ray revealing a slight effusion (fluid buildup) behind the cap. It's probably something minute, but I really need to take it easy on the high-impact stuff (jogging, sprints, etc.). The knee is of consequence particularly because the nature of my platoon's training is largely based around ruck marching, since it's our job to hoof it up a hill at any given moment with anywhere from 85-100 lbs of kit on one's back.
In any case, Monday was a long run day, which I spent slowly igor-jogging (I have a limp right now, again because of my goddamned knee). Tuesday was a nice jog down to the pullup bars, where we did a random WOD from Crossfit, consisting of 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 situps, and 400 air squats. We were able to break the workout up into bits and pieces, alternating from one exercise to the other in varying sets, but at the end of it all, I was pleasantly smoked. Wednesday was log PT-taking large logs, some one-man pieces, others requiring two-man carries, and running around the headquarters building with them, and then stopping to do situps and presses with them. Thursday was a set of uphill sprints on one of the sweet elevation spots on Fort Lewis, followed by a jaunty little nature run on some trails all over said hill.
On Friday, we did a 4.5 mile ruck with a minimum limit of 60 lbs, including our friend from Wednesday, Mr. Log. Well, friends, really, since it was two small one-man logs and one long two-man log. We also stopped to do a tactical casualty care drill, which required most of us to pick up the two "wounded" team members' gear and run them 100 meters straight up a hill. I think I had about 120 extra lbs on me at that time (agony). Still, I managed to make it, all without totally blowing out my ailing knee, which seems to be relatively fine this morning.
The monotony is just the daily sit-around, waiting for assignments or duties, whereas the frustration came from the House, Senate, and President continuing to be paid while they planned to shut off military pay indefinitely while they continued their pork-barrell bullshit in DC. So far, it seems like they've avoided the shutdown, but I've lost a great deal of respect for anyone working in Washington. There is nothing so rage-provoking as watching soft pansies in suits and media makeup try to explain to you why they don't agree on anything and how it's not their fault that no work is getting done in the capitol. After firing off hate mail to my representative and my senators, there wasn't much else to do.
Last night was a lethal combination of out too late and too much Rainier. I still managed to have a good time, which was split between talking to friends about why older loser guys dated teenage girls in high school (I certainly wouldn't want to date a woman that much younger than me), and bouncing between playing blues on the acoustic in the living room, to having an epic Smiths/Morrissey jam session in the kitchen, all the while with people randomly playing Mario Kart. It was pretty random. I didn't get up until about 1030, and I really need to run some errands and take care of some projects. I need some plastic drawers for my locker at work (gonna move all of my gear out of the house), and I also need to finish smashing up the concrete in the back yard so I can put up the playground for the kids. Fortunately, I still have quite a bit of time to accomplish the latter task, since the Northwest has decided to carry winter on for another week or so.
And with that, I'm off to buy some drawer units!
In any case, Monday was a long run day, which I spent slowly igor-jogging (I have a limp right now, again because of my goddamned knee). Tuesday was a nice jog down to the pullup bars, where we did a random WOD from Crossfit, consisting of 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 situps, and 400 air squats. We were able to break the workout up into bits and pieces, alternating from one exercise to the other in varying sets, but at the end of it all, I was pleasantly smoked. Wednesday was log PT-taking large logs, some one-man pieces, others requiring two-man carries, and running around the headquarters building with them, and then stopping to do situps and presses with them. Thursday was a set of uphill sprints on one of the sweet elevation spots on Fort Lewis, followed by a jaunty little nature run on some trails all over said hill.
On Friday, we did a 4.5 mile ruck with a minimum limit of 60 lbs, including our friend from Wednesday, Mr. Log. Well, friends, really, since it was two small one-man logs and one long two-man log. We also stopped to do a tactical casualty care drill, which required most of us to pick up the two "wounded" team members' gear and run them 100 meters straight up a hill. I think I had about 120 extra lbs on me at that time (agony). Still, I managed to make it, all without totally blowing out my ailing knee, which seems to be relatively fine this morning.
The monotony is just the daily sit-around, waiting for assignments or duties, whereas the frustration came from the House, Senate, and President continuing to be paid while they planned to shut off military pay indefinitely while they continued their pork-barrell bullshit in DC. So far, it seems like they've avoided the shutdown, but I've lost a great deal of respect for anyone working in Washington. There is nothing so rage-provoking as watching soft pansies in suits and media makeup try to explain to you why they don't agree on anything and how it's not their fault that no work is getting done in the capitol. After firing off hate mail to my representative and my senators, there wasn't much else to do.
Last night was a lethal combination of out too late and too much Rainier. I still managed to have a good time, which was split between talking to friends about why older loser guys dated teenage girls in high school (I certainly wouldn't want to date a woman that much younger than me), and bouncing between playing blues on the acoustic in the living room, to having an epic Smiths/Morrissey jam session in the kitchen, all the while with people randomly playing Mario Kart. It was pretty random. I didn't get up until about 1030, and I really need to run some errands and take care of some projects. I need some plastic drawers for my locker at work (gonna move all of my gear out of the house), and I also need to finish smashing up the concrete in the back yard so I can put up the playground for the kids. Fortunately, I still have quite a bit of time to accomplish the latter task, since the Northwest has decided to carry winter on for another week or so.
And with that, I'm off to buy some drawer units!