I'm almost four weeks into using the aboc Power House for sprint strength training - it's been mainly a foundation phase, doing 3 x 12 rep exercises with about 2 mins rest between sets and gradually increasing the weight until I find a limit.  Last week Nath and I started on deadlifts, as they take a bit more technique than many other lifts and require some more core stability.  I've been working squats up to 130kg so far (3 x 12, 2 mins rest), but only reasonably shallow squats, about 80 degrees knee flex - don't need more, I'm training for cycling, so the weight is a bit heavier than if I was doing deeper with them, and with a reconstructed right ACL, I need to be careful!

Anyway ... the gist of it ... deadlifts are hard.  Mind-bogglingly hard.  Nath and I did 3 x 20 at 60kg, and they're 'I'm going to faint' hard.  The first 10 are easy enough, but the last few... pause, gasp, drop bar, pick up again, go again .. argh!  And the deep burn in the quads, which is what we're chasing after .. I can only imagine what they'll be like once we're getting close to 1RM.  Need to do a lot at the lighter weight first or we'll blow our backs out.  I'm mixing in high power and high cadence riding with the weights, at the moment I'm doing cycling power then weights on the same day Tues, Thurs, Sun) but I think once we start doing more strength training than foundation, that will need to change.  I should have a chat to John Beasley about it soon and see what he recommends.

Other stuff, Emily had a nasty prang at DISC during the week, got a bruise and a gash over the eye (Dino tells me a boxer would be proud!) for her troubles, but she's chomping at the bit to get back on the bike, and according to Dino, she looked at Saturday's program and saw Scratch, Points and Progressive Points and said "No, thanks - I'm a sprinter!".  How about that?!  she won the 3 lap div 3 h'cap last week in great style, riding away from everyone and doing it solo in a great display of power.  Strong kid ... very strong kid.

Today we leave for Hotham for Climbing Camp #8.  Still got loads of stuff to organise, get the food, get the prizes, get the paperwork ... I have the keys at least.  We're down on numbers, I had a few people pull out at late notice (life happens ...) but I think I still have 15 people coming, which is enough to make it a good trip.  I know I'll be the slowest up the hill this time (again!) but I'll get there, Hotham hasn't beaten me before, and it's not going to tomorrow. The forecast is perfect, the BoM says

Saturday     Fine. A mostly sunny day with moderate southeast to east winds.

Perfect!