How I Train as a Catholic Father Under Fire (CEP Weeks 1–2)

⸻

CEP FIELD LOG: WEEKS 1 & 2

10K & HYROX TRAINING UNDER FATHERHOOD, CONSTRAINT, AND FIRE

This is the Catholic Endurance Protocol.

Not theory. Not performance.

A live formation log of spiritual and physical preparation under domestic warfare.

I am a Catholic husband, a father, a former competitive athlete, and a man in the desert.

“Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy the heart.” —Abba Poemen

CURRENT STATUS

6’5”, 250 lbs

10K Goal: Garmin Marathon – October

Current: ~50:30–52:00

Target: Sub-47:00

HYROX Pro Goal: Chicago – November

Current: ~1:22–1:28

Target: 1:15–1:20 (Top 20% Pro Male)

This is about dominion.

Of breath. Of flesh. Of fatherhood.

CEP is motion as mortification. Suffering as stewardship. Victory as offering.

WHY I’M DOING THIS

Because a man without targets rots.

When I’m not chasing something harder than comfort, I stagnate.

I don’t need HYROX. I dont need the Garmin Maraathon. I need opposition.

It could just as easily be fasting.

Or the discipline to hold my tongue and love my son at 3AM when I haven’t slept.

The battle is always internal.

I compete with myself because I know what happens when I stop.

I love sport.

I love testing what I can carry under pressure—both spiritual and physical.

There’s a void in every race. A silence. A moment where quitting becomes an option.

That moment shows me who I am.

And whether I command my body—or bow to it.

My faith is no different.

Im not chasing arbitrary events.

Im chasing endurance.

It’s about glorifying God through exhaustion, offering every stride, every breath, every decision back to Him.

Because Catholic men weren’t made for comfort.

We were made for crucifixion.

WEEK 1: FOUNDATION UNDER PRESSURE

Objective:

Re-establish aerobic continuity after layoff. No taper. No luxury. Just the work.

ZONE 2 RUN — Wednesday

Distance: 3.02 miles

Pace: 10:38/mile

Terrain: Slight elevation across residential backroads

Notes: Legs responsive. Nasal breath held for first 1.5 miles. Side stitch corrected through posture adjustment.

Spiritual Offering: Rosary intentions for my wife and son. Every footstrike was intercession.

“The monk’s body is the furnace. In it he is tested.” —St. Moses the Black

ASSAULT BIKE — 30:30 INTERVALS — Friday

Rounds: 10

RPM: 76–78 across most rounds. Final round hit 81.

RPE: 7–8

Finisher: Pull-up cluster sets – 3-3-3, 10 sec rest between

Notes: No breakdown. Form held. Mind sharp.

TRACK — 6x400m REPEATS (Saturday)

Target: 1:52

Actual Avg: 1:50.83

Rep Spread: 1:47 – 1:54

Notes: First rep fast, second dipped, final three stabilized. Finished hard.

Projected Output:

5K Race Time: 22:55–23:15

10K Race Time: ~47:00–48:00

“A house without discipline is a city without walls.” —St. Anthony the Great

Debrief:

No deload. No sleep optimization. Domestic demands were full. CEP held. Movement held. Spirit held.

WEEK 2: SUFFERING WITH INTENTION

Objective:

Push threshold. Expose fatigue. Adapt under constraint.

TEMPO RUN (Tuesday)

FAILED TEMPO RUN — Tuesday

Plan: 6.8 mph for 20 minutes @ 5% incline

Reality: Dead on entry. Son teething. CNS overstimulated. Pivot after 4 minutes.

Pivot: Pull-up cluster sets (3x3), full stack cable rows (3x12). Then walked away.

Insight: I won’t do incline tempo runs like this again. I’ll rotate back to incline intervals. Less mental friction. More output.

Lesson: Know your battlefield. Don’t fake grit.

ZONE 2 RUN — Wednesday

Duration: 30–35 min (unbroken)

Pace: 10:38/mile

Notes: Right shin tightness early. Resolved. Good cadence. Music helped. Rosary on deck after.

ASSAULT BIKE — 30:30 INTERVALS — Friday

Rounds: 12–15

RPM: 76–77 average

Final Rounds: Pushed toward fatigue edge

Condition: Fasted. Low sleep. High domestic load.

Finisher:

50 DB Chest Press

50 Seated DB Clean & Press

50 DB RDLs

Outcome: Form held. No crash. Training integrated into fatherhood, not detached from it.

“If you are not tempted, you do not grow.” —Abba Isaiah

TRACK WORK — Saturday (4x800m)

Target: 3:44

Actual: 4:00 (mistimed), 3:45, 3:44, 3:42

Rest: 2–2:30 walk

Warm-Up: 2x100m sprints, bounds, joint prep

Closing Behavior: 800m light jog, Rosary in the car after

Notes: Mental edge sharp. Didn’t need a closer rep. I had what I came for.

“A man who knows himself is greater than one who raises the dead.” —St. Moses the Black

CURRENT CEP RHYTHM (LIVE SYSTEM)

Tuesday: Treadmill Intervals (5x3min @ 5% incline)

Wednesday: Zone 2 Run (30–35 minutes)

Friday: 30:30 Assault Bike Intervals (12–15 rounds)

Saturday: Track Intervals (400–800m pace intervals)

Sunday/Monday: Recovery, mobility, prayer walks

Post-run Strength:

Push / Pull / Legs, minimalist. No ego. Just stewardship.

Structure flexes with my son’s needs.

“If the monk abandons his cell, he abandons his warfare.” —Desert Saying

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

CEP structure held under high strain and full domestic demand

No regression. Threshold control improving

Fatigue didn’t dictate form—spiritual clarity did

CEP is not fitness. It’s fidelity under fire

I am building the floor and sharpening the ceiling.

This is not a theory. This is the log. This is how Catholic men train when no one is watching.

“Train with fire. Endure with purpose. Offer it all.”

⸻

Built in the Desert. Covered by Mary. Forged in Fire.

☩ Sans Peur

– Emmanuel