training 11/16/10

2 arm long cycle 16kg 10 minutes 98 reps.

3 minute snatch per arm 45 reps

1 minute alternating swing per hand 3 rounds

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Catching up

The week that was: Training, riding, planning

Saturday was the end of a long workweek so before work I pushed a good one out before heading in:

Saturday 10/23/2010: Training

1 minute per hand 1 minute rest

28kg
Push Press 13R/13L
Clean 18R/18L
Jerk 16R/16L

32kg
Push Press 10/10
Clean 16/16
Jerk 15/15

24 kg x 2
1 min rack hold
1 min 4 jerks
1 min 15 jerks
1 min 16 cleans

Sunday 10/24/2010: Riding

Sunday was another sweet mountain bike ride on The Raystown Allegrippis trail, one of the most fun trails I have ever ridden. It was probably one of the most beautiful fall days in a long time and the sleep deprivation was well worth it.


Monday 10/25/2010: Rest

Tuesday 10/26/10: Training

Swings 1 minute per hand 3 rounds (no rest between rounds)

Short rest

1 minute work
30 seconds rest
5 Rounds
Jerks double 24kg

3 minutes rest

1 minute work
30 seconds rest
5 Rounds
Cleans double 28kg

3 minutes rest

Snatch 1 minute per hand 3 rounds (no rest between rounds)

Wednesday 10/27/2010: Rest

Thursday 10/28/2010: Training

Swings 24kg 1 minute per hand 3 rounds (no rest between rounds)

Turkish Get ups
R1: 20kg 5 per hand
R2: 24kg 5 per hand
R3: 32kg 3R/3L

Slow Negative Squats: (All Double)
R1: 20kg X 5
R2: 24kg X 5
R3: 32kg X 5

Presses Slow Negative: (All Double)_
R1: 20kg X 5
R2: 24kg X 5
R3: 32kg X 2

Due to a super extended long weekend of work
Friday 10/29/2010 Rest
Saturday 10/29/2010 Rest
Sunday 10/29/2010 Rest
Rest is in comparison to fitness and it was not necessarily rest. I started work Friday night at 8pm and finished at 2am on Sunday. All of those hours were spent patrolling by Mt. Bike. I did have a 5 hour break for a short nap in between.

11/02/2010
Double 16kg Cleans 3 minutes, Snatch L/R 3 minutes, Double 20kg Jerk 3 minutes 45 reps, Snatch L/R 2 minutes, and get sit ups to finish. Still hurting from stupid football.


11/04/2010
5 minutes each arm 28kg One Arm Long Cycle. Lost the note card with the numbers

11/07/2010
2 mile steep hike

11/08/2010
Nice easy run and workout with Alison at Sunset Park today. I used a 20lb Backpack for 4 rounds of 10 each: 30 inch Box Hops, Swings, Wall Balls, and Inverted Rows. Finished up with some monkeying around on the bars and such.

Fatigued

11/09/2010

Last week I was feeling rough and so far this week has been about the same. It is a combination of screwy sleep patterns, stress, poor eating, and allergies.

Today's Training: A bad day of training is still better than no training at all.

3 minute LCCJ 24kg X 2: 22 reps. (I felt good through the set and maintained a steady pace)
- 3 minute rest
3 minute Jerk 24kg X 2: 33 total reps.* (I set the bells down three times during this set see above for fatigue issues)
- 4 minutes rest (maybe this will help..)
15 jerks 24kg X 2 (went for 30 not even close)
- 2 minutes of rest
5 jerks 32kg X 2 (just wanted to see)
- 3 minutes of rest
2 minutes Jerk 20kg X 2: 30 reps I pushed for the number and should have held on for time. The last few reps were ugly
- 3 minutes of rest
3 minutes Cleans 24kg X 2: 30 reps

Finished up with some holds
30 second push up hold
30 second each side plank
1 minute front plank
2 minute 32kg X 2 farmers hold (this was the only point today were I felt I could for more)

In hindsight I learned a valuable lesson today. I should have dropped the weight and stuck with the original plan. After getting burned on the second set I scrapped everything and decided to toy with my ego. I really wanted to get some long cycle work in and only ended up with one set. I was fixated on a number (30) and my patience broke, which is silly on my part.

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Goal within reach

Sunday 10/17/2010

Went for a nice bike ride with Kelly at Coopers Gap in Rothrock State Forest.

Coopers Gap map and stats

I bought the Droid to make maps like this and it seems to work well.

Monday 10/18/2010

Assessment day
Goal: 10 minutes with 2 24kg bells in the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk
Result: 7 Minutes with 40 reps.

This is the farthest I have gone with that weight.  I have been battling to reach the 5 minute mark for over a year.  Doing heavier one arm work has made a huge difference in my progress.  I felt failure in my legs earlier than usual, but my arms held up well in comparison.  I strongly believe I can reach 10 minutes by the end of November.

To finish up the workout I did 1 minute sprint by 1 minute rest sets with the 24's. I averaged 10 reps per minute.

I took a short break and decided to do some monkey training at the park.  I did some lateral monkey bar work, pullups, pistols, high box hops, very simple Parkour jumping from rock to rock, and balance work.  It was a freestyle session with no specific goal.  Yes I know I violated numerous principles, but I enjoyed it and it fueled some creativity for the future.

The gash in my hand is still creating some limitations and made the LCCJ set a bit more difficult.  I will try some snatch work later this week and see how that feels.

Catching up

10/11/2010

Warrior Dash

I participated in the Warrior Dash which is a 5k with obstacles to include: low walls, climbing over trailers, bungee walls, trail running, ponds, slippery hills, and mud bogs.

I did come out of the course bleeding though.



I was pleased with my overall results:
31st out of 539 in the 30-34 age group
239 out of 5000ish overall
24mins. 39 secs.

10/13/2010

This one was a killer for some odd reason I thought I was going to puke towards the end.  I am sure it could of been a number of factors outside of the workout to include diet and sleep.

I have a nice slice on the palm of my hand so I was limited in my options.

Swings 16kg 2 min per hand then 1 minute per hand

Good Mornings
R1: 16kg X 20 reps
R2: 20kg X 20 reps
R3: 24kg X 20 reps

Single Leg Dead Lifts
R1: 20kg 10 L/R
R2: 24kg 10 L/R
R3: 32kg 10 L/R

Squats
R1:100 Body weight
R2: 75 16kg
R3: 50 24kg

Presses
R1: 20kg 20 L/R
R2: 24kg 20 L/R
R3: 28kg 15 L/R

Upright Rows
R1: 24kg 10 L/R
R2: 28kg 10L/R
R3: 32kg 10L/R

Rest was only as needed.  

10/15/2010

Still limited by the "gash" I decided it was time to take on a serious swing workout.

Swings
1 hand only
Time is per hand
3 minutes 16 kg
2 minutes 20kg
1.5 minutes 24k
1 minute 32 kg
1 minute rest between sets
Round 2 in reverse

There is no mercy when you are swinging against the clock.

warrior gash

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Training 10/06/2010

Last night after a bout with some stomach problems I decided to suck it up, hold it in, and do a work out. Following the advice provided by the Stefanos at AKC Long Island I went for 10 minutes per arm with the 24kg  1 arm LCCJ.   I was able to pump out 80 reps per arm.  I realized I made a mistake and forgot to put my wrist wraps on.  I noticed the discomfort really causing a problem around minute 3 on each arm. I thought about taking a break and throwing them on, but I hate stopping on a set.  I kept it short and sweat. For my warm up I did 1 minute swings per hand for a total of 2 minutes per hand. I hope to accomplish the elusive 10 minute LCCJ with 2 24's in the near future.

Today

The focus was on lighter weight higher rep sets.

Warmup: The usual arm, neck, shoulder, hip, and knee rotations.  I am starting to implement jump ropes more often so I did a few sets to get the blood flowing.  I need a lot of work on that.

60 swings per hand 16kg bell.

3 minutes X 1 minute rest with 2 16kg bells
LCCJ 33 reps
Clean 51 reps
Jerk 36 reps
Snatch (3 min. per arm) 50 L/47 R

5 minutes or so of rest

TRX has the 40/40 Challenge with atomic pushups and inverted rows so I decided to experiment.
I was able to do 12 atomic push ups then needed a rest.  I broke the rest of the reps into sets of 10 for a total of 40.  I would like to try this without being fatigued.

For the inverted rows I was able to knock out 35 in a row.

For some reason I have a much stronger back than chest and tri's.

To finish up I did a farmer walk sequence where at every turn around point approximately 40 yards I did 10 squats with the 16's.  The bells stayed off of the ground the whole time.  Approximately 5 minutes total time.

Overall it was a good workout.  I could feel last nights workout a bit but, I was able to hang on through the sets.

The week 09/24/2010 to 9/30/2010

09/26/2010

I was still recovering from a 23 hour work day so I laid around doing nothing for a while.  Eventually I got up the energy to go on a hike with Kelly and Ryan.  We hiked up Mt. Nittany which is about 1.5km straight up.  So overall the distance was about 2 miles in English.

9/27/2010

I was disappointed that I could not compete in the IKFF Nationals so I decided to see how well I would have performed. I chose my favorite the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk (LCCJ) for 10 minutes.

Using 2 20kg
59 reps in 10 minutes

I was working on surviving the 10 minutes more than going for a number.  I am somewhat frustrated that I put up 20 fewer reps than my competition in March.  I was satisfied with my control and the feeling I could push through at least one more minute at the end.

I am thinking about venturing into the biathlon one day so I tested my snatch.  I gave myself approximately 10 minutes of rest after the long cycle.

20 kg
I started with the left.  63 reps switching to the right with about 45 seconds left on the clock
Finishing on the right. 63 reps putting the bell down about a minute early.

The highlight of the snatch set was the fact I did not tear my the center of my palm, which has been a problem for me.  Thanks to Mike and Kim "Stickler" Stefano for helping me fix that.

As far as training goes I was satisfied overall.  Next week I would like to make 5 minutes with the 24kg's.

09/28/2010

I decided to work up the energy for pre a work run.  The goal was to see what my 3.15 mile is time for the upcoming Warrior Dash.

Murphy and I utilized the golf course for a night time run.

3.2 miles
7.6 mph average
25:35 minutes


09/30/2010

I was in yet another funk so I decided to get swinging.

30/30 Swings 16kg
100/100 16kg
5 min/5min 24kg one arm long cycle 43L/43R

5 reps of Rack/Lockout work 15 sec rack holds then 15 sec overhead lockout 24kg.
I was feeling the discomfort in the overhead and the rest in the rack.  I need a lot of work finding a nice rack

2 rounds of 1min/1min 24kg swings

Goals

I have had mixed feelings on goals; there are days I feel they are a good idea and there are days I think they are boring.  I am sure not having set goals in life has caused me more harm than good.  I am trying to learn how embrace them and harness their power.  For now I will stick to fitness goals.

October 10th 2010 is the Warrior Dash
3.15 miles of varying terrain and obstacles.
I would like to see a 25 to 30 minute finish time.

November 29th 2010
10 minute LCCJ with 2 24kg.
Reps in the high 50's would be nice.  This has been my nemesis over the last year.  I have accomplished great numbers with lesser weights, but I have not broken the 5 minute mark with the 24's.

This week I intend to work on paths to these goals and others that I cannot mention yet.....

Supplemental Day

In order to stay fresh I believe it is important to add other exercises into my program outside of strict sport training.  I know there are many opinions on this, but I ultimately believe everyone has to work within their limits whether psychological or physical.  I enjoy bodyweight exercises almost as much as kettlebell exercises.  I am not the only one who feels they go hand in hand am compliment each other nicely.

So with that being said today's training was:
Beautiful Day at Sunset Park

Jump Rope
Inverted Bodyweight Rows
Jumping Squats 16kg X 2
Pushups

Round 1 25 reps
Round 2 50 reps
Round 3 75 reps

The original overly ambitious plan called for going to 100 reps but, I was feeling the pain and hit fatigue faster than I thought.  I could chalk some of it up to nutrition since I really did not eat much prior to the workout.

I hate feeling defeated so I decided to do 2 long farmer walks.  I walked approximately 200yds 2 times with 2 16kg bells.

The week so far 9/20/2010

9/20/2010

On Monday I chose to do about a 7.5 mile hike.  The terrain was rock covered with a mix of steep ups and downs.  I have pics to post, but the camera and computer are not getting along at the moment.  It was a great day to be outside and enjoy one of the many gems of Central PA. (Rickett's Glen State Park)


9/21/2010

Due the impending joy of going back to the work week I kept it light and easy.  I did some bottoms up presses and ab work.  I like to use these "freestyle" days to work on technique and bell positioning.  I rode my bike into work and back so about 6 miles total.  Nothing fancy just a light and easy recovery day.

9/22/2010

GS specific training:

Swings 16kg 1 minute each hand 3 rounds total (6 min)
-4 minutes of rest

28kg bell
1 arm
2 minutes each Non Stop
Clean 24/28
Jerk 20/20
Snatch 24/22
(12 minutes)
-4 minutes of rest

Round 2 the same with rest:

Clean 20/20
-2 minutes of rest
Jerk 18/18
-2 minutes of rest
Snatch 20/20
(12 minutes)

Swings 20kg 1 minute each hand 3 rounds total (6 min)

It felt good to push 12 minutes straight with a 28kg.  I chose to be a little ambitious as I feeling good under the 28.   I had to do a couple of half snatches on each hand to regain myself.  In hindsight I would have liked to do 3 rounds with the rest in between.  (Level 9 for the WKC fitness protocol)

Round 2 was not as pretty at the end resulting a couple of adjustments and breaks for the snatch set.

I thought about round 3, but I was so spent I took a short break and pride forced the swings in at the end.

Training 9/19/2010

I worked 18 hours of bike patrol from Friday night into Saturday afternoon.   Granted it is not all pedaling, but it is killer on the back due to poor positioning.  I decided to ease into things.  I could feel the funk throughout this session, but it felt good once it was accomplished.

I did 10 intervals of 40 secs. work 40 secs. rest sprints.
     I could feel the tightness in my legs and as usual this was a killer.

Short rest then:
16kg X 2
3 minutes work 2 minutes rest
Cleans
Jerks
Snatch each arm

1 minute swings for 2 rounds

Training 9/17/2010

Okay the intent to train after work this morning failed.  You could call it a delayed plan now.  After some horrible insufficient sleep and a failed effort to get more I decided to go for the workout and suck it up for the next 24 hours.

3 minutes swings L/R 16kg
1 minute rest
3 minutes cleans L/R 16kg 20 reps per min
1 minute rest
3 minutes presses 12kg, minute 1 fast 20+ rpm, minute 2 fast then steady pace 20 rpm, minute 3 rest overhead 6 rpm.
1 minute rest
3 minutes snatch each arm 16kg 12-14 rpm (I had some difficulty resting up on the left so it increased the rpms)

Now I embark on what will be an 18 hour plus work night into day on the bike dealing with drunk assholes.

Week so far 9/12/10 - 9/16/2010

The weather this week has been great and unfortunately I spent a good majority of it working. Due to stress I decided to take a few weeks off from training.  It does not necessarily mean doing nothing, but nothing I do is planned.  For example I was walking Murphy (the dog) and decided to run for a bit.  It was a cool experience we found new trails near the apartment and running between trees always make you feel faster.  I actually did not touch a kettlebell for a week and a half which was hard at times, but it made me hungry again to get back on them.

On Sunday September 12th, 2010 after watching the Steelers squeak out a victory I rolled over and decided to take Murphy for a bike ride and find some new trails around the apartment.  We rode about four miles at an easy pace.  I am building him up for longer rides in the fall.  Even the dog has to train.

I dropped Murphy off at the apartment and decide to explore the area.  I rode out to the singletrack behind Accuweather and did a couple of loops.  The estimated total for the ride was about 20 miles. Accuweather is probably one of the best skill building trails I have ever ridden.  It is flat, twisty, and tight  which really develops handling skills.

Monday was a travel rest day and an important day for Instinct Fitness thanks to Craig and Faith.

Tuesday September 14th, 2010:

Jason invited me to train with his 0915 class at Alliance Physical Therapy in Peters Township.  After a good warm up he brought back the leg burner.

I used 35lbs for this one. Only one kettlebell needed.

5 presses overhead (using 2 hands)
5 squats
5 lunges total
25 swings

Increasing by 5 each round (except swings) up to 20 then back down to 5.
DISCLAIMER: You will walk funny for days.
I have mixed feelings about this one.  I draws into question my leg conditioning, but at the same time limits me for days since it takes so long to recover.

Wednesday September 15th, 2010:
Went to Sunset Park to train Kelly in the ways of the Kettlebell
We went over swings, cleans, and presses.
Threw together a quick workout based off of 21-15-9
10 Swings Each Arm
10 Cleans Each Arm
10 Presses

Round 2 was 7 each and Round 3 was 4 each.

We also played with the Jungle Gym trainer and did some kid like gymnastic stuff on the bars. I call this the best gym in State College.  It is free and outside, but provides endless options you will never find at a Globo-Gym.

Today was a rest and organize day.  Tomorrow the goal is to train after work since I will be pulling in about a 20 hour from 2230 Friday to sometime after 1600 Saturday.  Oh how I love football.

This is the start of Instinct Fitness

Instinct Fitness

Here I will post my workouts, thoughts, and progress based on fitness and adventure.  Instinct Fitness has long been a dream and this is the start of it's reality.  I live to move and be fit and want to inspire others to do the same.  I love having a connection to nature and the outdoors.  I also love the fitness results provided by training with kettlebells and other "functional" techniques.  Fitness today has many definitions and images.  In its simplest form I look at fitness as overall physical and mental well being.  My pursuit of outdoor adventure in various forms has inspired me to be as capable as possible.  I seek balance though constant evolution and improvement.  Instinct Fitness seeks to share the knowledge of this journey.   There are many opinions of fitness this is just mine inspired by the knowledge others have provided and my own discoveries.

This is just the beginning...

I will be back soon

I plan on rolling with this again in the near future. Possibly under a new name.

In the meantime checkout

kettlebellsystema.com

The Arnold Classic

The Arnold Classic and The Pittsburgh Kettlebell Club

Jason and I decided to create the Pittsburgh Kettlebell Club for the Classic and I would say we represented our "club" pretty well.

We had a good showing in our weight classes: I am not sure of the exact weight classes of everyone but here is the list of the placings.

Jason Turko 3rd Place LCCJ 24kg KB

Eric Saks 2nd Place LCCJ 16kg KB

Johanna Matsui 1st Place 8kg KB

Kim Turko 1st Place 16kg KB

Joe Wolf 1st Place 16kg KB

Justin Thomas 1st Place 20kg KB

I would say this is a great event for the sport but, tough venue for the competitors. We are packed in and pushed around making it hard to relax and prepare. Fortunately we all play on the same field so it is fair. I would love to see the Club grow and everyone who competed move through the ranks. I was excited to see a great performance from all.

Now time for the dreaded half ironman.

32kgs arrived

After 2 good workouts with Jason and the crew this weekend I took 2 days off. It was mostly due to schedule change adaptation taking control of my body.

I decided today is the last day I go heavy and when you get a new toy you have to play with it.

Workout 2/24/2010

1 minute each of swings

12kg

16kg

20kg

24kg

32kg

1 minute rest

32kg

24kg

20kg

16kg

12kg

Same pattern for Cleans

Same pattern for Snatches

Some part of me considered trying jerks and another part said cool it.

I did try some One arm stuff with the 32 but decided to put it away.

Upper Half

Giving the legs a rest I chose to work the upper half.

Warm up

Chair Press

10 minutes alternating as necessary

103 reps

Push ups, High Pulls, Rows

25

20

15

10

5

24kg for high pulls

16kg for rows

8 minutes of swings 20kg to finish the hour.

Down week

last week was rough

I managed to complete 2 5 minute sets of LCCJ with the 24kg

set 1: 24 reps

set 2: 32 reps

The rest of the week consisted of 14 hour days and non-stop call taking as well as self initiated activity. Busy is good only when you can keep up. Otherwise you just feel buried. So I go from a 70 hour week last week to a 15 hour one this week. I will take steady and consistent any day over this misery. I found I lost tons of focus due to the lack of balance. I ended up sleeping way too much to feel caught up. The only upside is money.

Now the start of the easy week.

Monday: I attempted a 10 min. Jerk set with the 16kg's

I made about 4 minutes around 40 reps. I could feel the loss of focus from the previous week,

Next I tried a 10 minute set of the One Arm Long Cycle with the 24kg.

Right Hand: 6 minutes 53 reps

Left Hand: 4 minutes 42 reps

Squats:

25 Body weight

25 double 12kg

25 One arm Overhead with 16kg

25 double 24kg

Abs:

25 Russian Twists

25 Shredders(Jack Knives)

25 Roll outs

I felt a funk from the previous week as I was lacking motivation.

Tuesday

40 minute swim slow steady distance unknown

40 minute run slow steady approximately 5 miles

I felt strong the run was not planned but, I came with shoes just in case. I thought I would do 20 minutes then I felt strong enough to do another 20.

So what is my car capable of

Me being me always full of brilliant ideas chose to take look at the limitations of my car. I was impressed Friday during the snow storm of its ability to plow through snow without a hesitation. So today while running a few errands I decided to take a detour. I chose the unpaved unplowed roads of Rothrock State Forest. Knowing the route fairly well I felt things were in my favor. I had some minor issues on my route primarily from the snow sucking the car toward the ditches. Definitely required attention and responsiveness. The snow was softer than expected causing the narrow tires to sink a bit. Well everything was going fine and I had enough close calls to say turn it around at the next optimal location. I chose an intersection that gradually swings to the left and uphill bit coming down from a hill. Kind of an easy V. The intersection is wide and has a good run to back up the hill. So I make the left turn give it a little gas for a little run. What would normally be an easy three point turn transformed into a cluster that progressively turned for the worst. I managed to turn the car around to make the run back up the hill. Simple from here just a little gas not too much not too little.... well maybe. So that didn't work no biggie just back up go for it again. Well I guess there was some sort of weird magnet sucking my car the opposite direction I wanted it to go. Well so much for lining up the good run the car was sucked right towards a ditch leaving me with little control of where I wanted to go. I was not out of options I had the car pointed in the right direction which was the biggest fear and the reason why I did not turn the car around earlier. Like I said prime spot good run gentle turn. So the car is sitting the middle of a hill with the front end pointing up. Just a few hundred yards towards the rear is a flat spot of about 100 yards. Again easy enough throw it in reverse to go down the hill get to the flat run and out of here no problem.

You know you are in big trouble when you can't go in reverse downhill with all wheel drive. I am often questioned about the items I carry in the back of my car. Being the goofball I am with an odd sense of adventure I carry things for these occasions. The main questionable item is the giant ammo can full of various survival and rescue items. That was not what saved the day. What saved the day was the kayak paddle that has been floating around the hatch for about a week . FYI a kayak paddle makes a great snow shovel in a jam. So I managed to get some clearance and some leverage. Another valuable item is towels which help but, do not solve all problems. So got some ground cleared, good to go, just back it down the hill hit the flat run it right back up. Umm not so fast that magnet came back on. To my right was a big nasty ditch which would result in a real cluster. The magnet was located in that ditch. It is a terrifying feeling when you turn the wheel to make the car go left and it goes right. Using some sort of logic I tried to go with the flow and go to the right with it use the momentum to push through. No, bad idea ditch won. Well it was not too bad I managed to keep 2 wheels on the road with one of the remaining two in the ditch. The fourth was somewhere in between. I made an all important discovery in this process; under all of this snow is some thick compacted ice. After several attempts I was dead in the water. I used the paddle to dig a track yet I was still unsuccessful. Being determined I was not going to call for a rescue. It was getting close to 5pm so darkness was going to show up fast. As I was trying to think of solutions I recalled the lady on cross country skis about a mile or so back. Well she shows up and kind of comments on my predicament with polite skepticism. She said well I have the same car (Subaru Forester) and it will do anything with chains but, does not do so well in situations like this. Yeah I realize this. So we do some more digging and she mentions something about pushing. I would not let her push my car for many reasons one of them being pride. So she says she will drive. She hops in with Murphy (the dog) and I proceed to push. After a few attempts we freed the car. Back on the road so she say suggests I back up to the flat and get a run. Yeah right. With no other option I proceed in reverse toward the flat. I guess the magnet was still on, I want to go left the car goes right. After about 5 shots at backing down the hill I make it to the all important flat. I am out of here! Just the right amount of gas no spin just go. Umm not so fast. Yes I had to rock it out of the flat. XC ski heroine lady stood by for words of encouragement and her own entertainment. She was honestly there to help. So I created the path, made a track,and got some speed. Just keep it steady and shoot right out of it. Yup the magnet was still on in my ditch. I was smart enough to keep from going in it but that required losing momentum. After about 10 more runs I made to the intersection and with a little wiggling, spinning, sliding, and determination I made it through. So do you think I learned a lesson? Of course next time I will carry chains. I made a mental note the entrenching tool is worth putting in the big ammo can. Yes I will continue to do this. This was a case of a journey with no destination turning into an adventure. I loved every minute of it. Even when I thought about how much this would cost if I called a tow truck.

Weekend of Adventure

Due to the wonderful winterland that has been placed upon us I chose to take advantage of it.

On Saturday I made my second attempt at skiing which proved to be far more productive than my first crack. Spent a few hours on the mountain maybe a couple in the lounge. My friend Murphy not to be confused with the dog joined me. Overall a good time I need to learn a lot but, for the second time ever I was pleased. After it was all said and done I realized the boot was way too tight causing a blackened throbbing toe. Hopefully the nail stays.

Super Sunday

Being generally blown out from the outdoor adventure I chose a quick swim workout.

5 50 meter intervals: Full out for 50 meters recover repeat.

5 25 meter intervals: Same concept

I could really feel the burn on this and I had the vomiting sensation that lets you know you hit the optimal point of an interval workout.

The week in review

On Monday

White Building Work Out

10 presses

25 swings

10 rows

25 push ups

27.5lb weight (dumbell)

5 rounds dropping 5 p/u per round

On Tuesday

Run 3.5 miles

On Wednesday

Off Wednesday

On Thursday

20 minute 16kg swings

06 minute 24kg One arm Long Cycle

(one hand switch)

06 minute double 16kg rack hold

On Friday

Wasted plenty of time building my own power wheel. Successful but I need some improvements. $24 cost.

Short on time

10 Burpees

1 double 24kg Swing

Descending to one on the burpees

Ascending to ten on the swings

10 Power Wheel Rollouts

(need to find foot holds)

Pictures to come.

Swim BIke Run

1 hour swim approximately 45 to 50 laps at a 80 sec per lap pace

-This was the best swim I have had in my life. I found a rhythm and was able to keep it. This was a huge confidence booster. I now have the confidence to work on speed knowing I have the distance down. I completed the hour non-stop using the freestyle stroke.

1 hour bike approximately 18 miles.

45 minute run 4.5 miles 6 mph pace.

I felt good overall. I cut the run short by 15 minutes due to it being over crowded and I could feel the bonk coming on. I know excuses excuses.

It is hard to imagine the time involved in this endeavor. Since I forgot the headphones I had a lot of time to think. I kept thinking there has to be a way to make these workouts a little more entertaining. Droning away on the bike was not so bad but, the run was a mind killer. The 8 degree low does not make outside too attractive.

Barbell

I decided to do some barbell work to supplement the Kettlebells.

Deadlifts

135lbx10

165lbx10

205lbx10

225lbx5

225lbx5

Jump Squats

Bar x 50

135 x 50

165 x 50

185 x 25

Press

100 x 10

120 x 10

140 x 5

GS and Run

GS Sport

Warm up

5 minute swings 20kg

2 min rest

2 min LCCJ 24kg 11 reps

1 min rest

2 min Clean 24kg 29 reps

1 min rest

1 min Jerk 24kg 11 reps

1 min rest

1 min rack hold 24kg

1 min rest

1 min snatch L 24kg 15 reps

1 min snatch R24kg 16 reps

1 min rest

2 min LCCJ 24kg 14 reps

Vibram 5 finger run approx. 20 minutes on varied terrain. Outside air temp 32F sunny with some brisk winds. Terrain included grass, asphalt, gravel, and woodland trail. The ground was moist so my feet did get cold. There were no complaints about the experience. I seemed to run lighter on my feet and payed a little more attention to my step. I did goof and scrape the top of my toe putting a hole in the "shoe". I see myself doing this more often.

Swim

750 meter swim

2 lap warm up

5 lap cool down

Work outs

Thursday

10 minute snatch switch at 5 minutes

left arm 79 reps

Right arm 87 reps

Friday

Swim 45 minutes technique work

Sunday

Bike 20 miles 1 hour

Run 4.5 miles 45 minutes

Strength Work

Warm up

5 minutes of 16kg swings

3 rounds

24kg x 2 Squats 10 reps

24kg x 2 presses 10 reps

Round 1 double press

Round 2 10 and 10

Round 3 seesaw

24kg x 2 single leg deadlift 10 reps

Finish

5 mins of 24kg swings

5 mins of 20kg swings

Broke down a bit in the 24kg swings

Valuable Lesson of the day do not drop the 24kg bell on your pinkie finger during the seesaw press. I figured I don't really need so I may have to amputate.

Yesterday my spotter Murphy and I went for an hour long hike.

Intervals

I did some intervals:

45 sec. on/1 min rest X 10

Bike Set

Run Set

15 Minute on the rower 2000 meters

Moving on up

Jan 16 2010

Based on the results of my first competition its time to face the 24's. I only have one 20kg bell so that leaves no choice but, to go to 24kg.

Good warm up

5 minutes of 20kg swings

3 Rounds 2 minutes of rest in between.

1. LCCj

7/8/8

2. Snatch L

12/10/14

3. Snatch R

13/13/13

4. Jerk

8/10/11

5. Clean

10/13/13

25 shredders and twists with a 20kg.

13 almost 14 hour workday.

Swim

I bought into the University's fitness pass and enjoyed an easy day of swimming. I really had no choice since I couldn't really go fast. I would say I swam about 800 meters total. I get really frustrated because everyone in the pool is faster than me. The girl in the lane next to me was using a kickboard and passed me while I was doing the freestyle. I swim like a brick. Ahh its going to be a long 1.2 miles.

1st Competition

On Sunday January 10th I competed in my first Kettlebell Competition at Ironworks Fe in Long Island NY. There was a good spread of people ranging from all ages and abilities. The event went well and was well organized. I completed 89 Reps in the LCCJ. It felt way too easy so therefore I have to move up to the 20's.

I found it a great way to get the feel of competing on a platform in front of people. I knew I was okay because I did not have to speak.

My pre comp routine was completely unorthodox:

Saturday's Dinner:

Pizza

Saturday's Activity:

Led Zeppelin Tribute concert which I would have gone to NYC for without a kettlebell comp.

http://hammerofthegods.com/

Note: I may have consumed some beer in this process.

Saturday's Bedtime:

1 am or so

Sunday Wake Up:

7am Slept included waking up every hour in fear of sleeping in.

Breakfast:

2 McDonald's Breakfast Burritos, hash brown, and coffee.

Lunch

1 cliff bar and half of a Nature's Valley Honey and Oat bar.

Plenty of Water.

A good 15 minute warm up

Here it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJE8k9LmUa8

At the end we did a Snatch Relay. Our team won with 241 reps. The goal was as many reps as your team can put out doing 3 minute relays for 3 rounds.

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goc7FXgENWc

the week in review

On 12/31/09

I rode my bike into work which is approximately 3.5 miles the temp about 28d f with 2 inches of snow.

I also rode my bike on duty which was snowy and cold as well. I would estimate my total mileage at 12.

I rode home another 3.5 miles

so that totaled about 20 miles for the day.

Jan 01 2010

i did my own version of the 2010 workout

500 jumping jacks

500 swings

500 snatches

500 situps

10 pushups

1 hour 40 minutes

Jan 4 2010

10 min warm up run

10 by 30 sec on and 30 sec off

10 min off

that is the week in review comp on 01/10/10 staying cool and easy