Short status report

Seen better times. Quite some health issues in the family lately. Business planning requires a lot of brainwork, need to make some major decisions that can't be put off for long. Concerned about seemingly minor knee issues aggravating and turning stubborn. Don't have the time (and nerves) to blog. Will be back when at least some of the things are settled.

Back from Denmark

Actually since Monday night already, but it's kind of difficult to get my head out of the RKC clouds and come back to everyday reality. As Doc put it, and everybody else agreed, it's a phenomenon commonly called "post-RKC depression", lol. And I'm still pretty much tired, teaching, with all the responsibility, can very well exhaust you mentally. But I had a great team of wonderful people to assist who put a whole lot of dedication, enthusiasm and effort, but also high spirit and humor on display so it was absolutely a pleasure to work with them, to see instant changes and the overall "transformation" during the course of the three days I experience as a miracle every time. I was on Sr. RKC Jeff O'connor's Team and thanks to his generosity I got the chance to work with folks one on one (use some CK-FMS voodoo, too), do some team practice with them, play a part in the technique testing and shout out the commands during the grad workout at the end. Well, I'll still have to get used to those prompt (and loud) "Yes, Ma'am!"s, but it has a special feeling to it, for sure :) And of course hanging out with Doc, Jeff and Mark Toomey in the evenings and at breakfast, with Pavel, Kenneth, Sara, mc, my student Will and others joining us from time to time, was great fun and highly educational at the same time, I can't be grateful enough for being welcomed like this. I just wish John had made it, too...

As for my student Will, he made me very proud, really. He is the guy I wrote my witch article about - his story became quite intricate later when he injured his knee during competition like two months before the RKC so that he had to go in for surgery on April 6th. That meant we had like 5 weeks for rehab, two of which he spent on crutches, so the decision whether to participate or transfer (especially the squats seemed to be a big challenge) has fallen as late as 3 days or so before flying out. But he was there, set the stage with 140(!) in the snatch test and worked himself up to winning the technique competition, too (with full squats and all, yes!). I'll hold myself back on further details as he is going to write an article for the DD site about his lickety-split recovery and RKC experience - I'll let you know when it's up.

This all sounds like I'm boasting, I guess, and probably because I am... My, can happen once in a while, you'll have to excuse me that. He did an outstanding job AND was careful enough not to get hurt again - I must admit I was pretty much concerned about how that knee would hold up and all the more am I relieved that everything went so well for him.

Pictures here :)

OTG for a week

I'm leaving for Denmark tomorrow. Woo-hoo, exciting times! Will report when I'm back.
Oh, and I finally got those 80 sets of 8 @16kg this morning.

Exactly this time one year ago

I was sitting in Doc's room in Budapest, chatting around a bit with Doc and Kenneth before saying goodbye and heading for home from the RKC Budapest, May 9-11, 2008. I was dead tired, moving like a tin soldier but felt great and was simply overwhelmed by the experience. Great memories coming up! Can't believe one year has already flown by... So many things have happened since then, I did the CK-FMS in August, assisted at the RKC in October and at the FMS in February, taught hundreds of KB classes, my way of thinking and acting has changed (in some aspects dramatically), my life(, the universe, and everything, if you know what I mean) has changed, and at the same time it also feels as if nothing had changed... And in a certain sense nothing did. Sorry, if this all sounds weird talk... Can't explain. One has to experience it.

Mind over matter

Last night:
swings @16kg, with clients
1min on, 30sec off
42 reps/set
10 rounds
15min, 420 swings
An hour later, with class, more
swings @16kg
40sec on, 20sec off
28 reps/set
10 rounds
10min, 280 swings

Today morning:
VO2Max, 15:15 @16kg
70 sets of 8
35min, 560 snatches

I was carrying a bit of fatigue from those 700 swings as the two workouts were like 12 hours or so apart, but it was more mentally an issue than physically, as I had no problem keeping up the cadence, once I managed to persuade myself to pick up the bell for the next set, lol. Good I had someone with me, going for 70 sets of 7 @24kg...

(I also keep GTG-ing presses, pullups, pistols, OH squats, windmills, TGU, etc., I don't really keep track of how many sets, I just do one or two whenever, maybe every hour or so. Practice. No elbow or other issues so far.)

Won't take long 'til

80. Sets, I mean, not years :) If it all goes on like this, I'll get to that milestone before leaving for DK (and see the Viking Warrior KJ - how cool is that?).

Thursday was supposed to be my off day, but then I did 10 sets of 10 swings @24kg with a client I-go-you-go-style (a walkin' Gymboss, lol).
Friday I planned to do 50 sets of 8 (VO2Max, 15:15 @16kg), but I had another kettlebell design with me that started to pinch my skin almost immediately so I got pissed and stopped after like 12 sets. Crazy (and frightening), how I got used to 'my snatch bell'.
Anyway, I did the 50 sets on Saturday and took yesterday off.
Today I did 60 sets of 8 (30min, 480 snatches). I had the same feeling as with snatching the 12kg back last October: once I get over 50 sets, there are no big differences. 60 wasn't much tougher than 50 and I could have gone on, as if I had fallen into a kind of 'automatic mode'. But we'll see.

Better days, finally

I was so glad last week that I seemed to have gotten rid of those freakin' clingy viruses and could return to training that I probably overdid something (pistols, maybe, dunno) and managed to pull some groin muscle so that for days even driving my car was a challenge. More time off from training, eh. What can I say, I'm obviously not tough enough for being that stupid.

The good news is, however, after this forced off time, voila, I finally managed my first unassisted pullups, woo-hoo, 'twas about time!

Anyhoo, I've decided to proceed real cautiously this time and do all strength work in good old GTG fashion until the DK cert (in two weeks) is over: pullups, pistols, presses, windmills, everything. A set or two between two clients/classes. That adds up quickly.

As for ballistics, I'm getting back into VO2Max training:

Monday:
15:15 @16kg, 20 sets of 8
10min, 160 snatches
That was less than half of what I did last time but it felt unexpectedly tough.
Then, another 10min of swings:
40sec on, 20 sec off
27-28 swings @24kg
10 sets
This was the first time, I think, I worked with the 24 in a work-rest ratio of more than 1:1. Hard on the forearms, although I kept mixing one- and two-hand swings.

Tuesday:
15:15 @16kg, 30 sets of 7
15min, 210 snatches
Cut back a rep and went for more sets. That one rep makes quite a difference.

Yesterday:
15:15 @16kg, 40 sets of 8
20min, 320 snatches
This felt like I'm almost back to where I was. Cool.

And I saved the best for last: by courtesy of John Du Cane and Dragon Door (a big thank you!), I'm now a cartoon heroine! You can check out my new article, a case study of my CK-FMS "voodoo" work in the articles section of the Dragon Door website.

There's hope

Although I'm a bit scared to say that - the last few days were like a roller coaster, one day I felt better, the next weak again.
Thursday was my planned off day, on Friday I only did my pullups and even that was a burden. On Saturday I was only good for vegging out.

Things were getting better yesterday:
band pullups: 4, 4, 3, 2, 1
Then:
5/5 C&P @16kg
20 swings @32kg
10 rounds

Today:
band pullups +
MP @16kg (L/R) +
box pistols (R/L)
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Then
VO2Max, 15:15 @16kg
50 sets of 8
25min, 400 snatches

So far so good...

Not that slight...

I made a premature statement last week presuming it was "nothing serious" - the next day I woke up with a full-blown cold so that I was reduced to a state of mere vegetation over the holidays. I'm still far from being okay but I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that yesterday and today, just to remember how it feels to be alive.

Yesterday:

swings
30sec on, 30sec off
10/10 @16kg
10/10 @20kg
10/10 @24kg
20 two-hand @16kg
20 two-hand @20kg
20 two-hand @24kg

4 times through, 24min, 480 swings

Today:

Band pullups: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
Box pistols: 3*5/5
C&P @16kg 3*5/5

VO2Max, 15:15 @16kg
40 sets of 8
20min, 320 snatches

Interestingly, strength level has dropped significantly, while ballistic endurance is more or less unchanged. I would've expected the other way round.

No flu

A slight virus infection, perhaps. Still somewhat weak, a bit of a sore throat and a bit of a running nose but nothing serious, thank God. Elbow and wrist are pretty good already but, as tomorrow I'll be off to Austria for the Easter holidays anyway, I decided to take it easy this week and get rested before I start anew next Tuesday.

Monday:
VO2Max, 15:15, @16kg
30 sets of 8
15min, 240 snatches

Today:
5*10/10 snatches @16kg
5/5 C&P @16kg
5/5 TGU @16kg
5/5 C&FSQ @16kg

45sec on, 45sec off
one-hand swings
rep ladder 1-->5 (30 swings) @16kg
rep ladder 1-->5 (30 swings) @20kg
rep ladder 1-->5 (30 swings) @24kg
7 rounds
31,5min, 630 swings

Happy Easter, everyone!