Thursday, May 21, 2009

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 :)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

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.

Monday, May 11, 2009

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.


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

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.)

Monday, May 4, 2009

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.