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I'm never bored with numbers! And I always save my favorite for last!

April 6, 2013, 5:32 pm
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...unless it's tax time, lol!

Today's training was long and light.  I never picked up anything heavier than the 12kg on purpose.

warm up
2 sets x 10 2 hd swing (15/15 x 2)
1 set 20 reps (30/30)
1 set 40 reps (1 min/1 min)
4 min, 80 swings

10 min set, 40 reps per minute = 400 swings
2.5 min rest
9 min set, 41 rpm = 369 swings
2 min rest
8 min set, 42 rpm = 336 swings
2 min rest
7 min set, 44 rpm = 308 reps
2 min rest
6 min set, 42 rpm = 252 swings
2 min rest
5 min set, 40 rpm = 200 swings

59.5 min, 1945 swings

Ouch, just 30 seconds under an hour!  If I had planned it before I showed up I might evened it up, but to be honest my first plan was do to 3 sets 10 minutes long with a 2.5 min rest and play with a faster pace.  I then changed it to 10, 9, 8 and after the warm up I thought, what the hell, right? Let's take the sets all the way down to 5 minutes!  And really the reason was because I had it in my head our workout was only an hour, and then I realized it 90 minutes on Saturday! duh!

I can only do these crazy ass long sets with my two students, Meg and Maribel so too bad for them they had to ride with me this morning!  I chose the 12kg because I strained my elbow flexors on my right arm due to overuse (go figure!).  Anyway, I would love to do this workout with the 14kg, but honestly speeding the pace of the swing up as fast as I did in three of those sets with the 16kg is out of my league!  I may have been able to do almost 2000 reps within an hour with the 16kg if I took shorter rest periods, but not faster swings!

I altered my Roundabout swing progression slightly and came up with another killer combination that I will share with you soon!  But I did purposely swing more on my left arm than my right, and 50% or more of the swings were with 2 hands.  By using a version of the Roundabout I did not pay attention to rep count for the entire set, only for each and every minute did I made sure to hit my faster pace, so I counted all of the reps within each minute and then, just now, multiplied the pace by the length of the set.

On to some easy and light squats and presses, 25 min. (goblet, front squats, presses)  I knew I had to practice jerks at Juno in the afternoon, so I didn't want to do any more ballistics, and this was the only day this week I had a chance to do squats....I made my next class do them too!

8:30-9:30 Intermediate class.  Cleans, lunges, squats, swings...a few more lunges at the end.

10:30-12:00 private sessions

1:00 Juno w/John wild Buckley.  12 kg jerks, 4 sets, 2 min/2 min  15 R/ 15 L (30 reps x 4 sets)

I made my lunch to take with me knowing I'd be hungry while driving back from Berkeley at 2:30-3:30.  I don't normally eat until around 12 noon on a Saturdays, but by 12 noon I'm pretty hungry.  But I can't really eat anything heavy or that requires my body to go into digesting foods before I train!  So, coffee with cream before and after classes, a 2 oz piece of dark chocolate around 11:00.  On the dive up to Juno I had a small piece of sliced roasted chicken breast and a couple of slices of Kabocha squash.

Ahhhh....on my way home I was soooo happy to eat the rest of my lunch!  Started off with the chicken, went to the asparagus and ended with my favorite of all! The roasted squash!  Funny how we all eat out favorites in different orders!  Mark will eat his favorite first, while I always save my favorite fot last! There is some sort of phycological reason depending on your order of birth (me?  middle child, him? youngest!), and or if your family was "better off" (him) or not so much (me!)

Do you eat your favorite first?  Or last?


ps, I took a packet of mayonaise just in case I wanted to stop and buy a bread roll and make a sandwich out of the chicken, asparagus and squash!  I almost always want bread after a long day of training, but today I didn't!  I did come home and finish off the rest of the squash!  I'm a pretty happy girl after today!
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Everyday I get to wake up, start again, and decide who I am and who I want to be!

April 12, 2013, 6:11 am
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My training is pretty much all over the place right now, and my life and my body are going through some changes simultaneously...coincidence?  Hmnn...  I don't really care, I just want to be on some kind of solid ground.

Looking at my calendar, SFG was just 4 short weeks ago and physically I haven't been the same since. I came home with a hamstring injury that was not caused by the Certification weekend of training and practicing, in fact I'm pretty sure it has to do with my Bikrams practice, but that's another story, but obviously it has greatly affected my life.  Although I still go to Bikrams yoga, my practice as I knew it before SFG is no longer.  Emotionally, after being pissed and angry now I feel sad and a little lost when I let myself.  And of course the thoughts of "this is happening for a reason" keep me looking for the good in this experience, and I can think of some good but I don't care about the why's I just want to feel better!

"Starting again is not the same as starting over. Everytime we start again we don't lose the experience of our first steps, we bring them with us. We don't forget our beginning, we learn from it. Our beginnings give us the base to define where we are currently, and where we need to go. I just need to keep moving forward and simply readjust the speed of the journey, of the adventure....of the experience" (Jan 2008) Decide who I am and who I want to be!  (April 2013

I wrote those words this past January to remind myself that life is what you make of it. For me, focusing on the things that I do know, instead of trying to figure out and worry about the details life has yet to bring. (March 2008)

Why is it that the thought of having to start a new kind of yoga practice piss me off, but starting a new kind of kettlebell practice doesn't?  Why is one exciting and the other depressing?  I guess it's all how you choose to look at it.  I'm not saying that at times all of it never feels painful, both emotionally and physically, because I have had those painful, angry, and lost, feelings and thoughts.  So on a positive note....

I'm still going to my yoga practice, but enjoying learning some of the postures 'the right way'!  I'm going to be stronger than ever!  Because I really do like my practice...or I should be honest and rephrase it by saying I really do like being good at my practice!  So I will be again.

I started a new 'heavy' swing/snatch cycle yesterday using my Sinister Swing protocol, and I'm excited to share it with all of you, no matter what level you are at!  I also have started to write programs for my 'Turn up the Volume' training and, fingers crossed, I get the details for The Swing Quest worked out asap.  I love creating training programs!  It's who I am and it's what I do.

My GS training is fun in a very challenging in a rewarding way!  Basically I suck!  And it's fine, it's more than fine, it's good!  Of course I suck!  I've only been doing it a few weeks!  I've always had a high respect for the sport and the athletes that train it, so how dare I think I could just walk into something without putting in my time and energy.  For me my experience with this sport is so much deeper than the physical movements and every workout reminds me of that fact.  It's bringing out the best and worst of me!  Ick...I really need to quit with the whining! It's not who I want to be!

I love my two new super big dressers I bought from Craigslist last week and I'm feeling hopeful about finally being organized and free from clutter.  Mostly mental clutter!  Funny how cleaning up one cleans up the other!  I will have a comfortable home again.  I've missed it, maybe I've never really had it, but I will have it.  I can feel what that looks like.  I can see myself there.

Everyday I wake up I get to start again. I decide who I am and who I want to be.


here is the original blogpost I wrote 5 years ago about 'Starting Again'.  (interesting that much of the post is about keeping a food journal...more about that subject too!)

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/2008/03/starting-again.html


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Sinister Swing Ladder Cycle

April 12, 2013, 8:02 pm
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Before I get into this swing workout let me preface this training post with a couple of things.

#1 This particular Sinister routine is designed for advanced kettlebell athletes, but in no way is it NOT scalable to any and every level.  I would never suggest anyone do this before establishing an "equal work to equal rest" ratio of interval training using the kettlebell swing.  AND once established I encourage training the Sinister routine with only one bell multiple times before moving on to a ladder, especially a ladder that includes this kind of increase in weights.

#2  Being at an advanced level you should know how to scale it!  Although these are my exact numbers doesn't mean they are your exact numbers!  In fact, I may change the routine slightly as the weeks go by, paying attention to the total workloads of my other training and schedule.  This is a template.

#3 I trained for my 20kg snatch test using a heavy swing program, not a heavy snatch program.  My ultimate goal is to do the snatch test with the 24kg (there, I said it), but beforehand I need to lay some serious groundwork.  I need to test the 20kg multiple times before moving forward.  Once I finish this cycle, and maybe one more 4-6 week cycle, I will test the 20kg again.  From that point I will test it more often, maybe every 8-10 weeks, before seriously setting my site on the 24kg.

#4 I did NOT use my Sinister swing routine to train for the 20kg snatch test and I have yet to journal and post my training that lead up to the success with the 20kg, so before I do I wanted to train for it one more time using this protocol as part of the progressive strength and endurance build up so here goes, on to the workout....

For the details of my Sinister routine here is the original blog post where I first introduce this protocol.

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/2012/09/if-you-went-through-this-years-san-jose.html

Sinister is basically an "equal work to rest" ratio, BUT reorganized in a much more difficult, should I say 'Sinister' way?  Most of the work piles up in the last two sets challenging your grip and cardio endurance before granting you a full 30 seconds to recover for the next round!  50 reps in total are completed in 2.5 minutes.  Sure you could do 5 sets of 10, but that wouldn't be as hard...I mean as fun!

Each set is started "on the 30 seconds"

5 reps
10 reps
15 reps
20 reps
30 sec rest

All reps are done with 2 hands, OR double bells at an advanced level.  Here is how I made it super advanced without making it super duper advanced!  lol

Using 5 progressively heavier bells, 32kg, 28kg, 24kg, 20kg, I used an uphill and downhill ladder alternating with a medium difficulty weight, 16kg for each "round" of Sinister.  A total of 8 rounds before scaling back to the last 4 rounds using one more difficult weight, but not THE most difficult weight!  That's coming!  Don't be in such a hurry!  lol

Ladder down

32kg 5 reps
28kg 10 reps
24kg 15 reps
20kg 20 reps

16kg, 5, 10, 15, 20 reps

Ladder up

20 kg 5 reps
24kg 10 reps
28kg 15 reps
32kg 20 reps

16kg, 5, 10, 15, 20 reps

repeat one more time

400 reps, 20 minutes

24kg, and dbl 16kg's (intermediate heavy weight, and now I've forgotten the exact distribution..yikes!)
4 rounds, 5, 10, 15, 20

200 reps, 10 minutes

A total of 30 minutes

This was the exact routine I shared with one of my training partners, Brenda.  My other Thursday morning partner, Maribel, used:

24kg
22kg
20kg
18kg
uphill and downhill
alternating w14kg for a full round

She finished her last 4 rounds w/20kg and dbl 10kgs (I think!)

Next Thursday we will pick up where we left off and for the next 5-6 weeks I will design the program that will end with mostly 32kg, 24kg and 16kg reps, eliminating the 20kg and 28kg, still only training 30 minutes.

If you are a strong male the weights I would suggest are

48kg
40kg
36kg
32kg
alternating the 24kg for an entire round of Sinister

OR

36kg
32kg
28kg
24kg
alternating 20kg for an entire round

Next Thursday, and potential progressions

#2 No downhill ladder, only uphill!  alternating with the intermediate weight, 16kg for the first 8 rounds.  The 4 final rounds yet to be determined.
#3 Back to uphill and downhill ladder, replacing the intermediate weight with the 20kg instead of the 16kg
#4 no downhill ladder
#5 Uphill and downhill ladder, geting rid of the alternating intermediate heavy rounds altogether.
#6 Uphill ladders.  Ouch!

This is just "theory".  I have not tested it so I'm completely open to the plan changing.  As long as the cycle climbs upwards over the set amount of weeks is all I care about.  I'm not training for the Sinister Olympics!  I simply want to challenge myself every week, increasing workloads based on what I did the previous week.  Once it's completed I will take a full week to 10 days off, training much lighter until the next cycle.  I may choose to test my 20kg, 5 min test again, or I may wait to train another heavy swing cycle, I haven't yet decided.




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Tuesday Training

April 17, 2013, 7:18 pm
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I'm still trying to make everybody happy!  Tuesday mornings at 6:00-7:00am I have a class that I teach/lead with a wide, super wide, variety of skill levels, not to mention I have my own wants and needs when it comes to training.  (lucky me)  I lead my group through a Top 40 version that was scale-able on at least 4-5 different levels, I, myself, opting for the advanced versions of more work to less rest using the 14kg.  After my 1 hour class I usually go for a 30 minute walk and off to visit some private in home clients before returning to the Studio to finish up my own training, and sometimes more 1 on 1's.  Lately I've been coming back to do a few GS sets, and/or clubbells, handstands (against the wall), etc.

But yesterday instead of going for a 30 minute walk after group training I did what I used to do, which is more kettlebell ballistics!  A "Beyond Max" 30 minute snatch workout to be exact.  Well, it was all fine until I returned to the Studio at 9:30am to complete my GS set of 50 swing/snatches with the 12kg.  My hands were fried!  Crispy and weak from these snatches;

8/8 x 10 (80) (traditional Max Vo2, 8 reps R, rest, 8 reps L, rest 15/15/15/15)
9/9 x 10 (90)
10/10 x 10 (100)
16 x 5 (80)
18 x 5 (90)
20 x 5(100)

540 12kg snatches, 30 min

really?  Geez...it's been a while since I did a full 30 minutes of anything based on Max Vo2.  Needless to say that the last 5 minutes or so tore up my hands.  That's what speed work can do.  I'm not blaming it all on the speed, sure, technique has something to do with it too (as I'm learning with GS).  There was no way I could do any more training with kettlebells.  So I went for an hour long walk, doing an errand or two along the way.

Wednesday Training (video above)

This was supposed to be a day off from any kind of kettlebells.  BUT I had to get my GS training done as I'm scheduled to compete next weekend in near Seattle WA.  Some joint mobility (15 min), a comfortable walk (30 minutes) and this 50/50 rep 12kg swing/snatch set.  Whew!  so much easier than yesterday!  In fact, I couldn't even do it yesterday at all!

I was surprised at how easy it felt.  I did not switch hands for over 4 minutes, completing the 50/50 in 9 and 1/2 minutes.  It was still 100 reps R and L before switching.  Although it might not be obvious in the video, I had a couple of things I was focused on as I watched my form and technique in the mirror in front of me.

Using more of my back and not my arms, at the "right" time.  Breathing of course.  I'm just glad I got it done.

Lots of stuff going on in my life.  Lots of really positive, great things, and some really sad things.  If only "life" would just tell me what to do and I would do it! Having to figure it out on my own can feel a bit dicey, but I'm doing the best I can....or am I?

Tomorrow morning will be hell!  And when I say "hell" I mean "fun". LOL!  Sinister ladder!  Bring it.
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week 2 Sinister Ladder

April 18, 2013, 12:18 pm
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Well, sometimes you never really know how things are going down! Without looking at the notes/plan I wrote last week I still had a good idea about the Sinister weight ladder for this mornings workout.  I knew all rounds done with the 20kg-32kg would be uphill (no downhill), but I couldn't remember if I also changed the size of the single bell rounds...so I chose to stay with the 16kg alternating and added one more complete round. (800 lb moved for each 50 rep round, 5 rounds instead of 4 = 4000 lb)

For the weight ladder compared to last weeks 50 reps/32kg, we did 80 reps today, 50 w/28kg last week, 60 today, 60 w/24kg last week, 50 today and 80 w/20kg, today 50 reps.  So 5640 lbs moved versus 6440 in the same amount of time.  A total of 8840 lb last week, 10,440 lb this morning...and that was just the first 25 minutes!

4 more Sinister rounds alternating these two variations

5 w/16kg
10 w/dbl 16kg's
15 w/16kg
20 w/16kg

5 w/16kg
10 w/32kg
15 w/16kg
20 w/16kg

3840 additional lbs moved

on to double snatches
12kg's 100
10kg's 24

GS

12kg jerk
48+48 (4 min/4min)  ummm....not that easy!

16kg jerk
6+6 (1 min/1min) ummm...not that easy!

16kg snatch
30/30 reps (about 3 min total) ummm...not that easy!

Yikes.  Today's practice with the 16kg reminded me of Mark's phrase;

"It's all easy 'til it's heavy!"

Ain't that the truth!  Seriously.  But maybe it had something to do with the 8 tons of weight I moved earlier?

Now I'm off to Sonora to become a "Junkie"!  Teaching class at Brandi Loyd's Junkyard Training Center in the Sierras!
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That's All She Wrote

April 20, 2013, 1:58 pm
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I knew I had my last GS scheduled workout to do this morning but I hadn't figured out exactly how to fit it in. I decided to do my regular training first and end the morning, after all classes and clients, with my last set of GS snatches....um, at least that was the plan.  By the time I got to it, well, that's all she wrote!

Basically my advanced high volume training was long sets and fast sets.  I used only three swing, and swing/snatch combinations (I've posted them many times in this blog.  Maybe serach Hardstyle Ventura for the examples, or Youtube for Tracyrif swing/snatch combinations)

7:00am Advanced High Volume
warm up with 12kg swings, I believe 5 sets of 20 reps (30/30)
100 swings, 5 min

warm up 30 sec snatch combinations
1 sw/snatch.tr R/L x 6 x 2
1 sn/transfer x 8 x 2
5/5 sn x 2
6 min

Work sets (all sets 1 min/30 sec)
1 sw, 1 tr x 20
1 sw, 1 tr x 22
1 sw, 1 sn, 1 tr x 12
1 sw, 1 sn, 1 tr x 14
1 sn, 1 tr x 16
1 sn, 1 tr x 18 (later increased to 20)
9 min

1 sw/tr x 20 +1 sw/tr x 22 (all sets 2 min/1 min rest)
1 sw/sn/trx 12 + 1 sw/sn/tr x 14
1 sn/tr x 16 + 1 sn/tr x 20
9 min

1 sw/tr x 20 + 1 sw/tr x 22 + 1 sw/sn/tr x 12 (all sets 3 min/1 min, uphill/downhill)
1 sw/sn/tr x 14 + 1 sn/tr x 16 + 1 sn/tr x 20
1 sn/tr x 20 + 1 sn/tr x 16 + 1 sw/sn/tr x 14
1 sw/sn/tr+ 1 sw/tr x 14 + 1 sw/tr x 20

16 min + one additional minute rest (17 min)

The last two sets combine all 6 sets in an uphill, then downhill ladder.  6 minutes work/ two minute rest in between.

1 sw/tr x 20 + 1 sw/tr x 22 + 1 sw/ sn/ tr x 12 + 1 sw/sn/tr x 14 + 1 sn/trx 16 + 1 sn/tr x1

1 sn/tr x 20 + 1 sn, 1 tr x 16 + 1 sw/sn/tr x 14 + 1 sw/sn/tr x 12 + 1 sw/tr x 22 + 1 sw/tr x 20

14 min

Each one minute work set equals:

1 sw/tr x 20 = 40 swing reps
1 sw/tr x 22 = 44 swing reps
1 sw/sn/tr x 12 = 24 swings, 12 snatches
1 sw/sn/tr x 14 = 28 swings, 14 sn
1 sn/tr x 16 = 16 snatches, 16 swings
1 sn/tr x 20= 20 snatches, 20 swings

172 swings, 62 snatches per 6 set rotation. (warm up + 100 swings)
7 rotations 1204 swings, 434 snatches

total workout 54 minutes, not including 12 min warm up

Onto another 20 minutes of 30/30 sec sets of cleans (bottoms up singles and doubles) presses (singles and doubles) squats (singles and doubles), 20 sets in total to finish up 90 minutes of training

Intermediate class

15 minutes of swing/clean practice

25 minutes of swing/holds

swing warm up + 2 hd sw to a goblet hold (I also call this a two hand clean sometimes)

Work sets consist of 3 sets of 10 reps with the option to put the bell down and rest OR clean and hold any way you want to.  Take as many or as few rest/holds as each individual wants to. Personally I held my 12kg bell in some sort of clean for the entire workout.

10 1 hd sw R (15 sec rest OR clean hold R)
10 1 hd sw L (15 sec rest OR clean hold L)
10 2 hd sw (15 sec rest OR goblet hold)
x 10 sets each = 15 min, 450 swing reps, 7.5 minutes of rest or holds.

Finish class with 15 minutes of lunges done 4 ways.  Completely unloaded, loaded in clean position and loaded overhead.

Time for my 9:30-10:00 coffee break!

2 hours of privates....

.....so wonder I was unsuccessful in completing my last GS workout.  I was scheduled to do one 12 minute 12 kg snatch set, but my hands and grip were much worse off than I predicted they would be at the end of the day.  Lesson learned.  BUT I did, in fact, try to gut it out anyway focusing on technique as much as I could instead of reps/time and managed to complete 4 minutes R, only to transfer L and after 1 minute decide it was stupid to go on....I didn't give up, I gave in.  I have mixed emotions about it really.  But the bottom line is that prioritizing my training is the only way I will see any success in GS sport.  Lots to think about as I go into next weekend's competition.

Photo above; I reluctantly put the bell down after 5 minutes total.

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Homemade Mayonnaise

April 22, 2013, 5:58 pm
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It's been interesting keeping up daily Facebook posts on my fan page, The Swing, and trying to stay current here on my blog.  I tend to get wordy here because I have the space!  BUT a couple of days ago I wrote a post about coconut oil.  Within the past couple of years we have purchased coconut oil and coconut butter, both to which we (Mark and I) agreed that the trade off of taste was not worth the value....but now the dietary science seems to be rolling through the Reifkind household once again, but I'm not ready to get into all of the science of nutrition yet!  This post is about homemade mayonnaise!

Mayonnaise is categorized as a "sauce" or "dressing". A sauce or dressing has fat, acid, and something that emulsifies and/or thickens the two, like mustard, or egg....and to be honest I could be totally wrong about this!  I'm just a home cook looking to understand the methods and techniques of cooking and preparing foods!

I've been wanting to make my own mayonnaise for years now, after spending time with my best friend, and former professional Chef, Fawn Friday, who always makes her own mayonnaises and aioli's (garlic mayonnaise).  The only problem is that I don't particularly like mayonnaise enough to eat much of it!  So therefore I don't use a lot, and getting into the practice of making it so that it becomes effortless and efficient just doesn't happen often enough.  The only tricky part about it is that there is a particular technique which, if not adhered to, will make a sloppy broken up mess of a good amount of costly ingredients!  The best way to make sure that you don't mess it up is to practice!

You can find a TON of mayonnaise recipes online, but the technique is the same.  Start with egg, lemon (acid), mustard (emulsifier), salt and pepper.  Using a blender or food processor drizzle in oil (oils) a drop at a time so it all comes together, until you can start to "stream" the oil in as it is blending (or processing). It really about technique and not so much the measurement of ingredients.

Okay, so back to MY story of coconut oil mayonnaise!

I needed mayo because I was out!  Since I don't use that much it's been on my grocery list for about 1 week!  This afternoon, with all of the recent coconut oil usage in my house, I started to think that there must be a coconut oil version of mayonnaise.  Fat is fat, right?  Well, kind of, but mostly yes.



Using a basic recipe I pulled out my blender and went to work.  Lucky me I have pastured eggs in the fridge and I had some good quality oils (both coconut and olive).  I only had stone ground mustard (not Dijon), but it's just cooking, right?  The key...the key, until you get enough practice, is that you start adding the oil as slowly as humanly possible for the first minute or two while your blender is on "low".  Then a steadier stream can be tolerated.

If you screw this part up, your sauce, your mayonaise will "break", never to come together again!  And it ain't pretty, or edible!  The chances of you throwing a good amount of $$ down the drain (literally) is pretty good!  lol

But at the end of the cooking day, the practice, successful or not, will be worth it!  Jus think about the possibilities!  Garlic mayo, fresh herb mayo, avocado mayo, bacon fat mayo....good God!  If you google flavored mayonnaises the sky is the limit!

Please google some recipes, try them and report back!  Or maybe it's something you already prepare?  Please share!  Me?  I'm a total convert!  Never, ever, store bought for me anymore!  Oh, and what a great excuse to use cute little jars!  And talk about a nice hostess gift!  I promise, if you invite me over I will bring you some!  lol

Here are some popular posts with more details about technique.

http://reluctantgourmet.com/cooking-techniques/more-specific-techniques/item/59-homemade-mayonnaise-recipe
http://fotocuisine.com/?p=980
http://www.realfoodkosher.com/homemade-mayonnaise-101/
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/basic-mayonnaise-10000000663046/index.html
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Mission Accomplished...well, one mission at least!

April 28, 2013, 5:41 pm
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Really this is just a quick blog post with none of the messy details!  But here is a phrase that will, pretty much, describe the competition this weekend was not exactly a walk in the park!


"In Jiu Jitsu there's no losing...you either win, or you learn!"


Yes, I got the number I needed to earn my Level 1 ranking (the highest level before moving on to a heavier bell).  Were they what I wanted?  No. Did I get what I wanted?  Yes.




12kg 10 min Jerk

122 total reps
61 pts

12kg 10 min Snatch

197 total reps (90 R/107 L)
99 pts

159 1/2 total points earned
156 points needed





I was hoping to get over 165 points and need only 150....the rest of the story w/video and gory details coming!  To be honest, it's hard/painful for me to watch the video myself.  Not painful because I was suffering, painful because I knew I could have done so much better.  Unlike the phrase at the top of this post, I did win something....but I learned more!



ps, I'm sure Mark and John would say that I'm being dramatic, and at the end of the day I guess I am.  No disrespect to the 12kg, but there is plenty more real drama headed my way now that I get to tackle the 16kg!
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Deals with the Devil....a mindless eating habit

April 29, 2013, 6:20 am
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If I had to admit the one habit I've gotten into, that is changing today (well, actually I changed it last night), it is that I make these 'deals with the devil' when it comes to portioning out my food at meal time!

I know full well what reasonable portions look like!  Heck I live with someone that eats regularly sized portions at every meal (yep, every single meal, always). In fact I always take notice how Mark can eat a single serving of yogurt, never going back for seconds, while I don't even bother with buying single servings because I know I'm not going to be happy with one small container!  I buy the big containers and then trust myself to make my own size portion...you know, a more reasonable size while still not eating too much...what a nice guy I am!

Speaking of yogurt...  Last night I decided to have a serving of yogurt.  I opened up my cupboard for a bowl.  I decided to use a small bowl and not have seconds.  Since I was not having seconds I also decided to give myself a little extra pinch of sliced almonds in exchange for "being good"!  This was the deal with the devil!  More almonds, no more yogurt...promise!  But still I wondered...could I keep that promise...this time?  In the past, especially the last year I'm pretty sure I never have kept that promise, going back for more yogurt and more almonds!  I knew full well what I was doing but didn't feel motivated to change it.

Will today be different?  Yes.  Yes it will.

I had a really interesting weekend, and before that some things had been lining up in a way that haven't helped make me feel good about a number of mindless eating habits I've let slip into my daily life.  Taking second, and third, helpings for really no good reason is one of them.

Oh, I could tell you an excuse.  The best one is the "reward" excuse.  You might know the one....."but I work so hard, I've been so good....and besides, it's healthy food!"  Etc...

Last night I got out my small bowl, and yes, I did have an extra pinch of sliced almonds, but I did not go back for seconds.  So there!  I proved I could do it and I didn't die, and I didn't go hungry!  In fact I felt pretty darn good!

I've gotten into a couple of other mindless eating habits that I will write about, but let me start here.  Today is a new and beautiful day to begin again.


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Diet "Tips and Strategies", 80/20

April 30, 2013, 8:15 pm
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I'm not going to say I hate diet tips and strategies....you didn't hear me say it, did you?

There are a million and one diet tips and strategies, or maybe just a few, but interpreted a million different ways!  They are all good, and they all probably work if you DO them!  That's key, right?  Doing them, not knowing them!  I try and never offer tips as if they are easy to follow through with because I know that when it's just not time, it's just not time!  It seems that more often than not we have the best of intentions and then something happens....oh yes, I remember...

"It's all easy until you get hungry!"

Hunger of course can be a just a feeling, or indeed a fact.  The science behind weight loss, no matter what some popular books/authors write about these days, for me, comes down to calories in, calories out.  What it comes down to for you? Well, only you really know what and how much you eat, but this I know.  If I dropped you off on a deserted island and came back for you 1 month later you would weigh less, a lot less.  I'd put money on it.

I completely understand wanting more food for no apparent good reason other than it tastes good, and it feels good when I'm eating it, AND I can have whatever I want, when ever I want, pretty much all of the time. I'm spoiled.  Or, more accurately I may be, literally, spoiling (my health).  Anyway, enough with the know it all attitude and back to some diet tips!

As I posted a couple of days ago I tend to serve myself larger portions of food at meal times.  I know I'm doing it.  It's not a secret or a mystery, I admit I do it.  I'm not really liking doing it anymore so I think I'm going to change that habit.  Okay, I changed it.  Extra large portions also include second helpings!  But I think I may be ready to take it a step further.

I really, really liked Amanda's comment to my last blog post about stopping at 80% full!  I think I'm going to tweak it a bit, and change it to starting with only an 80% serving!  I think it's a pretty easy strategy to "eyeball".  In fact now that I think about it my portions have easily crept up by an additional 20%-50%, so cutting them back to "normal" is 80%! lol

This is something that I can feel good about right away. I got tired of lying to myself.  It's just not fun.  In fact, it would be funny if the science worked out perfectly and by cutting my calories 20% I would lose 20% of my body weight!  Hmnn...wouldn't that be a fun game to play?

Diet tips and strategies come and go...and then come around again!  Really, I only offer up some suggestions as I find my own way through the feelings and emotions that seem to be connected around my eating and the foods I chose to eat or not eat.

I prefer to look at tips and strategies as "rules".  To me it feel like rules have less emotion behind them.  It's much easier to actually not help myself to seconds when I take the choice out if it. I mean, I'm not making crazy rules!  Crazy rules are just crazy!  I never want to feel as if I'm punishing myself because I don't feel as if I've been "bad".  So I started eating a little too much, or maybe a lot.  I can change that, I have changed that, and that's that.

What have you changed?  What worked for you?  Do you have rules?  Do you have a strategy?

Or do you never think about eating and/or food?  I'm always interested to hear about "you"
people!  lol  What's that like?  I can imagine a time when I will feel the same.  Maybe tomorrow?  That would be nice.





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Argh, the gory details of my 10 minute (technically), I mean 9 minute 12kg jerk set

May 1, 2013, 6:37 pm
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I'm spoiled.  I was spoiled.  I was quickly spanked.



It's been 5 days since my weekend competition and I'm a completely different person today than I was, oh about 4 days and 10 hours ago.  Something so unpredictable happened to me in my first set of the morning that left me blindsided.  Of course it's never happened to me before because I've never been a competitive athlete before! Long story short...okay, long story long....

First set, 3rd flight, 10:30am, 10 minute jerk, 12kg.  No problem.  I wasn't at all afraid of lasting the ten minutes like I was the first time, I've put in enough practice, and with my all of the training I've done and handling of the bell for the past 7 years the 12kg is entry level.  But, like everybody else I had to complete Level 1 in order to advance to a heavier bell.  As my coach John Wild Buckley says it, I had to "put the 12kg to bed."  I had a certain number in my head of 130 reps (my first ever total was 90 reps almost 3 months ago) just under and based on Galina Denzels total, a friend I had competed alongside to in February.  I had practiced a 24 RPM pace enough to know that in competition, with added benefit of adrenaline, the outcome could be even better!

The set starts. Feeling great.  Feeling more than great.  The bell felt light.  I had already decided to go over the 5 minute half way mark with my "stronger" starting side (R) because in practice it was always my "strong" L side that petered out in the last 30 seconds, just after the 4 minutes of continuous reps.  Fine, no problem.  Great plan, although I had never tested it that way.

Smokin' pace, in fact over 30 reps per minute!  At the 6 minute mark, where I pre decided I would switch to my L, I had 92 reps!  2 reps more at 6 minutes with only one hand, my right, than my last entire total!  I was unstoppable.  Next to me a seasoned veteran of whom I have the highest respect for, Rebecca Taylor Riggs, same bell size (one weight class under).  At one point I was matching her rep for rep and then the hand switch.....

Of all the things I was worried about going into the competition it was dropping the bell during the transfer from R to L.  But a it was a seamless and smooth transition.  Uh oh....it's now firmly and safely in my left hand, but I'm not moving.  I froze. My nervous system shut down and I was paralyzed.  What the heck just happened?  I couldn't move.  I could not make my body move in the way I knew it needed to in order to complete one jerk.  Not one rep.  I kept thinking that all I had to do was to catch my breath....but it wasn't my breath, it wasn't my strength, it was that my body and my brain were completely disconnected.

Mark explains that I probably went over 100% effort on my stronger side, creating a huge load on my nervous system from the opposite side of my body (my right side), and that resulted in my left hip just shutting off.  Panic started to set in.  All I could think about was that with only one hand switch I could not go back to my R side, to the groove I had so effortlessly found just seconds before. In fact, looking back at it I felt as if I could have done the whole ten minutes without ever switching, WHY DID I SWITCH, WHY?   Because I had to, and that was not the problem!  6 minutes with 4 minutes remaining is a long time, and I would have most likely crashed and burned even worse!

Okay, so there I was paralyzed, and I'm not kidding!  It seemed an eternity.....I could only try and focus on the task at hand. In my head I repeated the order to the technique and nothing else as I know it with the very first step, "set up, elbow on hip..."  When you get there, "drop your knees under your hips, load your quads, explode out of the stretch, jump under the bell and lock out..." Nope, I couldn't budge.  I repeated, "Set up, elbow on hip......drop your knees under your hips, load your quads, explode out of the stretch, jump under the bell, lock out..."  Nothing.

Between feeling devastated and trying to pull my head out of my ass somehow I managed to move my body and gut out one rep. It was the "old" hardstyle type of jerk that I knew would take me no where.  I loaded my hips instead of my quads and squatted the bell into the air.  Well, that was ugly! Okay, okay...here goes again I can't give up...this is impossible, this can not be happening....  Yes, finally, omg, am I really getting some reps?  It can't be.  I was feeling so out of communication with my movement, but keep going. It's a freakin' miracle once I looked at the video because I truly do not remember one good rep from this point on before I feel it start to fade again.  My body and mind disconnected, it just won't do what I want it to do.

Here's the thing.  I know "Hardstyle" jerks will only get me so far.  Even though I knew how to execute GS jerks I could not move my body through the sequence.  I could hear it in my head, but maybe this is where my amateur brain did not think to visualize it strong enough to relax and trust...and feel.  I had been blindsided, never knowing about this kind of possibile experience.  But I do now!

To be honest I'm not all that excited to post the video and let me warn you the last minute is R rated.

The last minute.  The last MINUTE?  Good God!  As I approached the nine minute mark a couple of my reps were not good, and and I knew it.  The reps were called as such, "No count, push press." After the last meager attempt just before the 9 minute mark I never gave up hope.  I knew I had kicked some serious ass before the switch, and I never gave up hope of the 130 rep count I had dreamed about.  Just one more, just one more....I'm getting teary now just recounting it.  But still I couldn't move correctly, I just couldn't make it happen.

"ONE MINUTE!" remaining.

Out of the blue Rebecca, kicking and hauling ass of her own during her own set, shouts out, "C'mon Tracy!"

I kept praying, "One more rep, shit, just one?  Please?  Damn, fuck, I can't believe it!  You are so much better than this, just one more.  Please, get it together, you can do it...feel it...nope, damn.  Shit." I hear Mark in the background, "Calm down!"  Whoops...fuck it I don't care, I'm pissed!

I can feel John, my coach, get up from his sitting position behind me.  For some crazy reason I found this comforting.  Of course he couldn't rescue me, but at least he could see that his efforts now just needed to be that of reassurance.  "Don't put the bell down!  C'mon, just a few more seconds, you got it!"

I wasn't planning on putting the bell down ever!  It was not my strength that was gone.  It was not my will that was gone.  It was not the belief in myself that was gone.  As John would say it was not my heart that was gone.  None of it ever left me.  If anything I was embarrassed.

Bottom line, end of story.  I did not complete one more rep for over an entire minute.  I completed 92 rep on my R side before switching to my L.  Somehow I pulled another 30 reps out of my ass in 3  of the 4 minutes remaining on my L side.  Total 122, eight reps under my own secret ambition.


This is only the recount of my jerk set!  So many things lead up to this outcome and so many lessoned learned.  I'm not blaming any other one event prior to this result, but looking back on the entire experience there is a long list of things I will never ever do the same again!

At the end of the day, if I expect to share the platform with extraordinary athletes that live and breath this sport, then I better put my big girl pants on and bring my best.  What is my best?  I promise from this point forward she will be at the next meet and every one afterwards!

More to come! After all I still had a 10 minute 12kg snatch set to do!

Thanks for listening!

PS  The most painful part of this video is after John stands up and twirls the rep counter around his fingers into his hand, almost "wrapping it up" knowing he would not need it to count another rep.  :( sad face!  Personally I've only watched it in it's entirely one time.  I'm trusting any of you that are motivated to sit through the 10 minutes of video to comfort me by telling me that it wasn't that bad!  In the last minute I do my share of cursing and I apologize.  I really couldn't believe what was happening, but I never gave up.

A very deep special thanks to Rebecca who kicked serious ass!  To John, of course.  To Sara Lightfoot, super bad ass 16kg snatcher that I can dream of being like!  (Juno rocks!)  To Tom Corrigan, of whom you might meet in my next blog post about my snatch set, and all the new strong friends that I met during this very special GS adventure!

And of course, my loving and supportive husband to whom none of this could ever possibly have happened.  Who flew in Saturday morning and took a $70 cab ride to get to my see my first set in time!  He's the best, and always there when I need him!
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"Min Sin", Sinister Ladder Training....sometimes you gotta step back to step forwards!

May 3, 2013, 7:23 am
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Still ramping up and moving some big weights for a couple of more weeks before taking a back off week.  This whole Sinister training cycle is turning out to be an interesting one.

As I've wrote about before there are a couple of different angles Sinister puts to work even though the rep count averages out to an "equal work to rest" ratio.  The grip of course.  Done originally with all two hand swings the last two sets challenge the grip with a total of 35 reps done in a minutes time. You would think that that's not too big of a deal since you could technically do 40 continuous reps in that same minute, 5 more reps = more work, right? Well, there is something about "starting and stopping" that takes a different kind of work!  Although 35 is less than 40, that one extra time you have to put the bell down and pick it back up again (think power swing) with a 7 sec rest produces a challenge.

I did in fact journal last weeks Sinister Ladder training that I will edit into this post over the weekend, but I wanted to get yesterdays training journaled before I forget.  I also designed a brand new "Mini Sinister" that I posted the video demonstration of on facebook while at the airport last Thursday, but since I was headed out of town and had a competition to think about I did not have time to explain it, other than to describe it as I lead you through the demo.

Mini Sinister ("Min Sin")

Don't let it fool you!  It's just as Sinister!  Min Sin ladders down, starting at 20 reps, 15, 10, ending with 5 reps.  You have to complete the longest set first and this gets your heart rate up quickly.  You do have 30 seconds to recover before the next set of 15, but then you only get 7 seconds to pick the bell up again to complete the next 10 reps.  This is where the grip still gets challenged, but not as intensely as original Sinister.  You then get the rest of the 30 sec interval (15 sec remain) before ending the round with only 5 reps.....you do not get a full 30 seconds before starting again with 20 reps!  Oh sure, it's still a generous rest of about 22 seconds, that's why it's Mini Sin!  A bit easier designed to ease into the original, or to use with the original protocol as we did yesterday!  And I have to say, it was brilliant!

Last week I removed the 20kg from our weight ladder, leaving the 32, 28, and 24kg.  Still the 16kg remained as our alternating bell size.  This week instead of using all of the bells within a Sinister round we used the same bell for all 4 sets, 1 set backwards (Min Sin) and one round forwards (original Sin...that's funny actually, lol)

Set your timer for 30 second intervals.  First set of 20 reps starts at the beginning of the first interval.  Rest the next interval.  Start 15 reps on the 3rd interval, leaving about 7 seconds rest. Start 10 reps on the 4th interval, leaving 15 sec rest.  Start the last set of 5 reps on the 5th and last interval.  Repeat.  Both versions of Sinister are five 30 second intervals = 2.5 minutes, 50 swing reps each round.

20 (30 sec)
30 sec rest
15 (23/7 sec work to rest)
10 (15/15)
5 (7/23)

We warmed up with one 16kg round of Sinister 5-20.  Next I decided to start the 32kg rounds with Min Sin, 20-5 before a round of 5-20 original Sin.

16kg 5-20
32kg 20-5/5-20 (100 reps)
28kg 20-5/5-20 (100 reps)
24kg 20-5/5-20 (100 reps)

Here is where I get a bit creative.  I wasn't finished with the heavy bells yet wanting to do at least half of the reps alternating with a lighter bell. We did sets 1 and 4, 20 reps and 5 reps with our heavy bells and the two sets in between 15 and 10 reps with the lighter bell.  That equalled 25 reps heavy, 25 reps light.

20 w/32kg
15 w/16kg
10 w/16kg
5 w/32kg

repeat replacing the 28 and 24kg for the 32kg.

last round all with the 16kg




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My GS Adventure Continues with Saturday Training

May 4, 2013, 3:40 pm
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I'm not supposed to be back to my GS training yet "officially", but I thought I'd play around this morning with the 16kg snatch.  I ended up doing five 2 min sets with one hand switch (1 min R/ 1 min L), resting for 2 minutes in between sets.




One minute R and one minute L is hardly a GS Training, but to be honest I think the very first time I had ever snatched for an entire minute long on one hand with the 16kg was just this past year!  Funny how it doesn't even scare me anymore at all.  More than 1 minute with a 16kg? Well, it starts to get really scary after 2  minutes.  At that point, considering where I am right now, I bow to the GS Gods!








Using only a 12kg comp bell I warmed up with:

20 tr sw x 2 sets (30/30)
1 sw/1tr x 10 x 2 sets (30/30)
1 sw, 1 sn, 1 tr x 12 x 2 sets (1 min/1 min)
1 sw/1 sn R for 30 sec + 1 sw/1 sn L for 30 sec x 2 sets (one set w/16kg)

Work sets

set one
21 R/22 L
set two
21 R/18 L
set three
19 R/ 19 L
set four
19 R/17 L
set 5
18 R/15 L

98 R/91 L

Now, when I can get these numbers without stopping or switching!  lol...yeah I'll do it!  (I get to train with a couple of women that do and believe you me, I'm taking notes!)

Somewhere along the line I remembered how to breath!  But honestly, there were so many elements to technique I was trying to think about.  Mostly how to "skip" my hand from one grip over my palm into a different grip in order to save my hands. The heavier the bell the more brutal it gets on the hands/grip.

Onto swing practice....



I am having so much fun designing the Intermediate Top 40 workouts!  So Meg and I did some serious "1 minute plus" swing combinations.  I like to practice new stuff with a variety of rest intervals looking for that "sweet spot".  Not too hard, but not too easy either!  We ended up completing, probably just around 1000 swings in about 40 minutes. I say about because I did not have a Gymboss to count intervals and after journaling what I think we did.  (I know, I know!  Those that know me should be shocked that I didn't keel over and pass out without my Gymboss!)  Anyway, I seem to have come up a minute or so short of swings, but I'm not 100%.  Let me tell you, it felt like 1000 reps!  (14kg for me)

8:30-9:30 Intermediate class.  600 swings, multiple sw/snatches. Goblet squats and Halo's

10:00-11:00 privates

shopping, home, food, wine, blog...how was your day?
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Brick House

May 8, 2013, 7:24 pm
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On my way to yoga this morning I had the radio on......why is it that there can be so many channels and nothing good to listen to?  Anyway, it seemed as if every station was playing an advertisement so I went looking to some of the channels I don't normally go to first and landed on the R & B oldie station 98.1 KISS radio.  Now, I'm totally old school R & B, I grew up with this kind of music so I'm down!  (omg, did I just write that?)  What comes on?  The Commodores, "Brick House"!  Who does not like "Brick House"?

Who doesn't like the song "Brick House"? These days some people that consider themselves "PC" I would guess!  I mean the lyrics are outrageous if you think about it!

(chorus)
She's a brick----house
Mighty mighty, just lettin' it all hang out
She's a brick----house
The lady's stacked and that's a fact, 
ain't holding nothing back. 

(verse)
She knows she got everything
a woman needs to get a man, yeah. 
How can she use, the things she use
36-24-36, what a winning hand! 

I mean really!  If a man were to say these things about a woman today he would be, oh I don't know, lets just say it's a bit objective.  (of course I know modern music, especially rap music is crazy nasty, but let me finish)  Music gets away with so much doesn't it?

So, I'm listening to this song, feeling the beat, remembering the "day", but kind of laughing at the lyrics.  Then I started thinking about this woman, this "brick house" of a woman.  Who is she?

She is not so much objectified in her opinion as she is in charge of her life.  In this song, this woman, this "brick house", uses her feminine shape and sexuality as an advantage, and it seemed obvious by the description, in a modern taste, what she might look like.  But is it her actual measurements or her energy, her confidence that makes her attractive?  I started to look closer and see more meaning behind "brick house".

I started imagining the confidence, the power, the strength of a brick house.  The solidness of a structure that was unshakable.  For women I think some of that can in fact come with the feeling that we look good, nice, pretty, beautiful, sexual...smart, clever, witty and sophisticated...strong.  But all of these feelings are subjective.  We can feel like we are all these things no matter what anybody else thinks of our looks, or how we act!  That is the definition of confidence.

Moving on to more of a literal translation.  "Brick house".  Solid.  Strong.  Quality.  Unmovable.  Lasting.  Engineered.  Structured.  Serious and ready for whatever life, the weather, the elements will bring.

I visualized myself as a "brick house" in every meaning of the term.  As a woman confident in her presence. As a woman that knows who she is and does not apologize for wanting more in life, to be more, to be my best.  To be that structure that does not compromise.

As a woman competing in a sport that requires strength I could see my "brick house", my physical body snatching a heavy kettlebell overhead and locking out with the strongest of foundations that I prepared and built, brick by brick, practice by practice.  I could see my body as a brick house under that bell, unafraid and almost daring it to take me down....knowing I was stronger, smarter, and I would be the winner.

I grabbed my phone and wrote myself a note..."brick house".  This is the image I will see if and when feel doubt.  This is the image to which I will build a stronger confidence. This is the image I will concentrate on as I fall asleep at night.  I will put it all together, one by one, day by day, I will show up and do the work, cuz I'm a brick house!  I'm mighty mighty!



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original sin Thursday 5/9

May 10, 2013, 6:19 am
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No playing around this morning.  Straight to the heavy bell after a 10 minute warm up of mostly 40 2 hd sw sets

original sin

5, 10, 15, 20 uphill rep ladder

32kg, 28kg, 24kg, 20 kg x 4 rotations

I reintroduced the 20kg and completely took away the 16kg.  One round each, starting with the 32kg. 150 reps each, 600 swings total, 30 min.

4800
4200
3600
3000
15,600lb moved.

This was pretty much the top of cycle in terms of difficulty, not load.  Next week is our last week, in which we will use both uphill and downhill Sinister ladder (Original and Mini Sin).  Step back from the really heavy stuff for about 7-10 days, and then test our snatch.

Next cycle will be back to dbl 16kg's.
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You Are What You Eat Eats!

May 14, 2013, 7:53 pm
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"You are what you eat"?  Or "you are what your food eats"?  Buying meat that is from grass fed and pasture raised animals is number one priority for a lot of people these days, but where is that pasture?  What kind of grass is in that pasture?  What kind of bugs are in that grass?  This is especially true with eggs!  Do your own taste test with different sources of  "pastured eggs", I did after having this conversation with a foodie student of mine (Julie's the best ever!)  When I mentioned that I was doubting the quality of the pastured eggs I was buying at the Farmers' Markets ($7dz) Julie shared the results of a side by side taste test she did on her own with 4 separate egg sources, all "pasture raised and fed", including her own chicken's eggs!


Julie started raising her own chickens this year and when she decided to put her own eggs up against 3 other brands of pastured eggs she was shocked at the results!  Two of the sources are sold at our local FM's and one that is sold at a high end grocery in Palo Alto.  Her eggs came in 3rd out of 4!  So she did a little research and realized she needed to feed her chickens better!  It was what the chickens were eating!


I believe Julie fried the 4 eggs and not only tasted a difference but could see a difference in the size and color of the yolks.  For my test I only had two different $9 dz pastured eggs, and I asked the location of the pasture (one north of me toward SF, the other Austin TX!).  One source was the FM (Vital Farms) and the other the PA market Julie told me about (Wattle and Comb), those eggs came in first in her test by the way, so I high tailed it over there for a couple dozen!


I chose to soft boil them, because that's how I like them!  One was easier to peel, and that was not surprising as the W&C eggs I've had for about 1 week now, and the VF ones I just purchased on Sunday.  Fresher eggs are harder to peel, and that was true in my experience.  But fresher or not, the taste and look paled in comparison.  The W& C eggs were the clear winners.  Creamier and deeper in flavor as well as the yolks were more gold and larger compared to the white.  The VF eggs were fine, but more bland, dryer and the yolks less yellow and smaller compared to the white. I tasted both with no salt at all and then just a lite sprinkle.


So, moral of the story?  Don't just assume a product is the best you can spend your hard earned money on because it's labeled organic, pastured, natural, air chilled, grass fed. In fact I'm already suspecting the Vital Farms eggs to not be pasture fed, instead I believe they have access to a pasture and therefore can be labeled as "pastured".  Or for that matter maybe the foods you grow and raise aren't getting what they need to produce the best quality and flavor either!  Nothing beats taking the time to make comparisons, side by side, if it's that important to you.  If I'm going to pay $9 for a dozen eggs then gosh darn I want the best!

Picture at top: Vital Farms on the left (http://vitalfarms.com/pastureraising.html), Wattle & Comb on the right. (http://www.wattlecomb.com) Picture bottom R: W&C left and VF right.
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Pie in the Friggin' Sky.....

May 15, 2013, 9:09 pm
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Here's the thing....  Is my life great? Is my life cush?  Absolutely, without a doubt, which is why I resist complaining about a darn thing.  Especially publicly.  And here's the other thing....  For the most part, a big, huge "most part" I live a positive life with positive thoughts and positive outcomes. Rarely do I engage in negativity, putting others down, wishing ill or bad luck to anybody else, jealousy, or envy.  No one else has anything I think I can't have for myself, if I was honest about being willing to do the work and sacrifices it takes for anything my little heart desires (or for the joy of it, if you look at it that way).  And it is this philosophy I most want to feel and have thoughts about in every single second of the day.


Which is why it confuses me when I have the complete opposite feelings and thoughts!  This confusion is why I don't write about it.  I really don't know how to write about these sort of things, the thoughts and feelings I don't want to have, without perpetuating the exact things I do not want  ...whoops, see!  If I say these things out loud (which is the same as writing down in black and white, publicly) then I am in fact perpetuating thoughts, habits, and fears I don't want, and risk creating them in my life.


I do not believe in owning,

problems
struggles
desperation
victimization


I do however find myself having old fashioned thoughts and feelings of these things.  I think I like that description!  "Old fashioned"!


Yes, I do have thoughts that are opposite of what I believe.  No, I do not dwell on them, or even believe them, but they occasionally come into my brain.  Sometimes they stay in my brain way longer than feels comfortable and I ask myself why.  Why am I having these thoughts when I don't believe them?


Example...and it's a big one!  Ready?  Don't be shocked!  It's just a thought.


"Everything that is wrong in my life is because I am fat." Yep, it's true.  I actually have these thoughts.  (but less and less all the time, and one day, maybe today I will never have these thoughts ever again because these thoughts are not true. These thoughts are just old fashioned habits of thought I used to have, for God only knows what reason.)


"People don't like me because I'm fat.  I'm not good at anything because I'm fat.  I could be so much more if I weren't fat.  Being fat is the cause of any and all of my grief."


Am I fat?  Um, no.  So why do I have these thoughts and feelings?  I really am tired of it all.  Aren't I too old for this?  I think I am.


I've decided to write about this now because I don't know what else to do about it.  On one hand I don't want to be boring and I certainly do not want commiseration or sympathy....yuck.  Feelings are not facts.  I've had some weird things happen in the past couple of months and I plan on blogging about these experiences.  I'm choosing to look at them as "weird" because it's the only way I can not attach too much negative emotion about them.


As much as I have resisted writing about things in my life that others could interpret as "problems" or "struggles" I also have resisted and pulled back on writing and sounding "pie in the sky", as if my life is perfect.  I have been choosing to write about training and recipes mostly because at least it's a positive force in my life.  There is pie in the sky, and I can enjoy the choice of eating it, or I can just appreciate it's beauty and art.  I can interpret it as a symbol of something else, something less literal.  Although pie is pretty cool!  Pie is just a representation of abundance, wealth (which rhymes with health btw!), goodness, magic and luck.  And the sky?  Well, the sky is the limit!


Can I have my pie and eat it too?  Why not?  Bring it.





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Mini Sin, the last peak to climb.

May 17, 2013, 6:52 am
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Whew!  Yesterday we finished the last super heavy workout of this past 6 week cycle that included the 32kg.  Last week was actually the hardest with only a slight back off, but only in terms of how the swing sets were done, NOT in weight moved.

We did the same exact Sinister ladder, only backwards.  So still 50 reps per round, four bells, (all heavy!), one round each laddering down from most heavy to least heavy (notice I didn't write "heavy to light"!).

20 reps (30 sec break)
15 reps (7 sec break)
10 reps (15 sec break)
5 reps (22 sec break)
repeat

32kg
28kg
24kg
20kg

3 rounds w/each bell
30 min, 600 swings

2 more rounds laddering reps and laddering weight for one and ending the last round entirely using only the least heavy bell.

20 rep w/20kg
15 rep s/24kg
10 reps w/28kg
5 reps w/32kg

last round w/20kg (50 reps)

40 minutes total workout, 800 swings, 17,800 lbs moved.  Last week 15,600...it was the last two additional rounds that I added at the end of this workout that increased total workload.

Now we will back off for a few days and test our snatch numbers next week.
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Saturday Training and some Big Girl (or Big Boy) Advanced HV Swings (high volume)

May 18, 2013, 3:20 pm
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After my GS jerk and snatch set (16kg, *see below) we did our second Max Vo2 snatch workout in a new cycle I started last weekend.  Last weekend we did 30 sets total (15 R, 15 L).  I think I did the first 10 sets with a 12kg competition bell and finished off the last 20 sets with the 14kg. Today we did 36 sets total.

The rest of this cycle (to 80 sets) will be done with the 14kg (I may use the 14kg comp bell for some of this, I haven't yet decided).  I'm pretty sure I never completed an entire 80 set Max cycle w/14kg, but I'm pretty sure I made it to 75 sets.  Now that I know a bit more about snatch technique the 14 feels light. In fact so light I may just do the next cycle of Max with the 16kg. (which I have done partially already, but years ago)

Oh, but one more thing.  I trained the first 10 sets alternating R to L every other rep, but sets 10-30 I alternated every 5 sets. So sets 10-14 R, 15-19 L, 20-24 R, 25-29 L, ending with alternating R and L until the last set #36.  My first 2 sets were 7 reps each, the remaining 34 set were 8 reps = 286 snatches.

Saturday is my super duper high volume swing day.  "Super duper" could be (and has been) 10 minute continuous sets, (200 reps), but at least sets of 100-120 (2.5-3 min).  No other day of the week do I do this kind of volume.  Sure, on my other two training days I may swing 1000 reps or more but not within a very short period of time, about 45 minutes.

Last week I swung the 16 and 18kg for all of my one hand HV swings, and I probably could have used the 16 for the second "round", and it wasn't that I was feeling weak, it's just that I wanted to back off  slightly, so  Today I used the 14kg for all of my swings.  I know from experience that constant hammering myself into the ground is not working smart, and is actually counter productive.  In the second round I did decide to alternate the one hand swing sets with two hand swings, (journaled in parenthesis) because it's been a really long time since I have done more than 40 continuous 2 hd swings.  This morning I did a set of 90, 70, 50 and 30, in addition to some usual sets of 10, 20, 40 and 50 in the following Intermediate class (another 600+ swing reps).

Big Girl and Big Boy One hand swing ladders

10 R/ 10 L x 10 = 100 reps (2.5/1 min)
9 R/ 9 L x 10 = 90 reps  (2.25/1 min) (2nd rotation 2 hd swings)
8 R/ 8 L x 10 = 80 reps (2.0/.75)
7 R/ 7 L x 10 = 70 reps (1.75/.75) (2nd rotation 2 hd sw)
6 R/ 6 L x 10 = 60 reps (1.5/.5)
5 R/ 5 L x 10 = 50 reps (1.25/.5) (2nd rotation 2 hd sw)
4 R/ 4 L x 10 = 40 reps (1.0/.25)
3 R/ 3 L x 10 = 30 reps (.75/.25) (2nd rotation 2 hd sw)
2 R/ 2 L x 10 = 20 reps (.5/rest as long as you need to repeat starting with 100 reps, we rested 1 minute and repeated)

540 swing reps per rotation, 20 minutes
1080 reps, 40 minutes

Basically we started with one 100 rep set of swings, which takes 2.5 minutes, taking a 1 minute rest period.  Every two sets I decreased the rest period by 15 seconds.  (I've journaled the work to rest ratios in parenthesis).  It worked out perfectly, always making sure we were completing our work sets at a more that 2 to one ratio.

We had 5 minutes left to our 90 minute training session so why not end with an additional 100 reps  "equal work to equal rest",. 1 set each of 40, 30, 20, 10. (2 hd sw) = 5 min

1180 swings, 45 min.

There you go!  Enjoy!



PS  I would have video taped it all for you but that is some serious boredom going on, listening to me count to 100 and down!  But then again, if you are at this level of work then you're a big girl or boy, and it shouldn't be a problem for you to get your ass in the gym and just do it!  Lol  Oh, and I done this exact rotation with snatches before too!  Hmmm....good idea....

PPS Photo above is my left side 16kg jerk that I was supposed to finish 3 minutes before switching to my right....bottom photo?  Me switching to my right after only 2 minutes!  Darn!  Oh well, that's the practice!

*16kg jerk, 5 x 5 18 reps L/R, 6 minute set (3/3min).  I started L, and had to switch to my right after only 2 min.  Completed 3 minutes L, and went back to L, completing the remaining minute.  Not exactly, not even close to the same effect.  But at this point I just need the opportunity to practice technique.
  16kg snatch 30/30 reps, 3 min (90 sec R and L), no prob.
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Stuck between "Facebook and a Rock"

May 24, 2013, 8:04 pm
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Personally I visit a handful of my favorite blogs on a regular basis and it NEVER ever surprises me when someone quits posting regularly, or doesn't post in weeks and weeks, then comes back to apologize for being "lazy", or "preoccupied" with real life!  It's actually kind of funny to me because I completely understand!  Blogging, if you do not get paid to do it, via sponsorship, is a ton of work, and commitment to your ego!  I'm a big fan of my ego, but at the end of the day, even my ego gets tired!


Harper One Publishing helped me set up my Facebook fanpage, The Swing, to which I post almost daily.  Of course I want to promote sales of my book, The Swing, but what I like about Facebook is that has helped me "edit".  I often describe myself as a "long story teller", which is something I really would like to change about my writing style.  Facebook, kinda, allowed me to, in fact requires me to, implement this more streamlined approach to getting down to the "meat" of an issue/idea/point.  And for that it's fun.  But I haven't found the motivation to try and keep up with the "long stories" here on this blog in trade for the instant gratification I get from posting on Facebook.

I'm at a point in my life that I only have so much.  I'm not trying to hold back, or be stingy at all.  In fact I will gladly give you free workouts, give you recipes, give you crazy pie in sky thoughts, as well as confessions of a salted pistachio nut binge! (or a 31 Flavor Ice Cream binge!)

The truth of my life is that I am coming into my 50th year.  I'm old....and I mean that in the nicest of ways!  I'm not afraid.  In fact I could care less, EXCEPT for the fact that I have so much more I want to do in my life, and the reality that it is halfway over, kind of, sucks....kind of.

Anyway, enough about that!  Recently on Facebook I posted my love for lemon and limes.  I posted a sweaty picture of myself.  I posted the latest of my new found love of GS sport, and training at Juno Fitness. Facebook is about what is on the surface....

What I will never post on Facebook is my adventures in menopause, injury, figuring out "life".  My old habits of thought that keep me reacting to feeling like the "fat kid", binge eating, weight loss and weight gain.  These are personal.  And you might find me writing about these things here, on my blog, but not anywhere else.  These kind of subjects can be scary if you can't see them for what they are.  These kinds of feelings are just that..."feelings"  "Feelings" are NOT "facts".  I remind myself of this often.

I've reposted this "before and after" photo to share something very personal with anybody reading this blog.  Here I present two photos of myself, side by side, and in one photo I remember feeling "cute" that day.  In the other I remember feeling horribly "fat and bloated", "flat and tired".  Can you guess which is which?

This is really a crazy, crazy, human, messed up way of judging ourselves and a extreme example of perfectionism.  In the "before" image, taken at a family reunion in 2004, I distinctly remember wearing my new, "cute", pink and white striped top and black cropped pants....feeling as cute as I could, given the fact that I weighed closer to 260lbs than ever that day.  In my "after" picture I weighed, oh, about 135lbs, feeling bloated, tired, fat, and "less than" my potential.  (slightly in my defense, I had trained for over 3 hours that morning and was exhausted). The irony is that I actually felt better about myself in the "before" image than the day the "after" image photo was taken.  How messed up is that?

Posting these words (and pictures) are a big risk I'm taking about what I have to "sell" about this idea of finding the answer to the magic of losing weight, training for fitness, and creating a body that reflects a healthy lifestyle.

All I know is that I have to show up.  I have to show up, do the work, and the body will follow.  I have to know how to trust.  Facebook, my blog, my book, is nothing compared to how I live my everyday life.  At the end of the day it's just me.

No Facebook.  No book.  No blog.  No rock.  No Tim Ferriss.  No Harper One.  No lemons, no limes.      

If there was anything better than The Swing, then I would be doing it....just sayin.  If it's not for you, then so be it.  I hope you do find what it is for you....and that's honestly how I feel.  For me, I need look no further.

For the everyday joy, and maybe a bit of entertainment you can find me on Facebook.  For the joys, and the grinds, you will find me here.  It may take a few days, but no holds barred.  I really can't care anymore.

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