100 sets of 10 w/24kg, 50 minutes

It's Friday morning and 12 weeks since my surgery. I feel as if I'm as strong as can be expected. I had an awesome 2 hand swing ladder workout on Wednesday, (I'll post the video another time), but here's what I did today, after 5:30am Bikram yoga.




1000 2 hand swings w/24kg, 15 sec. work, 15 sec rest x 50 min.
(100 sets of 10)

I took the video around set 44 (22 min.), I was going to tape at the halfway point, but to be honest I wasn't sure I was going to make the goal of 50 min., which of course motivated me to keep going and complete it.

With only 15 sec rest I was so tired that I barely had the energy to walk to the video camera, or even take a sip of water. In fact I just didn't have the energy to tape the last few sets....so there you go. I'll have to try this again in a few weeks to compare how my training is progressing.

I wish I could say it was fun, but it was barely tolerable, boring and HARD!!!

It's all part of my good life.

Last Set, Best Set...16kg snatches, 30 min.

Inspired by Fawn's snatch workout I decided to use it as my "bonus" workout on Monday. I know I need to increase my shoulder strength for the 16kg snatches, and I was thinking of doing some snatch/holds anyway, so the slow pace of 8/8 per minute was appealing...Thanks Fawn!



This is the first set of 8/8 w/16kg after a short warm up of snatch transfers. You can't tell in the video what I can feel....stiffness! Man, theses first sets were the hardest, before I got in some kind of groove!



Halfway through, at this point feeling easier. I switched from the competition bell, with a smaller handle, to the DD 16kg to strengthen my grip. I like both bells for different reasons, but I'll probably train with the DD bell.



Last set, best set. I love that phrase and use it every time when coaching, (myself included!). This phrase reminds you that the workout is NOT OVER YET!. The last set is how you will end your workout, you have to make it your best. It's the time to dig deep and remember your best form. I love this phrase and what it represents.

15 sets 8/8 snatches w/16kg, 1 min work, 1 min rest = 30 min. total
Life is good, snatching the 16kg feels good!

30 sec. KB Doubles

Friday's 8am KB workout.




Warm up w/12kg, 5/1 min sets w/1 min rest. 10 min total

Work sets w 2/12kg's & 16kg (for 2 hand swings)

20 dble swings, 30 sec work,
30 sec rest
8 dble clean, press, 30 sec work,
30 sec rest
12 dble cleans, 30 sec work,
30 sec rest,
6 dble clean/squat, 20 sec work,
30 sec rest
40 2 hand swings w/16kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest

All five sets done in this order rotated 8 times. 48 min total

Total workout 58 min.
45 min walk 6:15pm-7pm

Sunday
8am Bikram yoga
KB workout w/12kg, 14kg, 16kg,

40 2 hand swings, 1 min
30 sec rest
40 transfers, 1 min
30 sec rest
10/10/10/10 one hand swings, 1 min
30 sec rest

I rotated these 3 sets with the 12kg first, then the 14kg, then the 16kg, for a total of 9 sets before starting over again with the 12kg. I repeated the rotation 3x, ending with an additional 3 set rotation w/12kg. Each 3 set rotation took 4.5 min to complete x 10 = 45 min. (30 sets total, 12 set w/12kg, 9 sets w/14kg, 9 sets w/16kg) 1200 swing reps

No warm up just these three sets done with progressively more weight. The short work to rest ratio got harder as the weight increased.

Soup's On...with zucchini ribbons

Ever since I started using my pressure cooker to make stock, I can't make soup fast enough! I made 3 quarts of turkey stock with 2 turkey thighs and 1 turkey back...as well as getting almost 2lbs of turkey meat....in about 2 hours, (done in 2 phases...blog post to come!)

Turkey, Mushroom, Lentil Soup w/Zucchini ribbons

Saute 1 diced onion and 8oz. sliced mushrooms in 1-2 T. olive oil for 5 min add 2 cloves chopped garlic, saute 1 min more. Add 1-2 c. lentils, 1-2 tbl. soy sauce, 1 t. salt, 2 quarts water or stock.

Cook 20-25 min in 5 qt pot OR 10 min in pressure cooker, (let pressure come down naturally). Add 1-1 1/2 lb. cooked turkey meat, season to taste w/ S&P.

My vegetable peeler is probably one of the most frequently used tools in my kitchen...it's invaluable to me for salad making. One of the things I love to do with it, is to create these thin slices of zucchini and, without cooking, I throw them into hot soup where they wilt slightly, but stay firm. I swear you could tell kids that they're pasta, egg noodles (the parts that don't have green skin on them).

I will use one whole sm zucchini in my serving of soup, (pictured above).

Life is good.

Last Day of SJ Cert...Fawn says goodbye

Here are some of the pictures I took of the last day of the SJ cert., I tried to take advantage of every picture opportunity. On the last day attendees take their certification test and participate in a graduation workout.

Cindy Glass, Fawn and me.

Me, Pavel and Fawn.

Marks team getting ready for their "victims"...testing for certification. If anyone on Marks team wants additional photos, I have tons, just e-mail me and I'll send them to you. Also, feel free to comment on where you are in any of these photos...I didn't get everyone's name.


Mark Cheng giving me a smooch!

Cathy Bingham & daughter Grayson, me and Gayle, (sorry Gayle I don't remember you last name!).

Fawn playing around...isn't this a funny photo? Mark and I laughed out loud when we saw it....it's so "Fawn"! Joe Bingham, Cathy's husband, was a good sport about volunteering to be a victim. Cathy will become certified in KB soon, maybe at next years SJ Cert.

Joe Bingham and Diana. Diana had Joe as her "victim" and was on Marks team. I had the pleasure of talking with her after the graduation, she's a personal trainer, now RKC @ Club One fitness in SJ. Wow, look at Joes great swing form...I wonder who taught him how to swing..LOL!

Fawn with Mark just before she has to go home....boo hoo,(for me!)

Saying goodbye....now we're off to SFO.

Team Rif, San Jose RKC 2008. Congratulations to all.

Life is good....we had a great weekend.

Max V02 and Tracys All Day Lunch

I didn't take video or post my Monday workout, but here's Wednesdays quick KB after 5:30am Bikram yoga,

7:30am Max Vo2 w/12kg



Warm up w/12kg

swing,snatch, trans., 1 min work 1 min rest x 3 sets = 6 min.





Work sets

7 snatch R, 15 sec. rest (25 sets)
7 snatch L, 15 sec rest (25 sets)

x 50 sets total = 25 min

Total workout 3o min. (when am I going to learn how to count? lol)

I'll be posting some pictures I took of the last day of the SJ Cert, and in honor of the Graduation Workout I had to try it myself! (Max V02 x 50 sets was the Grad WO) I can't believe that I used to do this workout with the 16kg....again soon though!

All Day Lunch


Menu

fuji apple, 1/2 oz bleu cheese 120 cal
oats, milk, sliced almonds (150, 70 & 100 cal.) 320 cal.
curry coleslaw w/ 4oz chicken 400 cal
spaghetti squash, 4oz. chicken and veg soup w/kale 400 cal.

Add in morning coffee, 70 cal. and 10 almonds @9:00pm after work 100 cal.. Total cal. 1410

Out of the last 10 days I've had nearly all of them perfectly planned, the exception being Saturday's cooking class. I'm hoping to be lean and mean again by my 18 week post op date. I believe this Friday will be 11 or 12 weeks.

I'll be posting more about my food and diet in the next few days , because alot has been going on...in the best of ways!

Life is so good!

Cooking and KB's

Yeah right...KB's...we never got to the KB's! Too much food, and too much to learn about cooking!



Here's my attempt at Fawn's Warm Spinach Salad and Pan Fried Radicchio, Garbanzo Beans, Shredded Pork, tossed with Bleu Cheese an Orange Vinaigrette.

I made this for my dinner salad on Monday night with leftover prepped ingredients, and again tonight where I added some extra green cabbage with the raddichio.



Jill Collins (our host kitchen), Leslie Gandy, Jennifer Bermudez, me....Tracy, and Fawn. Cathy Bingham is taking the picture. (top picture)

Ah, there she is! Me, Cathy and Fawn.

Roasted Shitake Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes, and Brussels. These were topped with Meyer Lemon, Garlic Aoli, Roasted Pork, and Fennel, Orange Slaw. Sorry, once the food started being served there was no time for pictures....time for eating!

Cathy B. watching Fawn make fennel slaw.

Since my food hero, Fawn Friday, was coming to stay with me for the weekend I asked her if she would be interested in leading a cooking class, and then my idea was to swing bells afterwards.....we should of KB'ed first!

But more importantly she agreed to share her talent for food with us! How stinkin' lucky could we be! Wow! I'm still trying to implement some of the things I learned from her in October when I stayed at her house! Now I have all sorts of new ideas and methods to practice. Everyone that came to our class (OK...Fawn's class!) is a friend or KB friend of mine, and I don't know if they knew what they were in for.

I am a big, OK...huge, advocate if home cooking, and anytime, or anything, I can do to help encourage and support anyone interested in feeding their bodies with good tasting, nutritious, healthy, foods I will do! Nothing is more important, in my opinion, than feeding our precious bodies with the highest quality foods we can afford.

I will be making the Garbanzo and Pork soup with Mussels, Shrimp topped with Grilled Ruby Red Chard, sometime this next week. Next week I'll do the pork roast, veggies and slaw. Practice makes perfect and if there's one thing I believe in is repetition...gee, ya think (swinging, lol)..... When it comes to cooking you have to repeat a recipe and technique over, and often, so it becomes second nature....that's the key to effortless meal preparation, in my opinion.

So much more from this weekend.....stay tuned!

The First West Coast RKC

Fawn and I at the SJ Cert, after our workout Saturday morning (previous videos) before going to Girya.

San Jose hosted the first RKC on the west coast at San Jose State, my home town, and the school my youngest son is attending! I crashed the Cert with Fawn (my partner in crime this weekend!) to take pictures and get some RKC vibes...cool!

My husband Mark, a Senior Instructor, was leading his own team as well as lecturing and teaching ways to generate tension, power breathing and the KB clean. Here's Mark (top photo)and part of his team getting ready for the snatch test.Saturday night was the group dinner where Fawn and I got to socialize with some of the attendees, as well as Pavel the instructors and Team Leaders.Here's Fawn with Dan John, a well known strength coach and author.

Me and Fawn...we were so stuffed from the cooking class earlier in the day and neither of us ate much....I didn't say drink much (!)

Yoana Snideman, Mark holding baby Mariana, and me, (Franz Snideman holding camera!) I finally met the Snidemans, and their new baby was an absolute angel....I still wouldn't want one though LOL!

Yoana (7 weeks after having a baby!), me and Fawn. Yoana shared with us the story of her delivery....she was the one taking the vidoe between pushing! Talk about being in great shape to give birth...but taking your own childbirth pictures...now that's amazing!

Mark and me. What? Did Franz Snideman get caught in a photo, lol, (that's him in the background)
After dinner the fun begins...here's Brett Jones bending a nail....or should I say, trying to bend a nail...just kidding Brett!

Logan leveraging a sledgehammer.

Tyler tears a notch in the phone book!

Fun was had by all....life is good...I could say that because I wasn't sore!

Tracy and Fawn....in Stones Gym

double clean/presses w/ two 12kgs, and CL/PR/w/16kg

double cl/pr squats w/two 12kgs, CL/PR/TR w/16kg

Training a litlle willy nilly....getting in our time and reps! Total workout 50-60 min.

A Beautiful day....a perfect day

Well, we started Friday (my favorite day) out with a 5:30 yoga class, and then the plan was to go to Monterey, Moss Landing and Santa Cruz, but things changed so plan "B" we ended up at the RKC in the morning to watch the snatch test...one of the best parts of the certification, in my opinion.....and then headed to Santa Cruz where we got to walk along the beach for about an hour before going downtown to do a little shopping. I had packed food for the day, (oats/raisins, mushroom barley soup and broccoli salad w/tuna) but we supplemented with some healthy food choices from a market called New Leaf (?, I think that's the name).

We then headed home where I threw some Chili Verde in...what else but....my pressure cooker before taking off for some more fun including shopping @ Whole Foods for our Cooking and KB's with Fawn and Tracy class today (Sat.). I was so happy Fawn liked my food, I had picked up some fresh, and I do mean, "made that day fresh", corn tortillas for the Chile Verde, and although I was done eating for the day at that point (around 7-8pm), Fawn ate her fill (maybe a little more...fresh corn tortillas are hard to resist!).

Mark's team taking the snatch test...Harris is testing....Fawn in the background.

Today KB squat/clean/press workout before heading to Girya, Farmers Market and my friend Jill's house for Cooking and KB's!

Fawn's Here!!!

Here we are right after Friday 5:30am Bikram yoga! So much going on already..I'll catch up everyone up when I have more time.

Michael Castrogiavanni, me and Fawn Friday



I got up @ 4am before Bikram yoga and threw together some Mushroom Barley Soup in the pressure cooker.



Soak dried porcini mushrooms (25 gr) in hot water ffor 20-30 min while getting the rest of the soup together, and then squeeze out excess water and chop...save the liquid for the soup. Saute diced onion (1), carrot (2) and fresh mushrooms (8oz.) in olive oil for 5-10 min., add soaked, chopped mushrooms and their liquid (avoiding the sandy bits at the bottom!). Add 1-2 c. barley, 2-3 qts chicken broth, 1-2t. salt and cook under high pressure for 20 min. OR in 5qt stock pot for 1 1/2 hr.

We are headed off to the Cert to watch the newbies test their snatch!

Life is good.

Tracy's All Day Food 2/13, and Heated Hallway KB's!

This is the 3rd day in a row that I've had, basically, the same exact menu with the exception of the soup. Monday and Tuesday because I was at home I had a yogurt/protein smoothie for lunch that I used the blender for....at work I don't have a blender so I brought some soup instead.

Menu

10:30am, salad w/curry dressing 300, tuna with 1 1/2 T. mayo 225 cal.
1:30pm lg apple, 1oz. raisins 210 cal.
steel cut oats, 1/2 lowfat milk 220 cal.
5:30pm soup w/ 4oz chicken breast and spaghetti squash 400 ca.

Add in morning coffee w/ 1/2 & 1/2 ( I switched from heavy cream) 100 cal.
1445 total calories

Heated Hallway KB!

I've done a couple of short KB workouts in my hallway recently. Because we have a floor furnace I can get it really hot and I can close off my hallway from the rest of our house so I've done a couple of short heated KB workouts recently. The first 2 (one each week) I used the 8kg (18lbs) and did 5 min sets (200 reps) w/2 min. rest x 4 or 5.

Yesterday I came home from my Bikram yoga class, cranked up the heat, and picked up the 12kg! It was my intention to do 2 min sets w/1 min rest, but after 90 min of hot yoga I knew 1 min sets w/ 30 sec rests were more doable! So here's what I did,

40 transfers. 1 min work
30 sec rest
10/10/10/10 1 hand swings, 1 min work
30 sec. rest
40 2 hand swings, 1 min work,
30 sec. rest

I repeated these 3 sets in this order x6 = 27 min, 720 swings total.

Monday, 16kg snatches

I knew last week that I was ready to get a base line 16kg snatch workout, my goal is to snatch the 16kg for 5 min at 12 weeks post op, that puts me at the week of 02/29. Wow, only 3 weeks away! Oh well, it's just a baseline.

Monday
5:30am Bikram yoga
9:00am KB
6:00pm 1 hour walk

KB workout

Warm up

40 2 hand swings w/12kg, 1 min work, 1 min rest x 5 sets = 10 min.

Work Sets
#1
swing, snatch 6 R, 6 L, 6 R, 6 L w/12kg, (12 reps per side before trans.), 2 min work,
1 min rest x 2 sets repeated before alternating with the next work set.


I realized this pace was too slow, so I finished the workout with the same combination, only I upped the reps to 8 swing/snatches before switching....video demos this set.)



#2
8/8 snatch w/16kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest, 1

I used, for the first time, a competion sized 16kg with smaller handle, and the same size as the DD 32kg....I liked it! And my hand didn't get torn up...granted I didn't do high reps, or fast reps.

I started with the first work set and finished with it (#1), alternating the 8/8 snatch w/16kg (#2) in between. 30 min. total




#3
40 2 hand swings w/16kg

I decided to clean up my 2 hand swing form, the video demos about 10 reps of the 40 rep set before the battery died!

Snatching the 16kg again is good,(and fun!). Life is good, (and fun!).

Kettlebell combinations at Girya Studio

Nothing was consistent about my training today except each swing/snatch/clean/press/combination set was alternated by a 40 rep set of 2 handed swings w/16kg! All other combinations (including 5 - 1 min sets of various 1 and 2 hand swings as a warm up) were done with the 12kg.

Total workout time approx 50 min.

Getting Ready for Fawn & Thurs. KB workout

Fawn Friday and me at the Farmers Market in St. Paul 10/20/07.

Today is Friday, 02/09, one week away from the first San Jose RKC, (Mark will be teaching along with Andrea DuCane and Brett Jones), and less than one week until Fawn Friday comes to stay with me for 3 days! I haven't had a house guest in....oh, I don't know....maybe ever! That should give you an idea of how much I like this chick!

Fawn, and her husband, Aaron, were kind enough to let me invite myself to stay with them during the Oct. RKC, and I have to say (again) it was the best "vacation" I've ever had! Now I know that might sound a little dramatic, given the fact that I've been to places from Hawaii, to Rome, but I got to do everything that I love while I was there. From KB training and teaching to shopping at vintage boutiques, and let's not forget cooking! So with that being said I've got plenty of fun lined up for us, I just hope 3 days will be enough!

I was hoping to turn my living room into a personal training studio (a blog post for another time) before she gets here, so that is one of the "projects" I need to work on.....it was inspired by the fact that Aaron and Fawn have nothing but a rug and huge mirror on the wall in their living room! Minimalistic...yeah...! Lots to do, lots to do!

Some of the things I have planned for us;

Dropping in (of course) on the SJ RKC
Driving to Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Francisco (Farmers Market and Alemany Flea Market)
Girly stuff like, haircuts, manicures, shopping, etc.
5:30am Bikram yoga!
Dinner and drinking (man, I better tighten my diet" belt this week, lol)
Picture taking, video of at least one workout routine together, lol!
And cooking, of course
Oh, and KB's! Hopefully Fawn will co-teach with me!

Maybe I don't have to clean my house..I don't think we'll be spending much time there!

Thursday
swinging with client @ 9am-9:30 (I used this time as a warm up)
12:30 KB
6:30pm 1 hour walk

Work sets

40 2 hand swings /12kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest
40 transfers w/12kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest
40 2 hand swings w/16kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest
40 transfers w/16kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest
40 2 hand swings w/20 kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest

I alternated these 5 sets, in this order 4 x = 40 min.

I'm still building my base back up, it was good swinging the 20kg for 1 minute sets. I feel like it will take me 12 weeks of training to get back to my pre op conditioning....I'm only 2 weeks into it. I do plan on snatching that stinkin' 16 kg this week, if only for a few reps or a few sets! I'm carrying around a little more weight these days...I might as well put it to work. lol!

Life is great. A good friend is coming soon!

Tracy's All Day Food 2/06

Chicken (40z), barley and veggie soup 350 cal
Peet's coffee w/cream 35 cal
Raisins, PNB 350 cal
Steel cut oats w/sugar (1tbl.) 200 cal
Broccoli salad w/poached chicken breast (50z) peanut dressing 500 cal
Lg fuji apple 100 cal
Carrots (for pnb)

Total 1535

Add in morning coffee w/cream 70 cal. and 2 fun size candy bars 160 cal. = 1765

Near perfect day...alot of food. Loving 5:30am Bikram yoga, 9am-8pm work, life is good.

Tuesday Snatches (max vo2 "based")

video demos work set

9:00am KB (max Vo2 "based" workout)

Warm up w/12kg

40 2 hand swings, 1 min. work, 1 min. rest x 5 sets
snatch transfer x 12 (each side 24 total), 1.5 min work, 1 min rest x 2 sets

14 min. total

Work sets w/12kg

7 snatch, 15 sec rest, 7 snatch, 15 sec rest, 14 snatch, 30 sec rest, R
7 snatch, 15 sec rest, 7 snatch, 15 sec rest, 14 snatch, 30 sec rest, L

Alternating both multiple sets 5x each. Each side took 2 min to complete x 10 sets total - 20 min.



Cool down sets

swing snatch transfer x 12 each side (24 total), 2 min work, 1 min rest x 4 = 12 min.

Total workout 48 minutes.

Two KB Clean and press/two hand swing combinations

Workout Interrupted...

I started my workout @ Girya today and about 30 minutes into it I made the mistake of answering my phone! Bad news, I didn't have time to finish my workout....good news, I get to teach a new student how to swing a kettlebell on Monday!



Warm up

2 hand swings and transfer w/12kg x 5 sets 1 min work, 1 min rest = 10 min.

Work sets w/12kg

swing, clean, press, squat ladder 1-4, 2.5 min work, 1 min rest
swing, clean, press, squat ladder 4-1, 2.5 min work, 1 min rest

I only got 4 sets in, but that was still 14 min. and that's still 80 cleans, presses and squats!

Total workout 24 min.

I did swing with students today, but mostly the 8kg, with the expectation of getting my own workout in, so tomorrow I'm planning on at least 30 minutes of swinging the 16kg. after yoga.

"Use What You Have" Cooking

One of my favorite books on interior design, when that was my main hobby, was titled "Use What You Have Decorating", it's pretty self explanatory, the idea was to not have to go and buy new and/or more, just use the things you already own, except in different ways. This also describes the way I love to cook! I love using up ingredients that I already have, sometimes in different ways, like the pot of chili I made this morning (4:30am!).



red onion (I didn't have yellow)
carrot
2 red bells
3 jalapeno, 1 pablano
beet stems
diced tomato
red and black beans
chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, oregano


I pureed 1/2 roasted buttenut squash (I had in the fridge) in the blender with 1/2 cooked chili before mixing it back with the rest. I had a ton of cooked chicken thigh and leg meat from a batch of chicken stock I made in the pressure cooker yesterday (a different blog post!), so that was the protein I used.



All Day "get rid of muffin top" Lunch

coffee/cream 80 cal
chicken/veg soup 350 cal.

Use What You Have Chili w/

beet greens and chicken 500 cal.

fruit salad 300 cal.

ginger tea w/honey 25 cal.

Total 1255

Use what I had Fruit Salad!

Fuji apple
3 sm kiwi
grapefruit (sectioned)
drizzle of honey