Swing Combinations

Thursday
7:00 am KB
4:30pm Bikram yoga

Since I only did my Max Vo2 Boost yesterday for about 30 minutes, I did a quick swing combination, double clean press workout today. I used my progressive swing combinations in 1 minute work to 30 sec rest ratio intervals alternating with 30 seconds of double clean presses to 30 sec rest intervals.

Warm up
40 2 hand swings w/14kg, 1 min work, 1 min rest x 3 sets = 6 min



Work sets

40 transfers w/14kg, 1 min work,
30 sec. rest
8 double clean press w/12kg's, 30 sec work,
30 sec rest,
1 swing, 1 transfer x 20 (40 reps) w/14kg, 1 min work,
30 sec rest,
8 dbl cl pr w/12kgs, 30 sec work,
30 sec rest
5/5 1 hand swings x 4 (40 reps)w/ 14kg, 1 min work,
30 sec rest,
8 dbl cl pr w/12kgs, 30 sec wok,
30 sec rest
10/10 1 hand swings x 2 (40 reps) w/ 14kg, 1 min work,
30 sec rest,
8 dbl cl pr w/12kgs, 30 sec work
30 sec rest

I rotated these sets in this order 3 times. Each rotation took 10 minutes to complete = 30 min.

40 2 hand swings w/ 14kg x 3 sets = 6 min.

Total workout 42 min.
720 swings
96 doulble clean presses

Snatching so much on a regular basis is really beating this old body up, and I'm finding the 16kg too heavy to swing because I'm sore in places I didn't used to be from so much Max Vo2, but the 12kg is too light. We own a 14kg ordered from a source other than Dragon Door, and although the shape and length of the handle is funky....snatching it would suck....it comes in handy for swinging.

The Biggest Loser? or The Biggest "Back-handed" Compliment?

I've been wanting to write something about the TV show The Biggest Loser for a while, but have been a little overwhelmed by my feelings, but here goes.....(this is where the real Tracy comes out, lol)

I have never watched an entire show, much less an entire season of the show. And even though I started my weight loss with a "bet" at work, between 6 other women, based on the show, I have never supported, or been a fan, and would never have called our competition by the same name, and I'll tell you why. I believe the first season aired just before I started my own weightloss journey, but I looked it up online and confirmed the timing. The first season started in Oct 2004, and we started our weightloss competition in Jan. 2005, so that would be correct. This is some of the information I found online, and I highlighted some of the reasons why I've never supported the show.

"The Biggest Loser started with a lot of fan fare as a replacement show in October of 2004. People did not initially understand what the name Biggest Loser meant and tuned in shocked to see men and women in their skivvies weighing more than 300 and in some cases over the years even over 400 pounds. After the initial shock viewers started to really relate to the former underachievers on the Biggest Loser as week by week they got slimmer guided by their trainers. The trainers on that first season of the Biggest Loser were the Affable Bob Harper and the mean but caring Jillian Michaels. "

" Shocking!!" Underachievers? What the hell? "F-U" But I'll get back to that....

First off, the name, "The Biggest Loser" I could never get past the name. I mean, what is it implying? Exactly what it says....that fat people are losers. Make no mistake, it's not a cute play on words, it's a direct, purposeful, insult meant to get your attention, admittedly using the name to peak potential viewers curiosity. The word "loser" is a popular phrase used to describe a persons lack of success managing their life. It would be common to describe anyone that is jobless, homeless, or pennyless as a "loser", maybe even someone that is, or has been, to jail, but fat? Am I being sensitive, lol? Well, maybe I am, but so what, I don't have to support a show that insults me.

So why did I ever tune in at all? Well, they got me too, they got my curiosity and I had to see what the fuss was about. When I tuned in I saw a handful of very overweight people being dangerously overexercised, and at the same time left in rooms loaded with disgustingly shitty junk foods, as if to imply that if they were really strong, if they were really determined, if they were really serious, they wouldn't give a care about the mountains of crappy food put out as bait, daring them to prove they were not one kind of loser, but another. "F-U!"

Let's get back to the overexercising part. Now, I admit, I'm an overexerciser, but come on! I didn't start out that way. A person who begins at a weight of more than 200lbs has no business running, jumping, or trying to dash across a balance beam 10 ft above water to lose weight, and any good trainer should know that. But exercising for hours at a time in a body already stressed by carrying such a heavy load for years risks serious injury that can result in not being able to exercise at all (thank goodness kettlebell training is one of the safest, effective, and effecient ways of fatloss, and conditioning). I began my own exercise program with only walking. Walking at least 2 miles every morning, 5 days week, with a bonus 6th day walk of 4 miles, losing 50 lbs in three months time, before I ever picked up a kettlebell.

I could go on and on, but one last thing (before I get alot of shit, lol). I can't tell you how many people I've heard say something like this...."I wish I could just go on a show like The Biggest Loser, because then I could get this weight off. At least they have trainers,and they have their food controled and good food choices available to them, AND they have the chance of winning $100,000....I could do it for $100,000!" (or whatever the prize is). But I would bet, like me, the winning contestants would still have won from their own motivation and drive not to mention the thrill of competition with no prize money or personal trainers.

Weightloss for real people isn't about being on "diet vacation" for weeks and months, sequestered in a house with barking trainers who've never had to lose a pound in their lives and a $100,000 prize. It's about how are you going to live your life with no one in control, but you? Same job, same family, same 24 hours in the day, working around real life.

People who are fat are not underacheivers. Peoplle who are fat are not losers, whether they ever lose any weight. Anyone, fat or thin, can experience the miracle of regaining their health . I would never call myself a big loser, or the biggest loser, instead a living example of a miracle. So, I guess the name of my show wouldn't be something so sensational, instead, hopefully, more respectful in the fact that I recognize that we all do our best.....maybe "Living Your Physical Potential" (LOL!)

The Boost #2

Wednesday
7:15am Bikram yoga
1:15 Max V02 Boost
2:00 40 min. walk

Mark decided to do the same work sets alongside me today, and without training specifically for it, he did amazing! I've never seen him snatch so fast, in fact speeding up with each set! Good job Honey!

1:15 KB Max V02 w/12kg

Misc. swing, snatch, 1 min work, 1 min rest x 3 sets = 6 min. (20 snatches)

Boost protocol

9 snatch R, 9 snatch L, 30 sec work,
45 sec rest
x 6 sets = 8.5 min. 108 snatches

1 min. rest

18 snatch R, 18 snatch L, 1 min work,
2 min rest
x 6 sets = 18 min. 216 snatches

10/10 snatch w/12kg
5/5 snatch w/16kg
x 1 set each

384 snatch points

It was my intention to alternate these last two sets x 5 each, but my hand couldn't grip the 16kg after all of those fast snatch sets. My hand had adapted to the 12kg handle and snatching that weight for more reps would've been fine, but I had lost steam and decided to do some stick shrugs and call it a day.

I only got about 35 minutes of KB work today, so I'll do some swings tomorrow morning for 30-45 min. I'm missing my other workouts and realized I hadn't swung the 14kg in a long time, (the one we own has a funky square handle, but I like the weight variation), or I might do some double KB work, inluding clean and presses.

Tuesdays workout
1 hour 40 minute walk

"The Boost"

Monday
8:30am, 30 min walk
9:15 Bikram yoga
12:30pm KB

Well, this is what I've been working up to for the past 6-7 weeks...."the boost"

Warm up

misc swings, snatches w/12kg, 6 minutes total time (24 snatches)

Boost Work Sets w/12kg

9 snatch R, 9 snatch L, 30 sec work,
45 sec rest
x 5 sets
9 min. / 90 snatches

18 snatch R, 18 snatch R, 1 minute work,
2 min. rest
x 4 sets
12 min. / 144 snatches



I finished the workout trying to co-ordinate with Marks swing workout. He was swinging the 24kg, one handed, so I also used the 24kg, two handed, for 5 sets before I had to go down in weight and use the 20kg. Normally I wouldn't swing in intervals less than equal work to rest ratio, but right after those long and fast snatch sets I needed the extra rest. By the time I got to my last sets with the 20kg, I had recovered enough that the rest period seemed generous.

Heavy 2 hand swings

30 w/24kg x 5 sets, 45 sec. work, 1 min. 15 sec rest
30 w/20kg x 10 sets, 45 sec work, 1 min. 15 sec rest

30 min. 450 swings

Total workout 57 min.

I could not have done this afternoon workout without Mark's energy or inspiration. Having the structure of Max V02 has given me the relief of having to think about how I'm going to train, and riding the coattalis of his swing workout also gave me the same relief. It's nice when someone elsr tells you what to do sometimes!

Throw it Out

When I didn't prepare and cook most of my own foods I didn't care what I had, or didn't have, in my fridge or freezer, and routinely threw things out, especially fresh foods that I never "got around to", because most of the foods I ate were fast foods already cooked and prepared for me and I could go out and get more if I wanted . But now I can't stand the thought of not having lots of good, fresh, healthy foods to choose from in my own home, so I overbuy (but I'm getting better, much better), over prepare, and over cook (so wonder I sometimes overeat). For instance I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep around 3:30am, so I just went into the kitchen and started some beef, barley and mushroom soup in the pressure cooker, then made kale salad with citrus dressing, and pre-prepped cabbage, carrot and green onion for salad another day. I also reorganized what fresh veggies were left so I can use as many as possible before anything went bad.

I recently realized that part of the reason I eat too much is because I hate waste. I had even started to eat foods that I know aren't as agreeable with my diet just because I had them and I didn't want to throw them out, like beets. I love beets and I know numerous ways to cook them and use them, but for some crazy reason beets do not move through my intestines (sorry) as fast as I would like them to, staying a day longer most times. I will always weigh heavy the day after I eat beets, but sometimes I'll eat them anyway because they come in my CSA box, although I've gotten good at not purchasing them myself, even though I love the beet greens. This week I tore the greens away, and left the beets in the "trade box", that was a big move on my part. ( I currently have golden baby beets AND chiogga beets in my crisper from 2 and 3 weeks ago.....I swear I'll throw them out soon, lol)

A couple of weeks ago I had bought some peaches from Wayne's garden, too many to begin with, and the last two were starting to shrivel....isn't the point of fresh food to eat it when it's fresh? Not shriveled, lol! But I still was resistant to throwing them away, that's when Mark said, "Honey....throw them out, let it go....there's more where that came from, you know peaches grow on trees!"

Being reminded again by a client, Megan, telling me about growing up on a farm and seeing natures abundance run riot, overproducing and rotting in the fields....there's more where that came from! This stuff grows like crazy!

I mean, do you know anyone that cooks the stems of kale and chard (and beet green stems) just because they hate the thought of wasting them? They've got to have some nutritional value, at the very least water and fiber (as if I don't get enough from the field of veggies I eat everyday, lol). But in the past few weeks I have thrown away more extra veggies than in the last few months, combined, I can only eat so much....or...I should only eat so much!

Of course, not overbuying comes first, I currently have over 12 quarts of soup in my freezer, (picture above), and at least 4 quarts of stock....to make more soup, lol! But I can't keep putting this pressure on myself to save the planet's landfills by not throwing anything out! (I know, I know, I need a compost, but I don't garden....yet!) Throw things out, let them go, and quit carrying around the extra weight of the pressure to be perfect.



(Always have a piece of meat with a bone in your freezer so you can get up at 3:30am and make a pot of soup without wasting any precious pre-made stock, lol! I also have a problem throwing away bags and paper towels....I'll actually hang up a damp paper towel to dry and re-use again! I must of been very poor and starved to death in another life.....)

Nothing, or No One, is going to Stand in my Way

I love the consulting part of my business because I always get a consultation myself! Everytime I talk with someone about dieting and weight loss I remind myself of things I know to be true....I know they're true, because I've already lived the experience of successful weight loss. Like many of we just forget, or we use excuses. "I don't have the time", "Life is too stressful right now", "I've tried before, and the weight came back, so it must not have worked" (that's one of my favorites!).

Well, with all of these excuses, and more, why is it that we are ever able to lose weight? Because we all have been able to lose weight at one time or another, haven't we? I mean, it might not have been all the weight we wanted to, but we have all lost excess bodyweight, even if it's been only a pound. I think we all know that's weight loss is pure science, calories in....calories out. Then why is it easier sometimes than others to chose to eat less? Motivation.

Where is your motivation level? What's it going to take for you to do what you say you want to do?

I've been saying for months now that I want to weigh less. But I'm still eating too much food....no mystery, the scale tells me so. Why am I eating too much food? Don't know, don't care. I obviously don't have the level of motivation I once had.....but can I get it back? Hell ya!

I had to ask myself what is different, now, than it was the last time I was motivated to do what I said I wanted. I had to look deep, to feel deep inside for the answer, what was the truth about it? This is what I came up with.....

When I decided...when I reminded myself, that I knew how to lose this extra weight, I was going to do it......no one, and nothing was going to stop me. I didn't care what anyone had to say about how I was doing it, it was no ones business. I knew what I needed to do and I did it. Do you know, besides the 6 other women I started the 'weightloss bet' with, I told no one what I was doing? No one. Not my friends, not my clients, my own mother didn't find out until I had lost 90lbs! I didn't need anyones opinion, judgement or advice....especially because they had never done what I knew I was going to do, which was to lose 100lbs!

If that meant not eating out, or eating someone else's food, then that was it....no exceptions. No birthday parties, no workplace potlucks, no wedding receptions, etc. that I couldn't take my own food choices to....period. If that meant staying within a particular range of daily calories, then that was it....period. If it meant walking everyday, even having to wake up early or walk during a lunchbreak, then that was it....period. And you know what? I didn't have to lose all of my weight to start feeling better, to feel in control again, it happened every moment I made myself the priority, because I knew what I was capable of.

Letting myself gain so much extra weight I had fallen asleep, I had disconnected from my body. I was looking for blame, looking to prove that life wasn't fair. Trying to feel better about myself when I couldn't be thin I looked to be perfect in other areas of my life to try and prove I was worthy. Well, I am worthy, we are all worthy, and capable to do what we say we want, no excuses. And nothing, or no one, can stand in our way.

Max Vo2 58 sets of 9 with the 12 kg

Wednesday
9:15 Bikram yoga
12:30 KB Max V02

Talk about the Universe challenging my commitment to my workouts....without getting into details, I hit so many roadblocks before my workout today, including one in the middle of my workout (about 25 sets in), that I had to shake it off, dig deep and get it done.

Warm up

4 min swings, snatches (10 each side)

Work sets

9 snatch L, 15 sec,
15 sec rest,
9 snatch R, 15 sec,
15 sec rest,
x 58 sets = 29 min., 522 snatches

I ended the workout with cleans, presses and bottoms up cleans, 12 min.

Total workout 45 min.

I could've kept this up for many more sets, but I thought I'd leave room for the next time shooting for 60-70 sets and then 80, so I stopped at 58. I forgot I'm switching tothe 'boost protocol'...yikes!

I really miss swinging....Friday or Saturday I'm going to swing my freakin' ass off, I can't wait!



Heres the last sets
Rif

Monday Max V02 9 reps per 15 sec.

Monday
9:00am 40 min walk
10:30am KB

Warm up

1 min on. 1 min. rest, misc. swings and snatches w/12kg, x 3 = 6 min.




Work sets

9 snatch L, 15 sec
15 sec rest
9 snatch R, 15 sec
15 sec rest
x 52 sets = 26 min.



sets 49-52

15 min. swing combinations w/16kg & 12kg (440 swings)

Total workout 47 min.


I felt good and rested (from snatches!) and didn't have any problems with this workout. I increased my reps per 15 sec from 8 to 9 and it seems to be the perfect pace, decreasing the rest period by a couple of seconds, using up the full 15 sec., keeping my heart rate higher.

I remembered the first time I snatched 9 reps per 15 sec., last year, and I thought you might enjoy seeing the difference in my conditioning.



8/4/07

Sitting on the Fence thinking about Food and Thought while Living My Physical Potential

I can't believe I haven't posted here in over a week. I left for St. Paul last Thursday and I was able to get quite a bit of work done in the airport, editing the photos I took about how to clean and store fresh veggies, and although I never got around to writing that blog post on my trip, it was my intention to get it done when I got home, first thing. Now here it is, Sunday, and as I sit down at 5am to finally cross it off of my "to do" list, and somehow all of the pictures I took are gone.....no where to be found....at least for now, I'm moving on.

So I guess it's fitting that all week I have been thinking about merging my 2 blogs back together into one. I like my blog to look full and exciting, not to mention I kind of like my life's journal to be all in one place. So why did I seperate them to begin with? ( I started writing this Sunday morning, for my Food and Thought Blog, and just now getting back to it Monday morning deciding to finish it for this Blog)

I started Food and Thought because I wanted to express my thoughts about the craziness of food and eating away from the judgement of some people that read my other blog for the KB training information. I don't consider my eating habits to be a struggle, a fight, or a flaw, more of a mystery than anything, and sometimes I feel like trying to solve the mystery and sometimes I don't. My eating habits are just that...habits. The way I eat food is a habit I'd like to re-establish in another way and I am doing just that, by making different choices that bring me closer, and to, living my life feeling good inside and out.

When I was fat, food never gave me grief, I just ate, and ate and ate, whatever I wanted and as much as I wanted, I accepted the trade off. I was happy, for the time, living in my mouth and ignoring the rest of my body until my body started giving me grief. In the last year before I started regaining my health I thought I was developing IBD (irritable bowel syndrome), and that was no fun! Still I didn't think of the possibilty that it was connected to my obesity or the foods I was eating, I blamed it more on my age...can you believe that? It wasn't until I lost the extra weight that all of my physical ailments disappeared...completely! No aching feet, no knee or back problems, no heartburn, acid reflux, or snoring, lol.....no IBD! Who knows what was going on that I didn't know about, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc..

I also started Food and Thought because I love preparing, cooking and eating food. Through some miracle I was able to find ways of cooking and preparing all of my own foods in ways that helped me lose 120 puonds of extra bodyweight in about a years time and I wanted to share my experience. I didn't learn to cook until my 30's, before that I rarely cooked any other meat besides ground beef. I had never roasted a chicken, much less made homemade chicken stock, practically weekly, and my own soups exclusively. I had never made a salad that included anything but lettuce, tomato, maybe some canned garbanzo beans, and bottled dressing. I had never cooked or eaten or even purchased foods like cabbage, kale, brussels, beets (or certainly not beet greens, one of my favorites). I had never cooked a winter squash, much less could tell you what one was. I couldn't tell one fresh herb from another, I could go on and on. I am so passionate about fresh live foods that I want every one to eat this way, and it doesn't matter what your current cooking ability is, everyone has to start somewhere, you have to have the desire to move in the direction of better foods, better health.

I started Food and Thought because I thought these two subjects were seperate from my training, and now I see they're not. I recently changed the name of my blog from 'Rediscovering Strenth' to 'Living My Physical Potential'......I rediscovered my strength....lol.....I'm strong, that I know....so it was time to move forward. I originally was going to rename it 'Living My Athletic Potential', and I'm able to live my athletic potential because of my kettlebell training, but also because of the changes I've made in my diet, therefore my health, attributing to my ability to establish fitness. It's all connected. It's all me. This is who I am and this what I do.

I have lots to say, based on my experience. I have lots of hope, based on my experience, and I'm living proof that anyone and everyone can realize their athletic potential and live their physical potential everyday. It's never too late to experience your potential.

Potential; the inherent ability or capacity for growth, development, or coming into being.

Potential is not perfection. Potential is not perfection.

Thursday Max V02 36:36

Thursday
6:15 am KB MaxV02
12noon 1 hour walk
3:30 Bikram yoga

Max V02 36:36

Warm up, misc swing snatches (10 each side) 2-3 min.

Work sets

19 snatch R, 36 sec, 36 sec rest,
19 snatch L, 36 sec, 36 sec rest
x 32 sets = 38.5 min
Total workout 40 min. approx





I took and extra day off to heal my hands and it probably helped because my hands were not a problem. Since I have been snatching twice as much as ever (and swinging much less) it's been hard for my body to adjust to this different kind of muscle stress. I experience muscle soreness in my upper back that barely has time to recover before another snatch workout, and this is much more apparent when snatching the 16kg, ( I'll explain more the next time I'm scheduled to train w/16kg).

Three weeks ago my grip was challenged after the first 10 snatches, of every set, making 11-19 a real test on my forearm as well. This time, although still challenging on my grip near the last couple of reps, the challenge was the conditioning needed to keep the speed of the bell on my right side from slowing down near the end of the set, on my left side I was actually still able to speed up as the set progressed.

The 30 sets were not a problem, I could've keept going, especially on my left side, but my right side was fatigued and I felt my form getting sloppy, I was hoping for 35 sets, but mentally gave up at 32.

Last week after my last workout with the 16kg (60 sets of 7, in St Paul) I was looking forward to this 36:36, not expecting my hands not to be ready and having to bale out after 15 sets on Monday, now I know to really take into consideration recovery. Two snatch Max V02 workouts with one day recovery inbetween works fine, but then I need the rest of the week to recover and hit it again the next week. Afterall, I did just turn 45....not bad for an old chick, lol!

Paralyzed by Perfection

Paralyzed by Perfection

What's up with this "perfectionism" thing and where the hell did it come from? Geez.....I seem to get paralyzed by perfection in so many ways.....I started writing this blog post 7/28 almost 3 weeks ago. What stopped me from finishing is exactly what this post started to be about. Can I find the "perfect" words to describe how I'm feeling? Nope....well, maybe later. Well later is now.

I'm not perfect. I eat too much. I can get so caught up on stupid shit like not being able to eat an apple because it's "out of season" God forbid, that I end up tearing open a package of licorice in the grocery store because I torment myself that the apple is not only out of season, but not organic! Geez.

I can sit in front of a basket of celery at the farmers market for 5 minutes trying to decide which bunch is the greenest, for best nutrient value, and which one is not too big, not too small, so I won't waste any, and I can barely even bring myself to buy produce from anywhere but farmers markets for fear of being "locally, seasonally or organically incorrect"...but on the other hand bingeing on Chick O sticks....so what the hell?

Right now, at this very minute I have 2 minutes to get out in the gym to start my workout, before a scheduled 7am phone consult. If I don't get out there I'll have less than 60 full minutes to work out....God forbid I work out less than 60 freakin' minutes! Geez, I might not be perfect if my workout is only 45 minutes. I might not burn that extra 50 stinckin' calories if I cut it short 10 min.....and then what?

I have been paralyzed by perfection. I can't seem to get a blog post written unless I feel I've got something to say, that can be anything, anyone cares about, and the time to say everything I have to say about it....blah, blah, blah.

Time to train. not enough coffee, not enough time, the late night yogurt snack was probably not the perfect choice to make, but so what. I have to start moving again. Moving forward again. I don't need to be perfect, I'll start by cutting this blog post short, and my workout can only be 56 min.....55......54.......53

Life is good....a 50 minute workout is good.....49....

Max V02

Mark and I arrived at the Friday's home Thursday night, just as Fawn was leaving to teach class, so of course I had to go tag along so I could KB "Fawn Style". I did a bunch of stuff I never do! Like strict military presses, squats (I haven't done consistently for months) and yes, I even attempted bear crawls....her students dig these, lol!

Saturday morning I went with Fawn to the Press Gym to hang out and put her KB class through a short "Tracy Style" workout. In between I managed to get my 2nd, 16kg, Max V02 workout for the week this one was 60 sets, of 7 reps.

Since I had swung with her class, I only did a short warm up, did my 60 sets, that took 30 minutes, and then took about a 30 min. break before her next class and did another 15-20 min swing, snatch combination workout ( I did not count my snatches for points, oh well!).

Back to my regular life on Monday I thought about not doing my KB workout until Tuesday, but I need to get back to my routine ASAP and since I do my Max Vo2 on Mondays and Wednesdays I decided to train in the afternoon with Mark and go to yoga early (7:15 am).

Wednesday
Max Vo2 KB 1:00pm

After a quick 2-3 min. swing snatch warm up.

19 snatch L, 36 sec work,
36 sec rest,
19 snatch R, 36 sec work,
35 sec rest



After my warm up I knew I had to shave down the thick calluses on my hands, (with a blade), even though my palms felt smooth, as soon as I did a couple of snatches the "pinching" at the bottom of my middle fingers, and my palms where they meet, was painful. I only managed to get 15 sets, of the 30 planned sets before I had to switch to one hand swings.

I stayed with the 36 sec intervals, swinging R for 36 sec (24 reps) and swinging L, for 36 sec., (24 reps), and then taking a 36 sec rest, making it a 2 to 1, work to rest ratio. I did 10 sets like that fininshing my workout for the day, (480 swings).




I need to get back to my Mon. /Wed. Max, because these last two trips interupted my schedule I don't think 1 day was enough time for my hands to heal between my 16kg snatch and the 36 sec Max workouts. I'll attempt my next 36 sec Max on Friday, take a full 2 days before training Max again on Mon.,the 3rd day.

Friday, at the Friday's

Frankiln, Gabi, Sean, Aaron, Franz, Fawn, Mark, me.

Zowie, two trips in 2 weeks time has been rough! Mark and I barely got home from the UCLA Cert and here we are back in St Paul for the FMS Cert (Functional Movement Screen), the saving grace (for me) has been being invited to stay with Aaron and , my best bud, Fawn Friday. I get to train with Fawn and co-teach her KB classes at the Press Gym, and having acces to a kitchen and a great friend that cares about food as much as I do, not to mention how much I learn from watching, and helping (barely, lol) a former professional chef....how lucky am I?

Mark has been attending the Cert while Fawn and I get to have fun! It was Fawn's idea to host a barbeque with some of our "KB blogoshere" friends because it's a rare occassion we would find them in town, much less all at the same time. Here are some pictures.....

Kirsten, Mark, Franz, Maura, Fawn, Aaron, Gabi.

Gabi, Fawn, Kate.

Me, Mark, Gabi. (L)

Rolando and Fawn (R)

A First Step....Salad

After being away from home for 4 days, I hit the ground running on Monday as I had previously scheduled a, well, I don't know what to call it exactly, but a cooking lesson / consultation kind of thing, with a former KB client who is now interested in taking her nutrition more seriously, and she needed to get some ideas and direction on how and where to start. Now, I'm not a "cooking" expert, and I don't know what's going to be the best or easiest way for anyone else to, 1) lose weight, or 2) conveniently eat more nutritiously by cooking and preparing their own foods and therefore improving their health....the two going hand in hand....but this is how I did it, and I did manage to do both of those things very successfully.

The first thing I knew about my own weight loss was I needed to consume less calories...way less! No one had to tell me how bad the processed foods, that were the majority of my diet, were for my weight, but also for my health, good health means being of a healthy weight. So I knew the quickest way to losing weight was to provide myself with homemade foods and meals, bottom line...and since I knew myself well enough to know I had a large appetite, my main approach was to eat all the fresh veggies I could learn to incorporate into each meal, endless amounts, if I wanted.

Maindish salads topped my list. Salads require no cooking, but they do require fresh veggies, the fresher the better. So what do you do if you don't have the time or energy to make a salad, fresh, everyday, or fresh every meal? One of the solutions is to pre-prep your salad ingredients and even creating a salad mix ready to go, that can last 4-7 days in the fridge. Cabbage based salad mixes are my staple, because you can pre-shed cabbage without it wilting for many days and you can even pre-dress cabbage salads lighty without the same effect (no wilting). This is also the reason I take a cabbage or broccoli based salad to work or on travel with me.

With proper prep and storage most veggies will last 4-7 days in the fridge. Proper prep and storage requires, upon arriving home, washing and drying your veggies and then storing them indivually in towel lined plastic bags in the fridge (I use flour sack cotton towels, or you can use paper towels). This is also how you store fresh herbs. The dry towel inside the plastic absorbs some of the leftover moisture from washing the veggies, while creating humidity within the plastic bag to help keep the veggies fresher.

I routinely preshred a cabbage salad mix that starts with green cabbage, and carrots. These two veggies last the longest (raw broccoli too) and even if this is all you have, makng a simple dressing of 1/2 plain yogurt, 1/2 mayo, some sort of vinegar (apple cider or even plain white) and, or lemon/lime juice, maybe a tad bit of honey or sugar S& P....or a low calorie store bought dressing....is all you need, anything extra is a bonus. And adding protein, like diced chicken, tuna, etc., turns it into a maindish salad.

I add lots of other stuff to my cabbage salad mix, mostly using other veggies I already have in my fridge, one or another or all! Here is a list, in order, of the other ingredients I add,

red cabbage
broccoli (chopped fine)
green onion
jalapeno
cilantro

The amounts don't matter. For instance today I had more red cabbage than green, I only had one carrot and one jalapeno, I had tons of green onions and a small amount of broccoli, no cilantro, but italian parsley. I made enough salad mix for about 3 salads, two of which I'll take with me on my trip tomorrow. I'll dress 2 salads lightly and bring extra dressing, this salad requires no immediate refrigeration, I'll eat one for lunch and one for dinner. (I need to be at the airport by 10am, leaving at 12 noon).


See Food and Thought for my favorite, most requested, Curry dressing, and more info on washing, storing and prepping fresh veggie ingredients.




Life is good, salads are good, pre-prepped, fresh veggies are good.

Max V02, 56 sets of 7 w/16kg, but who's counting?

I barely got a chance to meet super kb snatcher Nikki Shlosser, (second place holder in the snatch race) and teased her about whether or not she counted the, probably, 100's of snatches done at the UCLA RKC. Hopefully she wasn't snatching the "double points" 16kg, lol (although, I swear, I glaced on the field at one point to see her press the 20kg, overhead, as if it were a toy KB!) She did show me a nasty blister on her palm that could take her out of the snatch race for a few days, at least, lol!

Monday Max V02 w/16kg

Warm up, misc. swings and snatches (10 each side w/12kg, 5 each side w/16kg).

Work sets 15 sec work, 15 sec rest 7 R, 7 L,
56 sets = 28 min., 392 snatches (784 snatch points + 30 warm up snatch points)








I don't spend alot of time on the warm up these days, I just go to it! Last week, because of our travel schedule, instead of Max V02 on Mon. & Wed. I trained it on Mon., & on Fri. doing my 80 sets of 8 w/12kg, I think that had something to do with not feeling as strong as I expected to after 2 days off from KB's. As it is my shoulders are so sore this morning I was worried I might not be able to keep them up during yoga earlier! I actually told Mark that I would of rather done the 36/36 w/12kg instead of this workout!




I finished up my wokout with 20 sets of 2 hand swings, 30 sec work, 30 sec rest (20 min) using my best, longest and strongest form. I can't believe after watching the video that I actually got my elbows straight, lol. I was trying to lock them out so much my triceps got a really good workout too!

80 sets of 8 and getting a tan at the same time.

Second 12 kg Max vo2 workout of the week, done at the LA RKC this weekend.

LA Babee....

Mark and I just got back from the LA RKC, which was held at UCLA, lot's more to come.......

(I stole the title of this post from my friend Jen M!)