Recent Training

Sleep is important. Lack thereof, which is what a new father gets, is a hard adjustment. However, billions have gone before me so it is just a matter of adjusting. Plus, as Tom grows, he’ll be able to sleep fully through the night.

In my world of irregular sleep and at my current fitness level, a realisitic outcome is for me to train four times a week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday; or Monday; Wednesday; Friday; Saturday may be the answer. We’ll see. I do need at least 24 hours of recovery between sessions, and I’ll have to cycle the consecutive day sessions appropriately.

Recently, I have done:

Thursday, September 25, 2008
intuflow intermediate (no floor work) and warm-up

2m work, 2m rest
1aj20kg – 16/16
Sn20kg – 16/16
1alc – 10/10

Friday, September 26, 2008
joint mobility and warmup

2m work, 30s rest
1aj20kg – 16/16
Sn20kg – 16/16
1alc – 10/10

Saturday, September 27, 2008
joint mobility and warmup
1aj20kg – 24/24. 3m.
Sn20kg – 16r, rest, 16l
1aj32kg – 5/5
1asw36kg – 10/10

Life Changes In a Hurry

Hurricane Ike
When I last posted, Ike was coming towards us. We lost power early in the morning of the 13th and got it back late night the 15th. We were lucky. This was a much bigger and longer lasting hurricane than the last one I endured 25 years ago. As the night progressed, the wind got progressively harder, originating from the north and then ending up west and west southwest. I’d say we had 4-5 hours of sustained winds of hurricane force (>74 mph) and a few gusts of over 100 mph. We had some roof and water damage, but nothing insurance won’t cover.

The city looks like a bomb went off. Trees and traffic signals down, shortages of gas, and limits on purchases of certain items. Many people don’t have power yet, and I think it’s going to be a long while before things get back to normal. Take traffic lights. With a majority of them flashing or out, traffic is gridlocked. Finally, good ole Comcast is slow to come back, so no football for me, but as you will see below, I don’t have much time.

My Son
Absolutely the biggest change in my life and the best thing to happen to me so far, my son Tom was born on September 18, 2008 weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz. He’s healthy, good natured, quiet, and beginning to show some signs of a playful personality. We are blessed to have him, and it was a long time coming for us after multiple miscarriages. He sleeps through most, but not all of the night, and is a very easy baby to soothe. Thanks to God and everyone for answered prayers.

My Training
After a 10+ day hiatus, I am back at it. I’ve had time to think about what’s important and what I want out of training short term, medium term, and long term. Short term is simply to get conditioned to train for sport. The AKC fitness protocol of jerks, snatches, and long cycle of progressively longer sets and shorter rest will work well for this goal. Today, I did Level 1 with the 20kg:

Warmup and joint mobility

1aj20kg – 2m at 16/16
Sn20kg – 2m at 16/16
1alc20kg – 2m at 10/10

I can tell its been awhile since I’ve trained, but it feels good to sweat.

Wind Beginning to Pick Up

In a few hours, it will start to howl. The best way to describe it is as if a locomotive were right next to your window. Fortunately, I am in a town house on the south end of three attached residences. The wind is coming from the north at 30 knots (35 mph) with higher gusts. We can hear it but can’t feel it.

Training

Check back later for a Hurricane Ike update.

Monday, September 8, 2008
Scheduled off day

Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Intuflow intermediate class and warmup
2alc16kg – 5m. 5,5,5,5,5
2alc12kg – 5m. 7,7,7,7,7
2alc20kg – 6

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Intuflow intermediate class and warmup
1alc32kg – 5/5
1alc 28kg – 5/5 x 4

Thursday, September 11, 2008
Unscheduled off day – hurricane preparation

Friday, September 12, 2008
Intuflow intermediate class (no floor work) and warmup
2aj16kg – 6m. 5,5,5,5,5,5
1alc20kg – 10/10.
Rest 2m.
1alc20kg – 10/10.
Rest 2m.
1alc20kg – 10/10.
Rest 2m.
1asw28kg – 17/17.

We’re About to Get Whacked

I live in Houston, Texas. Here is today’s weather forecast:

Today – Tropical storm conditions expected with hurricane conditions possible. Mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs around 90. North winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the morning becoming northeast and increasing to 30 to 35 mph with gusts to around 65 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight – Hurricane conditions expected. Showers and thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the upper 70s. Northeast winds 45 to 55 mph with gusts to around 85 mph in the evening becoming north and increasing to 60 to 80 mph with gusts to around 100 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 100 percent.

We’re safe, but it’s going to be a long day and night.

Recent activity

My car seat and training plans on the 3d and 4th were thwarted by long, long days at work and marathon trips to Target and Babys R Us with my 37 week pregnant wife. Seems that a pack and play won’t do and that we must have a crib and all accroutements before my son is born. Fair enough, and I agree. Good answer, right?

However, I trained yesterday and today and more importantly, installed the car seat. I was Dumb and Dumberer combined and feel like a complete idoit. Fortunately, there are many organizations locally that can check my work.

Frantic work to accomodate clients’ September 15 corporate deadlines coupled with frantic activity preparing for a child requires simplicity and brevity in training. The nice thing about kettlebell lifting, properly done, is only half an hour is required for a quality training session.

Friday September 5, 2008
Intuflow intermediate class without the 4cbd and floor work
2alc16kg – 5,5,5,5
2aj20kg – 5,5
1asw20kg – 27/27. 1m30s.

Saturday September 6, 2008
Intuflow intermediate class without the floor work
2alc16kg – 5,5,5,5
1alc16kg – 8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8,8. Switch every minute. I need to do more of these longer sets.

Night Day Double Header

Day/night double headers in baseball are a total rip off. That’s the racket major league baseball owners run to make up rain outs – have a make up game and then another game later in the day where fans need two tickets, unlike one ticket for a normal double header. Fortunately, we don’t get those in our retractable roof blessed city or any sort of double header for that matter.

However, kettlebell lifters can do a night/day double header. That’s where a lifter lifter lets his day get away from him and has to lift at night. The next day, since the lifter has a full day and night planned, he has to train in the morning. Hence, a night day/double header. So, like a seven inning second game in a college basesball double header, the second game morning session needs to be shorter.

Monday 09012008 at night
intuflow intermediate class and warmup
2aj16kg – 5/5/5/5/5/5
1aj24kg – 10/10
Sn16kg – 5m at 12rpm
1asw24kg – 25/25

Tuesday 09022008 early morning
intuflow intermediate class and warmup (these are key for night/day combos)
2alc16kg – 5/5/5/5/5
1asw24kg – 20/20
flowfit level 2 flows

Tuesday 09022008 night – tackle the car seat installation. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.