Enter The Kettelbell!

Last night got my Kettlebell (KB). I was very impressed with the speed of delivery and the quality of the KB itself. I ran through a couple of the warm up exercises so I knew what I was doing and then I started the timer and ran through a repeating sequence of 3 warm up moves for 10 minutes. After that I jumped into my workout. For 12 minutes I did what is called the swing, the most basic move in kettlebell workouts. It is the basis for which everything is built off of. I did 40 reps and then did what is called an active rest in between sets. My active rest consisted of running in place. So I repeated that non stop for 12 minutes. I managed to cycle through the swings and active rest 5 times. 40 swings per cycle = 200 reps in 12 minutes. I was literally soaking wet at the end of my workout. When I was training for the marathon it would take me far longer to get a shirt soaking sweat worked up. WOW it kicked my ass. In 25 minutes I got an awesome workout. I didn't go to a gym, or work out for 2 hours either. This was done in the comfort of my home and at a time of my choosing. It doesn't get much better than that.

Today I'm not too sore, although my soreness usually doesn't set in until two days after. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

The Dude

Kettlebells

My brother has recently taken up training with kettlebells. I had never heard about them before so after I got back from his house after Easter I did some research on the internet about them. I thought they looked like a good way for me to get back into lifting weights. I lifted weights religiously from the time I was 13 until I was about 25. Then I just got burnt out and also got married, so my priorities changed. So 50 pounds later I need to get back into shape. I've wanted to start lifting weights again, but just have not had the motivation to since the first thing I think about is how much I hated lifting that last time I did it regularly. Kettlebell training is completely different than anything I've ever done. It is a very old school way of training. There is a lot of technique involved and the movements are very explosive.

Last week I contacted a certified kettlebell instructor (the only one in the area) and arranged for him to come over Saturday to give me a demo and training session. I have to say I was kind of worried about what I was getting into. I haven't lifted consistently for 7 years. So I was worried about how sore I would be the next day and days after. Anyway Eric came over on Saturday and gave me an impressive demo. The types of things you can do with the kettlebells is amazing. Then he showed me the techniques and had me try some of the Olympic lifts. I did cleans, jerks, and snatch. I had issues getting the technique down for the cleans. Once he took me through the technique for some of the lifts he ran me through a short training session. OMG! It absolutely kicked my ass. I don't know the last time I felt that fatigued and out of breath. It felt good and bad at the same time. It is such a weird combination of exercise it's hard to explain. It's like sprinting and lifting to failure at the same time. Eric did a great job presenting kettlebells to me. I'm planning on getting back with him in a few weeks to go over my form.

I ordered a 35# kettlebell last Friday and it will be here on Wednesday. I'll start my workouts that night and continue to report on my progress here. I'm really excited to see how this training will effect my cycling. It really works your whole body but it really works your core muscles. I'm really lacking core muscles and often have a sore lower back after a hard ride. I'm also really bad at hills. I'm hoping the increased strength in my legs (and hopefully weight loss that comes with working out ) will assist me with BRAN and RAGBRAI. Ride On!

The Dude

Let The Training Begin!

April 5th was my first weekly Wabash Breakfast Ride (WBR). My wife Kelli couldn't make it but out friends Chris and Karol did. We met at the trail head in Council Bluffs at 8am and headed to Malvern, IA. Early on we decided to cut the ride short. I was sick the day before and felt dead, and it was Chris and Karol's first ride of the year and they didn't have their cycling legs/butt yet. There is a good little diner in Silver City we were going to stop at to eat and turn around and head back from there. By the time we got close to Silver City we were starving and ready to eat. One big problem, the place was closed. Not only was it closed, it for sale. So we decided to grit it out and ride an additional 9 miles to Malvern. It was brutal, but we made it and had a great brunch. It was a great small town Iowa experience. Everyone was really nice to us and made us feel like we were from there. We took several breaks on the way back, the best one was the stop we made at the Mineola Steak House. We did a "one and done" which is grabbing a beer and leaving. We took our time having that beer too. we struggled our way back to the trail head. 5 hours and 46 miles later we were done.

Sunday I got up and did some yard work. Then I cleaned by road bike and degreased/lubed my gears. There is something therapeutic about cleaning your bike. I set up my work stand in the driveway, set my bike up on it and set out on an hour clean job.

I got out tonight for a short 16 miler. It was really windy and a little brisk. My feet were pretty cold when I got done. I need to wear my shoe covers next time. My bike rode great, it's amazing how a clean chain and gears can make a big difference.

The Dude