The roots of my insanity were born in playing football in high school. I hated mirrors, music, and bumper weights in the weight room. I would have been happy breaking rocks with a hammer to work out. Needless to say, I was a perfect candidate for the true weapon of mass destruction; the Kettlebell.
I did not discover this weapon until 2007 through a co-worker who loaned me a copy of Pavel Tsatsouline's first book on kettlebells. Luckily the gym on base had kettlebells and I started my journey with the kettlebell. Sometimes on, sometimes off, and inconsistent at best with sticking with the program. But at the bottom of it, the kettlebell pointed to practical strength; where power was preferred over beach muscles that are not powerful. Plus the idea of gireviks wrestling bears just sounded awesome. Then I entered graduate school in 2009 and fell completely off the wagon. The point of this blog by sharing my kettlebelling is to keep me on track.
As for the surfing, the greatest sport in the world was introduced to me in 2008, culminating in several adventures along the East Coast of Japan in Chiba and Kanagawa. Now stuck in Indiana, I have attempted to unlock the secrets of the 3rd Coast, the surfing tribe of Lake Michigan.
And running? Well, a former co-worker posted on my facebook page after I commented: "Looks like Mr. Plantar Fasciitis made a Special Guest Appearance during the Chicago Half!" that I should look into barefoot running. I'm signed up for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach next March, so I will be in my training attempting to transition to barefoot running.
The end goal one day with all of these?
1. Certify as an RKC within the next ten years. (see www.dragondoor.com to see what an RKC is)
2. Be able to hang five or hang ten on my Mal; and make use of my Hobie retro fish
3. Finish the Yuengling Marathon in less than 5 hours.
4. Run at least two marathons in 2011
5. Run one of those marathons in 2011 barefoot
6. Complete an Ironman in 2012 somewhere
7. Complete an Ultramarathon in the next five years
Why? Because I don't have to be in the gym with the guy who spent more time doing biceps in the mirror and hear terrible pop music or wait endlessly for two guys yammering on about nonsense. I'll see you outside as I toss my kettlebell or as I paddle into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan to catch that NW swell rolling down.
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