And the final numbers...

Max lifts on lifts I cared about:

220lbs Deadlift

145lbs Front Squat

and what impressed me the most this week...

175lbs (rock bottom...ATG)Back Squat...a 36 pound improvement over Sept 08! And to think that I was down 2 pounds of lean body mass over April 2009 when I started this lifting plan due to being sick this spring.

Gym is still closing next week, but I have about 4 different possible plans that might come to fruition, I'll know more by next Friday.

One thing I have learned about triathlon is that I like training plans and I like training goals. But right now...I don't really like triathlon. So...i'm swimming in a sea of 'what's next'? The thing that has been hard is that finding a road race or a triathlon or something that is semi related to swim-bike-run is EASY. Finding something that looks interesting to me that doesn't include 'endurance' training or is related to swimming biking or running is hard to find...I'm trying to sort through that right now.

I'm kind of going through a "What is out there?" moment. Could I pick up a new sport? If I ever find the time in the next few weeks I'm going to try out Netball. Funny sport similar to ultimate frisbee with a ball...but funnily enough is British in origin, yet I never played it in the UK or NZ when I lived there. Of course that would so be ME to pick that game up now that I don't live there...it was like the fact I picked up the american sport of Ultimate frisbee when I lived in the UK. I never do things the 'normal' way...do i?

But over the past few days a few thoughts have come to mind and I've started researching a 'what's next'...and it is not related to swim-bike-run in any form. I'm kind of excited about it...but it will be awhile til I declare it. ;-)

til then...it's finally summer here. Just in time for fall.

Weight max week and what next?

This week is our max test week. I'm a big nerd and have been really excited about it. Why? Because I want to know how I have improved over my Sept 08 max from when I was doing Crossfit. At that time my Deadlift max was 210# and my backsquat was 139#. Monday I broke my DL max @220#. I still think there was a little more in me, but my nervous system was a little fried. And today I front squatted 145#. I don't have a max really for that because I have never tried to figure it out. I also was throwing around 20kg for cleans and jerks with the kettlebell which sort of surprised me a little bit. So that was fun. I also had a good laugh over my instructor telling me to do my general kettlebell swings with heavier weights because I tend to cheat and just 'muscle' the lighter weights (16kg and below)on my swings. I found this comment pretty funny.

Last week I broke my backsquat PR with 145# x 3 reps so Friday when I test my backsquat it will be fun to see what I can do beyond 145#.

So what's next? I have some random things I might be interested in working towards, but the verdict is out on what's next. I had flirted with doing Carlsbad half marathon in January...and then my affection grew a little cold. It'll probably sell out before I can make a decision. Some days I like to run, and some days I don't.

But the major bummer of what is next is...my gym is closing. :-( They were only open in this small format for a short while and due to some administrative issues the whole thing is being closed...like at the end of next week! I'm sad. I'm cooking up some options for myself, but at the end of the day...i'm sad. I was so happy there. I enjoy my instructor. I'm learning lots and finally starting to feel healthy again. I'm still far from the level of fitness I would like to get to...but it is such a difference from this spring! Something will work out. And until then...sniff.

7 weeks down and living in week 8

I think some days everyone wonders about their blog...why they do it? Who really cares? Why do other people read it? And one thing I sometimes wonder is why is blogging any better than me just writing all this down in my own journal somewhere squirreled away where no one has to read my blathering. I don't know...maybe because at least saying things 'outloud' with a random audience whether or not they say anything in return feels better than just talking to myself. And considering how often I talk to myself...maybe it just signals a way that I'm getting out of my thinking head and onto 'paper'. Been thinking about that a lot. What purpose does this serve? But strangely even though I thought blogging was the weirdest thing ever back when I started it...and the two people who got me into this crazy endeavor have stopped blogging...I enjoy it. So somehow it helps me process.

Lately things have been...um...chaos. I'm SUPER busy while concurrently being emotionally on two ends of the spectrum which makes things a bit hard as well as hard to stay focused, but that is life at times. Kettlebell class is going great. Next week marks the end of our first set of programs...which means next week = max lift testing. I'm pretty excited...strangely...but still excited.

Today I am pretty sure I PRd my front squat...granted, I used to RARELY front squat so I don't think that really counts. I don't know my front squat max...but I did squat 130lbs today and it was HEAVY. I almost pschyed myself out before hand until I thought: what's the worst that will happen? You have to dump it?

At my gym it's acceptable to dump weight on the floor so it really wasn't a big deal. AND i didn't have to. It was mighty heavy though. Deadlifts came in this week at 180...but we have been progressing SLOOOOOWLY. I should have pushed it awhile back. The last few weeks I've just been loading them up. Sept 2008 max DL = 215...goal next week...to meet or break that. I think I should be able to break that, but I do have a weaker grip now than I did then.

Backsquat...2008 max 140...donno. Friday is backsquat day and due to some scheduling stuff I actually haven't backsquated in over 2 weeks. So who knows.

But I must go to bed now...because I'm going now on off days and doing body weight stuff/active recovery which is super fun. But has reminded me that I need to continue to work on pushups. I did 75 Bosu ball pushups (not consecutively...but 5x15 within a big set of other stuff)...and I'm a bit sore today. I also did some wacky medicine ball pushups where you hold the medicine ball with one hand, lift your opposite leg (or same leg if you wish) and do a push up. I think those were around 3x3. Then there were the fun ones I could only hold where you put your foot on a medicine ball, lift the other one and then do a push up. I just held that since I started to fall on my face every time I tried to do those. But pretty fun. Sometimes I feel like we are attempting circus tricks on some of this body weight stuff, but hey it's pretty cool.

6 weeks down

Another week in the books for kettlebell training and another week where I'm feeling 'normal'. Energy is good and all is well and almost to the point where this spring feels like a dream. Was I really that sick? Did that really happen? It's weird to first have your body completely freak out on you, have doctors not know what is *really* wrong with you, then start to figure out how to fix yourself and then get to a point where you are healthy and full of energy where you can take care of your life and everything around you and it almost feels like it was all a dream. That is actually dangerous.

But as I feel better physically some rough stuff has taken place the past week or so. Since I'm not much of an over-sharer in my 'offline' life...that's about all I'll say on my blog. But I managed to get out of town this weekend, see some old friends from NZ, and get away and gain a bit of perspective on life. It's been good all around.

I did discover this weekend that I might actually sign up for a half marathon in January and even with the intent of really training for it. Goal time and everything. That thought came out of the blue after seeing a bunch of half marathoners at Disneyland this weekend. So we will see how long that thought lasts. I'm barely getting past that feeling of "why do people run this sucks" feeling of being out of shape. I have had a few brief moments of runners 'bliss' or that feeling where your legs are just under you and the breathing and legs just feel together and linked. But they have been fleeting thoughts...but I do know that they come about more regularly with more running. So...we will see. I'm still giving myself space on the topic of endurance sports.

Life is getting really busy with some chaos with a job this fall...and it is good. I'm excited.

So...definitely round a bend. Just don't know what this road has to offer me at the moment. Guess we will see.