Today marks the one -year mark for this blog.  It’s strongsarah.com’s blogiversary, which also means that today is the (4th) anniversary of  The Accident. That was a rough day, but it was also the start of something very cool. You just never know how things will unfold and evolve into something beyond your wildest imagination.

A look back at the past year is in order.  It has been a big year, most of which has been documented here. In the last 12 months I have evolved from kettlebell newbie to HKC instructor.  Not to be limited to kettlebell training alone, I became quite proficient at jumping rope, and also tried a Randy Couture MMA (mixed martial arts) workout that I loved.  I explored (and did not love) the Eat Stop Eat program. My kettlebell studio, Intensity Works, was conceived and opened, and I shared many details of that process. I worked through the Enter the Kettlebell (ETK) program twice and realized success with it,  nearly doubling my kettlebell pressing ability.  I struggled with physical limitations resulting from The Accident and worked around or through them. I even began to feel ready to register for the RKC Instructor course. Just contemplating that was a milestone for me. I feel pretty good about the last year.

The blog has been neglected a lot too. I didn’t want my posts to become too repetitive, so I stopped posting regularly when my workouts often looked the same.  When starting a small business became my focus, blogging dropped down the priority list.  Then, when a (cancer) bomb was dropped on my world, I started a new blog, strongersarah.com, which has received much more attention than this blog lately.

But, Happy Birthday to strongsarah.com.  I hope to be able to post many more workout triumphs over the course of the next year.  Possibly, I will even have the priviledge of posting my experiences at an RKC instructor weekend.  If not, maybe I will have at least registered for one by the time this blog turns 2.  I am grateful to all who have visited and commented and encouraged me here. This has been fun, and it is far from over.  You just never know how things will unfold, and I am excited to continue the adventure!

My “inner coach” was speaking in Life Lessons during today’s kettlebell practice.  Here are 27 lessons that apply to kettlebell training, and pretty much everything:

1. Keep your eye on the thing that can hurt you.
2. Slow movements give you time to think.
3. Pay close attention when someone wiser than you gives you advice.
4. Shortcuts are ok for road trips but not for workouts.
5. You’re generally stronger at the beginning of the day’s effort.
6. Sometimes it is more difficult to move slowly than to go fast.
7. Always warm up before starting your main activity.
8. Breathe.
9. When it’s time to push forward, give it everything you have.
10. Quality over quantity.
11. Concentrate on what you are doing.
12. See yourself doing it right in your mind.
13. Enjoy every opportunity for rest.
14. Write things down so you don’t forget the details.
15. Have fun.
16. Celebrate every success.  Notice but downplay the failures.
17. Getting up and down holding something heavy is hard work.
18. Quickly moving something heavy is hard work.
19. Hard work is good for you.
20. Today’s hard work will be tomorrow’s easy work.
21. When a child comes in the room, notice and say something kind to them.
22. You feel good when you’ve tried your hardest.
23. Practice everything, even the stuff you think you’re good at.
24. Some time alone can be refreshing.
25. No matter how far out of your reach, never assume something you want to do is impossible.
26. Refuel when you’re empty.
27. Share the cool information you have.

 What can you add to my list?

Here’s the kettlebell workout that Elise showed me last week. 

Using two kettlebells, perform the following exercises once each, rapidly but maintaining good form:

1. Push Up (shoulders directly over kettlebells)
2. Up and into position–>Double Kettlebell Bent Row
3. Stand Up–> Double Clean (Dead Clean)
4. Double Kettlebell Squat

Go through this circuit 6 times then immediately run 1/4 mile.  Repeat x 4. 

Don’t have two kettlebells the same size?  No problem.  Select two that are near in size.   Alternate which side holds the heavier bell.

I also ended up throwing in double presses.  It seemed the right thing to do.

This will get your heart rate up there!

If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!