Too Loud

"I've always been afraid of twelve step crowds; they laugh too much and they talk too loud like they all know, how everyone should be . . ."
Todd Snider, Long Year .  .  .

Tuesday
Nothing, working dog.

Wednesday
In late for:

Five long cycle double 24kg clean & press
3 double 28
1+1x2 32

8 double 24kg front squats
5 plus 3 assisted pull ups, 16lb assist
20 tactical lunges, 24kg
x3

5-1 descending 1 arm swing ladder 24kg to 20 alternating
x4.

Thursday
Ericka at noon, great class.

Friday
Supposed day off, Hah !
Expert witness prep and client meet, quick workout
20 28 kg swings to 1 28kg tgu x5
20 28kg swings x 5
Berkeley shopping

Saturday
Clean up in anticipation of pork roast oh yes.

Sunday
To Mg for kettlebell/movement fun. Total blast felt like a kid.

Monday
75 min yoga with Evan; chaturanga city.

Tuesday
CT late:
5-1+ 5-1 snatch ladder 24kg, to mobility voo doo to 5 20kg GS
x6

In between, juggling the usual holiday dysfunction with year end client crises.  Friday brought the expert witness prep in am in 5mm case headed on a rail line to trial, then on Telegraph, bailing to sit in Noah's and close out seven figure settlement deal which is first piece in chain which needs to be cleared out before year and while simultaneously structuring sale of world famous artisan business in fashion which satisfies creditors and leaves client reputation intact.  Pretty much left alone Saturday and Sunday to think about prior week and plot for the next one; Monday more of the same.  Tuesday brought five hours of witness prep with nationally known law professor nervous about being a paid expert which makes him perfect but he does not know it yet.  I am his lifeline and he practically begs me to go to dinner but it is not necessary and we both have work to do.  His is reviewing 573 pages of accounting documents and mine is snatching a 24kg bell 180 times, in between CT's outstanding fine motor work and goblet squats with no sagittal extension, maintain neutral spine, relax, move your eyes not your head.

I enjoy social media and reading all the young folks' plans and goals and determination; road maps of lives just starting and recent prs.  The resume of the day; how you got all the shit done and more that you said you would and ate clean, worked out and are psyched to get up and do it again.  I like seeing them so dedicated, so committed to what you think you want.

But what will really impress is to see recuperation with grace when something happens to that will leave all that in shambles.  Can they broaden the map so it includes enough other people (outside of the gym) to guarantee disappointment, stir up bad juju one must ultimately forgive and dig deeper than ever thought possible to do so because its not about the individual or that bar with the weight on it but those who depend their survival and what you carry for them.  Not something that happens to someone close, but to you.  The birth of a child not perfect, the loss of a job, the cosmic blindside which tears your road map to shreds.  Recuperate from that and stay strong.  Recognize how little you really need, because what really matters takes up no space at all except in the center of your chest the capacity of which is infinite.

Yes, yoga will be good tomorrow.  After the four hours of deposition, and before the three hours of settlement negotiations.  Breathe.

Three More Then Two . . .

"Top of the mat; pose of the Mountain . . ."
PT, often

That's where it starts. Feeling the weight in the feet, gonna do this . . .

Sunday
Yoga with B. Before class he is sitting in full lotus, backs of hands on knees with forefinger circled to thumb. Sonorous trance music, eyes shut; pretty sure he fell asleep. Home to football and make awesome roast pork dinner, Brigid whips up best Brussels sprouts ever.

Monday
In early for headstands, twin 40 farmers walk, bu fool around. Just gtg and practicing. Nada mas but rest day is ok.

Tuesday
In early again for bu fool around. Try out Saturday' complex with double 16s then 20s. Think we'll start with 16's and see if we can make it up in volume.
Back in pm for:

60 16kg warm up
5 double 16 swings
5 double clean and press
5 double front squats
5 double snatches
1 28kg tgu
x 10.
Blow through the desire to stop at five. Three more then two. Old man:






No. 7 on Kenneth Jay's ten days of kettlebell mistakes here, neck extension on downswing, move the eyes, not head.

Wednesday
Headed to mh 5:15; catch cjd heading to Marin. Can save ten bucks and head home instead and hang with Brigid.

Thursday
Hit gym by 6:00 after busy day.
4-1+4-1 short cycle 28kg press ladders; 4 is a pr, hit fours all three circuits, no breaks Np; overdue.
Front squats, 8, twin 24, very good
10+10 28kg renegade rows
10 figure 8 to hold 20 to 10 24
x3
Alternating single arm swing ladder 10 20, 24, 28 x 5. Could have gone 8-10 but need gas for Pradeep tomorrow.
Felt sooo good after that. Great presses and good ballistics, Rock n roll helps.

Friday
5:00 Pradeep. After brief (but not perfunctory) warm up he has us on one foot, knee bent, other leg up, opposite hand on down foot with downside hand on hip. "no, this is not a yoga pose, just hard." Then hinge up on one foot, knee to chest on raised side, breathe. Four lengthy slow reps each side, sweat pouring: "hey, we're 14 minutes in!"
You'd want to kill him if he was not having so much fun. Happy hour endorphin rush. Hamstrings loose again after Kbells day before and a day behind a desk.
Why would anyone want to skip this ?

Saturday
15/15 16kg snatches 7 rep pace x 70
At 35 tempted to call it a week; Clapton from 1970; Got To Get Better In A Little While, push through, you can do anything for 35 minutes.

Sunday
To John's for Brigids birthday Tri tip.
Outstanding, guy can cook. Rest day.
Up to bed at 10pm something pst and see @JasonIsbell has tweeted Warren Hellman has died. Sadness, have over a decade of photos of Brigid and Barry at HSB. My kids grew up at your picnic. Giant heart. No words.

Monday. Distracted. WH tears just below the surface. Lay it out for 60 with Pradeep. Opening with his Foot thing. Closing with bridge to wheel. Sweat fest.

Love you Warren, you gave me this, and much much more:



RIP.

Rock & Roll Doctor

"If you like country with a boogie beat, he's the man to meet."
Lowell George

Sunday
Ten hours of work; at least games are on while I write a brief. No exercise. It's a damn good brief.

Monday
Sucking coffee listening to John Prine blowing the hell out of Mexican Home, skimming across the Bay.

Listen to more John Prine at Wolfgang's Vault.

That is so fucking good.

Late long conference call scheduled, get out at noon for:

60 16kg swing warm-up

1-3+1-3 28kg press
Kbell front squats, ten twin 20's
5 pullups,16lb assist
Sls 5+5 then 5+5 with 16kg bu.
X3
Mixed bu/snatch fuckaround

Tuesday
Sixty min yoga, good class mh.

Wednesday
To la for mediation and back. No workout. Judge liked the brief from Sunday's rest day; it's good when you get to set the tone and drive.

Thursday
Need to hit it
60 16kg swing warmup.

5+5 alternating 24kg op, straight to 5 doubles
1 min farmers walk, two 28
10 reverse pushups off of smith
5,4,4 trap bar deads, 245.
x3
5-1+5-1 24kg single arm swing ladder to
55lb oly bar tgu. X 5

Good. Hours later posterior from knees to neck humming.

Friday
Why is it I think my back is going to crater on deadlifts and swings.  I wake up feeling awesome.
Felt like a very long day but it really wasn't. To Jon Isaacs 90 min class subbing for Pradeep. Slow. Is. Hard.
Stay away late to pick up Ian.  Cruisin the Vault in Marin Brewing Co., find Rick Derringer from 1981 and cast of thousands benefit.  Last two, Rick and Dr. John with RD just blowing it out on Right Place Wrong Time, then into Hang On Sloopy.  Single beer.

Saturday
All day, plowing through bank docs, sending out what I hope are incisive emails to the rest of the team; feed back positive.  It's getting later and later and it's cold outside and last email is sent in the dark.
Not feeling it, go upstairs, B is listening to Bowie on the bed.  I curl up next to him, he puts his head on me knee and gets heavy.  Force it up, stream Derringer all stars during @giryagirl simple six workout:
Right
5 one hand swing
5 clean and press, long cycle
5 squats, bell in rack
5 snatches
Left
repeat above
TGU
x 5 with 24kg.
hit stride during circuit 3; switch to Little Feat, heavy heavy slide to kick off Rock 'n Roll Dr.  B bounces back in the door.  He loves Lowell.  Arms flailing wildly and heavy breathing he's overtaken, and bed dancing.  Last three circuits just pound 'em out.
Yoga with B tomorrow.

"three degrees in be-bop, phd in swing he's a master of rythm, he's a rock n' roll king . . ."

One of the best damn shuffles ever . . .

Go

"kicked by the wind,
dropped by the sleet. Got my head stove in but I'm still on my feet and I'm still, willin'"
Lowell George, Willin'

Sunday
Take B in for 90 min yoga. He rocks it and class is sweet.

Monday
Read @michaeltaylor tweets this morning and he is down on us sweaters in the class. Look, I like to sweat. It feels good and feels like the right thing to do; I don't feel out of touch with my breath or practice, quite the contrary. So it's perfect for me, problem Mr.Harvard strala yogi man ?

Long ass day. Appreciate all the fitness inspiration stuff; helps get me to the gym after all that work, stress and problems.
In and feeling strong. Gym is packed:

10+10 16kg single arm swing x 3

Forearms feel a bit baked and don't know where that's coming from. Move to first circuit

Short cycle press:
5+5 20
4+4 24
3+3 28
1+1 32x2

Front squats twin 20s
20 24kg renegade rows
Suitcase deads, twin 32x 10
x3.
Best 28 presses ever, could have had fours easy and maybe fives, revisit Saturday. 32's going up smooth, maybe doubles.

30/30 20 swings alternate 28/24 x 10, or that was the plan. At 8 knew I was in big trouble re grip and stopped last set of 28 at 11. Waited 30 seconds and picked up 24 for last 20 but grip was shot, done gone and dusted. Stop and live to come back another day. 30 short of 200 sucks but not as bad as hurting myself or someone else in the crowded gym.

Tuesday
Planned down day. Deja vu meeting in San Rafael; weird.

Wednesday
Force it up for 1:00 Pradeep. Extended side series from chair to prayer twist to side angle to warrior two to brief relief in triangle has quads screaming; breathe through it. Side plank with top leg up really strong, laid out at the end. Dinner, 9:35 boat, and in lot picking up Ian at 11:00. Thrashed.

Thursday
Start at 6:30. 2:00 meeting stretches to 7:30, unplanned down day. Tired. Six hours of sleep and 13 hours of work billing at 425 per. Not proud, just shows client expectation. You don't meet, you are toast. Fried.

Wind leaves stuff and outdoor furniture all over back yard. Bay is flat and smooth and opt for last three songs on Blood On The Tracks. I need to double down today and do some kettlebells at noon and follow up with Pradeep happy hour. Pulls at noon, swings and tgu, cause it'll be plank push city with Pradeep later.

Need good breakfast for all of that. Roll off boat and into Frog Hollow with packed lit bag and binder full of trouble. (lawyer joke) They're cranking Little Feat, Lowell George's raw slide echoing out over the concrete on Time Lives A Hero. Thanks, I'll eat the oatmeal here but ya'll really need to get bacon on the menu . . .

Bail at 12:30 for a tight 45 minutes

20 28kg swings to 1 tgu
x 10
Back for a productive two hours, then back to gym for 90 minute Pradeep.
When it starts out in Savahsana we know it's gonna be a drencher. Come put and up to happy baby he jokes and says we'll be coming back here in 90 minutes, but in between, Strong.
Complete blowout, three side plank progressions, bunch of time in tree, extended warrior triangle reverse side angle variation progressions, crow, lizard, etc. 70 minutes in in plank there is just a running stream from my shirt; it's not even dripping sweat.
It feels so good, could feel this way forever.




Saturday
Get up feeling awesome, sit down for five hours writing brief. Ian comes out and gets me up on Burdell with Rose, good walk with some good elevation gain.