What Would Kettle Do?

A new stage 5

I feel good, really good. I feel better than I have in a long time.  I am in Stage 5 now but it has been different then the last time. I did not feel good going into my last competition. I had been distracted and overwhelmed with things that just don’t care about kettlebell. I doubt that this feeling is unique to me.

I still did my training, but I must admit I did not do it with all of my heart. I think I was a little burned out. I needed a rest and I never really took it. I pushed through but all the training was “I just have to make it to the end” training. That kind of training is no fun.

There are things I could have done to be better than I was. All the things I really hate to do. They were just too much to think about. They were just a little too strong for me, too heavy.

When my snatch set was over I was going through a lot of emotions. I was thinking that I actually had trained harder than I thought I had. I must have to put up the number I did. I was thinking that I actually had a second gear. I was thinking that my number was closer to where I want to be. It was not quite my long-term goal but it was close. It was a lot closer than I thought it would be.

 I was lying on the floor in the hallway trying to catch my breath. I was trying to slow my heart down. I was trying to pull it together.

I’m too fat.

I’ve got no wind.

I should have done more of those damn glove snatches and run more miles and ate better food and got more sleep. If I had kept my eye on the ball what would my number have been? If I had done my stretching and my cool-down every day and lost the weight would I have been able to rest?

I can’t rest in the rack. My lockout is better so I get a little rest there but the rack keeps sliding off of my belly. My arms are not too short. My waist is not too low. I am not injured or handicapped in any way. It’s my weight and my flexibility, my life long nemesis and his annoying sidekick…

Fatty and Stiffy.

Up until now stage 5 has been about blowing off steam but I feel like my whole last cycle of training was so messed up that what I need right now is more structure not less. I am not pent up and ready to explode. I am coiled and ready to train. During that snatch set I emptied the basement.

This stage 5 has been 2 weeks of stretching and running and regeneration. I have been working my diet to the point where it is very clean again. I haven’t jumped on the scale yet but I am already feeling lighter. I am ready for the next cycle. I haven’t been under 300 lbs in 10 years. I have gotten to 314 (just before Siberia) but have been hovering around 320 ever since. It is time to get that done.

I think I kind of crashed after the Siberia trip. It was such a huge thing in my heart that I just couldn’t adjust when I got home. I think that is over now. I am ready for the next big push.

I had a big jump in my snatch numbers. I had been waiting for it and it finally showed up…just a little. Now I am looking for the jump in my jerks. My lockout is actually straight now. It has taken me almost a year to get my arms straight and locked over my head. Now it is all about the rack.

The rack and the wind.

I am ready to look for them again.

Today I will look for them on the mountain.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Kettle,

It has begun.

For the past few years, every time something cool would happen in regards to Kettlebell or the OKC or me personally I would find myself saying “It’s all about to start”. I found myself saying it again last Saturday and then Tuesday when I was exchanging emails with my friend Muk in Hong Kong, and then again this past weekend on the phone with Dolby. I have to stop that because it’s not about to start. It has already begun.

Last week I was lifting in New York. It was my first domestic tournament in 3 years. I was satisfied with the results. I scored about what I would expect in the Jerk and exceeded my goal in the Snatch so that makes it a win for me. I left feeling that I had a minor breakthrough. I feel the progress. I see the results of my work and I am excited to continue, but there is more than that. There is an even bigger beginning.

While the meet was happening in NYC, all the way across the world in Hong Kong the IKSFA flag was flying at another meet. Muk Venkataraman was hosting the first ever GS meet in Hong Kong!

I met Muk in St. Petersburg a few months ago and he told me about his plan. He has in his heart what you are looking for. He has a love for this little sport and he sees a way to make it grow. He was telling me how he wanted to compete and how every time he saw a meet posted online or the results on facebook he would feel it in his gut. So he ended up doing the only thing there was to do. He decided to be awesome!

There are not many people who make a choice like this. There are always reasons not to do things. There are always more voices telling you not to do something then there are supporting your dream. (You have to be careful with this…if you show your dream to someone who decided not to go for their own you may see a dragon in them that you never knew was there.) It takes courage to forge a new path. Muk is fearless. He was not intimidated. He wants to start the movement in Asia. He wants to lead. He took a chance and then he sent me a letter:

“So I decided that if I started one, then maybe the rest of Asia would follow and I am proud to say “Mission Accomplished” because there are 2 confirmed events after mine: One in Manila, and then, another in Singapore. So what that creates is an Asian Circuit therefore giving all us guys out here the opportunity to make our training very specific. We now have to time our training cycles and so forth to match competitions. It makes it all more fun! It’s also a fantastic way to stay in shape. Everyone knows that when you have an event/competition coming, you train veryhard for that. Without specific goals, training can be just very blah.”

He did not start small either. It was not just people from Hong Kong:

“For this event I just organized, I invited Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Korea cause those were all the contacts I had. Singapore confirmed within 3 days, which was great!”

Muk has already inspired more motion in Asia. Rumor has it that Nazo is getting in on this action. I know that I will be at the next meet in Hong Kong!

I also had a few email exchanges with David DeVito who is a Kettlebell Gangster in Singapore. He made CMS at the meet and won best overall Biathlon. We were chatting about how this sport gives you a reason to see the world, to meet new people, to taste new cultures. I like this David Devito, we have a lot in common.

There is a network out there now. Muk is a part of it, David Devito, my friend and student Ian (nickname not to be mentioned here) Tan are part of it. Kettlebell sport is growing on this planet in places we don’t even know about yet. We are all a part of this. We all play a role.

Muk told me that there was interest in this meet from over 40 people when it was announced. By the time the event happened it had solidified to 20 ready and able lifters.

20!

Twenty lifters at the first meet in Hong Kong! If it were my meet I would have been happy with 10 or even 5! Anything to get the sport rolling and he got 20. You should be proud Muk!

How many more meets are going to pop up around the world? How many more leaders like Muk, and David, and Ian are there? Where will the next one be and what will those medals look like?

I hardly even remember my life before Kettle. I was a completely different person. I have been involved in this scene and part of the big push forward. It has giving me and continues to give me great rewards. I am happy to see more and more people joining the fight. Together, we can make this work.

Last year, or maybe two years ago there was a question on Facebook, or a forum, or a blog, I can’t remember, but it was “Who will be the leaders of this movement?” I have always kept this question in my mind and in my heart. I thought about it and tried not to dilute it with my own vanity. Who will the leaders be? It’s so clear now, so simple. Who will they be?

They be you.

Kettle,

I needed that.

I went to my mother’s house in PA a few days before the comp in NY this past weekend. I had a great time. I am always amazed at how much I had missed her when I finally get to see her. I only hit the east coast a few times a year and only get to see her about half of the time.

I have two of the old black perform better comp bells at her house so I can at least train a little. She retired to a cool community in the Poconos when I can run, swim, and even hit the sauna and whirlpool when I visit.

I always seem to use the time to reflect. Life moves so fast. There is always some drama, some source of stress that feels like the cops are storming the party. When I get up to PA all those things seem to fade away.

After a few days of clean eating, good sleep, great company and pre-comp training I was off to LIC for the NYC Kettlebell Sport Championship. We had four lifters in this one. Jason, myself, Jason’s student Terri Parker and my student Juliet Lederle were all going to lift. We knew we would see some good friends like Mike Sanders and his team. (I’m not going to name everyone because I don’t want to forget you…yes you who I will always remember )

I did not think I was going to lift well because my training was not as good as I should have made it. The only thing I knew was that I was going to try my best. I was going to go up there and leave it all on the platform. This is my favorite part of the sport. Sometimes you really get to see what you’ve got down deep. It’s not you vs the bell, It’s you vs all of the bullshit your mind uses to protect your heart.

This was a comp we had all been looking to. It was not a test set. It was a real one for the team and for me. I knew I was going to let it all hang out.  The jerk set was kinda funny…I saw the black bells and started to chalk them up. I was up first so I was not worried about anyone using them before me. My goal was 50 reps which would be a personal record. I still can not rest in the rack so my jerk numbers are depressed. I started my set and felt pretty good going into rep 36. 36 is always a big number for me because that was my total in Siberia. I got to 40 and still felt ok. Then 44 came and I knew it was the end. I got 45…kinda…and I had to drop. When I walked off Vadim (the owner of Crossfit LIC and the host of the party) laughed at me and said “Nice set with the 26’s!” All I could think of was Rudnev looking at me and saying “Joooohn…you big but you crazy with the 26’s? What you doing??”

You can see the Jerk Set Here 

The sad thing was I needed a total of 135 for rank one which means I had to do 180 snatches. My previous best was 152. I had come in hoping to do 160-170. Coach said no less that 154.

I wrote a note to Nazo before my set. She was not allowed to read it until I started. I looked up and saw my mother who looked so…actually…she did not look nervous at all…I really can’t do anything to scare this woman who seems to be impervious to tension. She has waited my whole life to see me try as hard as I possibly could at something. She would see it today. She clearly had no idea I was ready to die up there. So I winked at her.

I was looking at the bell and I started thinking. I have been all around the world. I have met so many people and done so many things that a guy like me has no business doing. I thought of all the people I have been in my life. I thought of where I am going and what I am going to do. I was born a few miles from where I stood. My family house was a few blocks away from this spot until they tore it down a few years ago. And here I am again in Long Island City. I was thinking about my Grandmother Lisalotte Wild-Deustch and how Queens she was, and how bad ass tough as nails she was and what she would want me to do and how she would want me to represent her, and our name. I looked at Nazo and realized that I don’t need any bullshit to protect my heart. I’ve got a ninja watching it for me.

The bell sounded and I thought “Ok, be right back”.

90 right, 90 left, I got it.

Jason came running out to me and I said “pick me up” I just didn’t want to be all over the floor in front of everyone like that. So I stumbled into the hallway and crashed on the floor for a few min.

You can see the snatch set here

I’m sorry for the dramatics. I guess I’m just a dramatic guy, or a romantic, or whatever. It’s just how my heart works when my head gets out of the way. My head was nowhere to be found in those moments. What you saw was everything I had to give.

I walked over to my Mom and she said “Oh Johnny, are you ok?” I tossed my wrists on her shoulders to rest my arms and said “this is nice, let’s just do this for a sec” (I’m gonna say…she looked a little worried!)

Boom!

Chu-Hi!!

I’ll tell you right now that I could not have done one more rep. No way, not on June 25^th 2011. But that was then. The next time there will be more. Maybe I will get all crazy and use the right weight for the jerks…who knows?

I have to reassess my goals.  But first I need a little rest to think about what I am doing. I did not know I could do that, any of that. The training is working. It is really working! I think I may actually be able to do this.

Kettle,

One last thing.

Some things are still private, even in this world. I can’t tell you what Coach Rudnev wrote to me after he saw the footage even though I seem to tell you guys EVERYTHING I am feeling or thinking. I just wanted to tell you Coach, the only nerves I ever have before a competition are about embarrassing you. Your note means more to me than I can say. If you believe in me I know I can do anything. Thank you for being my Coach and my friend!

your honored student,

John

Your education is up to you. The kind of things you learn to believe in through your experience and the kind of judgment you grow to have are ultimately shaped by you and your choices. It is easy to sit back and let someone educate you. It is hard to take risks and educate yourself through experience. You will make mistakes. You will get hurt. You will have to fight. You will have to grow out of your skin. You will have to die and be reborn. If you don’t, if you choose to sing someone else’s song forever, you will not grow to your full potential. You will not learn. You will not be able to teach anyone anything they can’t learn online.

I look at my life as an adventure. I believe that putting myself into challenging situations changes me. I believe in going far away. I believe in searching for the source. I think of all the people I have met in my life and how I have learned so much just by contact. When I am on a subway and a man gives up his seat for a pregnant woman when no other person even moved I learn something. I learn a little about myself. I learn that I respect the man who gives and I pity/look down on the people who don’t. In that moment I learn a little about who I want to be.

I know that when I am in the role of teacher it will not work unless I really mean it. My students won’t learn if I am not willing to risk something for their sake. How can I gain their trust if I have nothing to lose? How can I teach them if they cannot relate to me? Maybe it is just my style. Maybe it is the way I like to be taught. I think I am this way because of where I have gone and what I have done. I have been taught by many and ignored by more. I have been put down and I have put down. I remember the pain and the shame of those moments. They have value. They taught me that I want to teach with patience and kindness with just a touch of “rip their fucking heads off” thrown in to keep it spicy.

When you are educating yourself you will always have opportunities to be tested. People who have something to lose will challenge you at almost every turn. Do not fear these people. They will try to stop you, try to scare you, try to beat you, but in the end they cannot hurt you. They do not realize they are only teaching you more about who you want to be. They are making you stronger. You don’t even have to fight back to beat the weaker ones. They will take there shot, miss, and turn to smoke…

Poof.

Your path is in front of you and if you stay on it all you will do is learn and get stronger. The farther you go, the louder it gets. This is how you know you are making progress. The mountains get higher, the fires get hotter, the monsters get bigger, but you are better now too. Your skin is tougher, your muscles are stronger, your mind is quicker and your blade is sharper.

Do not be afraid.

This is the fun part. This is the part you have trained for. If you stop for a moment and think of who you are and all that you learned and experienced you will feel your strength. Think about the risks you have taken and the choices you have made. Think of what has brought you to this moment. Are you ready? Have you prepared? Think about your adversary. Have you been taught by others to be afraid of the boogey man? Is this guy really that scary? Are you really afraid?

I don’t think you are.

I know I’m not.

They are the ones that are afraid.

You see…there goes another one now…

Poof!

Kettle,

Russia #1 St. Petersburg, May 2010

Last year we had a shakeup. It was one of those things that we just did not see coming. It was surprising and scary but definite and as a result we knew the only thing we could do was deal with it. I remember talking to Jason in March or April last year and telling him he had to come to Russia. If there was ever a sign or a time this was it. We had a few choices. We could run and hide, fight with what we had, or get stronger.

We chose Russia.

It was the biggest thing any of us had ever done. We did not even know for sure if it was real. We waited and waited to register because we thought it could just go up in smoke. It could be a mirage. It could not possibly be as good as it seemed.

We were right… It was better.

From the moment we were picked up at the airport we could tell that the effort these guys were putting in was beyond anything we had experienced before.  On the first night some of the coaches dropped in to our hotel room to say hello and make us feel welcome. It was unreal.

When the sport camp actually started it was wave after wave of new and solid information. I had done so many certifications and sport camps before Russia that I thought I was done paying for stuff. I had thoughts like “I have a name now, I should be invited as a guest” or “I add value to your project, you should be paying me”. I needed an ego check and I got one…a big one. It became clear that what I had done in the past would not carry me. I needed to start over.

I did.

When we returned from Russia we worked very hard. We practiced and studied and programmed and trained students. We wanted Coach Rudnev to coach us so badly but we were embarrassed to ask him. Who were we to be coached by such a man? What had we done to deserve the honor? We kept working until one day I snapped. I called Dolby and said “I know that we were going to wait until after the charity event but I can’t, I just can’t wait any more. I need to ask him”. Dolby agreed and within a month we were both being coached by Sergey Rudnev.

Russia #2 Siberia February 2011

Jason and I had been working very hard on the programming and the technique that we had learned in St. Petersburg. We realized that there was more behind the theory. We knew that we were not getting any closer to mastering the material because we were treating it like a spreadsheet. We were getting results and our students were getting results but we knew there was more. We asked Coach Rudnev if we could come to study with him in his hometown in Siberia and he gladly said yes. We were shocked and honored and nervous as hell. We trained and trained and studied for that trip. We knew it would change us as men as well as lifters.

We were right.

We spent as much time in the classroom as we did in the gym. I took more notes in that week than in many classes I took in college. We wrote and examined tons of programs. We worked on everyone from beginners to world record holders. At times it was overwhelming.

I have written a ton about some of the experiences in Siberia but the thing I left with first and foremost was a sense of distance. We were chasing Rudnev. It hit me when he was running “with” us and he kept getting smaller and smaller. He is so beyond us it is almost funny. We were running and gagging on the Siberian air and he was flying over it.

We returned with more work to do than when we left.

Russia #3 St. Petersburg May 2011

We scraped our dimes together and did not know if we were going to make it back. We were smashed from our Siberian Quest (sorry, I have to use the word Quest there, I just can’t help it) and we needed to work and reset our businesses. As the days got closer the possibility got bigger. First Nazo could get away from Japan. Then I picked up a few new students. Finally Jason had a breakthrough and with 2 weeks to go we bought our tickets and Visas and were ready to go!

The year before we were scared to death and in awe of this trip. Now we had grown to the point where we could just pick up and go. A friend of mine said that St. Petersburg changed my life. He was right, a year ago I never would have had this confidence.

Aleks called me up and asked me if we wanted to compete in a small tournament. You can read all about it here. It would be our second tournament in Russia. So much has changed.

Before we left we were asked by some folks if we were going to assist in this course. The thought made me laugh. “Do you know who is assisting in this course?” I asked. “Denis Vasiliev” I told them. I will assist them by getting coffee.

That distance I learned from Coach Rudnev, it is still as far as ever. It is not hard to recognize that. The good news is we are running in the right direction now.

This trip was amazing. A handful of my students were there and I received compliments on my coaching. It was truly humbling. I did well in the competition and my father wrote me an email that made me cry. I watched the IKSFA coaches make my students better lifters and coaches in there own right. I felt like I was really helping them, like even though I am not the coach or athlete that these coaches are I still had value. It was a very validating experience.

Jason and I have been to Russia 3 times in 12 months. We are working very hard to learn and lift. We are being taught how to coach and lead our team. We are learning how to compete and maintain our honor and integrity.

We are not masters. But we are no longer beginners either. We are in the fight now. We are learning as we go. We are racing to try and close that distance a little bit. We are running as fast as we can and breathing that hard air. We are getting stronger, smarter, better. We will not stop.

I am sure we will be back to Russia again. We still have work to do.

We will do our best.

Kettle,

Today we had a treat in class. There was to be a competition. Sergey Rachinskiy and Sergei Merkulin were going to do 5 minutes of long cycle with the 32kg bells.

Aleks had thought this would be a good idea. How often do lifters like us get to see to all time champions go at it right in front of us? Sergei Merkulin has won more world championships than anyone in the history of the sport. He has won more than even The Great Mishin himself! Sergey Rachinskiy is The Ultimate Girevik. He has the respect of all lifters because he is a champion who gives his body to the sport.

Merkulin is a classically beautiful lifter. His technique is perfect. His body is like a thorobred racehorse. If you grab his arm it feels like flesh with steel wire running through it. It is completely relaxed yet impossible to challenge. He is meticulous in his movement. He has perfect pacing, perfect breathing, he is focused, he does not lose.

Rachinskiy is a Wildman. He is Wolverine. He lifts with a cocktail of passion and fury that only he can control. He stands like he is sleeping and then, without warning, he rages like a great storm. When it passes he sleeps again, for a while, until the rage returns.

Merkulin slapped his own face a little. He snarled and rolled his neck. He engaged and focused his gaze on the task, on the steel in front of him. Rachnskiy looked around, wild eyed and crazed. He didn’t bother to look at the bells.

The set started.

Rachinskiy jumped out ahead with a sprint. Merkulin galloped along relentlessly. Rachinskiy rested, Merkulin gained, Rachinskiy sprinted, Merkulin stayed true to his plan. 5 minutes passed…

Sergey Rachnskiy 44 reps

Sergei Merkulin 44 reps

Unbelievable.

During the next lecture some of us were distracted by the two of them in the corner. They were chalking up. They were talking shit. They were not finished. You could see that even though they are friends, they are so competitive they could not take the tie.

They could not stand it.

After the lecture the bells were set back up. Aleks came out and said that in the interest of competition there needed to be a winner. The two Sergeys would go two more minutes.

For two guys who are friends they looked pretty damn serious.

I have to say this. Over ten minutes there is nobody I would pick to beat Sergey Merkulin. He is the best in the world at what he does and he may be the best ever. 16 time world champion, the guy is Rick Freaking Flair!

They started in a fury.

Merkulin with his fast and strong measure approach and Richinskiy with his crazed and unsustainable attack. They were moving man.

I was waiting for Rachinskiy to rest. I was waiting for him to fade. The time was ticking. The numbers were in Russian, we all lost count.

2 minutes expired. Sergey Rachinskiy fell to his knees. Sergey Merkulin, the great sportsman, gestured to his friend, the match was over. The day had been won.

Merkulin 24 reps.

Rachinskiy 26 reps.

Sergey, the great champion had won again.

Kettle,

Today, Jason Dolby had his world record recognized at the St. Petersburg Strength Sport Museum. He donated the medal marking his achievement from the One Hour Long Cycle charity event in Los Angeles last October.

Jason had the idea last year. For his birthday he wanted to hold a fundraiser marathon event to raise money for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He decided that even though these events have always been held with one bell he would do it with 2 20kg bells.

We were in St. Petersburg in May of last year at the IKSFA St. Petersburg Elite Sport Camp and he told the coaches of his plan.

“It can’t be done” One Coach said.

“You can’t switch hands” another coach said.

“That’s too bad because I already decided to do it” was Jason’s reply.

When he got home from St. Petersburg he started his training. He suffered through 5 months straight of ultra long sets.  After the second month Coach Rachinskiy checked in to see if he gave up his idea.

He had not.

After 3 months Coach Rachinskiy checked in to see if Jason had come to his senses.

Jason stood steadfast.

After 4 months Coach Rachinskiy was worried about Jason’s health. This had never been done before. He did not want Jason to get hurt.

Jason would not be moved.

Coach Rachinskiy made his last call. He asked to come to the event where he would attempt to break his own world record for the one arm long cycle in one hour.

Jason was thrilled. I remember the call…

“Fucking Rachinskiy is gonna come to my event and break a world record! CHU HI!!! Can you believe it!?!?!”

915 reps with 24kg

When he told me we discussed the idea of IKSFA holding a workshop to cover their expenses. We proposed the idea to Aleks…

“Oh baby, that sounds great baby…just what I had in mind! This is gonna be the best…just awesome baby”

We put the event together and got it all set up just as the final day was near. Jason had ground himself into burger.

The Russians arrived in town. Coachs Rudnev and Rachinskiy took the time to train with us. It was so cool to train with them. Jason could not believe they were lifting in his cave, in his home. It was so cool!

Saturday came and we had over 20 lifters ready to go. Jason picked up his two bells. Our friend Tom thought that he was just warming up. When he realized that Jason was attempting to go all the way he was shocked.

20 minutes in we were all focused on our set. I checked to see if Jason had dropped the bells.

He had not.

At 30 Minutes I checked again, this time I was sure that Jason would have hit the wall.

Jason stood steadfast.

At min number 46 Jason wobbled. His eyes rolled back, his foot slipped. I heard the audience gasp as his knee buckled. I looked over because I could feel him fall but…

Jason would not be moved.

He recovered, undaunted, and finished his time.

262 reps, One Hour, World record.

It was the most amazing experience, to see a man go so far in and make it back.

It is not such a normal thing.

Today, his achievement was honored in St. Petersburg Russia. The great sportsman Sergey Rachinskiy made the announcement. Nazo was there, many of Jason’s friends were there. I was there. I got to see it. I will never forget it.

Jason Dolby,

A really man.

Kettle,

Super quick before we need to catch the bus.

The Salmei Bros were tied up with flight delays and stuck in Minnesota for 2 days and arrived late yesterday missing the whole first day AND all their luggage was lost. They were smiling ear to ear.

I had my pocket picked on the train and lost all my credit cards and ID but I still have my Passport and Rubles.

Just part of the trials of traveling. If everything goes right all of the time it is not really an adventure.

The first day of IKSFA was dope! I feel so different than last year.

Everyone is glowing. You can tell that they see big things ahead.

I will update the blog tonight no matter how tired I am when we get back!

kettle,

I was talking to some of the folks here about getting these blogs out on time. On our last big trip Jason and I were constantly running out of time to post. We started with no Internet and then when we got it we were already backlogged. So many awesome things were happening so fast that if we did not report on it right away we would lose it. The next big thing would eclipse something that seemed like the biggest event of our lives. I will do my best not to let that happen again. So I was writing the blog about the competition at 3 am last night because of the way we had just spent the evening. I knew I had to write about it today.

Dinner at Rachinskiy’s

There is something about being let into the life of someone you admire. So often people are so focused on making money off of you that they forget you are a real person. They forget that even though they are happy to meet you, it is you, the admirer, that has gone to the end of the earth to meet them. When they do not forget, when they take that responsibility seriously, they can inspire you in a way that can change your life.

We just went to the gym to train. Jason, Nazo and I were going to see Coach Rudnev. Our friend Jad was going to see Rachinskiy. The training was awesome as usual. We all hung out at the gym and Aleks (still alive…for now) walked in with Jeff Martone, BJ and Kori Bliffert. The rest of us relaxed while Jeff was training. Then we had the chance to watch Denis Vasiliev bust out a practice set 6min 11 reps per min 28kg 

Oh, Sergey Merkulin grabbed my shoulders while I was sitting down.  His grip was like nothing I have ever felt. You all know the circles I run in but I am telling you it was freakin REDICULOUS!!! I had to have Dolby try it.

He Said Flabbergasted

Anyway, we were all pretty beat up from training and/or travel. Aleks told us that we were heading to Rachinskiy’s place for tea. We were starving. When we arrived it was already pretty late. We all had to go into ninja mode because his new baby was sleeping. I by the way, tiptoe like an elephant.

His charming wife Liza had prepared a beautiful and delicious feast for us. It was full of traditional Russian food and homemade wine and desserts. Before we ate, Coach Rachinskiy showed us his collection of Medals, trophies, and keepsakes. It was quite impressive.

He let us take down some of his antique kettlebells and explained to us what they were and where they were from. Some of them were over 150 years old. We were all talking about how we each had looked all over for stuff like this. We had all gone on ebay, craigslist, and searched estate sales.

Then Rachinskiy takes a little one off the shelf and hands it to Jad.

“For you” he said

She held her breath

He handed one to Nazo.

“Naza” he smiled

Then he handed one to his newest friend Kori.

The three of them just looked at each other and could not believe what was happening.

Rachinskiy motioned for us to sit around the table. He didn’t want to make a big deal about this.

He served us food and poured us wine his mother made. He toasted us and said that he was honored we were there and that he hopes to see us all again in all the corners of the earth.

We had a feast.

Afterward we were served strong Russian tea and cake.

Coach Rudnev teased Nazo…she teased him back. Rachinskiy showed us his collection of Kettlebell Sport records. He has volumes of statistics, rankings, and records of competitions. He is a historian. We saw some of his drawings and paintings.

We travelled all the way around the world and he showed us a little of who he is. He is a thousand times more than I knew he was.

He knows that he has an opportunity to show us all things and change our lives. He told us stories about himself and inspired us. It was a very emotional night, one of the better nights of my life.

In February, in Siberia, we got to know Coach Rudnev. Now we are here in St. Petersburg again and we are getting to know Coach Rachinskiy. We left his home to get some sleep and BJ Bliffert summed it up best…

“That Just Happened”

yes it did, yes it did.

Kettle,

Aleks is a dead man.

He knows, at least, he must have known what this tournament was called before he sent us there to compete.

The St. Petersburg Championship.

Jason, Nazo and I walked into the building and Jason said “isn’t this the place that is on the front of our manuals?”

A guy walked by us and I asked “ Isn’t that Jonny Benidze?”

It is and it was and we were in trouble.

This was to be a real championship with real world class lifters like Sergey Merkulin, Jonny Benidze, Sergey Rachinskiy, and Denis Vasiliev among them. The judges were high ranking enough to award Master of Sport ranking. All of these lifters were ready for battle. I had never been in a place like this before.

We all weighed in. We were waiting around for directions when I was handed a sign that said “USA” and Nazo was handed a sign that said “Japan”. We were all directed to line up and walked to the stage with music playing in the backround. Our names were announced with our countries.

Nazo was representing Japan.  She was not sure she would compete. She has not really trained in three months and here she is, at the Championship of St. Petersburg Russia, representing her country that has been wrecked by earthquakes, a tsunami, and a nuclear meltdown. She had to buy new clothes and new gear. Her parents and sister signed her belt for good luck. She looked at me and said

“I am going to Kirr Areks”

Jason and I are in mid training. We are focused on the end of June. We found out we were in this competition a week or so ago and here we are, representing our country, in the most intimidating setting imaginable.

“Aleks is a dead man”

Aleks had told us this was a small, local tournament, as in, one for high school kids and amateurs. He didn’t exactly lie, He just forgot to tell us that We were the high school kids!

Denis was trying his best to calm us down. He told us to just have fun, follow our training, don’t try to break any records. We were worried more about messing up and embarrassing Rudnev, Denis, IKSFA, OKC and now, with no notice, our countries!

I went up first. It was my jerk set. Rudnev told me to do 40 jerks. My best had been 37 in competition. I went up on the stage and the lights were shining bright on me and the other lifters. I was sweating until the clock started. They announced my name in Russian, they said UNITED STATES and I started. 42 reps.

Nazo went next. I had never seen her more nervous. She really didn’t want to get up there. It has been her dream to lift in Russia but not like this. Not after a flight from Japan to New York, to Finland, then to Russia. Three months in a hospital with no training and a huge dose of jetlag. She tied her best result 114 reps long cycle.

Jason was in the next flight. He went up to the stage 2 kg over his normal weight and up one weight class. The giant next to him said “Good Luck” in his thick Russain accent. “Chu Hi Bratan” 73 reps (plus 2 no counts).

My snatches were in the second to last flight. I was standing next to the legend Sergey Rachinskiy. What a thrill that was. He was doing long cycle and I was just hoping not to throw the bell into the audience. I was tired, jetlagged, nervous, I did 71 reps per arm in 9 min.

After my set the three of us grabbed our Country signs again and headed up to the stage for the awards. I got a silver medal, Jason got a bronze, and Nazo got a bronze as well as a trophy. Sergey Merkulin got his customary gold and a trophy. He turned and gave the medal to Jason and the trophy to me. What a Thrill!!!

Afterwards everyone was taking pictures and having a great time smiling and laughing. A few of the lifters asked us to sign their belts! The mayor of St. Petersburg wrote his name and phone number on Nazo’s belt LOL!!!

It was a wonderful day and a super fun tournament. We were scared to death and when we finished the relief was washing over us. Denis Vasiliev said that now our domestic tournaments should not feel so scary. He and the Sergeys said they have tons of stuff to go over with us throughout the week. It was amazing knowing that they were watching our sets and trying to coach us from the audience.

I have a silver medal to go with the bronze’s of my closest friends. They are so satisfying. I was terrified that my lockouts were no-counts but they were fine. Jason was thrilled to get a few no counts because he knew his set was real. Nazo got a bronze even though she was the only woman lifting a 12kg. We did not win golds across the board but our medals are real. Our numbers are real and we have something to build on now. I can’t believe we were just in that tournament.

We left and Jason said “That Just Happened”.

It is still sinking in. It was like a dream.

It was absolutely nothing like high school.

It was not a beginner tournament.

It was not “easy baby”

We love you Aleks and you got us good on this one.

But we will get you back. Maybe not today, maybe not this week, but soon, very soon, we will get you back bratan!

We walked out of there with our hearts chanting “We’re number 3, and 2, and 3!!!”

(today, comes the icecream)

Kettle,