Sometimes Less is More

I recently changed my approach towards my training by....ready? Cutting back! It's already the end of Feb., and at the 1st of the year my yoga Studio started their twice a year 60 day challenge. It's pretty self explanatory, 60 days of daily practice....60 consecutive classes if the ideal, but the Studio does let you attend a double class if you have to miss a day, or two, or three because of scheduleing conflicts (and that's the real challenge....finding the time to make it happen in our busy lives). I've done the challenge "officially" and "unofficially". In other words I already had a daily practice for a long time, so the challenge was no longer a challenge.....no, the real challenge for me was to NOT have a daily practice!

I over train. I don't mean "overtrain", I mean I work out too much. How do I know? Because I'm not getting better I'm getting worse to put it in plain English. the last 6-9 months my yoga practice has deteriorated, and I don't know how I ever did Spin more than 2 days a week as it seriously kicks my ass doing it a measley twice a week. My kettlebell training is always good because that's my priority, but I would never train bells everyday, why would I think practicing Bikram every day, sometimes, twice a day, in addition to a daily practice, is good?

So,this week I had to reschedule my kettlebell classes on Sat. for Sunday, which left me with an open schedule on Friday and Sat. My plan was to "party crash" the level 2 RKC in addition to practicing my yoga. I made it to my usual Friday double yoga (7:15 & 9:15am), meeting Mark at 2:00pm, after lunch, for the rest of the day to hear the teaching and lecturing on the "Pullup" and "Pistol" with Pavel. On Sat. morning I made it to an 8:00am yoga class, rushed back to SJSU for the Brett's "Jerk", ran back to a 12 noon yoga class and then back to RKC ll for Andrea's "Windmill", and then Jeff's "Bent Press". Double yoga classes on two consecutive days.....I was pushing it....

My new workout "rule" is no yoga on Kettlebell and Spin days, which is Tuesdays and Thursdays.....NO YOGA. And on Monday, Wed., and Fri. I get to practice twice, ususally back to back classes (7:15 & 9:15am ). Saturday is optional as I train KB with 3-4 classes....if I don't make it to 12 noon Bikram on Sat., then I make peace with it and go on.....afterall I've already practiced my minimum of 6 classes per week (3 double = 6 classes). Sunday is a complete day off. Nothing on Sunday.

So I have already snuck in a little bit of extra training this weekend.....and today, Sunday, I had plenty of time to fit in, yet another, Bikram yoga class, after KB's, because Level ll was testing their skills most of the day, nothing for me to "crash", lol! BUT, I didn't go to yoga! It simply wasn't allowed. I had to get over it. It's not beneficial anyway. But it's still hard for a complusive obsessive overexerciser to overcome.

Tomorrow my practice will be great! Why? Because sometimes less is more. Instead of yoga I caught some great question and answer time at the end of Level ll with all of the Masters, Senior, and of course Pavel. Much better than a silly, stinkin' Bikram yoga class, lol!

Top Picture: After I taught my classes in PA I met Mark at SJSU and Yoana Snideman took this picture of mark and me, and then Joh Ducane took this picture of Yoana and me......I look a mess, goodness I should've brushed me hair at least, but doesn't Yoana look great? Yoana and Franz are expecting a baby boy the first part of April and Yoana was training alot of the drills right along with some of the students as well as swinging "to warm up", lol (not me though!)

Real Quick.......

Mark and I have been at the Level 2 RKC all weekend....well he's been, I on the other hand, have been juggling listening and watching teaching lectures with running around trying to get to yoga classes, lol.....but here are some pictures from last night's dinner. (and proof I wore high heels for the 2nd time this month!)

At our dinner table was Dan John, (me), Asha Wagner, Cecilia Tom, and Cindy Glass

Andrea DuCane and I both love the color yellow....I want her sweater!

One of the hardest working ladies at any RKC, Jane Armstrong (Denny's mom)

I've got to run off to teach KB classes this morning, and then I'll spend the remainder of the day back at the Cert. (I've got to go swing that pint of Ben and Jerry's, Chubby Hubby, off....it'll be worth it though!)

The Girl with the Most "Workouts" Before She Dies, Wins!

Really? Not!

If there's one big ass lesson I learned this past year is the truth about over-training. I'm not saying that I was over training per se, maybe over obsessing about training is more correct, but either way, I wasn't skinner, I wasn't happier, I wasn't proving anything other than I had something seriously wrong with my brain!

I just spent 3 days at the San Jose RKC, and to be completely honest, I volunteered to participate, instead of volunteering to assist, as a way to earn my Recertification because I thought "Cool, I'll get a 3 day long workout!". BUT, as it fast approached I realized the day before that this wasn't going to be all about Tracy. It was going to be about becoming a better teacher, coach and trainer for my current and future clients and students....that was #1 priority!

It was my goal to hang on every word, to perform every drill and workout as instructed, it was to share my current knowledge with my teammates, as we all improved our kettlebell skills (I got a PR in my strict press btw), but I was there to absorb as much information as possible, trying to catch things I may have missed in the past. I wasn't there to show off, or ride coattails of my brilliant husband, in fact I tried to lay as low as possible.

But this blogpost isn't about the RKC, it's about my real life, before and after the RKC....

Last year about this time I was taking 2 yoga classes a day, in addition to my kB workouts, in addition to walking every chance I got. And when I started working at Equinox, in May, I was trying to attend Spin classes 4 times a week, in addition to double yoga classes, kettlebells, and treadmill walking......what did it get me? Did anyone notice? Is that why I was training so much? So someone would notice and say...."Wow! Have you noticed how much Tracy Reifkind works out?" What I hoped no one noticed was the 20lbs I put on, lol!

I realized at some point, thank God, that I was training, over training (?), over obsessing about training, out of fear.....I'll say that again, because this is important.....I was over exercising out of fear.

What is training supposed to be about? In my opinion, training is supposed to be about improving skill.....I'll repeat that again, because this is the important part......training is about improving one's skill.......not about trying to be better than someone else, not about trying to be the skinniest bitch in yoga. Training is not about trying to prove anything to anyone else.....it's simply to improve your best time, your best lift, your best performance.....and in a calculated, purposeful, conscience, and delibrate way.

Training, real training, isn't "Willy, Nilly". Training, real training, isn't desperate.

No one is counting workouts.....except you, if you're training out of fear and desperation. The fear of not being good enough. Desperate to never be fat again. Fear of losing some fake, imaginary competiton witht he rest of the whole world (who doesn't care, btw, except about themselves, and rightfully so! lol). Training out of desperation to not being judged, etc.....

OK....so how lucky am I to have come to my senses? I realized that training is about improving one's skill. At that point I decided that no matter how I felt about myself, or my bodyweight, my only concern was that I had to keep training consistently, but now my focus was only to improve my performance one class at a time.....but here's the really cool part.....I didn't have to have world record holding attendence to do that! In fact it was just the opposite.

Recovery is as important to improving skill as training, and guess what? Daily practice may not be what's best! Really? Yep, really. Whew! I've known this about training kettlebells for along time now, as I never train KB's 2 days in a row....but I was going to yoga everyday, in fact up to 10-11 classes a week....how can that be good? I was trying to Spin 4 times a week, M,T, Th, and F....good Lord, how can a person recover and improve?

I've revamped my workout schedule, but I have to confess that I still workout alot.....although it's more organized and it's not out of fear. My first priority is being the best kettlebell athlete I can, and I've supported that priority by never missing a Kb workout. My second priority is my Bikram yoga practice, but I'm now convinced that maybe a daily practice is not ideal. I still train 6 classes a week, but I double up on 2-3 days, so that means I only go to the yoga studio, at the most, 4 days a weeks....compare that to every single day sometimes twice a day! I spin only 2 days a week, on my "off" days from yoga, In fact I'm not allowed to go to yoga on the days that I Spin....which brings me to the inspiration of this blogpost.....


I've been meaning to write about this subjuct for months now, but it wasn't until today, when I taught KB's early in the AM, and then I went to Spin.....I didn't workout with Mark as ususal so I had some "extra" time on my hands.......yoga.....yoga.....yoga......I could have made it to a 12noon class.....but it's "forbidden" since I went to Spin earlier.....but I had the time......what else is there to do? Don't I have to work out more than every other woman on the face of the earth? Whoops.....I forgot that is a "goal, smoal" of mine and I've got to give that up, don't I?

OK, I will....for today.

What Seperates the Men from the Boys

Today is Tuesday....after a 3 day long RKC, really 4 days and I'll tell you why. RKC's start on Thursdays...there is the set up of the whole affair, and testing of the assistants, not to mention the Meet and Greet from 7-10pm....Good Lord, I'm usually in bed by 8pm! But for Mark, his obligations are even greater, as they should be for a Master Instuctor. He's got a few more additional scheduled meetings, as well as feeling responsible for the success of his own teams experience.....AND, he still has a "day job"!

Mark usually goes right back to work the following Monday, even if we travel out of state, and he has to miss his own Saturday workout because of the Cert, that means that his next workout is his regular scheduled Tuesday.....regular scheduled Tuesday? Well, today he scheduled a client as a make up for a missed appointment on Friday...because of the RKC....at our regular workout time of 11am, which means he had to wait until 12noon to drive home (12:30pm), take a hot bath to warm up, and then finally get to his own workout at about 1:00pm.....without eating all morning, and in a dirty, 40 degree, cold ass, garage gym.....yuck! (I bailed by the way, finishing my workout much earlier)

Speaking of bailing.....I did walk out, after I ate my lunch, to give him a bit of company.....wasn't that nice of me? LOL

But seriously, I don't know if I could of done it....whoops, I'm sorry, of course I know I could NOT have done it, because I didn't! And I have to say, I'm glad I didn't have to. But Mark on the other hand had no choice. That's what seperates the men from the boys....or should I say separates the men from the ladies!

I Loved My Team!

TEAM LAKATOS


Standing from L to R. Brian, Ben, Peter Lakatos Team Leader, assistant Marcus, Brendon, assistant Gerard , me, Loren, Leslie, Percy.

Kneeling. Tristan and Billy

Mark and I will be traveling to Europe this August for the RKC, so I was thrilled to have Peter Lakatos, from Hungary, as my Team Leader.

Picture w/ Pavel

The RKC is O-V-E-R! But I realize that I rarely get a picture with Pavel himself! Mark and I usually sit with the other Instructors, including Pavel, at lunches and dinners, so I never think to take a picture with him, specifically, until I saw what a beautiful picture Diana took with Pavel (shaking his hand) at the HKC last Sept. So, I tried to remember to get my "handshake" this time! lol

Here it is....

(anyone notice my really cool nail polish!)

Wish you were here.

The last workout of the day , Max Vo2, 6:30 pm Saturday night