Thanks to Jessica’s creative programming, theme music, and dance party finale, the love of fun shined through on a rainy and dark Halloween.
Free t-shirt to anyone that can accurately name each costume.

Sherry is half of the dynamic duo that placed 4th in the 2008 Couples Decathlon. She had to compete against 38 other people. Not bad for a young mom making her postpartum comeback a second time. This picture says it all: ferocious!
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KB Meet Update: The 8kg division for ages 40 to 44 is completely stacked. If you belong to this group and would like to move up into the “less crowded” 12kg division, please email Steve. We’ve posted the brackets on the bulletin board today.

Big thanks to Mike Mahler for his gracious invitation to this colossal event. It was a blast to see all the phenomenal athletes from various modalities display their skills, trade methods, and share experiences. In addition, it was fun to watch Maya demo her GS techniques for the kettlebell enthusiasts in the house.

Jason Dolby, IKFF Coach extraordinaire, and Mike Mahler, the Vegan Superhero, are some seriously strong dudes. Mike used himself to debunk myths about vegetarians lacking muscle mass and strength. He snatched a 120lb KB and pressed (not jerk) a pair of 97 pounders for reps. At the end of the day, Jason decided to go for some odd object lifting and cleaned two 100+ lb. women.

John Brookfield, the Godfather of rope training, teaches Maya the sidewinder.

Mark Philippi is one of the World’s Strongest Men, a national powerlifting champion, and a phenomenal strength coach on the cutting edge.

Matt from MBG in Wisconsin represents the IC on the steel log clean & press.

As fate would have it we met Nazo this weekend. We later found out that she has been, coincidentally, writing about Maya’s postpartum comeback on her Japanese kettlebell blog. What are the odds?

Here she is trying to lift the Atlas stone (weighs about the same as her bodyweight).

I’ve been noticing significant improvements in everyone’s kettlebell skills recently. I suppose the excitement of the Fall KB Meet is quite energizing, but I sense that the commitment levels go beyond just a desire to do well at the event. My intuition tells me there is a genuine devotion for the improvement of the art by the collective. This social movement is pivotal to say the least.

Because kettlebell lifting is both a sport and an art, the subtleties of good technique are hard to recognize. Power is almost always masked by the beauty of precision, and vice versa. Although many of you may not know this, I gauge your technical progression on fluidity, ease of transitions, and energy conservation. These details, not the weight of the bell, define true progress for anyone lifting the iron ball.

Base on my recent observations, I would like to congratulate everyone on their progress. I’m seeing plenty of beautiful executions lately. Folks like Shari, Amy S., Tracy C., Craig, Nani, Doug, Kristin F., Renee, and John M. (to name a few) have been putting in overtime to make sure their technique is sound. It’s awe-inspiring to see us get closer to higher levels of kettlebell lifting as a community – which is why it’s also the perfect opportunity to express my gratitude to some people that have directly influenced my development and increased my own potential as a teacher and student:

Catherine Imes and Nacona Jodrey.

Catherine is Valery’s best student, the first Master of Sport in the U.S., and my good friend and coach! Her knowledge of kettlebell lifting is second to none.

Cona is the youngest AKC coach in the U.S. His technique is superb and his love for teaching will consume you! Plus, he comes from great stock, the one and only Kevin Jodrey.

With only seven months into the sport, Maya was asked by Valery to demo at an AKC certification. She is not only my partner in crime, but also my inspiration. She is a stickler for proper technique. I learn exponentially more every time I watch her lift. Here, she is shown teaching the eccentric phase of the jerk.

Ms. Bonnie: The youngest Master of Sport in the U.S., the biathlon QUEEN, and the sweetest person to grace the bell. Is she really cleaning the 32kg with a smile (what?!?!)?

Valery is the man, simply stated. As the first 80kg World Champion in the history of the sport, his numbers have not been beaten in 15 years. He is the most technical athlete in the sport, and our head coach. The IC is fortunate to have this lineage.

I feel very grateful to be in the presence of all you wonderful people, from our brilliant students and extraordinary IC competition team to the iconic coaches and athletes who came before us. Thank you for making my job the most fulfilling. You have been my motivation for writing this piece.

I can’t wait until the meet!

Best,
Steven

Check out the lovely Miss Surya working on an extended Long Cycle set with a 20 kg (44 lbs.) kettlebell. Single hand switch, of course. Feeling inspired?

Well, now that the Couples Decathlon and the Nike Marathon is over, it’s time to switch gears. The IC Fall Kettlebell Meet is exactly 30 days away. We have over 50 competitors vying for numerous awards, including the coveted Overall Male and Female Champion titles. We will have brackets and coefficients posted on the bulletin board this week. Get excited!

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Want to build strength, burn fat, and take your Kettlebell Lifting to the next level? Check out our new KB class on Saturday mornings.

Congratulations to all the IC runners who crossed the Nike Women’s finish line today!

Did all those miles pay off as planned? Runners, please share some of your special moments with us all!

Here’s Tracy C. with her Tiffany necklace.

Above: Smiling runners from Team 1000 on their way to the starting line.

Below: Nani and Lulit showing off their IC Runners’ tanks at the finish line.

…everyone, of course!

Thanks to all of the beautiful couples in our first annual event, the IC Couples Decathlon was a huge success. We want to especially acknowledge each couple for putting themselves out there and going for their personal best. As Elsa and Kerri pointed out, many of you reached new PRs in several decathlon events. Congratulations lovebirds!

After weeks of anticipation, here are the results:

1st Place: Lori & Rob

2nd Place: Kim M. and John

3rd Place: Kim C. and Ben

Here are some photo highlights:

Congratulations to all the participants:

• Connie and Mike
• Lisa and Joe
• Tsan and Dan
• Hope and Tony
• Sherry and Calvin
• Stephanie and Craig
• Tracy T. and Thomas R.
• Adina and Seth
• Renee and Rune
• Mara and Barrett
• Susan and Doug
• Jean and Joel
• Virginia and Dave
• Lori and Rob
• Tracy C. and Tom C.
• Michelle and Jeremy
• Loredie and Ross
• Kim and Ben
• Kim and John
• Miki and Dave

We also want to send a special thank you to everyone who came out to show their support, including our team of volunteers (supporters not pictured: Joe P. and the lovely Miss Simone, Surya, Paul, Kelly & Scott, Beth T., Alex, Kenneth, Hal, Samin, Chris, Prateek, Lena and a bunch of IC children). Last, but not least, thank you to Grandma Bootown, and Sherry & Calvin for the wonderful goodies they lovingly contributed to our gathering. Also, Dougie and Susan rock for grabbing some ice for us all at the last minute.

…oh yeah and one more thing, when you see Jeremy Steinkoler next week, give him a high five for coming up with this whole idea!

Couples: you must complete nine events by 9am on Saturday. We are also available tonight (Thursday) from 5:30 to 6:30pm to score points for any remaining events needed to complete all nine. The last event, seated med ball throw, will start promptly at 10am leading into the awards ceremony at 10:30am. Final scores will be tallied in real time on the day of the event.

Bring your family and friends to see you go for gold on Saturday morning. Food and drinks on the house!

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NOTE: Core class will begin one hour earlier this Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 9am.

We are available from 8 to 9am on Saturday to score any of your remaining events.  Please email us to confirm.

For those of you in need of inspiration, check this out.

Decathlon contestants: you’ll need to drag the tire sled approximately 75 yards in less than 45 seconds to score a 10.
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Community Love:  The City of Albany will be tree planting on the 1000 block of Evelyn on Oct. 25, Saturday.  If you’re interested in helping, the event starts at 9:00am and goes to noon when there will be a potluck.  Please contact Tony Wolcott if you have any questions: (510) 455-1875.