"Do you suppose they will choose to make war against lean, solid dogs rather than against fat and tender sheep?"
Volodya surveys the valley after earning his blue-and-white David Rigert tel'nyashka To initiate Volodya the 28kg Kettlebell, I suitcase-carried him with the Backpack of Bricks up the summit. Today's game was that I could set him down when needed, but for the whole hike I had to hold my chest and head upright. No hunched backs.... Continue Reading →
Athletically, it does pay to be young in general, but you also improve certain things and make your life easier with what they call “training age.” Take the example of “dad strength.” “Growing up,” writes Dan John, “a lot of us used to lift weights all the time but still could not torque a wrench or... Continue Reading →
One school of thought says, “If you lack skill in some athletic event, you can compensate for a lot of your suckage by being strong and brute-forcing it. Therefore, make strength your top conditioning priority.” I have reservations about that, about which I’ll post, but in this particular event, being strong saved me. Had this... Continue Reading →
1. Things That Worked The Goofy Yoga Shorts. Never mind what the smart-alecks say [looking sideways at Lee], these were SOOOOO practical. They didn’t bind my legs and, when wet, they drip-dried in no time. Caffeine and Sugar. I drank the equivalent of six or seven cups of coffee. I only regret not drinking twice... Continue Reading →
In this upcoming all-night ruck, everyone moves as a team, so the slowest person sets the pace. Hopefully that's not me--there will be a lot of cardio studs with lungs like jet turbines. I can live with it if I end up as the "weak sister," but actually I think I'm in luck. The team... Continue Reading →
Old Soviet gear is often ugly, heavy, and uncomfortable. What can make it a winner is that it streamlines your life. You may get bored or sore, but you will get a lot done. As an example, my friend and I both love exercise, but we have totally different setups. He has a membership to... Continue Reading →
http://www.varusteleka.comva Strong, cheap, unattractive, and indestructible. That's how you know it's Russian. It’s the “veshmeshok,” a primitive canvas knapsack. I used to think of it as a crappy, “last-ditch” item, but now it’s my first choice. When traveling with one Huge Freaking Backpack, I still need a small daypack, unless I want to empty out... Continue Reading →
Behold the face of endorphins! A wise man once told me, "There's magic in loaded carries." I did what I always do with really great advice: I ignored it as long as possible. But 2018 is shaping up as Jason's Year of Loaded Carries. Today's game was to hump Vanya the 32kg Bell and the... Continue Reading →
As my friends know, I struggle with Athletic Distractibility/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). When untreated, I train ineffectually for unrelated events all at once, like the highland games, mud run, and NorCaldic biathlon. For today's act of foolishness, I humped Vanya the 32kg Bell from the Writing Cottage of the Immortals to the top of the Rock... Continue Reading →