It's been a while, but...

...we're still training for the big event that looms ever closer. There's plenty of other excitement in the air with Christmas looming even closer, and with a short bout of tonsilitis and a new motorbike, attention to blogging has lapsed.

But the training continues: I've been bulking up a bit with a three-way split hypertrophy/strength program, training chest/tris/delts, back, bis, forearms and quads, hams, calves, abs on three consecutive days, and then repeating, resting on the seventh (just like God...) Not to mention, of course, doing Karen's Sunday group fitness class (outrunning all those old women and children... hahahahaha) and freestyle wrestling on Wednesday nights.

I'm now going into some cardio-orientated work to cut back fat and improve running strength and speed. I'll be training with weight on me, building up to 50kg (since it's unlikely I'll be carrying Karen around in the gym...) and then, closer to the event, we'll work more on the finer points of technique. I'll also probably hit the pool and may even compete in the Knox Aquathon on the 1 March, nine days before the Singleton Championships on the 10th. It would probably be good preparation, but it might also be a little too close. We'll see.

I registered today on the Countryfest website for the Wife Carrying Titles, so it's all official now. We're really looking forward to the event and the trip up north.

Saturday 28th October

The 1000 club; 250 sit ups, 250 push ups, 250 dips and 250 squats. You can take as many breaks as you need, you can break them into smaller sets and turn it into a circuit... but the way you push yourself is to complete the 1000 in the least amount of time.

I was actually growing a little tired of exercise; loosing motivation and generally being unenthused. However I've just taken over some new clients; small group Personal Training. The clients are fitter and it wouldn't do to have their trainer puffing about, so i'm set to go again :)

Now i'd like to clarify that it isn't that i've had unfit clients that has led to my lack of enthusiam in exercising... I needed that extra push/shove in the right direction (There goes my idea of helping Dave out with his training by gaining weight; it would've felt better for him come the competition when i'm light again *lol*).

Sunshine and motorbikes, or lollipops to all :)

Saturday 21st October

Today we practised a few lifts and went our separte exercise ways once more. No we haven't given up on the joint workout, I was just too exhausted to exercise. This week I've been filling in for my trainer and have been doing A LOT of aerobic/circuit instruction/participation. Next week I start additional exercise infliction on others by hosting a small group Personal Training session. People have become enthused by The Biggest Looser and work has increased accordingly. I hope they're not expecting me to make them feel worthless, deprive them of respect and family, etc. Still the people on the show do get great results, not sure about the safety of the methods mentally or physically; I hope it's the achievement not the humiliation that the viewers are hanging out for...

Saturday 14th October

Today I went with boxing (only one blood knuckle which means either my new everlasts are helping or i'm soft lol) for my workout and Dave rested up after a long week ... next week it's the 1000 club which i'll fill you all in on next post :)

Saturday 7th October

Training this week has seen Dave (Jeremy) doing multiple sets of body weighted exercises eg.. Squats, pushups, chin-ups, dips, situps 5 sets of each with the amount of reps increasing. For myself I'm using mostly machines eg.. Leg press, chest press, shoulder press, lat pulldown mixed with a range of core (fitball tuck/twists, situps, leg raises, russian twists...) and cardio exercises (treadmill, rower, stepper, jogging, skipping...).

Today I focused on balance however, which was a lot of fun. If you think you're well balanced try grabbing a fitball and keeping your feet of the ground whilst somebody throws a ball at you to catch in different directions :) I also played around with doing pushups with two smaller balls of differing sized under each hand.

Interest in the sport is growing at the local YMCA, which is where we do most of our training. Mostly it's tinted with humor - especially from other patrons wondering what the heck is happening in the group fitness room to this poor girl dangling over some brut's shoulder while he runs about - but they're very supportive.

Tomorrow it's mostly cardio for both of us. I run a circuit class on Sundays which gives the body a chance to recoup or at least feel 'ouchy' in a fresh kind of way...

Saturday 30th September

We had our first training session this morning and it was rather... umm... unusual. We trialed different holds and decided on the estonian being the one where I least felt like I was going to land on something not so padded, like my head and the one Dave (Jeremy) could run with (literally). Steve -for those of you who don't know, Steve has been my PT for over a year and is now our trusty consultant - had us running over a hurdle, up and over the stage and across crass mats (simulating water). In between we did normal type exercises. Apart from Steve laughing and me bouncing up and down Dave really did all the work, which isn't necessarily a bad thing *lol* My thighs are sore'ish from being slung over somebody's shoulders but it was noticable how in sync even breathing becomes the more you practise. Our times actually got better as we went and we became more used to it. Steve and Dave have decided that we'll work up to the distance and getting the time under 1.5minutes. They're yet to work out how he can jog with 50kgs effectively (we ruled out him using the treadmill with me on his back) and as for me I simply need to workout rather than all that other fun stuff I keep doing that leaves me stuffed at the end of the day and not longing for exercise... should be easy :)

Technique and strategy

Looking at that Estonian lift more closely, and reading more about it, it seems that the success of it depends on the abilty of the lifter to run with his arms unhindered, requiring the wife to hold on with her own legs by either hooking her feet together or gripping her shins from behind. Doesn't look comfortable, but I guess it lets him pump his arms, aiding speed and gaining better balance. Karen suggested another method which we shall try out, but it shall have to remain a secretive 'winged keel' as it were (unless it doesn't work out, in which case...) There is also the danger of the water in the water hazard with the head down methods (see left). I wonder if she should wear a snorkel?

We plan on starting training in earnest on Saturday. I hope my biceps have recovered from attending Karen's group fitness session last Sunday. They still ache, dammit.

I have also noticed some of the subtle differences between the Australian and the World championship courses. The Aussie is slightly shorter at 200 metres (I'm sure it will seem long enough...), although the World does include a Sprint 100 metre event (and a team event with three men and beer chugging...). Also, the 15 second penalty for dropping doesn't apply in the water, which isn't mentioned in the World rules (?). The wife limit is slightly heavier at 50kg. The Aussie also has '2 log jumps 1 water hazard and 1 mystery hazard' compared to the World 'two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about one meter deep'. While the mystery hazard must remain a mystery (hence the name I suppose...) it would be nice to know in advance what constitutes a 'log jump' for training purposes.

The beginning...

So last night I said to the wife: 'I want to carry you all the way to Finland.'

I can't remember how I found out about the Finnish sport of Wife Carrying, but when Karen was doing her Personal Training qualification I suggested it as a fun and obscure sport to base a training schedule on for an assignment. Its origins lie in the need for fresh blood in mateship in dark age Europe driving men into other villages to abduct women for their wives. Gotta love the dark ages for romance... Although a further claim is made that the sport '...has deep roots in the local history. In the late 1800’s there was in the area a brigand called Rosvo-Ronkainen, who is said to have accepted to this troops only those men who proved their worth on a challenging track.' Is there a little bit of PC spin going on there? Either way, it has now evolved into a fun international sport (dominated by the Estonians) with the following rules:

• The length of the official track is 253.5 meters, and the surface of the track is partially sand, partially grass and partially gravel.
• The track has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle, about one meter deep.
• The wife to be carried may be your own, the neighbour’s or you may have found her farther afield; she must, however, be over 17 years of age.
• The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kilos. If it is less than 49 kilos, the wife will be burdened with such a heavy rucksack that the total weight to be carried is 49 kilos.
• All the participants must have fun.
• If a contestant drops his wife that couple will be fined 15 seconds per drop.
• The only equipment allowed is a belt worn by the carrier.
• The contestants run the race two at a time, so each heat is a contest in itself.
• Each contestant takes care of his/her safety and, if deemed necessary, insurance.
  The contestants have to pay attention to the instructions given by the organisers of the competition.
• There is only one category in the World Championships and the winner is the couple who completes the course in the shortest time.
• Also the most entertaining couple, the best costume and the strongest carrier will be awarded a special prize.

http://www.sonkajarvi.fi/?deptid=15228

So you can see it combines strength and endurance with aerobic fitness. The wife should be as close as possible to 49kg (50kg for the Australian Championships). Dropping is not an option.

On the seventh of July, 2007, in Sonkajärvi, Finland, the twelth Wife Carrying World Championships will be held, and we now plan to be there. The Australian Championships, at Countryfest in Singleton on the tenth of March 2007, is our first objective. The location holds a particular significance for us, since it was the town where Karen and I first met: the wife-to-be that would one day be carried. It was in the bowling club car park, where she had forgotten where her car was parked and I duly assisted her (she maintains that it was all a ruse, but I'm not so sure...).

After discussing the event last night we had fun experimenting with several of the various holds. The Estonian method (see above left) seemed to be best, and seems to be the hold that the most winners have used on the website. Time will tell. Our children got very excited by all this carrying around the living room and soon got involved. Cody (13), our eldest, expressed his doubts (quite sensibly) regarding our ability to win such an event. Callan (6) giggled so uncontrollably while being firemans carried that it was almost dangerous, and little Cassidy (5) just wanted to stay up in the air all night.

Interesting times ahead, and this blog shall plot them all, dear e-reader.

Dave

For more about Wife Carrying check out:

www.countryfest.com.au (Australian)
http://www.sonkajarvi.fi/?deptid=15136 (World)
http://www.centrebet.com/finnish-wife-carrying-championships.php
http://www.lcfinlandia.powerup.com.au/wifecarrying.htm