Monday, July 16, 2007

My Wife


We just got back from vacation yesterday and last night my wife decided to write a review on my dragondoor site. This is not something she would normally do. Anyway, she's been through a lot so I thought this was cool...

As Tim's wife, I'm biased about his instruction skills; however, I have to write what my kettlebell training experience has done for me, especially since I have a unique health situation. I have a horrible back. I wore back braces for scoliosis during middle school and part of high school. The braces left me very inflexible and weak. Every summer since those braces, I haven't been able to get up on one ski (deep water start) at the lake - my back just couldn't handle the drag, year after year. There were other things I couldn't do, but this one bothered me the most! In my mid twenties, I worked out very regularly at the gym (traditional exercises), and I thought I was in the best shape of my life. For one time one summer, I actually pulled out of the water on a slalom ski - it was so hard to hang on to the rope, but I did it. Then within a 3 year time span, I had two kids, and then became extremely ill - hospitalized for almost a month. I lost half a lung and a section of a rib bone, plus my lat muscle was cut during surgery. At 5'11", I wasted away to 112 lbs. The last two years since my surgery have been a slow climb back up to a normal weight, and I've always considered myself in rehab mode ever since. Now, for the last 6 months, I've been training with kettlebells - swings, snatches, windmills and side presses. My back has felt the most flexible and stable than it has in years, not to mention I've made the best progress rehabbing my surgery site (shoulder and lat area). This past week at the annual lake trip, I decided to try to slalom ski starting in the deep water. I pulled right up on the second try - and it wasn't even that hard to handle the drag! I was on cloud nine! After the surgery I've been through, plus with the loss of so much muscle mass through the healing process, I never really imagined my core and upper body would have the strength that it used to have at what I thought was its prime. I still don't have all of my muscle mass back, but I'm so much more flexible than I've ever been, and I know how to use what muscle I have. I'm thrilled with the results of my kettlebell training!

6 comments:

Mark Reifkind said...

what an incredible testimonial and success story. amazing!can I link to it?

Unknown said...

Mark,
Ofcourse! I actually saved your the one you wrote about your wife's story this morning on my computer... Can I use it?

Mark Reifkind said...

yes sir. you can use anything you find on my blog or posts whenever you want.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Rif. Same goes for you. Although, it's not an equal exchange. You give far more than I am able to yet. You're my Yoda.

Franz Snideman said...

This is amazing Tim! Talk about a powerful testimonial!!!!!

You must be proud of your wife!!!

Unknown said...

Franz,
I am. She's awesome.