A run, a row, and a messed up video!!

Hi everyone (or is that too optimistic, maybe no one's reading me)and welcome to my latest blog on the progress of racing car driver, Charlie.
Two sessions to report on in this blog and a misdemeanor with a video camera (sorry Charlie, have to get it off my chest)
First up, a 5 mile steady state run. Joining us today was Charlie's lovely girlfriend, Zoe. Instead of the usual location (Palmers race track) today our starting point was Charlie's cottage. The planned route was 5 miles with several hills incorporated into the run.
The run was completed in 51 minutes with an average pace of 10.02 minute miles. Charlie's heart rate averaged 165 so he was clearly working hard throughout. Zoe did extremely well and is clearly fitter than she realised.
Once the run was complete, we stretched out in the garden.
So, overall, a good session and thankfully, both of my puny calves held out (god bless em)

The next session I would like to talk about was an interval row which was carried out in Charlie's Garden.
We decided to repeat a previous row and I therefore set the rower up for 8 x 250 metre rows with a minute and thirty seconds rest between each set.
Things weren't overly positive at the start with Charlie proclaiming that he was tired. Nonetheless, he decided he would try his best.
After a thorough warm up, Charlie set off on his first interval. He set a blistering pace and averaged 1.39 per 500 metre pace. 3 seconds quicker than his last first interval.
Second interval was 1.40.6, again, quicker, this time by one second.
Third interval was 1.41.4, slightly slower but unfortunately Charlie is reporting a slight lower back problem and states that he can't pull as hard as he would like.
Intervals 4-7 are all off the pace in comparison to the previous session.
Interestingly though, Charlie's heart rate is a good 9 BPM lower than that last session which is very encouraging.
I could sense however that Charlie was not overly pleased with his performance at this point ( some 4 letter expletive's were a bit of a clue )and he therefore decided to absolutely give it his all on the last set.
The final set was polished off in in 1.42.4 which was 2.6 seconds quicker than set eight from the last row.
So, overall, a good session with 5 slower than before but 3 quicker but more importantly, a lower heart rate throughout.

OK, on my arrival at Charlie's, I asked if he would mind video recording me doing an RKC ketllebell snatch test. Now for those of you who don't know what that is, it involves swinging a 24KG kettlebell behind you between your legs with one arm and then aggressively firing it upward above your head to a locked out position. The RKC ( Russian kettlebell challenge ) states that you must do this 100 times within 5 minutes. It's full on test of one's strength and cardio endurance and is extremely tough to do. The idea was to post the video up on you tube and also add it to my kettlebell nation blog site.
OK, thoroughly warmed up, I'm ready to go. Charlie does the intro (very good) and sets me on my way. He counts the reps for me as I progress through the test.
Starting on the right hand, I perform 20 snatches and then make the transition to the left hand and perform another 20 reps. Back to the right for another 15 before switching again to the left.
70 reps in, I'm really feeling the strain but confident of a strong finish. Back to the right for 15 leaving the final 15 on my left side. 100 reps done, thank god for that, the hell is over, I'm breathing extremely hard and state for the camera that I'm feeling great having done the test in 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
I don't know what it is but there is something very primal about swinging a kettlebell. Given a choice of a gym full of resistance machines costing hundreds of thousands of pounds or a couple of kettlebell's to play with in my back garden, the choice would be obvious, the kettlebell's please. Trying to convince Charlie of this is proving difficult but hopefully with some perseverance on my part, I will convert him.
Once slightly recovered I step over to Charlie to review the footage.
10 seconds in, the video suddenly rotates to portrait shape and Charlie gleefully announces with a hint of 'aren't I clever' in his voice, that he rotated it so as he could 'fit me in better'. Yea, 'brilliant' that Charlie, well done. Now everyone has to rotate their screens on there side to view the footage!!!. When I told him that he had f*##*d it up, he looked mortified, bless him, of course, I played it down, not wanting to upset him further. OK, grumble over and the reality is that it just doesn't matter. We will do a re-shoot next week and I now have an excuse to post it up here so as you can see exactly what it is that I'm talking about.

Next session is on Thursday. This will consist of a weights session followed by a swim. My front crawl is not good and as a result Charlie has agreed to reverse our roles for a bit and give me some instruction.