Trip to Latvia , August 2008

A Short Latvian Odyssey

A trip to Latvia (on the Baltic coast next to Russia) may seem a little daunting ; moreso when one has to travel from the other side of the globe. It took me over 30 hours either way , in fact with the airport waiting , a total of 36 hours to get home! Some degree of resilience and endurance is required , plus a calm accepting mindset that things may be a little difficult. Not that the type of athlete attracted to GS in the first place would find the whole adventure too concerning or stressful. I prepared by assuming that everything would go wrong and in fact , just about everything went as expected - and at times even exceeded expectations.

One of my major concerns was that I would find the language barrier an issue. Being away from home comforts and “normal” everyday conversation could be a stress in itself. However I quickly realised that there was no problem. Most people I spoke to within Latvia knew some English ; enough indeed to make themselves understood or at least to understand my attempts at communication. Of course I had no hope of crash learning Russian , or Latvian or even Finnish. No matter. Anyhow upon arrival in Riga the capital of Latvia on a rather grey and wet afternoon I found my hotel , comfortable and adequate for the purpose (sleep) - and conveniently located across the river from the old town “Vecriga” on the trolley bus route. Transport solved!

Happily my mobile phone had been switched to international roaming and after a few fumbled attempts at selecting the right area codes managed to contact Svetlana . Being greeted in English by a smiling local was a major relief as I was pretty weary and didn’t need problems , just solutions. On a whim I decided to accompany her to a brief training session at the Riga Defence Academy. For her , it is a significant journey including a moderately long walk from the tram stop to a huge Soviet era academy where she trains with Robert Innus.

Robert is an extremely knowledgeable army captain responsible for all aspects of physical preparation of Latvian soldiers – he is also an highly qualified academic with a 100 page masters thesis centred upon girevoy sport. In addition he is one of Latvia’s most accomplished gireviks , as was his father Ivus – who as it happened was one of the judges for my competition sets. Robert has achieved well over 100 jerks (2x32kg) and demonstrates what I would consider to be “perfect” GS technique. After 12 years he knows his onions! Svetlana is indeed lucky to have his coaching skills at hand. Robert is also the chairman of the Latvian Association of Kettlebell Lifting and responsible for training athletes for the Latvian national team. At this stage his gymnasium is the only kettlebell equipped facility in Riga (pop > 800,000).

After a short workout and training discussions with several athletes , I returned to my hotel for a substantial and delicious meal of pork “Captain Style” (whatever that was) and retired for some needed sleep.

Next morning I “did” old Riga best I could given the short span of hours available. A warm morning gave way to what turned out to be predictable afternoon rain in what had been an unseasonally bleak summer. Still I saw enough of the town to be suitably impressed – spending my birthday (also Latvian independence day) holed up in the Dom Cathedral listening to a special organ recital. By that stage I needed a quiet moment for recovery and to collect my thoughts for the coming days. After all the main purpose was competition! But not the only one. I had also travelled to represent Australia at the IUKL annual conference, along with a number of incumbent nationsand soon to be admitted representatives of others.

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@1:30 pm I collected my bags & travelled to the airport to meet the Ukrainian team and thus take the pre-booked bus to the competition venue, Ventspils. There were a few delays , partly because the Latvian Olympic weightlifting super-heavyweight & Olympic bronze medallist was returning to a throng of adoring media, officials and a small musical outfit playing traditional songs… However at ~6 the bus departed for Ventspils , approximately 3 hours drive east of Riga. I had met up with Jason O'Celleagh, who has started the All Irish Kettlebell Lifting Federation and is a recent convert to GS. He was attending for the purposes of conferencing – with his application for admittance to the IUKL in hand.

We were bemused at the choice of dvd on the bus. Though the language was foreign , the lack of subtitles did not detract from the no holds barred “adult” content of the movie. All 2 ½ hours of it. Perhaps this was a planned method of calming the young athletic mind , perhaps a way to optimise pre-comp testosterone? Being devoid of suitable linguistic skills I was unable to enquire of their two young lady compatriots whether they too were partial to this sort of distraction.. Also & by the way – huge slabs of chocolate also seemed to be on the pre-competition menu.

Apart from the onboard entertainment (essentially a demonstration of every variant of snatch known to mankind with a couple of jerks as actors) , the countryside was remembered as flat , green damp and on occasions punctuated by belts of larch and birch trees.

Arriving in Ventspils , a town/city of ~40,000 right on the Baltic coast , there was a problem with my hotel booking – " it seems there is no Australian for this list. " Hmm...sleeping rough tonight? There was a park 5 mins walk away.

Anyway at this late stage, food was a bigger priority & Jason , my new friend Markel (Swedish GS representative) and I walked to the local Tex-Mex restaurant. Weird how these chain eateries pop up in unexpected locations , but I will say the food was superb. I subsequently enjoyed two of the best steaks in my life at that establishment.

By this stage the small hotel had conjured up a room , very comfortable it was too. Basically straight out of an Ikea catalogue ; no complaints at all. I slept , but not as soundly or as long as I had hoped. This would later cost me a couple of reps.

Next morning (Friday) Markel , Jason & I took a walking trip to discover Ventspils. This apparently is a fairly wealthy place owing to the big port and tariffs from export of Russian oil and other goodies. Vasily Ginko keeps fit unloading the big boats that line the harbour. As well as bit of GS thrown in for good measure.

There are two brand new world class sporting facilities , the first “Olympic Centre” we visited first. Indoor running track , all facilities , several kettlebells of the hollow and adjustable variety – nice! After we wandered into town , to the port area and checked out the Livonian museum , a converted castle full of fascinating artefacts. This castle dates back to the original settlement in the12th century. The highly polished granite stones in the cortyard garden are of more recent vintage.

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Later , more than a little footsore from (unsuccessfully) trying to discover the cultural heart of Ventspils we lunched al fresco on big juicy tender steaks (no shortage of meat in this country) and a pre-competition ale. This would later cost me a couple of reps. Finland’s Marko Suomi rang and we arranged to meet later. Bellies full, we enjoyed a quick kip then traipsed down to the competition venue , Ventsils new “Sporta Halle Centrs” for the weigh in . I had lost some kg ; 76.7 – was 78 when I left Tassy. Blame air travel and walking around for that! I honestly think it may have cost me couple of reps later .Markel meanwhile found he could make correct weight by removing his bling watch.

…Anyway after re-clothing it was off to the IUKL official conference business. Plenty to discuss ; most fortunately there was a very competent interpreter lady in attendance! Amongst other business , the nations of Ireland , Sweden , France and Ukraine were formally admitted to the IUKL.

The conference dragged out fairly late and afterwards we met the rest of the Finnish team (13 in total). It rained and not surprisingly , we got rather wet. Somewhere we found food (the local Tex-Mex). Later , feeling jet lagged and a little stiff I went for a 10-15 minute jog. In retrospect his was a mistake , I believe costing me 1-2 reps next day.

I didn’t sleep particularly well. That definitely cost me a couple of reps next day. Saturday, following a hearty breakfast we bowled off to the Sport Halle at around 11 a.m. Throngs of athletes of all ages and many nations. Probably over 150 I would estimate. I found a few old faces from Hamburg in 2006 – Lyubov Cherepaha the women’s world champion (has a lovely smile, but we can’t exchange a single word!) , Andrey Ereschev ( has taught himself English , we are able to converse reasonably well about life outside GS and of course the legendary Fedor Fuglev (No speaky Englisi , me no speaki Ukraini..). Indeed, it was a highlight meeting these three again.

< my Riga guide , and hardworking competition assistant , young Latvian girevik Svetlana Rukina.>

The next few hours were a blur of athletes, adrenaline, photography and videoing (chalk dust all over cameras) and of course competition.

Markel , Lyubov , moi

< Team Australia ! ( The girl was complimentary , & magnanimous (“noble in character”).)

Seeing yourself in the draw with Fuglev and Sharipov guarantees an unscheduled trip to the bathroom. And as it happened Anton Anasenko , the world record holder was also lifting on the same platform , even though he was in the heavier lifting category..

It's hard to convey the feeling pre-comp. It was an ant's nest of activity – people buzzing everywhere, cameras going off all over the place , trips to the change room to check on gear , replace camera batteries etc etc. Up & down staris. Trying to watch & film the comp whilst keeping focussed yet mindful of not missing my “call”( roll calls were spoken in Russian.) Then of course muscling into the warmup area amidst ~ 20 other athletes , trying to judge how much to do , how long before (I believe whatever I did must have cost me a couple of reps – I never saw Fuglev warmup with weights on either of the two days , just a jog around the block.)

Finally I realised I was part of the next execution lineup . Adrenaline was spent - no time for nerves - before I knew it we were walking out to the platform and suddenly , “3,2,1” it was on! To cut a 10 minute story short , I managed 5 minutes at planned slow (5rpm) pace, then the Duracell went flat and my legs went to jelly . Plus , my stronger right arm was having trouble locking out , I have no idea why. Trigger point in triceps from heavy suitcase? Who knows , the referee (Robert Innus’ father Ivar) was hard but fair and kept trying to encourage legal reps. Several were disallowed , no excuses and no favours for being a novice. Missed reps with 2x32kg saps your energy somewhat. In the end I settled into bloody-minded mode and bloodymindedness made me stare down the clock and the judges for the full 10 minutes. Meanwhile Fuglev and Sharipova knocked off well over 100 reps each. My measly count - 29 , but if you add in the confounding factors outlined previously , I coulda/shoulda made 40-45. Next time!

My back stiffened up considerably after the jerk set , but was improved by following legendary veteran Eduard Trusevichs' recovery routine - lie on your back with legs up the wall and a mouthful or two of sweet strong black coffee to follow. I felt pretty good as the snatch event loomed after a couple of hours. No warmup – just out on the platform and desperately beg some chalk as I’d forgotten to prep the bell after the last guy!

Down to business , I made sure all lockouts were held firm and also not to drop the bell before the first switch. No heroics. In the end, I was very happy with 76 reps. This gave me equal 3^rd on points but the other guy was a kilo lighter…I’m sure that Ventspils steak cost me outright 3^rd. It was a big one.

Heaps of other lifting that day ; everyone seemed on a high – the juggling events were especially memorable – watching them warmup with little rubber balls , dressing up in traditional clothes – 8kg bells for women and 16kg for men. Incredible energy , fitness and skill. Check it out e.g. http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=u-phIP-yQG8

With the added music , the whole experience was very emotional for me – just so enjoyable , a chance to relax and a interesting contrast to the hard yakka I & others had experienced earlier.

Lifting continued until 8:30 pm – I still hadn’t really had anything for lunch – but the national delegates were ushered by Vasily into the conference room. One thing , Vasily is not lacking in energy! He’d had a huge day with organising , tabulating results , writing certificates etc , plus an amazing juggling routine thrown in. Most of us (Finns , Johan from France , Markel) needed a rest and a good feed. Halfway into the conference at least we broke off for 10 minutes of canapés. I applied the crocodile principle (eat everything in reach in one mouthful), not knowing when my next meal might be. This was most wise .

The proceedings were completed at 11:45 and relieved we travelled to our now favourite joint , the Tex-Mex. The Finns were well alight and finishing dinner ; unfortunately the kitchens had shut down. Us poor delegates were relegated to a little light liquid restitution ;<) and a few leftover morsels.

We got to know Belarussian Sergei Maskevich , multiple world record holder of extreme KB lifting (think 6 hours lifting a 32kg…) who had been invited to attempt a new record next day. Being a decent fellow , he stayed out ‘til 2 a.m. eventually realising some kip was possibly in order. I lasted til 4 a.m., by that stage convincing myself I wouldn’t be tackling long cycle a few hours later.

A few hours later (maybe 3) I enjoyed a most hearty breakfast (including a big bowl of ham & cheese pasta...) and later trekked again to the Sporthalle. Antti was apparently still blissfully sleeping, the bastard!. This was a day to be savoured ; as much excitement as day #1 but without the distraction of competing and conferencing. It was a mixture of long cycle , womens’ snatch event ( attracting a host of spectators) and more juggling. And of course the very laid back Sergei , who calmly knocked off 150 x 40kg jerks in 10 minutes for a new world record…switching hands each minute...starting rate was 18rpm…try that at home and see how long you last ;<)

Results of competition are posted here :

http://giri-iukl.com/Eng/reports_rus.html

The day’s events were concluded by an arduous closing/presentation ceremony - a strength endurance event in its own right! Initially all teams lined up around the hall ; at the conclusion but a few hardy souls remained standing! Vasily worked tirelessly presenting certificates and medals. There were many many categories! Fortunately we had previously agreed to compress the 3 day conference into 2 days so the evening was ours. I spent an hour getting photos , saying good byes and trying to organise my evening. Don't jump to conclusions.

All day Andrey Ereschev from the Ukraine (moustachioed , next to Fedor Fuglev) had been trying to get me down to swim in the Baltic Sea. Apparently the Ukrainians swim in the sea (any sea) at every opportunity. Meanwhile Antti from Finland was wanting and needing a good feed. And Sergei (below) was trying to sort out his paperwork ratifying his record lift…and wanting ( like me ) a swim and a bloody good feed.

As it happened we got separated , however I managed to whip back to the hotel , and run to the beach meeting the younger Ukranians including Valentyn Berbenchuk, a GS MS and national coach. He was getting married a week later thus by now feeling a little more relaxed about life! That is , after doing biathlon and long cycle with 32s and watching his charges compete. Anyway the Baltic was no colder than your average Tassy sea , and indeed salt-free (Lorraine Patten has told me this fact, so of courseI had to sample …but only took a wee sip , given the potential for all manner of gene altering substances . Valentyn neutralised any potential ills by proffering a special Latvian recovery ale, gratefully accepted . At this stage Andrey turns up - I know he is not a fan of ale , soccer ("Is a religion") and general n'er do wells - thus the ale is covertly dealt with. In any case we meet again before saying goodbyes (he asks me to a veteran's comp in Ukraine in december , love to go but...) . Reinforced with dousing and fizz I jogged back to the hotel. Somehow , Antti , Sergei and I ended up back rather late (after 11) at the Tex-Mex for another glorious steak. Over the course of a few hours Sergei imparted much training wisdom (he is MS , a respected coach & of course has 18 world records). Eventually Antti insisted on leaving, for sleep can you believe? In truth though we were all pretty exhausted , yet exhilarated. I entered the Land of Nod by 2 a.m.(medical fact : hops are sleep –i nducing).

After a lazy 6 hours sleep , the maximum for the week , I departed for Riga on the bus with the Ukrainians. This time , older members & spouses were aboard , thus no “training dvds”. In Riga , I lunched with Antti and a couple of Russians and later parted (not partied) in the drizzle. I dropped my bags at the hotel and spent a few hours traipsing around Vecriga once again. At 6pm I was picked up by Robert Innus and we enjoyed a relaxing dinner , chatting about all things GS , and more. He is keen to visit Australia. next year and I’m sure we can facilitate such a trip.

Well , that was it – and next day I flew out and commenced the 36 hour journey home. It’s not 36 hours of flying ; there were delays in Amsterdam and Singapore. But long distance travelling is a fact of life if you live in Australia. Really , this was the only negative part of the whole trip. I would do it again in a heartbeat , though clearly this sort of thing requires some planning , and to make it worthwhile , you need to allow at least a couple of days on either end of the competition. In summary , Latvians are very friendly, the food is great (esp the steaks!) and the competition extremely well organised. I had an absolute ball and learnt plenty – one of the main reasons for travel. Rubbing shoulders with expert athletes is a great way to invigorate one’s training and hone focus for future years. In the coming months and years I hope to further refine my knowledge and ability to use kettlebells for their designed purpose. Sport and in particular competition gives you concrete goals. There is nothing like the prospect of a competition to ensure a consistent training habit and with it the requisite attention to small details – it is these small details that define expert lifters from hobbyists.

Given time , focus , commitment & some luck is certainly possible to compete on the world stage and I am confident Australia will be able to field a team of more than one in the coming years! And note , a person only gets old once his/her dreams are replaced by regrets!