Progress and turning 30

I am less than a month from my 30th birthday.  Over the last 5 years I have lost my both my parents, got married (and learned what it means to make it work), finished college, gone back to school and changed careers.  Not exactly a stress free 5 years.

2 years ago, as I turned 28 years old, I was out of shape.  I drank a little too much, and while I exercised, I was hardly what you could call fit.  I was suffering from hypertension and my resting HR was sometimes as high as 100 bpm.  My kettlebell sport numbers were paltry at best and were not getting any better.  On a good day I could maybe hit a 5 minute set with 2x24kg bells.

I saw a picture of myself from my 28th birthday and realized that I am barreling down the track to 30.  While some of you may chuckle about 30 still being young, you have to take into consideration that the men in my family typically do not make it past 55 yrs and we typically have heart problems as early as our mid 30's.  I was headed down the same path and decided to change it.

I focused more on diet and bettering my numbers in kettlebell sport.  I eventually ended up getting up with World Kettlebell Club Coach Eric Liford and shit got serious.  I am now on the threshold of 30 and I feel stronger and fitter than I did in my early 20s.  I have achieved Candidate for Master of Sport (CMS) in kettlebell sport and have started my career as a firefighter/paramedic.  Life is good and I am looking forward to the next 10 years.

June 2011:  
6 mins @ 2x24kg; 6 rpm = 36 reps
Couldn't even run 2 miles
Avg BP and HR:  150/90 and 90-100 bpm

Today 2013:
10 mins @ 2x28kg; 56 reps
2 miles in 13:04
Avg BP and HR:  110/60 and 40-50 bpm


And while I do not typically add photos of myself, here are the progressive pics from left to right:  2011, 2012, 2013.