Transformation Tuesday: Kettlebells Turn SKC Member into a Double Fitness Threat

When Christian Sarason’s doctor advised him to make some changes for the sake of his health, he started personal training with Seattle Kettlebell Club owner Nikolai Puchlov… long before SKC existed.  Today, those health problems seem like a distant memory; in the last few months alone, he’s set a kettlebell sport record and successfully taken on a daunting physical challenge.

Describing himself as a former adrenaline junky with a penchant for most any watersport (sailing, freedive spear fishing, windsurfing, surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding and kite boarding), Sarason has clearly been open to new adventures although he admits he’d never done much endurance training.  But when Puchlov’s personal training business evolved into SKC, Sarason tried group classes to save some money and quickly realized the kettlebell workouts were super-efficient and effective.

“I got stronger in a way that I had never been,” Sarason said. “This is the first thing I’ve done that has been really long term.  Kettlebell has helped me figure out my own body.”

Photo Credit: Matt Burn Photography

Last month, Christian not only broke an American Record in 10-minute 16 kg biathlon at the Crazy Monkey USA Kettlebell Championship, but he also completed his first kayak race, where he completed a 70-mile trek from Tacoma to Port Townsend (!) with a partner.  We interviewed him about the experience. 

SKC:  Can you share with us a little about the race?

Sarason:  The race was the Seventy48; a two day, on the water, human-powered race from Tacoma to Port Townsend. Sort of a mini Race to Alaska (and put on by the same folks).

SKC: How many hours did it take you to finish?

Sarason:  It took us 29 hours, and we slept for about 5 of that (we camped on the beach along Colvos Passage).  You can read some written musings at:

https://cpsarason.github.io/2018/06/18/Seventy48.html

And see a map of our track at:

https://www.sea-it-rise.com/seventy48/

SKC:  What was the hardest part?

Sarason:  This was, without a doubt, getting to Point No Point (the north end of the Kitsap peninsula) and getting all fired up thinking we were in the home stretch. This was on day two, after paddling for about 12 or 13 hours. We pushed right out into the incoming tide and paddled super hard for about 20 minutes and....went nowhere.  If you look at the track (red is actual, blue is planned) near Hansville you can see we didn't have a very good line. That was about what minute six or seven feels like [in a kettlebell sport set] ...just, oof. We paddled a total of 18 hours that day, so we weren't even in the home stretch!

SKC:  Any further reflections about the experience?

Sarason:  The Seventy48 race was my first significant sea kayak attempt (I previously had only ever paddled at most a few hours, with no particular urgency).  I credit my training at SKC for giving me both the mental toughness as well as the fitness level to be able to finish. It didn't hurt that I paddled the tandem with my friend Matt Pruis, who completed the Race to Alaska last year in a kayak and left 36 hours after we completed the Seventy48 on his second R2AK, paddling solo. He is a machine, which was awesome, but then again, I had to keep up as best as I could.

Sarason went on to praise SKC on how its training has transformed many beginning lifters into successful competitors and says his favorite parts of coming to class are Coach Misha’s motivational speeches and seeing all the of 5:15 am members pumped up after class.  

“Kettlebell training is one thing, but I don’t know if everywhere has the vibe that Seattle Kettlebell Club does,” Sarason said. “There’s no way you cannot be encouraged by the people around you.”

Congratulations on your achievements, Christian!  You make us proud.

-Camille Borodey and Amber Puchlov