What would you do if you knew you could not fail?  This question evokes many thoughts in multiple domains in my life…it is an important question, and one that opens a mind to change, welcomes adaptation, and most importantly, promotes resiliency.  I first heard this question from our former neighbors and close friends, who are a Royal Air Force (RAF) family. 
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Fitness, specifically running, has always been my “go to” choice to find my circle of love-- my family at each military assignment, my trail-running buddies, and my fellow moms who train for races with their kids and who wake before dawn on weekends to accomplish those long training runs.  I have been a Stroller Warrior since 2014-- beginning with Ramstein, to Fort Belvoir, and currently a member of Elsewhere.  Elsewhere…it takes some work as you are without a prebuilt running and friend network.  What is the Stroller Warriors® Elsewhere Chapter?  It is a virtual Stroller Warriors chapter for us Stroller Warrior members that no longer belong to a physical chapter-- an avenue to stay connected to our teammates, seek advice, channel motivation to run, and to meet up with Stroller Warrior members at non-chapter locations. 

In 2019, our family received orders to Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC.  I immediately jumped on the computer and searched to check for a Stroller Warriors Chapter at Shaw AFB.  Though I was deeply saddened to learn there was no chapter here; luckily, a friend from an earlier assignment connected me with her childhood/college friend, Jess.  Jess, like me, had two very common passions- running, and Germany (we were both stationed in Germany at different times).  We hit it off right away, running at 5AM before the sun was blazing, and most importantly, our families became close family friends.  

​Meanwhile, we also quickly became close family friends with our RAF neighbors.  Eventually, we all fused together to form our local neighborhood running group, and this resulted from a “perfect storm” of a hurricane coming through South Carolina while I ran the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland with one of my very close Stroller Warrior Ramstein friends.  My family and I feared that our beloved trampoline would be tossed like a frisbee by the hurricane (yes, they actually can fly with enough wind)…so, when Jess called to ask if we needed anything done to our house while we were across the Atlantic my only thought was to “anchor the trampoline!”  While my family enjoyed the Alps with our Stroller Warrior friend/family, eating fondue and frolicking through mountain meadows, Jess quickly hustled to our house, meeting our RAF friends Phil and Beth in the backyard to use our CrossFit equipment (45lbs plates and kettlebells) to anchor the trampoline as the hurricane’s roll clouds rapidly approached!  The proverbial “silver lining” of this storm was the birth of my neighborhood running crew, and what I consider to be my Stroller Warriors Elsewhere family.  

​So…what could I do if I knew I could not fail?  I could run multiple ultra-marathons!  Phil, Beth, Jess, and Chris (Jess’ husband) were all about completing South Carolina’s vibrant trail race and ultra-marathon circuit.  We often found ourselves heading out on Friday nights to spend the weekend in the woods pounding out miles on trail, and having a great time doing it!  The kids were always along for the adventure, exploring the woods, playing in the dirt, skipping rocks on lakes, and running alongside us for short distances.  

This was our crew, this was (and still is) my Elsewhere.  As Phil, Beth, and their kids returned to the UK, and as we PCS in two days, I am forever grateful for this Elsewhere crew, and again, though we are in different locations, the bond we made will forever be in my heart, and will be my motivation. 
 
Have you been a member of Stroller Warriors® Elsewhere?  How have you met your Elsewhere team?  


Happy Running!
-Rose :)

Here we are— kettlebell clean and press time! You may be thinking, “What does the clean and press, arguably a strictly strength move, have to do with my run game?” But, neurologically, strength, stability, and mobility in one area, transfers up and down the chain. In other words, strength in one place, means strength all over. Remember, our bodies are interconnected. Our brains do not “see” parts and pieces, it “feels” system wide— everything works together in the gait cycle. Very basically, energy flows: from the ground, into your heel, up into the ankle, knee, hip, crosses at the pelvis, into the spine and back muscles, over to the opposite shoulder, elbow, and wrist, as well as moving up into your neck and jaw.
 
This makes sense if you consider how a bum knee effects your gait cycle. Changing the movement pattern at the knee, creates compensation in the ankle and hip on the same side. It also creates movement changes across the chain— up into the spine, into the shoulder, the neck, and even across to the other hip, knee, and ankle. This is why when you have a “bad knee” you start noticing other little aches and pains that may me “unexplainable.” It started because your brain is working around the pain signal coming from “a bad knee.”
 
This is why the clean and press can improve your run! A slow and steady weighted exercise for your shoulder is not just making changes in your shoulder strength— it is working core stabilizers and making changes to shoulder mapping. That mapping has neurological carry-over to how your shoulder “talks to” your hip in the gait cycle. Clarity in one area, creates clarity in other areas. And because our brains are wired for survival, loaded inputs get mapped more quickly.
 
Let’s take a look at how to clean and press and then some basic ways to implement it in practice. A safe clean and a strong smooth press go hand-in-hand. If you have a bad clean, just toss it away and re-clean. The clean is the platform for your press. DO NOT rush it.  A key point to remember in the clean and press is this: keep your shoulders low. It is really tempting to clean with your shoulder shrugged up toward your ear, jamming the whole area. This 100% defeats all the benefits of both the clean and press.
 
You can think of the clean as a way to get the bell from the ground, to the rack position. The rack is the platform on your upper body for holding any kind of weight. Cleaning a kettlebell can come with frustration. It took me a solid year of working it to finally get it just right in the landing. Banging your wrist at all, by over-powering your hip drive, or letting the bell get too far from your body, is a missed clean. The bell should “wrap around” your forearm. This happens by keeping the bell in close and tight. Do not swing the bell away from your body, like you would for a kettlebell swing. The set-up, lower body, and hip drive are just the same as in a swing.

HOWEVER, in a clean, the upper arm stays glued to the ribs and the hip drive is less aggressive. You will have to play around with the “gears” of the hip snap to get a feel for popping them just enough to give the bell just enough energy to land in the ‘V’ of the upper and lower arm as you stand up tall. This is where all the fine-tuning of swing practice can be helpful!
 
It is tempting to think of cleaning to your shoulder. But, think instead of cleaning low, to your waist, not up to the shoulder. When you clean low, with the target landing at belly-button level, your torso takes the hit and absorbs the load. There is a lot more body to “take the hit” at the waist, than there is at the shoulder. Be sure to brace for the landing of the bell just as you would if someone punched you in the guts!

​Do not let the bell win and knock you backward at all. Be strong. Stand up to the incoming hit and own the load. Do not let the load own you! You are in control. Be sure the bell lands outside of your breast tissue. Your forearm and biceps should be one in front of the other. Do not rest the load on your chest. I do not want to belabor the clean, but I hope you are seeing how important the set-up is for a safe and successful press!

​Once you have a solid clean in the rack position, nice and low, without jamming the shoulder and neck, continue to create space in the area as you press the bell up. Meaning, do not let your shoulder rise as the bell rises. I like to think of the shoulder articulating, opposite and equally, in time with the elbow— as the elbow goes up to lockout the bell overhead, the shoulder is rolling back and down into the socket for a solid lock-in. You will feel your lat, underneath your armpit, start to fire as your elbow moves up and off your waist. This is a good thing! Be sure to keep your forearm vertical for the whole press. Do not let your elbow rise before your bell.
 
At the top of your press, lockout the bell overhead, stand tall, check your form like you did at the top of the get-up (see the get-up article for details on that!), then reverse the drill until your bell is low in the rack. You can dump the bell and re-clean it, or just get set and solid in your body for another press, without a re-clean. Cleans are a drill in their own rite and have all sorts of fun variations. Just be sure you have the mechanics of the basic clean down before throwing anything new and fancy into your practice 

There are a variety of presses too! One that I love will help you groove a solid movement pattern and get through sticking points— the pause press! This press helped me with my pull-up sticking point! The press and pull-up get difficult when the upper arm is at about 90 degrees. There is a transition that happens here. I noticed that if I held an isometric contraction right there at the tough point, I was able to gain strength right there and override whatever fear would happen through that spot. You can hold the bell with the elbow at a 90-degree bend on the way up for five seconds, and then hold it there again as you pull the bell back to the rack for another five seconds. You can also mix it up and do an isometric hold on the way up or the way down.
 
There are no hard and fast rules, other than practice perfect form and stay mindful of the rest of your body while you are pressing. Pressing is a full-body exercise! You will feel all the places the press works when you are holding the bell at the 90, especially your core and low back. So be sure to squeeze your glutes and core to help protect your low back!
 
Pressing is one of my all-time favorite kettlebell drills. When I am in a pinch for time, or just need to get lifting into my schedule, I will default to the press. It hits the whole body and really makes me feel accomplished without getting smoked. You can also chain the press into all sorts of other exercises. You are only limited by your imagination.

Here is a little something to get you started and progressing into clean and presses:
 
-5 waist-level swings on each side
  Rest your bell, Shake out the tension

-1 clean, rest the bell on the floor
Repeat 1 clean on the other side

-Repeat for a total of 5 cleans to each side, resting the bell on the floor between each rep
Rest and shake it out

-1 clean, 3 pause presses for 3 seconds on one side
Safely rest the bell on the floor like you would for your swing set-up, and repeat for 1 clean and 3 pause presses on the other side
Rest and shake it off

-3 clean and press right, (re-clean after each press,) swing to switch hands,
3 clean and press left, )re-clean between each press)
Rest for two minutes

-Repeat the series for a total of 4 to 5 rounds.

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Thank you, Sara C. for your continued support to the Stroller Warriors® community!  Need a refresher?  Please take a moment to read Sara's previous pieces about Kettlebells:

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/from-running-to-kettlebells

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/kettlebell-swings-how-to-and-how-can-they-help-my-run

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/get-up-for-mobility-stability-and-flexibility-a-counter-balance-to-the-swing-run

​When people mention Stroller Warriors, the first thing that usually comes to everyone’s mind is a group of outstanding runners. True, we are runners, but we are also so much more —we organize Charitable Outreach initiatives, we volunteer, and we give back to our host communities. These are just a few of the things that make us so successful. We do this with virtually zero budget, and it is entirely due to our selfless and amazing members, friends, and family.
 
During the month of June, we hosted our second global outreach event of the year by supporting K9s for Warriors (www.k9sforwarriors.org), the nation’s largest provider of service dogs to disabled veterans,. The mission of K9s for Warriors is to end veteran suicide and allow them to have a life of dignity and independence. They rescue and train shelter dogs to be paired as service dogs for Veterans with service-related Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and Military Sexual Trauma.
 
K9s for Warriors started in 2011 and has grown exponentially! Headquartered in Ponte Vedra, Florida, they can house and train up to 70 dogs that have been rescued from kill shelters from across the nation. In 2018, they also opened the Gold Family Campus outside of Gainesville, Florida to provide more in-house training between veterans and their new service dogs. This year, they plan to finish their PetCo Foundation K9 Center in San Antonio, Texas, to function as a hub for the southwestern United States. At this San Antonio location, they will have the capability to screen and train 30 dogs before sending them to their Florida headquarters for pairing with their Veteran.  The organization is also working towards breaking ground in Florida to create the world’s largest training center for future service dogs. All of these locations give both a Veteran and a dog a second chance on life.
 
An estimated 20 Veterans die daily due from suicide. Most of these individuals have been prescribed medication and talk therapy without considerable results in combatting their post-traumatic stress symptoms. Veterans participating in the K9s for Warriors program usually take 10 to 14 different prescriptions daily, but 92% of them reduce their daily medication intake after training with their service dog, leading to reduced symptoms.
 
Each month, a group of up to 12 Veterans arrive at the K9s for Warriors headquarters for a three-week, in-house training, at no cost. These Veterans are provided with a trained service dog, housing, meals, equipment, veterinary care, and 120 hours of training with their new service dog in a family atmosphere. The dogs are already trained when the veterans arrive, but this time-period allows the veteran to bond with their new partner and as they both learn to function as a team.
 
Earlier this year, K9s for Warriors provided over 660 veterans with a service dog changing their lives for the better. 
 
As always, our members went above and beyond to support this wonderful organization:

-With limited ability to meet in person, Stroller Warriors® Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, developed a creative way to dedicate miles— the 808 Challenge (808 is the area code for Kaneohe Bay). The Chapter challenged their members to dedicate 808 miles for K9s for Warriors using “#SWsupportsK9FW.” In only 20 days, members met their goal collectively dedicating 834.55 miles!

​-Stroller Warriors 29 Palms, California, had a fun month of running as the desert temperature soared. The Chapter had four participants who collectively dedicated 441 miles.

-Stroller Warriors Lackland, Texas, hosted a month-long event supporting K9s for Warriors. Using the hashtag “#swsupportsK9FW,” their chapter dedicated 83 miles throughout June and made other contributions to the K9s for Warrions. While planning their community outreach event, they realized K9s for Warriors was in the process of building a new San Antonio training facility. Chapter leadersreached out offering their support. After corresponding with the San Antonio campus director, the Chapter hosted a dog toy making event at a local restaurant, and the restaurant also donated a portion of their monthly profits to K9s for Warriors. Members enjoyed lunch while the mini warriors played and made 12 braided toys for the service dogs. Chapter members also collected household items used for enrichment activities (various sized boxes, paper towel rolls, etc). These items were delivered directly to the training facility and Chapter members received a “hard hat” tour at the conclusion of its month-long event. 

-Stroller Warrior Quantico, Virginia, used AmazonSmile to give back to K9s for Warriors. When individuals shop on AmazonSmile, the retailer's foundation contributes a percentage of the price of eligible purchases to a charity of your choice. This was perfect timing since Amazon Prime Day took place in June as well. Chapter members also ran collectively dedicating 14 miles.

-Stroller Warrior Iwakuni, Japan, participated in a four day mile dedication event. They started on June 27th, which is National PTSD Awareness Day, and ended it on June 30th with a run followed by a HITT workout. During these four days, fourteen Chapter members collectively dedicated 60.43 miles.

-Stroller Warrior Okinawa, Japan, donated blankets and dog-bones from the K9s for Warriors wish-list on Amazon and collectively dedicated 533.98 miles.

Congratulations on a job well done Warriors!

If you are interested in learning more about K9s for Warriors please visit their website at http://www.k9sforwarriors.org/.

​The 1st Lt David “MEZr” Schmitz Memorial 5K took place yesterday at Shaw AFB, SC.  Our family took part in this meaningful run on the base flightline, along with approximately 300 other Shaw AFB Airmen and family members.  There were runners, strollers, walkers, dogs, and a large group of kids on bikes and scooters leading the pack.  

​This morning included a full spectrum of emotions as fog blanketed the base and breaking immediately before the run began.  Like all 5K runs, there was the buzz of excitement as friends and families gathered near the start line, however this run displayed an added touch— all participants wore red race shirts representing the 77th Fighter Squadron’s official color (this was 1st Lt Schmitz’s squadron).  

​This sea of red assembled in the grassy area between taxiways to hear remarks from 1st Lt Schmitz’s family, Wing leadership, close aviator friends, and to unveil a memorial stone located on the spot where he tragically lost his life when his ejection seat failed.      
​

​As the fog lifted, the justifiably somber ceremony also lifted into excitement in celebration of 1st Lt Schmitz’s life and legacy as everyone positioned themselves at the start.  The kids took to their bikes and were busy boasting over who was going to win, while the parents watched this youthful peloton race down the runway just like the F-16s during takeoff!  Parents, Airmen, base personnel, and retirees tried to keep up with the kids; however, they were simply too fast.  Everyone still gave it their all nonetheless to commemorate the meaningful purpose of this 5K run.  
​

​Though runways on Fighter bases are typically full of the thunderous roar of the jets, today was different—it included the rhythmic sound of feet striking the ground, the slight wind rustling through the tall grass, the chirping of crickets, and the happy chatter of friends running together, specifically, Stroller Warrior Elsewhere friends

Most interesting, though this race was designed to be a 5K, the race ended unintentionally a bit short at 2.77 miles…a poignant connection directly back to 1Lt Schmitz’s squadron, the 77th. 

​Proceeds from the 5K support the Lt David Schmitz Foundation which you can read more about through last week’s blog post: https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/running-to-honor-1st-lt-david-mezr-schmitz.  

In 2019, our family PCS’d to Shaw Air Force Base—home of the 20th Fighter Wing.  This is our first base with a Fighter mission…each day, we are treated to an airshow as the Vipers scream overhead.  The kids love it, and it is certainly plenty of motivation for us when exercising and hear the screeching sound of freedom through the sky. 

On June 30, 2020, a tragic plane crash at Shaw Air Force Base shook the entire community- both the base, and the local Sumter community.  1st Lt David “MEZr” Schmitz lost his life doing something that he loved- flying planes.   Immediately thereafter, the Sumter and Shaw AFB community responded with red ribbons on mailboxes to show support for David’s wife, Valerie, his family, and the 77th Fighter Squadron community.  Close friends and family in the F-16 community sprung to action to care for 1st Lt Schmitz’s wife, and to keep his legacy strong— they swiftly founded the Lt David Schmitz Foundation which fundraises to benefit those aspiring to be aviators, like Dave, who are “passionate, hard-working, and have a strong will to succeed!” 

A Memorial 5K on the Shaw AFB flight line, serves to honor 1st Lt David “MEZr” Schmitz, who gave his life in defense of the United States.  This run is important fundraiser for the Foundation, and more importantly, an incredibly meaningful experience for all participants.  A run on the flight line is a fitting way to remember Dave, as it combines his love for aviation and running. His wife, Valerie, shared that when they were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Tacoma, Washington), Dave was a member of Tacoma Runners- a running group that hosted weekly runs and social gatherings.  Dave enjoyed fitness—he competed in several races including a duathlon, many half marathons, 10Ks and quite a few 5Ks.  Overall, Dave enjoyed working out and he loved being able to measure his fitness progress— whether through completing more reps in a set, adding more weight during an OLY lift, or running a bit faster than his previous time.  Furthermore, Dave motivated and inspired Valerie to push a little harder and run a little faster.  Valerie and Dave ran their first half-marathon together; although finishing at separate times, Dave was there to encourage and cheer for Valerie as she crossed the finish line. 

The first 5K in 1st Lt Schmitz’s honor took place on a gorgeous and bright day on the Shaw AFB flight line.  I found out about the Memorial 5K run through a running friend that needed to borrow a double stroller.  Over the years, our family acquired many “wheeled items” in our garage— most of which consists of our running stroller fleet!  I was happy they reached out as I then learned about the memorial 5K.  Our whole family completed the 5K through a combination of running, biking, and stroller pushing/riding!  Though this became an event through a horrific tragedy, runners were incredibly motivated to run for 1st Lt Schmitz, and kids taking to the course were bursting with excitement as they raced their bikes along the same runways that the Vipers use. This was my first road race in South Carolina after running numerous trail Ultra-Marathons, and my first time running on a flight line.  I could see everything- from my friend over a mile away being the first across the finish line with his dog, my kids and their friends not far behind him on their bikes, and my husband about ½ mile away running with our daughter in the stroller.  As I ran, I saw a sea of red (runners wearing red squadron shirts) and thought about WHY we run. We run to remember. Every race is exciting, but this race was, and still is immensely powerful.    

​Additionally, during the entire month of June 2021, Valerie created and challenged herself to complete the “MEZr Challenge” in honor of Dave:

• Pick a workout, any kind of workout, as long as you can measure progress, and complete the workout 4 times improving on each.  4 times represents Dave’s time in the 4th Airlift Squadron️.
• For an endurance boost, choose an activity (running, walking, hiking, cycling, etc.) and either complete that activity for a total of 77 minutes or 7.7 miles (or km if that is your preference). 77 minutes or 7.7 miles to represent his time with the 77th Fighter Squadron ️
• This challenge can be done in a day, or over the course of a few weeks, or even a month. Each “MEZr Challenge” is unique to each individual’s personal goals ️ 

 
For Val’s “MEZr Challenge” she gave herself the month of June to complete the "Manitou Incline" 4 times in the month of June, each time improving upon the last. She has done it 3 times so far and next week she needs to beat 1 hour, 14 minutes. #FlyFightLiveProudforSchmitty
 
Many will have the opportunity to run the Memorial 5K race on 30 June 21.  Anyone can run this race as it is also being offered virtually, for more information please visit the following link- https://www.ltschmitzfoundation.org/5krun .  You can also create your own “MEZr Challenge” in honor of 1st Lt David “MEZr” Schmitz.

Happy Running!
-Rose 

In May, Stroller Warriors® Lewis-McChord organized a community outreach event for a local youth shelter— The Coffee Oasis Pierce County. 
 
Established in 1997, The Coffee Oasis is a faith-based, non-profit organization that offers the community an opportunity to gather at local cafés, drink delicious coffee selections, and provide youth with the housing and resources needed to thrive.  The Coffee Oasis continues to be a source of hope and opportunity for youth between 13 and 25 years old.  100% of the cafes’ proceeds directly support the Coffee Oasis youth programs. 
 
In the local area around Lewis-McChord, hundreds of Pierce County youths are living on the streets, finding a different couch to sleep on each night, or living in temporary shelters.  Many of these youth battle depression, isolation, addiction, and trauma.  In August of 2019, The Coffee Oasis opened the Tacoma Shelter, the first 24/7 emergency underage youth shelter in Pierce County.  The Tacoma Shelter offers youth 13-17 years old a safe and encouraging place to live while they work towards sustainable housing and employment.
 
Our Warriors at Lewis-McChord arranged a month-long donation drive to collect necessary items--toiletries, laundry supplies, clothing items, and gift cards.  Members also purchased items from the Amazon wish-list provided by the organization. 
 
Thank you, Stroller Warriors Lewis-McChord, for your dedication to the community and for organizing a heartfelt community outreach event that will have a large impact on the youth in the local community.  If you are a military family near Lewis-McChord and would like to come run with us, request to join Stroller Warriors® Lewis-McChord at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/StrollerWarriorsLewisMcChord/

By Doug H.

​What does Stroller Warriors mean to me (or as my 5-year-old daughter calls it “running ladies”)?
 
My first experience with Stroller Warriors was in 2016 when my family was stationed in Landstuhl, Germany.  My wife’s office was directly across from the base track. Whenever I visited, I saw a group of people running around the track with their strollers and thought it was cool!  I was (and still am) a stay-at-home dad-- the idea of having people to run alongside who also have children looked and seemed exciting.  Unfortunately, all the scheduled runs clashed with my daughter’s nap times.  About 2 months before we PCS’d back to the States, a member of SW Ramstein asked if anyone wanted to join for a long weekend run.  I gladly took part and was pleased to learn that a fellow Warrior (Kristen H.) lived only a couple houses down from me and my family. Although my time with SW Ramstein was short-lived, I was determined to participate in another SW chapter when my family and I moved back to the States. 
 
We PCS’d to the Uniformed Services University on Walter Reed’s campus in Maryland.  The closest Stroller Warriors chapter was located at Fort Meade, Maryland— about 30 minutes away without traffic. However, the traffic did not stop me from getting involved.  As soon as we arrived, I began running with the amazing Warriors at Fort Meade.  It was a group of people that I instantly befriended, as we were all military spouses with a shared love for running.
 
One memory of Stroller Warriors that I thoroughly enjoyed was the 2018 Patuxent River Trail half-marathon.  A group of us from the Stroller Warriors Fort Meade signed up to run this challenging trail race.  It was a particularly snowy year and a good part of the trail was covered in snow!  Having the support of my fellow SW running family was wonderful— we met before the race and cheered for one another as we ran.  The encouragement that came from having friends motivating each other during the race was incredible. I finished the race second overall, but running this half-marathon with fellow Stroller Warriors made a particularly hard course into an unforgettable memory. 
 
Unfortunately, my time with Stroller Warriors Fort Meade went by quickly and we soon moved to Joint Base Lewis McChord.  Again, I wanted to be a part of this amazing group and that is exactly what I did!  After joining a new chapter, I found instant friendship and bonded with fellow Warriors over the challenges of being spouses of military members— we all experienced hurdles related to military life, but it makes a world of difference when I can talk about these challenges with my running friends. 
 
I have been a part of SW for five years and have thoroughly enjoyed each chapter.  I hope to always find a chapter to join no matter where the Army sends us.  I joined SW to find friends with a common passion, but I found much more and consider each member an extension of my family. 

By Katie J.

​Becoming a member of Stroller Warriors® changed my life in more ways than I ever thought possible. In high school, I was active in sports and running cross-country; however, my running tapered a bit after graduation.  I had my first child, our family moved overseas, and soon thereafter my husband deployed.  There I was-- alone with a baby in a foreign country. One day, I came across a flyer for Stroller Warriors Lakenheath. I was not sure about running again, but I knew I needed to make some friends. I attended my first Stroller Warriors event and fell in love with the group.  At my first workout I was extremely nervous, but these nerves quickly subsided as the members greeted and welcomed me. During the run, one lady ran alongside me through the entire run and continued to boost my confidence by staying by my side. She could have easily left me behind, but instead she stuck with me every step along the way. This Warrior became one of my best friends and I treasure our friendship to this day-- even though we are now thousands of miles apart! 
 
As an active member of Stroller Warriors Lakenheath I fostered the most amazing friendships-- we celebrated birthdays, holidays, countless new babies, and achieved some remarkable mileage goals. Being part of Stroller Warriors helped solidify my motivation to get out and run-- even through the English rain! These fellow Stroller Warriors made running enjoyable and instilled my newfound consistency and a drive that had been missing for some time. 
 
Like all good things, my time with Stroller Warriors Lakenheath ended. Our family PCS’d to a base without a Stroller Warriors Running Club and I found myself struggling to make friends. My heart ached missing my Stroller Warrior running friends at Lakenheath.  This is when I decided to make a positive change and open a Stroller Warriors Chapter at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. Stroller Warriors Lakenheath undoubtedly helped me through challenging times and my hope is to provide that same light for the members here at McConnell. There was much excitement building on the Stroller Warriors McConnell page as we geared up for our inaugural event on May 20th! It is thrilling to see the excitement from our Warriors as we all make new friends and enjoy some exercise!

Stroller Warriors® considers community outreach to be a valuable piece of the Stroller Warriors mission.  Along with running and fitness goals, Stroller Warrior chapters strive to support the local military and civilian communities through charitable events, donation drives, community clean ups, and philanthropic opportunities.

Stroller Warriors Charleston recently volunteered with Katie’s Krops. The mission of Katie’s Krops is to “empower youth to start and maintain vegetable gardens of all sizes and donate the harvest to help feed people in need, as well as to assist and inspire others to do the same.” The organization has a heartwarming and incredible backstory—  

The inspiration and idea for Katie’s Krops began in 2008 with a 9-year-old girl, Katie, and a cabbage seedling from a school project.  Katie planted and cared for the cabbage in her backyard—it eventually grew to an astonishing 40 pounds!  With the desire to help those in need, Katie donated her extraordinary cabbage to a local soup kitchen in North Charleston.  Her special vegetable supplied food for over 275 people.  This was a life-changing experience for Katie and moved her to create local vegetable gardens where the produce is donated to feed people in need.  Today, Katie’s Krops has over 100 gardens growing across the U.S. 
​
For more information about Katie’s Krops, please visit their website: https://katieskrops.com/

​Our Warriors and their mini warriors put their green thumbs to use lining and filling garden beds with soil in preparation for planting produce— at the same time, they also enjoyed the outdoors and soaked up the sunshine.  Their efforts will lead to fresh fruits and vegetables for those in need!

​Thank you, Stroller Warriors Charleston, for organizing a bountiful outreach event!  If you are a military family near SW Charleston and would like to come run with us, request to join Stroller Warriors® Charleston at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SWCharleston.

The get-up ranks a very respectable #2 in my “Foundational Five-the-Thrive Kettlebell Exercises.” I first read about it in Pavel Tsatsouline’s book The Russian Kettlebell Challenge. The description was along the lines of: it comes from a friend in the Brazilian Ju Jitsu world and it is a way to get from the floor to standing. It has evolved to be more technical over the years. Keep this sentiment in mind as you practice: The only wrong way to do a get-up is practicing without intention, without purpose, and without safety as an outcome. In other words, you can tailor your get-up to work for you. 
 
Every runner knows the toll their sport puts on their hip flexors. Hip flexors being the minimum of our bane. Tight hip flexors, low back (usually the “QL,” quadratus lumborum and psoas) aches and pains, shoulder musculature stiffness, optimizing breath and musculature, etc., etc., The list can be extensive for any runner!  We stretch before, after, between, and sometimes even during running bouts. 
 
Some of us are not born particularly flexible or liking to stretch to improve flexibility. The get-up can be a novel way to target mobility, flexibility, stability, and fluidity of your body mapping. Who does not like the sound of that carry-over to a smoother and more enjoyable run?
 
It is a true beauty in the sum of its parts. Now we will break down those parts and relate them to how they can be an alternative, or perfect addition, to your current stretching and flexibility programming. 
 
*** Before we start our “How-To,” I highly recommend practicing get-ups without a kettlebell for a solid session or two of at least ten minutes each. You can then try using a light dumbbell to get acclimated to having weight in your hand and overhead for a few sessions. Once you have the SKILL of moving through its transitions, only then should you add a kettlebell. Ladies start with a 15-pound kettlebell, gentlemen start with a 25- or 35-pound kettlebell. The kettlebell breathes a whole new dimension of life into the get-up, so be ready for lots of additional stabilization when you advance! ***
 
Even though you will be starting your first-ever get-up practice without a bell, visualize that you are using a very heavy bell. Respect the process here and now--you will thank me later! Get-ups themselves do not require a lot of space— just enough as tall as you are lying and then standing with your arms stretched up over head.  I do recommend having a nice open area— away from people, pets, and anything valuable. Even though the get-up looks standardized, it is not easy! It is going to also put your visual and vestibular systems through their paces!
​

​How-To:
Start with lying supine (on your back) on a floor that is kind to your knees, but not squishy and unstable. Your weight (or once you add it) will be at your side on the floor— at belly button level, no higher than chest level, and about half a foot away. Do not make the mistake of lying so close to your weight that you have to wriggle your way to get your grip on the handle. This is just silly...and it looks it! It is not a solid start to what should be a solid drill.  Whatever side your bell is on, that side knee is bent with the foot flat on the floor. 
 
Let’s Roll!
-Roll your whole body toward the bell, let’s say you start with it at your right side. 
-Roll to the right.
-Grip it by the handle with your right hand from the underside. 
-Put your left hand on top of the handle and your right hand’s fingers. 
-Bring that baby in close with both your hands, pulling it toward your right armpit. 
-Roll to your back, with the bell now at your right shoulder/armpit, still holding with both hands.  Use both hands to raise it up over the right side of your chest. 

*** At this point, we want to get the weight into a solid position so that as we move up from the floor and into standing, it is locked down and into the socket. We will be working all the little stabilizers in and around the shoulder, in addition to the triceps, as well as the big back lat muscles. Meaning, if your shoulder is not engaged, but instead it is just pressed up and floating around without the help of all the upper body, you are totally defeating the purpose of this part of the get-up. Get the shoulder down and away from the ear. Keep a “long neutral neck.” ***
 
Now that the load is locked-in, you can release your left hand and place it at about 45 degrees from your left side. You do not want it so close that you can not use it as an assist in the next step, if necessary. 
 
Bonus drill #1: A helpful drill in and of itself, at this point, is to move the shoulder into internal rotation then external rotation a few times. Do this with no weight or exceptionally light weight! Think of it as an accessory proprioceptive mapping exercise. It is not a circus move like the full-blown get-up has a history of with strong men like Arthur Saxon. 
 
Bonus drill #2: You can also practice moving from supine to prone (from lying on your back to lying on the belly) with the shoulder up and overhead here. Again, use a light weight, or no weight at all to feel through the mapping of this bonus exercise for your shoulder. You can then do a few internal/external rotations lying on your belly too. Stretching all the tissue in a new way may help your run feel a little lighter from your shoulders being looser! Go slow and intentionally with these. 

​Get-up Sit-up
-With your arm down and in the socket and your weight above your chest, (NOT YOUR FACE!)
-Eyes on the bell.
-Dorsiflex your left foot: Extended through the left heel towards the opposite wall.
-Take a belly breath in to protect that spine.  (Keep your left heel glued to the floor!)
-“Punch and crunch” up to either propped on your left elbow, or fully sitting up, both with a proud chest!
 
Bonus drill #1: This sit-up can be worked for reps: going up to sitting (or elbow as a modifier), then rolling one vertebra down at a time, to lying. Work it repeatedly, focusing on keeping the shoulder down and in, and the spine long, with a proud chest at the top. 
 
Bonus drill #2: I like to do a handful of thoracic anterior/posterior glides here to feel through the mapping of the spine under an awkward load. Anatomically match the glide with the breath for a fun little breathing drill. 

​Lower body transition
Now that you are in a full sit-up, we need to get your lower body ready to stand-up! There are diverse ways to get your feet into position to stand. I will share the two basic lunge transitions. 
 
1. Leg switch
If you are heavier, or new to the get-up game, I prefer you practice the leg switch to get into your kneeling lunge stance. It is admittingly more intuitive. 
 
-From your full sit-up position, your right knee is still bent from the beginning of this part, and your left knee is still extended. 
-You are going to bring your left shin behind your right foot by sweeping the left heel in toward the right foot. 
-Simply lift your right foot at the proper time to get the left shin behind your right heel. 
-Now you can use your left hand to push yourself forward with a little momentum as you shin roll on the LEFT shin and move into a kneeling position.
-Your left foot will be at a funny angle, under your right thigh here, so spin that knee with external hip rotation on the left side to get that left lower leg’s toes pointed behind you.

​2. High Hip Bridge
The hip bridge has a lot of value. But if you cannot do it, or never advance to it, do not throw your get-up practice out altogether forever! It is just a way to do get-ups, it is not THE way. 
 
-To set-up for the hip bridge, actively press your right foot down and your left hand into the floor. With this energy going into the Earth, you will raise the opposite energy up into your hips.  You will look kind of like a slanted cross here. 
-Squeeze your glutes hard to get a little extra extension out of the hips and really work those pelvic floor muscles, the QL, and even psoas. Your quads will be working hard too!
-With your hips high, you have plenty of clearance to sweep your left foot toward your right heel, and under your right glute.
- Pull your left knee in so it is under your left hip. And now we have a nice right angle at the top of the right hip and knee, and the pelvis toward the left side, with the left knee also at a right angle. A cheesy way to remember this part is: If it is a right angle, you are not wrong! 
- Then you can spin the left knee so the lower leg is pointing behind you like you did in the leg switch get-up. 

In a kneeling lunge, with your right-hand overhead, YOU MUST RE-CHECK YOUR SHOULDER!
 
*Look straight ahead now. Check the shoulder is down and in the socket, the elbow is straight and locked out, and the wrist is straight.  Just as in boxing, “there is no wrist in kettlebells.” From your forearm straight up to the sky is flush and straight. No broken/bent backwards wrists!

​Bonus drill #1: If you have been practicing yoga or get-ups for awhile, this is a fun little mobility drill to toss in at this kneeling lunge spot! 
 
Lower your torso, by using a right lateral hip hinge, over to the left into a mini-windmill. You can place your left extended arm (or forearm!) on the floor to the left, nice and close. Then breath in, stabilize the low back and core, reverse the windmill to a straight up spine. The spine stays long throughout this! It is a HIP HINGE, not lateral spinal flexion. You can throw in some shoulder internal/external rotations when your down in the windmill or in your kneeling lunge. Good stuff (it’s done slow and controlled and for good reason)! 
 
Bonus drill #2: A good old runner’s lunge while we are here isn’t a bad idea! Take it slow and steady and check that your shoulder can control and withstand your load before you move through the feel of this one. Match your breath with the forward and back of this mobility drill to really release tension in the hip flexor on the right side. Remember to flex your left glute to stabilize your low back and protect it! 
 
Before you move from kneeling to the next part of our get-up, tuck your back toes under, (in this case the left toes). You will have much better leverage than if the top of your foot is stretched out on the floor. 

​Up Top
We are almost half-way there! Stay with me. It gets simpler!
-From your kneeling lunge, with the left toes tucked under for leverage, and the shoulder in check, look straight ahead and stand straight up. 

​Try not to propel forward at all here—it is bad news for your knee. 
 
There is no shame in using a prop if you need a little extra help from kneeling to standing,
Get a bench, stable chair, low table, even a solid couch arm, at the left side to push into so you can stand UP, not forward then up. 
 
You are standing! Woohoo! You made it!! Safely lower and rest your bell if you need a little breather here. I would not blame you! This is tough work. It is resiliency work! 
 
If you are good to go, let’s reverse!
 
Reverse
One way to learn the get-up in a way that may make better sense to you, is to start here, at the standing press overhead point. I often coach it from here when the floor to standing is too overwhelming. Something about getting down is wired more naturally in us. 
 
Bonus #1: Once you have learned a variety of exercises, it is fun to put them in here as part of a flow. For example, you can do a get-up, then lower the weight and press it back up. You can add a squat and/or snatch somewhere in there if you are creative and up for it. Kettlebell flows can be fun because it feels like “playing out” instead of working out.
 
-From standing with your bell in a solid lockout overhead, you will take a big step back with your left leg (when you reverse, you always step back with the OPPOSITE side leg from the bell overhead).  Make sure to give yourself enough room to lower the right knee to the floor. 
 
-From the big reverse lunge, slowly and with kindness lower your left knee to the floor. You will be tempted to just drop into the lunge. Resist the urge and keep control. Your knees do not need any more pounding. They get plenty of that on the pavement! 
 
-From your kneeling lunge, hip hinge to the right and lower your left hand to the floor TO YOUR SIDE-NOT BEHIND OR IN BACK OF YOU! 
Keep the shoulder and weight in check!
 
-From here you can start to distribute your weight into the upper body, curl your left leg in toward your right heel.  Keep sweeping the left foot out to extend the knee just as it was when we started, using more of the upper body to take the load to stabilize this kick through.
 
-With the left leg out straight again, it is time to slowly lower yourself using your core muscle back down to a fulling supine lying position.
 
Final Phase: the lower
You are not finished with your get-up until you’ve CAREFULLY rested your weight on the floor and walked away SAFELY.  Lowering your weight back to the floor is just as important as any other part of the exercise. Don’t discount it and don’t trip on your bell when you walk away!
 
Lower you bell by using both hands. Get the left hand back on the handle and your right hand, just like it helped to raise it in the beginning. You have learned by going through the full get-up, that just because the bell is on the right, does not mean the rest of the body is on cruise control. “All the body. All the time.” 
 
Two hands help the bell to the right armpit.  Two hands stay on it as you roll to the right side and safely rest your bell on the floor.  Remember, you are not finished with the set until you can safely leave the scene. 
 
Practice Session
You have the swing under your belt from my first article and now the get-up! If you never learn any other kettlebell exercises than these two, you have a huge benefit in your back pocket! Honestly, you do not even have to do swings and get-ups with a kettlebell. You can use dumbbells to practice until you get to a kettlebell. However, the dumbbell is stiff, and it will not have the same dynamics and “life” the kettlebell has. It is just a matter of physics. Gravity pulls differently on them, especially in motion because of how its handles are fashioned. Kettlebells feel a lot more playful than dumbbells to most folks, but do not let the absence of having a kettlebell stop you from doing get-ups and swings!
 
Here is something simple (but not easy) to get you going with these two exercises:
 
Set a timer for 10 minutes:
 
-Even minutes practice swings 
No need to count reps unless you want to best yourself or keep pace.
 
-Odd minutes practice get-ups 
A proficient athlete can get in one full get-up on the right in 30 seconds, one get-up on the left in another 30. So really no more than two total get-ups here (if you’re doing them properly).
 
You can, of course, move through the get-up with very light weight and work the bonus mobility drills to warm-up for your next run! Or make the ten-minute session above a finisher to your next outing. Just remember to have fun. It’s your run!

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Thank you Sara C. for your continued contribution to the SW community.  Need to catch up?  Revisit Sara's previous kettlebell pieces:

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/from-running-to-kettlebells

https://www.strollerwarriors.com/blog/kettlebell-swings-how-to-and-how-can-they-help-my-run