In case someone cares: Caleb's Footblog

[Caleb]

Well, I've got LOTS of time at work to post now. So I figured why not start a blog. In case anyone cares, this will be a log of my workout schedule and footbag sessions. The reason the workout schedule will be logged is because I know lots of you have knee problems, and I am recently recovered from severe patellar tendonitus, so you may see some useful info and suggestions on how to strengthen the most unintelligently designed joint in the body .

Well I haven't hit anything huge or worked up a sweat in the office, so I guess I'll post the old schedule in perfect theory:

The schedule works on two-a-day workouts 6 days a week. Mornings are for running or lifting and nights are for footbag, or if my brain is numb running/lifting again. So I find with an open-ended schedule, I keep up with it more because I have SOME say in it. But I'm no superman, I do miss days like anyone else.

2/1/06 6AM: 3miles, 220+ stairs - 21:03
Not a bad time but I think we can improve. And the knees feel grrreat!

[Anz]

so you may see some useful info and suggestions on how to strengthen the most unintelligently designed joint in the body

That'd be great, Caleb!

Hey are there any videos of you online? I just saw your post in new fearless runs. Props man!

[Caleb]

Vids of me are like solid gold my friend. Haha, by that I mean they're rare. But Hood has caught some footage of me on both WV Jams and in The Lost Tape

http://hood.012webpages.com/TV%20Room.htm

Also, I know Iain George had some sweet vids he made from Funtastik and my obsession with the Rocky soundtrack. But I don't know where to get them anymore.

Someday, I'll get a camera. It just won't be for a few more paychecks

[mosher]

Nice Caleb!

I love your style and your 'vibe', I'm glad you are posting alot more now.

[Caleb]

Mosher, we will meet again. Mark my words. Because Montreal was too fun when we first met. I think it's because you're a mech engineer student and iIm an electrical engineering student. I hear great minds think alike.

Also, I forgot to lay down some original goals because I know if I right them down it will be funny to see them change.

So:
-Attempt to push the fitness aspect of footbag as a sport instead of only practicing the art.
-Worlds '07 final round
-Exemplify proof that cross training is necessary in footbag since the sport is getting much more physically intense
-Be able to hit a PS whirl without feeling like I hit a PS whirl for the next 3 days after. lol
-Do at least one thing, everyday, that makes me a better and stronger person for the next day.

[Caleb]

Workout 2 of 2 for 2-1-06 1 hour footbag session:

Good session overall. First time I hit a brand new trick in a while.

VERTIGO....oh and both sides actually!!!
food processor>ripwalk bsos (that's tough to step out of)
symp whirl>rev swirl>symp whirl BSOS (totally not my usual style of tricks)
pdx torque>nuclear butterfly

Knocked down 2 challenges:
-Barfly > Barfly > Pdx whirl > pdx drifter > pdx whirl > pdx drifter > ps whirl > ps whirl
-mobius>sumo

Knees started popping so I did the old band stretch that I learned in phys therapy. I don't think many people know about this stretch for knees:
-Lean stiff against a wall with your left shoulder as if you're like a ski. Now pull your left hip toward the wall slowly. Repeat on the opposite shoulder/hip. This stretches the (some name I forget) Band that runs from the outside of your knee to your hip. It is sometimes the cause of knee popping when it's tight because it pulls your knee cap out of it's normal linear motion when you bend.

Your helpful tip of the day

[Laroche]

Calebraham!!!

Dude you rock the socks. Fuck yeah.

Keep on keepin' on. Peace out.

[Tjuggles]

Thanks for the tip of the day Caleb!
If these keep up, maybe I wont turn into a 30 year old man with an 80 year old grandpa`s legs

[BalinorNZ]

It is very interesting to read about your training schedule Caleb! Good stuff running 3 miles at 6am in the morning !

Props on food > ripwalk bsos, I guess it was silly to challenge you to hit pdx blender on both sides whoops!

I would like to ask, what are the benefits of running as a fitness activity over doing some footbag drill of the same calibre? Woulden't it be more efficient to drill at footbag to get fit instead of run? Your thoughts?

[Caleb]

6:30AM Workout 1 of 2 for 2/2/06

SNOOZE!!! Not the best start to the day, but at least I'm well rested to bust long strings tonight. Haha. I'm sure no one would want to read about me lifting 5 pound weights with my spaghetti arms.

Anyway, to answer your question:
1.) I run because I think it's fun. I love pushing myself in every way I can. Running is purely physical, guitar is purely mental and creative, and footbag is my mix of the two I think.
2.) I run so that I get a cardio workout to play footbag for longer periods of time. I plan my run so that I warm up, run an insane amount of stairs, and then breeze downhill back home. Running up stairs and hills really works your quads, calves, and (mucle that I don't know the name which curls the leg, we'll call it the Whirl Muscle). Anyway, if you strengthen those muscles that surround the knee it takes off a lot of stress on the joint itself. I'm sure there may be a certain drill that I can improve footbag skill while getting a cardio workout but (at least for me) if footbag was my only form of physical fitness, I'd be back in physical therapy in no time.

I think that footbag is an underground sport like skateboarding, and skateboarders don't cross train so neither do footbaggers. But footbag has gotten MUCH more physically demanding. Unless you do cross train you're going to end up like 50% of the top players in the game right now that have some type of knee, hip, or ankle problem.

Oh and you can get the same type of workout from biking (stationary or mobile). It's just too cold for me to do that yet.

[BalinorNZ]

Oh and you can get the same type of workout from biking (stationary or mobile). It's just too cold for me to do that yet.

Thanks for explaining that bro, it's very interesting Also thanks for the tip on cycling, I will be doing quite a bit of that this year no doubt .

[Caleb]

10:00PM Workout 2 of 2 for 2/2/06 2 hour footbag session

A few of my friends came over to chill so I was playing footbag while they would hang out. It was a good time and I just basically worked stringing and string length. No special combos, but I did have a handful of nice strings of 30+ contacts.

Location: My apartment.
Leg Status: Strong like bull
Self Status: Feelin' Good

[Caleb]

6:30AM Workout 1 of 2 for 2/3/06 Standard Stair Run

Time: 20:54 <-- A new PR folks!!! (Personal Record)

I skipped lifting yesterday and just felt like running more than lifting today. I wouldn't call me lazy for that . As I passed the Cathedral of Learning (one of the tallest buildings in Pittsburgh) I got the crazy idea to run to the top. 36 floors . Stay tuned for that.

Location: All over Pittsburgh
Leg Status: Jello
Self Status: Me......tired

[Caleb]

10:30PM Workout 2 of 2 for 2/3/06 1.5hr Shred Session

STRONG session today dedicated purely to tricks that are weird to me. The result???

-blurriest>bedwetter
-smog>pigbeater (BSOS)
-ripped warrior>ripped warrior
-pdx torque>pdx torque
-a loooooong string (30+ contacts) with pigbeater (both sides) and mobius (both sides) plus various other 5's midstring
-fury (both sides)
-janiwalker (BSOS)
*Edit: Oh I forgot the 36 ripwalks*

Yeah it was fun. But today felt like it shattered my legs. Haha. Sooooo Helpful Tip of the Day
I'm about to to take 2 Ibuprofin [Advil] as a preventative anti-inflammitory. No, my legs won't catch on fire but anything ending ins "-itus" is an inflammed and very pain ridden body part (like patellar tendonitus in my knee). Acetimetiphin [Tylenol] treats pain, but i prefer to treat the cause and not just the symptoms.

Location: Apartment
Leg Status: A bit sore
Self Status: My only regret is having to use so many parentheses in this post.

[HooD]

This stretches the (some name I forget) Band that runs from the outside of your knee to your hip.

I believe you're talking about the iliotibial band (I.T. Band) stretch...(if anyone cares). Good stretch, and a good blog !! Glad to see you've got one of these, I don't read very many bloggers, but I'll keep up on this one ! Peace, and sorry I can't make it to Pitt this weekend, get a couple drinks in for me.

[Caleb]

YES!! The IT Band. Thanks John. And you had better come up to the burgh some random weekend when your workload dies down. Don't break my heart. Haha.

1:30PM Workout 1 of probably 1 for 2/4/06 - 3 hour Shred

I kicked with Jake Milofsky and Ian Brill today, and it was nothing short of glorious. Ian is busting out guiltless and repped with his usual and mind boggling eclipse variations, like atomic eclipse and 6 eclipses in a row. Jake played well also, hitting his HUGE PS whirls and liquid smooth spins/ducks. I had a kickass day.

-blurriest>blurrier (BSOS)
-mobius>blurry whirl
-ducking pdx torque (1st and only try, footed)
-SOOOOO close to vertago BSOS
-Blurry symp whirl (BSOS)
-Long strings and other stuff I can't remember.

Location: Pitt classroom
Leg Status: Muscle sore, not joint sore. I enjoy that kind much better.
Self Status: LOVING it

[yacob]

Awesome blog dude! Way to help us all play stronger and longer.

Good luck with the Cathedral of Learning!

I'll take the elevator up and root for you at the top

[Skippy!]

Interesting read, indeed. I definitely have had a long history of super minor knee problems, that footbag could eventually develop into major knee problems. So I'll be sure to keep up on this to catch some advice from someone who already screwed up their knees!

Thanks for posting!!

[Jdigges]

Awesome blog man! you've inspired me to workout more then just playing footbag all the time.

[Caleb]

I'm loving the responses I'm getting. Hearing that my blog makes other people want to work more, makes me work that much more. If that makes sense. And skippy's comment was hilarious.

Well Sunday was my day to rest up in the schedule. Needless to say with my home team winning the Superbowl and riots throughout the streets, I didn't take advantage of it. The only workout I threw in this morning was my 15 minute, Bruce Lee ab workout. Sort of a half workout for the morning.

7:00PM Workout 2 of 2 for 2/6/06 - Cathedral Challenge

I DID IT!!! I ran to the top of the Cathedral of Learning and owned all 36 floors of that bitch. Yes, my heart did feel like it was going to explode, and I maintain that my calves did instantaneously combust and then reanimate themselves right around the 30th floor; but when I was done I was just kind of like, "Was that it? I feel like I can do more." Maybe it's just because I'm used to running for a longer time.

-Time: 6:07 (I don't know if that's good. I never did this before. But I was impressed. lol)
-Location: Cathedral of Learning
-Self Status: On top of the world baby!
-Leg Status: I think I left them on the 27th floor. Can't feel anything.

Helpful Hint of the Day:
The quad stretch is one of the most fundamental stretches for all exercise, but there are so many screwed up rumors on how to do it right. It doesn't matter what hand you use to pull your leg back. Just keep your knee pointed straight down, perpendicular to the floor, and never pointed outside of your shoulders. You can pull directly backwards for more of a stretch but never to the side.

Oh, and tomorrow morning I vow to not hit the snooze button! I've been getting bad with that.