love and fame to nothingness done sank

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 10 Jan 2008 06:39

I intend to track my playing here. Please feel free to comment. I think the challenges forum is redundant. If you think there's something I should try, please say so.

Please note that when I say 'left [trick]' I mean that the trick is caught on the left side of my body. So left clipper is caught with my right foot. Left mirage is caught with my left toe. A right guay is caught with the right foot.

Footbag played since January 31st, 08:

14:05 in 16 sessions.

Some personal bests:

alt clippers - 40
right clippers - 33
left clippers - 45
legover - 11
mirage>legover - 23
butterfly > p mirage - 7

Short - Mid range goals

10 contacts of buterfly > p mirage (race with Asmus and Nathan)
30 contacts of mirage > legover (race with Asmus and Nathan)
100 alt clippers
50 right clippers
10 infinities
10 Osii (dream on)

Bold text will usually be about footbag technique, and I would appreciate feedback on it, especially if it is out to lunch. This blog is my only connection with freestylers. Please steer me when I stray.

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First post
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Gallbladder removed yesterday. I feel like garbage. Worse than I expected. Any contraction of the abdomen is terribly painful, as there are four separate holes punched through the muscle. Could be a month before I can play again, but I'm still hoping for two or maybe three weeks.

Now that it's past, I find it unsettling to imagine an organ being dragged out of me through my bellybutton.

I'm still riding a huge footbag high from my Chicago trip. Been watching tonnes of footage. The new Clavens video is so cool for me, like it's playing directly from my memory. I was sitting beside the camera.

Had a few reasonably good sessions after getting back from Chicago. Mostly did clipper and osis stuff which didn't aggravate the minor hip strain I've got. Put into practice some good advice on form, footwork and bag spotting that I received in Chicago. Made progress.

The minor positive here is that by the time my midsection is fit for playing again, all the little aches in my lower body will be well rested.

Bleh. Don't get gallstones.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 10 Jan 2008 06:51

Hey! You started a blog. Cool.

I'll be watching over it like a hawk.

Moxie · Post by **Moxie** » 10 Jan 2008 10:49

Colin wrote:Any contraction of the abdomen is terribly painful, as there are four separate holes punched through the muscle.

Quick, someone make him laugh.

Glad to see that you've started a blog. I hope to see fun highlights after you heal. I also hope that you let yourself heal thoroughly before trying anything footbag related, as your non-detailed description of them removing an organ through your belly button disgusted me thoroughly. I don't want to hear about any other gross medical problems, so don't have any.

But if you do have some, remember to take pictures to post in here.

Emily

CIC flurry · Post by **CIC flurry** » 10 Jan 2008 13:35

I think they cut it up and take it out piece by piece.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 10 Jan 2008 13:42

Hope you heal up soon. Looking forward to hanging out with you some more in the future.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 12 Jan 2008 15:02

Feeling significantly better. Maybe two or three weeks isn't totally out of the question. Holes won't quite seal up - I still occasionally leak.

Spent today getting my shit together with regards the coming semester. My courses are easy, but not so easy that they'll do themselves. Last semester was unfocused, unproductive, and unhappy. I can't afford to do that again, I'm emotionally spent. Schedules and lists are my new MO.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 15 Jan 2008 21:29

Colin wrote:Holes won't quite seal up - I still occasionally leak. Spent today getting my shit together

i was first disgusted, then i laughed so hard at this when i realized you weren't actually talking about collecting drippy stuff that fell out of you. i had a very funny little scene running in my head.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 16 Jan 2008 08:04

I strongly suspect that two is a modified record for consecutive blog posts that disgust someone with the image of ... things ... leaving the body. I'm content to let it stand there.

Slowly coming around. My current hope is to have kicking-only sessions on Tuesday and Thursday of next week, and to hit the gym on Friday in a similarly limited capacity.

I cleaned my room. I don't have words to communicate the scope of this project.

HG · Post by HG » 16 Jan 2008 13:15

colin!

i'm shouting with text!

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 17 Jan 2008 14:59

I don't understand! (This is code for "I understand completely, and will make the switch at midnight.") Also, your signature is outdated.

Had my follow-up appointment with my surgeon today. She cleared me to do whatever I please - it's between me and my pain threshold now.

So I kicked tonight. Strictly kicked. Didn't experience any pain. Gonna do the same thing a few times more before I start to ease back into freestyle. Eight days since surgery. I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Hitting the gym tomorrow morning. Oh baby.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 18 Jan 2008 08:17

Squat 3x5x115
Bench 3x5x95
Dead 1x5x140
Press 3x5x75

A furtive return. My belly felt the last set of squats, and it didn't like racking the weight on the bench. Reality sets back in. It will be a while before I'm using serious weight again, but it felt so damn good to get back in there.

A side benefit is that my diet is suddenly back in order. I can't eat right unless I'm lifting. My post-op diet was something like Doritos + Skittles + 7-Up.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 19 Jan 2008 21:07

Played some ultimate frizbee indoors tonight. Didn't play hard, but felt fine running around a little. I'm back in business. Gonna shred on Tuesday.

Oooooo.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 20 Jan 2008 14:07

colin, i'm really excited that footbag players are taking their training more seriously. kudos on inspiring people to make that mental jump. Hope you're back to full capacity soon.
looking at your program, i understand why you wouldn't be doing any core work at the moment, as those muscles surely need some rest, but i also noticed you don't have any calf exercises or lat exercises. I'd suggest putting some into your program, especially calf exercises. we bounce up and down on our toes so much while playing footbag, so calf strength and endurance becomes very important.
Again, good job on inspiring people to get into resistance training. I hope you reap all the possible rewards!

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 20 Jan 2008 17:08

I also thank you a bunch.
I look forward to following in your footsteps.
I also look forward to reading more from this blog.
Hope you're playing soon.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 23 Jan 2008 07:30

Colin wrote:Gonna shred on Tuesday.

This didn't turn out so well. I think it's just 'first week' lifting soreness, even though I thought I was doing a good job easing back on the weights. Still though, I played for around half an hour, enough to sweat. Really need to be conscious about easing back into everything. It's been two weeks today since my surgery. I can't expect to get away with hard exercise 6 times a week.

To that end, I didn't lift today. I'm doing some homework instead. Yay.

HG · Post by HG » 23 Jan 2008 13:19

frisky?

you can't do homework if you're frisky.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 29 Jan 2008 16:07

Tuesday night session again. Two establishes this as a routine. I'm set. Watch your backs, low level intermediate players.

Really light again, just half an hour or forty minutes. Started with a couple of gentle laps around the track, some stretching, hundred kicks to a hand catch, and another lap or two.

This is a really public spot - there are dozens of runners on the track at any given point, spending half of their lap looking straight at me. I'm a timid person. I tell myself this is necessary if I'm to get any shred partners happening. One guy was supposed to show tonight but didn't. Maybe next time. Anything this uncomfortable is sure to be building a lot of character, in any case.

The crowd makes it hard to practice the way I want to, as that involves looking really weird and dropping a lot. I spent most of tonight trying consecutive and alternating clippers with various footworks.

I figure alternating clippers can be done with infinity footwork, drifting footwork, shuffle footwork, or stompy (bouncy?) footwork. I can't make the drifting footwork work. The others are coming along and I enjoy the conscious divide between what I'm doing. This divide didn't exist before, although I did use each of these footworks to varying degrees in the before time, the long long ago.

I feel like my hips are finally opening up for my flip clipper as a matter of habit, rather than directed effort. Gotta stay vigilant of course, but it's nice to recognize when concepts are internalizing.

I am still excited about footbag and about myself in footbag. I am actively trying to figure out what event I will attend this summer (probably GRASS). I am beginning to think about where I might like to live come September, and I think that a real shred scene is going to be important in that decision.

I've started four consecutive paragraphs with "I". ME ME MEEEEEEEEE.

How are you?

Muffinman · Post by **Muffinman** » 29 Jan 2008 16:21

My brother was telling me this story about when he goes to the gym to practice his ba gua (internal martial art similar to tai chi). There are exercises he does where he has to stand still completely relaxed for, like, 15 minuntes with his mouth hanging open and eye staring straight forward and his arms out gripping an invisible ball... and he says he gets WEEEIIRD looks on the track from runners. So. Just think about how much cooler you must look than that

Post by **Zac Miley** » 29 Jan 2008 17:53

Colin wrote: Gotta stay vigilant of course

CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

(name the book and character who said that... a lot)

Colin · Post by **Colin** » 29 Jan 2008 19:14

Snafu?

love and fame to nothingness done sank

love and fame to nothingness done sank

Re: holes in mah belly