greg raymond

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 26 Jun 2009 09:40

thursday morning session was bad. really bad. i was told by my nutritional consultant that i might hit a wall in my second week of training. lo & behold...

i was still hitting decent stuff comparative to before my training began, but i didn't feel the same rate of progress as in previous sessions.

a few things felt better, despite my negative reactions...quantum sets are tighter. symple toes are more relaxed. pickups are much improved. illusions were a bit off ( which makes me think i was working illusions too much & i need to pay closer attention to rotating components across training sessions ).

so i took the night off from footbag & went swimming with a friend. it was just what i needed. my knees were a bit sore from the morning & the muscle movements under water helped alleviate that very well.

i skipped this morning's session as well & got 9 hours of sleep. my legs feel much better this afternoon. i think i will try to work a few swim sessions in a week in place of footbag sessions. it seems like one of the best ways for me to crosstrain.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 29 Jun 2009 06:22

back on track, ish.

i've been filming once a week to mark progress throughout the 12 weeks. saturday is my day off & sunday is filming day.

i am happy with the results of the filming, definite progress. i will post the videos here, but in the grand scheme they will be quite boring to watch most likely.

this morning i worked on far pickups & stable head-height clipper sets. 25 minute session.

there is something invigorating about starting your day with shred. the city is quiet, just waking up. the heat & humidity is lower than late in the afternoon. the smooth sounds of Midas Touch with french lyricism sets a laid back pace. all these relaxing elements keep me in a positive mindset & allows me to be more patient with the bag, which has long been arguably my greatest weakness & the principal cause behind my short strings.

i've also started using a new amino acid, called gamma amino-butyric acid, which breaks down into glutamic acid when passing into the brain. the gist of it is that in addition to stimulating growth hormone, it also reduces stress & increases relaxation.

GOOD TIMES.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 29 Jun 2009 16:51

after much frustration, it looks like i cannot use any of this footage.

i believe the camera that took the footage was originally purchased in china & something is messed up with the file format. i cannot edit it using any software ( i only tried windows movie maker & adobe premiere ).

at first i was able to view all of the clips fine in bsplayer. but when i'd import the files into adobe, it would take the first 3 seconds of the clip's video & spread it over the duration of the clip, while the audio played fine ( in this case it was a 4 minute video clip ).

so i tried movie maker. it seemed to import the videos fine. i could play them in the timeline, so i started editing & made 1 single cut in the first video file.

after doing this, EVERY video file in the directory is now corrupt & i cannot even view the footage at all without explorer being locked up & being forced to end task.

so there won't be any video of my first two weeks of training. annoying. oh, well. you live, you learn.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 30 Jun 2009 06:02

the video problem is more pervasive than i first realized.

i can no longer play any .avi files without my explorer locking up.

i actually view this as a positive sign, as it is an easier problem to diagnose than figuring out what is wrong with a select few video files.

my computer will emerge from this situation stronger than before, it will just take a bit of time.

this morning's session:

50ish contacts of ss clipper > ss legover > ss clipper > far legover rpt.

worked on toe spinning, inspinning, toe ducking & illusion links.

toe weaving toe > illusion > toe spinning op toe rpt.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 30 Jun 2009 16:00

this sport will be the death of me. going out for the 3rd session of the day.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 01 Jul 2009 09:29

Victory.

Training - Week 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSjbD1OGYes

The video quality is very low, so I did not invest much energy in editing. HiQ is not available at the moment, as it is still processing, but will help a bit in time.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 01 Jul 2009 13:05

Training - Week 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNZtr9u-cwg

edit: overthinking. have fun!

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 02 Jul 2009 04:37

10 minute warmup string.

edit: the sweet spot for session timing seems to be around the 25 to 30 minute mark, with a 30 to 40 minute warmup beforehand ( stretches, crunches, leg lifts, push ups ).

this guarantees i won't burn myself out on the 2nd session. more importantly, footbag is most fun at 100% energy levels, which keeps my motivation going on a day to day basis. having to take a day off means i have to take a day off amino acids as well, since exercise is required to make proper use of them.

listen to your body. it will tell you what you need.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 06 Jul 2009 17:37

ugh, my training was all messed up this week. as it turns out, women & aggressive training schedules don't mix. all good things, just a fun balancing act.

on the plus side for training, today felt awesome. i broke the trend of 2s & just had fun with everything that i know. mostly tiltless but with lots of 3s & some 4s.

had quite a few 20-30 contact strings. what i liked the most was how relaxed swirls felt today. everything was relaxed, but swirls were especially something that always felt forced before.

finished the session with learning datw o/i. i tried it a bunch on both sides & my legs didn't even have a clue how to do the motion.

so i took it back a step & did about 200 contacts of:

atw o/i > atw o/i > op toe rpt.

then i drilled datw o/i again & hit it a few times on both sides. i think the biggest help to completing the form was for me to point my toe downwards when completing the first dex. i'm not sure if other people do this, i'll have to watch some vids tonight. but it helped me keep my dexing leg close to my body & in place to finish the 2nd dex.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 08 Jul 2009 05:21

morning sessions: toe game.

evening sessions: mixed, clipper dominant.

fuck adds.

figuring out how "progressive intensity of training" applies to footbag is an interesting journey.

it seems important to always have something new on the horizon to avoid repetitive stress & keep the mind focused on development.

last night, i hit swirl > reverse swirl bsos x 3. that felt awesome.

this morning i mostly focused on keeping toe sets super close to my body. i've known that i should do this for a long time, but i always lapse back into a longtime fault of, well, not doing that.

ended the session on a 3 to 4 minute tilty string, mostly atw > atw > op toe repeat, both o/i & i/o. every contact was frozen to make sure the set & catch was in the right place.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 09 Jul 2009 12:27

week 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa83s49uwUk

videos are getting shorter since i won't repost drills that i still work on & warm up strings that remain the same.

also, bad session. but w/e, it is what it is.

i hate my left hand. fuck.

i also hate my zooms in this vid, they look fugly. i slump too much.

there's always next week.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 10 Jul 2009 06:51

so last night i inadvertently stumbled directly into Buskers Festival. i didn't even realize it was happening so soon!

i headed down to confederation park for a quiet practice session, only to see stands set up surrounding my usual play spot! the stands were packed full with people, but there were no entertainers on the stage. so i thought, what the hell, i'll just play there till i get kicked out.

turns out i had a full hour in the spotlight. it's not exactly what i was looking for, as i am a bit more realistic about the level of my game these days. it was fun though, & the people enjoyed it. i taught some kids a few tricks ( they were not particularly receptive, but still very interested ) & some friends stopped by & kicked with me for a bit then we went out for beers on a patio.

towards the end i stepped my game up a little bit from the usual tiltless & hit a few things with good form i was happy with.

pdx whirl > gyro clipper > osis rpt
whirl war 1 x 3
run with pheonix, pdx blender & drifter bsos

my knees were pretty sore later that night. still a bit tender this morning, but not enough to hinder me from a light session. hit 500 kicks after a few drops. worked some other basics for a bit then went home & passed out after breakfast, ending up being an hour late for work. luckily i have a flexible gig.

i'm a bit more prepared for busking tonight, should be a good night.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 14 Jul 2009 07:26

the past week was a large deviation from the plan, but it wouldn't be an adventure without some setbacks.

the journey is becoming more organic with every passing day. for the first few weeks i would have to reference my "itinerary" to figure out what i was supposed to be doing at any given time.

the training is progressing in nature. i originally did not credit my warm up as a portion of my invested time. while i cannot count the warm up as actual footbag time, it is certainly an integral part of the workout.

embracing that, i have extended the total workout time to 2 hours, twice a day.

30 minutes of stretching.
20 minutes of crunches / leg lifts / push ups.
15 minutes of bike riding ( to & from shred location ).
40 minutes of footbag.
15 minutes of post-footbag stretching.

as time progresses, i would like to increase the actual footbag play time to 1 hour per session. but i have a bit more weight to lose before i try to put that level of stress on my legs.

i have a one-track mind much of the time, which is prone to distraction. these days, it is of a social nature, which i can embrace. but i still can't let it happen too often, or else i give up the opportunity to become what i am capable of.

an idea i am tossing around, perhaps for next year, is to change up my living arrangements so that i can train in a place at high altitudes. perhaps i will move back to british columbia. it is one of the best ways one can train to increase lung capacity during physical exertion.

i have long dreamed, since a child, of training under some martial arts master isolated in the mountains. as time progresses, i realize that i must become my own master. i have wasted so much time being a dreamer without a plan.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 20 Jul 2009 05:23

it's very cool that i never really need to skip a day of training any longer. if i am a bit sore / not feeling "it", i can just take 1 session off & i feel rejuvenated by the time for the next session.

had a great session yesterday, which was surprising considering that i rushed to the session right from the movie theatre without any stretching or warmup.

sometimes your body can surprise you if you just give it the chance.

now that i've overloaded my circuitronic membranes with logic & structure, my mind is turning once again to the reinvigoration of creativity in my life.

more to come.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 27 Jul 2009 06:20

the routine is TRANSMOGRIFYING! AHHHHHHHHHH.

so, a few weeks ago, i ran out of money. apparently,

a) my diet was far too expensive

b) my supplements were way too expensive.

the solution? WHOLE FOODS. cheap. complete. delicious. nutritious.

Collards are INCROYABLE. bowls of broccoli. aged cheddar, mmmm you can TASTE the calcium. tuna ( white / albacore ) is one of the cleanest meats you can consume. not to be mistaken for ordinary canned tuna. the difference is HUGE. not coincidentally, the price difference is also huge, but it's so worth it. ( $2.50CDN for a can of albacore, $1.00CDN for shitty tuna )

NutritionData.com. it's your friend. potentially, a friend you never knew you had.

pro-tip: low-sodium dill pickles! they are insanely nutritious. however, if you don't get low-sodium specifically, they are HORRIBLE...in that, 2 regular pickles will put you over your daily limit for sodium.

excess sodium causes water retention. water retention adds weight & more stress on joints, good to avoid! causes less time off playing if you keep sodium in check.

so john bagi is back in town. footbag is SO MUCH FUN, AHHHHHHH.

i hit 3 adds again! i hit eggbeater first try, with dlo bsos in same string. i hit other cool stuff too, spinning whirl bsos & some fun attempts at 6 adds, which feel closer now than ever before. a bit of pixie/fairy/step shuffle.

watching that slomo ANZ video is AWESOME. in that, i think i made a big mental leap forward in how i think about step set from watching that. it's so relaxed!

k, gotta work. haven't taken a day off footbag in 4+ weeks. so awesome.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 31 Jul 2009 07:05

hey hey hey hey--footbag ev'ryday.

slowly but surely, steps are a comin'. datws getting more relaxed, can link a few tricks from them now. dlos feeling better. eggbeaters coming along better than i expected. hit fear > xbd rake repeat, pixie xbd rake bsos & diving xbd rake bsos. rakes are super fun.

john has a nice camera, maybe some stuff will be posted soon.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 12 Aug 2009 07:32

life is good. footbag is great.

played in the middle of a torrential downpour, it was incredible. matt cross' bag, lovingly coined as "Monstroso", held up remarkably well.

plenty of stuff is getting better. linking datws into combos a bit now. just easy stuff like px ss mir > datw > toe drifter, but very fun.

stepping ss clips getting more solid & by extension, step in general. been schooling gyro mirages & drifters like crazy. vortex will soon be my bitch.

28 years old today. feels about right.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 13 Aug 2009 08:54

barfly bsos was my birthday present to myself.

first time i hit either side, i hit both. damn that felt good.

hit a string with pixie blender, zulu pdx whirl, spinning whirl & pdx blender.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 14 Aug 2009 06:56

midnight shred session. was interesting.

hit some good stuff, felt pretty strong. strings still short when i play guiltless unless doing basics, but i like the short combos better as my links are improving.

pdx illusion, smudge & fairy illusion in same string.
footed tomahawk > spinning whirl every attempt, couldn't seal it though.

abstract · Post by **abstract** » 19 Aug 2009 19:29

session inspired by jorden moir shred, worlds circle 2007.

good progress on form in general. worked a lot of shuffle. flip clipper felt really good tonight.

magellan > fairy op legover bsos + smear > fairy ss mir bsos + fear > px ss mir bsos.

spins feeling tight. double legovers in toe shuffle combos.

will try to play again tomorrow morning.