My last session took a harder tole on my back than expected. Nothing terrible but my back has been too uncomfortable to put through the wear and tear of a footbag session. It's feeling normal again, tonight I went to the gym for the first time in a week and a half and I'm looking forward to my next session.
It's been a year since I started my come back and I wanted to commemorate it with a blog post chronicling the progress.
The last time I competed at USO was in 2012. I had taken up body building sometime in 2010 and by 2012 I was in the best shape of my life. I was working out 2-3 times a week, ab class 2 times a week, yoga once a week, joined a crossfit gym and worked out with them once a week, shred twice a week and street performing 1-3 times a week. I was at peak shred, hitting beasts with ease, breaking personal fearless records, performing 2 minute dropless routines regularly and getting closer to that jackpot combo.
For reference of where I was physically and in footbag here's a run from 2012 USO Circle Finals Variety Round. I'd forgotten I started this round of variety with the combo shown. I don't think I've ever done that combo before or since. Both rounds are worth watching if you're into it, I took 3rd (maybe could have taken second, beating Gordon?)
https://youtu.be/YCIgzqVVFnU?t=112
My starting weight in 2010 was 180 lb and by 2012 I was hovering around 195 lb, I had put on about ~15 lbs of lean muscle. My goal was to reach 200 lb. I got to around 198 lb mid 2013 and everything started to fall apart. I tweaked my back the first time and it wasn't too serious, nothing I haven't done before. Rest a couple weeks and back to work. Started slow, work my way up, but I hit another set back, and another, and another. Every time I felt good enough to go back I'd tweak it again. My biggest mistake and injury happened during a session with my personal trainer. I had been back at the gym a few weeks doing hard workouts with lighter weights. He'd been bugging me about doing a session so I made an appointment. Everything was going well, he had me doing kettle bell swings (one of my favorite exercises) and he said, "that's too easy, grab a heavier weight." I did and after about 4 swings my back went out. Worse than I'd experienced in a long time, it hasn't been quite the same ever since.
So I stopped everything. Going to and from work was the most I was moving. I often had to lay down periodically at work just to get through the day. I was experiencing anxiety attacks and back spasms all the time. I was miserable. Even when I'd get some modicum of comfort back I'd have another set back. One of the worst occurred picking up a pumpkin on my way to a Halloween party. As I was carving the pumpkin my back started seizing up and before I knew it I couldn't move. So there I was, time was slipping by, about a year and a half, no exercise, no footbag, not much moving, lot's of drinking and eating poorly. I accepted that I'd never be able to get back to that level of footbag I achieved in early 2013. I decided it was time to retire.
I hosted USO in 2013, before my debilitating condition had gotten serious. I didn't play at all that weekend but was feeling good enough to put on a tournament. By 2014 USO I was around rock bottom. 2015 USO I attended but played very little and didn't have much consistency. By November 2015 the comeback was on. Here's the first video of me shredding since 2013.
In the video I weigh around 195 lb but it's no longer lean muscle. I'm pudgy, sluggish, off balance and heavy.
I set new goals. I no longer care about my max bench press, or putting on muscle. I just want to be able to shred to the best of my ability. Last November I set a goal of getting back down to 180 lb. I don't think the extra muscle/weight did my back much good and the best shredders in the world have all been super lean (e.g. Norek, Penske). I've put my focus on conditioning and cross training instead of weight lifting. I never push myself too hard and never overload on the weights. On Oct. 6 I hit my goal weight, for the first time since 2010 I stepped on the scale and saw 180 lb. Today I weighed 181 lb.
Comparing this video (Oct. 18 2016) to the last one (Nov. 18 2015) exemplifies my progress over this last year. Body is lean, dexes are crisp, speed and level are up.
I've lost several elements to my game. I can no longer do my good side pdx whirl which was crucial to all my fearless, beasts and 7's. But now I get to develop a new style, push new concepts and see if I can attain my goals all over again, like 10 fearless and new beast combos. It would be even more satisfying to achieve these again after going through so much and having to develop a completely new set of links.
My outlook is bright and I can't say enough how grateful I am to be able to play and continue pushing my game. I'll be coordinating competition at World's this year, but I also plan on making my comeback to competition. It's been a long journey but I'm so glad to be back on track.
Thanks for reading my long post. Here's another video of Greta being bad at catching treats to make up for it.
