I Hired a Coach - now you can get $25 off CoachUp.com

I need a coach to help me with my running form.  I can keep working on this myself, but it is going to take me forever.  Even walking I seem to have a blister or something next to my big toe.  The forums I read have no running coaches posted nearby, so I took to the internet to locate a coach.  I found a site call CoachUp.com 

How it works:  You submit a coaching request with what you are looking for.  They ask your location, availability and a few other basic questions and then they email your request to their list of coaches.  The coaches are required to respond within 24 hours.  Use referral code danal1-10-t gets you $25 off your first coaching session through them.  I recommend you book just one session to see how things go and then book a package deal, if things work out. 

I got 4 responses within 12 hours.  They all were qualified to assist me, and I ended up choosing Drew based upon his thoughtful response telling me less about himself (they all have bios I can read) and more about what he would do to help me.  First steps he would video tape me running and analysis my form.   His location is close to me, and his price was reasonable at $69 per hour.  One of the guys wanted $159 for an hour 1-on-1 session.  The lowest was $53. 

Walking into the gym they ask you to remove your shoes before stepping on the floor.  It looked like everyone else has dedicated gym shoes, but I did the session in my socks.  Though I did mention in my request for services that I was a barefoot runner or at least working towards running barefoot.

First Drew had me do some squats and took videos, then I jogged on the treadmill for a bit while he took more video.  Drew then pointed out my problems and talked about form and function.  Of course I have no clue if he knows what he is talking about, but it sounded good and lined up with what I had been reading online.  (Like you can believe everything you read online.)  We spent the remainder of the session doing foam rolling, stretches and some exercises.  He gave me just one area to concentrate on when running, for me I need to push the knees out slightly.  He's now working on my homework and a package pricing.  I feel it was definitely worth it. 

Unfortunately there is no quick fix and it will take a while.   But the areas he has me working on should carry over into the problems I'm having with some of my mobility in gymnasticbodies exercise routine.

Barefoot Gardening

Gardening
A friend mentioned his wife had planted peas in their garden, which reminded me to do the same.  I seem to always wait till to late and my peas don't do well.  So on Saturday I headed to the hardware store to pick up the seeds, barefoot of course.  It was a quick trip with no chatting with the employees, so still no reaction from them on my bare feet.

I have often heard that gardening barefoot, more specifically digging in the garden barefoot is something to be avoided if possible.  Despite this apprehension I decided I should at least give it a try.  So I got out my spade and started turning over the soil and discovered it was easy and not at all uncomfortable.  I think the reason being is that we have raised beds and the soil doesn't get compressed by our bodies when we work the garden.  We planted just two rows of peas and I got my shod daughter to assist with one of the rows. 

Past Week
The past week has been a bit cool so I haven't been pushing being barefoot to much. The warm spell we had the previous month really had me spoiled.  I've also been a bit down or depressed as of late and haven't had much energy the last few weeks.  I'm still managing to plug away at the body weight exercises, but have let my running drop for the time being.  Besides being tired, another contributing factor is a little pain or discomfort on the bottom of my right foot.  I tired to dig something out of my foot this past week and left a little hole in my sole.  I didn't find anything, but it seems like the discomfort has been reduced, only to be replaced by the discomfort caused by the small hole I dug into my sole.  My thought is the problem is probably caused be a small blister under the pad of my foot which developed by using improper technique when I first started running barefoot.  This is just all part of the learning curve.

Exercise Routine

My exercise routine is going well.  As I mentioned in an earlier post I am doing a program called gymnasticbodies which recommends you do all your exercises barefoot.  I last posted a video on my failed attempt to that weeks handstand exercise.  I have since improved and can now stand on my head, supported by my hands, for 12 seconds. There are 15 different exercises I need to master before I will be doing any type of free standing handstand.  Each exercise, if all goes perfect, it takes 12 weeks to master before you move onto the next exercise in the progression. Though in theory you can skip steps if you can complete the mastery for that exercise sooner.  That comes out to almost 4 years before I get the strength, balance, and mobility needed to progress through all these stages to do a handstand, but I am making progress.

This week I performed the Mastery on one of the exercises designed to help you perform the Side Lever.  I passed so I now move on to the next level.  I can now test again on the new exercise to see where I am at so we will know where I am to start on my reps.  This was first Mastery test I've taken, but I have moved up on several other items, just wasn't aware of the whole system worked. 

One of the things I like about this plan, is that it is a progressive plan that starts where you are at. They make no promises of abs in 30 days or handstands in 12 weeks.  You measure your progress through small victories when you attain mastery in a given exercise and mobility set.   Then when you reach the mastery level for that step you move on.  For me it will be a long process, for others they may be able to obtain mastery in many steps right away, so they can wiz right up to the top.  That is fine with me, too often programs assume you are at a certain level or can complete a certain routine in x amount of time. Here you move along at your own bodies pace and that you are required to work on your mobility as your progress (or skip at your own peril later in the program).  I also like the fact that your end goal is long term. 

Body Weight Exercises Barefoot

EXERCISE PROGRAM
Imagine my surprise to find an exercise program that recommends doing everything barefoot or as close to barefoot as possible.  This is what I found last November when I started a new exercise program from gymnasticbodies.  While it may be designed for gymnasts, it works with anyone attempting to get into better shape.    Everyone's starting point and advancement speed will be different.  Not like your cookie cutter once size fits all plans that are promoted these days.  The plans where you have trouble keeping with the program and end up dropping out after a short period of time. 

This plan not only works on your strength, but your flexibility as well.  You advance on a multipoint plan as you achieve mastery in each of the different elements.  I consider myself relatively in shape, but still started off on their lowest level, especially since my flexibility is so bad.  I'm now up to the second step in one of their seven areas in their Foundations series and am on my second step in the Handstand series.  Check out their free-assessment and see where your fitness level is.  I scored between 44% or 50%, since I wasn't sure which box to check on one item.

The initial coarse costs $170 and I spent another $73.50 on some gymnastic rings and straps.  Eventually I'll need other equipment, but the starting price is a good deal since you can do everything at home and don't need a gym membership.  There are also add on segments you can purchase.  I did end up adding on the Stretch Courses, because I'm really stiff.  I might have been able to work something out on my own, but it was just nice having it all put together for me.  The basic foundations course is not something I could have come up with, so that is a definite must buy if your in the market for a exercise routine for us lesser humans.

MY PROGRESS
For the handstand there are a series of progressions you work on before you actually try doing a handstand.  The step I'm on now requires me to just balance on my head and hands.  I did good the first two times so asked my daughter to record me and of course I couldn't do it for the camera.  But here is my attempt at the end of last month.  I'll post my progress every month.