Friday 21 August 2009

Summer Trainings...

So the weekly blog ideo sort of got lost over summer...
I had a very very busy time over summer with constant coaching, training and working pretty much nonstop.
I did get a little holiday for a week in italy which was great and my other coaches did a fantastic job of covering classes for me.

I've been sort of plagued with minor injuries all summer which has been a bit annoying for my technical progress but ive accepted that injury is part of training and found ways round it.

I think a little round up of my training and progression over summer is a good way to look at where I got next with my training.

Technical Training.

Over Summer I've been working loads on touch and light movement. I've had pretty much constant injuries around my feet/ankles so it's been low impact all the way.
Ive learned loads about being very precise and controlled in my movement which is at the core of all of training, even conditioning excercises.
When ive been free of injury, I've seen my jump getting bigger and more confident which is great, but i wish I could have progressed more. Injuries make me sad...

I think ive started to move a lot stronger and faster also, big routes are feeling very seamless and fast which is nice.

Overall my technical progress has been ok but I hope to progress a lot more during winte when my foor completely heals.

Strength Training.
After experimenting with a month of no conditioning and ending up with aches and pains, and also really missing it, ive been working very very hard physically.

Big conditioning sessions, loads of quadrupedie and even on my 'play' days ive been slipping in some good hard work.
Strength work is a very big part of Parkour - it's not all about the movement and it's something that can always be worked on no matter what injuries or aches you have. In a way i think conditioning and strength work encapsulates the spirit of Parkour more than any other aspects. It requires discipline, focus, serious work and a strive to improve and push one's limits.
I wish that more traceurs would see this. I tend to think that without conditioning/quadrupedie you arent really practicing parkour at all. If you just move you are only training one aspect of the discipline.

so i'm feeling very good about my strength but have some new targets set for the next few months, particularly working my legs while my foor is injured.

Coaching.
My summer of coaching has been a massive massive learning experience with loads of workshops over many different environments and people.
Im also coaching at Rendezvous IV next week. It's a massive honour to be asked to help out there, and it's also going to be a really interesting challenge to work with practitioners who are miles ahead of me in terms of experience.
Im reallylooking forward to it and feeling the buzz about all my coaching and classes at the moment.

It's been a good summer overall, just need to keep working and keep my head down.

Glasgow Parkour Coaching Year 1


What a summer.
As everyone probably knows im trying really hard to grow Glasgow Parkour Coaching as an organisation. I try to improve on my coaching and GPC's standards and reputation every day.
It's important to me that Parkour is passed on in the right way and I think have access to the right resources and a growing number of contacts and channels to make this happen. It's important that Parkour gives people a positive and healthy attitude towards leading their lives and I try to convey that through my coaching and through GPC.

It's really exciting and busy times - sorry I've not been out much.

This time last year I had 2 adult classes a week which were pretty dead and I was coaching myself.

Fast forward to this summer and we have 3 Adult Classes which are almost full, a permanent youth academy and at least one workshop happening pretty much every day. This included a week-long residency in Dundee as well as classes in North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, Iverclyde, Stirling, Larkhall, Bellshill and all over Glasgow. On one day we had 4 classes and 6 coaches working at once!
As Summer ends we have a few weeks rest before another busy school season this winter.

My other coaches and upcoming coaches push so so hard and work very very hard to try and maintain the impossible standards I expect of them and I appreciate it no end. You will get what you deserve from this.

From a personal point of view, my trips to London are more exciting everytime. I've had the chance to teach classes all over London for as many as 70 people at once which is crazy, and I've been trusted by ParkourGenerations to do this. That means a lot to me - these guys have been around since the beginning and I have no doubt in the sincerity of their intentions and that the path they are taking is the correct one. On top of that I had the absolutely gruelling chance to sit ADAPT and become the only qualified coach in this country for the moment which has opened so many doors.
I can't wait until this grows and more people have the qualification.

Our team training is the highlight of my week, and seeing the newer and younger guys step up and run a class is amazing. I feel very privileged to be part of this group I've created and with millions of prospects on the horizon I think it's going to reach a whole new level. The pressure is on and I plan to rise to it.

I want everyone, especially young people who dont have many priviledges, to have free access to what we're doing and I want my guys to get the excitement I do with every new project.

If any of you have given me the 'oh id love to try your class' chat then i assure you now is the time to do it.

It's looking like good times for GPC, but i'm never forgetting to look back at the work it took to get here and look forward to the constant and growing work ahead. The day I start counting on this always working is the day I quit.

Bring it on.