New year

Ok its 2010.

I guess its kinda silly to start a new years resoultion luckily for me I decided to start my so called resolution about 3 days ago ;).

It's not really a new years resolution it just happened to be a cioncidence that this commitment occured 3 days before new year.

Anyway I was at my uncles house were everyone was at in his back garden you can see all of Portland lite up I sat and looked at the shining town for about 20 minutes. In 2007 I was 15 years old I sat there thinking about what I am going to do with my life when I move to Weymouth which was in June 2008. I smiled at the fact it has been 2 years since that day and I am proud at what I have achieved so far some things didnt plan out as I hoped for all the right reasons, my ignorance as a 16 year old was my major downfall.

As I get older I become more aware of what person I am becoming, I always feel I wont live to be an old person because from a fairly young aged I have disciplined myself in Parkour and Gymnastics I have continuoesly strayed away from relationships, alchohol and drugs. I have realised the last couple of days what I have achieved, how I did that and what it will take to achieve this in the future.

Right now I know what needs to be done to go beyond what level I am at now. I realise there is alot that I need to put aside and leave so that I can achieve what is personal to me.

I won't lie I see myself in the future as possibly someone successful who connects with people on a deep level with my writing and my Parkour. However most of those feelings were not healthy they were mere egotistic thoughts for my own satisfaction.

The truth is I don't have a clue what is going to happen I always felt I wont live a long life but I can never know the universe works in strange ways I could die tomorrow no matter what the risk factor be it is not inevitable.

I have a rough idea of what I want...... For now.

Not nessecerily what I may want in 10 years time or 20 years time. I am involved with Parkour and gymnastics as well as screen writing. For the first time in my life I am saying I will do what ever it takes to achieve my dreams, my life.

I know what it takes and I can't let simple things like laziness get in my way because as active as I may be I am also one lazy bastard when it comes to getting out of bed :P.

I know what I want for the time being I treat everyday as a blessing being that it is possible I have the resources, the family, the friends, the inspirations and hopefully the right heart. :)

Intenisty + overload

Well I have been working out with my weight vest for the last 3 days and noticed that routine only goes so far. After a certain time I felt myself straying away from the set amount and instead just kept doing random sets and reps.

It is known as intensity, when working the reps and sets pushing myself beyond anything from an extra 10 second hold or extra 5 reps with this weight vest seems to make the difference. This being overload.

The question is will this improve my strength now that I have additional weight weighing me down, how hard will I need to work to achieve the level I wish to gain.

What is to come of the following 3 months until I become 18.

Well that being said I know inmy head what I wish to achieve that being a new level of strength so that the more complicated levels of moevment in parkour become second nature, as the spring becomes closer I can practice the movements more and more with endless amounts of variation.

The same applyies with gymnastics how much will I need to push myself to achieve the level I wish to reach.

My last question I leave for this year is..

How much is to much.... is there such a thing ?

Improvement

I always thought that I was strong and in a way I am but compared to the pros I am more of a ametur. I noticed this when I was filming myself doing some handstand stuff like planches and handstand push ups.

What I noticed was that my body was struggling to maintain my body weight. So I realised that I am gonna be using my weight vest everytime I workout now :).

Anyway also need to improve strength I might include weights but I like my work outs free :P.

New year

One thing I have looked at and slapped myself when I realised. Why oh why did I name my blog Parkour and Gymnastics........ 2009. I guess I never thought I would get this far :P. Well it will be 2010 in 4 days time I'll try change the blog name but if not ah well. Anyway for christmas I got an expensive video camera^_^, song vagus editing software and also a weight vest which weighs 20kg and can be changed.

The weight vest is going to be important and hopefully will improve my strength way more!
As for the camera filming will commence and horray no more windows movie maker. I hope to training real hard as always but taking further now that we reach the spring :).

Parkour training, Gymnastics training Upcoming London Jam

This week I started training more, I also started doing my tricks on soft floor which has no jump and sinks your power. I worked my legs on wednesday then Gymnastics thursday in Rossmore. My tricks on the floor are better applying correct techniques and what not but that is it till January :S.

I was training today with Matt and it was really good precisions are better I also done a kong precision which has a big drop on the other side which had me scared at first. However I done it and it was really good I'm going there tomorrow if the weather is good :).

We also went to Portland school in the dark with little light but I adapted towards it. Anyway London session is less than a week I hope all goes well :)

Reality Check

I watched a video today and it was some guys from London such as philly D and others and I was like what the fuck !!. Made me realise how crazy you gotta be to do such stuff how much effort you need to put in.

I know the weather hasnt been brilliant but its the last excuse I'm gonna use. Truth be told I up for trying all this stuff but I'll approach it in the right way last thing I want to happen is to get injured. For me to progress to that level I have to be in a new area or comfront myself with new obstacles everyday. London is a big place however Weymouth is not as big. That being said I still have alot of resources I'm thinking tha I gotta expand my potencil more to achieve this and also it looks so damn fun :).

Visual preperation

I remeber at th start of my second college year early September of this year as part of a team building exercise we were told about visual learning. I listened but didn't really take much of it in but it wasn't till gymnastics last night when I realised how important visual imagery is.

My last few gymnastics session were about a week and a half ago and I must say the performance in them were bad. After that the following sessions I didn't go to I just worked out indoors or outdoors and pushed my Parkour abilities. At the same time I was thinking in my head of my gymnastics, going over the techniques in my mind over and over again, visualising the movements very carfully. Whilst at the same time I was trainign very hard and in the short time have become stronger, my attitude towards logic and effort may have also played an important role.

So I went to gymnastics last night and everything was fresh in my mind as if I had'nt lost anything. I pulled of a cyclone of a block onto floor and landed it first time, my back tucks were the way I wanted them. I was doing no legged press ups and one armed chin ups. I must say I'm glad I missed those sessions it gave me time to think, time to train and time visualise everything I wanted to achieve.

I still got alot of stuff to work, I can still get stronger.

The Logic

Well it has been nearly 2 weeks since my last post, what can I say I discovered more potencil out of myself by making the effort rather than shuffle my way through to reassure myself. I take a risk which has room for error however by putting in the effort I know more specifically about where I go wrong if I fail.

I'm also aware what creativity can be acheieved in what first appeard as a crap place to train. It was actually where I identified the difference between Parkour movements which are vital to ones movement and Parkour movements which are used to expand ones abaility but is not primariliy based on fluent movement. I don't mean Parkour and Freerunning complex but rather the difference between moving with the brain and moving with the soul.

Like a kong precision which requires balance, of power strength and speed, which is all part of calculations and accuracy. Which may use more energy than required compared to other movements. However like my session at the train station bypass bridge which is about 3 stories high with alot of rails and balconeys, the movement came from the soul. I guess I could call it the real logic to Parkour, movement of ones soul moving with their heart connection with the surroundings. This isn't the first this has happened I get this alot but this is the first that I have had to use a different slightly more cautious method of movement. It is fairly high but I become more confident in the enviroment and within 30 minutes my movement down the 3 story staires and blaconeys, became faster of that who walked down them :P.

The effort I have achieved in my Parkour because I become more aware of my weakness knowing I tried my hardest, the same should be down with my Gymnastics.

Focus

I was training last night and also went gymnastics there was this candian guy there and we had a conversation on progression. Then I was thinking about mental barriers that prevent me from actually achieveing what I want. So after thinking you know just do it I kinda thought ha :P I have been making things a tad more complicated than what they were.

Also today I was training after college but went to a presentation at the college later that night were this guy who is awsome at rock climbing. Hes been on top gear and such stuff. From the look of his vids he is an amazing athlete his stories I felt I could relate to.

After the presentation everybody left but I went up to him and said.
"Your life story is inspiring." I told him about my parkour and he was like thats awsome man.
We spoke for about 20 minutes straight it got to the point where I said I often feel like I'm living a double life one being my college life the other being the person I become when I do parkour or gymnastics.

He said to me by living our everyday lives we become more more keen to wanna be the other person in our life. Like if I done parkour 24/7 being that person I would then just grow apart from it.

Another subject we hit on was how I often felt uneasy when a crowd of people walked past who would mock me, put me down or doubt me in a way.

He said something to me which I'll try not to forget. He said.
"When you have your thoughts focused on something else like what people say you are not concentrating. Having your mind wander off being self concious can be very bad.
By fully concentrating on what your doing nothing else matters, none of it means anything because as of that moment it is completely irrelevant to what other people think.

I must say I will remeber that one :)

I'll update next week training is going good.

Parkour update and Austrailia

The weather hasnt been brilliant but I have been training good mostly working out. Indoors I got low to high level double kong and ot ma tricks good to.

I'm not liking the winter though its getting me down so I decided to go austrailia when I'm 19 which is in 18 months time I have £1800 saved up and hope to have about £8000-£10,000 saved up by then.

Something about it makes me wanna move their. Plus I got family there I havnt met so see how it goes. Will be even better if I'm in urbanfreeflow when I join :).

Was it worth it ?

Ok just a quick update before I get into what I wanna say.

I was in Bournemouth on halloween and it was awsome !
It was intense it was progressive and it was fun, so much happened I cannot explain but it was real fun.
That night I stayed at Matts for halloween in Bournemouth it was fun, the next day we went gym and I learnt some important things.

First of doing walk in side flips I figured that by throwing my hips and ass up I get much more height and better control :).
Also I got my back tucks all good even though Im worried I may fall back on the old technique I hope not. But I got a feel for the right way.


What I wanted to say for today was that I was extremely tired everything hurt I was in Drchester and I just couldnt seem to move properly at all. So it gets to a point I do a handstand on a wall and then go into a 1 hand and I hold it well but I lose balance and my shin scrapes of the wall. The cut isnt deep but it is such a long cut it goes all the way down my shin.

The question is was it worth it?

Yeah it was :)

However if I'm tired in furture I'll call it a day ;).

Yeovil

Well yesterday I went to Yeovil. In Bournemouth about 2 weeks ago I met a guy from Yeovil who asked me to come over at soem point so eventually I found the time to go. It was an awsome day the weather was good and within 20 minutes I just pushed myself. I landed kong precisions I never thought I could manage, 180 cats, rail precisions and other stuff I just didn't know I could do.

I also landed my first double kong outside so I have one to try in Weymouth today but this one is alot bigger :P.

A gym session followed towards the end of the night which was good I liked the gym sprung floor bars ect. I was mega tired by this point I had been training for 6 hours.

My flicks are good my fronts are good just the backs that I really wanna get. I land on my feet fine I get good height but I wanna pull it of properly and I kinda know how to now it's just last night I was way to beat up to attempt it.

Jump up straight with legs straight, chest up with shoulds pulling back, push hips up and once legs get to head height tuck in. Hope I can get that right may take a couple of weeks ;).

The return trip

Last couple of days I have been in Corby, Derby and Lecister.

Now Corby has been good been out there with the locals and done Parkour I landed my first kong precision on a rail :). I also started taking things up a notch which was a good experiance. I got new shoes K swiss si 18 these are just as good as Kalenji success but look better. On the way to Derby me and Michael got of at lecister due to a change over which was a 50 minute wait but hey the sun was out and I had'nt done Parkour in lecister in nearly 2 years so I thought I would kill some time.

Now this was really intresting because 2007 was a while back and obviously I am alot more experianced now than I was then so it was kinda change but cool going back to something I left 2 years ago and doing it again but with my abailities today. In a way it was like communicating with myself through movement. But before long we had to make our way back to the station and off to Derby. Derby was good I still hadnt got used to the k swiss and it was wet and I was being abit unsure of everything but within 15 minutes I got over myself.

I met damien walters that same day who gave me some advice on my tricks which is rather appreciated, good gym session to. My last full day in Corby I was really unsure about things I dunno why was it cause my body was aching or was it just something else. It kinda irritates me but I somehow found it in me to kinda break past that uncertainty and now I just wanna try these much more difficult and technical things that have had me unsure for a longtime.

I enjoyed the adrenaline rush of doing something risky. Now back in Weymouth it's back to good old training (new training) which is really handy and helpful. Theres some things that are risky but possible that I kinda look forward to trying :).

Anyway it was good going to those places. It was a return journey to old memories and times, but then came new places, new experiances and then finally the return trip home.

By the way I spelled Leicester wrong several times and probs even then :/

Power (SpeedxStrength)

Last couple of nights have been good trying to figure things out like on a technical level. Today I found myself at a even level kong precision, or cat pass precision whatever you wanna call it. So the run up is short so I'm trying to figure out how to make it with such crappy run up I mean I have done this before but there must be something to it so that I can hit this everytime and start thinking of clearing it.

So I realised I should work on power, meaning building a fast run up with only like 5 step run up. I gave it a try and it is kinda working. Gonna kinda work with this see where it goes.

Another thing I got loads of things I wanna work on, Yeah I'm working out more to build strength. But to be fair I kinda felt like I was thinking to much about things by the end of the day I was up asda with a friend and found myself trying new things working in one area by the end of the small session I was like yeah this suits me better.

So sure its good to work out and improve overall strength but repeating the same shit gets boring. There are some things I gotta learn but also I wanna go out there and find new things try new things it seems to have a more progressive feel to it.

Plus even in the same areas I see new things to try so I'm gonna work my way up to them :). Push the fear to one side see what we get :)

From the ground up

Well 8 months to go, I've started working out more on my legs, one exercise which is pretty intense is walking in squat position up a flight of 12 staires side ways then back down the staires then again but the other side. Then I try it walking straigh up the staires when I do this my thighs feel like they are burning but it's working abit. With the Parkour its going good but the conditioning is my main priority.

I have also started using the plank work out which can be a killer on the abs and shoulders but whatever helps tbh.

Urbanfreeflow

Well I was in bournemouth on saturday with matt then we met up with about 15 other guys from portsmouth, bournemouth, southampton and yeovil. Now the session was awsome 2 guys who were sponsered athletes of urbanfreeflow where there and I was just amazed at how good they really were at their Parkour, just there style of jumping, flipping and balance.

So after that I went back with Matt since I was staying over his we went out training and found some cool areas. Since then I have been determind to become sponsered by urbanfreeflow I know how hard its gonna be but I also know its possible. It's Thursday now and I have been training for like 4 days straight, Ive given myself till June 2010 so thats about 7 months.

Well see what happens I'll update more on how training is going.

Progress but dunno how :S

I had a small parkour session on my own today before going gym.

The parkour session was fun located in an area with not alot there few rails and walls ect but I was amused for 20 minutes. I'm like yeah this whole new approach to Parkour is so fun I'm liking it. I'ts not a case of what I'm doing its about how I do it and why I do it.

Due to the knowledge of the human body over the last couple of months I focus more on repition rather than getting something right the first time. If it takes 10 times or a 100 well then I gained something from it =D.

So yer anyway I forgot to mention I landed on my arse which hurts now but all good ;).

So anyway gymnastics I must say the increase in conditioning and practice has payed off but I don't know how :s. I'm working out more on my legs and I can feel it working for sure my back tuck height is high :).

Also the gymnastic stuff I have worked on over the last 2 weeks.
First I started on what I called flick control.

Now flick control is the ability in controlling say a back handspring/back flick. Due to the practice I developed the right leaning technique which has made it 100x easier I can pretty much do it from squat position. Then the week after which I started on sunday I call tuck control.

Tuck control is having the ability and co-ordination to tuch as tight as I need to and also knowing when to untuck. So I have my new strength to take me up along with the right technique and confidence to execute it properly followed with the right control and co-ordination to finish it off.

Now I have just started getting side flips from standing and using this whole tuck control thing it has helped me so much.

Whoever reads this probably won't have a clue what I'm talking about the point is it makes sense to me and I'll probably have ti explain in person in order for it to make sense.

Anyway it has been an awsome session the new approach at Parkour has also been fun. So from this point on its trying harder and go beyound what I imagine. I have in my head a fairly brief idea of where I wanna be so I'll do what it takes to get there :)

Couple of days

Over the last couple of days me and maxx went out doing more parkour in a very unfamilar area but within 20 minutes we got the hang of it. Some school on portland, I woke up the next day and my hamstrings had seized up abit shows the hard work ;).

So yer then there was gymnastics on sunday that too was also good new things here and there.

But today I done nothing had college then just went home kinda lazy day but then about 30 minutes ago I just realised in reality what I really wanna achieve and I was just went from being lazy to like na I can do this. So gonna work out :P.

Muscle building and fluent Parkour

So I'm out with a friend today and I decide to teach him a few things when it comes to Parkour however I deicded I was gonna teach myself at the same time :S.

Learn through teaching theory if you will.

So we start of at a basic area now I have been curious to why certain movements have recently becomed laboured at first I thought it was lack of practice with the specific movement. However I realised that the socialising I have been doing over the last week or so has hindered my performance which made me think.

So I decided to ditch the social parkour thing and stick to the independant training work which I enjoy. So anyway I'm with my friend and we start working on small Parkour moves, I start applying balance work which is mostly all on my legs and feet.

So shortly afterwards we try making it a little bit more difficult and I would say it wasn't even 20 minutes and my legs were aching abit. But the cool thing I noticed was that through doing small little moves continuoesly and making more obstacles challenging that the overall jump was easy and required less effort compared to the labouris jumps early that day.

So yer it was effective, and in some ways progressive.

System

Over the week I have been alot of arm work, I have been doing dive hanstands onto walls and I feel myself push bigger gaps. I also found myself managing movements better than I did 2 months earlier. Like without even having to practice that specific movement I still found myself able to do it through the practice and understanding of all the other parkour stuff i was doing during that time :).

I also destroyed my legs Friday night through continuoes leg conditioning which was good :P. I keep on taking it up a notch with the leg work outs. I had gymnastics today alot happened but it was good I shal start filming some more stuff towards the end of this year.

Week update

Well this week has been a good one college has been very practicle. Parkour has been awsome training hard and trying new things. Then working on bigger double kongs in the gym.

Working on mostly precision work I have also been working out alot upperbody and abs. With seperate nights dedicated to my legs :).

As for my gymnastics that is going good as well working on standing side flips of stuff, my back tucks are getting much higher and I also tried doing an inward wall side last night which went ok I guess :P.

Anyway It's been real fun gonna push it a little more :).

Parkour session and a walk

Today was the first Parkour session I had on my own in about 3 weeks. The last month or so have been so intense with other people being out I must admit the company was good so much was being done.

But it was nice to be alone for once really get into sync with my own state of mind. When I am alone Parkour is a more deeper sense of well being for me. I warm up, I stretch and then I begin my session, I change my shoes from skater shoes to my almighty Kalenji success :).

I take of my Ipod and set it on the wall with my Bag. After that I begin with a few precisions which recently have become very nice and quiet a technique I call "Hitting centre point."

This technique is when I put my power into my height which I acheive maximum at my centre jump, instead of depending on the power to land on the 2nd obstacle I reach my feet and legs out, for a more precise landing. I have started going through alot more leg conditioning to acheive bigger precisions whilst using the centre point technique.

Anyway I also move around the area in a fluid manner I get my heart working I get a sweat going. Shortly afterwards I try a more technical manner which involves harder movments which in a way is a good workout. So I started working on my kong to handstand to front roll, wall dash. After that I moved on to a very difficult 180 cat (difficult for me) which I have taken a picture off (Top).

After that I went for a walk look at the sea and thought deep about some stuff about the past which in fairness I came to terms with :).

London

Today was my first Parkour trip to London. I must say I pulled of more than I expected, however by saying that I did see obstacles that much more advanced people have pulled of. I thought to myself "Wow thats big and that is a big drop, if I ever fell I'm done for." What followed after that was "Either way its still possible with hard training and dedication."

So although appearing difficult I think I have it in me to get there. I also returned to Weymouth even though I was tired pulled of a huge 180 cat.

Practice makes perfect right ??

Beyond

I wanted to post this before I forgot about it.
I banged my knee earlier this week and it was a rather big bruise but nothing bad, I'm fine now.

During the time of my injury me and my friends found a lot of cool new spots to practice. My friend josh has really deidcated himself to Parkour and other people have joined along our Parkour group which is nice.

However I realised today that although it is nice to have company this is my journey. I am knowing what kind of person I am in Parkour which is mainly independant even in the presance of company.

So I started thinking of the bigger movements I am thinking of trying and it made me smile when I thought back to myself.
"It is possible."
So I have my new areas to practice I am getting stronger but thats all up to me I have decided how much more I wanna take this but understanding that this is something I can only do myself.

My friends will be there to support me but what I wanna accomplish is a more personal decision.

What also triggered this was me being nervous due to new pair of shoes and my recovering knee but then I just said.
"Pike shut up and do it."
And that was it :)

Week update

This week has been an intensive one. I have been out training Parkour with my friends 5 hours everyday for 6 days straight.

I feel my hamstrings tightening up blisters on my feet and the aching of the muscles all over my neck and back. I won't be going out tomorrow :P.

This week has been good lots of practcing of movments, bounding, kong precisions, running precisions, rail precisions. Fluidity has been one thing also. I need the rest but today was very good.

I managed to land several nice wallflips on solid concrete on a straight wall, also pulling of a 180 front flip of a small ledge. I was rather pleased with myself :) I shall be filming my 2009 vid which should take place Friday.

Parkour in my early days

Yer I came back to Weymouth due to saving money and the cut on my knee which will take a few days to heal. But I couldn't get my head around the emotions I felt after seeing Ariel so many memories of my 14 year old self who was inspired and look up to him came back to me.

So I decided to post a more detailed example of my Parkour journey between the months of augest and november 2006 not just the Parkour but the events that happened outside of the Parkour which I think it influanced.

So I started Parkour in June and I will admit I had very low confeidence but Parkour then wasn't a full commitment it was a hobbie of mine that become a large part of my life and everything else that followed in my life was like part of my Parkour journey.
So as I started Parkour I become stronger my muscles started to show I became more socially involved with more people as well as girls. Even when with a girl being with them was like them becoming part of my Parkour journey which then was my life. Looking back at my Parkour it was kinda like discovering a super power I was very open about it and I was know to do Parkour all the time it was in my nature. However now although it is something I do alot! and spend time practicing even if it is just working out in my bedroom I am more secretive about it.
If I go to meet up with some friends to have a drink or become involved with someone my Parkour in my mind switches of.

So pretty much my Parkour lifestyle has an on and off button these day depending on my what kind of crowd I am in. I am alot less social now than I was 3 years ago.

Back then when I started year 10 I would go out call on my friends either Clarky or Tulloch and meet up with others up town and we would do Parkour. However even when we went to the connaughty youth club to see our non Parkour friends I would still be in that state of mind. I could be at home playing my xbox and still be in the Parkour state of mind.

During the autum of 2006 I started taking more risks in Parkour, Clarky and the other guys would take it more serious and we found ourselves meeting up with people from different towns learning new things about Parkour new ways to move. I remeber every sunday I would have some form of cuts and bruises to my leg area in which I prayed my knee was ok to move so I could do Parkour during my school break.
As I mentioned before the Parkour state of mind never switched of then I wouldnt warm up it was simply konging over the walls and kong to cats or pop vaults. Now I never do Parkour without warming up for at least 10 minutes.

I remeber I could be at home playing away at my xbox after a Parkour session then Clarky would be knocking on my door asking if I was coming out to train. Even at 1 degrees duirng a cold October night I said sure. Duirng haloween of 2006 after people being round my house because I usally ran what we called "halo jams." which meant 8 people on 2 xboxs playing halo. That night me and clarky knowing the risks that police where about we went out and done Parkour.
I remeber seeing Skelderz near the shops area. Clarky and I listened to him talk indepth about Parkour if I were to see him now I would say to him. that everything he said became true to me later on.

So the reason I wrote this is I notice after seeing Ariel and my Parkour performances in the past 2 months how much I have grown in my journey as well as a human being. It's strange having memories of me being a 14 year old who went about doing Parkour not knowing any of the physical aspects to it like I do now. It's strange how I had all these older more experianced tracures like Ariel and Skelderz telling me there perspective from there journey only being able to relate to it now. Everything back then was so different but so nice :).

Parkour, travelling, injuries, reunions and looking back

Well in the last few weeks I have gone to Aberdeen which was ok :) no as good as I imagined but still very good then I spent a week in Weymouth doing alot of Parkour trainig both with friends and on my own with good progression.

I then went back to Corby to see my old friends and since being in Corby I have seen man of my old friends.

I also bumped into Ariel whilst I was training and to my shock he could still pull of his flips it was very good to see him again. Each time I see im it reminds of when I was younger around 14 years old looking up to him and others.

Now I follow my own journey with many inspirations but I become my own inspiration as I suprise myself round every corner of my journey.

Sadley even though I'm progression well overcoming obstacles and performing movements that suprise me evrytime but somehow appear natrual to me I did injure my knee earlier today.

I was doing a fairly large kong to cat which I manage to do several times which then I continued onto another obstacle keeping the movement going I banged my knee of the first wall whilst doing the kong to cat again thinking I had it under control. The cut along my knee isn't bad but it will take 2 or so days to heal.

I learnt my lesson ^_^

Aberdeen

I'm going to aberdeen in a few hours which will involve an 11 hour train journey =(.

However It shouldnt be to long, anyway I look forward to seeing the guys there and I hope it's as good as I thought it will be.

Where to begin :P

Ok where to start really. The last week of Parkour has been amazing I love it I enjoy doing it, it is what keeps me going. I feel happier, more able and more confedent. My gymnastics is coming on fine Sunday will be my last session for a few weeks since it will be the summer term.

I am going Aberdeen in 3 days I look forward to it. I shall be seeing Danno a traceur I have not seen since I first started Parkour in 2006. I admire this person alot and I really look forward to seeing him again :).

What I wanted to say though was I cannot get round how much things have changed since September. At first I thought nothing of it but then when I thought about it I was shocked. Everything felt different they way I was the way I acted, dressed, walked, talked, ran, thought and done Parkour. It wasnt a very nice time in my life back then I was going through deep denial my training wasnt top notch either. But hey I'm here now I have good friends but most of all I trust myself and my ever growing abilities.

I cannot explain how this happened or why it happened but I'm happy these last 9/10 months have been the most intresting who knows what the next 9/10 months bring :).

:)

Summer update

It is the 1st July I havnt updated this in a while :).
My Parkour training has been very good I just feel good about it. I went back to corby for a week and pulled of movements I never thought I could manage. When I done it however in my head and my heart I felt ready I trusted my new improved strangth, speed and ability and went for it.

Several people have commented on my improvement but I didnt feel the need to ask I knew in myself that I'm doing good.

I'm just gonna keep pushing myself and enjoy growing in my mind and my body. :)

Vlogs

Ok so I have started making Vlogs, now unlike my friends from Bournemouth Andy jay and Sam lands I shall not filming everyday just the days where I happen to train. Day 1 last night was good however short I shall make the effort probably friday. However tomorrow is my resting day I will probably go out and film anyway lol.

Anyway I have finished college I have 3 months of. I shall be travelling and training lots during those 3 months and I probably won't make another entry till September. If people read this in future check the Vlogs channel for the update on the summer events.

www.youtube.com/PikeVlog

June :)

Well since my last blog I have done alot of Parkour and it has been good I havn't done any this week though but plan on today or tomorrow. Gymnastics is going great I got sideflips high and back tucks high. Still need more practice but it's all good I enjoy it.

I have gymnastics tonight so I shall practice what comes to mind when I'm there.

My weighed myself and measured my height during the weekend also. Last time I done this was December 2008 and I was 5foot 11.2 inches and I weighed 11stone even. Now I am 5foot 11.6 inches and now weigh 11 stone 10lbs which is the heaviest I have ever been in my life but it's good. In December I only just started getting into gymnastics full time and my Parkour training was weak. I do hope I stop growing I'm almost 6ft I'm tall enough :P.

Anyway with my working out I have focused more on leg work and it's going really well.

Post 7

This week has been strange, a guy from bournemouth came to Weymouth and seeing his parkour abailities made me very self concious about myself.

I thought that I was bulky and couldn't control my balance or running. So i decided to learn the very basic's of Parkour ...... Running and walking.

Working on my entire body positioning, keeping my shoulders back and never forward, running with strides and confedence. Keep good speed also.

So it has been strange and I have been very self concious about my overall body apperance. (Hight, walk, run, body position.) However it is true I do seem abit stiff and un confident when running into a move something I am working on now.

Either way I try not to be to self criticle because the past week has been good.

A few words

I just wanted to say a few days ago I thought I hit a wall that I felt I could'nt overcome. But I watching a video been inspired and knowing within myself knowing that with hard enough work I can acheive what I set my heart on.

It is something I am willing to do and it makes me happy :).

Recent update

It's been a while since my last entry. Alot has happened since then I started adding more protien to my diet and have been conditoning alot more.

Was out doing Parkour today and it has been alot of fun. Believing myself and my ability has helped me over come new and challenging obstacles some easy some not so easy but all fun. I'm alot happier with my Parkour training I enjoy it and my constant playing around on scaffolding has made my upper body strength better.

As for gym it has been intresting I have learnt new tricks and Sunday was a 3 hour long gym session which took till now to recover from :P.

My front tucks are high my sideflips are high but need more work as I fall backwards sometimes. My backhandsprings are abit sideways my back tucks are ok but I'm still nervous with them and don't go for the height I could really get. I also attempted Btwists which turned out ok :). Next gym session is Friday and I should be going Bournemouth Saturday too for a jam session.

I'm gonna keep on going and I hope the summer is a good one. Currently I'm not filming and don't want to maybe in September I shall film :).

Preperation

Hell night was good it still begins to build up more and more each time. The following day (Friday) was a 2 hour gym session which I must say was intresting. I wont get into much detail but I found my gymnastics getting more eficiant. Then came Sunday I got the train to Braksome and walked to rossmore. By far one of the most fun gym sessions I had ever had. Standing websters with ease. 1 footed front flip precisions of about 4ft improved speed and height in backflips and same with cyclones. I attempted a sideflip out of curisoity and landed it with an akward twist to it. Something to work on.

So when making my way back towards the train station back to Weymouth I smiled and thought "Wow what an awsome gym session." My Parkour and conditioning is paying off but I don't want to stop their.

With more conditioning added to my legs mainly shins, calfs and quads I have increase in virtical height. With the different foods tried this week mainly samon and borcalli also including more fruit and including meals such as rice and chicken.

So with this in mind I want to add these foods in a more routine manner adding more healthy foods and putting the junk in moderation i.e. choclate ;).

Also I found a freestyle gymnastics based in Yeovil which is only 20 miles north of Weymouth. I am most likley going to check that out in 2 weeks time. It is held on a Sunday 1:30pm - 3:00pm Also the train fair is only £4.50 return bargin ;).

Also as well just a way to push more forward to what I want to acheieve in my Parkour and Gymnastics development I decided to commit 2 weeks (starting today) towards a protein diet mainly fish and lots of fruit. Drinking lots of water and eating lots of weetabix.

Today being Monday heres todays workout.

Shins :
3 sets of 100 shin raises (Both legs together)
After 100 hold the shin raise position for 60 seconds

3 sets of 80 shin raises (1 leg each)
After 80 hold the shin position for 30 seconds (maybe 40)

3 sets of 80 shin raises ( toes pointing inwards together)
After 80 hold the shin position for 30 seconds

Other various shin excercises will follow as I experiment with them.

Calfs :
5 sets of 100 calf raises (both legs together)
After 100 hold the claf raise position for 60 seconds

5 sets of 100 up and down calf movments (both legs together)

Quads :

4 sets of 50 wide leg squats
Hold squat position for 60 seconds after 50

4 sets of 50 one legged side squats (25 each side)
Hold position for 60 seconds after 25

4 sets of 50 launges (25 each leg)
hold position for 60 seconds after 25

Duck walk back and forth 30 times (Just over 2 meters)

Anothers day training

So I have been training today with a friend of mine and It has been really fun. A few flips here and there. I never done anything I hadnt done before but Is till enjoyed it. Just doing what I can already do and working on it.

Scaffolding swinging is getting easier I can hold flags for longer and my muscle ups are faster too. I wont be putting much in my blog anymore maybe once or twice a week. The only thing really for me to say is Hell night is 4 days away and I'm looking forward to it. I will try this routine for about 16 weeks and see if it helps me out.

I'm still continuing with my conditioning and thats all I have to say really :).

Todays lucky word is Ankle swinger.

Moving forward

So I put my feelings about that girl aside and I decided to train on some scaffolding and I did stuff I didnt think my body could manage I was doing high level pull ups. Swinging to other poles distances I didnt think I could manage. After 45 minutes I couldnt lift my forearms they were heavy.

When I jogged home I felt like a gorrilla because my arms were flapping beside me, I just couldnt move them up. At the same time I'm jogging I have a huge smile on my face. I must of looked like an escaped mental patient.

So I get home and find out a friend of mine has become a member of urban freeflow I couldnt beleive it I was so happy for him and it made me beleive anything is possible. Some things are difficult than others. All that conditoning the previous week had paid of but I won't stop there I will condition harder every week to reach my dreams and ambitions.

Todays lucky word is "Swine flu" A hybrid flu virus people beleive to do with pigs.

Willpower

So I have been training I feel myself getting stronger. Its only been a week since I started it so the results wont show straight away. Parkour training is going great I push myself I'm becoming confiedent and I'm happier.

Gymnastics is great also tricks are becoming easier to pull of. On sunday I was training with a friend of mine and we were climbing a cliff and I never knew how weak I really was when it came to climbing. But I decided to keep on going and I will keep on climbing until it becomes easier.

Now in my life with new boundries I take complex situations as a test to me. A test for my Willpower. I have been involved with a girl for the past week but deep down I feel that it is just a waste of time. She has her life and I have mine I try listening to her I try my best to understand her but I personally feel inexperainced at this time to really help her or fully understand her. I feel my Willpower being tested to simply move along and continue with my training with my friends. The willpower to put all emotional needs and egotistic feelings aside and purse what really matters to me.

So if I have to put it behind me and set my emotions aside then that is what I shall do.

Day 2

Another day of conditioning to a point I'm pushing myself.

I left my house at 21:09 and began to jog. Across the industrial estate and past the lesuire centre. I then jog down a familiar road past an abandoned building of some kind. I then pass the victoria square where I put my attention on the new scaffolding I done muscle ups on the other day. But the sound of Pendulum makes me want to run another lap past the castle and back past the abandoned building. Once past I decide to make my way across the road towards the scaffolding.

My chest is burning I must of breathed to heavy during my run....

So I look at the scaffolding and begin to do pull ups I do 5 and hold it for 10 seconds. I drop down and do another 5 pull ups and hold it for 10 seconds. Then I done a flag for a couple of seconds.

I then focused on actullypushing my body more so I done dead hang with my legs locked at almost 90 degree angle. I held for 20 seconds and dropped. Not enough I say I hold again but this time for 30 seconds. I drop still not enough I hold for 40 seconds.

Ok thats enough but can I hold for 50 seconds ? I attempt but my arms feel like led and I drop after 20 seconds. Is this all my body is capable. Im not as strong as I thought I was but I smile at the fact I have so much room for improvement. I think ok I will return again and again but push harder hold longer. During my moments of scffolding excercising many men in business suits walked past me. They looked at me in such strange ways. I asked myself will I ever wear a suit like that one day. I couldnt bare to live life without pushing myself just wearing a suit everyday.

So I walk back to the industrial area as my Ipod plays. The sound of Gwen Stafanis voice puts a smile on my face even bigger than it was. So I jog back to the industrial site where I repeat last nights workouts on the over grip climb ups. At this point my triceps and wrist muscles feel so huge I can barley move them.

So as I hang in a cat leap position I begin 10 clean no struggling climb ups I get to 7 with doubt on my mind but I say "If you stop now I may as well quit Parkour forever." Eminems voice keeps me distracted while I complete my last climb up I decide to hang for 2o seconds after which I do another 5 climb ups. I hold but drop.

Im exhusted and decide to go home to get a glass of water. Tonigh was amazing I want more. I wanna try harder, I can feel the toll on my body but I merly laugh and smile "I want more I want more."

HA... Ok tomorrow more training. It has been nearly 3 years since I started Parkour but only feels like day 2 :). What does day 3 offer ?

Aftermath

It is 22:25 I have just finished my night training session. I have never sweated like tht before in my life.

I jogged about half a mile to get things of my chest then returned to get a jumper. After which I warmed up. I ran up a wall and put myself in a cat leap position. A nice easy over grip climb up was what I had in mind. So I done 10 and dropped down. Then I done another 10. Then another 10 but I got to 9 and slipped on the last one back to the floor. So then I made my way across the car park and deicded to precision a fairly easy gap. Of one big rock over another rock and land on the third. Jumping from one onto the third and back counts as 1. So I done 10 and decided to try 10 more. By number 19 I fell of the rock and decided to try another 10. By number 6 I was tired but kept myself going and finished. Then decided to do 5 more to finish of.

I sat down for a second and seen chain going across. Jumping over and back again counts as 1. By number 8 my calfs were num. So I finished on 10. My body felt like that was enough for today so I finished out with another 5 climb ups. I decided to get to 10 once I reached 5.

By then I was sweating like I had done a 5 mile run. So I warmed down and thought to myself. "I should of done this sooner." it has taken 2 years to start pushing :( but oh well. Continue I shall =D how far can I push myself Friday?

Night session

It is 20:43 right now I am waiting for my Ipod shuffle to charge so that I can go out and train. I have been reading Blanes blogs. I am intrested in trying his theory on pushing the body to the point were you can feel anything

Cat leaps over and over again, kong precisions over and over again ect.

I'm intrested to know how far my body can really go. As i said to myself the other week even though I have been doign Parkour for 2 years only recently does it feel like day 1.

After gym last night I slept for 15 hours and had the most bizarre dreams ever. Dreams that I was talking to people I havnt spoken to in a long time. Old girlfriends, old friends that I was once involved with in Parkour. Yet the conversations were so vivid I can even remeber them now.

Dreams are an intresting thing.

Now I must leave to take a dump and continue on towards my night parkour training.

Tomorrow ?

I had a small Parkour session Saturday night and a trick session today on the grass.

With my tricking it didnt feel like anything spectacular. But I was happy and after about 20 minutes I stopped and thought. "This is the start of it all." Rather than being annoyed because I couldnt pull of an amazing front tuck like my coaches. I just thought " I'm looking forward to trying all this in the gym tuesday."

I felt patiant and excited. I guess it is a way of controlling my emotions. Not being to attached or being egotistic. But simply happy, content and aiming my mindset on the next stage whenever that maybe acheived. I would love to apply this control to how I feel everywere. I know longer want to be involved with those that I feel akward around.

I know what kind of person I am now and I know what I want to do. That is I want to train in such a way that I cant even imagine what tomorrow will be like. What will my training be like tomorrow what will I acheieve, what will I learn from tomorrow?

Also I wonder who I may come across tomorrow that I may learn from. The thing is I dislike a repetative routine. Some things I may do on a daily basis may have a similar role but surely they are all unique in some ways ?

Either way I like knowing tomorrows training can be unique from any other day the question is though will I even be training tomorrow :P

Another day

Right now I'm in my kitchen on my laptop chilling out. It's a sunny day and I can see the beach through my window. I can also see Weymouth on the otherside of the beach.

In about 2 hours I'm going trampolining, I enjoy it and I wanna learn something new. It's been a while since I done trampolining because of my commitment to gymnastics and parkour. But I'm bored so why not :P.

I'm kind of going through a resting stage the Parkour training I had done in Corby last week left me exhausted and has taken me 3 days to recover from properly. I have worked out abit during those 3 days. I bought these handles from argos used for arm and shoulder conditioning. Som of the stuff I was doing I could feel work way more better than my regular press ups and other push up variations I have done before.

Anyway I might do some Parkour tomorrow before trampolining try and widen my vision more. Since my 17th birthday I'm finding myself doing more different Parkour movments. Some times I will do precisions, running precisions. climb ups, kong precisions. Or just whatever that comes to my head that I find a challenege to me keeping in mind the words that help me in training. "Adapt and Overcome."

Adapt and overcome

From the books I have been reading since my shoulder injury which happened in early February this year, the change in me took a drastic change for the better. However this change in me doesnt stop with the helpful knowledge and wisdom of the books (Ageless mind Timeless body) and (Silent Power). The emotional and stress problems I have been experaincing mostly due to teenage hormones :P, I can find it difficult.

But shortly after my 17th birthday I feel myself adapting to my body and slowly understanding myself. Experaincing knowledge through silence. When I keep myself silent I become more aware of everything else especially when someone is talking to me. I take in their knowledge so that I will use it myself at some point.

Another thing I kept in mind to myself was. There will be times I will find myself in a paticularly negative enviroment or a situation where I don't feel myself. The words simply. "Adapt and overcome" have a great meaning to me.

To me the words. "Adapt and overcome." says to me understand, learn, become one and move onwards.

In college their have been moments where I feel akward and ego dominated. Also a level of attachment that has been breaking me down slowly. So I ask myself how can I "Adapt and overcome."

I simply choose not to take in the knowledge from my college peirs, I myself found it difficult living their lifestyle. I choose to be silent but take in the knowledge around me, understand the people that surround me in that area. Most importantly not become attached on an emotional level.

My change in attitude in Parkour has changed me all together. I just hope such knowledge I have learnt since can help me dettached from it all and then overcome so that I can move on to the next stage of my life.

Easter =D

It's been almost 4 weeks since my last post I don't know why :S.

My birthday was on the 29th March I got myself a few pairs of Kalenjis and they are the best shoes I have ever worn. For my birthday I had a 6 hour parkour jam with a few mates around Weymouth and then to finish the day of a 2 hour gym session in Poole, I never been so tired before in my life.

After which I started Parkour in other areas of Weymouth I had never tried before. Within a few hours all of the conditioning both body an mind really took its toll. Everything felt easyier, I understood my body more I moved easier and faster.

After a week of full on Parkour training I had to rest for a day or 2, afterwards was some gymnastics.

Gymnastics felt more easier tricks were higher got some stuff filmed and put it on youtube.

When college finished for the Easter I went back to my home town of Corby. At first it was great meeting up with the local traceurs.

It had been almost 4 months since I was last in Corby and with all the conditioning and new attitude to what I do everything else was easier I found myself pulling of movements I couldnt do before.

Within the next few days I realised how shit the town really is my old friends I trained Parkour with during 2006-07 were constantly drinking taking drugs pissed out there heads. There would be times people found my movements and acrobatic like skills impressive some spoke to me about Parkour most others would either say. "I can do that." or "I can do double that."

That kind of attitutde reminded me how much of a shit hole the town was and why I moved. Not many people will respect or admire anyone who shows a "different" or "unusual" type of skills you or I will learn.

The thing was it never made me angry it made me pity the fact that rather than embrace the site of skills and acheievement from others people decide to throw their negative comments upon that person.

Shortly afterwards after thinking about it I understood more and more about why I do what I do. Knowledge passed down by the ones before us to share with us what human beings can really do and show that "Nothing is impossible." But many of us are not brought up to belieive such things and carry on living our day to day lives in normaility. A life filled with emotional attatachment and dependancey on one another.

What we forget is that rather than depend on other beings to fullfill our own emotional needs we should be taken in the real knowledge from the strangers you meet everyday of your life. Even those you dislike through your life will most certainly carry a valuble teaching that you one day will carry with you for the rest of your life.

I think we need to stop putting down others with our ignorance and share our love for one anothers skill. We need to share the knowledge passed down by the ones before which made us who we are. We forget why we are here in the first place.

The most intelligent people will die, some very young. But their knowledge will pass on by like a pollonating flower. The knowledge I speak of is not what is read from texts books but instead understanding there sacrifice, what they beleived in is the real knowledge that surrounds us in our everyday lives. The knowledge from those before us is constantly communicating to us like a voice in our heads but most of us are so ignorant this knowledge is cast aside.

I myself have showed ignorance but these last 6 months has been like a roller coaster of body, mind and spirtual awarness. I practice Parkour because I beleive that a hidden knowledge awaits for those who seek it. A journey that cannot be described but experianced.

So that when I one day will pass away like every other human being my knowledge will spread across the world and embraced by those who seek it so that they too can carry on the path of the knowledge that our predassecors sacrificed their own physical existance for.

So the next time I myself or you feels put down by a remark made by a spectator whos only desire is to hurt with there ignorance just send them a silent thought saying. "If only you knew."

That person will probably walk away very doubtful about themselves questioning their own ability which will lead to more doubt in themselves.

One step back Two steps forward

I was at Bourenmouth last night and it was good my bakc tucks were nice I learnt how to webster with an obstacle to put my foot on. Havn't got the hang of flat ground websters :/.

With my front tucks they were fine in Rossmore but Rossmore is a sprung floor gym. So being in bournemouth with a hard floor was a different result. My coach who is very talented at gymnastics showed me and gave me advice on front tucks. Although doing it his way was a whole different method but in a way made sense.

Trying it his way was a different story but either way it does seem more effective. His method is throwing the arms up but travelling at an almost stright up angle which in theory is scary. Most people in the gym lean just a bit including myself who travels about 2 yards sometimes when doing fronts. Also he tucks extremly tight which gave him the speed to spin right round onto his feet.

I'm up for changing my own technique to learn it that way. Some people say to me"If you make one step back you make two steps forward." Which is kinda the case at the minute.

Today as well I went trampollining to pay my months money for training and it had been a while since I had been on a trampoline due to my shoulder injury. But my somersaults where almost effort less and higher which shows a sign of progression.

So yer I'm happy with it all even though I was a bit pissed of with my front tucks on friday it just takes time.

Step forward

Well my shoulder is getting better and now I have started going gymnastics 3 times a week now tuesday, friday and sunday.

Gymnastics is one of my favourite hobbies by far and never really thought i got enough of it until this week I have never done more than 1 session a week of gymnastics.

This week has been fun and progressive I have had so much fun and it makes me happy the fact that everytime a session ends I just think oh well only 2 days till ma next session while before I would get as much done in one session knowing that I had to wait another week before I could work on what I was doing.

I'm back to my working out routine with the odd weights involved. As well as Parkour I was out the night before experimenting with another form of movement. That also was alot of fun and has made me look forward to returning to my home town in 2 weeks. Which is a very fun place for me to do Parkour.

Even though I'm having a great time with gymnastics and progression I still miss my old friends, progression was worth it all when they where around. I never imagined how lonley I would get when I moved.

Almost healed

As I said before the back injury as gave me time to think, time to get to know myself. Recently I have spoken to a few friends of mine and told them how I really felt about certain things in my life.

I told them that I would sometimes lie about my progression to make me sound better than I really was. One truth solves a thousand lies. Being honest with them as well as myself felt good, the reason was in the past I trained alone and wanted people to admire me for it. However things have changed I train in a gym with very experianced people who are friendly and have played an important role in my progression.

Seeing their attitudes and respects towards their lifestyle must of opened my eyes in a way as I grow closer to 17 I feel more commited to my ambitions and lifestyles. 17 might not sound old but it is not the age that matters it is what I learn that matters, you dont need to be old to grow as a human being.

So all those small lies and big headed like attitude thats all in the past because what I have experianced in the past 2-3 months is bigger than all that. This is not just a hobby or a way to keep fit this is life and a whole new vision. I see myself in a different way almost everyday, I know my ways of right and wrong and also I see what makes me different from other groups of people. Rather than feel let down of different for my odd views I keep on going and let life unfold in its natrual way.

This is still the start of a very long journey ;)

Injured

I have pulled the muscles next to my shoulder blades and I had to miss gym and trampolining also I havnt been able to do any Parkour but thats cool revovery is important :P.

This time of has been important to me It reminds me why I enjoy training and I look forward to getting back into hopfully this week.

Also as well it is nearing my 17th birthday and it goes to show I am getting older. I indeed feel the change approach me I consider what is important to me and what is not important to me. I'm starting to feel more of an appreciation for everything in my life. My parents, my house, my old friends, my health and the people who have came and went in my life who have opened my eyes to something else.

My overall attitude is changing, rather than be furstarted at my lack of progress I become thankful to those around me who are making their time and effort to help me progress and also for their inspiration. After that I then say to myself the reason why I am not landing this move is because of this or because of that.

So as I begin to grow I understand myself and my body sense of what I can achieve :)

My old friends my inspirations

Even though I'm progressing on my own with the help of the locals in bournemouth and weymouth I still havn't forgotten to the ones I looked up to in the early days of my journey.

I miss them very much and they were very talented people how I always even to this day admire for their talents.

One person in paticular never revealed to me where he learnt his gymnastics skills everytime I asked "How do you do that" he would simply laugh and say "I just do it because I can" That is why I admire that person even after nearly 2 years of not doing any kind of gymnastics he seem him in the town and asked him if he wanted to have a tricking session for old times sakes. He landed a 2 step wallflip on his first try after 2 years of not doing anything I can't go 2 days without doing a wallflip before losing it.

And all the other guys who trained before me another guy who I seen recently on the train to London just after new year. It had been 6 months since I had last spoken to him since he had joined the army. This person also had talent and was off his head but yet everybody liked the guy he looked after his friends. Although he never taught me when I would talk to him he would tell me his views and I would always be intrested on what he had to say the guy is very wise and itelligent.

After saying all that I must say these people have played important roles in my life they have inspired me and their teachings have always came in useful. Going back to when I first started seeing there strength and talent reminds me why I do what I do.

No matter how how far my journey goes no matter how much I grow as a human being and no matter how far my skills go I will always look back to you guys for it was you who taught me and opened my eyes to the world I live in now.

I want to thank you for everything and in my mind I keep reminding myself of who I really am :).

Progression...

Last night I done my first planche to handstand and I manged to back into a planche. I tried going back into a handstand from the planche but my arms collapsed :P. It was funny, painful on the forearms but I enjoyed it.

Afterwards I decided to do a workout that works the entire body so I crawled along the livingroom floor with my knees and body very close to the floor. The excercise itself is exhausting. I won't lie but I can get abit lazy when working out. I mean I understand that taking it slower is better but without pushing for that extra press up or that extra pull up I will never know how much further I can take my body.

Training my body is important and I enjoy doing it but training my mind is also important, being motivated and learning to focus all my strength into the excercise. So yer I will push myself abit further and keep motivated :).

Another thing as well I was out doing abit of Parkour. The area I was training in was across the road from a pub and next to the dock. While I kind of kept to myself I seen a few guys outside the pub pointing and nodding their head as if they had never seen someone do Parkour before :P. So I decided to do a Front tuck from standing of a 3foot ledge. I said to myself I wasn't going to take my tricking outside till my 17th birthday (29th March). But I went for it anyway and I landed it so clean and so quietly. In the past when I have done front tucks of obstacles I have landed with such a bang or over roatated. The gymnastics and trampolining have came in handy :). So I done a front tuck of the small wall twice landing it better than I have done before no over roatating no heels banging of the concrete.

In the past if that had happened I would of done it about 20 times to impress the guys watching but instead I decided to warm down and go home. Even though I am progressin it's not about showing off and impressing people I mean it's cool for people to observe what your doing but I don't ask them to they just come over and watch out of their own curiosity.

Muscle pain and weight training

After just 3 days of parkour training I was in pain :P. My back muscles were sore from climb ups i was doing.

Also as well I decided to add light weights to my working out at home. 5kg Dumbells just to see if it helps build strength for harder work outs like pike press and straddle to handstands.

I will try it for about 4 weeks then see if there is any improvment on the pike press :)

Recent Parkour training

Today I was doing some Parkour and it was very fun. I didn't doing anything big or anything difficult I was just getting my body back into that motion.

I can't wait to do some more Parkour maybe tomorrow start working on climb ups and precision work. A guy in the gym gave me some advice came in useful he said to me "Just do it don't think about it." To be honest hes right. Over thinking is something I have done to much. Confiedence goes a long way and also trusting my bodies capabilities is another thing.

Being familiar with ones body knowing when to keep going and most importantly knowing when to stop.

So yer I had great fun and I feel my self progresson but tend on taking it slowly day by day :)

Things on my mind

The start of this week the weather has been amazing and my body has adjusted itself to the Parkour ;). At first it was weird I was heavy on my feet, slightly nervous but it only took like 2 days before my body got comfortable. Then before I knew it the conditioning and different exercises I have been doing the last 2 months took place and everything felt good.

I was confident with my ability. Unlike the way I used to be before I'm not throwing of huge tricks or massive cat leaps but instead easy precisions that require balance and techniqal small obstacles that also require good footing, sense of space and right use of strength.

In the past with my friends it was all about how much further we could take things how strong our body could be. But since leaving my home town of Corby and becoming comfortable with Weymouth and coming to terms with the change I am making. To me now its all about control with ones body and most importantly feeling good about it all.

In the past I did have the wrong attitude I understand that now. Change happens with everyone and also my perception on many things mostly the past has changed. As I get older I experiance and learn more about myself, my body and the people in my life minor or major roles all play an important part in my journey in life.

Gymnastics progression

Last night I was in bournemouth. I filmed the entire gym session which should be on youtube next week or so.

My front tucks are alot more cleaner and I'm landing back tucks on the floor fine.

The problem is I still don't tuck as much as I could it's a habbit I hav'nt picked up yet. If I could get into the habbit of tucking tighter my front and back tucks would be alot more easier and cleaner.

The weather is pretty awsome, I've been getting back into Parkour first day wasn't easy but I pretty much back were I started and to be honest its fun.

Conditioning notes

Since the start of the year I have been working out regularly. Each week I push that bit further with the reps, I still don't use weights and dont plan on using weights till I'm abit older.

During my workouts I do different types of workouts and spread them out well so most workouts take about 50 minutes. But I keep coming up with more and more different excercises that include flexability but I've noticed that after around 1 hour of working out it feels uneffective and tbh boring :/.

Only just now have I noticed that working out for more than 50 minutes is a waste of time. People in the army tend to work out for like 40 minutes take a shower get some food and then return to their work outs.

Spring soon

I've been making progress in trampolining. Randomly i decided to try a double back with the help of a harness thingy. I miss Parkour though the weather has made it so difficult and also because of my routine, a 5 mile journey into town in winter to do Parkour just isnt my idea of fun :(.

Can't wait to get back into Parkour and take the gymnastics outdoors. I can't wait to get a job either :o.

Conditioning has been pretty good, mostly leg conditioning this week and has proved effecive.

100 calf raises
100 shin raises

X5

100 squats (2kg medicine ball)

25 lunges (25 each leg)
25 side lunges (25 each leg)

After conditioning thursday night at trampolining I learnt so many other work outs to build leg strength, I plan on trying them tonight and next week.

Stretching for me has improved but does get boring :/ has to be done though.

Parkour

I first found Parkour in the summer of 2006. It all started of with just a few friends who were in a team. The team called themselves Team furi, I was not really involved with the team but around September of that year me and my friends became involved with the local thearte group. They offered to take our photos as part of our team promotion "Corby freeflow." The idea at the time was to open up a gym for us and the locals.

We took out a grant for our new gym but due to insurance problems the gym never opened and then grant money was returned. Towards the end of 2007 most of my friends who I trained with quit Parkour and moved onto other stuff.

When I turned 16 and finished school I left my hometown and moved south to Weymouth. I met up with a group of guys in Bournemouth and even to this day I meet up on a weekly basis and use the gym.