DC barefoot run, korima, and cancer

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of meeting Bob Ewing at the New York City barefoot run. Bob is gearing up to run the Marine Corps Marathon completely barefoot. That's pretty impressive. More impressive is why he's doing it - to raise money for Leukemia/Lymphoma research and to encourage people to join the bone marrow registry. In doing so, he's bringing the Tarahumara concept of korima to the USA. Watch this video to learn more:

I strongly encourage all of you to check out his website, to donate, and most importantly to join the bone marrow registry. I will be doing so on Monday.

Bob, best of luck to you on the run and thank you for everything you're doing. Fifth Ape salutes you.

Less than awesome and totally awesome

Two quick vids for all of you. The first is me completely screwing up on a few snatch attempts at 85lbs. I'm putting this up so we can all remind ourselves that athletic improvement is a process, and that we must fail often before we succeed. I eventually got my act together and stuck a few at 105lbs. My goal is to hit 135 in the next 6 weeks, then march on towards a bodyweight snatch (160 for me).

I would appreciate comments/critiques on my form. I know it needs a lot of work. The video was taken at Crossfit Durham and the soothing voice you hear behind the camera belongs to Richard Yaxley. It's Rich's birthday today - happy birthday Rich!

So, all that stuff I just said about process, failure, etc. does not apply if your name is Eric DiMarzio and you're a boss. Check out Eric destroying "the wall" in Forest Theater - a 12 ft. monstrosity. We made him do it about 8 times because it was so incredibly awesome to watch.

In truth, Eric worked extremely hard to get this, so the process comment stands. The thing that put him over the top? (hah! I haz a pun) Barefoot training. The extra calf and ankle strength added at least a few inches.

Pretty amazing.

Finally, a quick word of thanks to everyone who has given me such positive feedback on the launch of Fifth Ape training. I'm pretty nervous about the whole thing, so your words of encouragement are greatly appreciated!

Super duper awesome exciting announcement, part 2

This is the big one folks...

Fifth Ape training is up and running!!! Woohoo!

You will notice a brand new section on the navigation bar called "Training and Classes." There is all kinds of good stuff up there - how to get started, some thoughts on my approach to training, pricing & options, and a form you can use to sign up or request more information.

The rest of the website looks the same - same homemade banner, same ol' color scheme and layout, etc. This will be changing in the next few weeks. Indeed, this is just the first step of powering up the business. There's still a lot of work to be done before everything is firing on all cylinders. One of the main reasons I'm launching this now is to get feedback from all of you fine folks and to start building some buzz.

Make no mistake though, the training is ready to go. If you are interested in getting started, I am ready to train you!

I'll be tinkering with the marketing fluff and the operations bit for a long time to come, but I've been working on and refining the athletic programming for nearly two years. My gratitude to everyone who knowingly (or unknowingly) helped me refine the Fifth Ape system. All of you have helped me take this from a whimsical notion, through infancy and past childhood. We're now entering an adolescent period of rapid development, excitement, and probably a few growing pains. I cannot wait to see how it evolves from here.

A few specific thank yous are in order: Alex Cerwin, Sean Rogers, Eric DiMarzio, Anna Lineberger, and Kevin Holbrook - your willingness to experiment with me has made all of this possible. George Tony and my old training group in Los Angeles - you laid the foundation and are my model for what community-based fitness is all about. Josh Leeger and Charlie Reid - thanks for all the advice on the fitness industry. It's been invaluable.

A special thanks to Frank Forencich and Erwan Le Corre. Your teaching, leadership, and example have had a profound impact on my life. You are the masters - I'm just here to help spread the word.

Finally, a big thanks to you, my tens of readers. Your positive feedback has continually inspired me to take the next step with this whole crazy venture. I hope I continue to be worthy of your time.

I must now ask a big favor. I need your help to get the word out. Whether its on the web via facebook, twitter, blog posts, etc. or telling people about Fifth Ape face-to-face, all help is appreciated. Refer them to the website, tell them about the newsletter, or, if they're in the Triangle area of North Carolina, encourage them to get involved directly!

I always welcome your feedback. Please drop me a line any time and let me know what you think!

This promises to be the beginning of a grand adventure. Let's get out there and change the world!