The Traceless Warrior

Advances in running

2010-02-02T09:56:00.002-05:00

By going back to the days of yore

Here we have Bernard Lagat (USA) winning a one mile race (at the Melrose games).

Interestingly, everyone running is using a forefoot strike and everyone is using racing flats that are a throwback to the thin leather slippers runners used back before Nike came along.

When the Olympic class athletes start going back to the "barefoot" style of running we can be assured that there is something useful going on.
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The Tragedy in Haiti

2010-01-15T13:11:00.003-05:00

And the Spin put on it.

I have been appalled to see the usual suspects using the death and destruction to try and garner political points. While the thugs on the Right have been most egregious, the Left hasn't been all that far behind.

I am pretty sure there will be a special place in Hell for people like Pat Robertson, who used the suffering and misery to manipulate his minions into giving him more money.

As usual, Jon Stewart sums it up more honestly than any "real" newscast.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Haiti Earthquake Reactions

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

In honer of this latest foray into new depths of slime, I have started a poll to examine the one thing that I think should be on everyone's mind just now, do please vote.

And do please feel free to mention the people of Haiti to the deity of your choice, or the universe, or the clockwork mechanism that keeps everything running, or the small quiet place in your own heart. It won't hurt and ya never know, it just might help.

Three days of snow......

2010-01-11T12:37:00.004-05:00

Then the sun comes out.

It Doesn't get much better than this.

The temperature on Saturday morning was around 10 degreed F, and the snow was just about perfect.

So I grabbed my skis and hit the trail for the best day of gliding over the snow yet this season.

Once we were off the main trail the snow was mostly completely fresh. There were remarkably few skiers out for some reason, I think we saw only three other people on the trails all day.

We did however share the trail with all manner of wildlife, most notably ducks who didn't bother going south for the winter. (I guess they heard about the temperatures in Florida)

While the Grand River is still flowing, all the ponds and small lakes in the area are frozen over.

Making for the spectacular winter scenery you get here in West Michigan.

The rare Michigan Snow Gnome

After about two and a half hours of skiing we still didn't want to come in from the cold

Me, not wanting to stop for the day, even though I know I am going to pay for it tomorrow

I'm already hoping for the next snowstorm, though the law of perversity seems to be holding sway and all the really fun weather is going elsewhere. With any luck, there will be more snow soon, and what we have will stay for a while.

The Christian Taliban rears its ugly head again

2010-01-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

With death threats against cartoonists no less.

It turns out that Mark Fiore, a political cartoonist and animator has been getting death threats from the Tea Baggers over a little piece he did a little while back.

Here it is...
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As you can see, it does (deservedly) treat the tea baggers a bit ~~honestly~~ unkindly.

The tea baggers and other Right wing extremists respond in true form, with death threats, just like the Right Wing Muslim extremists who wanted to kill the cartoonist who did the caricature of the Prophet Muhammad (saws).

As I have said before, the only difference between Christian Right wingers and Muslim right wingers (and Hindu, Buddhist, and Atheist right wingers) is the team they are playing for, it's still the same league and the same game.

So check out Fiore's blog, and his Youtube channel.

And remember the Right Wingers, whatever their "team affiliation" are a bunch of murderous morons.

Boring jump rope?

2010-01-05T13:51:00.007-05:00

Perhaps not.

Sabi Honom mentioned jump rope as a way to keep in shape over the winter, so this post is for her and others who might want something by way of exercise that takes up small space but gives good result.

Back in the last century, when I was young, I, like so many of the boys where I grew up, studied some boxing. Of course, along with the speed bag, heavy bag, road work and sparring, we had to jump rope.

We all wanted to master the speed bag, as it had the greatest kewl factor (Think Joe Palooka, opening titles) and I think we all hated jumping rope (it was viewed as being just a bit "girlie". Hey I was about 10 at the time, wadaya expect)

Over the years I had kept up with my rope jumping somewhat intermittently, but it would tend to get a little on the boring side for me.

This all changed about three years ago when I got a call from my friend Steve Barnes. Steve keeps an eye out for anything interesting in the area of fitness and he often finds some real gems.

He asked me if I had ever heard of Buddy Lee. I hadn't.

Lee was an Olympic wrestler who had developed an interesting approach to his conditioning based on jumping rope, after retiring from competition he began teaching his method.

I was intrigued enough by Steve's description that I looked into what Lee was doing.

Here's a taste.
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I got hold of his book and video and began incorporating some of his material into both my workouts and those of my students, with very good effect.

One of my favorite things to do is to use the rope with Tabata sets, that'll give you a quick burn.

Check out Buddy Lee's website.

There have been others who have built on Mr. Lee's work, this being a case in point.
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So enjoy your jumping!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2010-01-04T22:22:00.003-05:00

But we could use some more snow.

Temperatures have been down in the single digits, but the sun has been out and there has been very little snow.

The trails are quite rough.

There's lots of lumpy ice just under the surface, as well as ruts and such.

But the river is quite lovely.

And the sunset is as well.

So the only thing to do is grab the skis and get outside.

So with my friend Janet, who is one of the few people crazy enough to be out int this weather with me, we tackled the trail.

It was worth the effort, and we pretty much had the trail to ourselves.

Personally, I think cross country skiing is the best winter exercise to keep you in shape for running in the other three seasons. So here's hoping for more snow.

For today's theme music here's one of the very best renditions of "Baby it's cold outside" done by Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer in 1949

Seems to be the New Year's Theme

2010-01-04T12:54:00.002-05:00

With a tip of the hat to Janet

Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper's
"I Hate Banks"

Something to look forward to

2010-01-03T09:35:00.002-05:00

This would be funny if it weren't true.
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Makes ya wonder why all the "no tax tea baggers" are sitting on their hands as the banks and credit card companies take everything they have.

Best New Year's Idea I've seen in a long time

2009-12-31T10:03:00.005-05:00

Move Your Money!

While the ~~corporate dupes~~ TeaBaggers do their best to make sure Americans remain the helpless victims of corporate parasitism, there is an actual grass roots movement that will have a positive impact on the lives of our citizens.

There is a Movement afoot to move your money from the large mega-banks to local community based banks. What could be more conservative than that?

Of course the real problem with today's so called "conservationism" is that it isn't. William F. Buckley Jr wouldn't even recognize the morons who claim to be "conservative" today.

They are though, exactly what our would-be corporate overlords want. People too stupid to pull the leaches from their throats, who in fact think that the parasites that feed off them are their friends.

If you are tired of people trying to make you into their serf, here's something you can do right now. Take your money out of the huge mega-banks, (you know the ones who are directly responsible for our present financial difficulties, the ones who have enough political clout to get the government to give them your tax money to save their asses when their greed and ineptitude caught up with them) and put it in local banks that actually serve your community.

They won't be "too big to fail" if your wealth is distributed more evenly among many small banks, savings & loans, and credit unions. Then B of A and Citi can go die a dog's death without (supposedly) taking the country with them.

We still have the power to vote with our wallets and our feet, either we begin to use it, or we might just as well get fitted for collars.

There is an organization called "Move Your Money" which will help you find local community banks in your area. They made this video to help people understand the need to do this.

Here's the beginning of one woman's chronicle of getting herself out form under B of A.

If you are interested in Credit Unions you can get information and ratings on your local establishments here.

There's nothing like actually doing something to change your circumstances.

God Jul, Feliz Navidad

2009-12-25T00:57:00.004-05:00

And Merry Christmas as well!

Here is a bit of Christmas Music for you, hree of my favorite pieces. First is from Handel's Messiah,

One of the finest pieces of Christmas music ever written. Everyone (including me) does the "Hallelujah", but the rest of the piece is just as good.

And then on the other end of the spectrum, we have "White Trash Christmas"

And to finish off the set, here is Bing Crosby doing the original

School'n the kids on how it's done

2009-12-23T11:04:00.002-05:00

John Lee Hooker plays with the Stones and Clapton in Atlantic City 1989.

So Good!

From Crochet to General Relativity

2009-12-19T12:13:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you run across an idea that is so simple but so profound that you just have to sit back in wonder.

I have been working a lot with chain and plat sinnets the last week or so, playing with various ideas to see what I can come up with that could be used in "survival' situations, (or just for fun) so when I saw a video over at TED on someone who had been crocheting models of coral reefs, I had to check it out. (crochet is a special application of different chain sinnet knotting techniques) What I found was brilliant!

So I give you Margaret Wertheim on the beautiful math of coral.

WARNING: Watching this will probably make you smarter

Killer core workout

2009-12-14T08:52:00.002-05:00

For when just skiing is not enough for you.

I was quite happy to discover that my legs are in good condition after Saturday's ski day with no soreness Sunday or Monday. My triceps and abs were a bit sore however. This is from doing one of my very favorite "workout" routines for cross country skiing, called double poling, or more accurately "short arm double poling".

I was able to find a clip of a guy with good form to show you how it's done.
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You will notice that most of the work of moving you forward is done with the contraction of the core, the arms adding to forward momentum only at the end.

When you get the breathing coordinated with the movement you have a very powerful, explosive movement that works your whole body. This can be carries over into any number of other sports.

First Ski Day!

2009-12-12T17:52:00.002-05:00

And it was just about perfect.

It was 20 degrees and sunny, so myself and three friends, Janet, Dave and Fenna, grabbed our gear and took off on the trail nearest to us.

You really can't beat a winter day like this one.

There was a bit more Ice under the snow that one might wish for.

And the snow could be a bit deeper for my taste.

but those are small things compared to the fun of just getting outside and playing.

I'm not planning to be spending a lot of time indoors this winter. There's just too much to be doing outside. Between skiing, snowshoeing and running (ya gotta love yak traks!) I think I can spend almost as much time outside as I do in the summer.

Music for Blizzard Conditions

2009-12-10T10:08:00.002-05:00

After a couple days of false starts, the big blizzard is finally here!

It's a balmy 16F (-9C) outside. There's not a lot of snow yet, but at least it's not turning to slush on arrival anymore. With any luck, by Saturday I'll be able to seriously play in the snow!

Until then here is some music to set the mood for skiing snowshoeing and snowball tossing.

Karoliina Kantelinen, the brilliant Finnish ethnomusicologist, performing "Ellös huolta huomisesta".

Solveig Andersson of Norway, Yoiking "bjiejjie"

The group Jarŋŋa from Northern Sweden performing "Jåvna vuolle"

Tactical Macramé - Project 1

2009-12-08T13:25:00.009-05:00

In which I reveal, at great personal risk, the ancient hidden secret, known only to Muslims for thousands of years, kept within the innermost circles of certain Sufi Orders, of how to make a Solomon (Suliyman) bar at a speed guaranteed to confound the uninitiated.

I have been thinking about several small projects involving paracord and traditional knot-work, so this may become a regular, or at least semi-regular feature of the blog.

Making a survival bracelet

You will need about 14 to 16 inches of paracord for the bracelet core and about 6 and a half feet for the outer wrap. You will also want to have a good pair of scissors, a lighter, a pair of forceps, a clip board or other method of anchoring your work, and a hook and cord or some other method of keeping tension on your work.

You are going to need to learn four knots for this first foray into tactical macramé.

The two strand stopper knot

You will use this knot to make the button for the button and loop closure in the core of the bracelet

The constrictor knot

The constrictor knot will be used to start and finish the project. It is also just a really useful knot to know. If you ever needed to tie a bag shut, or to tie several strands of cord together, this is the knot you would want.

The reef (square) knot

The Reef knot is also very useful to know. It is a moderately secure knot that is easy to untie.

The cow hitch (also called ring hitch and lark's head).

The cow hitch is a handy way to attach a line to something, but that's not why you see it here. There is a secret about the cow hitch that allows you to complete the project with a minimum of hassle.

So let's start, Grab some cord and we will practice the various knots.

Tying the two strand stopper knot

You will want to practice this knot several times to get the hang of shaping it correctly. Take your time and work the knot closed a bit at a time until it is solid and has the shape of a button.

Once you feel happy with the knot, it's time to make the core for the bracelet.

Measuring the core cord

When You have your core cord measured, tie a stopper knot at the end just above where you clamped it off. Now you're ready to learn the constrictor knot.

Tying the constrictor knot

The constrictor knot give you a way to attach the cord that will form the Solomon bar that is a bit more pleasing than just starting a reef knot. It also keeps the two sides of the cord even.

Tying the cow hitch

The cow hitch is given here as a separate knot so that you can get a feel for it on its own.

Tying the Reef knot

The reef knot is shown here for the same reason. Also, there may be a few projects in the future that will use reef knots without a core to tie them around.

Tying the Solomon bar

Here is the meat of the lesson. By using a cow hitch, then passing the opposite line through the two loops you form a full reef knot in one pass. When you are comfortable with this technique you will be able to cover a core with a Solomon bar is short order.

One of the main reasons I am doing the tutorial is that it seems that this method of making the Solomon bar has almost been lost. I couldn't find a single reference to it anywhere. (Of course I do also get to tease the Right Wing "survivalist" crowd about helping to preserve a traditional Islamic art and a fine old American Hippy tradition, that's also worth something).

Making the bracelet

Here is where you put your new knotting skills to the test and make your very own tactical macramé survival bracelet.

Finishing the bracelet

This is the method I use to finish the bracelet. I find it more pleasing than just cutting the cords off short and melting them.

This is the first time I have ever done a tutorial like this, so please help me make the next one better by giving me feedback on what I can do to make the instructions clearer.

Good luck and do feel free to send pictures of your finished work.

For the next project, I will be showing you what I think will be a much more effective survival bracelet made from a double loop chain sinnet.

Special Thanks to Janet for her fine camera work!

And today's theme music.....

2009-12-07T15:44:00.002-05:00

Does in fact ROCK!

Thought of the day

2009-12-07T13:47:00.002-05:00

While you are waiting breathlessly for me to do my post on tactical macramé.

There was a little glitch with the camera, which I hope will be taken care of soon, until then, enjoy a couple of little clips of the writer George Leonard.

Mr. Leonard, today in his 80's, still gets on the mat and teaches Aikido weekly at his dojo.

Scorch!

2009-12-05T11:56:00.002-05:00

Again Jon Stewart, with the able help of John Oliver, put things in perspective.

Here is the most interesting take on the banning of minarets by the Swiss. John Oliver is particularly fun as he moves from British comedian to a British citizen, who remembers just a bit more about WW2 than is comfortable for the Swiss.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Oliver's Travels - Switzerland

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

Again, I have to wonder why we get closer to the truth on the fake news than on the ~~corporate~~ real news.

A square knot by any other name.....

2009-12-04T09:50:00.004-05:00

Is still Macramé!

I keep an eye on the various "wilderness survival" sites and blogs. It's a subject of interest to me, and I often find useful information on these sites. A few of them are quite good as a matter of fact.

Of late, I have noticed a new fad in gear, the "survival bracelet". This has been described as a bit of "tactical wear" that allows you to conveniently carry an extra six feet or so of para-cord. Most of the bracelets I was reading about were described as being done in "cobra weave". I have to allow as I had never heard of "cobra weave" and I have a life-long interest in such things. So I found a picture of a survival bracelet made with "cobra weave" (also being called cobra stitch) that was clear enough that I could see what they were doing.

It was macramé.

I guess the "soldier of fortune" crowd just couldn't bring themselves to admit they were wearing a macramé bracelet and so made up a really macho name for the thing (ummm...... I know, lets call it Cobra Weave, that sounds like something Steven Seagal would wear)

Now I'm not saying that this bracelet isn't a good idea, it is to my thinking. And I'm not making fun of the wilderness survival people, most of whom are thoughtful folk who are following a passion that I share with them, some of whom I count as friends. I just find the "cobra weave" thing a bit funny.

As I have mentioned before, I'm an old hippy. Back in the day, if you didn't know how to make macramé jewelry and such, you were at a bit of a disadvantage. (it was a great way to impress the girls and to pick up a bit of extra cash) As it happens I was quite good at it. Mostly because I have had a lifelong interest in working with cord, rope and other sorts of fiber. I also had the opportunity to learn knotting and such from some very knowledgeable people when I was young.

So I sat down last night and made myself a survival bracelet out of a bit of paracord I had laying about. This is the finished product.

I used a button and loop closure rather than a buckle or shackle for the same reason I don't put the strap of a boonie hat under my chin.

Now here's the fun part. A little history on the subject of macramé, (it'll drive the Islamophobic right wingers nutz)

The word macramé comes from the Arabic migramah (مقرمة) which relates to the fringe on a scarf. It is an art that was developed in the Arabian Peninsula which spread across North Africa, up into Spain and then, like so much science, art and culture from the Muslim world, into Europe.

The art was quickly adopted by sailors, who called it "square knotting". The whole art of macramé is built on the foundation of just two knots, the half knot (think of how you tie your shoe, the half knot is what you make before the bow) and the half hitch. a series of knots is known as a bar in macramé speak. The bracelet you see here is a simple "Salomon's bar" which you make by doing half knots in one direction, then the other (right over left then left over right) forming a series of square knots. (aka reef knots) The reason they are known as square, I was told, is because they lay "square" when done this way. When you do the half knot all in the same direction it makes a double spiral down the core cords.

So the people who are making these bracelets are helping to preserve a bit of traditional Islamic AND traditional Hippy culture. How kewl is that?

I did a bit of looking online, youtube and such, and discovered that while there are a few tutorials on how to do tactical macramé, all of them I could find do it the hard way.

There is a trick to making the Solomon's bar quickly (it takes a quarter of the time or less than the way it is being shown around) known only to Muslims.

At great personal risk, I will reveal this secret technique to all the ~~uncircumcised infidel dogs~~ non-Muslims who might want to experiment with making survival bracelets using this traditional Islamic art as soon as I can get someone over here to operate the camera. (I do hope that you all realize that my tongue is planted firmly in my cheek here, but then again, there will be a few Islamophobes reading this, so maybe not) So stay tuned for my next installment.

First real snow of the season

2009-12-04T09:23:00.003-05:00

We got about six inches last night.

It's not quite enough for skiing or snowshoeing just yet, but soon I think.

(can't hardly wait)

Tracking Runners

2009-11-29T08:49:00.008-05:00

Tales written in sand

When I was a kid I learned how to track as a matter of course. Most everyone had at least the basic skills where I grew up, some were better, some were worse, I was somewhere in the middle. (still am as best as I can tell)

The track and sign left by an animal or a person can allow you to read their condition, their level of fatigue, how quickly they are traveling as well as a number of other things.

Looking at my own tracks is something I often do for myself, being as it is one of the few ways to get feedback on my own running technique without someone coaching me. There is nothing like looking at your own tracks to tell you if you are running as well as you think you are.

I also do this with the people I work with. I take them to a convenient sand lot and have them walk and/or run across the sand. This allows me to study the tracks they leave and gain much more information about their walking/running technique than I can tell just from watching them run. I have to admit, it can get me some interesting looks from time to time. To really study a track you often need to get down on your belly and move around the track in a 360 degree circle in order to see all the nuances.

One of my newest students, a young lady who has decided to take her health into her own hands, and I, running across the sand.

Reading someone's tracks can be a really valuable tool for learning how they are doing things that may be contributing to various problems. If someone comes to me complaining of back, hip or knee pain, whatever is causing this will be reflected in their tracks. Often it's the easiest way to discover how they are doing their discomfort and to see the changes that will help correct the problem.

The key is what's called pressure releases. A pressure release happens as the foot pushes off against the ground. Pressure releases will tell you where and how hard a person is pushing off with each foot.

Here is an example from one of my own tracks.

We see a good forefoot strike, with the leading edge of the heel just touching the ground (I'm wearing my trail running shows so I can make a good impression, no pun intended) only the first two lugs on the heel are visible. This means that the only heel contact was from absorption as the Achilles tendon stretched from the energy of the foot strike. There is a slight pressure release in the area of the third, fourth and fifth toes (upper left corner of the track) This indicates that I took off with more weight on the outside of my foot. I suspect tension in the foot as the cause, giving me a slight twist at take-off, or not allowing full pronation on landing. The latter seems the most likely as the track is not as deep at the big toe. I need to pay attention to this.

Here's another track from one of my students. Notice the deep pressure release at the outside forefoot. What would be a possible cause for such a movement of the foot?

The trick is, of course, to imagine how a foot would have to move to make that release, and under what circumstances it would do so.

There are some good resources to learn the rudiments of reading tracks out there. What you want is something beyond just identifying a track. A good place to start might be with the book "Tracking: a blueprint for learning how" by Jack Kearney

A little Thanksgiving (and Eid) music for you

2009-11-26T13:41:00.002-05:00

With thanks to the Muppets.

Happy Thanksgiving and

2009-11-26T10:13:00.002-05:00

Eid Mubarak!

Whatever holiday you celebrate today (or tomorrow) I hope it's a good one!

Ya know how dumb the "average guy" is?

2009-11-24T08:40:00.002-05:00

Well, by definition, half the people out there are even dumber than that, and they all seem to be voting Republican these days. (with thanks to Robert Anton Wilson)

Here is a very interesting group of interviews from outside a book signing in Ohio.
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Come on people! "Conservative" doesn't mean saving those brain cells for a rainy day. William F. Buckley must be turning in his grave.

I think you'd have to add everyone's numbers together just to get the IQ points out of double digits.

Seeing things like this always brings me back to the question "Have Americans become too stupid to survive?"