We got to bed late last night and were up early this morning. No breakfast but we did brew up some stout cups of Yerba Mate to clear the fog and get us ready for our final day’s challenge. We started off retesting our first day movement standards and everyone smoked their previous performance despite significant fatigue, bumps and bruises. After the retesting we spent about an hour working more self-defense concepts. This session focused on how to protect yourself if you should fall during a fight and how to safely stand back up if you should find yourself in this unfortunate situation. We practiced drills that were safe but were very demanding. After a brief break to grab water and we embarked on an hour and twenty-five minute odyssey through the forest. We jumped, climbed ran, crawled, lept and mud-bogged. I’ll be honest, elements of it were scary, painful and very hard but it was all good. I made it through because of camaraderie and coaching.
I’m not going into too much detail about this so future participants have a similar experience as I did, but I can tell you it is hard, but fun. It’s kinda funny but many people I told about this event related that it sounded a little crazy. Stomping around the woods in West Virginia, climbing trees and carrying logs to name only a few of the events. With the perspective of having finished the Expansion Course I’d have to admit these people were right in characterizing it as “crazy” but I would also say that a life without a little insanity, without a challenge that makes you seriously question if you can (or should) complete it…A life without these elements, at least occasionally is likely boring to the point of tears. I went into this event looking for more tricks to make me a better coach and athlete and I found these aplenty. I did not expect to be mentally and physically challenged in a way that I’ve never experienced. I have a feeling I will be a better person and coach because of this week.
BTW-If you are planning on the December course in Thailand, I’ll see you there.
I really enjoyed the posts about the expansion course Robb… Looks like it was an awesome time… Reminds me of my childhood running around in the woods building tree-houses.
Robb, great posts. After the first day I was constantly checking to see when you’d update. Sounds like a great course, I wish I would’ve gone, WV is driving distance for me. Have good trip home!
Chad-
this stuff is so up your alley. I think Erwan has 1 spot left on the august mixed group. if you could make it you’d LOVE it.
Robb,
enjoying your TWEETS. Hope all is well.
Bob
Thanks Bob!!
Am pleased so many like this but am still baffled as to why one would pay hard earned sponds to do this when one can do this on ones own locally or in some exotic place..horses for courses but still DEEPLY baffling to me.
Well… Some long standing ankle issues appear to be resolved, I learned a ton of techniques on everything from climbing to running to swimming. I went to a 5 day long event and learned material that will improve my mobility, my jits game and will be fun to integrate into our curriculum. For me, it was worth it…not sure how to explain it beyond that. For someone else, perhaps it would be a misallocation.
Yeah, I was looking at the 1 ticket left for the August class, but I don’t think my foot will be recovered by then unfortunately. The swelling finally went down this week after 3 weeks of waiting and they think I may have a lisfranc injury on the MRI. If that’s the case, my 4-6 weeks may have just turned into 4-6 months. no bueno
Yea, I’d wait. you will want your feet in good shape for this.
When you visiting chico?
Robb, thanks for sharing your movnat experience with us. With any luck, I hope to take the course next year so I can experience it first hand.
The MovNat courses sound awesome. This sounds like something I would love to do, and be a great learning experience. I think I might have to try my best to make it to the Thailand one (I have some family in Bangkok I’ve been meaning to go see for years too and haven’t made it yet).
Hopefully soon! I think Cal State does spring admissions, so I suppose we’ll need to visit the campus August or September. I warned her not to wait till the deadline to apply. Hopefully my foot will be good to go by then.
Thanks lad..i thought about it afterwards and think i know why.
I spent close to 15 years living oot my rucksack earning very little and yet living living with so little i literally fell under the radar(camped nr Heefrow and Gatwick when i was working there for 2 months to garner enough ‘sponds’ to piss orf for 18 months..took 800 quidlies to Afrique thinking i;d be there for well not sure and wangled it that stayed 3 years.
So after post i figured its cos i so low-keyed my spending habits as to thus have the perspective i have.Plus i’m a maximizer as its called..i seem to bet a massive amount of pleasure per little i spend not the other way round.
Hope all well with yee and Mrs…i got attacked at work the other day and was spat on the next day so perhaps alo i don’t need the simulated territory of conflict/aggy as i have it at work anyways !!!
FEllows-
yea, we actually live pretty skinny too. Largest spending is on food, travel is always when deals are had (except for the seminars which i just have to grab whatever) paid off car…I DO NOT want more crap, nor do i want to spend money on the vast array of consumer goods. i want experiences. Learn a language, play guitar receive coaching.
Good luck at work, sounds… not fun!
So would you classify parts of this trip as something surreal? Like after a particular day of learning something new or overcoming a mental obstacle, you look back and think, “Wow, this is so weird but I really like it.”?
I hope so — these kind of moments in life are treasures.
Hope you enjoyed it Robb. Truly.
mark-
Yea, I would certainly characterize it that way. Also, now that I;m home, things are percolating to the surface. Intense, life changing stuff.
Robb it was a blast training with you this past week! You are an animal! Best of luck on your belt test tomorrow. Can’t wait to read the book! I’ll have to make my way up to Chico sometime soon for some training.
Bryan-
Same here man, it was a great week. Anytime you can make it here you ahve a place to stay and train. good chow too!
This is not related to the MovNat course, but I just wanted to update you on the glucose tests I had done. I got the following results:
Fasting Insulin= <2
Fasting Glucose= 88
2 hrs later Glucose=106
2 hrs later Insulin= 19
Thyroid=2.23
Now, my doctor just told me all of the above looked normal to her (in a message, so I haven't been able to speak with her directly). But does that look like a normal fasting glucose level, on a Paleo Diet? Granted, I am not 100%, but pretty darn close (I eat the occasional piece of dark chocolate or bite of icecream) and dont count my carbs, but only eat fruit for carbs for one meal, and the rest veggies. I recently gave up diet coke, and am feeling better for it. I'm sure that will help, but still feel like there should be more changes happening. I crossfit 4x/week (Mon/wed/thurs/fri) and run 1-2 times per week.
Amy-
A1c would be more helpful. It looks ok…mine was higher then that recently and I think ti was stress as It’s been much lower at other points.
Intense, life-changing stuff? Lemme see, husband, gym owner, Paleo expert, author, weekly podcaster, daily blogger, good person to everyone and world traveller. Hmmm…isn’t your life intense enough? Hahahaha
Seriously, hope it’s a good, life-changing percolating kinda thing.
mark-
too kind. It was a very positive experience.
Will do.
Robb-I just had the A1c done and it came out 5.3. I was told that 4.8-6.0 is the “normal” range. So if we go by numbers alone I seem to look like I have a normal system. I have PCOS and thought I was insulin resistant given that I haven’t been able to lean out really on a paleo diet, but maybe not given the above results. Incidentally, since going off the “sauce” i.e. diet coke I am feeling better and maybe even a bit smaller. Maybe my system was just hung up on the fake sugars. I still eat a square of dark chocolate a few times per week but nothing major. I get about 7 hrs sleep on average, sometimes more. Drink a lot of water. I probably have your average stress level.
Amy-
Yea, we’d like to see that below 5. Sleep might be a little skinny. My A1c was elevated after several weeks of travel.
Finally, I found the information I was looking for. I have been doing research on this subject, and for four days I keep entering websites that are supposed to have what I’m looking for, only to be discouraged with the lack of what I needed. I wish I would have found your website sooner! I had about 30% of what I needed and your website has that, and the rest of what I needed to complete my research. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Ted-
Glad it was helpful!
Robb,
Great posts. As a fitness enthusiast I can really see where you are coming from. Seeing how you juggled school and fitness is really inspiring, seeing that I want to go to medical school now I know it can be done. The only question that I have is how old do you have to be to attend these seminars. I am not old enough to vote so that could pose a problem. or would it not?
Not sure on that! contact MovNat and see if a parental release is all you need.
Happy to have stumbled on this account as I was starting to have some misgivings about signing up for the Expansion Workshop this June. This is going to be a real stretch for me but your positive account presses home the point about success being built on failure. I’m really looking forward to this…even if I am a bit fearful.
I agree with Xander.
This post about robbwolf, is exactly what I wanted to find. Thank you!