For whatever reason I have been trying to stop napping everyday after work. I went to the dog park right after work with not much energy and my feet were hurting. I tried to break in some new NB# 212s since my Swifts had worn through to the midsole. But I was skating so terribly in them I gave up and pulled my Swifts out of the car. They immediately felt better and I was able to land kickflips again. But that was about it. I struggled with everything. Had a couple halfcab flips, fakie flip, heelflips going super slow and decided to just huck for awhile on the grey area going super slow. I went in hard on rick flips and landed on a few, but never rode away. Going the other way I rotated between nollie flips and switch flips. Some switch flips felt great and I put one foot on it, but never both. Pretty miserable session. I’ll go back to napping.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, stock white bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, footprint gamechanger low profile orthotic insoles)
(pain level 4/10 in heel until I switched to the Swifts)

I thought I was feeling pretty good, but when I went outside to wait for Matt and set my board down I immediately felt exhausted and lethargic. Doh. I messed around with some nollie shoves and no complys. Matt showed. We got to a somewhat crowded Broomfield park. Sean was going through flip trick after flip tricks with incredible style. Darin was working on switch front shoves. Justin was lining out the whole park. Rob was hucking some of his harder tricks right away and would soon begin landing them in what became one amazing Rob demo. But first, Eric, Matt, Rob and I mostly started on the escalator blue ledge and manny pad after it. I was so out of it, I didn’t really do anything. Eric did crooks up it. Rob did front tail, front 50, manual, etc. Matt rattled off back 50s, 5-0s, nosegrinds, fakie 50s like they was nothing. Jack and Carleigh showed and this is about when the Rob demo was in full effect. Front nosegrind, front nosegrind 180, front 50 back 180 out, front nosegrind to front lip, backside flips, 360 shoves, fakie nosegrind 180 out. These tricks were normally in lines and Rob was even skating faster than normal. Jack immediately began doing tricks that are so fun to watch. Manual pivot around to fakie manual to fakie front shove out on the brown ledge, back 180 fakie manual the blue ledge, etc. Carleigh was warming up on the brick qp then joined near the stairs for the ledges. The front 50 shove didn’t happen this time, but the front lip did. I had kind of given up on tricks for awhile and just went with running into the parking block to try slappy front crooks. I would eventually get a few, some of which felt decent, several which felt like willy grinds. Oh well, it’s a new trick. I got a fakie front 50 switch 180 out then started trying switch front shove out. I got it! It took awhile, but I did and it felt great to land a new trick. Especially with how hard I was struggling. Matt was going for fakie 5-0 which he got. Jack did a perfect back shove back 50 then went on to do it to 5-0 with a front 180 out. That’s some serious board control wizardry. Eric was doing lipslides up the sad ledge, front tails the blue ledge, back 50 the blue ledge and had some funny heelflips over the parking block along with some perfect ones. It seemed like we were gonna head out, but Matt really awakened and was slaying the park. Back 50 the hubba, front lip the tiny rail, back nosegrind the black ledge, back lip the tiny rail. Jack nollie heeled the parking block so casually first try, but wasn’t able to get it so clean again. Pretty fun night, especially for how bad I skated overall.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, stock white bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, spenco thinsole orthotics)
(pain level 4/10 not focused on my knees but everywhere)

Went out around the time the sun was going behind the foothills to play in the last few minutes of light. Started with no pop tricks then worked into pop shoves and kickflips. Fakie flip and halfcab flip were quick. Heelflip took a bit and I was kinda stressing, but after getting it a second try halfcab heel made me feel better. Got treflip and b/s flip. Couldn’t put down nollie tre although I got very close. Same with fakie bigflip. Then it got too dark and I went inside.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, stock white bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, footprint low profile gamechanger insoles)

I was on my way to skate with Dave in Longmont when I got a text from India that she would be coming home to hang out soon. So I turned around and stopped at a very low manny pad near Pearl & Foothills. It’s about 2″ tall. Dave had challenged me to Nollie back shove manual. I’ve never even done that up a curb. I figured maybe a good first goal is to get up a 2″ tall curb. I got a couple up the curb and I could see how maybe I could manual it, but then I went home to hang with Inida.

All day I had thought about the fact that I had to give up on front 50 the day before. It was eating at me. I’ve never liked the Venture 8″ high trucks so I had put low trucks on. I wanted to see if I had better luck with lows. I got to Douglass after a mostly lazy day feeling anxious about trying the 50. I started with some lines and was having fun. Kickflips felt good, tried a couple front tailsides on the curb on the side, had some good feeling wallride nollies, noseslides and crooks on the main ledges. Tried a line starting with front board then b/s flip. I had no real plans after that and I only got one b/s flip, but I followed it with a first try halfcab flip that felt awesome and then totally posed a 360 flip noseslide which I was obviously not close to whatsoever (although it kinda felt possible). After that I went in on the front 50s. I almost got it first try. But after that it was awhile. I was getting into the 50 more consistently at least. I had a few that felt like they would be makes, but I was going slow and I hadn’t waxed the ledge. I was trying noseslides, crooks and 3 flips on the way back. I finally got a front 50. Whew. Then I setup my phone and got another one. I know I’m going really slow, but it felt good to at least do it and not give up. I do think the low trucks are good for me too. They have a quicker pop and being that tiny bit closer to the ledge in the grind feels good. I should have kept skating, but I left after the second 50.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, stock white bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, footprint low profile gamechanger insoles)

On a very bright and sunny day I met up with Rob at Douglass. I had done some good warming up before I got there and had a fun line covering the micro hip to ledge as Rob pulled up. It was something like front 180, switch noseslide to forward, nollie back shove, nollie front shove, noseslide. It was still fun though. We mostly started on the curb area. Oh yeah, I had a new board and small trucks again. 8.25 with Venture 5.25 High trucks. Not sure why I went for the highs instead of lows, but that’s what I did. My first kickflip felt great. I told Rob that I was 0-40 on halfcab flips the day before and hit my breaking point with the big board. I would like to say never again, but you know me. Needless to say I was happy when I got a couple halfcab flips in a few tries. We were both trying lines. Rob was mixing in wallride nollies, front shoves, kickflips with front and back 50s. He also had a nice b/s flip on the micro hip followed by a solid slam due to a stop rock. Doh. We moved towards the main attraction and mostly lined out those benches/ledges too. I love the cali grind up the yellow curb to start. Rob was starting with no comply or back 180 up the curb. I had a heelflip at some point, some noseslides, a couple crooks. Couldn’t really boardslide. Rob was going for the crazy no comply wallie thing again or boardslides on the longer ledge. We were there for quite awhile before Fuzz showed and then left. Ha. Fuzz started with manual around the curb cut area. I think we chilled for awhile after this. When the clouds blocked the sun it was pretty nice out, but when the sun was out it was so hot. Jack and Carleigh showed. Jack appeared to hurt himself on the first kickflip of the day and a few minutes later put an end to his old chipped up deck. We started skating some more. Rob was going for boardslide to manual. Fuzz, Carleigh and I were going for noseslide variations. Fuzz and Carleigh had good regular noseslides with pop out. I had a fun one to fakie. I couldn’t get the noseslide shove, but neither could Carleigh so maybe it’s harder than she said. Ha. I tried some front noseslides. I was going super slow. A couple kind of worked. Rob was lining out front noseslides with no comply shove up the curb. Fuzz got a couple front 50s. Then I started trying front 50s. And trying and trying and trying and failing and not getting very close. I probably tried 40-50 of them and only kind of got into a couple. Everyone else was sitting and I had to just give up. That is not easy for me.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 v-hollow, bones bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, footprint low profile gamechanger insoles)

Hit the dog park before work. Wasn’t feeling overly motivated, but my legs felt good. Things started out pretty well. I got the kickflip – no comply 180 – fakie flip warm up line in a couple tries. Then came halfcab flip which ruined me. I couldn’t land it. I was literally like 0-40. I moved on. I got a first try heelflip. Fakie bigflip, 360 flip and eventually a halfcab flip. I was furious. My legs felt good and I was trying and I just couldn’t land tricks. I think this will be the last day on such a big board.

(setup null perception 8.5 deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings bones v1 stf 51mm wheels, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprint gamechanger low profile insole)
(knee pain 0/10)

Got to Broomfield park around 8pm. Garrett, Rob and Carleigh showed up around the same time. Things started slow. Well, maybe not for Garrett, he was ripping out of the gates. Such good style. I had started with the PJ shoes, but they hurt so I put an old pair of Es Switfts on and they felt great. I was swearing off the big board too. I’m not sure how it happened, but all of a sudden it seemed like everyone was in the zone trying hard stuff for them. We were mostly skating the blue ledge. For me it was a fakie 50 switch 180 out first try and I’ve only done that trick once before. I followed it with a first try Joe Hamilton. Rob did a few kickflip front boards and then him and Carleigh were trying front 50 shove out. Carleigh cracked her board really bad, but was still able to skate. She would get a solid one shortly before the lights shut off. Rob did it as well and then got nollie 50 front shove out. I also saw front 50 back 180. Garrett was trying lots of front 180 fakie manuals. He got one with a little love tap at the end. His front blunts on the quartapotty were sick looking. I ended up stacking quite a few tricks for me. Front 5-0 front 180 out, front 50 back 180 out, fakie nosegrind (I’m not actually sure the truck really grinded), a front nosegrind with a love tap, back 50 shove (so slow). I remembered to try and ollie the 6 stair. I committed the first two tries, but splatted for reasons I don’t understand. I bailed the third try and then the lights shut off. Such a fun night.

(setup null perception 8.5 deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings bones v1 stf 51mm wheels, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprint gamechanger low profile insole)
(knee pain 2/10)

After a long day at work and some food I ended up at the school across the street in the back alley. The lights aren’t great, but there are a couple good spots. The PJ shoes felt weird initially again. Kickflips did not come easy. Nothing did. Struggled with halfcab flip, heelflip. I had thought about f/s halfcab heeflip all day and wanted to land one. But between the new shoes and the big setup I couldn’t. The session was seriously terrible except a first try treflip and the fact that my feet and knees didn’t hurt at all.. until the next day when I woke up with a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis. Argh

(setup null perception 8.5 deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings bones v1 stf 51mm wheels, new balance numeric 533v2 brown/gum size 12, stock insoles)
(knee pain 0/10)

Work late this week.  After dinner and some soccer with Ollie it was dark.  I went to the research area wanting to skate flat in the newer concrete areas.  I started in the area that has the little 2 stair.  Oh yeah, seeing as how the vulcs ended up hurting bad last time and the 868s are just too bulky I tried some new shoes.  PJ 533v2s.  They felt very different when I started and impossible to skate.  It bummed me out.  I would kind of get things going a little bit.  I suck so bad at flatground lately.  Changing shoes almost every time I skate and the bigger setup are not helping.  I got a couple lines with 180s down the stairs and basic kickflip variations.  I got annoyed with the lights shutting off/on and went to the other new area with the wood benches.  After a slam on a fakie flip I went up to the ledge and finally had a little fun.  Noseslides, noseslide to fakie.  I slammed hard on a noseslide to fakie and screamed.  Got up and tried it again and landed it.  It was refreshing to be so upset about not landing a trick. Because lately I seem to not get upset and also not really try hard.  I got several crooks, but they were just little quick jibs. One bad back axle stall. I tried switch varial flip on the way up the hill and kickflips down the hill. It sucked dodging all of the roly polys. I got a decent feeling halfcab noseslide then a better crooks and called it a night.

(setup null perception 8.5 deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings bones v1 stf 51mm wheels, new balance numeric 533v2 brown/gum size 12, footprint gamechanger low profile insole)
(knee pain 2/10)

Feeling very unmotivated I headed out to this spot before Rob or Carleigh were ready to skate. I was wearing vulcs again as the bulky 868s made me feel so clumsy. This would turn out to be a bummer as my feet just ended up hurting and I hardly committed to any flip tricks. I had a couple warm up lines to get going. Manual, front 50, kickflip. Fakie 50, switch 50, fakie flip. The switch front 50 on the tiny curb was fun. Carleigh showed and after calming Ella down did a second try front 50 that was perfect. Unfortunately they all weren’t that easy for her, but she got quite a few more. Some nice kickflips, some back 50s on the lower curb. She also had some lines with shoves, nollie shoves, etc. Rob showed and had some fire. Manuals, manual body varial, nose manual 180, back 50s, etc. The photo is of a sick halfcab back 50 near the end of the session. Rob had clean snaps over the flat bar. I was amazed that I used to be able to ollie up the ledge. I couldn’t even get close this time, I did at least get up into deck check. I almost got a line that sounds good on paper. Fakie 50, switch 50, halfcab flip on flat, ollie the flat bar. But I clipped on the flat bar and fell. My feet started hurting so bad by the end. Argh. The shoe/insole game for pain sucks so bad. I am jealous of Rob who has found a shoe that works so well for him.

(setup null perception 8.5 deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings bones v1 stf 51mm wheels, new balance numeric 255 cream/gum size 12, spenco 3/4 thinsole orthotics and thin nb# insoles)
(knee pain 3/10 and foot pain that stopped me after a couple hours)