Skin care: in which the pH thing kind of fizzles, but is still good to know about.

After all that research on the pH of skin products, testing determined that my usual cleanser is in the perfect range of acidity — both good and bad news, since it means all the new knowledge isn’t actionable. So, regarding skincare, I’m going to move forward with mandelic acid and call the rest of my current routine good, and see what transpires over the next couple of months.

Also, a shout-out for The Scrublet because I really like it. Its silicone material doesn't soak up expensive face wash, and doesn't trap bacteria, and is scrubby yet soft.

heisenbug told me that he noticed my skin looking nice this morning, so yay!

Insane four days; Movement-X; goals

Let's preface by saying I've had an INSANE four days: Two days at the Ido Portal Movement-X weekend in NYC, followed by skydiving the next day, followed by now I'm on an airplane to Oregon.

Movement-X was really fun. Some of it was familiar to me, and sometimes I felt in-groupy due to my prior experience with Ido’s distance coaching (several people came up to me with “I think I saw you on YouTube when I was researching Ido’s stuff!”); some of it was humbling, like being thrown out of the advanced handbalancing group right after setting my own personal record for controlled motion between straight and tuck handstands (now at two and a half, thank you very much. I was happy).

My notes are five typed pages long. It all gave me a lot to think about, from “should I go back to pursuing muscle-ups?” to “what is all this movement quality really for, anyway?” They kept saying that individual strength moves and skills were only as good as being able to apply them in some way, but their movement patterns — floreio or whatever — don’t really seem like an application that has practical value. Perhaps it’s all for joy, but if so, they should say that.

At any rate, I’m grateful for the inspiration I got there, and the reminders that there is plenty of happy-making discovery to be had by working with one’s own body. I become more and more certain that the next phase of my physical work is going to be solo, and I was feeling down about that… now I feel much less down, more curious and interested in where I might be able to go over the next few months. Handstands are going to remain the centerpiece; dedicated flexibility work also continues to sound good to me, and I could work on walkovers again. Those go well with handstand and split work.

Hanging? Yeah, I like hanging, I could take their hanging challenge. Maybe in November or, if I don't have to travel, December.

I’m still trying to decide whether to go back to muscle-up drills — I quit those three years ago for a reason, after all, but I’m bored with chin-ups, and muscle-ups ARE the next thing — and the Ido Portal method has moved on from using pistols for leg work. I still like 'em, but could experiment with other things.

One challenge Ido Portal’s group sets for anyone who wants distance coaching is, roughly: define 3-month and 1-year goals along five different progressions. Without even going into my patented rant on goals and timelines, I’ll immediately rephrase that: define five pathways upon one plans to travel, with approximate projected milestones intended for the 3-month and 12-month timeframes.

Now we have a useful exercise, and… geez, I don’t even really know what mine are. I’ve done SO much maintaining personal stuff while working on partner skills, I’ve almost lost track of improving on my own.

Directions I’d like to go with solo skills:

• Handstands, of course! The press is the holy grail, but I also want leg variations and endurance. I think I can probably get a 60s hold on video by the end of the year.


• A pain-free right hamstring with a (more) comfortable front-back split


• Back and front walkovers — these go well with backbends, handstands and splits work


• Muscle-ups? Should I go back to these drills, and get calloused wrists, and all that?

This all reminds me of a talk I had with Rocky recently in which he encouraged me to have three handbalancing goals at all times. But I’m not sure, not sure about goals. They do help some people, but they’re nasty pitfally little things regardless.