The Human Hunt
I would like to share with you a game that I came up with some time ago, but regretfully, have not been able to play due to lack of participants (further ebbing to start this website and get the paleo on around here!)…………..
The concept is very simple. Almost a glorified version of ‘tag.’ Get a group of people together who don’t mind getting dirty (at least 4 I would say), and head to a natural area that is not to dense in people, but at least kind of dense in plant life. The place I always have in mind is Franklin Grove Natural Wildlife Viewing Area (Illinois DNR page here). The only equipment you should need for this game is flag football flags. Enough to go around. Or you can get creative with stuff from home if you don’t have those (like myself).
Now just determine a general perimiter to your playing field based on how many people you have, terrain, etc… and either choose a entrance point for everyone at different places, or everyone enters the area in timed intervals to get some seperation. Also determine a spot for people to go once they get ‘killed’ to wait til game end.
THE KILL:
This is very simple, once someone has lost both of their flags, they’re dead. If your flag gets snagged on a branch I say your fine, but the rules can be whatever you want, so long as everyone agrees. Also, not only one person has to get your flags. You clash with one person and they take off with one, your’e still in. Someone else sneaks up and snags your other flag. Your’e out.
SOME RULES: (optional)
- You should decide whether your game will be every man for himself, or if teaming up should be allowed (you could also do a ‘teams’ version if so inclined).
- Decide what is to be done with ‘kill flags.’ If everyone has different color flags then you could just hook your ‘kill flags’ up to your own belt for convenience.
- Weapons… probably left alone, but if everyone is game, why not duel it up with a couple of long sticks you both found. Once again, everyone should be on the same page here. And remember, the game is primarily about the stealth stalking of your prey, and the ensuing chase. Only people who are comfortable with it should incorporate much combat.
GETTING STRONGER: (also optional)
All flags the same color? Not everyone have pockets or fanny-packs for their kill flags? Consider this if you think your a badass: every kill flag you get simply gets added to your belt, and makes you much harder to kill. Keep in mind this would probably drag out a long battle between the last two standing and everyone else would get bored… but it could also be intense, and awesome for two people!
*If you only have one color flag, just add some electric tape to some of them, it comes in all sorts of colors these days!
SCORE:
If you choose to keep score, there are several ideas:
- Simple: Last man standing wins in free-for-all
- Points: Whoever collected the most kill flags is the winner (wouldn’t work right if ‘getting stronger’). You could tally kill flags at the end of each round, and at the end of the day, the person with the most is the big winner. This would likely apply best to teams versions.
You can do all sorts of variations, I’m sure. And if left to my own devices, I could probably write half of a thesis here! So what do you guys think? Sound like fun? Got any good spots? Suggestions for scoring, or other fun rules? I think with a game like this, the possibilities are endless, and with only you and your pals in charge, you could have a great time for little or no money at all! (added bonus)!!
Stay tuned if you like this game, I do have two specific ideas that I feel warrant their own (smaller) posts!
30 Day Paleo Challenge: So hot right now
All right so I’m not above it, nor am I about to bash it, but I just seem to be catching wind of a lot of thirty day paleo challenges lately. Sounds kinda trendy and fun! Soooo… my bunny and I have decided to jump on board
I’ll be honest, if you were some sort of internet algorithm (like the one that keeps advertising Ann Taylor to me just because my girlfriend looked their clothes up and we share a computer) you would know that I have not been a very active member of the paleo community this year. Seldom commenting on Marksdailyapple, though I am still reading it most days. Nor much on any other blogs. I didn’t quite make it halfway through ‘the Paleo Solution’ that I got for Christmas…. I may have eaten copious quantities of doughnuts and such… I’ve been on a bender.
Time to put the past where it belongs. That manifests in a few ways.
- Blogging: This website needs a facelift, and a LOT more frequent posting. I won’t make any promises like once or twice a week, but maybe I will soon.
- Eating: Duh! It goes without saying for myself, but yeah I gotta get my paleo on… more on that later
- Movnat: I did enjoy my gym back home and utilizing it to get in shape as well as spend some time with a good friend, but I have no more gym membership and I am only interested in my Movnat training. Ideally I will have once a week meetups here in Madison, maybe more, maybe less.
- Barefoot running: I managed to stick to my guns here. Aside from a couple of job interviews I have only stepped foot in minimalist shoe. Have been doing some running lately in my VFF’s but it’s just not the same.
Long story short. I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, and I thought that I posted it! (apparently I suck at this blogging thing) This time, gonna do good before and afters, at least photos. We don’t really have our medical stats. This won’t be a nazi challenge… very 80/20… maybe 90/10. This is my girlfriends first go at this paleo thing, and let’s face it: your signifcant other telling you what to eat can probably be as annoying as your parents telling you what to eat.
If anyone wants in on this, let me know. I’m thinking a weekly update should do. All right time for dinner. Sorry for no fancyness here, no links, pics… man I’m not bringing my A-game! all right see everyone in a week!
Midwest paleo goes mobile!
Happy new years everybody! Just want to let you know that the afore mentioned smartphone (DROID X) may very well be my key to getting some more blogging done. Just downloaded the wordpress app from android marketplace and am now writing my first mobil blog post! I’m officially crazy about the swype function for inputting text and this is surprisingly fast!
I think this will really result in readers getting more insight into my mind/opinions with quick posts the moment something enters my crazy brain.
Also, writing helps me not look awkward while my girlfriend is trying on new clothes! I swear bunny I love you and I’m not trying to make you look crazy on my website!
That’s all I got right now. I’m gonna give my phone a break. Love the droid, but it is the phone equivalent of a ’69 GTO!
*sidebar. I wrote this while thing yesterday at banana republic, thought I lost it when I backed out to use the calculator. Obviously I was wrong. Happy new year folks.
Hello everybody, long time, no blog. Figured I would squeeze one last post into 2010 while I wait for my girlfriend to get ready to go out for new year’s eve.
Basically I’m just going to say that I had an awesome Christmas. I’ll probably post some pictures sometime, but I now have Robb Wolf’s Paleo Solution, Tim Ferriss’ Four Hour Work Week, Loren Cordain’s The Paleo Diet, and The Barefoot Book: 50 great reasons to kick off your shoes. I’m still job hunting, so my reading time will be very limited, but soon enough, I will be a big time paleo snob and hopefully provide some extra tips to everyone (like you can’t find plenty everywhere, but I want to contribute what I can).
Next gift: Vibram Five Fingers!! FINALLY!!! I’ve only been putting off buying them for myself for a year! Admittedly I wanted to try a pair on first for sizing which didn’t happen til very recently, but I finally have them! I wore them for 16 hours straight yesterday (12 hours work) and I must say, I dig it. There was a little chaffing on the achilles tendon, but not too bad for that kind of time, I think. Other than that, no complaints really. The patterns were very much embedded in the top of my foot when I took them off, but it didn’t hurt.
Looks like she’s bout done so I have to rap this up but I”ll let you all know I’m planning on having a review section soon(ish) for all these books, and other paleo products. I guess that is my contribution 
Gotta go, I’ll let ya know how the five’s hold up to dancing…. if she lets me wear them out tonight.
Update…
Hey everyone, I know I haven’t posted in a while so here’s why… I’M MOVIN!! To Madison, WI. Since mid-October I have been Apartment hunting, then I have been job hunting for about the last month and so much that comes along with all of this. (the move itself). I am trying to keep my life sane with doing all this and work a bunch of OT so that is where I have been. Now I am off to lunch with my dad! Please bear with me folks, I’ll be back soon:)
I apologize for the poor grammar today… I’m rushing.
And Robert, I still have every intention of publishing the Midwest Primal Games… I’m just a lil behind schedule 
If you’ve been wondering WHY I had a picture from The Matrix on my very first post, then I will tell you!
a) to grab your attention and keep you coming back for more! various studies show that we are more likely to remember something if we have an image to associate. b) the real reason is because of a correlation I have made between barefoot running and that great quote from the first movie!
My first foray into barefooting was summer ’09 and then I fell off (of fitness in general) until spring/summer of this year. After a couple of months I realized that many things come along with this lifestyle change (as it need not only apply to running, mind you). One is that people will ask you questions and tell you that it is unsafe and not good for you! I have been able to get most people I know to understand why I do it, and the questions are now more like: “Still running barefoot?” “Yep” “Thought so, how far can you go now?” (Much improved questions)
Through my various conversations (and online conversations) I had the revalation to explain to people that: Going barefoot after a few decades in modern shoes, is much like when Neo is first taken out of the matrix! Neo asks “Why do my eyes hurt?” to which Morpheus replies smugly “Because you’ve never used them before.” People new to the conversation say, “Doesn’t that hurt your feet?” The answer: Yes. At first.
Last summer I would run about three-quarters of a mile on a sidewalk, then bike path, to a great little open field to practice my Movnat workouts. I always wore my New Balance shoes on the side walk, and then carried them to my workout spot (and of course did my workout barefoot in the lovely grass). One day when I really wasn’t ready for it yet, I left the shoes at home. BIG mistake. It was a very dry, very hot day. The run there went just fine. For that matter, so did the workout. But they must have just mowed the grass and my feet were definitely ‘open’ by the time to head home. I was in such pain that I couldn’t make it on the scorching blacktop bike path, or those (what seemed like razors) sharp blades of grass. I even was on hands and knees for a bit, just trying to inch my way back…. this was, in fact, a terrible experience. By the time I got to the sidewalk part I ripped my T-shirt in two and tied the halves around my feet as makeshift socks… still hurt, but I made it home.
I feel I need to mention that the bulk amount of pain in my feet was gone after mere hours and what pain lingered only lasted a day or two. I thought I should mention that to avoid scaring the shoes back onto your feet!
After some time in the real world (and if memory serves, some future-tech help) Neo’s eyes adjusted and were ready for the real world. I guess what I’m getting at here is that we need to know our limits. Barefooting IS, in fact for all of us, but you must remember to take baby steps to begin with (coincidentally the same way you most likely took you first barefoot steps!!)
Learn from Neo, you may not have an extremely wise man with a cool name and a raspy voice to guide you along the way. But you do have many fantastic online resources to get you movin’. And last but not least, you have your feet! Learn from me and carry your shoes with you until you know where you stand(run). I promise they don’t hinder you running if they are in your hands, not on your feet!! 
Couple of links to get you started:
Please forgive…
I will be working on the site, messing with themes, etc… so if stuff appears funky, trust it won’t last!! thanx for the patience guys!
Barefoot Buyers Beware!!
If you haven’t noticed… I’m a fan of alliterations
I just wanted to issue my own personal warning for those of you out there considering purchasing a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, or any other minimalist shoe… primarily this concerns Fives though, due to the accuracy needed to fit them.
If you are just starting out in barefooting (props) I would warn you to hold off on the Fives for a couple of months. You may have come across this before, and it may not happen for you, but barefooting has an interesting side effect: Foot Shrinkage! I think that is the official medical term, but I’m not quite sure…. I hope you don’t actually buy that. But it is true. In a couple of months my feet probably shrunk 1-1.5 sizes!
It’s very simple to explain: Barefoot running uses small muscles in the sole of your foot that have been mostly un-used due to the protective nature of the modern shoe. Strengthening these muscles will cause them to tighten just as any other muscle on your body that you exercise. The result: The arch of the foot will pull tiny muscles in (making it look even more arched) and upon doing that, shorten the overall length of the foot! It’s that simple!
Another reason to hold off: Form. Fives (or any minimalist shoe) are definitely an upgrade from your big, fluffy Adidas, but I would urge you to start off your BFR career with nothing on so that you can receive the most feedback from the 1000+ nerve endings in your feet and avoid running to much on the balls/toes of your feet. It’s a fairly accepted consensus that people who go straight to minimalist shoes often have this problem and, as a result, put too much strain on the knees and ankle.
I would also like to mention that if your considering Vibrams, go to their website and read up on the issues they are having with counterfeiters! You don’t want an inferior product (or no product at all), and I’m sure you don’t want to support child labor. Their website has all the other info you need about their shoes, including sizing. REI (great site) has this video for further sizing help.
On a lighter note: Fun Facts!!
- Driving in your bare feet is illegal in the great state of Illinois.
- Bare feet is frowned upon in most places of business
- You will never have to tie your footlaces
- Most dirt rinses off of feet… Shoes require soap and toothbrush
- Eagles have 7,000 feathers (thank you Snapple)
- I LOVE BAREFOOTING!!!
Exactly what I mean when I say ‘Open’
I do a minimal amount of chatting and forum-surfing so please forgive if someone has already coined this phrase, or something different with the same meaning.
These sneakers are so much easier to clean than Nike's
I tend to use the word ‘open’ a LOT to describe how the soles of my feet feel after a limit-pushing barefoot run; and people (namely my girlfriend and my mom) get grossed out because I think they think that I mean bleeding or something… I don’t.
All the barefooters out there, you get it don’t you? The fresh feeling you get after a good run on the skin of your feet. Rejuvinated, yet also a little torn up from the terrain! It’s a good thing, as a part of listening to your feet. If you can tell how open your feet feel after three miles right now, and use that to gauge what your capable of, then that is a good thing.
My feet never hurt anymore. If they blister or callous, it goes away fast. I wanted to just give a post on my usage of the word to clarify for future posts.
As much as I am missing the summer’s long daylight, I am looking forward to the challenge of some barefooting in the cold and snow. Safety first, so I will certainly be carrying shoes with me, but I know it is doable and that there are many people out there who already do it. Hopefully I can learn by some trial & error of my own and share the insights with you all.
Leave me some comments and let me know about your own barefooting experiences. If you have none yet, feel free to shoot me an e-mail and I’d be glad to give pointers, or direct you to the places I got my tips from when I started. If your’e in the Midwest, I’d be glad to find some time to meet and join you for a barefoot run!
P.S. – I have some new things I am working on for the site. I will be posting either a weekly, or bi-weekly location where I will be at a set time practicing Movnat, barefoot running, or a combination of both so that people can join me if they are interested in learning more. Also I am working on a workout video (not just the sweatstone) , some photo shoots, and a couple other surprises!
