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Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion

I have been trying to get back into basketball mode, you know, shooting at the park, wearing my homemade strength shoes while playing wii in my basement, and wearing all of my favorite basketball jerseys. I have made some improvement.

This month, YouTube. I am basically watching and doing anything I can find with the tag 'increase your vertical'. So far this is the best I have found - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzyaOut_QxA. Already, this guy sounds like a jumping genius talking dorsiflexing and plantar flexion.

Superman

Dwight Howard is gifted.

A New Hope

I touched the rim today. It is a park rim which is a bit thicker than a gym, but that's still hope. It is way up there.

Reach for the Sky

Name 1

Shockingly, the majority of the people I talk to think I can do it, think I will be able to dunk. At least that is what they say, maybe they think they are going to hurt my feelings or don't want to shatter the dream. Ryan, my older brother, has been the most vocal about his doubt, and by doubt I mean made it clear there is no chance. Though he did dream I dunked. The smartest person I know in the science of jumping, The Daver, gave me a 4% chance. And that is about what I would give myself, a 5% chance. And as Lloyd Christmas knows, there's a chance.

Nate Robinson, 3x dunk champion, is 5' 9." Spud Webb, dunk champion, is 5' 7." Can anyone name a white 5' 7" person that can dunk? And not to be racist, but let's be honest, I said white.

Reaching

My body is a machine. I just completed my 3rd Ironman and yet, I feel like my entire body has atrophy. I can't remember the last time I jumped up and down, in excitment or for fun. Kids do it all the time and as an adult for one reason or another jumping just gets taken out of our lives. Maybe because everything is built our size and we don't need to reach for anything anymore.

I'm jumping more every day, because something is out of my reach. For now.

Welcome Back

Hello old friend. I haven't given you the proper time, the proper prep. I have no more endurance races, now just a space race.

Alan asked me the only real question now, "Am I going to just dunk, or slam dunk?"

I Will Never Back Down

Guy dunks himself through basketball hoop

Just go to the 1:40 mark

Hot Dog

Javale McGee hot dogs misses a free throw line jam

Concept 1 Black

NBA bans shoes designed to increase vertical leap

Greatest Missed Dunk of All Time?

Shannon Brown with the greatest missed dunk of all time?

Rare Double Alley Oop

Two high school seniors combine for a rare double alley-oop

Flaws of Flight

It has been 7 months. I gave myself 1 year to dunk. Maybe I can't dunk. Maybe I never will. Though, maybe I did this all wrong.

My original thinking going into this was - I am in the best shape of my life, the most athletic I have ever been and should have the best shot of my life to slam home the bacon. It has taken me this long to see there are a couple flaws in that thinking. Flaws that I think matter more than all of the potential benefits.

1) I weigh more than I ever have, around 160-165. I just have more for gravity to pull at. I need to become as light as possible. I am a piece of iron, but I've built up a tank, not a plane.

2) My entire body, all my muscles, are trained and built for endurance. I have an overwhelming lack of fast twitch muscles - most shockingly apparent in recent tennis matches with my brother, DINK-a-DUNK. Currently, none of my running focuses around a quick burst. I can run 30 miles but I can't get to a drop shot.

I'm building up a tank once more, attempting a repeat Ironman finish in November. And then... I'm going to tear it all down and make a body worthy of flight.

Curb adds 6 inches

PFUNK-a-DUNK February Attempt

Unfortunately on my February dunk attempt I got stuffed by the rim, on my way up... or at my peak. We will never know what could have been.

Wait Watchers

PFaD (I love it Karin) is in a funk.

If you read www.pieceofiron.blogspot.com you know I spent 2009 creating an ironman. That is my current frame, a 165 lb. endurance robot. But like Ironman in the movies, I need to be able to fly. 7 years ago I weighted 145 lbs., I wasn't as strong, played a ton of basketball, and a couple times touched the rim.

I need to know if the added 20 lbs. is weighing me down.

Clearing Up

It is becoming increasingly clear that my only shot is going to be a perfectly thrown alley oop. I need to throw a ball that is basically going to get called for goaltending when I slap it in.

This jump felt like my best attempt ever. Unfortunately on the play back, it doesn't really look the same as I remember...

A Christmas Miracle

Thanks to Molly, who has always believed in the FUNKaDUNK, hope has been restored...

Best gift ever.