A new obsession

Or an old one rejuvenated?

I must perform a proper pistol/deep one-legged squat.  About a decade ago, a sunny summer day on the slope of Mount-Royal, I was strolling with a couple of friends from northern England and the subject of one-legged squats came up.  I'd never envisioned such a thing, but I was informed that performing such a squat was a mark of superior fitness, which none of us claimed that day.   I flirted with acquiring the skill, but there were so many other things to do that summer, my last in Montreal, and I moved on with my life.

So, I can't say that I've spent the ensuing decade in strenuous pursuit of the successful one-legged squat, but the last few days have perhaps made up for that neglect.  It's gotten under my skin.  I've been practicing at work and at home, one on each side, now and then.  It's gotten almost comfortable to drop down without falling over, but I still cannot get up.

Today, I jogged for an hour, 5.3 miles, and then I did Zwow #12 in shoes.  That felt weird.  Apart from the treadmill jogging, all of my household activities, and most of my backyard activities, are done in bare feet, and I've done weights and x-training in bare feet or socks for years.   I don't like wearing shoes, and they don't seem to help in this pursuit.

The solution, therefore, is not an artificial heel lift, but a greater core and squat strength.  I must hold myself up at the sweet spot, far enough down to count, thighs past parallel to the ground, but not so far down that my heels lift up and I cannot get back up.  I can lower myself down but I seem to accelerate somewhat and I shoot past the sweet spot.  I am not strong enough to resist gravity.  Not yet.

Someday on a summer stroll, or whenever, wherever, I will balance on one foot and float down and back up effortlessly.