Nemesis (Parkour for old guys)

Say hello to Nemesis.

Nemesis is a concrete wall at the local elementary school. From left to right, Nemesis varies from 8'2" to 9'2" as the ground slopes downward.

We scouted this wall out about a month ago, after a Team Live Badass training session. At the time we had just run 2.5 miles, did a ton of burpees, jumps, leaps and wall climbs. By the time we found Nemesis we were in no shape to attempt such a feat... but we did anyways. The wall won and we hung our heads in defeat, vowing to return.

And return we did. Last Saturday Bill came over and we took a stroll down to the school yard to size up our enemy. After a quick warm-up of some push-ups and a couple quick lunges, Bill went for the low side (8'+) in full urban walk about gear.

Making short work of the obstacle, we were feeling good and confident. Billy makes several attempts at the high side. It took us each several leaps just to get our finger tips on to the top of the wall. White men can't jump and even at my 6' 2" height, the 9'+ leap is tough. But we kept at it. Billy gets sooo close, but the wall would remain his Nemesis.

I decided to forego the short side and put all my effort into one summit attempt on the high side.

This wall is nice, because you not only have the slope to change difficulty, but the other side is on a nice grassy hill for a soft landing.

I was able to beat Nemesis that day, having the benefit of lightweight clothes and grippy skate shoes. I think Billy could do it in his runners, but his heavy worn boots weren't helping. But Nemesis doesn't let you win without paying a price.

Now that I know it can be done, I need to work on my technique. I've been reading and browsing around the Parkour and Free Running sites for tips and tutorials. The trick, it seems, is speed. Hanging on that wall makes your arm strength fade fast. Explosive movements are great, but it's hard to do. I'd like to find some lower walls to practice technique on. If you know somewhere, let me know. I've also got a pull up bar coming in the mail to hopefully help too.