[tomtom]

STG to go Climbing

M: Woke up to really bad back pain - took 5 min to get out of bed and 20 min to get dressed... Booked a visit to a physio just around the corner for that evening... Cannot even reach bottom of quads when trying to touch toes..

Went to Physio - long diagnosis session.. She suggested it wasnt: Arthritis, Disc problems (no slipped discs) - but lower back stiffness linked with a pulled/strained glute/piriform. 1/2 hour of extremely painfull yet strangely satisfying massage followed.. went home and had to lie down for an hour.. Told no climbing at all... Given a set of exercises to work on - all for lower back strengthening and glute stretches..

My back/arse compaint is best described as someone stabbing me deep in the hip when trying to transition between standing up and sitting down.

Tu: Early start - 2:30 train ride to Newcastle. Whole day sat in meetings. Whole evening sat in restaurant. 2-3 miles walking. Not good for the back. I became 45.

We: Full day of meetings/stuff. Managed to stand at the back (after explaining I had a bad back and wasnt trying to be menacing) which felt better. Managed some exercises in the Hotel in the morning and evening (Premier inn do hoover their carpets quite well. Thankfully). Had borrowed MrsTT's electric heat pack thingy - which provided much comfort on the area overnight...

Thu: Full day of meetings/stuff and train back to Manchester...

Fr: Took 20 min to make it out of the bedroom. Now established that the best method to get out of bed is to roll onto front, drop knees onto floor and then gradually move from all fours to standing over a few min... days of travel/meetings have taken their toll.. Struggled through day up to a Physio appointment at 4... Tried some deadhangs (30 secs worth) and it made my lower back hurt.

Felt like I took a beating in physio... she said my flexibility had improved - and provided me with some new stretches to try. Narrowed pain down to my piriform (I may have mistakenly thought glut earlier) - but spent ages working my lower back and also hamstring - which was really tight probably from compensating...

Went to dinner and cinema in the evening.. Nearly cried at dinner as it was hurting so much - it faded and we should have gone back but I wanted to see Interstella (and it was my birthday treat!). Probably a bad idea... waves of agony and calm ensued during the viewing. Should have gone home where I could shift my position/use heat packs more...

Sat & Sun. Getting up and trying to do as little as possible to aggravate the back. Its really hard, as lying down for long periods (ie overnight) makes my leg/arse/thigh really hurt - it stiffens right up. Sitting down for more than 20-30 min does the same.. so I am just standing / loitering around all the time. Walking medium distances seems OK. Easing off in the morning now...

Well climbing is well and truly out for now.. trying to manage my back/arse so I can just do normal daily things and meet some of my work commitments is my main aim at the moment. Not driven for 10 days - god knows how that will be...

[cheque]

That's awful tomtom.  Hopefully you'll be back on the rock before too long.

 STG- Finger rehab. Time for new goals I think! 

2014 goals- 20 11 E-points, back to 7th grade in sport (won't happen) and bouldering.

LTG- 8a sport, classic trad routes that currently seem way out of my league.

M- Nothing

T- Nothing

W- Nothing

T- Physio. Describing the progress the massage and stretching have made to my fingers in a month I realise I've come on leaps and bounds in a very short time. Physio thinks so too and notices that my middle PIP joints are visibly improved and that my posture and wrist flexibility are too. Gives me some spine mobilisation exercises to do that should, in combination with the stretching, ensure that I don't get recurrences of the finger/ elbow/ wrist problems that have affected me for years. Says I don't need a follow-up appointment. YYFY 

F- Nothing.

S- Faced with a horrific weather forecast and a day working this weekend decide to go to the comp at the Depot, thinking it will be a fun and light-hearted way to see mates and have a laugh. Get there to find that there's barely anyone from Nottingham and that the atmosphere is very serious and tense. 

This is the first time I've ever done a comp apart from "pay an extra quid to fill in a comp sheet" weekly league things and anyone who pays attention to my posts on here will be familiar with my general apathy for, propensity to spanner myself on and general rubbishness at indoor climbing. Set myself a goal of 200 points (from a possible total of 300 from 30 problems)- anyone who pays attention to my posts on here will also be familiar with my almost complete inability to hit targets I set for myself. Manage 205 points, flashing problem 22 and doing problem 24, a mantle thing that most people around my level consider nails.  Considering I've been recovering from injury for 11 months this is amazing. I climbed without any worry for my fingers and experienced no pain or side-effects during or after.

S-Working from home.

Confirmation both from a medical professional and the cruel bastard that is indoor climbing that, as long as I keep doing my preventative stuff, I'm over my finger problems this week.  Now all I need is for it to stop raining so I can go rock climbing.

[csl]

Sorry to hear you're injured TomTom

November Goals
Find a UK project (7c+) to work
Go Trad climbing
Climb a V8 indoors

Winter Goals
Climb 7c+
Any taped boulder on Biscuit Factory 50 degree board

Mon - Bouldering. Progress on White on 50º Board. A couple of other V6's.
Tue - Rest
Wed - AnCap.
Thu - Rest
Fri - Woke up late and missed session
Sat - Nothing
Sun - AnCap Session i should have done Friday.

Ok week, feeling the effects of sticking with AnCap.
Fairly major YYFY, quit my job, off climbing around Europe for the foreseeable future from March...

[fried]

STG - ?
LTG - 7A by 50

Mon- Tues - Nothing, had vague plans to go to the wall, but it's a long way from where I was working this week.
Wed - Finally got to the wall, everything had been reset for a comp, so I did a lot of easy stuff as I was feeling tired.
Thur- nothing
Fri - 3 sets BM
Sat - Made couscous for 10/ banned from climbing.

Sun - Spent the week planning to go to Elephant, but thanks to Mr Rginns video I changed my mind at the last minute and went to look at the red circuit at cul du chien. The weather looked excellent, that was until I got to Roche aux sabots, the whole place was dripping with condensation. Carried on to Cul du chien which wasn't much better, a couple of bits were in the sun, but all the top-outs were wet. Spent more time cleaning sand off my shoes than anything else. I still can't find the end of the red circuit.

[JackAus]

STG: DWS project.
MTG: ?
LTG: V11

M: Rode up to Sydney for job interview/meeting. Went well. Went to home of Sydney bouldering, Lindfield Rocks afterwards. Met up with a mate from Bristol. Played around doing all the classics, lots of highball stuff, all pretty technical. All up to V4 including a few V4 flashes. Rode back home. Knackered.
T:
W:
T:
F: DWS. 50m 7a traverse at high tide... Shoes got abit wet... and V3. 1 attempt on project. Very good attempt too. Felt like 1 inch reach from sloper. Just need to udge a tiny bit more out of my shoulders to get it... Offered rope work starting Monday morning.
S: DWS. 50m 7a traverse, 2x V3s. 2 attempts. Both good attempts. Controlled reach not far off it. Slowly slowly catchy monkey...
S: Rode up to Sydney.

[erm, sam]

Tom Tom, I used to have lots of problems with piriformis based back/hip/leg pain and it did go away. Buy a lacrosse ball and use it to self massage the buttocks, hips and lower back area. It greatly helps with getting everything relaxed and not so painful. It kills when you do it but I find it reduced the proper pain. Get used to changing postion at work every 15 mins or so. Swiss ball, kneelling at a desk instead of sitting, regular stretching etc etc during the day can really help.
I would do this sort of stretch every 20 mins or so thorough out the day to help ease it off:
http://www.fitness.com/exercises/uploaded/generated/knee_to_chest_glute_stretch_1.jpg

Of course all the details could be different for you but the Lacrosse ball self massage against a wall is a wonderfull thing.

[Muenchener]

Sounds rough TomTom. I had something similar a couple of years ago, but it sounds like I was lucky: muscle relaxants and piriformis stretching sorted it out in a few days. But no fun while it lasted: even rolling over in bed was a complicated manoeuvre requiring considerable planning.

[Muenchener]

STG (2014): Another decent day or two on rock this year, weather permitting.
    Indoor 7a redpoint.
MTG (2015): 7b redpoint
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl West Face (Dülfer), Marmolada south face (Vinatzer-Messner)

First Nik tells me I should redpoint 7b next year, then Alex Megos' coach tells me which 7b's I should redpoint. The pressure of expectation builds ...

M:
T: Wall, Gilching, Routes. Short session: 3 x 5c warm up, 2 x 6b os, 2 x 7a proj attempts.
W: Wall, Thalkirchen, Routes. 3 x 5c warm up, 5 x 6b/+ os attempts with only two successes - quickly became clear that I used up the week's power endurance yesterday - 5c 6a warm down.

T: Off work with the first heavy cold of the winter. Hoping to recover in time for good weather forecast and (another) possibly last climbing day of the year on Saturday. Half an hour forearm massage, foam rolling & stretching, knee physio exercises etc.

F: Training seminar with Patrick Matros (Gimme Kraft co-author, coach of Alex Megos). Lots on the importance of shoulder etc. mobilisation, stabilisation, effective antagonist strengthening (i.e. not therabands) We went through quite a few of the exercises from Gimme Kraft, but with more explanation of the whys and wherefores. Worthwhile. Afterwards over pizza picked up some tips for the Frankenjura 7b aspirant.

S: Sport climbing, Ammergau Alps. Another glorious autumn day, complete with sunbathing, but the lime is seeping quite a bit now. Nothing spectacular to report, but some good routes done including a 6c redpoint second go, and a 6b onsight that was quite possibly the best limestone slab pitch I've ever done*.

S: Beastmaker 7 sets. Knee physio exercises, mobility, shoulders, core.

* This might sound like damning with faint praise, but it isn't meant as such.

[kelvin]

TomTom - I had an issue with my glute last year and it caused no end of issues with my hamstrings and back. When it was fixed, everything just fell into place, so stick with whatever physio you've to do and it will all come good... really sorry you're having such a tough time.

csl - Nice work on heading off in March 

[kelvin]

Pretty crap week to be honest - a climbing mate was diagnosed with cancer on Monday, added to my lodger's mum finding out she has breast cancer. Sort of overshadowed most everything. Work was full on.

STG - Nov. Keep up mileage and work on power.
MTG - Spring. Focus on strength indoors. Have a decent grit season... lead a Brown and Whillans route!
LTG - Next Oct. Take 18 months off and go climbing! Spain for 6 months. Goal - f7a and not a soft one.

Mon - Rest.

Tue - Worked late.

Wed - Aerocap 45min. Yoga. Okay, beasted myself this week in the class. Tried far too hard and left feeling battered, certainly unable to have a boulder after.

Thu - Routes with above mate, so mind was off the boil and was pretty knackered. Climbed badly. Led a 5+, 6a, flashed 6a, flashed 5, 5+ and then did some bouldering after for an hour or so.

Fri - Tired. Went to bed 9.30pm... woke up 13hrs later. Most unlike me.

Sat - Worked. Then quick aerocap session 1x 30min, 6min rest, 1x15min. Sweaty!

Sun - Bouldering. Stanage Far Right at lunchtime and Burbage North before dark. Went more to spend some time with above mate and friends. Sociable day but not really stuff I climb on usually. Overhanging, couldn't see my feet at times and I found it tough. Wore my new Instinct slippers - I think I'm gonna like them.

All the aerocap has finally sorted the flash pump in the left arm. Two bloody years that's held me back - seen coaches, tried most everything else other people have told me to do including 'just go climbing' but after just two months of focused aerocap, I'm fixed. So from next month, I'll drop this down to one session a week and focus on getting stronger, today really showed how feeble I am when I need to lock off and how lacking I am in overhanging technique.

[rginns]

Sun - Spent the week planning to go to Elephant, but thanks to Mr Rginns video I changed my mind at the last minute and went to look at the red circuit at cul du chien. The weather looked excellent, that was until I got to Roche aux sabots, the whole place was dripping with condensation. Carried on to Cul du chien which wasn't much better, a couple of bits were in the sun, but all the top-outs were wet. Spent more time cleaning sand off my shoes than anything else. I still can't find the end of the red circuit.

Oops, I do hope I don't take too much of the blame!  Did you get much done? The end of the reds are hiding in the trees, not the easiest to navigate it must be said...
Did you try  'Verglas Frequent' by any chance? I found it nails... Great place 

[tomtom]

Thanks Sam, Meunchener and Kelvin - also the DM advice that was very useful.

Rolling my arse on a ball is initially painful but ultimately great... Therapist recommended it last week but I didn't really try it much until today. Sadly the only balls we have are cat toys! So the moggie is a bit upset...

Excerxises include that one Sam.. Bizarrely I've stiffened up in the last week - when it first came in I could ease into a child position now I'm nowhere close. Meunchener - what muscle relaxants? Ibuprofen etc..?

[Muenchener]

Meunchener - what muscle relaxants? Ibuprofen etc..?

Heavy prescription stuff from the emergency GP. (Looks in cupboard: Musaril/Tetrazepam. Looks in wikipedia: banned since 2013.  )

Regarding the arse rolling: I've been using tennis balls and a broomstick wrapped with pipe lagging as my foam rolling / self massage equipment for years. Decided recently to let myself be ripped off and buy a proper purpose-designed Blackroll™ roller, and bloody hell it's a lot better.

Rolling etc. might be a bit much if things are still in spasm. I found piriformis stretches in a very hot bath were good.

[andybfreeman]

Season 1 of periodised plan. Coming to end of strength phase now. Aiming for Tyranny in early Jan:  http://www.facebook.com/VerticalLifeMag/photos/a.130376693747084.24668.130273447090742/650175825100499/?type=1

M - Hangboard session #4
Tu - Rest
We - Rest
Th - Hangboard session #5
F - rest
Sa - domestic day, went for a long walk with the gf for her fitbit challenge then out for NOFX at the Tiv in the evening. Amazing gig!! Highlight was definitely seeing the decline live for the first time + lots of fun in the pit 
Su - Hangboard session #6 - surprisingly good session despite having a dead right bicep from the mosh pit. Progressed resistance on all grips but found my failure point on small edges and monos.

I'm climbing at the wall tonight for fun then I have one last hangboard session on Wednesday before the power phase kicks off on Saturday

Weight - 70.8 average but 71.6 this morning. This week coming is my last week of unrestricted eating and drinking then it's out with chocolate and booze (within reason) through December

[fried]

Sun - Spent the week planning to go to Elephant, but thanks to Mr Rginns video I changed my mind at the last minute and went to look at the red circuit at cul du chien. The weather looked excellent, that was until I got to Roche aux sabots, the whole place was dripping with condensation. Carried on to Cul du chien which wasn't much better, a couple of bits were in the sun, but all the top-outs were wet. Spent more time cleaning sand off my shoes than anything else. I still can't find the end of the red circuit.

Oops, I do hope I don't take too much of the blame!  Did you get much done? The end of the reds are hiding in the trees, not the easiest to navigate it must be said...
Did you try  'Verglas Frequent' by any chance? I found it nails... Great place 

I already had Verglas Frequent in mind, your vid just tipped the balance. Which direction in the trees should I be looking? I can find up to no. 20.

[webbo]

Mon. Nothing.
Tue. Nothing.
Wed. Board repeated a couple of old problems, then worked a couple of projects.
Thu. Turbo 1 hour. Big Country at Lincoln Drill Hall.
Fri. Day off a bit hungover. Bike 69.76 miles 3 hrs 57 mins17.59mph. Windy and cold felt battered afterwards.
Sat. Board. 15 problems to warm up then 6 problems 5 times.
Sun. Board repeated a session from this time last year. Turbo 1 hour.

[T_B]

84.5Kg (weight on the up, due to exceptional levels of troughing...need to put a lid on it)

M -
T - P.M. School. 30 and 50 degree. Did my first 7C since re-opening - Mr Blobby the Swing Man. Psyched! 40 press ups.
W -
T - Lunch. Peak for a work-related 'photo shoot' on The Rasp at Higgar. Warmed up at Burb bridge and Remergence. Benchmarked on Blind Date - felt easy.
F - Lunch. Foundry Wave with Katherine. Mileage on new problems. Didn't feel v strong.
S - A.M. School. Various, linked middle 3 moves of wooden 7C+ on big board. 40 press ups.
S -

Still no structure whatsoever! Didn't do any strength work. Still improving on steep wood. Maybe I don't need to do any specific f/boarding when mostly I'm bouldering on brutally steep boards that are fingery for the most part?

[shark]

11.7-9

M. Systems board
T. AM Fingerboard PM Physio
W.
T.PM Physio
F.
S,
S.

On tuesday I went to physio (not Hallamshire) for a second session to massage the tightness out of my neck. Unfortunately in the process he  damaged a nerve which left me unable to raise my arm laterally to 90 degrees. By Wednesday there was no improvement so went back on Thursday for a little more work. As of this morning there has been some improvement in my range of movement and I am due back at the physio later this morning. Obviously this has scuppered training and climbing this week and like a true athlete I have taken advantage of this by guzzling food and wine. 

[tommytwotone]

LTG: Font 7b


Actually managed something like some activity last week, feel like I'm getting back into a routine.


M: Gym on lunch, deadlifts
T: Depot after work, nice session doing new wood circuit probs (easier end of V4-V6 range) and flashing most of them
W: Rest day
T: Gym on lunch, more deadlifts
F: Gym on lunch, inspired by Gym Jones video I'd seen did 3 sets of 3 min row all out / 10 shoulder presses, then 3 sets of 3 min box jump burpees / 10 bicep curls. That was quite hard.
S: Nowt
S: Depot with Una in the afternoon, didn't get that much done as I was flitting between keeping an eye on her and quickly doing a problem


Feeling better now I'm actually getting to the gym / wall after a month or so of disruption. Want to add a front squat into my lunchtime gym routine now but need to start with working out if I can actually achieve one with my knackered posture!

[shark]

Still no structure whatsoever! Didn't do any strength work. Still improving on steep wood. Maybe I don't need to do any specific f/boarding when mostly I'm bouldering on brutally steep boards that are fingery for the most part?

Worked for Gaskins.

[rginns]

Sun - Spent the week planning to go to Elephant, but thanks to Mr Rginns video I changed my mind at the last minute and went to look at the red circuit at cul du chien. The weather looked excellent, that was until I got to Roche aux sabots, the whole place was dripping with condensation. Carried on to Cul du chien which wasn't much better, a couple of bits were in the sun, but all the top-outs were wet. Spent more time cleaning sand off my shoes than anything else. I still can't find the end of the red circuit.

Oops, I do hope I don't take too much of the blame!  Did you get much done? The end of the reds are hiding in the trees, not the easiest to navigate it must be said...
Did you try  'Verglas Frequent' by any chance? I found it nails... Great place 

I already had Verglas Frequent in mind, your vid just tipped the balance. Which direction in the trees should I be looking? I can find up to no. 20.

Sorry for the  everyone...

Tricky, I could point to it if I was stood there!
OK... if you're under the classic 'toit' 7A, facing out, it's diagonally right - 50 yards ish? It's the only bouldering sized blocks in the vicinity.
 You could work your way rightwards from the toit along the edge of the desert and then back left along faint paths.
Sort of in a dip.

[rginns]

For some reason this wk I've dropped 2Kg which seems improbable given the food I've been consuming recently...
Good week overall, I'm currently very psyched which has boosted motivation to either train or get outside at every opportunity.
63 Kg
STG = Consolidate 7A, get a few established Lancs classic 7A/+s ticked by the end of winter.
MTG = 7B - By this time next year it will be good to have done at least one quarry based 7B.
LTG = 7C ha ha ha ha ha ha although I've given myself until I'm 40 (7 yrs).

M = Lunchtime short (25 min) session at Brownstones: tried Big Muff, this still feels a way off for now. Went over to Pigswill and found a better way to get established on the hold: progress made.
Evening - Fingerboard: Usual set - jug pull ups 4,6,8,10; flatty pull ups 4,6,8,10; deep pocket pull ups 3 fingers 3,4,5,6; shallow crimp hang 4 fingers (7:3), 3,4,5,6; shallow crimp hang 3 fingers(7:3), FAIL; deep pocket open hang 3 fingers (7:3) 4,4,6,8; deep pocket open front 2 (7:3) 2,3,4,6; mid 2-3 on other (7:3) 3,3,3,3; 1 arm pull up (+1 finger assist, deep pocket) 2,2 both arms
Ab Ripper X session (twinged back muscles on the oblique feet-ups. Need to be careful with this)
T = went to Eureka in Halifax with the family - I love this place! Science-tastic.
W =  Lunchtime -mini session - climbed PIGSWILL 7A - see the YYFY thread, well chuffed to get this done, first proper Brownstones 7A . Being fresh really helped, got the stand up on the third go, then did the sitter next go. Even managed to repeat for the camera, woo!
Evening - 4.5k run in the dark!(slow: 23.59) lock off practice - (seconds) 12,15,15,15,15
T = rest
F = Evening - pull ups 1 min on / 1 min off - 20,16,11,10,11,10,8 total = 86, time 13 mins.
S =evening 5k run in the dark and wet again, so slow: (28:58) otherwise rest / eating cake
S = evening - late night Crusher board session as above, 1.5 hours - but I felt stronger and could hang the 3 finger crimp - ok, only 6 reps, but improvement nonetheless. Also I did a proper set on the 2 finger hangs both front 2 and the middle 2.
lock off session (seconds) 15,15,16,15,15,18

Observations: I was really pleased to get one of the winter ticklist done so quickly, and it felt easy although this could be rose tinted... super keen to get on my other projects now.
managed to get running twice which is good. I've felt stronger on the fingerboard this week, and decided to add some pull up and lock off sessions into the mix.
I've realised I'm pathetically weak on 3 finger crimp hangs - I don't have a problem open handed which is weird since all my climbing is quarry based. I really can't explain this.
Also I need to be careful to warm up properly and not get carried away with the hangs / pull ups as my old wrist injury sometimes spasms on the higher intensity hangs. Just need to be aware of this.
I'm actually getting out little and often to the crag, so I'm not too concerned that the majority of my in-house training has been on other stuff (fingers/arms/core) as opposed to climbing move related training.
In other news, I've put the second board on the 10 degree, so only the top bit and it's done: The crusher holds are in the post: can't wait to get them on!
 

[lagerstarfish]

like a true athlete I have taken advantage of this by guzzling food and wine.

I got a shock this morning when I saw your doppelganger getting out of a BMW estate and heading in to McDonald's

hopefully you haven't drifted into my anti-athlete mode

[a dense loner]

Everybody's hustling

[Doylo]

-
T - P.M. School. 30 and 50 degree. Did my first 7C since re-opening - Mr Blobby the Swing Man. Psyched!

I remember the name but not the problem. Effort.