[tomtom]

A shark rocket hand stick will give him the horn for sure!

[measles23]

Weight – 64.3kgs average. Up over a kilo from last week. Need to sort this out pronto it could easily snowball / balloon…

Yeah man - no more cakes for you fatty!

71.8kg (target 70kg without cutting out the cakes)

M: fuckin finally got over manflu after 2 weeks! Celebrated by staying up til 3.30am operating..
T: session on advanced training at beginner's with murph - both of us quite pathetic to begin with, then we warmed up to it and after figuring best beta yet murph dropped it from the last move - d'oooooh! Skin deserted me just as I felt ready to do it
W: work, work, work
T: deadlift day  9 sets block lifts - PB of 225 off 1" blocks - Happy with this as I'm strong off the floor; my sticking point is between 1" and 2" so I might be good for the full lift next week..
Squats - 6 sets of 100s/110s
F: work,work,work
S: BM2K max hangs small crimp, open crimp - 8 sets up to +35x8s and +40x4s
S: Stoke awesome walls - 1.5hrs problems up to V7, 6 sets per side x system rockover static holds on moonboard, campus board 3 sets per side 4 to 1 drop downs, ring dips 3x3

[andy popp]

Forgive me, for I have sinned ... much and often. I was climbing a little earlier in the year but recent months have been a washout: too much work, too much travel; too much fun.

Since I moved to the US about 7 weeks ago I'd go out a couple of times, both in sweltering, buggy conditions. Last week "Fall" began to arrive.

M - 50 push ups, 15 pull ups. I'm in such terrible condition that even such minimal exercise is going to do something
T - South Mountain Big Rock Park - my local spot, ten minutes from the house. Its a funny one, the rocks nearest the entrance are clearly frequented by teenagers and incredibly grafittied but as you go down the hill that (almost) disappears and the blocks are dotted about a lovely quiet stretch of forest. The weather was lovely, cool in the shade, warm sun, gentle breeze, zero humidity. I have a tiny bit of sketchy information and have so far concentrated on the so called "Best Boulder" - this has a good slightly overhanging face about 14 foot square. I'd previously done the central crack/faultline (supposedly V2 from standing V4 from sitting) and the wall just to its left (V2 from standing, maybe V3 from hanging on a slightly lower shelf). This time I warmed up on the really nice right aerate from standing and then sitting (maybe V1 and V2) before doing the central line and the lefthand one from the lower start before realising an excellent proper SDS was possible to it. Did that at about V4 and then a slightly eliminate direct up the left arete from the same sit, a touch harder. Then realised a good problem would be possible right of the right arete, V2. Finally I spied a traverse from the right arete to the left. That went quickly too, again at about V4. What a beautiful day, alone in the woods for a couple of hours playing about on rock and feeling vaguely competent.
W - push-up/pull-up regime.
T - push-up/pull-up regime. Then realised I could get out for an hour and popped out to South Mountain. I'd wanted to get on a different block that has a couple of really good looking lines but so far its always been super buggy. Went back to Best Boulder and warmed up on the right arete x 2, the line to its right, and the lefthand line from low and sitting. Then moved round to the other side of the block where there is harder looking arete. To my surprise that too went after a number of goes - a really great problem, cool moves, good rock, and definitely a little harder than any of the other stuff (my grading is total guesswork at this point). Then managed to squeeze out a thin wall on an adjacent boulder, maybe V4 again. Found two walls that don't look to have been climbed on before, should give a couple of quite good problems. Another great little session.
F - lying awake in the morning I realised the Best Boulder face would be even better traversed L to R. An incredibly quick visit saw that go to, again around V4 (I was hoping this would put up more resistance). Finished off with an easy flake line protected by a horrible little start move.
S - nowt
S - nowt

Sorry about the gushing detail but its been just really nice to get out again and move over rock.

[jwi]

Last week "Fall" began to arrive.

Ha. Since moving to north america, I have really struggled to remember to use that word (what is wrong with "autumn", exactly?). Ditto calling petrol "gas", though on reflection I suppose that makes more sense ... petroleum being crude oil, gasoline the relevant distillate?

I remember the first time I tried to ask my american-english speaking spouse if the Spanish word “gas” was petrol or diesel. That was a confused conversation. (Autumn is latin. The season should be called harvest, as in proper languages. Fall will do.)

[Muenchener]

Autumn is latin. The season should be called harvest, as in proper languages. Fall will do.

I didn't know "Herbst" comes from the same old Germanic root as English "harvest". Now I do. Thanks.

[andy popp]

I like autumn, and autumnal even more, but Fall seems apt too. Besides, I looks like autumn, but doesn't feel like it.

I haven't said "gas" yet, voluntarily or otherwise.

[tomtom]

It's not the names of seasons that's wrong - the duration. Winter and Summer should be 4 months long and spring and autumn 2 (or even less)...

[webbo]

Mon. 30 warm up problems, then repeaters 5 secs on 5 off X 5 5 sets with 39.5 lbs added. Bike 39.78 miles 2 hrs 25 mins.
Tue. Work.
Wed. Work. Board in the evening worked a couple of new problems, did one of them failed on its mirror image.
Thu. Bike 27.88 miles 1 hr 45 mins got soaked.
Fri. Board did problem. I couldn't do on Tuesday repeated other one as well, worked another problem which I did after almost giving up on it.
Sat. Bike 51.06 miles 2 hrs 58 mins.
Sun. Board worked and did 4 new problems, well old ones with no kick board.

[submaximal gains]

I hope it's ok for me to join; I've been more pressured for time recently and my climbing has suffered so I was hoping this would provide more motivation.

M Foundry, bouldering on the wave
T
W Competition at the climbing Hangar in Liverpool, wasn't strong and my technique was off.
T
F
S The Matrix, going through the new problems, felt alright
S

STG 7A again
MTG stronger fingers
LTG Shit, Ben's roof

[Luke Owens]

M: Lunch: Core

T: Lunch: Antag and Core circuit

Eve: PlasPower - 2 x 10 mins ARC warm up

25' board - Set some new problems, 2 easy and one 7A, created and tried a slopey crimp problem as training for proj, couldn't do 2 of the moves, happy as I find it hard to set stuff on this angle that is at/above my limit.

Quick play on the 45' did the crux moves in isolation of a few old problems I set at the beginning of the year, didn't feel too hard.

10 min ARC warm down

W: Lunch: Core

T:  PlasPower - 10 mins ARC warm-up

25' board - Did a new 6A+ of a mates, continued to attack pinch/slopey crimp/holds weakness. Did a new 6C/+ and 7A, both really powerful and long pulls on slopers and pinches.

45' board - Did some cruxes of old problems from last winter, worked some new moves on new project.

10 mins ARC warm-down

F: Equipping new route

S: Did new route, a very good and techy 7a+/b, similar in style and quality to some of the better routes on Upper Pen Trwyn.

S: Massive amount of stretching/nerve glides etc.


Forearms were screaming with cramp again on Saturday, first time this has happened for awhile, maybe not warming up enough now it's colder outside? Arms super pumped and painful after doing the new route which is a vert tech route so shouldn't be happening, not sure what's flared it up again because I feel fine bouldering. Numbness and tightness back with a vengeance on Sunday, lots of stretching etc. now. The saga continues...

[petejh]

STG: first 8b+ (Mecca), in July October
MTG:
LTG: 8c, by June 2018


Strength/PE phase

M. Brothers's wedding in London. Drove 11hrs round trip for 1.5 hr wedding. M1 shut both ways at Northhampton.
T. Flew to Munich via Brussels. Ate/drank chips and mustard with leffe in brussels, sausages with mustard/ weissbier in Munich
W. IRATA conference. Displays at Bad Tolz mountain rescue centre. Went to Boulderwelt east in evening. Crazy busy, busiest wall I've ever been to. Managed 146 on smalls and a couple of the second hardest coloured probs. Weisbier for afters.
T. IRATA conference Munich. Pizza and weissbeir. Poor night's sleep.
F. Drove to Frankenjura at warp speed. Plan had been to pick up girlfriend from Nuremberg airport at 6pm. Received text at 3pm to say her flight to Stanstead had been delayed and she'd missed the connecting flight to Nuremberg. £180 later and a flight to Stuttgart arranged. Blasted to Stuttgart and back at more than warp-speed. Got back to Frankenjura at 3am totally fucked. 3hrs sleep.
S. Lay in till midday. Found a gasthaus and ate big cakes. Roter Fels, did four 6as/5+s. Dinner and weisbeer.
S. Weissenstein. Did 4 6a/5+s. OS'd the steep 3 star 7a. Found a gasthaus and ate big cakes. Blasted to airport at lightspeed. Final plate of saturate fatty suasages and weisbeer, and cake.

Feel like I've driven around the planet this week. Wheels have totally fallen off training for Mecca. Supposed to be going to Tor this Wednesday to start trying route, but can't get away from work to go. Maybe Friday. Miles off where I could/should be..

[petejh]

Really need to sort the sleep, affecting the rest of life quite severely now. Had ok weekend so far though, if I get a decent chunk tonight I'll be a lot happier, if not I think I'll be in the chemist at lunch tomorrow :-(

I sympathise Duma, not sleeping, or sleeping well affects everything else, and is just purely annoying in its own right. I've been wondering about getting one of those gradual wake up / sleep light / alarms: might be worth trying? I assume you've already tried all the standard 'sleep hygiene' measures already?
During a bout of sustained insomnia years ago, i necked a zopliclone and a bottle of beer before bedtime after a few drinks earlier in the evening; out like a light for about 14 hours... I woke up feeling rank though.

Tried a zinc tablet with meal before bed?

[filz]

M. dumbbell complex n.1 5 x 3: clean, press, squat. dumbbell complex n.2 10 reps each side snatch, farmers carry, sit ups, plank rows
T. rings circuit x 5 : plank, push ups, dips, top position
W. yoga
T. dumbbell complex n.1 then weigthed pull ups
F. nothing
S. same as Monday
S. Bouldering. Hot and humid. Lacking some body tensions compared to last season.