[i.munro]

So what do people think? I made a big point of taking a break from climbing in Jan last year.
Then got flu at the beginning of Feb & ended up taking basically 2 months off so started the year late & fat.

I'm thinking a shorter break this year (couple of weeks)

So off-season breaks, Good idea or not? How long & when & what do you do during?

Thanks

Ian

[Paul B]

I'd advocate no more than 10 days unless injury forces it.

[i.munro]

I'm sure 'proper' athletes take a lot longer than that.

Ian

[saltbeef]

no they don't.
from my knowledge of athletics as a youth, a break from training ie running meant going running once a day for a couple of weeks and going swimming or something and probably leaving the weights alone. if you want a break from bouldering do some routes or vice versa?

[i.munro]

That's the thing though, swimming is a break from running although it will keep you fit it stresses different structures (for example gives your knees a rest).

Chuffin' as a rest from bouldering doesn't. It's like running a marathon to rest from sprinting.

[saltbeef]

from my knowledge of athletics as a youth, a break from training ie running meant going running once a day for a couple of weeks

 read my post. most "proper athletes" will train 2-3 times a day. now i come from a middle distance background. most of the guys and girls who i used to train with ran in the morning and evening, usually just a spin for the legs in the morning and then intervals on the track or mileage in the eve. with core and weights exercises thrown in. now from my experience they STILL went running most days in the autumn/october off season afte the track sessions had finished, this would probably be on average around 40 miles a week still. hope that is clearer to you.



as for doing routes, consider if you do a couple of weeks of up to i dunno 7b routes, you aren't gonna be giving your fingers anywhere the load that they would be gettin going bouldering/campusing. you'll retain engrams and you'll get fitter.

[Nigel]

My gut feeling is to agree with Foley - the majority of the top bouldering wads are pretty handy motherfuckers when it comes to routes too. Sharma, Graham, Moon + Moffatt (back in the day) seem to intersperse bouldering and routes and get consistently better at both without getting injured, there's gotta be something in it.

[saltbeef]

My gut feeling is to agree with Foley - the majority of the top bouldering wads are pretty handy motherfuckers when it comes to routes too. Sharma, Graham, Moon + Moffatt (back in the day) seem to intersperse bouldering and routes and get consistently better at both without getting injured, there's gotta be something in it.

can i have a reference in kershaw on rock?

[i.munro]

read my post.

I got it, thanks. But they're still heavily de-emphasising the running, possibly to the sort of levels they use as 'active' rest?