[tomtom]

The yearly total of training sessions etc.. was interesting - so rather than tot them up at the end of the year, I thought I'd start each post with a running total of climbing/training sessions..

Outdoor: 12   
Indoor:1 
Training 3

Well this weeks post was probably always going to be smaller than last ( http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,21503.msg393571.html#msg393571 ) and life has got in the way of climbing again.. Term and teaching have swung in with full effect at work, that prevents flexibility in my timetable to sneak away for (largely) Keel sessions. So, this is a week without Keel. No shaking, no palpatations, and the scabs on my wrists have even started to heal over! Have I missed it? Well, I have a bit  - but its probably healthy to leave it alone for a few days and as Nai suggested, wait for the right conditions for both rock and climber.

Two training sessions (tuesday and thursday) have been my midweek exercise... I was thinking of heading down to Rockcity on tuesday evening - but I had a long day at work, and just couldnt be bothered to leave the house.. Instead I did some planks and deadhangs/shuffles (more on this later..). Planks are progressing well - I now do 45 secs on front, then switch immediately to side for 45, then the other side for 45. Collapse and repeat a few min later... This started at 25-30 seconds, with breaks between each side/front so theres progress being made there.. I was getting bored of deadhanging, so started shufffling sideways - a kind of sideways campus - on a bannister rail that provides a good spot above my stairs. 5 secs hanging both then flick a hand to the next space left or right and so on.. for some reason this seems far more interesting than hanging/gurning for 7 seconds then rest repeat etc.. And I can also stay on longer doing this odd shuffle than if I go for max hang time.. Maybe its just more interesting (use of the word interesting is all relative!).. To be honest, I hate training - and its just something I do to try and stop myself getting shitter - rather than trying to get better, and I guess thats replicated in the number of times I've been training in my stats above...

I had hoped to get out to the cliff on thursday - and had moved some meetings to give me the space, but in the end the forecast looked sketchy. I think it was dry, but it was blowing 40-50mph in Hull - which translated to Almscliff means flying bouldering mats and a less than pleasant experience. I've been 'winded' off the cliff before - and thanks to on the spot Leeds met reports from 3T and Stubbs I decided against..

So Saturday and what a forecast. If ever a forecast said get out on the grit it was then.. But having had a busy week - I was feeling in lone wolf mode and suspected that every man, woman, child and dog would be out in the Peak honeyspots.. which is great - and I like to climb in a group and with other people, but I fancied a bit of isolation to get away from it all. Looking at the forecast, cold, with a slight northerly wind - I thought it might be a prime forecast to make a return visit to Thorn. My taste for the crag had been whetted after my snowy visit a couple of weeks ago and there was still the unfinished business of 'for my next trick', the 7B Fix my sink to the right, and the 7B+ on the slab around to the left (something Fire?) that looked like it might be a suitable candidate for a lanky scrittler..

As mrsTT was off on a Leo Sayer in Liverpool with her Scouse friends (the mind boggles, but ignorance is probably bliss) I was not on any sort of schedule.. so I wandered off about 11, and after huffing up the hill was encamped under the boulders (area 2) by 12:45 or so.. The same two fella's who were trying something hard and trad at the crag wandered by and we had a good chat (hello!) and this time I had lots of great snow free Thorn slabs and aretes to warm up on. Burnt Heather (6B) was sketched up on a fine unorthodox style, and I started to get sucked into the 7B+ that shared the same starting pocket called 'Fire Wall' (I've looked it up now). After 3 or 4 decent attempts this felt like it could go, bringing my lf up to a mini pocket (bullet hole?) below and to left of the hand pocket, I could do a bit step left and span getting about 6" away from the sloper before my LF pinged off.. A bit more commitment and weight adjustment on that LF (possibly a little nubbin for the RF as well) and I think this could go. But, I felt I was getting drawn into a side show when I really wanted to dispatch "for my next trick" that had felt so close last time.

So, For My Next Trick (7A). I practiced all the moves separately from the ground, and the top section felt alot better than before (I must be fresher) and the bottom sit still felt gnarly and powerful (tall mans excuse!). After 15 min of tinkering around and getting familiar with it all, I started some serious efforts. This proved really really frustrating. Feet popped off smears, hands didnt get the right part of the crimps, I had to re-adjust my foot sequence as holds that worked before didnt this time.. the reach through with the RH for the good high crimp felt soooo nice from the ground, but sooo hard after doing the first few moves - and I got to the same impasse as I had in the weeks previous. Simply, I got around this by doing the move dynamically with a lunge, instead of trying to beast through statically (which did feel good!) and the move began to stick.. The film summarises my frustrations quite well!



The 'send' was notable in my little head for a few reasons.. I was knackered. Shattered - it was about 3:30/3:45 when it went, so I'd been trying it for a good couple of hours. I'd had plenty of breaks, walks, food, coffee etc.. but my skin was sore, my fingers and triceps (from the undercuts?) were screaming at me. I also started talking (more chuntering) to myself.. "strong and flow, strong and flow" I was muttering before I start (whilst wibbling my arms around)  - you can hear my self instruction on the way up, drop knee, crimp. All followed by the most ungainly of top outs (on what is a very easy to top out problem! Huge jugs and plenty of footholds - to miss!). (shame the light went from the earlier shots on the film - it was superb..)

Brilliant though.. really really satisfying to work through some discomfort and fatigue and talk myself into hooking it up. I was very very close to giving up (my skin certainly was!) and that makes it all the better. After this I wandered up to the main crag to see how the other two gents were getting on, and to have a snoop around the other boulders (there is plenty more for me do here!), and I went back down to try Fix my sink... no chance! My hands SCREAMED at me when I pulled on... I tested out some moves, had a think of the beta - went and tried the slabby 7B+ again, but arms and skin were pleading with me to stop. So I did

Today I'm a wreck... triceps are incredibly stiff, and I'm having to pursuade my fingers not to assume a hunched semi crimp stance Happy days.

[nai]

Came down with a cold on Monday which allied with fatigue from the weekend meant I was wiped out through til Thursday. 

Friday i decided to try an easy circuit at Burbage South. Struggled around about ten 4+ to 6Bs for a couple of hours then needed to lie down on my pads for half an hour before the walkout 

Saturday looked so good that I couldn't resist trying again but same result and after an hour of trying in vain I was cold to the bone, fingers and toes totally numb so had to head home for a lie down

Taking it easy today hoping for decent weather and to feel better tomorrow 

[csl]

Goals for Jan

Start climbing regularly again done
at least twice a week at Kelsey Kerridge done
one fingerboard session a week. Done
Enter Bouldering competition 2/2/2013 and come top 10. Going to do it monday to avoid te crowds

Mon - nothing
Tue- kk good short session. Problems up to v6
Run - 3x1km speed efforts at 3.35
Wed - nothing
Thu- kk good session bouldering up to v5 then 20 mins density bouldering. 15 mins aerocap.
Run - 14.5km in 64 minutes.
Friday - bouldering at northampton pinnacle. Lots of onsighting - up to v5. A few v6s i should have done but didnt concentrate on one of them. Should go back, main lead wall looks good.
Sat
Sun - 5km run later.

Good week, feeling about as strong as i have fot a year or so. Amd have lost 2kg since start of jan.

[rich d]

Mon 21 hour work day, ate a load of crap
Tues to frid short fingerboard sessions and a bit of core work. Did a full fast day too.
Sat am notts depot, felt tired and a bit rubbish di a couple of hours
Sat pm no kids cinema    in town and decided to walk back to Bridgford stopping at a few boozers. Got trolled and had a kebab 
Sund recovering from last night not done a right lot.
Weight down a little from last week. Same plan but hopefully get outside next weekend

[shark]

Thanks tomtom

11.7-10 (11.9-10 last week)

Mon. 
Tues. Eve.Assisted 1arm pullups on BM slot. Good progress on this. Weighted deadhangs. 45kg ticked  (well 10,10 and 9secs). At Foundry did 2 sets of touches. Much better than last week.
Weds. Noon. Fingery endurance session on systems board 
Thurs. Skipped breakfast and lunch. Physio/massage with John Ostro   
Fri. eatswood with Duncan. Forgot kneepad. Rock a bit glassy. 5 decent goes.   
Sat. AM. Park run with Poppy.
Sun. eatswood with Duncan again. Cold in the wind. Rock greasy and got cold fingers on redpoint. Hacked off.

Lots of good things happened this week. Booked to go to El Chorro in 2 weeks. New level with the weighted deadhangs. Lost a couple of lbs at last. However, feeling glum and demotivated after the sessions at eatswood.   

[tomtom]

However, feeling glum and demotivated after the sessions at eatswood.

Stick with it Shark.. conditions/cold/wind don't help.. it'll buckle soon...

[fried]

The missus is sick with some bunged up throat thing and so has spent the week snoring like a pig, that coupled with our imminent house moving has meant that I'm sleeping for about 2h per night.

Monday - Tuesday - Work
Wednesday - Indoors going through the motions session but nice to move a bit. The weather looks vaguely promising for tomorrow and I'm not working, so maybe a trip to the forest

Thursday - Nope, it's raining again. Someone up/ downstairs is giving me the hint to put some stuff in boxes. Plus, the missus said if I fell and twisted my ankle not to bother calling, and 'just wait in the forest until you're eaten by rats'. 50 press-ups

Friday - work/ collecting cartons.
Saturday - I thought organising my books and cds would take an hour or so, no it took all day. Weather was looking vaguely promising for tomorrow, but then lots of impressive hail storms.
Sunday - Indoor. Tired but the the pain aux chocolat kicks in and have a nice session.

Weight 75.2kg

Outdoor sessions this year - 0

[tommytwotone]

Bit of a strange week as I spent the start if it recovering from the trip to Porth Ysgo, which I think TT covered last week!

M - whole body hurts, tiredness not aided by having to get up at 6am and go to London for work. Back late, slept like the dead.
T - stayed in cooking a very nice beef and ale stew for having people round Weds night.
W - dinner, beers and an early night.
T - trip to The Depot, but not before pranging my car on the gate in the drive and putting a bloody great dent in the door. Struggled a bit on the new Reds (V5-V7), many of which had some pretty heartbreaking final moves!
F - out with work for a leaving do. Got a bit out of control when the tequila shots came out.
S - total writeoff...particularly pissed as it was a beautiful day.
S - went to Mrs Tone's family birthday Sunday lunch.

So a bit of a nothing week - no gym and only one session at the wall. Back in London this week midweek so may have to fit as many gym sessions as I can in.

[fried]

S - total writeoff...particularly pissed as it was a beautiful day.

English pissed or American pissed?

[tommytwotone]

S - total writeoff...particularly pissed as it was a beautiful day.

English pissed or American pissed?

American pissed...if I'd not been so busy and had had the chance to check the forecast on Friday I might have reined it in a bit at the boozer!

 

[Falling Down]

Mental week at work and recovering from flu all week.

Went to the wall today with Sean Kenny and did some routes for the first time since January 2012.  Very weak and rusty but wobbled up some 6as. Great to get moving.

Really looking forward to Siurana on Friday to kickstart 2013 with Gav, Ben, Nic and Craig.  Weather looks a bit chilly though so hope we get the best of it.

[webbo]

Mon. Weights. Highlights deadlift 1 x 5 85k benchpress 2x72.5k.
Tue. Turbo 1 min then 2 mins down to 7 mins with a bigger gear each rep starting in 53x24 and finishing with 53x15 1 min easy between each rep.h/r ave 120 max 168.
Wed. Nothing.
Thurs. Turbo same as tues but bigger gear 53x21 to 53x14.h/r ave 129 max 182
Fri. Climbed for first time in 3 weeks finger felt ok while I climbed but became stiff and painful later.
Sat. went to Tesco to buy some more weights. Weights highlits dead lifts 2x85k 2x95k 2x100k benchpress 2x70k. Bike 20secs hard 40 secs easy x5 3sets with 5 mins between each set out about an hour.
Sun. Bike 3hrs 30 mins hard as hell in the wind h/r ave 144 max 177.

Finger doesn't feel great depite not using it and massaging it several times a day.

[nai]

if I'd not been so busy and had had the chance to check the forecast on Friday I might have reined it in a bit at the boozer!

OK I'm gonna appoint myself your secretary.  The long-term forecast for the coming weekend is good, very good

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Sheffield/long.html

This is expected:

http://www.metcheck.com/UK/singularities.asp

So get yourself prepared - train a bit, rest a lot, be ready to crush come the weekend, 7B can be yours, it will be yours.  Make it so.

[tommytwotone]

So get yourself prepared - train a bit, rest a lot, be ready to crush come the weekend, 7B can be yours, it will be yours.  Make it so.

Good shout - cheers...the one good thing with this weekend is that I've slept loads, feel so much better as I was proper goosed all week after Ysgo, plus the missus copped a cold so I think I was staving that off for a few days.

In London on Tues eve for a meeting on Weds, with it turns out, a whole load of other people from my work who are down for an industry trade show thing. Am thinking I might take my gear with me and go to the Biscuit Factory rather than following everyone else to the boozer at 5pm - I can always meet them later for a beer. That should keep my ale consumption down / ensure a better work performance on Weds!

Weekend is looking clear / have pass in place...all falling into place.

[Muenchener]

STG: Stop being ill & get back into something resembling regular training.
MTG (2013): Frankenjura VII onsight; Alpine multipitch VI; Welsh trad E2
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl west face (Dülfer), Marmolada south face (Vinatzer-Messner)

M to F: on antibiotics for last week's bronchitis. Not lying awake all night coughing is pleasant, but otherwise still feeling pretty washed out & crappy.
S: Family hut weekend, Chiemgau Alps. Four hours towing a sledge loaded with rucksacks uphill through soft snow is Quite Hard Work. Effective shock treatment for post-bronchitis lethargy. Motivational interludes for kids involving chocolate strapped to avalanche transceivers.
S am: Plan was to sledge down from the hut; a half metre dump of fresh powder overnight made the scenery idyllic but largely scuppered the sledging. Regretted not bringing a snowboard; was happy that I did at least bring snowshoes and so could break trail for the kids down the "toboggan run". I find it wonderful that my son has the chance for this sort of adventure that I never had in my East Midlands childhood; he might agree later in retrospect.
S pm: Wall, Boulderwelt. Warmed up on a dozen easy-to-moderate problems, then projecting some hard-for-me things around the 6B mark. Must have somehow developed a more open & approachable demeanour: went alone but ended up working problems & sharing beta with a lot more strangers than usual.

[Duma]

STG - Wrist rehab stuff, run regularly, get in shape for MTG
MTG - Peak trip + font trip before spring, if I do any hard stuff that'll be nice too.
LTG - 8A, 68kg

M -
T - TCA with daughter, generally I don't climb at all when I take her, but new white problems tempted me. Pleased to get a two done in the brief windows permitted by a three year old.
W - TCA afternoon, three more whites (6C+ - 7A+ ), work moves on some harder ones
T -  Run, 5.5 miles,  49:50. Picked a break in the showers, but still very muddy.
F - TCA for quick hour before work, warm up then on the woody, made up new prob, managed all the moves, will be good link if I can manage it. Stopped strong, felt like actual training, as opposed to messing around...
S -
S -

70 - 69kg

[Dolly]

M rest knackered from Sunday
T The Wave. do lots of pulling,  don't think Idid I single problem but enjoyed myself and still feel tired from Sunday
W windy 5k run
T good shed sess again. I love my shed
F freebie sess at the local Virgin active after work, so went to a class named body balance. I imagined there would be loads of middle aged women doing tai chi and I took my running kit to "get something out of it". Of course it was completely nails and I was twisting on the floor after 10 minutes as my Darling wife and others gave "encouraging smiles" to the struggling newbie in the corner. Seriously thought I'd be knackered for climbing on Saturday. Needed lots of wine and crisps to recover
S First time at Cocking Tor and Turning Stone. Did lots of problems and had a great time. Some of the things were wet but I'd go back to do them. Highglights were Pagan Cross and Wickerman which I'd say we're reason to go there if you haven't been
S nice 6 k run in the evening and some stretching and that

[iain]

STG: Continue rehabing finger
MTG: Get in shape for font, 3x 7c+/8a before end of April now
LTG: Infinite Gravity in September

M: Rest
T: Max hangs at lunchtime then local wall in the evening. A good volume session but despite being careful whilst there the finger felt tender afterwards.
W: Rest
T: Max hangs
F: Rest
S: It was a beautiful, if cold, day and I could have headed out but after the last few weeks of busyness I wanted a day off and an unpsyched partner obliged. Really should have just mtfu'd. Did manage a max hangs session and a walk in the woods.
S: Rest

Finger isn't improving any more, don't know if I overdid it on Tuesday maybe? Gotten out of the icing routine last couple of weeks so do that properly again.

[tomtom]

T good shed sess again. I love my shed

F freebie sess at the local Virgin active after work, so went to a class named body balance. I imagined there would be loads of middle aged women doing tai chi and I took my running kit to "get something out of it". Of course it was completely nails and I was twisting on the floor after 10 minutes as my Darling wife and others gave "encouraging smiles" to the struggling newbie in the corner.

Shed 1, Gym 0

[Luke Owens]

STG - Font 7A and F7b
MTG - Font 7A+ and F7c
LTG - Font 7B+/7C and F8a

Monday - Beastmaker weakness session and  30 minute constant core workout
Slopers - 30 sec hangs one hand on 20 degree and one hand on the 35 degree, alternate hands x 3. Managed to hang the 35 's with both hands for 12 secs - previous best = 1 sec!!
Pinches - 3 x 30 secs - 13kg each arm
Back 2 - Feet on chair - 5 x 15 secs
Tuesday -Oswestry Wall - Ticked 2 - V5/V6 Greys, Flashed a V7 (Soft!?) and ticked a V7 in a couple of goes which included a dyno (anti-style!) Also ticked a "Hard" problem from the left over comp problems from last week that I couldn't even get close on in the comp. Did it first go today. Best wall session I've ever had - Extremely psyched!
Wednesday -Took the little one swimming (Rest)
Thursday - Max Weighted Hangs -
Progressive Set - 6kg - 9kg - 11kg - 10 sec hangs, 3 min rest between
Main Set - 12.5kg x 5 - 10 sec hangs 3 mins rest between - Personal Best!. Going to attempt 15kg on Monday!
30 Minute consistant core workout
Friday -Rest
Saturday -Working a F7b at the World's End called "Cigar's of the Pharaohs" great moves, seriously powerful climbing. Did all the moves and almost linked it all on top-rope (powered out on last hard move). Going to stick at this one very keen for the tick!

2 friends did it first redpoint one climbs 7c and other climbs 8a, reckoned hard 7b.
Sunday -Stretching (Rest) need better hip flexability.

[Wood FT]

T good shed sess again. I love my shed

F freebie sess at the local Virgin active after work, so went to a class named body balance. I imagined there would be loads of middle aged women doing tai chi and I took my running kit to "get something out of it". Of course it was completely nails and I was twisting on the floor after 10 minutes as my Darling wife and others gave "encouraging smiles" to the struggling newbie in the corner.

Shed 1, Gym 0

I've had this experience aswel, girlfriend showed me a routine from some daft class or other, I was blowing out my proverbial and she was fine. Still, she's shit at climbing.

[cheque]

STG: 7A & E2 on grit this season, maintain sport fitness over winter.
MTG: 7b, 7B and E3 this year. increase finger strength

M- Rest.
T- Notts Depot. Called off circuit board sesh as it was too busy. Did 8 of remaining 10 red ('V3-V5') problems. A couple were unlocked simply by getting better beta from someone else which I suppose is encouraging in one way and less encoraging in another! Lock-off leg raises to end.
W- Rest.
T- Max hangs. Third week now- suddenly I'm much improved, except for on the 8-9mm edge which I can still barely hang. 2 sets of 10 lockoff leg raises afterwards- was meant to be three but surprisingly intense golfer's elbow-type pain followed the second set. I think this is from doing it on the Beastmaker jugs rather than a bar (and therefore having to cling on a bit harder) as It's never happened before.
F- Rest. Lots of forearm stretching.
S- Rest.
S- Rest. Was going to go running  with gf but couldn't face the wind (I'm a fair weather runner really!)

No endurance training this week. Hoping it will be quieter on the (newly reset ) circuit board tonight. Nothing at all at the weekend- it's a bit of a pain when the weekends I'm near rock are wet and the ones when I'm not are dry but hopefully I can get out and tick Gorilla Warfare this coming weekend.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Goals: Sort finger, tick "that" 7B+ traverse, F8a...

M: Stretching.
T: AeroCap and Stretching @ The works.
W: Nowt
T: Nowt
F: On the traverse with Simon, four goes into the kneebar, worked out sequence for end that doesn't stress the finger (YYFY). Linked from kneebar to end (albiet with a slight bum dab ).
S: Chill
S: Back at it.. Shit conditions, shit skin and still tired but linked start to jug after the kneebar (crux for me), big link that as I know it's on now... Just a matter of time - Psyched out of my tiny mind!

Good week: Finger's fine on traverse, turned a real corner with both of them this week. It's gone from being a potentially doable project when not injured to being on! Just gotta keep the psyche up and keep on keeping on!

This week: Keep an eye on finger, AeroCap, Traverse, start AnCap, stretching.

:D

[csl]

'Enter Bouldering competition 2/2/2013 and come top 10. Going to do it monday to avoid the crowds'

Only got 85/150 possible points, got too easily distracted by all the other new problems! Upside is, Micky Page did the latest reset and for once Cambridge has a load of good problems to get strong on.

Goals for Feb.
Purple 7b on 45º
Density Bouldering http://climbstrong.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/density-training/ twice a week
Strength sessions twice a week
Get outside twice