[Fiend]

Might be a bit of a specialist one this.

When I go to the wall or outside bouldering, I warm up by doing several easy problems, taking a rest, do several more easy problems, taking a rest (and then repeat this a couple of times, ramp up the difficulty a bit, and then take a longer rest before pushing myself).

In terms of warming my climbing muscles up this seems to work well. However in recent months I've started to feel exhausted after each set of easy problems (hence the rest periods). Like out of breath, slightly dizzy type exhaustion. This is.....confusing me

Obviously I've got the problem of fucked legs and minimal venous return, and I expect exhaustion on walk-ins etc. But this isn't using my legs much (Captain Footwork hehe), this is just normal easy bouldering. I know I'm super-unfit and all, but I don't seem to get this problem so much doing easy routes to warm up indoors, and in general my climbing is "okay" once I have warmed up.

Any ideas??

[SA Chris]

Maybe gven your current state walking in is warmp enough? get straight on and try something hard before you get too knackered from doing unnecessary warm up probs?

Not resting enough between the "several easy problems" and getting accumulated fatigue. Are you eating / drinking anything after the approach and the sets of probs? Might be you are using a lot of energy on the approach and then trying to warm up before anything you have eaten after the warm up has kicked in?

[Fiend]

The approach to TCA is quite uphill (2 flights of stairs), but fairly short...

The situation is no worse outdoors....walk to the crag, collapse with head pounding and blurry vision, rest of the mats for a while, then start warming up bouldering....I definitely don't feel any worse in that situation once I've recovered from the walk-in.

I don't get too knackered overall in a session. After my warm-up I usually have a good rest to let any mild pump settle and my hands warm up / cool down, and then climb okay after that. But the initial period just doesn't feel right!

Food might have something to do with it but this seems to happen in all situations...

[SA Chris]

Sorry, my knowledge is fresh out. Could be something to do with going straight from sitting in car for an hour to horsing it uphill with a full load on your back? Could bloodflow still be restricted from going from sedentary to full uphill yomp mode. FWIW walking uphill always knackers me out.

[Fiend]

The walking exhaustion isn't the issue here though, that's a known quantity. The bouldering exhaustion happens just as bad indoors...

[lagerstarfish]

are you remembering to breathe properly whilst on the rock?

not always as simple as it sounds

[Fiend]

Could be an issue. I'm remembering to breathe in between problems!

Holding my breath is something I notice when I'm working harder stuff, and I do make a conscious effort to breathe when suitable. I'm not aware of it on easier stuff though. If it's an issue I wonder why it's been more noticable recently...

[Serpico]

Climbing, especially bouldering, involves a high degree of isometric contraction, which is bad news if you have high blood pressure, and possibly other CV problems.
See a doctor just in case.

[webbo]

Have you got one of those D.I.Y blood pressure machines. Might just be worth seeing what your B.P. is doing.

[Jaspersharpe]

Food might have something to do with it

Yes, yes it might......

[Fiend]

Serpico / Webbo - I'll have a look into that. The thing is, the situation is totally fine once I've warmed up. But I've been meaning to see the venal specialist again, so I'll ask him about this.

[tomtom]

I'm sometimes a bit like this - for me I suspect its a blood sugar issue. I'm also careful not to over warm up... as in blow it all doing loads of easier problems (this tends to happen more at the wall rather than at the crag..).
Tried taking 2 min between each problem?

[ducko]

id try make sure you get a good amount of sleep, eat well and drink plenty of water, maybe take up some cardio activities for when your not climbing to help? fast walking things like that are very good, good luck 

[Duncan Disorderly]

Cutting out these might help



 

[SA Chris]

If it's an issue I wonder why it's been more noticable recently...

To quote the Stones"What a drag it is getting old" (ironically from the days when they weren't very old).

[Fiend]

id try make sure you get a good amount of sleep, eat well and drink plenty of water, maybe take up some cardio activities for when your not climbing to help? fast walking things like that are very good, good luck

I'd need more than luck with cardio activities. More like surgery that no-one is prepared to do.

I do do cardio stuff as best I can, in fact I have been doing MORE recently than before New Year.

As I said before, it seems to be a specific issue with warming up bouldering. Normal climbing, and warming up routes (e.g. Ratho) don't seem to have changed for me.

Tomtom, aye I can and do work around it by doing a slower warm-up, but I'd still like to know what is going on... Maybe it could be blood sugar, I will try to eat something boosting an hour before??

[Nibile]

I found out that I can get really tired warming up on problems, especially in the gym. I tend to do too much, because on easy problems is really hard to get fully warmed up, so I need to do many to address arms, lats, fingers and so on.
I find it much better, both in and outdoors, to warm up my muscles with a theraband, so I can specifically address them and choose the right feeling of pump; and my fingers doing some dead hangs. one or two medium problems then, and then I finish my warm up on the project of the day (if there is any).
the warm up must recall the following session's style.

drink a lot.
eat well at least two hours before.

[Nibile]

bouldering requires different energy sources than cardio or routing.
maybe doing some research or talking with a nutritionist could help.

[tomtom]

When I'm at the wall it's really easy to warm up doing all the easy probs, then all the next easiest etc.. Etc.. So by the time you're on the hard stuff you've already done 20-30 probs!! I do five of each grade ascending.. Leaves me with some beans for the harder stuff..

[Jaspersharpe]

Jesus, I can't even do 30 problems full stop at the moment!

[Fiend]

Nibble and tomtom, thanks for your posts. I should make it clear that this is currently only a problem DURING warming up. When I've finished warming up and had a long rest, my performance on harder problems is as good okay adequate mediocre the same as ever. So it doesn't really affect my session but it makes warming up unpleasant and worries me.

I think I should try a session doing exhausting warm-ups as usual, then resting etc etc, then try lots of easy problems and see if it is general thing or just a warmup thing.

[Oldmanmatt]

I wouldn't worry about it.

I get the same problem.

My blood pressure's ok and general health is good.

I've noticed it's worse when I have/have had a cold.

I'm pretty sure it's an age thing for me...

A rest and re-hydrate seems to put it right.

Still, never hurts to refer to a quack.

Just to be sure.

[saltbeef]

is it only when warming up? not during the main part of your session?
are you still anticoagulated, and what is the sketch with your veins? hit me with science.

if you were breathless all the time and feeling faint when exerting yourself and have a propensity to dvtsyou could consider pulmonary emboli. i can't diagnose that from here (however good at healig the sick and saving lives i might be)

I feel more breathless when I'm (sleepy) tired (ie today I was up at 530 and felt ok climbing but just felt a bit short of breath, but I know that won't be the case in a couple of days when i get a proper 7ish hours sleep- unless I get through a bottle of red the day before!)

(it could also be weight gain and physical deconditioning)

[Fiend]

Cheers beefcake. Still anti-coaged. Sealed pelvic and iliac veins as well as sealed IVC. Venous return is from collaterals (badly developed at pelvis, well developed around IVC). This completely fucks up running and uphill walking but doesn't interfere too much with other stuff (any climbing, skiing, swimming, rowing etc etc). This warming up issue might well be related but it doesn't seem as obvious to me...

It is more noticable warming up. Specifically doing boulder problems.

Perhaps it is the speed of climbing?? Warming up on routes I would climb slower and shake out more (to avoid flash pump etc). Warming up bouldering I tend to hammer out a few problems albeit easy ones.

It could be general unfitness (weight gain and deconditioning) but as bad as that's been recently it doesn't seem to be vastly worse than the last couple of years. Hmmmm.

[saltbeef]

wowsers. thats pretty rubbish. hmm PE is pretty unlikely (not impossible) if anticoagulated.


not really sure what this is, maybe just take longer on your warm up and try and get as cv fit as you can - this may be challenging as doing slow rowing on a rowing machine is bordering on anaerobic/tedium threshold. i'd get in the pool and do some swimming (won't help the skin of course) and try and do some bodyweight conditioning exercises.

 i am no expert but i guessy this may be a consequence of decreased venous return as you will be increasig your intrathoracic pressure when trying hard, which you won't to the same extent if rumbling up a 6a or swimming, and the heart will be able to catch up to push the blood round (might be worth checking your pulse - it is surprising how high it goes whilst bouldering compared to say rumbling along on an exercise bike)

just being nosey now are you anticoag for life? and do they think this is a congenital thing or do you have some funny clotting defect (ps feel free to either pm me or not answer as i understand that you may not want your entire medical history on the web!)

try lots of easier ie 3as problems in the first instance (and not upside down jug hauls) and see if that helps