31.10.7

Just before i went in to meet my destiny on my second chemistry exam (and just after cramming at starbucks for two hours) i popped in to the climbgym to clear the noggin. Gave my project v5 a burn, didn't establish on the crux hold, and nearly fell on one of the herd of heifers that decided to "work" the v0- six inches to the right of me. i gave 'er a look that asked, "Do flys and smelly beatles scoop you up with corn chips?" and then i stalked off to a cave. Whilst there, however, i snagged a v3 that'd eluded me for a week or two 'cuz i was too yeller to commit to the final off-balance deadpoint from some manky foot jibs with two meters of air under my shoes. But after getting psyched to go upside fatgirl's head, i found the zone and didn't think about my floppy ankle. Then i stacked another 3 on right after that one. Ended up being a very short, but decent session. i really need to start riding or running every day, and i need to let my finger heal completely. i have two weeks till the comp.

29.10.7 Haynuss Schloppings

2,000,005 lbs.

Today, in stark contrast to all of last week, i worked out. And it was pretty bad. Still ain't beat the tendonitis in the right bicep or the left finger-pulley. However, i did meet some guys i'll be competing with in the Yank 'n' Yard, and we pulled some stuff down together. That's fun stuff. And i got one move closer (the crux move, methinks) to hitting v5. It's fully doable; just gotta repair to 95% and it will fall. And losing 15 lbs. wouldn't hurt a durn thing either.

25.10.7

Yesterday i went with a friend to the climbgym. One of the worst workouts i've had in a long time, number-wise, but it was a good time nonetheless. i have some pretty foul tendonitis in my right bicep and forearm. Gonna hafta take some time off to heal that.

On a brighter note, the Yank 'n' Yard is coming up on Nov. 10 here. It's a bouldering comp. Beginner, intermediate, advanced divisions. 30 bucks gets you in, a tee-shirt, and part ownership of the keg afterwards. You should come here and enter with me. It'll be a good time.

21.10.7

Yesterday it was maybe 70 degrees. To celebrate, i called up m' bud and says, do let's get in a bike ride up this heinous hill. Shorts and tan weather, it was. But no; he says he has plans, and talks me into going to the climbgym instead, which i had theretofore resolutely set myself against, as my finger tendons were screaming for knitting time. So we went to the climgym, and after warming up on 2 or 300 problems (including a v1 i'd already done and ended up doing maybe three times in a row, which succesfully tore off two of my favorite callousess) i sent my second v4 (which i'm gonna conjecture ain't) and finally crushed the crux hold on a haunting li'l v3, which i've yet to send. Needless to say, i left pretty happy.

Today we went for the ride. It started out a balmy 50 degs. with a 30 m.p.h. wind that brought the chill to closer to 35, but by the time i found all my damned winter digs it was 5:00 pm. He borrowed Steph's bike and we set out to climb a very steep hill up the side of North Sandia. It snowed on us the entire climb. At the top we tapped knuckles and claimed First Tracks. Got some weird looks from cars on that climb. Couldn't feel m' hands by the time we got to the base, and it was full-on dark and we still had to ride nearly ten miles back to the house. i just recently got the feeling back in my thumbs, and it hurts to stand up quickly, but that was some fun crap: riding down a several mile long 12% grade with these huge wet snowflakes so thick around it was hard to see.

i'll chalk the weekend up to some decent workouts.

18.10.7 Happy Feet

Got m' shoes back from the resoler in Boulder today, so needless to say i also just got back from the gym. Odd li'l workout. Finger pulley's not really giving me much trouble now, and i didn't do any further damage to it. i did, in fact, manage to damage nothing at all as far as i can tell. That has become the benchmark of a good workout for me. Funny position tonight though. i bounced off of everything. Felt real strong, but my head wasn't there. Like, i walked a v3, but botched several 2s. Wasn't terribly motivated, but it sho' wuz nice to feel strong again. And once again it was driven home to me how fat i am, and how much better i'd be if i lost 20 lbs., and that a half-pound of hamburger meat is probably not the very best pre-workout meal.

The shoes look good though. Kudos to Rock 'n' Resole.

17.10.7 The Conquest

The Conquest is presently in a holding pattern at 20,000 ft. as my left middle finger tendon heals. i'm eschewing closed crimps, but yesterday i actually got two training seshes in. Went to the climbgym and pulled down all the v1s and 2s i could find. Made for a very nice burn without further damaging the finger. And i've been climbing in rental shoes as mine are still north, and frankly they suck. Little bit like climbing in ice skates. i have a new appreciation for my Katanas. Then i came home and went for a ride. i thought i'd pull down a hill that i use for hill training that i sometimes tack onto the end of my regular route. Only i couldn't shift to my littlest gear as i lost a bolt in my chainrings which threw my chain whenever i'd get it down low. So i'm climbing this heinous hill, half the time out of the saddle, and finally about halfway up, it occured that even i couldn't feel that fat. And sure enough i was riding on a flat front tire. stopped to fix it and my spare was cut. So i had to call Steph to come pick me up. Still worked out to be a pretty decent ride though: my legs were mighty sore that night. Today i secretly went and shopped new bikes. God allowing, i'm gonna race next year. That ought'a strip some ugly fat. Now i just need about 4,ooo bones...

14.10.7

Yesterday i got another good ride in. Today i was a sedentary slob. Shoes are off to the resoler in boulder, and i expect 'em back within the week. That'll hopefully give my left hand enough time to heal some more.

12.10.7

Yesterday i snuck in to the climbgym to see how the ol' tendons were knitting. Had me one of the worst (i.e. non-debilitating-injury) days of it i've seen in a long time. Couldn't find a happy place, couldn't get my head into it, couldn't get my hands motivated, and i think i ended up matching the damage in my left mid-finger pulley with equal damage to the same tendon on the right side. So i left with the understanding that it'll be a coupl'a weeks till i'm crimping on anything smaller than a 2x4. Also i weighed in at just over 204. However, i just got back from a very nice bike ride and i feel real good. Took just under an hour, but i was figuring it would take way longer at my turnabout point. Just felt good. Even turned some impressive wattage uphill into the wind on the last quarter, and had a few good yellow light sprints to boot. If i could get a few rides like that in before it gets super cold, i might be fit enough to have a habit of it.

6.10.7

Lessee here. i think i already posted a bike ride last week, which is all the cardio i've done. Went to the climbgym yesterday with Aeon, which basically means i didn't do a workout. so i went again today with daddy, and snagged another v3 on my ticklist--the one i almost got last week. Didn't think i was gonna get it, cuz m' forearms were squishing things at about 70%, and i'd already given the silly thing a couple of sad burns. Then i was shaking out and--lo and behold-- "Running to Stand Still" came on the speakers. That's my climbling song, and i took it as a sign that i should send, so i focussed and sent. i have one more v3 on my ticklist, and if this thing is really a 3, then nothing i've climbed so far has been. If i can get this one, i'm gonna feel good about moving to lots of 4s and start working some v5. i even have one picked out and've mentally done the moves. i desparately need to heal my finger tendons though, and i hate being outta the gym for a week or so. Maybe i can dig deep and find the motivation to lose some fat in a systematic fashion while sitting on my butt not climbing.

2.10.7

Yesterday i went back in to the rockgym with the singular purpose of sending the v3 that this partner and i kept falling off of last thurs. Gave it 'bout two pathetic burns before i realized how much damage i did to my tendons the week before: nothing permanent, but i sho' does need some down time from the crimping. Instead, i went in with 'im and had him try the v4 i hurt myself on, and he agreed with me that it was way easier than that 3 we'd been trying. He sailed that problem, but he couldn't get my high point on another v3 in the cave. i almost had that problem, and my foot slipped. i hung there for maybe five secs. crucified between two tiny crimps, crying for a foothold, and then i gave up and dropped-- one move from the end. that was a teeth-gritting moment. Did meet some nice guys though. Maybe i'll find someone to climb with regularly between the lot of 'em. If i can scrounge the change i'm gonna send my shoes to Boulder for a resole; that ought'a keep me outta the gym for a weekish. Maybe that'll force me to do some very necessary cross-training.