So we finally did go to the mts yesterday. Went to Los Conchas with the fam and some chicks from my class. Very good time. i was afraid the place would be blackened and crispy after the big fire there, but it seems to have spared the actual climbing area. The hills across the street, on the other hand, were charred ash trays.
i did three climbs, of which i led one. One of the girls had never been climbing, and she wanted to lead, so she led this 5.7/8 thing. Annie followed that one and got the whole thing. i was very happy 'bout that. Another of the girls also wanted to lead, so she led the 5.6. i just cleaned up afterwards. But i did do this 5.10d/11a thing. It's kinda my strength gauge. i've sent the thing before, but it's really bouldery at the bottom, and really sustained and pumpy at the top. Always before it was a matter of whether or not i could pull off the moves through the first three bolts. But they were, like, easy-peezy. But the top killed me. Well, the top, and the fact that i had a chick belaying me who'd never held a rope before. i was over-gripping everything, and every time i'd get the last bolt at about ankle height i'd imagine myself taking a 20-footer if i popped. But i made it to the top after a couple of hangs. Li'l bummed, but mostly i was amazed at how much stronger i am than last summer, and how little endurance i have. i mean, i was destroyed after one semi-long, not-particularly-difficult climb.
Then i went again to the climbgym today. Went mostly to study, and i did get a lot of studying in. But i thought i'd at least snag that v5 i'd failed on last time. Over about 4 hours i probably put 25 burns in on that problem. It's something like a four move v5, and i kept popping going for the finish. So as far as my nubbins were concerned, i'd climbed this v5 like 20+ times. There is only this translucent, pinkish, flesh-like fascia stretched across my fingers now. i gave up on the problem in despair after all these burns, and i went to the boulder to read a while. Got a v4 and several v3s and 2s. Then i gave up and went to get my Chacos, but i saw a group of guys working stuff in the cave where my project happened to be. So i thought i'd give 'er one more burn. And it went! (and light shone from Heaven, and there was an angelic choir). Funny what the threat of looking like a wussy baby can do for the motivation. Then i repeated that "4+" i'd done a few days ago, and finally got this "4-" all-sloper prob that was significantly harder than the 4+. Then i went home, ate some raisins, and went to the gym for deads day.
It was 3x3 day, so i got 360, 385 and 405. Hard, but we had that conversation. Thanks for the encouragement, btw. Very nice to have a partner, even if only by cellular network. Was definitely doubtful 'bout whether my hands would hold that bar, but it wasn't so bad. P'lups...i suffered on. 20 x BW, then 10 x +25. But the 2 x 6 with +45 i did last week turned into 2 x 4, and i tried a fifth rep on the last set and couldn't get my butt to budge. M' lats tol' me, "Nope. You've got plenty outta us for the day, thank you very much." The BB rows hurt. The good-mornings actually felt kinda therapeutic. Straight leg raises sucked the chrome off a tailpipe. 3 x 30, but i didn't actually get 'em in 3 sets...more like 1 x 30, then as many sets as it took to get 60 more without vomiting.
Really not a bad weekend, all said and done. If i could just shake this sinus infection and get my floor tiled things would be downright blissful.
2 comments:
Well that sounds like a good hard day of it. congrats on the project. I usually do my best lifting when I'm alone, but occasionally I can pull something stupid because other folk are calling me out. Or, at least standing there looking remotely interested.
Yeah, i gotta say, i usually lift better with no one around. Then i don't mind kicking the shoes off and getting chalk everywhere. In fact, i generally hate lifting around other folk, and i usually manage to plan my workouts for prime-time at 1700 when the gym's packed. But you get some motivated folks around yelling at you to get it done, and that's differ'nt. That's a shot of adrenaline. i can tear my own limbs asunder with enough motivation.
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