29.11.07

i'm back in the climbgym finally. After basically two full weeks off, i went in on Tues. and again today. Very interesting sessions. The nagging pain in my finger is largely gone (although i'm still eschewing any locked-down finger nail crimps on my left hand) and the bicep tendonitis is gone insofar as i can tell. But i have about zero endurance. Very odd how it's going. i went in and sat under a v2 that'd thrown me maybe 5 times on tues., and i stared at it for a few seconds today. Sent it as soon as i could tighten my shoes without breathing hard. Then i spent some time and worked a v3 with a couple other guys and finally sent that; but i was outta juice by the third burn. Very odd, that. i sent cuz i wired it in my head and outclimbed the burn, but it was strange how fast the burn came. Then i got a couple of 2s i'd done before, and a new unrated that'll probably clock in at 2+ or 3-. i just haven't felt anywhere near 100% in a long time, and my head hasn't been totally there either. i feel a long way off of sending v5, but who knows?

Also i bought "King Lines" today, and i highly recommend it for some amazing climbing. It's inspired me to drop 20 or 30 lbs.

23.11.07

Little catchup here. Tonight i went in and climbed a bit. Mostly just to keep the joints warmed up. Felt kinda weak. Finger didn't bug me much, but i just didn't feel very great. Last night i went in to the irongym for one of the most uninspired workouts i've done in a long time. At any rate, i did some shrugs, rows, and bench. In fact, i'm kinda sore today, so i'm glad i took it real easy. i need to get back into it. Also got a couple of really good runs in the last week. i think i'll feel better if i can just ever catch up on sleep.

17.11.7 Downward Spiral

Done clumb on on thurs. evening, and it was kinda bad. Did snag a v3 and a "v2" that'd bucked me the previous 7 or 8 tries. That's a fun problem. But my right bicep is no longer resorting to vengeful sorties of tendonitis; she's threatening to secede from the union. i'm crimping in my right hand at about 50%, and the tendon pulley in my left middle finger didn't even like pumping up a blood pressure cuff yesterday. i'm going to take about two weeks off from anything like hard pulling, and see if that's enough time to heal. Presently, there ain't no way i'm gunna tag a 5 'fore January. If i can heal in two weeks back to nearly 100%, i think i can pull it off. As it is, i'm going further in the hole every time i climb. i'm hoping i can use the time productively and lose some weight on the bike and running. i went in and shopped Orbea bikes yesterday. Them's some pretty bicycles. Think i'm gonna go for an Ora. Anyhow, 15 Nov. is the last day i climbed. That means i'm off 'till about the 29th. It's the weight room and the trail for me.

13.11.7

Well. Two days after tearing it down like i've rarely torn it down, James talked me into squeezing a session in tonight. Didn't take much talking me into it; there are a lot o' problems i should'a ticked at the comp that i either screwed up cuz o' nerves, or else was just too fried to do by the time i tried 'em. Climbed through screaming tendonitis in my right bicep, and had to basically tape the tendons in my left middle finger to the bone so that it would sorta clutch things, but i sent a couple o' v3s, several 2s, and a whole bunch of 1s. Most of the climbs that just had points on 'em at the comp were rated tonight, and i had a good laugh. i was falling off of over-rated 1s and 0s 3/4 of the way through. Presently, i'm finishing up a glass of vin to wash down 600 of motrin. i'm not so confident about that v5 before Jan. as i've got about 1.5 mos. to do it in, and i really, really need about a month off to heal my tendons. i absolutely know i've already got the strength to send 5, but i'm gonna have to be close to 100%, and i don't have much time left to heal. If i can find something (non-destructive) to distract my dumb self with for two weeks or so, i might just pull it off.

Also, i did about an hour run earlier today.

11.11.7

Well, i had my comp yesterday. Gotta say that, number-wise for me, it was appalling. Totally fried myself trying to link up a v4, and then didn't have the juice left to score a handful of climbs i definitely should'a walked. Very angry at me was i. Other than that, however, it was a riot. You gotta do this thing next year. Good times. Lots of fun problems; huge number of folks from every ability level; lots of cheerleaders and beta-trading; free beer and barbeque afterward. And i won a chalk pot to boot.

i am sore in every muscle in my body, as i can honestly say that this was my first sustained four-hour v-hard climbing workout. i tore down some lesser constituent of my rotator cuff, my left finger (with the previous damage) is begging me for a month to heal, and i'm seriously having trouble typing just now. i will definitely have to find time to do that more often.

So very, very, very bad game plan notwithstanding, it was a helluva workout, and i see very clearly that i need to start lifting again (specially core and upper arms), doing more endurance work (i.e., dense, sustained moderates) and taking a bit more rest time (read: porter my fat ass out the do', and onto the track).

i will climb v5 before January. Oh yes, i will.

tues. 7.11.7 -taper

Weighed in at 202.6 yesterday, which is a two lb. loss from the week before. Last night James and i went for a last bouldering session 'fore the comp. i took two days off before yesterday, and i'll have three days off before sat. i'm hoping to be largely healed and strong. Took a long time to warm up yesterday, but i felt stronger than ever after i did. warmed up on a 2, then walked a 3 i'd done before. Then we went into the cave and started working a super contrived problem that this group of guys pieced together and was working: huge throw from underneath a roof to a pinch on the lip of it crimp ladder to the ceiling. The throw was the crux as you really need a 7ft. wingspan to hit it comfortably. But i snagged it second try (stretched to the absolute capacity of my li'l glenoids, with half a finger pad left on the start hold) for the f.a. and then sat and cheered them on for rest of the time. Probably goes at hard 2 for 6+footers and hard 3 for sub-sixers.

i'm afraid i'm gonna lose most of my projects to the comp, since they'll be clearing a lotta wall space for new routes, but that's ok. Need some fresh routes. Still, there'll be a couple i'll have bad dreams about. And James'll be leaving me in a few weeks. Bummed am i. But he'll surely be happier in a place that isn't here.

3/11/7

340 lbs.

Today i was jonesing for a workout, and wanted to see what the guns felt like after a whole off day. Definitely not back to 100 por ciento, pero fue quiza a 85ish. It made for a good workout actually. i'm not very disciplined, you see, so if i've got it in me, i climb the hardest things my li'l hands will hold on to and then go home every single time i go in. Today i started with a burn on the Nemesis v3, saw right off the bat that they wuz no way in hizzell i was gonna get that last hold, and i got on with climbing every v0 and v1 i came across. i concentrated on climbing as efficiently and easily as i could, for to stretch it out as long as i could; and when i got sloppy, i dropped off the route. It made for a white hot burn in my forearms that i haven't experienced in a long time. Also i'm sore in some very odd muscles (each of which my viscious chilluns discovered with eerie efficiency whereupon they'd mercilessly jam one of their bony appendages into it as if to exorcise it) including my left iliopsoas, which is presently preventing me from lifting that leg off the ground. Excellent workout.

Also i signed up fer th' Yank 'n' Yard today. Very excited am i.

And to answer your question 'bout the plyo, etc., i've been stretching rather extensively, and have recently added in some calf stretches to the routine, which has seemingly done a lot of good for that achilles tendon. Haven't put any twisting force on it to test it (and don't plan to), but i've noticed that it doesn't hurt me when i land now, even from some pretty big drops.

And if you decide at the last minute that making 700 C in one day maybe isn't the answer to your spiritual quest after all, you're still welcome to haul that up here and climb with me. My mother in law even said she wants to go watch it. Be a good time.

2.11.7

Today, on a whim, i clumb again. Wanted to see how i felt, and i wanted to move. Got one of the best workouts i've had in a while. And i only got the finish hold on one route, which i'd done before. The v3 that has vexed me for some weeks now came into view today. i don't know if this is the most sandbagged route i've yet tried (and i've gotten some concensus that it is fa' shizzle sandbagged) or if it just requires such a specific kind of strength, but it's hard. It's not extremely long-- maybe 7 moves-- but there isn't one positive hold on it; only big pinches and a sloper, and no rests. Plus it starts under a roof, and ends on a second roof. But today i established 4 times on penult pinch/sloper combo, which i hadn't even been able to touch before. It's just that when i'd get there i'm so scrunched that i can't let go for the last hold without sproinging to my doom. i think i can do it, but i'll hafta be able to forget about the fall.

Then i got way into another route that'll definitely be either 4 or 5. Made for a good day. Nice warm failure; no debilitating injuries.

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.

30.9.7 A word on the weekend

Yesterday i was still healing up the forearm pulleys, and was put off of running and riding by an impending thunderstorm, and was thus compelled to drag my caboose to the iron gym. Three things came of it. First, i weighed me. Turns out i got that v4 at around 205 lbs. i don't know whether to feel good about that, or fairly depressed. At least there's a lot of room for improvement. Second, i'm not as totally weak as i expected to be. i intentionally did some bench to see what my elbow thought of me for it, and it worked just fine. Kept getting a disconcerting twinge at a certan point in every rep, but no pain-- for which i was grateful. Did keep it pretty light though. Ended up doing an all around upper-body workout. Third, i am now sore in exactly every muscle in my body not directly related to climbing. Yesterday morning i was able to set my chin down on my straightened knees. After a handful sets of straight-leg deads i'm now able to touch my toes if i squat down and sit on my heels first. i'll take that as a sign that i should maybe hit the weights a li'l more often. i'm looking really forward to getting back into serviceable triathlon shape: i really mean to lose a lot of weight before the end of this year. All in all, i can't really complain at all about the workout or my strength level considering the evil i did to my elbow ligament. i deserved surgery after that, and i'm climbing harder than i ever have two months out. i'll take that as a mercy from God.

Addendum

An after-note: Bigfat cody will likely be taking the remainder of the week off from climbing, as bigfat cody fairly grossly underestimated the amount of damage him did to him's girly forearms. Them there stacked half-pad, two-finger pockets decimated our hero's pingers. It's a rigorous healing diet of Ibuprofen and beer for the chubby one for a few days. Maybe i'll get a bike in-- who knows?