Mundy the whateverth

To aid me in my quest to divest me of cellulite my brutha' in law bought me for my birthday a bottle of the Glenlivet. Typically when i have a fresh bottle of the single malt, i quit eating for a few days, favoring instead to just drink all m' meals. Right then.

Having whined at some length on Fri. about having absolutely no one with which to do anything worth doing in this one-horse town, a friend from the climbgym called me up on sat. and we went bouldering in the foothills near me house. That made for 4 days of climbing last week, and maybe the second time in almost a year i've been on real rock. That was fun. i forget how much i love rock 'til i get on it again, and how much different it is from plastic. The reason i don't climb out there more often (it's maybe a 5 min. drive) is that everything in the lower Sandias is slab climbing-- even if it's 120 deg. overhanging. It's all this quartzite aggregate weirdness, with no readily apparent holds on, and a coefficient of friction something like a cheese grater. A typical problem consists of locking down on a crystal dice glued to the face, plaistering one's feet on BBs and launching for a rugosity you assume is there because there's chalk in the vicinity. If you're lucky enough to stick it, you gain the pleasure of rocking up over it, matching a foot with your hand and standing up with no further holds on who-knows-what with 8 or ten feet of air under yer shoes for a manky top out. we probably didn't do anything harder than v2, but it's a head trip.

Anyhow, i sho' 'nuff does look me fo'ward to gettin' on some nice rocas. i wuz perusing my guidebook yesterday, and there's some very nice looking stuff around. There're routes from 5.6 to as hard as you'd wanna do, and even a five star 120ish ft. 5.9+ pitch that sounded very worth the hike in to.

Misanthropy

29.3.8 280 lbs. (+/-)

Went in tonight thinking there was gonna be a comp, but it ain't 'til next week. Just as well, 'cuz i climbed like crap. The tapeworm has left me for the moment.

i've come to hate people who have friends. It irritates me to see people around each other who seem to like being in the same place at the same time. i went in tonight thinking i might get to hook up with some cats what climb around my level, but it wasn't to be. Just a whole buncha noobs who all seemed to like bumbling around and falling a lot and joking around with each other-- the bastards. Seeing happy people with social skills just sucks the life right outta me. i sat there quietly watching this group of assorted tattooed, burly Hispanics hurling themselves at this one problem over and over again. i was already nuclear pumped, and i thought there might be a possibility of falling off of this problem and thus fitting in; but no. i even stalled half-way up as though i were searching for some really complicated foothold or something, just so's not to look like i was sandbagging, but if that silly climb went at hard 0 i'd say it was over rated. You could climb that thing with yer chin and some elbows. There was a point when fitting in became no longer worth it: namely, when i started thinking out loud that they'd have a way better chance of sending if they'd take less than three minutes to do it.

At any rate, if i could lose 15 lbs. i wouldn't need any friends.

26.4.8

i clumb yesterday, but it wasn't worth much. Did get a nice burn in, but it was a low concentration day. Plus i had to borrow some (crappy) shoes from the gym and i didn't have any chalk cuz i left all my gear in Steph's car. Climbing is way harder without chalk. Today Ouma took the kids to the zoo, so i went back to see what'd happen for the second day in a row. Turns out it's a dang good idear sometimes. Almost flashed a 5 first thing. Didn't get it, but i didn't try again. Climbed every three i could find, including at least one i hadn't linked before. After i couldn't pull any more 3s i did an enduro session on 1s and 0s. Ended up just pulling down a whole bunch of plastic. It was real encouraging to still be pulling that strong after that much climbing. The tapeworm's back i think, cuz i felt light and hungry, and that's good cuz there's an informal comp coming up this fri.

Oh, and i bought a new rope with the rei dividends, so i'm pretty amped to get on some rock. You should come visit me and climb.

22.3.8

i spassed out on wed., so that kinda killed off the rest of the week, but i went in and climbed yesterday just to get some blood flowing. m' head is still a li'l foggy, and i climbed pretty bad, but it was good to move. Cleared the noggin up a li'l bit.

Have a good Easter.

Summary of the antecedent week

i weighed on Wed. at 195. Yesterday i took Aeon to the doc, and i weighed just over 190. Perhaps i have a tapeworm.

Tues. was a brilliant day. felt good. Retro-flashed a hard 3/easy 4 after i saw a key foothold i'd been missing. Then sent another 3. Hung from the start holds of a 9+, then flashed a 3.

Thurs. was not so brilliant. Slept not at all the night before and bombed a chem exam. Mostly fell off of all the 2s and 1s i got on and finally left chalking it up to a quasi-endurance day.

Went back yesterday (fri.) and really didn't climb much better, but i didn't have very high expectations or much time. i went in for a superpump, and just jumped on every 0 and 1 i came across in as rapid a succession as i could manage. ended up doing quite a few routes, but nothing hard. Head wasn't really on straight, but it was a good workout. Anyhow, i'm pretty convinced i could walk 6 if i got down to 180 lbs. or so.

The Power of an Empty Mind

Project sent. :-) In under 1,000 tries... Think i'm on a roll.

4.3.8

i went in to the climbgym today after a 5 day lay-off. Felt nice to be fairly healed. Funny day. Felt like it was a pretty good workout, but i sent nearly nothing. Gave several burns to my proj. v4, and finally linked through the crux a couple of times and my foot slipped off a tiny hold nearly at the finish. At least now i know i can do it. i was getting frustrated cuz i could only stick the crux throw maybe one outta four or five tries. And i could only give a few burns in any session cuz it's quite pumpy. i think i'm gonna try to run tonight. Gotta find the wherewithal. Need... motivation...

Yester Day

went snowboarding with James at Santa Fe. That was a good time. Moreover, the snow was surprisingly good, and with good snow the mt. really was fairly good. we did a day there last year, and all they had open was a handful of blues. This year the whole mt. was open, and they have a some pretty nice blacks and a coupl'a doubles that shoot through some glades and bouldery couloirs. Oh, and nearly no people--specially on the hard stuff-- even on a saturday. Takes about 1.25 hrs. to get there from here. You'll hafta come up and hit it with me if there's any snow next season.

And for your entertainment: there's this nice clearing in one of the couloirs that a lift line parallels, and someone'd built a steep kicker on the side of a boulder. we went down it once and i hit it to see what was on the other side. Nice powdery landing. So we decided it was worth doing again. we set up for this thing and i went at it, but i speed checked late and couldn't get straightened. The nose of my board stuck on the boulder and i just endoed over it. Landed head down in the boulder well on the back side with my board still on the ramp. Fortunately, the lift had stopped and i had tons of spectators. This one guy's like "Yeah! Good jump man! .... hey are you alright?" i'm all, "Yep. Everything but my ego." Then we climbed the hill to try it again. That time i hit it a bit cleaner--which is good, 'cuz there were some bunnies egging me on from the lift. i've taken some nasty falls, but that was among the more humiliating.

Leap Day

200,000.4 lbs. Today is a rest day. Wed. was my second day in the rockgym in a row, and thereafter i was in such agonizing pain that i declared a week off for myself and took 1200 of ibuprofen to celebrate. Unfortunately the ibuprofen worked too well, and i went back again for a third day in a row on thurs. Didn't send much, but i didn't do too much additional damage either. For now at least i'm hopeful, that i'll be off 'till at least tues. which should make for five off-days. i need 'em: there's no skin left on my fingers, and i've dislocated my shoulder maybe four times proper. i was back over 200lbs. as of wed., and i felt every ounce of it. But the weather's gorgeous, and i'm hopeful that i can start running regularly soon-- just gotta get my woman here to watch the kids when she's not in the throes of a nervous breakdown. Oh, and i'm planning (GOD allowing) to go snowboarding tomorrow. That ought'a get the blood flowing.

Shut down like a cellar

198.6 lbs.

After two days of terrible anticipation, i shinned on in to throw myself at my li'l v4 again. i finally managed to repeat the crux move, and even (sorta) linked through it from the sit start (although my foot brushed the ground). However, after the fourth time my shoulder tried to disencumber itself of its moorings, i left off for some new source of inspiration. i've got all the moves wired up to the crux, but i can't friggin' remember how i did that friggin' move. i did get it clean once today, but even then i dropped off and was like, Ok...Now what'd i just do? i totally know if i can go in clear-headed and strong i can do that climb-- i've done all the moves on it. But it's definitely a 4. And you sorta gotta hang all yer weight on the rotator cuff for a split second at the end of that crux dyno, and that is a real weakness for me. It's all about twisting yer body in this certain magical way that shifts yer weight onto the biceps in mid-flight, but i'll be danged if i can remember how to do it after i've done it. Each time i've snagged it it's felt easy, but if i miss a bit i have to reduce my shoulder and cry a li'l bit. Not a very inspiring day, but i 100% know that if i can show up strong that it'll fall.

19.2.8

...i could just haul m' flabby arse into the proper gym. Indeed, that is my plan for this evening. i am going to go bench press something, and i am going to like it.

i also went in to the climbgym again today for a less unenthusiastic workout than sunday's. That piece of a climb that i sent first go with those guys that day has for some reason been obsessing me, and's become my new project. It's a v4, and i think i got the whole thing if i can just feel that strong again soon. i linked from the crux move to the finish the other day (which is what those guys were working on), and today i linked from the sit-start to that crux start. But i couldn't do the crux move again today. Just kinda felt off still. It's a sick climb though-- cool movement. The crux starts with you hanging parallel to the floor on an ok crimp and a bad pinch. You shove off hard with yer feet, cut loose the pinch and stab waaay out for a flat ledge. If you stick it, it leaves you in a semi-iron-cross position with your feet dangling (whereat you match as quickly as you can). Powerful move, but i got it first try. Now if i can just remember how...

18.2.8

Thought i'd mark down that i went to the rockgym yesterday. Definitely not a real inspiring workout, as i've been down with the flu since last wed. or so, but i got a few burns in. i am getting to that special point, though, where my conviction that i need to be back in the irongym is more than just an intellectual ackowledgement, but is a physical demand. That my forearms are now the strongest muscles in my body is not necessarily a tribute to my forearm strength. Plus i'm gonna have shoulder arthritis if i don't get 'em stronger; i've just gotten used to my left shoulder trying to pop out of socket when i latch anything sorta iron-cross style.

Happy V-Day to me

Today i woke up with some brand of bronchitis/ upper r.i., and i skipped all my classes including my first chemistry exam. i felt like bland poopy-doody. Yet somehow skipping all my classes energized me. i watersealed all the stone in my bathroom, caulked the baseboards, and took a characteristically not-terribly-restful nap. Then i went climbing. At first it was very much as though i had an ocean sloshing about in my skull. But i couldn't leave cuz i didn't want another three consecutive off-days. Thought maybe even some easy climbing would get the ol' blood flowing and improve my general outlook on life. But i didn't do any easy climbing. i meandered upstairs and fell in with some muscley ripped tattooed guys and taught them what it looks like to climb. Or, if it wasn't quite that dramatic, i did send their project piece first try, and dropped off to a bewildered look that asks, "How does someone that fat and pasty pull that hard?" Ended up hanging with another couple o' guys-- one of whom was right about my level, and the other was seriously good. This first guy was working a v3 i'd been projecting for several weeks. It's as hard as a v3 gets. He finally linked it, and i sent right behind him. That is one good feeling. There just ain't anything like working some hard proj with an amped posse.

11.2.8

It's, what?-- mondayish. Lessee here... last i weighed (on wed. it was) i was 198.6lbs. After a three day rest from climbing i went in semi-fresh for a laid back session today. De ja vous flashed a thin v3 for a warmup, and then had a pretty strong day of it. Didn't send much else worth talking about, but i was pulling hard on some really nice problems. Being just a few pounds lighter has a strange, near-miraculous effect on what i can hang from. Also, going in sans raging tendon injuries has a generally positive effect. Funny, but i was sticking stuff i nearly knew i was gonna fall off of when i first glanced at it. That's a real nice sort o' surprise. So if losing 3 or 4 lbs. has that kind of return, i wonder what i could climb if i dropped 15 or 20. Just gotta learn to live on protein bars and cereal. To je vsetko

Fatty indeed....

Hee heee... i got it, yesseree Bob! went in yesterday and figured The Move out, but didn't have the juice left. did, however, hook up with some other guys and under great peer pressure sent a v3 onsight, and then a different 4(ish) after three of four tries. Today i was bored between classes and thought i'd see what happened, so i stared at it for a few minutes, gave it a warmup try, then sent it. 'bout kissed that finish hold.

3.2.8

Well now. Tomorrow (mon.) will see me with three contiguous days of barely adulterated rest. Le's jus' see how 'em crankers 'n' pullers feel afta' that there now, mm. i'm fatter and significantly less conditioned than i was at the beginning of the weekend, but i feel me a v4 comin' on; yassah, i do.

my own sickness

No, i didn't send, thank you very much. But i do have bilateral bicep tendonitis. So for therapy, i went back in today for two days in a row. my hands are definitely strong enough, but i just can't lock it off with the agony in my biceps. It's like fire. But convincing myself that i need rest is like convincing an anorexic that she's not a fat cow. On the plus side, i have in the meantime sent a whole bouquet of cool 3s, and i'm pretty confident that if i can take the next two days off, i can send that 4. And it's a legitimate 4. Ibuprofen makes me happy, but it does not make me strong.

At the end of aforementioned Thurs. workout i started working a tricky v3, but didn't send because i couldn't get my hands to stay shut 'round the dinosaur egg sloper before the final move. Today i went in and sent it for a warmup. Fun climb. Then i gave 5 or six burns to a v4. i think i finally had the crux (final) move worked out. Dig the complication: the second to last hold is a bad layback crimp for the left hand maybe 18 inches above yer right. Feet are way out left on bad holds to keep tension on that left hand. For The Move, you paste yer left foot way up high-- about eight feet high in fact, rock up as high on it as possible, and jump up and out as it's an overhang. If you stick the final jug, your right hand has moved about four feet. Anyhow, i set up for that throw, got my feet up, and on a whim, i glanced down to make sure i could still see the Earth. Lo, and there was a six year old kid lying on the damned crash pad staring up at my ass with his head exactly where i was planning to chaotically jam my heels shortly-- just kinda kickin' it smiling up at me. Being the humanitarian that i am, instead of going for it, i hung there for a sec taking it in and then yelled at him. Presumeably i was fierce enough, 'cuz he darted. i dropped and looked about me incredulously at the relatively large group watching me who'd done absolutely nothing about a kid spontaneously deciding to get a tan in the obvious ground-zero of a 200 lb. walrus dangling from on high.

But i will send on mon. God allowing. i was there for almost two hours. That makes a good workout.

24.1.8

Snowboarding was enlightening. And refreshing. i climbed on Tues. and Thurs. It was so bad on Tues. that i didn't really count it as a workout, so i went back yesterday. Yesterday was better. i pulled down some hard routeage, and i feel like i can seriously start projecting v4 again. i just gotta get back in the irongym, but i can't seem to find any motivation. Instead, i'm sitting here on my off day feeling sorry for myself. i have this recurring daydream of what it'd be like to have a workout partner. Hell, i'd settle for your basic run-of-the-mill friend. i think i need more than a long weekend: i think i need a long move.

14/1/8

Catchup again. weighed in at 202.4 lbs. today. went climbing today and sat. and probably also the thurs. before. i don't think i've gained much weight-- or rather, i haven't gained any weight. i think i've just converted some more muscle weight to fat. At any rate, between thurs. and now i sent four project v3s. At least two of those were on the very hard end of 3. i think i'm getting close to 4 again, strength-wise after the tendon damage. But i'm definitely seeing the effects of a weak core and upper arms. i can latch onto stuff that i can't pull through. i've got some kind of stupid mental block about hauling m' arse back into the iron gym. i have got to, but it's almost a painful prospect. we need some encouragement on this end. Maybe a snowboarding trip to Wolf Creek'd do the trick... hmmm