Determinism 101

Climbed-- i think--on tues. Good session, really. Cleaned up a bunch more problems from the comp, including a v4 that earned the grade. Still haven't gotten in to the irongym. Every time i get home and have the time, i'm too tired to go.

last transcript finally made it to caspa. Now it's a matter of waiting to see if they'll bother processing it fast enough. Amazing how much Tums it takes to wait and see if you'll accidentally have a career or not. Funny that it's come down to this. Story of my mutha fing life. Guess i should shut up and be thankful the transcript made it. Well if i get in, there'll be no question about whether maybe it had anything to do with my hard work or brilliance: it'll have had absolutely nothing to do with me.

Took my second a&p2 test today. Studied for this 'un. finished and thought i'd done really well on it, but i didn't. Bastard writes 'is tests on the stupidest bullshit trivia, you can have a high level of control over the material and it still comes down to guessing on half the questions. Every effin' question was double layered. So you can get an answer correct, but if you don't get all the correct answers you lose. Absolutely unnecessary. Absolute bullshit.

Right. Off to lab to daydream about what it'd be like to sleep ever.

Pics o' the trick new kicks

Admittedly, these could use some Photoshopping. The contrast is a tad low. Blanched pic (and ghastly ankles), notwithstanding, these puppadogs fit like ballet slippers. In fact, i can do en pointe in 'em. One can stand on literally anything. And the price was the best i've found.

They actually highlighted just how eight-ball-esque the La Sports had become: i didn't feel so much like i was wearing ice skates whilst climbing. But i am emotionally attached to m' Miuras, and Sport's XS Grip rubber does rock worlds when it's not polished to a glossy sheen. But it's been a while-e-o since i've had a pair of aggressive, down-cambered chisels on, and these things are made for edging. Tres cool. Also, (as you can sorta see from the pic) they're totally covered in rubber, so the bicycling/toe-hooking/heel-hooking capacity is just neato-bandito.

i hauled 'em to the Kettergym yestern for to run 'em through the rigors. i can't say i say i was up to the task of maxing out my machines, but i did send a swarthy fistful of v3s--and even (supposedly) a v4 (although i righteously downgraded it).

i almost definitely shouldn't have climbed, but i felt like moving. The night before, we went to the bro-in-law's, and inadvertantly got torn down. Six or 8 oz. of Scotch with a half-liter of Merlot, along with a 2:00am bedtime is no way to prepare for an athletic endeavor (unless you're, say, G) and i rightly came out of it with bilateral biceps tendonitis and, i think, gout. But it was another glimmer of hope. i was a hemisphere away from pulling with a full Vitality meter, but i still pulled acceptably. Now i need about a week off of climbing with just running and swimming my chunky arse into skinniness.

And a tiny prayer request. i reckon in the Grand Scheme it isn't that important, but i'm on the hairy, razor's edge in getting my app to caspa on time. i've submitted, but they're waiting on a transcript before they can process it. Once they get it, it'll still take at least 2 weeks to process. That'll put me in line for the last possible interview in the middle of november. If they still have slots left by then, i feel fairly confident i could be accepted, but it seems (from this perspective) pretty iffy that they'll get it processed in time. i'm a tad nervous.

Light in the tunnel

i guess what i meant to say is that today i'll send the Miuras Boulderward. Yesterday i got roped into climbing again with a friend; only it turned out to be a good session. That is, i was nowhere near 100%, but i felt--i dunno--normal. Ish. i went in, felt a li'l tired, a li'l sluggish, deinitely a li'l chunky; but i felt normally tired, sluggish, and fat. It was a hopeful feeling. i climbed prob'ly a few 3s and a 4--cleaned up some stuff i should'a' walked at the comp. But it was so totally different than the last several days've been (including at the comp) that it was like i had a different body. i mean, it really makes me wonder if i've been sick, and just didn't have the ostensible symptoms. At any rate, it's kindof an exciting feeling to think that i'm not just suddenly over the hill, but that i might actually recover and feel strong again in the nearish future.

Dude. i was ripping off o' holds at that comp that... if you can comfortably wrap your chin over a hold, you ought'a be able to hang from it in my opinion.

The new shoes supposedly shipped yesterday. Happy am i.

These three remain: Off-Days, Nutriment, and Sleep; but the greatest of these is...

i climbed yesterday. That is to say, i was physically present at the gym, and made multiple series of climbing-like movements. i really went in to size a new pair of the Optimus Prime i won in the comp raffle. i gotta order 'em online, and i didn't want to take a guess. Turns out a hair small and they'd fit neatly into any international treaty's definitions for torture. Sick shoe though. we'll see if i dialed 'em right. The climbing, though, was abysmal.

Clumb again today 'cuz it was convenient and i had a sec to kill. i think i lasted ten or 15 minutes before i left in disgust. i am not healing. i can't seem to sleep. i always think i don't sleep well--until i go through a real spell of deprivation. Then i start sensing what hell might feel like. i do think i'm gunna go ahead and take this opportunity to send my Miuras to Boulder for a resole. That'll at least keep me from climing for a week or so, even if it doesn't help me sleep.

At any rate, the weather's perfect, and i think you should come up here for to partake in a weekend of it.

Yank 'n' Yard '09

From a personal, critic-level perspective, i guess i'd have to go with two out of four stars for ye olde comp. i can level very little of my criticism on the gym, because, as usual they did a fantastic job of production and routesetting. But i had one putrid day of climbing. It did, however, assume a positive slope as the day progressed.

The format was a bit different this year. For the last few years it's been an ABS sanctioned event; but this year they also had a $3,000 purse for the top 3 in men's and women's, and another $3,000 or so worth of "raffle" prizes. Also they added a sick roof on the upstairs boulder cave in time for the comp. Heck, they even roped in Timmy Fairfield to routeset. All this resulted in about 200 people showing up-- around twice as many as last year. This (and a d.j. who couldn't find the volume knob) led to my snarling consternation.* There were way too many humans in that gym. They did have the sense to stagger (with only an hour of overlap) the open division and the age-groupers; but even so--- The morning session was two hours long. The goal was to do as many climbs as you could, and tally your top eight scores. In two hours i had done two (2) climbs, and had managed exactly eight burns. Sometimes you'd spend 15+ minutes waiting in line to get a second try on a climb. There were so many people that in order to give climbers room to fall and swing, the rest would have to squeeze back like sardines to the background. i mean, you couldn't even get a good look at the moves on your proj whilst waiting. Flippin' nuts. And to really grind in the irritation, Jazzy Jeff kept Welcome to the Jungle cranked to mosh-pit magnitude, such that you'd have to cup your hands into an ear horn and lean forward to hear the judge call your name.

i left after the first round to take a lab mid-term, and i almost didn't go back for the second round. But i was glad i did. The morning's nerves had worn away, and not having slept for the antecedent decade had once again stopped affecting my timing, and i started climbing like i thought i should. And that's saying something about my level of frustration, 'cuz i started with really low expectations. But i let go of the notion of working hard problems, and made it my goal to just have fun and snag eight. Turned out to be a fine strategy. my torn oblique continued to plague me through the day, but the second half felt more relaxed somehow. Probably some people had left, i found a way to avoid the decibels, and i found a mellow group to work some stuff with. Ended up getting exactly eight climbs, and 3rd place in the 30-39 age group--which is funny because i'm pretty positive i didn't climb anything harder than v2. Oh, and i also won a pair of climbing shoes (which i happened to need quite badly).

i do wish i'd climbed better and felt better, but i can't complain about the shwag haul.


*O.K.--and the fact that i fell repeatedly off of stuff that should have been light warmups.

i really mean it this time...

No more climbing 'til saturday! NO, i say!

i think i've been in every day this week. Yesterday i signed up for the comp, so, fortunately, i was not allowed to go in today. Got a good toproping session in yesterday though. i wasn't gonna go in unless i found someone to rope up with, cuz i wanted to keep 'er light and easy. Ended up flashing a 9, then an 11-, fell off a 12- a couple of times (but i think i could'a' sent if my abs weren't mutinying against me), gave up on that, lowered and up and down climbed an 8+, then flashed another 10+ (which i downgraded to a 9), then flashed another 10 beside it. Felt like a monster, except i had to climb really tight and static and smooth to appease the Ab Gremlin. If i could get a session like that in even every couple of weeks, i'd be pow'rful strong, and have huge, sexy water-hose-like veins bulging outta my forearms. i probably won't be climbing at 100 por ciento at el comp, but i wouldn't be anyhow with the tweaky oblique, so the self-flagellation will be light. i'm serious about maintaining the attitude that i'm in it for a new teeshirt and a coldbeer at the end.

Speaking of which, i haven't precisely quit drinking altogether either; but i have negotiated it down to one drink the night, which probably isn't doing too much damage. Mostly i wish i could get a really good night of sleep tonight and tomorrow. That'd be some empyrean ambrosia. i do wish you'uns could be here. Should be a fun weekend. Maybe in the next few weekends, yes?

march to midterms

i'm gonna try to lay off the climbing till sat. climbed today. Hands felt pretty strong. If my abdominal wall will heal, i should be recouped enough to at least feel justified spending the money on the comp. i'm going to try to stay with some very light stimulation--maybe running or swimming if i can swing it--and nothing else. i haven't been drinking all that much, but i'm gonna try to lay off of that too. And if i can string together enough v8s, i might just win the $1,000 purse. (Or more realistically, if i can just not leave in an ambulance i might score another "The Women of Climbing" calendar). i'd be pleased as punch to score a crash pad or a set of draws.

So. About you people coming up here in the moderately near future...

Milking the Muses

Thought i'd effuse a bit, as i'm not in the mood to go to bed just yet. Some prayer requests first. Looming largest: the boy seems determined to escape from Womblandia asap, which at this juncture would be devestating to his health. Steph's been having some mad and occasionally frequent contractions, and the li'l dude's languishing somewhere around her pelvic bowl. She's (actually, make that: we're) a little worried about her having to go on bed rest for the remaining two or so months. Besides the fact that we'd be absolutely bankrupt, there's just is no way really of painting the possibility of lying in bed for 12 weeks in a happy light. She's gonna try to get one of those pregnancy belts to relieve some pressure, but we're both a tad nervous presently.

Next, i'm getting a bit concerned about my chances of getting my pa app submitted in time. That's all i'll say about that, but it's got me bummed. i'd appreciate yer prayers.

On a totally meaningless note by comparison, i'd planned to switch labs for next saturday so's i could spend the day at m' bouldering comp; only it turns out i've got my lab midterm next saturday exactly during the finals round. It probably works out as a blessing, 'cuz my oblique is still in a bad way, and maybe it'll keep me from hurting myself. At any rate, i might score me a new tee shirt, and maybe a sweet raffle prize. i really want to go outside and do some climbing, and some under-the-sky sleeping, and some non-electronic-people chatting. i nominate you as coworkers in this endeavor.

Back on [a] track

Yesterday was a good day. First, we found out we're having a boy (Thank You, God!), and that he's healthy looking as far as ultrasound can discern. It's nice to occasionally get something right, even if it doesn't have anything at all to do with me. And that's not to say that girls are bad either; i'm very fond of my chickies. Only there'd have been a great disturbance in the cosmic reticulum with that sort of estrogen buildup in our li'l house.

Then i went climbing for a few minutes. Goal was to take 'er easy, and see if any knitting had occurred in ye olde abdominal peritoneum, or if i'd really rent it asunder as i'd first expected. Also i wanted to see if my forearm wussiness goes deep, or if this tiredness is just on a fine-motor-skills level. And if i don't start doing something active i'm gonna be so fat soon that it won't matter if i do heal.

The problem was that they'd finially finished the upstairs bouldering roof-- so now there's a fully inverted roof to hack through for us boulderers who've no one to rope up with. Full 12 or 14" deep crash floor, so you could fall flat on yer back from the ceiling and break no vertebrae. The draw was irresistable. So i giiiingerly got on a v1, but dropped cuz i didn't trust my structural integrity. But there was little pain. i did ten pullups, and there was little pain. Then i nearly sent a reachy, stretchy v4 roof problem on the 10th-ish try (which i would'a' flashed if i weren't scared for my guts spilling onto the glossy new matt), and there was little pain. i remained a bit afraid of doing the last move, which was a footless, core-intensive dyno, because i had vivid visions of a Monty Python-esque evacuation of my visceral gelatine.

Then i went down to the lower cave on my way out the door, and thought i'd see if the v1 i hurt myself on last week was still so intimidating. Turns out it was, and i'd really not like to be on that climb anymore. So i'm definitely not back to 90%, and my forearms are still inexplicably weak and sore from whatever sickness i contracted--i burned down fast, but i've high hopes that i'll be close to form for the 17th. i couldn use a good day of it at the comp. Or i'd at least like to feel good enough to spend the money and score a t-shirt. i still think you'uns should road trip up here for it.

Cain't touch this

Captain's log, stardate 2009.

Wed. morning i woke absolutely positive i had a blood clot in my right brachial artery. Felt like i had a deep bruise in my right bicep, but i hadn't been hit or anything. Then the area got hot to the touch and the skin around was splotchy pink. Then my hand got ice cold. Then it seemed to move down and my wrist turned pink and sorta swelled, and i couldn't really bend it. i called for a doc appt., but couldn't get in 'til today, so i tried an after-hours clinic, and they told me my insurance had expired. So i just popped a largish handful of aspirin. Then the next day (yesterday) i woke up and all my muscles hurt. Later on i got feverish, but all day i just felt weak and generally in pain. Fortunately it was my longest day of school.

i ended up going home, popping yet another handful of aspirin ('cuz i had a nice toasty fever, and was shivering so hard i thought i was gonna puke), and going to bed at around 7:30. Woke up this morning at 8:30. i slept for 13 hours. If it's been a while since you've slept for 13 hours, let me recommend it. But i woke up every few hours drenched in sweat. At some point i had to put a towel down on the bed cuz i was floating, which made me shiver again. Anyhow, i went ot the doc today, and he said it all sounded like a viral infection of some sort. Bad times really, only he did say it didn't sound like H1N1. That's comforting. And i think i'm on the upswing.

i'm just hoping i'm back to near 100% for the 17th. You guys need to come up for the Yank 'n' Yard. With three of us vying for schwag, there'd be a fine chance one of us'd score a crash pad or a rope or something.

'Nuther un

Watched "I Love You, Man" last night. Yet another movie i'm embarrassed to admit i watched all the way through. Made me think what if that were really what life was all about? Very depressing thought. If you have the chance, i'd avoid that one.

Anyhow, i went to the climbgym again yesterday after lab-- mostly to piddle around. i was wanting to meet some friends there and do some routes, but they all dissed me. Ah well. Ended up bouldering (again), and i had low expectations. Did a kind of warmup on my home wall before i went to lab, so i felt pretty good really. Ended up finally sending one of my v5 projects. i kinda' doubt it's really a 5, or if it is, it just barely is; but it has a really thin, balancy, hard finish. i've tried the thing probably 30 times, and i'd race up to the end, grab the set-up for the finish (which is a match on this huge, slippery Fontainebleu sloper, with bad feet) and barn-door off-- over and over and over. i went in yesterday mostly with the thought of cleaning up a v4 that i'd left undone a few days prior. i'd done all the moves, and i thought it'd go pretty easy. Then i popped off the crux like a gaper four times in a row, and gave up. So i was milling around doing easy stuff, looking for some inspiration, and i thought i'd throw on this 5 again, just because even if you don't finish it, it looks hard. It's a good conversation starter.

It starts with a heel hook to a reachy match on a bad pinch under a roof; campuses footless on some crimps and slopers throught the opening to the cave 'til you've rotated 180deg.; then you swing up into a huge kneebar rest. Unwind outta the kneebar into a full-extension (for me) outside gaston on a crimp, then slap for the Font setup match. If your feet are perfect, and you still have the juice left you can toss sideways for the finish crimp. And somehow i got it. i'd snagged the finish before, but my feet had always been wrong and i couldn't match on it. This was a joyful moment.

i'm hopinig to get an iron workout in today. i want to change a few things up this time. i pulled an intercostal/rhomboid in my upper back, and yesterday i managed to damage an oblique in my abs, so we'll see how it goes.

Later:

i went in for the workout. Turned out to be a fantastically bad idea. Rip in my abs notwithstanding, for some reason i decided to try maxing on deadlift. i didn't have my Inzer belt with me, so i tried turning one of the gayguy tapered belts around backwards for a platform to valsalva against. i was planning on doing a pair at 405, but i nearly gave birth to my jejunum by C-section. So i quit and left. A beer and a handful of vitamin I later, i'm seriously hoping i didn't actually herniate my abdominal wall. Ah well: it only hurts when i breathe or sneeze, which means i feel pretty ok around 50% of the time. Peace.

Collagen depletion

This has not been a terribly spectacular week of climbing, but i thought i'd record the days i went in just so i can remember for next week. Seems like i just got in tues. and today. m' hands felt better on tues. after taking 4 or so days off, but my back and biceps were still rent asunder from sunday's iron workout. went in today for two sessions actually--or i split the workout up cuz i had to go to class. i just felt stale and sluggish today. Bad night of sleep last night mostly. But i hooked up with a friend in the second sesh, and it was fun climbing. we were both climbing way off our game, and just kept working hard problems anyway, so it was a good vibe. Ended up digging deep and pulling some crazy power outta the hat, but i didn't tie up any loose ends or hard problems. But that's alright, 'cuz it was nice to have fun climbing for the sake of climbing. It's been a while since i've fallen off of nearly everything and still left smiling. And i nearly separated several tendons from their respective bones, and that usually leads to happiness.

"You didn't get the 'moped monkey', you got the 'mopey monkey.'

me likey Pearls Before Swine. It'd be a fine present if someone were to get me a book of PBS for some holiday or another. Gives me a tickle in my ribs.

worked out proper this evening. Pretty much the same workout i've been doing on sundays, but i moved upward on a few lifts.

P'lups:

20xbw (i could tell the structural integrity of m' wee biceps was not at 100% on these)
6x+45 (this bade ill)
4x+70 (couldn't get 5)
3x+80
2x+90
2x+100 (stopped after this. i didn't lock out the second rep, and i decided not to do negatives.)
This was a li'l unexpected, 'cuz for the first time in several of these workouts i didn't climb the day before. In fact, i hadn't climbed since thurs., so i was banking on feeling better. Ah well.

Straight Leg Deads:

14x145
8x195
8x215
6x235
6x255
4x275
4x305 (Here's where not climbing the day before paid off: i could hold onto the bar.)
4x315 :-)
That last set i admit i didn't do on the box. They were still straight legged, and i still had 25lb plates as the biggest plates so the bar started maybe an inch or so off my feet, but it wasn't below my feet. The liftoff from on that box is the hardest bit of the workout. At any rate, i still loosed some yells to crank out 4. i'm calling it a pr no matter what you say.

Leg Raises:

30xshoes
3x12xankle weights
The sets of 12 instead of 10 was an improvement.

One Arm Cable Rows:

8x90
8x105
6x120
6x135
4x150
Felt pretty good about these. No cheating; no rocking. i wanna try these with DBs to see how it compares.

Bent O'er BB Rows:
10x135 (These felt airy)
2x6x185
This was a 10 lb. step upward.

WG Pulldowns:

10xsome weight
2x5xmore weight

This was a good workout, in my opinion. And as light as that chest workout was a few days ago, i'm still sore from it. i have caved in, withered boobs, and a tolerable back. At least i'm half a man.

Later That Night...

i'm sitting at Golfernoggins watching reruns of ca. 1954 Popeye. i think i'll make it my new goal to be able to crush open a can of spinach. Crud, i'd be fairly happy to be able to crush open a can of pretty much anything.

Popped in fer a 30 min. workout at the irongym. Engaged in sundry pushing motions. i have no chest and no anterior deltoids. Then i hopped on a bike ergometer for "1 mile." Turns out i have no quads either. But i burned like 46 calories.

Humiliating, but i guess ya gotta start somewhere.

Reality Check

Climbed mon., wed. and thurs. Thought mon. would be good, but i wasn't healed. Wed. was interesting. Sent a couple of 4s--one of 'em flashed. Then i talked with a guy for a long time about his marriage. That's a guy that could use some help. His wife and he are separated, but still married--neither of 'em wants a divorce--but she's dating another guy. And they have a two year old. Kindof a messed up couple o' people, and i don't get the impression they're very happy with it. Pray for them, would you.

went back yesterday for a 30min. session. Thought i'd just get some blood moving and kinda warm up. Did a long traverse on polished wooden holds; bunch of slopers and pinches. By the end of that i had this mega-pump i couldn't shake off, and my hands waxed arthritic. So i thought i'd try one of the 4s i'd done the day before. That didn't go so well. So i thought i'd jump on a 5 project. Needless to say, a sucking vortex opened in the continuum, and things took a steep downward spin. Fortunately, i had to go to micro lab, and i left.

Then i was leaving class and i called my mother in law. She said the kids and she had just been in a wreck. Annie got banged up a bit, and we ended up taking her to the er and sitting for 3 or 4 hours. Finally we left because they were only gonna do a c-spine and jaw x-ray, and there were maybe 8 or ten people in the er, and they appeared to have no motivation to do anything to anyone at all. i'm sure there was a constant stream of gurneys lined up for x-rays. Actually, i think the triage creature needed a chain-smoking break, figured there was probably no internal bleeding, and said Mehh, let 'em sit there till they give up and leave, and we'll have more time to eat donuts. Anyhow, seeing as she spent nearly a whole minute triaging her, and her blood pressure was just fine (whew!), and i didn't take her in for a flippin' x-ray to begin with, and there was approximately zero chance that she had anything that'd show up on an x-ray, and it wouldn't have been till around next mon. before a radiologist would've bothered looking at it anyhow, and they almost certainly would've been happy to let us sit in the waiting room until then, and there was no hope of getting a CT (which is what i went in for, since her head was killing her and i was afraid she'd banged it badly) we left. As far as i can tell, that's the way to run an er most efficiently and cost effectively: make a pt. wait until they figure out for themselves that there couldn't actually be anything seriously wrong or else they'd already be dead, at which point they decide to leave. i guess it limits liability.

But seeing as it probably would've cost an insurance company $8,000 to do a CT (that this hospital wouldn't use again for the remainder of the year), i guess head trauma in an mva is a poor justifier. It starts to feel like a Monty Python sketch after a while.

Engaged in crime i grasp my throat/ Enraged my mind starts to...

...yearn for a cup o' chamomile.

Skeletal workout this evening, but fine one, notwithstanding.

P'lups:

20xbw
6x+45
4x+70
3x+80
2x+90
2x+100
Um: 5x+110 Did the first one solid, but couldn't squeeze out a second clean, but i stacked some milk crates beside me and cheated me to the lockout for 4 negatives. Some myofibril ripping action there.

Straight Leg Deads:

14x145
8x195
8x215
6x235
6x255
4x275
4x305 :-) Busted out the chalk bag for this set. And i didn't fully roll my shoulders back for the lockout on the 4th rep, cuz my pinkie was coming unglued. i'm coming after you baby Bryant. It's on.

Hanging Leg Raises:

30xshoes
3x10x+ankle weights
It's weird how these don't really ever quit sucking.

i went back home in order to put my babies to bed with the intention of going back and finishing, but this squishy chair magnetized my buttocks to it, and i failed.

i climbed yesterday for one of the worst workouts i've experienced in a good while. i climbed on fri. and linked to the finishing holds on two v5 projects (although i didn't stick 'em for the send). Yesterday i couldn't stick the second move on my main proj. That was frustrating, but it was also illuminating: that is some steep, thin juju i'm trying to swing my chubby arse on, and people of my girth shouldn't have any sort of expectation of defying that much gravity. In fact, i'd bet there isn't anyone within 30lbs. of me climbing what i'm climbing. Crud, a year ago i would'a' chuckled at the thought of sending this climb; so i guess that's some improvement.

Now i just hafta get my bulbous ass to the top so i can quit trying to eke out slivers of sappy affirmation, and get on with seeing my enemies driven before me and to hear the lamentation of the women.

Why i feel safe in New Mexico

There was some traffic in the way, but i thought i'd post this otherwise lovely shot of a rainstorm moving over the scenic Sandia Mts. teeheeheeSNORT!

Ended up getting a pretty decent workout in at ye olde climbgym after taking that pic. Strange, but i just felt a li'l lighter afterwards; everything felt a tad easier. Somehow seeing a chick cop drive her auto all the way under another cop car left me with an unshakeable sense that maybe there is justice and beauty in the world-- and even i am occasionally in the right place in the right time.

And i feel pretty sure that if i'd just gone a li'l easier on the spicy Italian sub, and maybe'd taken the alpha gpc before working out, i'd'a' sent two stiff v5s back to back. i linked to the end on both of 'em, and just ran outta juice. i might try to sneak back in today after lab, and see if i can clean up one loose end or the other.

Ooo, and we watched Seven Pounds last night. i do think i might buy that 'un. i had low expectations, but that was a fantastic flick, in my opinion. Peace.

fried eh

For the ten thousandth day in a row, i slept miserably. i was visited again by j.w.s this afternoon, and i didn't feel like talking. So i gave 'em my phone number for a study. i guess i'll have to start boning up on my Bible, cuz i'm sure i'll get a weekly phone call for the remainder of my life until i sit down for a "study" with 'em. Who knows? Maybe they'll convert me. Maybe they'll proof-text me into submission with specious references to sundry prophets. Or maybe i'll convert them to my wishy-washy, cynical mode of belief. They just seem like such upbeat, boppy people. If only everything that proceeded from their mouths didn't seem like such trivial drivel...

And speaking of trivial drivel, i worked out on tues. i think at the climbgym. Definitely not fully healed in the ol' tendons, but it was an ok workout. Gunna try to squeeze one in today.

System test

Made it to the irongym yesterday evening after--what?-- two or three weeks off. It's basically the same workout i've been doing, but i edged up on a few sets, and generally felt pretty good. Didn't tweak the workout much; mostly 'cuz it'd been so long since the last one, and i wanted to get my corpse back into it with some stuff i knew i could do.

P'lups:

20xbw
6xbw+45
5x+70
4x+80
3x+90
2x+100 (tried a third, but it failed at launch)
2x+110 (really didn't lock that second one out clean)
All in all, this was definitely upward motion for me. i haven't been able to pull reps with that much weight since lcu, and i weigh more now than i did then.

Straight Leg Deads:

14x145
8x195
8x215
6x235
6x255
4x275 (didn't lock out the last rep. Had to set the bar down (very quickly) so's not to drop 'er on m' feet. Hands were just coming unglued.)

Hanging Leg Raises:

1x30xshoes
3x10x+ankle weights
These sucked. Abs seem not to be the sort of muscle that just wake up after 3 weeks and say, "Alrighty, let's get it on!" i need to do these really more than once per week. And i wanna start doing some different ab work too. Some scissors maybe.

One Arm Cable Rows:

8x90
8x105
6x120
6x135
4x150 This was also an improvement. Didn't go to a heavier weight, but i started the rep pyramid a li'l wider.

Bent O'er BB Rows:

1x10x135
2x6x175 These felt good too.

WG High Rows:

8x180
2x5x210 Did these as kindof a cooldown, but they came off pretty good.

This was a control session. i didn't take any ergogenics before or during. In fact, i ate nothing but several handfuls of chocolate chip cookie bar before the workout, and i drank mineral water during. i wanted to do some chest, but i was moving at a snail's pace and had a nauseous pregnant woman at home with the trolls. i'd rather split it off for a second workout anyhow. Happy workout. we were pleased.

DUUUDE! SWEEET!

'K. Being a natural skeptic, and generally bending toward hurling aspersions at hype, the claims by Biotest of their Alpha GPC ring of, well, content-free advertising. But i'm in for anything that claims to "increase[] peak force by 14% over and above the placebo value" in a single dosing. So as my own personal breed of starting a double-blind crossover study* i took the stuff--along with a half-dosing of Surge workout--for my eighth day in a row of climbing. i haven't yet bothered to read what sort of crack-rock they claim to employ for the job, but i crushed some plastic--as far as i can tell, without any tendon material left in my fingers. DUDE! That was bizarre. i went in with the idea of maybe stretching a li'l and warming up, and generally feeling worn down. But i nearly sent a v5 i've been working on for a few days. Got tired of the throngs after a burn or two, and meandered off. Ran into another five that looked brutal, and i absolutely knew i couldn't send. But i thought i'd see if i could work out some beta on it. i wrenched through the lower crux on my second try, and then i worked out the top crux. i didn't end up linking it, 'cuz i had just nothing left by the end, but i did all the moves. And by the time i finished i had a crowd of folks working it with me, and i watched some sick strong homies fall off it. There was this group that'd been making good progress on a 7 in the cave came over, and only one of 'em could pull it together.

Then i floated a 4 and a handful of 3s and 2s. That was a craaazy workout. i don't care if it's placebo or what: me likey. But now i wanna take some nice days off to heal, and see if i can get back and crank superhuman on that dope.



*While anyone outside of politics would scoff at a double-blind crossover study with a sample size of one, and in which i know what i'm taking every time, i do, in my defence, exhibit bipolar personalities, and am terribly forgetful.