After Wednesday's session at TBF I have been feeling a bit busted up and broken.
As such, I actually havent done anything for the last 2 days.
It is also unfair of certain people to bake cakes and just leave them in the kitchen.
I have a dinner party today, so I wont do any more training today (could do some core/situps)
Sunday, I might head out somewhere. No plans as of yet though.
steve hubble from ben pritchard on Vimeo.
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Vent
Lest I find myself on the wrong side of the cheeriness spectrum I am taking some time out to chill before fives and more cleaning.
I feel a bit achey today after the trip to the Biscuit Factory yesterday.
It was nice to see so many people there, and to climb so many good problems.
I even did a bunch of campus training on the big sandpaper drainpipe rungs, including some doubles on 1-3-5-7.
My stamina for hard problems was a little bit weak, and I fell off some easier ones by not paying enough attention and thinking about the best possible sequence. It isnt the competition season I am training for right now, but something to keep an eye on anyway.
I think I will take at least one day off now, probably just play some computer games when I get home. Looking forward to it.
Whoooooooosaaaaaaah.
People eh?
I feel a bit achey today after the trip to the Biscuit Factory yesterday.
It was nice to see so many people there, and to climb so many good problems.
I even did a bunch of campus training on the big sandpaper drainpipe rungs, including some doubles on 1-3-5-7.
My stamina for hard problems was a little bit weak, and I fell off some easier ones by not paying enough attention and thinking about the best possible sequence. It isnt the competition season I am training for right now, but something to keep an eye on anyway.
I think I will take at least one day off now, probably just play some computer games when I get home. Looking forward to it.
Whoooooooosaaaaaaah.
People eh?
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Wicked climbing today
So I woke up this morning and I weighed in at a mighty 77.1kg
I want to be below 76.2 kg by the time we go to SA.
This is definitely doable, and I intend to make it happen.
I minimised eatings today, and climbed/set for 2 hours before playing 45 mins of fives.
Set a really nice problem, probably about 7A at the school wall. I then worked out new beta for an old problem that had given me a lot of trouble previously, and then did it three times in a row to prove the point.
Buoyed by this success, I figured I might as well get on the hardest problem on the wall (7B/+) and promptly pissed all the moves practically static and sent the problem second attempt.
I love being psyched, it makes everything so much easier.
I want to be below 76.2 kg by the time we go to SA.
This is definitely doable, and I intend to make it happen.
I minimised eatings today, and climbed/set for 2 hours before playing 45 mins of fives.
Set a really nice problem, probably about 7A at the school wall. I then worked out new beta for an old problem that had given me a lot of trouble previously, and then did it three times in a row to prove the point.
Buoyed by this success, I figured I might as well get on the hardest problem on the wall (7B/+) and promptly pissed all the moves practically static and sent the problem second attempt.
I love being psyched, it makes everything so much easier.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Noodles before bedtime
As of tomorrow morning, I will weigh myself every day, and plot the descent to <12 stone!
Did 50 crunches and 50 super awesome leg raise reps today.
But I bailed on the idea of bicep curls when I realised I would have to share them with pupils in the school gym.
Prior to this I did some climbing though:
I warmed up thoroughly with a theraband and some starjumps then spent 6 minutes on the wall just moving around on good holds with front three finger grips and then middle two.
I then did every easy problem on the wall using front 3 only, this was about 15 problems.
I then did every red problem multiples times in multiple styles. I did each one super static, then super dynamic then tried to do them with only 3 fingers.
From this I learnt that I climb a lot more dynamically than I previously thought (on easier stuff at least) as the dynamic problems were much much easier for me to do. The static ones took multiple attempts to work out the best sequence and perfect foot movement.
Naturally, the best climbing uses both at the same time, but specifically working static strength seems very worthwhile to me right now, as it is an area that I think I am lacking in when the holds get smaller.
Time for bed methinks.
Did 50 crunches and 50 super awesome leg raise reps today.
But I bailed on the idea of bicep curls when I realised I would have to share them with pupils in the school gym.
Prior to this I did some climbing though:
I warmed up thoroughly with a theraband and some starjumps then spent 6 minutes on the wall just moving around on good holds with front three finger grips and then middle two.
I then did every easy problem on the wall using front 3 only, this was about 15 problems.
I then did every red problem multiples times in multiple styles. I did each one super static, then super dynamic then tried to do them with only 3 fingers.
From this I learnt that I climb a lot more dynamically than I previously thought (on easier stuff at least) as the dynamic problems were much much easier for me to do. The static ones took multiple attempts to work out the best sequence and perfect foot movement.
Naturally, the best climbing uses both at the same time, but specifically working static strength seems very worthwhile to me right now, as it is an area that I think I am lacking in when the holds get smaller.
Time for bed methinks.
Saturday, 9 June 2012
PSSSSYSYYYYYYYCCHEEEE!!!!!
I haven't written on here in an age.
But here we go.
The lead up to Rocklands.
I will be buying the tickets tomorrow evening.
If I am honest, I havent really been 'feeling it' so far.
I mean, I have been looking forward to going, but I haven't really found the psyche to go training, continue dieting, and generally get up to crushing standard.
But just now...
And I dont know whether to attribute this to the triple helping of Pavlova that I just ate, or to this incredible insight into one of my climbing heroes.
Dave Graham insight
I have received an overly large dose of psyche.
For the last few weeks I have been feeling a bit 'off'.
Prior to this, I was crushing hard, feeling super psyched on just climbing hard and chilling out at the wall for most of the evenings. Unfortunately, I then received a bit of an injury to my right hand. A bit of a weird one actually, I cant work out what I have done, and I cant work out the exact movement that causes it to hurt.
This has left me a touch deflated, I cant train properly on the fingerboard, which is where I feel I need to put in some time, and I cant find the desire to do other things given the heat.
This will all change on MONDAY.
MONDAY is the day I will start training in earnest.
So!
My Resolutions for the run-up
1. As much climbing as possible.
Infact, I'm going to get started on that now.
I might describe the latest font trip at some point too.
But here we go.
The lead up to Rocklands.
I will be buying the tickets tomorrow evening.
If I am honest, I havent really been 'feeling it' so far.
I mean, I have been looking forward to going, but I haven't really found the psyche to go training, continue dieting, and generally get up to crushing standard.
But just now...
And I dont know whether to attribute this to the triple helping of Pavlova that I just ate, or to this incredible insight into one of my climbing heroes.
Dave Graham insight
I have received an overly large dose of psyche.
For the last few weeks I have been feeling a bit 'off'.
Prior to this, I was crushing hard, feeling super psyched on just climbing hard and chilling out at the wall for most of the evenings. Unfortunately, I then received a bit of an injury to my right hand. A bit of a weird one actually, I cant work out what I have done, and I cant work out the exact movement that causes it to hurt.
This has left me a touch deflated, I cant train properly on the fingerboard, which is where I feel I need to put in some time, and I cant find the desire to do other things given the heat.
This will all change on MONDAY.
MONDAY is the day I will start training in earnest.
So!
My Resolutions for the run-up
1. As much climbing as possible.
- This means going to the school wall as much as possible, going when other people are not going, and climbing all the projects, setting new ones, and using the fingerboard for whatever seems smart.
- Considering getting a membership at craggy island for the run-in for the purposes of more varied training.
- Watch some more climbing films, keep the psyche high, and update this blog!
2. Diet!
- Yup, this is it. Having spoken to Jack while we were out in font, it has been made apparent that losing weight is the easiest way to become apparently stronger.
- Therefore - No junk food will pass my lips till I leave for SA on the 17th of august.
- I will attempt to limit my calorie intake to a maximum of 2000kcal per day.
- I will eat breakfast every day.
- I will snack on fruit.
- I will perform a 20 minute aerobic exercise session prior to each pullup session.
3. A Climbing Playlist
- Exactly what it says, I'm going to put together an iPod of music that gets me psyched, and then listen to it when I climb. What could be better?
Infact, I'm going to get started on that now.
I might describe the latest font trip at some point too.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Font Overview
I was going to attempt to write at least one post a month, and I'm not sure whether I am actually achieving this at the moment because I cant even remember the last time I made a new post.
As usual, lots of things have happened between this post and the last so I will try to keep it quite short in comparison to the last uberpost.
I think the happening most worthy of note since last time you joined me for a reading, has been my double trip to font this Easter.
A last gasp effort to get out of the country this Easter left me piggybacking on another trip from some old Bristolian friends. Jim and Lorrainne were well known to me already, but the other 6 members of the team were less so. While they might not have been trying the same problems as myself and Jim, they provided good company, food and comedy while out on the rocks. I did not spend long without laughing at one or other of Rowan's ridiculous accents throughout the week.
However, while it is nice to socialise when you aren't climbing, I traveled to the forest for a reason and that reason was CLIMBING!
I knew I was fairly strong before the trip, but I have definitely felt stronger in terms of straight up finger strength in the past. The major difference with this trip is that I managed to get to the week before the trip without somehow causing myself some tendon or pulley grief.
I say the week before because I didnt actually manage to get out there injury free. We left of Saturday morning, but the previous week had contained 2 climbing tough climbing trips to Craggy Island. The first on Monday and the second on Tuesday.
The monday session was good, but the nail on my right forefinger bit down into my finger and cut in a bit.
I rather foolishly failed to wash my hands that night, leaving a bit of chalk in the cut overnight and by the next day it was a bit sore. Naturally the response with only a week to go to Font was to squeeze in one more climbing session.
By Wednesday morning my finger was starting to throb and swell up.
By Thursday I wasn't typing with it or clicking my mouse because it stung so much.
Naturally, I was less than impressed with this turn of events and resorted to bothering my mother for some hardcore cures. I dosed up 3 times a day with antibiotics, cut the nail back and put some silver nitrate on it.
Apparently Silver Nitrate inhibits 'Over-Granulation' which is bad for healing.
However, it also dyes your skin black and makes your wimpy injury look far more awesome than it really is.
Of course, using this finger wasn't really possible for the first half of the holiday, but after that it felt pretty
normal and I just got on with Project 'Crush'!
I went with the vague hope of climbing a 7C, specifically having a decent attempt on Noir Desir.
I'm sad to say that I failed in this aim during the first trip, and then failed to even have an attempt in the second trip.
However, I would say that overall, this is definitely my most successful font trip to date, and I cant claim to be unhappy with anything I failed to climb.
L'Ange Naif Droite 7a+
Jete Mitraud 7a+
Jeu Au Jambes 6b
Grande Marche 7a+
Gros Doigt 7a
Narine Droite 7a
La Baleine 7a+
La Joker 7A
Carnage 7B+
Jeu Du Toit 7A
La Raie du Q 6B+
Toit de Cul de Chein 7a
Naturally, the ascent of Carnage is very welcome as being the first 7B+ that I have done that I dont think is about to be downgraded any time soon.
Deliverance and Doctor Med were hardly anywhere near as hard as Carnage was, either due to morphology or grade typos and La Pioche in Cresciano apparently starts from one move lower down.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ go figure...
Carnage 7B+ Bas Cuvier from Archie CB on Vimeo.
The end of the first trip was sadly filled with failure for me as I couldn't managed to claw my way to the top of Arabesque. I had all the beta, I had all the moves dialed but, by the end of the trip, I didn't enough juice left to get to the top.
I went home slightly disappointed and vowed to return and demolish the beastie.
I didnt really have a second trip set up, but I was feeling super determined to go back and do arabesque and I wanted to make it happen. I phoned round a bit for partners and eventually managed to find a really lanky b*stard called Anthony Moore, as well as a really short stumpy chap called Rob.
After we had set up camp and spent a night shivering in the cold we got up and left for Cuisiniere and some attempts on Beetlejuice. Rob showed why he was a top three finisher in SIBL this year with a cool flash of the problem as his first climb of the day, while it took me a good few attempts - with repeated heartbreak on the last tough move.
Straight after this we moved on down to try out La Mouche, which I had seen in videos and looked to be a winner as a potential 7B+. We worked out some good beta, and got into sending mode.
Rob once again got it fairly quickly after he worked out the middle, but the penultimate move was the tricky one for me - requiring a high reach off of a left heel in a sharp pocket.
I did it a couple of times to practice, then went for a proper go, confident that I would be able to do it if I could link the bottom well.
Unfortunately I came a cropper and ripped a muscle up in the back of my leg. Upon my return this developed into a rather nice bruise.
Sadly this ended my hopes of any serious climbing for the rest of the trip.
Nevertheless I tried it out a bit later in the day to work out my limitations and scrambled my way up Bizarre Bazaar (assis) which went at a cool 7A+. Sadly I think this probably did more harm than good and I then spent the following days freezing my balls off and watching Robthony climb.
I think that if you were to question him, Anthony would have nothing but positive things to say about my cheery outlook on life at the crag.
In an unusual twist, I decided that on the last day, I would like to at least have a look at Arabesque. My left leg might not be working too well, but the rest of me was in pretty good shape and with some different beta I thought it might be possible. I convinced Rob to follow me out there for the last day and once everything was clean and padded out, we gave it our best shots.
Rob once again sent quickly after stealing my beta for the end, despite previously complaining about the longest siege of a problem he had ever had to undertake. All that was left for me to do was get from the start holds to the top.
In payment for my bulge beta, Rob came up with a new method of doing the top that didnt require a high left foot, and the send was on!
Arabesque 7B+ Cul de Chein from Archie CB on Vimeo.
I must thank Anthony for his support during this climb, I'm not sure I could have gotten through it without him.
The next day we had a quick poke around Cuvier Rempart, and quickly found out that Tristesse is fecking hard, as is Noir Desir and Formis Rouges.
Maybe next time!
There is more photo and video evidence of the trip, but it is over in Bristol with Jim at the moment. And until my leg is a bit better, I dont think I will be heading out there any time in the near future. Instead I will be staying around the South East and putting some time doing some real training on a fingerboard.
Good luck to all!
As usual, lots of things have happened between this post and the last so I will try to keep it quite short in comparison to the last uberpost.
I think the happening most worthy of note since last time you joined me for a reading, has been my double trip to font this Easter.
A last gasp effort to get out of the country this Easter left me piggybacking on another trip from some old Bristolian friends. Jim and Lorrainne were well known to me already, but the other 6 members of the team were less so. While they might not have been trying the same problems as myself and Jim, they provided good company, food and comedy while out on the rocks. I did not spend long without laughing at one or other of Rowan's ridiculous accents throughout the week.
However, while it is nice to socialise when you aren't climbing, I traveled to the forest for a reason and that reason was CLIMBING!
I knew I was fairly strong before the trip, but I have definitely felt stronger in terms of straight up finger strength in the past. The major difference with this trip is that I managed to get to the week before the trip without somehow causing myself some tendon or pulley grief.
I say the week before because I didnt actually manage to get out there injury free. We left of Saturday morning, but the previous week had contained 2 climbing tough climbing trips to Craggy Island. The first on Monday and the second on Tuesday.
The monday session was good, but the nail on my right forefinger bit down into my finger and cut in a bit.
I rather foolishly failed to wash my hands that night, leaving a bit of chalk in the cut overnight and by the next day it was a bit sore. Naturally the response with only a week to go to Font was to squeeze in one more climbing session.
By Wednesday morning my finger was starting to throb and swell up.
By Thursday I wasn't typing with it or clicking my mouse because it stung so much.
Naturally, I was less than impressed with this turn of events and resorted to bothering my mother for some hardcore cures. I dosed up 3 times a day with antibiotics, cut the nail back and put some silver nitrate on it.
Apparently Silver Nitrate inhibits 'Over-Granulation' which is bad for healing.
However, it also dyes your skin black and makes your wimpy injury look far more awesome than it really is.
Of course, using this finger wasn't really possible for the first half of the holiday, but after that it felt pretty
normal and I just got on with Project 'Crush'!
I went with the vague hope of climbing a 7C, specifically having a decent attempt on Noir Desir.
I'm sad to say that I failed in this aim during the first trip, and then failed to even have an attempt in the second trip.
However, I would say that overall, this is definitely my most successful font trip to date, and I cant claim to be unhappy with anything I failed to climb.
L'Ange Naif Droite 7a+
Jete Mitraud 7a+
Jeu Au Jambes 6b
Grande Marche 7a+
Gros Doigt 7a
Narine Droite 7a
La Baleine 7a+
La Joker 7A
Carnage 7B+
Jeu Du Toit 7A
La Raie du Q 6B+
Toit de Cul de Chein 7a
Naturally, the ascent of Carnage is very welcome as being the first 7B+ that I have done that I dont think is about to be downgraded any time soon.
Deliverance and Doctor Med were hardly anywhere near as hard as Carnage was, either due to morphology or grade typos and La Pioche in Cresciano apparently starts from one move lower down.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ go figure...
Carnage 7B+ Bas Cuvier from Archie CB on Vimeo.
The end of the first trip was sadly filled with failure for me as I couldn't managed to claw my way to the top of Arabesque. I had all the beta, I had all the moves dialed but, by the end of the trip, I didn't enough juice left to get to the top.
I went home slightly disappointed and vowed to return and demolish the beastie.
I didnt really have a second trip set up, but I was feeling super determined to go back and do arabesque and I wanted to make it happen. I phoned round a bit for partners and eventually managed to find a really lanky b*stard called Anthony Moore, as well as a really short stumpy chap called Rob.
After we had set up camp and spent a night shivering in the cold we got up and left for Cuisiniere and some attempts on Beetlejuice. Rob showed why he was a top three finisher in SIBL this year with a cool flash of the problem as his first climb of the day, while it took me a good few attempts - with repeated heartbreak on the last tough move.
Straight after this we moved on down to try out La Mouche, which I had seen in videos and looked to be a winner as a potential 7B+. We worked out some good beta, and got into sending mode.
Rob once again got it fairly quickly after he worked out the middle, but the penultimate move was the tricky one for me - requiring a high reach off of a left heel in a sharp pocket.
I did it a couple of times to practice, then went for a proper go, confident that I would be able to do it if I could link the bottom well.
Unfortunately I came a cropper and ripped a muscle up in the back of my leg. Upon my return this developed into a rather nice bruise.
Sadly this ended my hopes of any serious climbing for the rest of the trip.
Nevertheless I tried it out a bit later in the day to work out my limitations and scrambled my way up Bizarre Bazaar (assis) which went at a cool 7A+. Sadly I think this probably did more harm than good and I then spent the following days freezing my balls off and watching Robthony climb.
I think that if you were to question him, Anthony would have nothing but positive things to say about my cheery outlook on life at the crag.
In an unusual twist, I decided that on the last day, I would like to at least have a look at Arabesque. My left leg might not be working too well, but the rest of me was in pretty good shape and with some different beta I thought it might be possible. I convinced Rob to follow me out there for the last day and once everything was clean and padded out, we gave it our best shots.
Rob once again sent quickly after stealing my beta for the end, despite previously complaining about the longest siege of a problem he had ever had to undertake. All that was left for me to do was get from the start holds to the top.
In payment for my bulge beta, Rob came up with a new method of doing the top that didnt require a high left foot, and the send was on!
Arabesque 7B+ Cul de Chein from Archie CB on Vimeo.
I must thank Anthony for his support during this climb, I'm not sure I could have gotten through it without him.
The next day we had a quick poke around Cuvier Rempart, and quickly found out that Tristesse is fecking hard, as is Noir Desir and Formis Rouges.
Maybe next time!
There is more photo and video evidence of the trip, but it is over in Bristol with Jim at the moment. And until my leg is a bit better, I dont think I will be heading out there any time in the near future. Instead I will be staying around the South East and putting some time doing some real training on a fingerboard.
Good luck to all!
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