YEEEHAAAA!

A Bouldering Perspective

You find something really hard,

you think it might go,

you try it,

you fall,
you try it,
you fall.

You work out some new beta,

you go for it,
you fall.
You try again,

you get closer,

you try a bit harder.

You try till your skin is on fire,
you try till your muscles roar,
you try till your muscles whine,

and still -
you try a bit harder,

you fail.

You take a rest.

You return,

you sit,
you think,
you meditate,
you visualise.
You grab those start holds - and you dont let go,
you get the crux holds - and you dont let go

you get that finishing hold - and you dont let go,
and it feels so good,

so hard,

so earned.

Last night at SSP I stuck, and sent an INCREDIBLE problem that I thought I wouldn't be able to do.

I dont know how hard the starting dyno move is, but suffice to say, pretty damn hard.

Certainly the hardest dyno I have ever held.

I have tried that move for about 3 sessions now, and been pretty shut down each time.

This time though, I found the beta!

I found the beta and went for it.

Those holds were so bad though, and the right hand one was sharp and frictiony, it hurt my fingers!

But I kept trying, and right up till the point that I stuck the swing, I thought it would have to wait for another day. 

This would have ruined my 1 Orange a session record for the centre.

I couldnt have that.

So I tried really hard.

Like, really, really hard.

And I stuck that move, and blasted through the rest of the problem (maybe V7 in its own right?)

I grabbed that final hold and the endorphines hit!

People who have climbed with me will know that I get pretty grumpy when things arent going right, but when I hit that final hold it just felt so damn good.

I would spend an entire week in a mood, if it meant that at the end I would feel like that.

It was really what I think the boulder game is all about. 

The problem I have now though, is what to do with my time.

My hands and body are taking a bit of a beating with 2 months of good climbing under my belt so:

Should I go to the peak this weekend and get that 7C+?

Should I put in a serious effort on one of the remaining Oranges at SSP?

Should I rest for 2 weeks before we leave?

Gah.

I think I know that 2 weeks rest would be awesome for my body, but I am feeling in such a good state right now, that I want to maximise results.

Sigh.

Resting is such hard work!

ACB

15 days what?

15 DAYS?

Holy shizzbizz!


Quick rundown of the week

I went to SSP and got another orange, last three are nails, I may just focus on trying to do the others with some weight/number of reps.

I then took the rest of the week off climbing, then climbed yesterday at Anston Stones up by Sheffield.

I got my first 7C (Bullet) and got all the moves on a 7C+, which I am psyched to go back for now.
It'll go pretty easily when I am fresh I think.

It'd be nice to get back on it this weekend if possible, and I know Omar is going up again so it might be a goer.

I am dong a trial set at SSP this tuesday, should it go well, then I may be able to continue in the future, and set with James Garden, Yann and Liam. I'm a bit nervous, but I am confident that I can get some good feedback on the problems.

Laters!

Bought the Tickets!

AAAAArrrrrghhhh!!!

Tickets have been bought.

It is real.

22 days left to train!

I'm slowly getting through the hard circuit at SSP, 4 boulders left out of 8.

1. One has a super hard dyno to start, but the end is just thuggage that I am certain I can do.
2. One has a tough move in the middle, and a hard finish that I haven't managed- but perhaps I just dont have the beta?
3. One is quite easy, but the end might prove difficult
4. I haven't tried the last one, but it looks like straight up crimpers on a big overhang 

Monday=Football

Tuesday = SSP

Wednesday=?

Thursday=Evo with Omar and Barnaby?

Friday=?

Sat/Sun=Outside?

I need to actually look at my finances at some point, and work out what the damage is actually going to be for this trip, because I don't want to utterly ruin my bank account in one go.

Ah well.

Now the waiting begins for term to end and packing to begin

(Yes, I found a .gif site)

SSP month membership

So I got a little fed up of Craggy,

I'm talking with my money and going to train at SSP for the last month until SA.

They have changed their system of setting to the circuit system and hired in at least one half decent setter from up north, so there are actually some good hard problems for a change.

I hope to try and do every one of the hardest set of boulders by the time I have to go.

The session today was a bit lousy, skin flaked, not well fueled, bad mood, too hot etc.

I managed to do a bunch of the V6-8 boulders (none of them were really that grade range) and a lot of the moves on the harder ones.
I'm hoping for a decent regular crowd to turn up so I can climb in a good group of people on a regular basis, something I have found a little lacking at Craggy.

End of week slackness

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.

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?

Me at a bouldering wall

YEEEAAAAAAAH

Bring on the Biscuit Factory!