Not much has been going on in my life since I left Pembroke a few weeks ago, due to my fingers feeling a bit tweeky, starting work, revision for my re-sit and feeling like a rest would do me good, I didn't climb for over a week... but instead of sitting around doing nothing I did some CV exercise interested to see what it did for my climbing. I mainly went swimming as my Dad kept going and offered to pay me in...DEAL! Now then swimming isn't my bag, in fact I feel really out of place in the water, first time in I was coughing and spluttering and only just maintaining the right to swim in the middle lane. But the next few swims, I began to feel a lot more comfortable, and even dare I say it quicker than a few others in the pool, despite my awful technique!
I also hung out with a few old friends, had a couple of BBQ's got drunk, and spent a chilled day in Exeter trying to feel less hungover... This was in fact brilliant and exactly what I wanted to do on coming home, in the past year or so, whenever I come home climbing takes a back seat for me and I focus on other things instead. Partly due to less people who are psyched to get out, also I have less time, and usually because it is either freezing cold, I'm about to go on a climbing trip, or I have just spent a load of time on a climbing bonanza.
Once a week was over I managed to convince my original partner in climb, Mr Rob Steer to accompany me to our original crag, Torbryan Quarry. On arriving, we found a party already there with quickdraws in the two routes I wanted to do! Woopee! Last year I came here and managed to flash Boogie on Down, F6c but floundered on Barney Rubble, F7a+. This year was very similar, though slightly better, I retroflashed Boogie despite being very pumped at the top, phew!
Next go up I was back on Barney, I sorted the moves with a few rests in-between and then went for the send. I felt a bit jittery but got through to the final move on the lower crux but didn't catch the hold right! Damn! But got further than last year, managed to also mess the sequence up around the penultimate bolt! Back on and I got up to the top and past the last tricky sequence! One to come back to, I feel fairly confident that a warm-up on Boogie in which I focused on getting warm not to the top, and then another go at this and it should be in the bag!
Next on the exercise agenda was a run, with my dad who runs all the time and me, who has run maybe twice in the last year? He wanted to test a 9 miler as he was 'leading' his running club on a monday evening run... "Right, ok, nine miles you say?" When he explained where we were going it didn't sound too bad and actually ran us close to home 3/4 of the way round so I could always slink off home if I wanted. The laps of Decoy Park depressed me, but despite being pitifully low on the mileage and high on the feeling of death upon entering the park, once we left I felt better and we had racked up a lot of mileage. Unfortunately a mile or so later I hit a wall, the worse thing is I couldn't see the damn thing... it was at this point my legs started screaming "STOP YOU MENTAL B*STARD!!! GO INFLICT PAIN ON YOUR FOREARMS YOU DID ENOUGH TO US ON TEN TORS PISS OFF!!!!". Fortunately dad pushed me on and I collapsed into the car, proud I had (just) kept up with my dad in his own sport, but a broken man. After 3 days of walking the 4 miles there and back to work and standing up all day my legs finally stopped screaming at me, so upon the arrival of the August Monsoon I went to the wall...
"£6.00 for bouldering entry? You are bloody kidding me!" I thought as I handed over the dollar to the wall I hate the most in a quiet little village in South Devon. (Not naming names) The poor setting and limited size meant I neglected my normal slow and steady warm-up, after a couple of hours we left dissapointed as I always am after going to that wall. In the morning I woke up to my greatest fear, pain in my fingers. I desperately searched the internet so I could self diagnose. After a good bit of reading, I reckoned on a torn pulley... it didn't seem too bad so I rested it the rest of the day, while I revised. Then the next day began icing it followed immediately by the hottest water i could stand twice a day. This was secretly a blessing in disguise as I had revision to be doing for my exam which loomed ever closer...
Exam taken, I taped up and hit the Indy as I had been told that light climbing will stimulate recovery... with nothing harder than V3 climbed and all those V3s being slopey or juggy I woke up the next day to no pain! PHEEEW!! This stimulated me to try and begin training again on my fingerboard, endurance work so just hanging in there on different holds without touching down. Then discovered the Metolius workouts.
Another day off for my partner in climb, Rob led us on an iffy day to Meadfoot Quarry, Rob crushed the 'jugs on a slab' Diamond Rib, HS 4a. Then I got on Median Lucky a low in the grade E1 5b. Quite bold up to the crux but a reasonable peg protects the short 5b sequence. Not wishing to push my finger too hard and with Rob losing interest, we headed off for an afternoon of slack-lining, I am definately getting better, I think...
I have also kept up the running regime, though mediated it to just over 6 miles by basically losing the laps of the park... I have got my time to dead on an hour, and look forward to carrying it on in North Wales, though swimming I won't be, going round in circles is so dumb...
I ventured outside with Henry up to Dartmoor where, without a pad, we decided a session back on the 'Hidden Traverse' at Saddle Tor* would be good. At V4, I should be capable of flashing this or at least getting it in a session, but I have never done it. Perhaps when I was more in tune with Dartmoor granite I wasn't fit enough and now I am my hands get cut to pieces. Anyway the first bit isn't too hard about V2 but pumpy, all on your arms, slopers with a couple of heel-hooks. Then comes the crux, its a hard couple of moves in its own right V3(??) then a few easy moves to the end. I worked the crux a few times noting exact foot positions (often something I neglect on Redpoint), and went for the send. Got to the crux pumped rested it out for a bit but touched the hold that marks the middle of the crux. But couldn't stick it! Henry had a go and almost got the hold but couldn't quite reach! I had a few more goes arriving at the crux fairly fresh on one but couldn't quite stick it without a foot popping off! With rain and darkness closing in, we bailed. On arriving home my forearms were cooked, good training then!
Now I'm back in North Wales and a fairly hard session at the Indy and my finger still feels good, lets see what happens... however we are currently being hit by gail force winds, it would be pretty epic on the crags of North Wales right now!
* I recently found out this is where my old Ten Tors trainer, Ivor died of a heart attack, he was a real nice guy and its a tragedy he died, RIP Ivor you are sorely missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment