Slow start

The year has started as well as last year ended... Having battled with a right hand index finger pulley most of last year, I went and did my left hand ring finger pulley straight afterwards. As a result i had a slow start to this year, feeling it was better to consolidate and heal than rush in and over train like I did at the beginning of last year. My routine was easy bouldering and sport climbing with some conditioning (rather than strength) training at home on my Beastmaker and Systemsboard. And things were going well!

At the end of last year, while setting the SA National Rockmasters competition routes at City Rock, I twinged my knee doing a rock on. At the time I didn't think too much of it, writing it off to getting old. This year it was still bothering me slightly and I had started stretching to try to alleviate the situation. Then, while doing an easy route at City Rock, things went completly pear shaped. I did a high step in to a rock on and my knee went snap, crackle and pop. The dull pain told me that this was serious but in complete denial, I dismissed it in my head suggesting to myself that it would be fine tomorrow.

That was Thursday the week before last. Fast forward to Monday this week - I finally go to see a knee specialist (after Mark the physio tells me a probably have a torn meniscus). Taking one look at my MRI scan, he informs me that he needs to operate that afternoon and whatever i do until then, don't straighten my leg!!! Well its done and dusted now, all went well, and I have 6 weeks rehab to look forward too.

Pic: My MRI scan - the red ring shows the torn meniscus which shouldn't be bunched inbetween the leg bones compared to the right which shows a clear black line between.


I still appreciate the irony of it all - golden rule: easy vertical routes at climbing gyms are dangerous! 

Done and dusted

So my Rocklands trip is over. I had no expectations thankgoodness as I came back completely empty handed (even minus the finger skin) but damn did I have a good trip. It was great to see old friends and catch up. I also finally went to a RockStock and even got up on stage to perfom "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the rest of the Beeg Phive. And we were robbed - should have won given that it was supposed to be an air guitar competition...

P

Pic: Me on Springbok (7B) at The Sassies. Photo by Calvin Kemp

As for the climbing, well that took a back seat. I am still battling with my index finger in my left hand so am only at about 85% strength and really battling to commit on snatches. However I was quite pleasantly surprised as I was far better than I should have been. Came close to sending Caroline (7C) in a session which was only ended by the hole it put in my finger. I touched the hold on the Oral Office dyno (8A+) and was  close to sending Sunset Arete (7C). Born in to Struggle (7B+) was ever so close (although I would have sent on my underwear attempt had I not realised the intentions of my spotters planing to steal my clothes). I came back feeling refreshed and rejuvinated and repsyched! I still need to train alot but there is hope.

Focus areas for now are improving my low lock-off strength (i.e. triceps) and get my lefthand finger strength back up to 100%. I had a good session at the Scree on Sunday and managed to put Tiger Nigthmare (stiff 7B) to rest so that is a good start. Maybe there is still some hope for this season?

Light at the end of the tunnel

At last I seem to be getting in to some semblance of shape. One final week to go!

A morning trip to Redhill on Sunday helped me to finally get some much required rock time -  and I was quite pleasantly surprised with what I could manage. Jimbo had only been once previoulsy to Redhill so was keen to get a taste of what it had to offer. I decided on a circuit of the classics.

We started on Baby Fingers (7A) at Vanilla Sky which was a reasonably tough warm-up but we soon both ticked that off. Next up was Entropy easy exit (7B) and Anarchy (7A) at the Mushroom area which were also quickly dispatched (my ascent of EEE being my hardest this dismal year so far). Next up was Dark Lord Sharon (7A) and Four Singers (7A). I also demonstrated the last move of Shark Lord Darren (7B) for Jimbo who managed an impressive pseudo flash (after having just done DLS which he by the way also flashed). We then did a quick ascent of Vajra (7A+) before seeking a less windy spot.

As a final warm down I showed Jimbo Rodan (7A) - a very long and pumpy roof problem. He soon dispatched that. I resorted to trying it from 2 moves in to avoid the opening crux and manged to complete it too round off a perfect mileage session. He then did a final warm down on Vanilla Sky (7A) while I spotted.

Jimbo remarked that that given the quality and density of the lines we had just sample he was amazedthat it had taken him 16 years to get around to it. Guess I did a good job of converting another Sport Climber to the darkside :)

The first hurdle

My 8A scorecard makes for depressing reading but is a very real reflection of how slack my climbing for 2010 has been. I have now managed 3 days of training in a row (a 2 month record) and positively am unscathed. After a schooling by Jimbo at $ity Rock, the ego took a bit of a hit but the ambassador did mange to console me over a couple of draughts and also introduced me to complex training which has left my upper body aching this morning. Basically you do a set of repeaters or encores (i.e. strength) and then follow that up with an explosive power excercise like campusing. Think I will work this in to my last minute training as I can feel that it has worked me and can only be beneficial.

Todays a rest day and then tomorrow I will be back on ith training.

Getting the ball rolling

Right at last! My psyche is returning after some promising training sessions. My finger still hurts alittle but hell, it is winter and the temps are good, I can always rest later.

My recent focus has been on geting in to condiction rather than focusing on any specifc routine. Given my tweaky figer this has been a little difficult. Training has revolved around the following:

1. Frenchies on the Beastmaker 35 degree slopers - great for core and general contact strengthand not too tweaky. Dom feels this is also a really good finger strength tool.
2. One arm hangs - 20 degree soper and Beastmaker jug - just trying to get my body strength up again.
3. Uneven pullups - I have a small bachar ladder which I use to place one arm on and then the other on my Beastmaker. Good for developing the arm strength that I don't seem to have.
4. Encores on the small Beastmaker crimps - if I drag hold the small crimps it dosen't hurt too much. Good for finger strength and also lock-offs.
5. Systemsboard - Good for developing contact strength, body strength and a little power resistance, with a pinch of core strength and locking off. Been focusing on crimps and pinches but it is still early days.
6. Bouldering - it has all been indoors recently which is a real shame given how good the weather outside has been! I have mostly been focusig on very easy climbing to condition my finger and body. Possibly time to push it up a gear.
7. Pushups - great for developing the opposition muscle set and also a little core and genral body strength

11 days to Rocklands...

False dawn

The temps are low and the action is seriouly heating in in Rocklands. Alas, I haven't even made one trip there yet but that looks all set to change soon. I had high hopes for this season - my pre season conditioning was much better but the glimmer of hope soon faded with a tweaky left middle finger that just dosen't want to improve. After being a serious contender I think I will need to settle with just reaching the finishing line this year.

Harris, Dom and I are all starting to get suspicious about our Beastmakers. We all seem to share similar finger ailments and hangboarding seems to be the common theme??? The trick seems to be to hold yourself back because as soon as you start to push there is a high chance that injury will soon follow.

Given the above I have had a slight climbing hiatus over the last month or so (somewhat Soccer induced as well)  trying to rest up but it hasn't helped so I have resorted to gritting my teeth and fighting on.The finger injury has been a goodopportunity to focus on developing other weaknesses. That said one night a week at $ity Rock does not make 8Bs fall (for me at least). On the plus side according to Kerry (my body alignment therapist), I am supposedly in really good shape? Maybe things are about to turn? I did manage to do a one arm pullup on M2 (on my right only though) so maybe my weakness perception is just psychological. All I can say however is that the Big 5 reunion is happening in 2 weeks and I need to be fighting fit for that so the count down has begun..

Slow -mo-tivation

A month of on and off sickness coupled with soccer driven excuses have meant that I have been completely slack! My finger injury hasn't helped - an easy justification why not to train. Having made some good early progress on Pandemonium almost a month back I now find myself back to base level strength.

On the flip-side, the possibility of a Rocklands trip in the near future is doing wonders for the resurrection of psyche. That alongside seeing big Dom crush the Scree on Sunday means I have to pull some finger soon especially if my ambitious goals for the year are going to be achieved.