HB3 and beyond. Interesting article too.

Hello,  I am back after starting hand PT.

Last weekend I got on Tradewinds on Incredible Hulk.  I was totally shut down on 11c 7th pitch.  It made me realize how far mentally I am behind in this game.  I even started to question why I climb on that pitch.  Time to get back to mental training and falling again.

Yesterday, I completed HB3.  I am going to continue with strength phase before Australia.  Also, I need to keep going with mental training practice.

I found this article helpful: PlanetMountain: Lynn Hill interview
Quoting Lynn:
How did you prepare for the “impossible” Nose?First and foremost I believed in myself. Then I trained... a lot! Five months just for the first free ascent in less than 24 hours. The training was both physical and mental. I ran, climbed, worked-out... but above all I concentrated on the mental aspect, how to approach the climb from a psychological point of view. The motivation, style and ascent were the result of this intense preparation. And this subsequently underlined my conviction that climbing isn’t simply about reaching the summit, but rather everything that revolves around it. The way you reach the summit. This means living each moment enthusiastically, on the path that leads towards the goal.

HB2 delayed

The elbows are bothering me again despite the stretches.  I skipped HB2 on Tuesday and today.  Will do it tomorrow, Thursday 7/23.  Today, Wednesday, I went for supplemental exercises (SE), which included core, shoulders and some PT stretching and exercises.

Keep going!

I am resting this Monday.  Not much exciting news.  Just wanted to check in with the blog.

This weekend, I practiced some longer falls on number 1&2 camalots (30ft) at Donner Summit.  It was still on larger gear; smaller pieces are next. 

I did get on Manic Depression and Monkey Paws on lead!  It's amazing that at this level, these climbs still take the gear mostly larger than rp's.  This time, I finished Monkey Paws with 1 take only.  I had a fall and a take on Manic and I got it clean on TR. On Sunday, I put in a mileage day leading 6-7 pitches upto 5.10d (Bliss).

This week, I plan to do at least one hangboard workout on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending how my elbows do.  I will report here.

Back after extensive rest

Don't worry! I am still pursuing the Totem pole dream.  Just took a mini vacation to heal my elbow injuries and move to another place.  My elbows are doing a lot better now.  Some caution is now a must: rest, stretch and repeat in copious amounts.

Albeit, I lost some strength judging by hang boarding I tried this morning.  My base level dropped way below what I was pulling on the tail end of my last training phase.  On the other hand, it was to be expected.  My climbing absorbed some specific strength gains.  The rest of the non-specific to climbing strength was discarded.

I am climbing at about 5.11c level trad as before.  Now, I need to push my mental abilities to break through to the next level.  Last weekend, I practiced 15-20 foot falls on gear.  I also got on my first 5.12a Monkey Paws at Donner Summit.  I had several takes and escaped the exit sequence, but it was a proud attempt.

This coming weekend I am going to push it even further by attempting Manic Depression, stiff 11d and, perhaps, getting back on Monkey Paws.  I will practice 20 foot falls above smaller backed-up gear as well.

Oh, the biggest news is I am leaving for Tasmania in September!  Just applied for my Australian visa!
The plan is to climb and get strong on the road rather than wait till the winter.

As far as training, I will do a short cycle before September.  I have already completed the base fitness phase, a.k.a. ARC.  I am planning to slowly finish the strength phase while climbing outdoors on the weekends.

Is this really happenning? Here I come, Totem Pole.  Don't fall down yet.

166.6

Yesterday, I re-injured my back again at the same location.  I restarted training too soon.  I think it's a good idea to end the training season after any significant injury.  In the future, I must plan at least a week of rest before any long trip.

So, I am calling the Smith trip the performance week.  At Smith, I won't try to chase the numbers.  I will concentrate on mental training, taking progressively longer falls on trad and sport.
The goal is to work up to at least 3 trad falls with the gear at my feet. 

After Smith, I am taking a 2-3 week of rest.  I will be going to yoga a lot and going on jogs once in a while.  The idea is to maintain about 1 to 2 hours of physical activity daily.

163.2 and LB2

The weight is back down today.  I have not done anything in particular, so it's water lost.

Today I went to the yoga class in the morning.  I am feeling good, so will do LB2 workout at 4pm!

1.  Elbows are good. Back is 100% recovered after tweaking it during LB1. Smith climbing is going to start on Sunday, so more than 60 hours to recover.
2. Shoulder strengthening exercises done this morning.  Reverse curls will be done after LB2.
3. Will make sure to stretch before and after workout. 
4. LB2 plan: 
• Stretch 15 min
• ARC 15 min
• WBL - 25 min
• Hard bouldering (2 probs) - 25 min
• Create prob on system wall & try it - 30 min
• Green prob 30 min (4-5 attempts)
• Stretch 15 min
5. ---------------------------------------
• Total: 2hrs 35min

165.8 and back from vacation

I know I have slacked with the blog.  It's not pretty, but I am back.  That's all that is important right now.  The rest did me some real good.

Last week, I developed a case of hemorrhoids due to over-straining on Butterfingers.  Woa, definitely a sign that I need to concentrate on mental aspect of climbing!  That is what I am going to do at Smith.  I am going to practice taking falls on gear!  I am going to set some air mileage goals for the trip shortly.

I am happy to announce that my elbows are 100% recovered.  I did an LB session yesterday despite my earlier decision not to pursue Power phase any longer.  I am still looking at what to do with my last stalled training cycle.

So far, here is the list of things that I must do differently in the future:

1. Go into every workout with the stressed body parts 100% recovered and injury free! Ask questions:
•  Are the muscles and tendons that I am going stress 100% injury free?
• Will there be enough time after this workout to recover before a climbing trip?
2. Stretch arms before and after every climbing/workout.  Also, stretch them on the recovery day 2-3 times.
3. Opposing muscle and strengthening exercises after every workout: reverse curls, shoulder raises, lat lifts.  I will look up for more shoulder exercises.
4. Perform training efficiently.  No more 4-5 hour workouts.  The workout should be done within 2-3 hours max.  This will limit opportunity of extra stress and increase rest time.