The Dilemma

Another week down!

With midterms this week, all the students at school (myself included) were a little hectic and no one seemed to get out of the madness unscathed. I ended up doing well on the four tests I took (one to go), and put in a decently solid week of training.

With the training, I've had some thoughts on things that I may tweak. Typically my workout looks something like this:

• Warmup (30 minutes tops)
• Dynamic Stretching (see The Climbing Doctor)
• Warm-up Pyramid
• This is just climbing 5 x V2s, 4 x V3s, 3 x V4s, 2 x V5s, and a couple attempts on my boulder problem projects to get my "try hard" attitude on board for the day. I try to do the pyramid as quickly as possible without sacrificing technique, it kind of doubles as a volume workout because I'm putting in about 120 moves or about 180 feet of climbing (I would debate that the vertical distance is less important than the number of moves).
• Workout (between 30-50 minutes, depending on how pressed for time I feel and how guilty I feel taking up all the time I want to procrastinate studying)
• This switches between limit bouldering, 4x4s, and volume workouts
• Hangboarding (20 minutes)
• Just two grips with two sets per grip
• Climbing Workout of the Day (CWD, about 10-12 minutes)
• This is when I come up with something that is awful, hard, and makes me wonder why I picked a hobby that's physically demanding.

The things I'm debating are:

1. Throwing out volume days and focusing exclusively on limit bouldering and 4x4s. Fridays are typically volume days and I feel that it is almost "wasted mileage" on the rock wall. I know people talk about ARC training and long, low intensity workouts are good for capillarization, but I've felt like I've had stronger benefits from my warm-ups and the 4x4s I've done. Instead, I would switch off weeks between having two 4x4 days or two limit bouldering days.
2. Tossing in campusing for one day instead of the hangboard workout. I've already tried this once and... I'm not sure. I feel like I can train power and precision that relates closer to climbing by actually climbing, but maybe that means I should move to smaller rungs to increase the amount of recruitment I'm demanding of my forearms.
3. Turning the Climbing Workout of the Day into an antagonist training opportunity. This is mostly due to my weak shoulders. I recently realized that I'm setting myself up for a chronic shoulder injury if I don't get them taken care of, so I've been doing a variety of shoulder strengthening exercises each day (not unlike physical therapy exercises), but I might need to start incorporating other things such as gymnastic ring workouts or something with free weights.

Anyway, I'll put some more thought into it and see what comes out.

It's In the Fingers

Over the course of the years I've decided that, at least at my level, finger strength is the number one most important factor for improving climbing. I think we could argue that there are many climbing moves out there that must be done with high levels of pull-strength and power, but I think that if you have fingers capable of crushing everything you touch, that will be more beneficial in the long run than being able to do a one-armed pullup. Not that pulling isn't important, I just think that finger strength edges out everything else as what the top priority should be.

I've experimented with a few different approaches to training this all-important aspect of climbing. From heavy finger rolls to deadlift blocks to classic hangboarding (all sorts of routines here, from Rock Prodigy to the suggested Metolious workouts). Maybe one of these days I'll give an exhaustive recounting of everything I've tried and what I felt worked or didn't, and why.

Recently, however, I've been reading different articles and listening to interviews on the subject, and it seems to me that everyone agrees that finger strength is slow to develop and takes steady, consistent work for steady and consistent gains in finger strength.

With that being said, one person who's idea on hangboarding that I really like and am currently implementing is Steve Maisch. He's done some great research on all things climbing training, but he encourages doing between 15-25 minutes of finger work at the end of every training session. It maybe sounds like a recipe for injury in the fingers and shoulders, but I don't think it's really meant to have enough intensity for that. I think the idea is to walk away at the end of your workout with exhausted muscles that will continue neurological and muscular adaptation.

What I currently do is 4 total sets of (10 second hang x 3 second rest) with 2 minute rests between sets. Two sets are a half crimp (because isometric strength gains seem to translate to angles within 20 degrees of the angle that is trained) on an 18 mm edge and the other two hanging from a deep, two-finger pocket from my middle and ring fingers. Usually I haven't been able to hold my body weight for the last rep or so on each of the sets, so I'll put a toe on the ground to keep myself from falling while keeping the intensity high. So people may argue that this isn't quantifiable progress, but I'd say that it is sure as heck a lot less stressful and tedious as dealing with a pulley system to take weight off!

Anyway, it seems to be working well for me and my grip strength is steadily improving. I think my next step is just to work on hangboarding form so I don't end up screwing with any of my joints. Here's to getting that crushing finger strength!

Pyramid of Power

In order to set attainable goals that will serve as stepping stones to 5.13a, I decided to make a pyramid (maybe I've got some Egyptian ancestry?) to determine the amount of volume I'll need at each climbing grade difficulty in order to develop the skill set and confidence necessary to dispatch a 5.13 when I get to that level. I think it's a pretty good idea.

It was funny while I was making it, I realized 5.13a is so far from my current level that it's no big deal to say, "Yeah! I'll totally make it there." But when I put in the goal to do four 5.12c's? Hm... I know how hard 12c is, and it's pretty hard. This isn't going to be an easy pyramid to fill.

Just as a note, I topped the pyramid at 13b because the Paper Crane is 3-4 hours away from where I live, and I realized that it will not be feasible to go down there three or four times to give it a try. My solution is to raise my level of experience and fitness to the point that 13a's shouldn't necessarily be my limit (still difficult though), in order to lessen the amount of time it takes to project and do the climb. In an ideal world, I would finish it over the course of one long or two short trips.

The good news is that I have parts of it already done! I think most of the 11a's are done and... well, I'll put it on the list below the pyramid. I'll be updating the pyramid and climbs as I go along.

Climbs Completed

11a- Knightmare, Tales from the Gripped, Deep End, Gravitational Attraction

11b- Doom (onsight!), The Bulge, Squawstruck, Redneck Genocide, Suicide Blonde, Necrobeastiality, Simple Simon

11c- Captain Tight Pants

11d- Blood Ruby

12a- Liquid Oxygen, Minnow Maker

Yeah. I've got some work to do.

Bells Canyon Much?

Good week folks! I put in solid hours studying for classes and prepping for the whirlwind of midterms that start next week as well as a good week of training. I had taken last week off of climbing and didn't work out that much, just as kind of a "off" week (and because the gym was closed in for the route setters to get ready for a competition).

I decided to set a real goal for climbing this year. In the past its just kinda been, "climb as hard as I can, as often as I can." But because of time restrictions on how much I can climb outside and some weird desire to really challenge myself (who does that?), I looked up a climb that I thought looked incredibly awesome and would really give me a reason to push myself hard. It's a 5.13a called The Paper Crane in Mill Creek Canyon, Moab, Utah. I've actually been ruminating on doing this climb for a few years now, but I finally feel like I'm in a situation where I can make it happen. Don't worry you'll hear more than you care about my training for it. I think I'll put my climb pyramid up on here soon...

Today Devan and I ignored the doomsday avalanche forecast and went snowshoeing up Bell's Canyon. Our objective: the Upper Bell's Canyon Reservoir. The trail is 4.2 miles and 4,000' of elevation gain to reach it. Unfortunately, after about 2 miles, there isn't really a trail anymore (not that there's ever a trail in 5+ feet of snow... although you'd be surprised at how well someone can track a difficult trail in the snow sometimes. Today was not one of those days for me.) and we got led on a wild goose chase by the tracks of someone we guessed had snowshoed up earlier. We got way too high on the south ridge and finally reached a point where the only way to get to the reservoir was to traverse a super sketchy and steep face that I felt sure would avalanche, or go to the bottom of the canyon only to have to climb back up to our same elevation on the opposite ridge.

Yeah, we turned around.

As for the earlier snowshoer, we saw no tracks going down, so I hope they didn't die in a slide further up the the canyon.

Devan cruising the beginning of the trail.

"Lone Peak Wilderness" Ah riiiiiight!

C'mon, we're cute right? At least it's a pretty canyon, get over the sappy photo.

Sunny Days Ahead

Hey guys, thought I'd pick this back up. Life has been great since my last post. I'm now married to the most wonderful person on earth, I'm working on the last semester of my undergraduate degree, and I'm looking forward to the incredibly scary and overwhelming and exciting fact that my future entirely depends upon me. Who has time for that kind of pressure?

So I'll be updating this blog more often, and with it I'm going to include all of the aspects I had before, plus my climbing training. I decided to include training because I have a big dream to do a climb that really inspires me, will be a major challenge, and I think posting on here about my progress is a good way to be accountable (and maybe accrue some more support!). Plus, maybe some of you will care about what I have to say about training and are curious to see what happens.

I hope life is good for all those this reaches and I hope that one or two people will enjoy what I have to say in the future. Cheers!

Of Broken Ankles, Boredom, and Getting in the Zone

Well, here I am. I've got a jacked up ankle and I'm bored as all get out. Honestly, what do people do for fun if they're not out in the mountains? I've had some suggestions like Solitaire and Legend of Zelda (finally beat that stupid game), but, for some strange reason, those two things are just not satisfying to me AT ALL. I think the most satisfying things I do are study neuroscience, read adventure books, and keep training upper body strength so I can get out and crush some climbs when this ordeal is over!

Recently I've been reading a book called The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler. I wasn't really expecting much, especially with his tendency to put adventure and extreme athletes on this high pedestal, but as I kept reading the book, he actually started going into some basic neuroscience principles describing the how and why and what happens when people "get into the zone" or "the flow".

This book has given me a couple insights into myself that I find intrinsically rewarding. The first is that this is the whole reason why I love sports. I do enjoy winning/achieving something, yes, but more than that, I love the act of dropping down into a "flow" or "rhythm" where every particle of your being is completely focused and you have no fear, no worries, no sense of time, and you know that you will not make a single wrong decision. It's an incredible feeling.

Throwback photo to the Team Mayfield ascent

Last month on Mt. Whitney, we had to trek an extra three miles just to get to the trailhead for the base of the mountain. We started in a big group, but then people started to peel off and we split into groups based on the pace we wanted to set. I am (or at least I WAS) in pretty good shape, so me and two other guys broke trail through all the snow and then waited at a difficult portion to help the rest of the group through.
When the group caught up, I got to talking with one guy who was discouraged that the mountain looked so far away (when he said this, I looked up at the mountain and realized that he was right but I hadn't noticed before, it kinda surprised me actually). He asked me how I could keep up a fast pace despite the fact that it was so discouraging. Honestly, I didn't know what to say. Obviously being in shape helps, but I told him that I don't really think about the end goal, I just take care of things as they come along, and eventually I get to the top of the mountain.

The tallest mountain in the top middle is Whitney!

Looking back on that conversation now, I've realized that what I said was only partially true. But what I just described can sound like suffering an arduous task. Just put your head down and enjoy the pain right? Because, yes, I was in pain. I'm pretty sure most people going at the pace we were would be!
What I realized, however, was that I loved the pain. But not in a masochist sort of way. It was more that I was in the zone. I was focused so sharply and was so aware of every step, every rock, and all the snow, that there was no way I couldn't love what I was doing.

The route we took is where you see the three guys headed up, just a big snow gulley to the top.

Turns out, moments like those are comparable to Franciscan monks feeling at one with God's love and Buddhist monks feeling at one with the universe.
Now, I don't know about the spiritual aspect of it, but I do know that in those moments, your brain releases a cocktail of dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin. All of those naturally occurring chemicals released in your brain are more potent than any drug on the market right now. But the amazing thing about them is that, while illicit drugs destroy our lives, these chemicals released in us, at the right times according to correct stimulation, build us into happy, more confident, and more successful people! That's pretty neat huh?

So people ask me why I like to do hard things, and I, in turn, wonder why people don't like to do hard things. Apparently, waking up at 3 in the morning for a mountaineering trip is not only good for the soul, but it's good for our brain and our general well being.

With all of that, I'd like to also say that it doesn't take sports and adventuring to get into this zone. It comes when each of us commits to doing a task that is demanding and challenges us. When we rise to that occasion, it's possible for everyone to tap into this. Try finding out what gets you into the "flow". I promise you'll loooooooooove it.

The Small Handholds of Life

You know what guys? It’s just been one of those weeks. One of those weeks where you feel like everything is working against you. Finals didn’t go as well as I had hoped, I broke my dang leg, friends went back home for summer or graduated and moved away, and, to top it all off, in Mario Kart last night, it felt like every time I was going to have an epic win, I would get bombarded with red and green shells from behind and would lose my treasured victories.

I'm the one getting blown up if you can't tell...

Maybe my priorities may be a little off, but, by far the worst and most lifestyle impacting thing this week was my broken leg. I’ve been making summer climbing plans since last December (including Torrey's Peak in CO, Capitol Reef National Park, Disappointment Cleaver-Mt. Rainier *ironic*, and busting completely into the upper 5.12s and maybe a 5.13) and now most of them, if not all, are going straight down the porcelain throne.

In the midst of trying to make peace with this turn of events (I’m reading Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”), my over-enthusiastic brain has made many observations and I've come to some conclusions as well.

For those of you who aren't aware, getting around with a broken leg is a pain. You mostly use crutches except when you’re at home and you only need to travel a short distance, and then you hop. I’m sure it looks funny, but I haven’t quite managed to keep a good humor about it yet. It just gets a lot less funny when you are the one having to do it all day.

Anyway.

Don't let his smile fool you, I can tell he's thinking, "I JUST
got down the stairs and now you want me to go back
UP to grab something?!"

Moving around the apartment, sometimes I go Tiny Tim style and just use one crutch (slightly more or less humorous, depending on one’s point of view I’m sure). To alleviate the stress on the one arm and the one leg, I try to find other places for my free hand to grab and assist while traveling throughout the apartment. In the course of this, I've been pleasantly surprised to find that there are TONS of handholds everywhere that I can use just fine! I can use the door frames as a small crimp hold, or the bars going down the stairway as a pinch, my bed, trunk, and tables as mantles, and I've even snagged some bomber underclings on our coffee table that I can totally use to help me stand up from sitting on the couch! Who would have thought?!

All of these movements are natural for me and are even a little comforting. It’s as if the spirit of rock climbing knows my pain and has allowed me to at least relish the small tastes and reminders of climbing that I can get every now and then.

One day, while thinking of this, I realized that it’s likely that not every gimp in the world realizes and utilizes these holds that are almost essential for my happiness as a temporary monoplegic . It made me a little sad for them honestly. But I realized that this has a massive correlation to everyone's life, gimp or gimp-free.

In our lives, there are so many things that we can do. So many, in fact, that we really can’t do all of them or gain experience in all of them. But those things that we do gain experience in, we grow in them, we become better at them. As we get better, we begin to realize that within everything that we do are small steps, holds, inches to gain, or ground to cover. We can start to look at an overall picture, and then break it down to its components in order to understand the picture and what things we need to do to accomplish a goal or meet a task.

I think that everybody has the capability to do this, it is an essential life skill to be able to break things down into the small "holds" that make it possible to do anything. But I also think that not everyone dedicates themselves enough or has experience enough to see ALL the small "holds" that would make life easier for them and make them more successful. It takes time and effort and dedication. Not everyone really wants to do that. But isn't that what life really is? Isn't that what defines us as humans? The drive to progress, learn, and grow?

I think it does, and I think that this philosophy of seeing all the small "holds" or being able to see all the steps and pieces of a larger picture will lead anyone to eventual success and ease of way in whatever they're doing.

It's been helping this gimp anyway.