Crystal Wall, Onsighting as Rehab

Objective: Performance

Routes Sent:
Tour de Poudre (first pitch), 10b, onsight (first time outside/leading since getting injured, brilliant route, i was a mess and didn't completely enjoy it)

Silver Girl, 10c, onsight (really good, enjoyed myself)

Fahrenheit 11 (first pitch), 10b, onsight (deserves more traffic)

Ballet of the Bulge, 11b, onsight (widely spaced edges to committing crux)

Inyerbuttkwa, 10c, onsight (it is slabby, and i was heelhooking. I was done at this point)

Total Points: 21

Routes Tried:
Tool Man, 11c/d, 1 hang (80ft of 10a to V3/4 boulder problem, didn't really try because of the sun and my finger)

The only time I stopped long enough to take a picture was when Bryan was cleaning a route.

Notes: Since onsighting and volume training is all the rage right now, I decided to get some. I went to Crystal Wall for an after work session with one of the developers, Bryan. He could have set me up. I think I'm hot stuff, and he is local. He was very nice and didn't sandbag me too bad. Although his beta for one crux was, "There are two small holds, then two more small holds, and high feet." I don't know if that information invalidates an onsight, but it didn't really help. My finger felt great when I was climbing, it always does. It was a tiny bit swollen the next morning. It felt really nice to have slightly tired skin, shoulders, and feet.

Boston Marriage

Objective: Climbing Endurance & Test

Warm-up: 45 minutes of traversing, broken into 3 or 4 sections

Training: (1) Boulder pyramid
8 Recreation Problems
6 Intermediate Problems
4 Advanced Problems

Notes: I sometimes I forget Rule #1, DON'T GET INJURED!! It always takes longer to come back from an injury than I think. Today I started to push the bounds. I did an extended warm-up and did some "light" bouldering. All the problems were flashed. Towards the end, my finger started to feel weird. I stopped immediately. I don't know if the bouldering was actually harmful or I'm just hypersensitive. Either way, I want to be 100% for Charleston (even if I'm as weak as a kitten).

My Personal Shangri-La, part II

Objective: New Routing, Sport Climbing

After wandering around for 45+ minutes, I felt more like John Muir than Randy Leavitt or Dani Andrada. I was looking for rock, not pebbles. When I got to the top of the peak, I found what I was looking for.

Booyah:
I was excited, but it looked disappointingly low angle.

I turned the corner and was greeted with some steep climbing.

Another Wall

Yet, Another Wall

This is near the upper part of the formation. It is less continuous but should yield some routes.

This is the best wide shot of the crag, showing about 20% of the total rock.

I consulted my sources and found out that it is called "Castle Greyskull", a perfect rad name. It hasn't been developed yet. Time to do some work.

My Personal Shangri-La, part I

Objective: New Routing, Bouldering

Weather and work have relented, allowing me to find new rocks to climb. Today was very productive.

Check out the goods:

Spring brings showers and flowers.

I checked out a ridge by the Poudre River. It composed of hard, swirly granite.

5 minutes from the car and untouched. (I think)

This potential problem and my camera need some cleaning.

A little low ball but still nice.

There has to be at least one problem in that pile.

Highball Potential

The Best Boulder
Very Steep & Featured

Another View Of The Gem

Video Evidence

This is the closest I have gotten to projecting something in the last 6 months. It took about 6 tries.

Classic Monkey, V6, Red Rocks, NV

A Kinder, Gentler Pandemic

Objective: Climbing Endurance

Training: (1) 5 rounds
55 move traverse
Rest as need between rounds

Notes: I was too ambitious during my technique practice session on Thursday, and inflamed my injured finger. Oddly, there was no pain. I rested on Friday. I did some light traversing today as a test. I can ignore they injury and still climb relatively hard. I much rather have it completely healed.

One thing that has helped the healing process in hand putty. Typically, I use it strengthen hand extensors because climbing is flexion dominate. I have found after playing with it my injured hand has increased ROM and decreased inflammation.

The Old Bait & Switch

Objective: Technique

Warm-up: Practice the Foundational Movements of CrossFit for 60 minutes

Training: 5 rounds
5 Medicine ball cleans, 20lbs
10 pushups
Time: 1:41

Notes: Remember how I said that I could plan my training because the local affiliate posted the workout the night before. That plan back fired today. The NorCal Regional qualifier workouts (both of them) were posted for today. When I got there the trainers and some members were finishing it up. Weird. Was I an hour late? No. That workout wasn't for the masses.

The masses got to practice the Foundational Movements of CrossFit. It was good experience. I have never received formal instruction on them, and I think it is important to drill the fundamentals. I learned that my hips are too low at start the deadlift. It comes from being self taught, not being able to see my own ass, and Oly lifting (which has a different starting position).

Here is my breakdown of the movements:

1. Air Squat - Great. FUNDAMENTAL. Hammer it all the time.

2. Front Squat - Personally, I like it because of Oly lifting. However, I have never seen a new trainee have the flexibility to do one with enough load to get a response. I would have newbies air/back squat and move to front squat as quickly as possible. CrossFit teaches the movement with a PVC, ridiculous. My front squat is okay, but my elbows don't go the right place with a PVC. The trainer kept having to correct my elbows. Put people under a bar. It will allow them to show proper form or actively stretch them.

Elbows in the right spot with 90K on the bar in a competition.

3. Overhead squat - Good movement (Oly bias). Very difficult to get newbies to do it. I would introduce way later.

4. Shoulder press - Great movement. CrossFit should do it more. Everyone should do it more.

5. Push press - Okay. CrossFit loves their metabolic conditioning, and this works well for it.

6. Push jerk - Not great. No one does this in real life. Most Oly lifters don't do it, they split jerk. It is very hard to get newbies to do it. I would definitely not teach new lifters the movement.

7. Deadlift - Arguably the best movement. Everyone should know how to pick heavy stuff off the ground. I would teach it first.

8. Sumo deadlift high-pull - Silly. CrossFit doesn't teach the sumo deadlift, which might be better for some body types. CrossFit doesn't teach people how to upright row. However, it puts them both together. Through the process teaches people to bend their arms to get things up to their shoulders, possibly interfering with teaching the clean. Should it be on the path to athletic development?

9. Medicine ball clean - Okay. It tricks people into Oly lifting. For some reason, people freak out when you put a barbell in their hand. The med ball clean is very hard for newbies to learn. I would save it for way later. Immediately after they show some competence, put them under a bar.

The workout was made up on the spot, not the most efficient training for anyone. It was the shortest workout I have ever done. It was a punch in the arm when I expected a kick in the nuts. I'm going to have to kick myself in the nuts later.