White Mocha with Protein

Objective : Cross-training

Warm-up : Standard CrossFit Warm-up

Training :
Three rounds for time of:
135 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
135 pound Hang power clean, 12 reps
135 pound Front Squat, 9 reps
135 pound Push Jerk, 6 reps
Time - 12:30

Notes : I visited the local CrossFit afflilate. It is better than my old local one in CA. I don't know if I'm sold on it. I hate the standard warm-up. It is a joke. On the other hand, that work-out is no joke. I thought about quitting at one point and couldn't breathe normally for 10 minutes. It is from CrossFit.com. CrossFit.com's workouts are the most effiecient use of gym I have found. The local place's schedule is 5 days on/ 2 days off. That is a lot of practice at CrossFit. I don't want to get better CrossFit. In addition, 5 days on is a watered down version of Crossfit. I rather have my straight shots. Also, I can't workout whenever I want. I love my Sunday workouts after climbing trips.

1-4-7 Used To Mean Something

Objective : Climbing Power

Warm-up : Flash a lot of problems

Training : (1) Campus
Big Rungs : 1-4-5
Small rungs (crimp) : 1-3-4
1-4-7
1-5-8 (fail)
1-5-7
Medium Rungs (open) : 1-5-7
1-5-8

(2) Flash more problems (with downclimbing)

(3) 3 one-arm pull-ups with each arm
lots of front levers, windshield wipers, and 45 lb weighted situps

Notes : After this morning's CrossFit workout, I visited a local climbing gym that also has workout facilities. They grade problems "Recreation", "Intermediate", "Advanced", and "Open." Personally, I like that grading for indoor climbing. I flashed every Advanced problem and most Open problems. SUPER WEIRD!!! I guess hitting the hangboard helped. The only Open problems I couldn't do were either greasy old slopers or in the steep cave. I couldn't keep my feet on because of the earlier workout. I'm not siked about roof climbing. Their setting was very good. However, I got bored and decided to campus. Their campus board is okay. My biggest complaint is the different sized-rungs have different spacing. THERE ARE STANDARDS!!! Those numbers mean nothing, they are only for personal reference. I found another thing I suck at : Pulling through, e.g. on the big rungs it should be 1-4-7, not 1-4-5. I did reach a mini-epiphany : I don't care about CrossFit but love climbing.

Bonus :

Properly spaced campus rungs

Photo courtesy of Moon Climbing

Putting out more videos than Richard Simmons

Here is a video about "core" training (or 'core training) :

Video Evidence

Here is the highlight reel from bouldering in Las Vegas:

Minimum Wage is a Gateway Drug

Objective : Climbing Power Endurance

Warm-up : assorted dead hangs and pull-ups throughout the day

Training :
(1) 15s on / 15 rest, 6 rounds per grip, rest 3 minutes between grips

Grips
Open hand (top sloper, hard side)
Two finger (middle pocket, easy side)
Full crimp (middle edge, easy side)

rest 10 minutes

(2) 1 minute, continuously moving on hangboard
1.5 minute rest
4 rounds

This is my experiment with training devices. It is two Pusher system tiles mounted on over a doorway. It is temporary until I build the complete system board. I have a mild obession with Pusher because they have great products. I don't see other hold companies picking up where they left off in terms of building training products for climbing. The system tiles can spin 360 degrees because they are mounted on t-nuts. The options are only limited by my imagination.

Notes : Left middle finger feels tweaky from the monos yesterday. My body needs a longer warm-up (like today's). I can tell I have work/rest ratio dialed-in when I don't want to get back on but can physically finish. Workouts that build mental toughness. I got the "1 minute, continuously moving on hangboard" from Mountain Athlete. It kicks my ass every time. My goal is 2 minutes on/ 2 minute rest / 3 rounds by the end of Febuary. Do work!!

Just Another Front Range Climber (with a blog)

Objective : Climbing Strength

Warm-up : 3 X 10 pull-ups

Training : find smallest hold hangable for 5s, 5 rounds per grip, rest as needed

Grips
Mono (mono grip, easy side)
1/2 crimp (crimp grip, hard side)
Two finger (middle pocket, hard side)
Open hand (lower sloper, hard side)

This the best hangboard I have ever seen. It is the no-longer-available Power Junkie by Pusher. It is sleek, no wasted space, and mean, every hold is slopey. The texture is perfect, almost none. Notice the Alan Wrench. The board is mounted on t-nuts so it can be flipped over. 2x the grips, easy side and hard side. Genuis! Notice the stopwatch. Critical for scientific training. Notice the extra holes in the wall. I can't find studs even with a stud finder.

Notes : Ran out of time for crimp grip. It is okay cause I'm kinda strong on crimps. Finished the move to the Front Range of Colorado, aka Center of the Universe. If I was 'core I would have cranked outside yesterday during the daytime high of 50 degrees and continued to sleep in my car. I'm not 'core and found an apartment. However, my apartment is less than 1 mile from a climbing area!!! If I was 'core I would have cranked there despite today's daytime high of 32 degrees. I'm not 'core and hit the board. If I was 'core I would convert my living room into a woody, it is huge with 15' vaulted ceilings. I'm not 'core and am converting an extra bedroom into a woody.

Bonus :

Incomplete List of Front Range Climbing Blogs

http://www.frontrangebouldering.com
http://www.b3bouldering.com
http://pimpinandcrimpin.com/
http://mountainsandwater.blogspot.com

http://straightouttabedlamv7-2.blogspot.com
http://iclimbrocks.blogspot.com
http://lenslam.blogspot.com
http://mannphoto.blogspot.com
http://kellymcbride.blogspot.com
http://danlevison.blogspot.com
http://rockymountainraider.blogspot.com
http://www.allclimbing.com
http://p-d-robinson.blogspot.com/
http://lloydclimbingblog.blogspot.com/

Looking Forward

I spent a fair bit of 2008 behind the wheel. I plan to spend even more time traveling 2009.

I don't make New Years Resolutions. I make everyday resolutions. I look for limiters or weakness and attack them. However, I'm setting some goals for the new year :

- Climb in a foreign country. I climb all over the US but rarely leave its psychological safety. The plan is somewhere with limestone, preferably multipitch.

- Complete a climbing-based birthday challenge. My birthday is in August, the big 3-0. Plenty of time to train. You don't have to train for a challenge, but training increases your ability to suffer (thus making the challenge better).

Rank-ordered list of ideas :

1. 300 boulder points in a day (V1 = 1, V2 = 2 , ...)
2. 300 boulder problems in a day (any grade)
3. 30 routes in a day (11a minimum)

- Complete a route pyramid with 13a top, i.e. 4 X 12b, 3 X 12c, 2 X 12d, 1 X 13a.
Right now, I can send 12a 2nd go (most of the time). I have only done one 12b (I think it was soft).

- Complete a boulder pyramid with V10 top, i.e. 4 X V7, 3 X V8, 2 X V9, 1 X V10.
I have sent less than 5 V7s and 1 V8.

- Flash one V7
I have flashed 2 V6s

- Onsight one 12a
This is one is going to be hard, my best onsight is 11b. I really suck at onsighting. I get scared and my technique goes out the window.

No training goals. Sometimes I train for the sake of training, and I'm trying to stop. However, I will have training benchmarks for each of the goals.