These past few weeks, I've been unable to venture out much due to that thing called 'life' getting in the way! So, it has meant that a few sessions at the wall have been all I was able to manage. On the positive side, it's also meant I can have a serious and objective look at my climbing progress, or lack of it as the case may be.
I climbed yesterday as it happens and in fact it is that particular session that has prompted to me to re evaluate a few things, including being honest with myself, and to write this piece.
The session itself was fine, don't get me wrong. We went to MCC. I warmed up and then whilst waiting for my partners to arrive, managed to flash 4 out of 4 of the new boulder comp problems (grades unknown it has to be said!). My friends arrived and we began with a 5+ and a 6a both fairly straight forward. We then moved on to a longer 6a+ which I climbed badly, missing a good foothold, getting my limbs out of sync on the final sequence and generally making the thing a lot harder than it should've been! I then tried another 6a+ on the same wall and failed on it about 2 moves from the top. I'm not sure what the problem was?! I need to go back to it, I couldn't seem to figure it out, or maybe, as with the last climb, I'd missed a hold! It was then onto a 6a+/B which I did pretty comfortably, the crux being the final move, really dynamic pull from an undercut/rh side pull to a high but decent lh jug......a nice route and fair at the grade! Last but one route I managed but with a struggle. We had a debate as to whether a hold on a side wall was part of this route. I decided it probably was, wrongly! I got myself into all sorts of contortions trying to get on this hold and throwing myself out for the rest of the route. Another I'll go back and try with a bit more style, the 2 tuffas being very enjoyable. Final route of the day was a 6b. I got one move from the top first go but managed it clean and comfortably second go, a foot swap being the crucial move I'd missed first time.
So, what did I learn? There are plenty of positives for me to take away from my current climbing standard and ability, but there are also some 'wake up calls' to either accept or address. Indeed, the biggest single thing I've discovered recently, is that I'm at a bit of a crossroads!
I started to climb seriously again about 18 months ago. Seriously meaning getting out climbing once a week and hitting the wall in between. As previously documented, a lot of my focus has had to be on the 'mental' side of climbing, the head games. But in terms of physical performance, I'm an advocate of 'the best training for climbing is climbing', particularly when new to the sport or just getting back into it like myself.
My focus has been on technique, on movement, on re educating my body to move in the correct way and letting things happen naturally, not forcing movement. The strength side of things I've let happen naturally, getting stronger whilst actually climbing and not specifically concentrating on getting stronger. Sure, I've tried to structure my 'training' to a certain extent (for instance, I do target specific work on things like endurance and stamina), but really, it's been a case of climb and see where that takes me.
It's taken me quite far to be fair. From struggling on anything above 5+ I'm now at 6B+, that's a 4 grade improvement right there! So my plan, as it goes, has worked, the results speaking for themselves. As a little aside, since beginning writing this piece, I've had a solo visit to The Depot bouldering centre. Having cruised the blacks (V2 - V4) and most of the reds (V3 - V5) when it first opened, they had reset them over the last few weeks.......and I've found them hard, or at least some of them. A couple of reds and blacks had caused me problems, one red in particular! A balancey little slab number, with lots of body turning, rockovers etc. I just couldn't seem to get the last but one hold! On my latest visit, I managed them, all of them!
So what's the problem you may ask? Well, the crossroads I've reached is this, I've reached my limit or at least I'm very close to it. I think that doing what I'm doing now, any improvements will be small if at all. I suspect in fact that I'll just stay exactly where I am.
So, I need to decide what I want from this. My original goal of course (and this still stands) was to become a steady VS trad leader in order to qualify for the MIA and MLA awards I'm aiming for. The indoor climbing and bouldering was just a means to an end and not a goal in and of itself. This has been fine up until this point. I've never been bothered about grade pushing, my days of becoming the best climber in the world are way way past! But, I'm really enjoying my climbing right now, not for any other reason than I'm just loving the movement, the exercise and topping out on a problem or route I've struggled on, for the first time, is just a fantastic feeling!
So now I have a decision to make, to maintain my current level, which I know is good enough for my VS trad goal, or to push on and see just how far up the grades I can go?!
In actual fact, my decision has been made, I want to see how hard I can climb, but to do this, I realise I will have to up my training game!
Just climbing isn't enough, that much is clear. So this week, I've decided to put together a kind of training plan. I've read up on training a lot recently, in fact anything training related, I've been gobbling up like a greedy monster.......and what I've discovered is that there is a myriad of information out there, it's actually a minefield of an area! One thing that does shine through though, one theme that runs through every piece of training advice out there and that is dedication! Putting a plan together and sticking to it, not being disheartened, not being put off, not arriving at the wall and just doing problems but actually being disciplined enough to ignore the shiny new routes just put up and stick to the programme, that is the key!
This week I started on the following programme:
Weeks 1-4: 2 sessions of strength and power, 2 sessions of stamina endurance and one climbing day per week. The power sessions will involve finger and campus board work, something I've only ever kind of dabbled with up until now. I'll be working on dead hangs and the like using various 'grips' (full crimp, half crimp etc). Initially, I'll be doing 5 second hangs with 5 second rests between and I'll do 10 of these to make a 'set'. At the end of the set, I'll rest for 10 mins and then repeat a total of 4 times. On the campus board I'll be doing simple 'ladders' initially, starting with just one rung movements, up and down again. I'll aim to do this 3 times with a 2 minute rest between, that being one set and I'll aim to do 4 sets.
For the endurance training, I'll be doing circuits and 'laps'. The 6a circuit at The Depot is perfect for this. I'll work the circuit as many times as I can, literally climbing until my fingers uncurl. Then I'll rest for 15 mins minimum and repeat, again the aim being to do 4 sets. I'll vary this by working through problems that are well within my capabilities ( 2 grades below my onsight level), climbing both up and down again in quick succession, no rest inbetween. This will be one set, again 4 being the aim with a 15 min rest between sets. You'll notice my training will be mainly at a bouldering venue. I'd love to train on roped climbing, particularly for endurance, but I fear it will be difficult to find a willing partner! My climbing buddies also have agendas and lives and therefore tend to 'make the most' of their climbing time by just actually climbing. I get this, it's not a problem, I will work round it and hopefully find someone like minded in the future (in fact feel free to message me if this is something you are interested in too!). What I will do in the meantime is do laps on the auto belay routes.
In subsequent weeks, my aim will be to up the intensity, increasing reps/sets as applicable, maybe even introducing a weight belt of some sort. What I won't be able to do is increase my visits to the wall, time will remain limited by life, that's just how it is.
I will of course be tracking my progress so watch this space!
Goals for 2016: Pre Xmas, I set myself a number of goals for 2016, all of which still stand and these are as follows:
Lead 20 routes at VS Trad
Lead 5 routes at HVS trad
Lead 1 route at E1 Trad
Climb sport/indoor 7a
Boulder to V6
I'm really hoping my training programme will see me re evaluating these goals upwards, wish me luck!
