More Training Ideas

This is an article from Climbing Magazine which details the training program Andy Raether used to climb Stockboy’s Revenge (5.14c FA).

“Whether at 5.11c or 5.13c, training high-intensity PE  one day a week, and then regular PE three days a week, will yield incredible results. Rest at least one day between each session, but don’t limit your training to the gym — use the crags, as well.”

He uses a Treadwall and is a big fan of E-Stim for muscle stimulation.

I Googled “Treadwall” and came up with this. I Googled “E-stim” and…well I’m not going to show you what I found. (There’s a whole world out there I don’t know nuttin’ about.) You do it yourself. You’ll either thank me later or be put off your feed.

A New Fan Of The Figure 4

Pamela was at VE today and when I saw the route she was climbing, I suggested she try Lisa’s patented Figure 4 technique. She did it so fast, I missed it on the camera the first time. So she re-did it and the result is below.

Rock!

This video demonstrates 2 3 things:

1. Yell “Rock!” when you dislodge a rock

2. Don’t stand right below someone on a rocky trail

3. It’s not over ‘til the fat rock falls

 

I Was Going To Go Rock Climbing, but…

"I was going to go rock climbing but thought I'd do this instead," she said. "It's liberating, although it might be a little awkward if you did it alone."

What is she talking about? This. A pantless ride on the BART in San Francisco.

I think I’ll go rock climbing instead. And that, too, can be a little awkward if you do it alone.

Good News/ Bad News

I have noticed that it is getting darker a little later now than it did 3 weeks ago. Good news. So I checked to see how much more daylight we’re getting now versus the winter solstice. It’s almost 18 minutes more. Hooray.

Bad news: we’re only adding about 1.5 minutes per day of additional daylight in the month of January. (Good news; by the end of January, we’re adding 2.5 minutes of daylight per day.) It’s a long way ‘til Spring.

The photo above shows the Sun’s analemma. 

Rhythm Training

Who doesn’t like the idea of limited time to get stronger? This idea of rhythm interval training is from the website Climbstrong.

“Rhythm intervals are a fast and utterly effective tool in building strength-endurance and endurance for hard rock climbing. This might be the best thing going for a climber that’s got limited space and limited time, but still wants to be able to hit the high grades at the crag.”

They have several other videos demonstrating different training techniques here.

My Training schedule

Day 1 : Hard Leads all day followed by a Hangboard session
Day 2: Hard Bouldering all day
Day 3: Many Many medium leads all day followed by a hangboard session
Day 4: Rest day
Day 5: Possible Rest day

Repeat

Dynamic Belays

So everyone knows how to belay. Most people know how to Lead Belay. But the real important thing to know is how to provide a good dynamic belay. I have been working on this for the past few months. Working hard routes with bad clips on steep walls with roofs and so on makes need for a good dynamic belay.

When your falling above a deep roof you don't want to smack your face on it.

Which calls possibly two options: Either jumping up with you climber as the fall or throwing them a little extra slack as the fall. Providing a nice soft catch while your buddy swoops under the roof avoiding the face smash that you imagined would happen the whole time he struggled to clip.

When you fall off a roof in such a spot that it is not possible to swing to the wall or yard up on the descending rope there is some techniques to consider.

This trick is used on very very steep walls. It requires a very good sense of rhythm between the partners.

The person on belay jumps up as high as they can while taking in slack and ends in a dead hang. (It is important not to let the climber any slack while this action takes place). As the climber and the belayer both hang in the air the climber does a full pull up on the rope and quickly releases the rope at the height of there pull up. The belayer then drops down as the climber was doing this. Repeat and Repeat until the climber returns to the clip he had fallen on.

Also to never forget to tell your climber if they forget clips even if it might seem rude at the time. Communication is key. Recent experience scared me quite a bit as I pulled through the crux on my 12b, almost fall and realize I could have taken a 30 foot deck.

Have a good day!

Portage To Portage

Here’s the website  of a kayaker paddling from Portage Wisconsin to the Mississippi, down the Mississippi, across the Gulf, up the East Coast, thru the Great Lakes and then back to Portage. About 5000 miles. He left last December 1st; not the best plan.

For me, the best part of his trip, is that he’s  not raising awareness for anything. I guess he is; “..to promote paddlesports as an accessible way for ALL Americans to get to know their own backyard.”

Everything Is Inherently Dangerous

This is called “Best Fails of 2009.” It’ll make you say “ouch” out loud. My favorite is probably the guy bothering the horse. Here’s a hint – don’t stand behind a horse and tease it. OK? Oh, and don’t try to push a dog into a lake.

Get Some Sun

I’ve been reading a lot on Vitamin D and its benefits here, here, here, here and here.

One good reason to climb outdoors is you get some sun which helps us make Vitamin D. (As you’re getting sun, you risk getting bitten by mosquitoes, wasps, bees and being hit by falling rocks. But at least you’re getting some Vitamin D.) OK, but when it’s winter, we don’t get the type of sun’s rays we need to make Vitamin D. (Above 35 degrees latitude, we can’t make Vitamin D from mid October to March) So what to do? Well, read the links and you tell me.

“The application of sunscreen with an SPF factor of 8 reduces production of vitamin D by 95%. In latitudes around 40 degrees north or 40 degrees south (Boston is 42 degrees north), there is insufficient UVB radiation available for vitamin D synthesis from November to early March. Ten degrees farther north or south (Edmonton, Canada) the “vitamin D winter” extends from mid-October to mid-March. According to Dr. Michael Holick, as little as 5-10 minutes of sun exposure on arms and legs or face and arms three times weekly between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm during the spring, summer, and fall at 42 degrees latitude should provide a light-skinned individual with adequate vitamin D..”

The video below is a medical, biochemical and evolutionary view of Vitamin D and why we need it. It is from a lecture at the University of California at San Diego. (It’s 58 minutes but it moves fast and is quite entertaining. The first 28 minutes are the most important.)

Update. Lisa found this article:

“Vitamin D is an often overlooked element in athletic achievement, a “sleeper nutrient,” says John Anderson, a professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of North Carolina and one of the authors of a review article published online in May about Vitamin D and athletic performance.”

Tips For Women Climbers

Steph Davis has some tips for women climbers here. Most of it is basic, but the part about the posters in the women’s room is new to me.

Jeff Does The Ceiling

I started my new training program of belaying only. This will give me a good break from that climbing stuff.

Jeff’s been working on his ceiling routine for a little while and today he did it, with the help of Amy. Here it is in about 2.5 minutes.

Nothing You Can’t Do..

in Minnesota. “Tundra we are fond of.”

This is a musical tour of why we love Minnesota.

A Thursday Odyssey

Today at Homer's, once you got there, through the snow and traffic, it was easy. Dr P and John set up top ropes on the Big Central icicle and on the slab on the east side. Everyone climbed with great style but truly the day was all about fashion.

The boys were melting the ice with their hot climbing techniques and then it was my turn, They noticed I was not wearing my signature red jacket; instead I had donned a maroon sweater that matched John's climbing tools, the ones that Mel has determined will someday be hers. It was a look. The Pit Bulls were grabbing the ice just fine, I have yet to utilize those nice heel spikes. So many feature on these new crampons, Thanks Dr. P. I also used John's new Black Diamond Reactors. Leashless is nice as you can rest and shake out you hands; better make sure that pick is stuck good or it might fall. I wouldn't fall, as I was roped (yep, a big epiphany. It is Epiphany you know, church ladies know these things.)

Dr. P and John dry tooled, traversing to the right and to the left, it was impressive and though chilly in the slot, we were out of the wind and quite comfortable, especially since John zipped me into the biggest puffy coat I have ever seen, and velcro-ed a big hood over my head and around my face muffling my constant chatter. (it's a conspiracy!) But that's ok, I was nice and warm and it matched my boots. These boys can expect a call from my husband if they continue to spoil me like this.

Now you are thinking, wow, it sounds like everyone looked great! Where are the photos, Lisa!? Sadly our photographer was not present. We missed him greatly. We climbed the slab for him. There was a little more ice on it, still thin, a delicate process. John climbed it daintily. Dr. P climbed it with precision. I climbed it with much grunting.

The boys bantered often about who was "the man" I think towards the end, they decided it was me, but then Nora showed up, she might have taken the title after I left. Nora and I agreed I would do first shift, she was on second. There is a time clock on the tree. "Afternoon, Nora."
Nora! I like the green fleece but I also liked the leopard print. Dang, where are the photos?

The drink of the day? Well, Hot Jello and green tea. Yum. Might be even better with some Jack in it. Donde esta Ricardo?