Thursday, 5 June 2008

I think what you need most after your prolonged and repeated injury layoffs is to get out and do some climbing. Get some rock miles in, re-acquaint yourself with real climbing, do some good climbs and enjoy the summer.
Don’t bother getting a membership to either wall until autumn. Go to Dan or Nige’s board if you feel the need, or just pay full price for occasional visits to walls.
Taking the long view, you have loads of time to get strong, but it’s realistically too late to be your absolute best this summer. Have a good summer and then knuckle down to training in Autumn/Winter. You have half of summer left, get out and about, go places you haven’t been, get on the hard routes you aspire to (if only to see how strong you need to get), do some onsighting. Don’t waste your time endlessly going on routes you have done already, you will only feel depressed when they feel harder then you remember/ think they should feel.
In my experience, if you get out on the crags you will quickly develop realistic and inspiring goals for what you can do within a season. Don’t get hung up if this isn’t breaking new ground, you’ve just been broken and re-built for god sake! Pick an inspiring destination for the end of summer, but with a wide range of objectives so you will have something to go at regardless of how strong you end up. Preferably somewhere new which will feel fresh and where you won’t end up falling into the trap of trying things you have already been on (which may end in frustrated disappointment).
The last thing you want to do is go in too hard too soon and end up injured yet again without even a brief window of pleasurable climbing.
Don’t forget, being psyched and having fun does wonders for your climbing, ask Dobbin!"

Good comment Bonjoy, basically that's what I've worked out since my last post. Earlier in the week I was unsure as to whether visiting Kilnsey on Wednesday (yesterday) would be a good idea or not, mainly due to the forecasted temperature. However Tuesday was spent in what can only be described as some kind of mind meld with three people much brighter than me discussing every little detail of my PhD so far. I was fried so Kilnsey, hot or not seemed like a great idea. Met dobbin off the train and then we set off around the back roads at high speed, great roads it has to be said. I won't bore you with details but the banter was good, the climbing was better and the chip butty rounded it all of nicely. My stamina had improved notably which was marked by success rather than failure and next time I go I'm going to get on something that I've wanted to do for years; Yorkshire ripper or maybe reacquaint myself with full tilt in order to have a long term goal of True North, its all down in writing now so that's the way its going to be. Off to two tier with Dobbin shortly for what will hopefully be another great climbing afternoon. Anyone in need of a belay in the coming weeks let me know because as of yesterday I just want to get out more.
Another conclusion yesterday was that Foley should really stop fighting it and come out and do some routes.

2 comments:

bonjoy said...

Great! I'm well keen for routage at the mo so if you fancy a Tues or Thurs session next week let me know.
Glad to hear you're fit already! Wish I was. I'm having a slow start this year, but motivation is high so I think things will improve soon.
Ditto re Foley! Release the beast

Paul Bennett said...

You must have a feed reader or something your replies are almost instant! I'm keen however I've got my final impeding doom line on Friday next week so I'll have to play it by ear. Having said that Tues might be possible and Thur Nat is away in Glasgie for work.
Any particular routes in mind? Oh and the fitness thing, its all relative. On face value I felt boxed at the first thread, got a little bit back there then again boxed by the second thread, after that though I relaxed, shook out and felt fairly comfortable until the bird shit covered ledge.

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