Tonight I hit an all time motivational low. Warming up at the works my finger/hand hurt on almost every hold type. Crimp, open, pinch, sloper you name it, it didn't feel quite right. Further down the line even jugs weren't even playing ball. After a short time it improved and some major motivation was coming my way from a number of psyched individuals (of varying strength), so I tried to make the most of my evening.
I ended up on the 6b ish thing with white/blue/red holds. It isn't hard. We did it one way, then we tried it using another sequence. Left foot high, hit the pinch with my left hand. BANG! OW! OW! I swear my feet didn't even touch the floor before I was headed in the direction of the loo's. The pain subsided after a few minutes of cold water but we all know that pain like that just isn't good.
I'm absolutely sick of injury upon injury. It seems regardless of what approach I take my body plays along for a few months, leading me into a position of false hope before some part of it fails. This time I haven't even been training or trying hard indoors whatsoever. That doesn't work either. I'm really struggling with the fact that it seems IMPOSSIBLE for me to get back to the level of strength, fitness and motivation that I had just two years ago. OK, so I've got a fairly high base level and I can probably punter my way at a totally respectable grade in my current state but thats not something I want to do.
I've got unfinished business with HFC and Entree, both of which I feel I would destroy given a few months without a niggle. Staminaband? Staminahumps etc. are all out due to this one and will have to wait, realistically until next season. That's if I ever dare pull onto the latter again.
Last summer I took a long break from climbing... I don't want to do this regularly but it seems to me as if there's no other option.
Aplogies for the fact that I'm almost drowning in self pity. Injuries suck!
10 comments:
Time to take up trad for a summer?
BTW you're (unless you have become a lot weaker than last I saw you) already way overstrong for all the things you listed as objectives! If a beast like you isn't ticking things at this level it's not your arms/fingers that need training...
Oh I'm well aware those things are within my boundaries.
I think Entree was the first thing I went on after my last come back and HFC my last day was rather wasted with one go leading to getting half a tree stuck to my foot in the break and the second me hitting every single hold 'just' wrong, only realising when looking for my grigri on the floor that it was pretty dark.
I have another objective that I avoid posting on here that I think (I know) stretches me a lot further but that requires a certain pocket strength that this injury dictates I avoid.
I think your last blog cuts straight to the point about trad, its what I did for the years leading up to University and I quickly became aware that boldness increases with physical difficulty. Now throw in my constant nervous "broken bennett" state of mind and a solid head we have not!
I was half joking about the trad thing. I know it's not everyone's bag.
But seriously, if you keep getting injured training power you could do a lot worse than stop training what you are already good at and concentrate on volume of easier stuff including onsighting. This might help with both motivation issues, training injury and finesse/efficiency on rock.
When you are uninjured I reckon you should be aiming at stuff like Evolution and Make it Funky. Short hard stuff that plays to your strengths. You are easily strong enough for these routes.
but this is the point oh bonjoyous one. I haven't been training. At all. I've just been getting out which was your last recommendation. I've hardly climbed on plastic since christmas!
Sorry to hear that Paul, know how frustrating it all is.
Hope you heal soon!
Well at least my Leprosy has nearly gone! Good job I decided not to bother using that stuff on the sofa. That could have been nasty!
(Thanks for your help)
I forgot to say that Nat has properly destroyed one of her A2's. She must have done it just before the trip and then made it worse and worse during. Last night she had an ice pack on. She's only been climbing a a little over 18 months.
If you haven't been training since xmas and then you went indoors and got injured, perhaps you were pulling too hard too soon.
Not withstanding the above, training or no training, your base level is good enough to get on those things anyway I reckon.
Jon keep up... ;)
Tor: Powerhumps. OWWW!
Week off, followed by week and a half of gentle loading (no problems, icing all that schabang).
Albarracin - wary of using it, didn't aggravate it
Back - week off
Indoor Sesh, Jugs ahoy! The hold it seemed to get worse on was MASSIVE!
Its nice to know you think I'm capable of getting something ticked to the level I hope. The frankenjura in October was hopefully going to be the time! Maybe something closer to home is more sensible though.
Hard trad doesn't have to be bold trad (althought it still scares me more than bold trad does, lol). If you look around there's enough of routes out there that are hard but safe and require a lot of effort without much risk. Has Strawberries been onsighted by a Brit yet ;).
Not that this is necessarily the way forward, but worth mentioning...
you teach me the meaning of psyche. if you loose it. what word am I going to use from now on?.
Just have fun climbing, just this and that´s it. You love it, I know.
YOU LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post a Comment