Aerodynamics

I've just been flicking through some old fluent magazines left on my desk and came across these:




I think modelling car aerodynamics would be much more exciting than solute transport...A job with Aston, now that wouldn't be a bad thing.

Sweaty Works

Today should have been Chest, Shoulders, Tri's and Core's (my big session) but I couldn't face going to the gym. Instead I opted for joining Nat at the works.
My forearms were very sore from the previous day (you can tell you've had a little while off if you get sore forearms). Down the works I warmed up then did the new orange circuit on the training board and had a bit of a chat/rest before getting stuck in to some of the problems on the comp wall. Yellow jugs, green holds with big moves etc. One quick go on the red saw me fairly high but I don't have enough in me to do the last 3rd, my fingers were aching too so I left it at just the one go. Tried the black and quickly found out that my arms and core are both fairly weak. Green up the steep bit: went well but I couldn't bring myself to pull for the last move and instead wussed out. Didn't really do a lot after that apart from follow Nat about and try problem 5 on the yellow circuit, all that managed to do was separate my crimping nail.
I think I'll be sore tomorrow and after two back days its definitely time for some chest. My efforts in the gym are obviously paying off, Saltbeef commented as did James Blay (who unfortunately got a kicking in town last night and was a bit worse for wear)...
The works is getting hot, not long left before it will be dire in there, Time for the fans? maybe time for the foundry!

My various injuries felt ok ish throughout today, my back seems a bit tight now and some things still make my hand ache but both of those things are improving. I've been trying to figure out how long it'll be until i'm strong again but really I haven't a clue what "strong" or on form is, without the constant that is the 50 deg board I'm a bit lost.

Tor Bound

The weather forecast was good for Saturday so Nat and I had already planned to get up at a decent hour and go for a wander over near Rubicon. I decided that it would be nice to check out WCJ, on crossing the bridge at Rubicon there were a few people on Kudos wall and a few other on Salar (it looked like Debbie Rock Attrocity as i'm sure it was her dog). When we arrived at the Cornice I was pretty shocked, i've never been to it this early in the season and it was in full view from the railway abutment. Walking right near the river the usual jungle of nettles and stuff hadn't yet grown and the water was pretty darn close to the path. The actual rock wasn't as wet as I expected, left of the Weakling was dry, so that's Yorkshire 8b (8a? 7c+ probably) and Zippys offerings from a few years ago. The rest of the crag wasn't in a bad state either, there was no seepage from the upper roof, the middle section was seeping quite a lot still, just below the height of the cleft on Brachiation, another month and maybe just maybe it'll be in conditions (I don't know why I care i've spent far too long down there for the two summers prior to my injury).
After this we walked back to Rubicon and had a bit of a wander about. Bumped into Cubitt while watching someone unnecessarily polish up Salar because lets face it if you can't climb the starting groove you shouldn't be on it, then Ned and Varian over at Kudos, Dan was trying something that looked hideous and proved that his hands didn't sweat when I commented about the heat.
Nat and I then got back into the car (which I got to thrash around the peak for the first time) and headed over to the Tor so she could play on the traverse and Boot Boys start (my recommendation).
The crag was empty apart from Bentley who always looks dismayingly strong. I warmed up on the traverse as Nat played about on it a bit, it didn't take her long to do it. Next up pinches wall, she didn't participate. I then failed on A Little Extra jump start due to my right leg no longer being able to jump which was slightly frustrating as I like this problem, I'll just have to pull harder on my left arm. Next up I stuck Nat on BB start, she did well but failed on the last move. I'm not too surprised there I forgot quite how powerful it was.
I've tried powerband about twice in the past, I don't like it but thats probably because I can't do it so today I thought I'd put in a bit of effort (stupid idea after this long off?), anyway I put in a few good links, one from ignoring the sit start to the last move however I didn't work out the last move, left foot on pillar? just monster down? After this I forgot to rest and climbed until I was making little or no progress. I got a bit moody until I realised that I was expecting too much. I packed up and had a quick play on Bens roof (not expecting much), I climbed from the start through the crux then stepped off, my fingers obviously aren't in bad shape.
The car is now clicking as it cools off downstairs.
All in all a great day and amazing to be out climbing with my missus in the sun.

Etiquette

At the crag or down the wall there is certainly good and bad etiquette, taking your turn to get on problems, not leaving your rope in a route all day so that other people can have a crack (even if it has taken over your life for the last few weeks, months or in some case years). Brushing off excess chalk, tick marks, litter etc. Its annoying when people don't do these things although that's (reasonably) rare in climbing.
The same kind of etiquette exists in the gym, you ask if your unsure whether someones finished with something, you don't monopolize equipment (i.e. smith machines) for sets and sets and sets.
The gym is busy at the minute, its sunny outside so everybody thinks their biceps need to be bigger for the summer. Today was my chest, shoulders and core session and one women was obviously hell bent on being a pain in the arse. Firstly she was using a bench, the dead-lift bar, a cable stack and a pull down machine, with her various accessories draped over each to ensure she could use whatever whenever, now this p*ssed me off a little bit as I had to sit for a fair length of time for a free bench. (This wasn't helped when a bench became free. Some old guy sat on it, I asked whether or not he was using it and he said that "Yes, that womens using the machine I want so i'm having a sit down").
When I finally got a bench I was doing incline presses with (reasonably) heavy dumbbells. Halfway through my second set, same wench decided that she'd use the back of my bench for her feet as she did dips between her bench and my own. Now on the second set my stabilizer muscle's, (especially my triceps) are tired and the smooth arc the dumbbell followed in the first set is a bit wobbly. This wasn't aided by the fact that the bench had a nice rocking motion due to dipping bird. Now this IS bad behavior, at least have the decency to ask first and if you're not even going to do that then do your dips between my sets.
This annoyed me more than a little bit, its not as if she's new. She's thinner than well....me. by a mile and has run her femininity away over the years. I'd have said something if she hadn't of then left.
Maybe I'm just a grouch.

Full Bill of Health

Buses confused me so this morning was inevitably very confusing. Firstly locating the correct bus stop then locating the direction I wanted to go in and then finding the right bus. Tricky but I managed it.
I'm always impressed by the Northern General, you don't seem to spend ages waiting about like most places.
Sat down, young doctor came in and asked me a lot of questions about my hand so I pointed out (politely) that it was my back that was the issue (this time) as she managed to spill all of my previous x-rays all over the floor (there are a lot in that file now!). Ah. No x-rays from the Hallamshire (faulty towers seemed to be what they were calling it). She disappeared and Royston appeared a few minutes later, he's a right character but seems nice enough to me. As I was a student and wasn't in a rush (he did ask) he took full advantage of my x-ray (that he'd found) as a teaching case.
I won't repeat everything, basically one of my vertebrae has been squished at the front. It's therefore no longer rectangular ish its definitely a trapezoid. Alignment is good and its stable, i.e. I'm not incontinent and can still walk! He then proceeded to explain about two different spinal models, two column and three column models that both showed that my back isn't going to drop to bits. On the bad side of things he said that I WILL experience pain with it and he can't really say for how long however it is extremely unlikely that I can cause damage. Beer was recommended as a good solution.
I surprised myself whilst being examined when asked to touch my toes: I actually managed. You hear that Vicky, Zips and everyone else who took the p*ss so much!!!

A little bit of everything...

I've got my appointment tomorrow, not really sure what to expect I half feel like i'm wasting their time but then again I was getting back pain and something showed up on an X-ray, I guess if its nothing I'll get told that tomorrow and then i'll be happy. I'm hoping thats what will happen anyway, its been over two months now since the accident bones heal within that kind of time frame.
Work is slow and boring, I've got a lot of literature to sift through which isn't what I enjoy. I'm not good at it. On a (slightly geeky) note I checked the stats on my modeling machine, 10 GB of RAM, 4 2 duo core processors, no wonder its quick.
I went down the works with Nat (as requested) at the weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how she had improved. There's a blue problem opposite the pull-up bar, sloper, sloper, jug, sloper top. Most people just squeeze or reach but she couldn't do that and the session before had worked out a very Brad Pit esque heel sequence which wasn't quite working however all of the things she was doing to get her heel up etc. showed really good technique and that she is starting to improve in that way rather than just the beginner "Oh sh*t I should have had my other foot on that" mistakes.
We need to book a holiday soon, climbing is out so somewhere nice and hot. It'll be hard to beat the Maldives trip we took a year or so ago both in experience and price (we couldn't book until my frame came off, this made for a great last minute deal). Haven't a clue where to go, somewhere nice and not to many people, then maybe, just maybe I'll be able to get to the Frankenjura near the end of our summer, or alternatively just tag along wherever Ricky ends up going. It's been far too long since I went on a trip with him...Good times.
The gym is going well, god knows if I've actually managed to put any muscle on but I'm definitely stronger. I know this because I'm lifting, pressing and pulling heavier weights.
I read a worrying statistic the other day, if you can bench 15% more (or less) than you can pull (e.g. a maximum weight pull-up) then you're at the highest possible risk of sustaining a shoulder injury. Not really rocket science is it, just look at all the climbers with damaged shoulders.
Well I can nearly bench my measly bodyweight and can do a power pull with that weight added!!! I'm scr*wed.

Conviction

Just heard from my Dad who popped into court today that the fool who caused our accident was convicted of driving with excess alcohol and received a 16 month driving ban plus a fine for fees.
Supposedly he handled himself very well, came over sincere and remorseful and had even written a speech that he offered to read out, however the magistrate decided to keep it between themselves. Whether or not this was a ploy to have his punishment reduced we'll never know, with his Son being in such a state after the incident I would like to think that it was 100% genuine.
I accompanied Nat to the works tonight and mucked about on some of the easier problems in my trainers, good news is my hand felt a lot better. For some strange reason my upper back didn't. I've also got an appointment at next weeks fracture clinic.