Pullin' Plastic

I love climbing outside. I would never climb inside if I had easy access to local crags. Alas, I must resort to the plastic to stay in shape. Much of my recent climbing has been at Vandy wall at the rec center. I have also set two routes - both in the 5.9 range. I usually just climb all the easy to moderates at the wall and then try a tough one. It yields a sufficient burn.

Today, though, I made the short trek to ClimbNashville since the weather was supposed to be rainy. A friend and I were there for ~3hrs with very little rest. Together, we probably did 20 or more routes.

I had fun! The gym is probably good for me, because it requires different climbing than what I'm used to. Most routes are vertical or slightly overhanging. That is NOT my forte. I don't have great grip strength, power, or endurance right now. Regardless, I felt pretty good today. We started with some warm ups on 7,8,9. The 5.9 was a sweet, long arete that was overhanging in the upper half. The holds were super good, making it a fun and secure climb.

Next, I bit off more than I could chew with some 5.10s. The two I chose were both really strange. The first was almost entirely slopers (not my favorite!). The second required a good bit of awkward stemming on mediocre holds.

We moved over to another section for some more 5.10s. The few that I got on there felt really good, full of big holds for the steep sections. Unfortunately, I was already pumped, so I needed to rest on every climb.

The last two climbs I did were fun and unique. They were much more technical, with small holds and balancing moves. The first was less than vertical. I think I do pretty well on slabby stuff, so I felt good. The second was about vertical with really small holds. I was able to utilize some side-pull and toe-hook action on that one, which was fun!

next:

Next Saturday, I am headed to Foster Falls for a Vandy ORC trip. I have a couple climbs that I want to lead. Then I have a couple open weekends during which I plan on taking climbing trips to Chattanooga for some trad. TRAD IS RAD!

Today's session was good for my confidence. While I didn't prove myself to be any stronger or better than I thought, climbing so much today was awesome! I'm excited for the rest of this semester's climbing!

So much to do

The outdoors are becoming my life more and more in recent years. I've gone from being the good ol' american athlete playing football and baseball as a kid to now participating in these fringe rec activities of climbing, mountaineering and ultra trail running. This is only the beginning though. I don't want outdoor activities to be my hobbies but a lifestyle! I want to be a climber and a runner and a mountaineer - an overall adventurer.

Currently, my interests are mostly focused on climbing. This summer afforded me the opportunity to develop a lot as a climber, honing skills in multipitch climbing, traditional climbing and pushing me physically. Coming back to middle TN, though, I am awaken to the tremendous growth left in my future. What is 5.8, for example? Sometimes 5.8 is a warmup for me. Other times, 5.8 is the perfect trad line for me. And still other times, 5.8 is a struggle. What?! I don't even want to have to ask that question. Okay, so I realize that ratings are relative and that climbing a certain grade is not my reason for climbing, but still I have that drive! I want to climb 5.8 no problem - no concersn whatsoever. Heck, the same for 5.9! By my graduation, I would like to be a solid 5.10 leader! Will it happen? I don't know, but I certainly realize that it won't just be bestowed on me. What do I need to work on? Well, for starters, strength in my fingers and upper body. I need to get on steeper stuff. In general, I need to push my climbing to the next level. I have been too complacent for too long and not getting much better.

That was a rant. You get the point -- I want to get better! I will be working on it. Whenever I can, I want to get out to Chattanooga to T-Wall, Sunset, Fosters and to the little cliff that could, King's Bluff in Clarksville. I have a full rack now and just want to climb!

My running has been pretty down since I didn't do much this summer. Even since returning to Nashville, I have run (at most) 3 times per week and topped out at 12mi once. At this point, just 3 weeks from a 50k, there's not much I can do in preparation, so I will just be maintaining and hoping for the best. This one might be harder than the last...

In other news, I have added one more outdoor skill to my toolset - kayak rolling. Last Tuesday, I attended the Outdoor Rec's weekly roll clinic. That night I went through a progression, practicing technique, hip movements, paddle movements, different rescue techniques and, finally, the roll. After a pretty intense 1h15mins, I attempted my first roll and completely floundered. With some intense training over the next ~10mins, I got the roll and repeated it a couple of times. I was actually amazed on my first succesful roll. It felt so easy (doing it the right way) that I thought someone had helped me. I am not the most comfortable person in water, so the kayaking adventure is perfect for pushing my comfort zone. I hope to hit a river sometime this year.

That is all for now. The biggest event is that my girl is finally coming back - one week! I can't wait. It's been a long 4 months.