February 28 was my last post. Been over 6 months since i posted. Wow. That's kinda wild, 'cuz last i posted was around when i just had the Moon wall finished and was starting to put holds on. So i was still at reliance, and was looking at switching jobs. I guess it makes sense that there was a hiatus there. And i didn't stop climbing.
Anyhow, time for an update. And prolly a reboot.
Does look like it's been nearly 4 months since i've been in the irongym. That's a bit eye-opening, and sad. Got a Highland games coming up, and it looks like i'll be middle of the pack if they let me into the kids' division.
Respecting climbing, i could tentatively say i haven't lost any ground. In fact, i think the problem is i've felt too good climbing. Seems i inadvertently tacked on about 2 extra months to the end of the last season--mostly because it seemed to be going well. Seems i normally naturally call the season about on time 'cuz my hands just start feeling frayed and stale. Obviously didn't this time round. Maybe wasn't pushing it hard enough. Also, i think it took me several weeks to get in a groove on the PE thang. That felt very important once i realized what it was supposed to feel like, so i gave some extra time to it. Then i think i was just having fun bouldering. There're worse reasons, i'd reckon, to not start a new season on time.
Ah well: it's in the past.
Just started Season 4. Did two weeks of ARCing and just finished the first hangboard sesh a coupla days ago. Lost a li'l ground on the hangboard, but only a li'l. And i'd climbed pretty hard earlier in the day, and that didn't help a bit. And the weather's cisping up a bit, which should make hangboarding more fun.
Can't say i've gained any weight, but i'm certain i've lost some muscle as i haven't been lifting.
That'll hafta change. I've got the gear to start lifting again.
Think i'll go strip down the moonwall and start something new.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Eighteen Days Out
Really not that far out from the last workouts. Kina stumbled a bit here. But it's not a real loss. No injuries
Just time
There're some really beautiful cold nights. Hands are still strong.
Endurance is certainly not what it needs to be. Gunna have to correct that. But i campused on the medium rungs; and that's a bigger uptick than i'd dreamed before.
So there's hope. See what tomorrow brings.
Just time
There're some really beautiful cold nights. Hands are still strong.
Endurance is certainly not what it needs to be. Gunna have to correct that. But i campused on the medium rungs; and that's a bigger uptick than i'd dreamed before.
So there's hope. See what tomorrow brings.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Plastique
Got the fresh Egrips holds in. There're some very hard problems to be had here.
Just ordered a coupla mo' MadPads for an LZ. That should make this more fun yet. Seriously looking forward to playing with this more.
Also just got in a few more campus rungs. Tomorrow could relinquish a new high point. :)
Friday, January 9, 2015
Waxing Clydesdale
As i mentioned in that other post, i've been growing in obesity over the last few weeks. Was 204lbs (fully-clothed) yesterday before the hangboard sesh. Horrifyingly undisciplined season here. Gunna hafta change.
Part of it, i know, is just the holiday deal: been abiding the presence of tinsful of sundry morphisms of sugared lard, upon which grazing is far too easy. Going to have to get the right view of that: Sugary crap is sugary crap no matter how neat (i.e. accessible) the presentation.
But also i've just been coming home from chaos at work and, having not had the time to actually eat all day, am cramming whatever i can find down the craw. Also undisciplined. Just difficult to keep eyes on the prize when i spend every hour of sunlit daytime trying not to cuss. But that (GOD willing) could change soon. And i'd very much like to not have another stone of weight to shed in order to start getting it back together.
On the upside, the weather seems to be warming a smidge, which'll surely make easier the decision between going for a run/workout and playing another round of tower defense wrapped in my fleeced blankey. With a beer and two lbs of cookies.
And now that i've tanned the morning's Eggs Benedictine, i'm off to install the new campus rungs :)) That should lend some psychvoltage.
Part of it, i know, is just the holiday deal: been abiding the presence of tinsful of sundry morphisms of sugared lard, upon which grazing is far too easy. Going to have to get the right view of that: Sugary crap is sugary crap no matter how neat (i.e. accessible) the presentation.
But also i've just been coming home from chaos at work and, having not had the time to actually eat all day, am cramming whatever i can find down the craw. Also undisciplined. Just difficult to keep eyes on the prize when i spend every hour of sunlit daytime trying not to cuss. But that (GOD willing) could change soon. And i'd very much like to not have another stone of weight to shed in order to start getting it back together.
On the upside, the weather seems to be warming a smidge, which'll surely make easier the decision between going for a run/workout and playing another round of tower defense wrapped in my fleeced blankey. With a beer and two lbs of cookies.
And now that i've tanned the morning's Eggs Benedictine, i'm off to install the new campus rungs :)) That should lend some psychvoltage.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Season 2: Conflict Resolution
Fired up a second season. This is exciting! I don't think i've ever managed to actually string two contiguous seasons of training together in any sport. This time 'round i'm going to try to keep the lifting up through at least the strength phase of the season. I cut it out fairly early last season because 1) i wanted to see if i was lugging about an extra ten lbs of unnecessary muscle, and 2) because it tends to jack with my other workouts. However, i didn't lose any appreciable weight by taking nearly five months off from lifting, and i fancy i won't lose much in the way of endurance workouts if i time it all properly.
Electronic bathroom scale this morning says i weigh 198.8 at 17.1% bf. That's up from what i've been weighing for the last few months, but i'm lighter than where i started last go. Diet has sucked for the last several weeks, so there's an easy correction.
And i have a real live goal for this season: Three Roofs at Golf. Solid 5.12a.
Now if i can just find a job that doesn't siphon my soul off...
Anyhow, i'm off to a decent start this season, and i've decided to go with the "intermediate" plan on the Rock Prodigy program. That'll give me a relatively shortened endurance phase (2 weeks of ARCing instead of 4) and a relatively lengthened strength and power phase (an extra week of each). This'll suit my goals better for one: the climbs at Golf are fairly short, but very sustained and powerful. But also i felt like i could have made more gains on the strength and power fronts last season without injury, so this arrangement is more inspiring to me. I might switch back to more endurance next season if i feel like that's a serious weak link, but this'll be a fun experiment in seeing how much pain my widdle nubbins can take. :))
Electronic bathroom scale this morning says i weigh 198.8 at 17.1% bf. That's up from what i've been weighing for the last few months, but i'm lighter than where i started last go. Diet has sucked for the last several weeks, so there's an easy correction.
And i have a real live goal for this season: Three Roofs at Golf. Solid 5.12a.
Now if i can just find a job that doesn't siphon my soul off...
Anyhow, i'm off to a decent start this season, and i've decided to go with the "intermediate" plan on the Rock Prodigy program. That'll give me a relatively shortened endurance phase (2 weeks of ARCing instead of 4) and a relatively lengthened strength and power phase (an extra week of each). This'll suit my goals better for one: the climbs at Golf are fairly short, but very sustained and powerful. But also i felt like i could have made more gains on the strength and power fronts last season without injury, so this arrangement is more inspiring to me. I might switch back to more endurance next season if i feel like that's a serious weak link, but this'll be a fun experiment in seeing how much pain my widdle nubbins can take. :))
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Clydesdale Bars
Thought i'd post up the not-particularly-scientific recipe for my energy bar. Just made a second batch last night to kinda quantify what i'd put in my first batch. It, too, worked out real nice-like. But there's still plenty of room to tweak things.
2 C dried fruit
This is the seriously unscientific bit. I used 7 figs (couldn't say why), and then filled in the rest with some mango, unsweetened cranberries (which take some searching for), papaya, apple, dates, and a few pumpkin seeds. I think i used unsweetened cherries instead of the cranberries first time round--and almonds 'stead of the punkin.
1/2 C cashew flour
I think the basic recipe (i kiped off'n pinterest or somesuch off which to spin my own evil design) called for 1/2 C whole raw cashews. But this is what i had, and it worked reasonably well. This, methinks, gives it some stick-together-ness.
3/4 C dried unsweetened coconut
Just do it. It's good.
1/3 C rolled oats
Pretty good if you're just fine with oats. I haven't yet tried this without oats, but i'd imagine it's doable. Might even stick together better without 'em.
3 Tbsp honey
Seems like aforementioned kiped recipe called for one Tbsp, but mine worked out to be a lot of otherwise non-cohesive ingredients, so i added 'til she stuck. Do what you think is best.
4 Tbsp oil
Again, i think the Ursache called for, like, one Tbsp, but i wanted more dry stuff in; and i like my oils. I used one of coconut, one of red palm (both melted), one of avacado, and one of olive.
2 Tbsp chia seed
They're high in omega 3s, and i like them. Kiped recipe called for hemp seeds, which are also quite tasty. I just didn't have 'em handy.
Salt
Because it's important. And to be clear, we're talking a pinch here.
1 Tsp turmeric
Because it belongs in really everything.
2 scoops protein powder
This is another point of lots of variability. I use Biotest, and it comes to 40g of protein. I think to get 20 or 30g of protein in every bar, you'd pretty much have to pack it together with guar gum or something. But then, i'm not counting the protein in the cashew flour, etc. I've used both vanilla and chocolate powder so far, and they both rocked.
Anyhow: First blend the fruits, then slowly add in everything else a little at a time. Mix it really well (and probably use pulse, 'cuz i just burned the plastic spindle off in my processor by leaving it running for 30 seconds straight). Then press it into a greased or parchment papered baking dish. Freeze for-- i dunno-- 30 mins or an hour ish. Then refrigerate.
So far mine've held up pretty well even at room temp for several hours. They get a li'l crumbly, but if you put 'em in a ziploc it doesn't matter much. They're fairly high in calories-- but then i reckon that depends on how large you cut 'em. But no problem making a meal replacement out of these.
2 C dried fruit
This is the seriously unscientific bit. I used 7 figs (couldn't say why), and then filled in the rest with some mango, unsweetened cranberries (which take some searching for), papaya, apple, dates, and a few pumpkin seeds. I think i used unsweetened cherries instead of the cranberries first time round--and almonds 'stead of the punkin.
1/2 C cashew flour
I think the basic recipe (i kiped off'n pinterest or somesuch off which to spin my own evil design) called for 1/2 C whole raw cashews. But this is what i had, and it worked reasonably well. This, methinks, gives it some stick-together-ness.
3/4 C dried unsweetened coconut
Just do it. It's good.
1/3 C rolled oats
Pretty good if you're just fine with oats. I haven't yet tried this without oats, but i'd imagine it's doable. Might even stick together better without 'em.
3 Tbsp honey
Seems like aforementioned kiped recipe called for one Tbsp, but mine worked out to be a lot of otherwise non-cohesive ingredients, so i added 'til she stuck. Do what you think is best.
4 Tbsp oil
Again, i think the Ursache called for, like, one Tbsp, but i wanted more dry stuff in; and i like my oils. I used one of coconut, one of red palm (both melted), one of avacado, and one of olive.
2 Tbsp chia seed
They're high in omega 3s, and i like them. Kiped recipe called for hemp seeds, which are also quite tasty. I just didn't have 'em handy.
Salt
Because it's important. And to be clear, we're talking a pinch here.
1 Tsp turmeric
Because it belongs in really everything.
2 scoops protein powder
This is another point of lots of variability. I use Biotest, and it comes to 40g of protein. I think to get 20 or 30g of protein in every bar, you'd pretty much have to pack it together with guar gum or something. But then, i'm not counting the protein in the cashew flour, etc. I've used both vanilla and chocolate powder so far, and they both rocked.
Anyhow: First blend the fruits, then slowly add in everything else a little at a time. Mix it really well (and probably use pulse, 'cuz i just burned the plastic spindle off in my processor by leaving it running for 30 seconds straight). Then press it into a greased or parchment papered baking dish. Freeze for-- i dunno-- 30 mins or an hour ish. Then refrigerate.
So far mine've held up pretty well even at room temp for several hours. They get a li'l crumbly, but if you put 'em in a ziploc it doesn't matter much. They're fairly high in calories-- but then i reckon that depends on how large you cut 'em. But no problem making a meal replacement out of these.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Winds of Change
Been a weird few weeks. Being laid off at work has been oddly stressful, which has not exactly done amazing things for the climbing. But it hasn't gone too poorly, notwithstanding. What happens next is in Lord God's hands-- and i have no doubt it could be something much better than the near-constant stress and anxiety we've had here. But it's certainly got me in an amorphous limbo for now.
On the climbing front, i'm coming very close to closing out this first season. Really haven't gotten to project any routes outside, and i'd very much like to get out a few times before calling it-- even if just to get a feel for some potential redpoints for next season. I feel like i'm climbing better and stronger than i ever have, but i'd have a hard time objectifying that. My endurance is definitely at a different level than before, but i'm also latching stuff i couldn't really consider three months ago.
I'd say dieting/weight-loss has been the most frustrating--and promising--part of this season. Weighed in this morning at 192.2 lbs. That's the lightest i've been in probably 17 years. That's encouraging. But i know i could still lose 15-20 lbs without even losing any muscle, and be perfectly healthy. And that is where i'm going to see a move to the next level in climbing. I just don't seriously see climbing v7 and up at over 190#.
On the other hand, i sorta feel like i'm getting the hang of this dieting deal: It sucks, and it's hard, and it just requires robotic scheduling and focus; but its possible and it works. What does boggle me, though, is how hard it is to just get to and maintain a healthy weight. I'm not exactly obese, but i can't seem to just get to 10% bodyfat-- let alone maintain it. At any rate, i feel like i'm moving very very slowly in the right direction, so i'm not too down about that; just seems so very much harder than it should-- so very much harder than it is for anyone else i climb with. I mean, i've finally got me below the 193 mark, but i feel ravenous all the freakin' time! I think i'll stop feeling so hungry all the time if i can hang on long enough to get used to it, get used to not having that extra handful of mixed nuts or cheese or whatever i tend to cram in my head after work. But it is so hard to convince me that the difference between losing and gaining is a matter of a couple hundred calories. Not exactly having a Big Mac to round things out before bed.
At any rate, i have seen progress (albeit small progress) on the Clydesdale status. And definitely having a structured program and some goals have made that possible. (I think for the coming seasons it'll be necessary to refine my goals from "climb harder than most everyone else in the world" to something a tad more specific.) And definitely seeing some real live gains in strength and power have helped inspire me not to have that occasional cookie. So even while i'm certain that i'm going to see my largest gains by losing weight, and that gains in strength at the same weight tend to be miniscule in relation to what i'd gain in strength simply by dropping weight, it has also been clear to me that seeing objective gains at a given weight seriously motivates me to do what it takes to lose-- it multiplies the gains in strength.
At the moment i feel ragged. I've done two comps in the last week and had a really-way-too-hard-but-awesome bouldering session in between. Comp last night i was just stale. Failed on moves i had wired. I'm actually looking forward to ending this season and starting back into more strength training (after rest, etc, of course).
In the meantime, i'm praying for the strength to not slob out whilst looking for a job and trying to sell a house. Keep some sanity without engaging in thermonuclear self-destruction: Prime short-term goal. And one for which i've never had any talent.
On the climbing front, i'm coming very close to closing out this first season. Really haven't gotten to project any routes outside, and i'd very much like to get out a few times before calling it-- even if just to get a feel for some potential redpoints for next season. I feel like i'm climbing better and stronger than i ever have, but i'd have a hard time objectifying that. My endurance is definitely at a different level than before, but i'm also latching stuff i couldn't really consider three months ago.
I'd say dieting/weight-loss has been the most frustrating--and promising--part of this season. Weighed in this morning at 192.2 lbs. That's the lightest i've been in probably 17 years. That's encouraging. But i know i could still lose 15-20 lbs without even losing any muscle, and be perfectly healthy. And that is where i'm going to see a move to the next level in climbing. I just don't seriously see climbing v7 and up at over 190#.
On the other hand, i sorta feel like i'm getting the hang of this dieting deal: It sucks, and it's hard, and it just requires robotic scheduling and focus; but its possible and it works. What does boggle me, though, is how hard it is to just get to and maintain a healthy weight. I'm not exactly obese, but i can't seem to just get to 10% bodyfat-- let alone maintain it. At any rate, i feel like i'm moving very very slowly in the right direction, so i'm not too down about that; just seems so very much harder than it should-- so very much harder than it is for anyone else i climb with. I mean, i've finally got me below the 193 mark, but i feel ravenous all the freakin' time! I think i'll stop feeling so hungry all the time if i can hang on long enough to get used to it, get used to not having that extra handful of mixed nuts or cheese or whatever i tend to cram in my head after work. But it is so hard to convince me that the difference between losing and gaining is a matter of a couple hundred calories. Not exactly having a Big Mac to round things out before bed.
At any rate, i have seen progress (albeit small progress) on the Clydesdale status. And definitely having a structured program and some goals have made that possible. (I think for the coming seasons it'll be necessary to refine my goals from "climb harder than most everyone else in the world" to something a tad more specific.) And definitely seeing some real live gains in strength and power have helped inspire me not to have that occasional cookie. So even while i'm certain that i'm going to see my largest gains by losing weight, and that gains in strength at the same weight tend to be miniscule in relation to what i'd gain in strength simply by dropping weight, it has also been clear to me that seeing objective gains at a given weight seriously motivates me to do what it takes to lose-- it multiplies the gains in strength.
At the moment i feel ragged. I've done two comps in the last week and had a really-way-too-hard-but-awesome bouldering session in between. Comp last night i was just stale. Failed on moves i had wired. I'm actually looking forward to ending this season and starting back into more strength training (after rest, etc, of course).
In the meantime, i'm praying for the strength to not slob out whilst looking for a job and trying to sell a house. Keep some sanity without engaging in thermonuclear self-destruction: Prime short-term goal. And one for which i've never had any talent.
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