RRC Archives

I didn't climb outside for the 6 weeks.

and what brentucky does is not called climbing either, so no loss.
and caribe, I have actually started drinking half as much Dew, and can now drink a half of gallon a water a day. quite the accomplishment for me.

pigsteak wrote:and what brentucky does is not called climbing either, so no loss.

I love you too pig-man, and don't worry, I'll still hang your top-ropes when you turn old and crusty some day.

Now I'm curious for all those who train so hard. Is it because you got so strong that you have to train so hard to keep sending hard to be happy or just your natural motivation to be the best you can be at any given time or what? If you have climbed 5.13 and then have to project 5.12 some day later does it give you the same enjoyment pushing to your "current" limit and still sending? Of course I try hard and want to get better and train to get stronger, just not even close to on the same level. Shoot, my "training" is Ray's warm-up. I just wonder what would happen if I decided to do Ray's workout one year though. "Maybe" I would get to climb 5.13, and I would certainly get to climb harder whatever the number, but then would I be doomed to have to train crazy hard every time climbing season rolled in again to get satisfaction each season? Would I have ruined all the awesome 5.11d's or 5.12.whatever's that I could have enjoyed working along the way? I know this answer will be different among people, but I'm curious about those people who enjoy pushing their limits which I think is a lot of people here. Do you really enjoy working so hard or do you do it because you want to climb as hard or harder than you ever have before? Do you think you would still enjoy climbing if you didn't work that hard to get to climb whatever hard is for you?

I like that question. For me, the benefit of training is that I get to attempt lines that i wouldn't othewise. How many times have you seen a beautiful line and find out it is too hard for you to get up? Happens to me all the time. With a little work and some motivated friends, you get a chance at those amazing lines.

As long as I'm pushing myself and staying challenged I'm happy so I guess it's just motivation. I have had to project 5.12s while sending 5.13s and enjoy it just as much. It's fun to get beat down and eventually, possibly, win. I also enjoy climbing great easy lines. When I visit other areas I try to not give a route more than 3 tries. Most of the trip is spent onsiting. I love it. I don't think training dooms you to the possibility of not being able to enjoy easier lines at all. It just allows you to enjoy more lines, like Lee said.

I was only training a little and it basically consisted of going to the climbing gym a couple of times a week. I made modest gains and plateaued, pushed a little harder in the gym and started getting injured. Lots of little ones until a big one sidelined me. I rested, got well and started climbing again. The same, and I could see that I was going to get injured again if I kept doing the same things. So I started "training" just to extend my climbing career and maintain a current level, but along the way I actually noticed improvements. My head was more in it, I valued the climbing more (no matter the grade), and I started learning new skills in order to make more routes available. And now I do not have goals of climbing 13, I don't even have goals of 12s... but I do want to be able to go to the rock and have days when I send; not go to the rock and say, "Gee, wished I was stronger..." Oh, and I do like pushing myself. Something primal in it that appeals to me personally.

Thanks, SCIN. Excellent stuff in there. I just finished P90X and am pretty happy with the results. I've been running 3 days a week and training for climbing 2 days a week at the same time as doing P90X in the mornings. Two a days for 3 months is exhausting. I start Insanity on Monday. I would post a before and after, but the before is embarrassing.

For me, and I know this is blasphemous to some, I enjoy the training almost as much as the climbing. Not just climbing training, but trying to be fit in general. It's cool when I've been running a bunch and can jump off the couch and run 10 miles. It's cool when I've been doing a bunch of pullups and one day do more than I ever have. It's cool to be able to do a Yoga pose or Pilates move that annihilated me before and now I do it easily and feel strong. I do it because of those single moments when it pays off and you can feel it all over. The effort is effortless. Wish I could bottle that up.

I was watching hard knocks the other night. One of the rookie receivers had to drag a tractor tire up a hill. Afterwards he said "Crazy what I have to do to feed the wife and kids". I do stinkin software work to feed the wife and kids. Dragging the tire up the hill after work is the fun part!

Thanks for sharing It looks like a sound workout plan for what you are trying to achieve. How about the PX90? What is that? I'm getting intrigued to look into these crossfit workouts (assuming PX90 is something like that) as a lot of friends have started doing them. Also, are you doing some kind of "opposite" excercies (revers curls etc), yoga could certainly qualify depending on what you are doing. As you know with any kind of specific workouts like this overuse injuries can occur which might be mitigated. Sorry I've been 39 for awhile so I have to watch myself once I start doing intense specific workouts

P90X is an insane workout routine. I don't do it because I don't feel like cross training is going to do anything for me at this point. My training is more climbing specific. Actually from what I've read cross training won't do much for your climbing except prevent injuries. It can help you if you want to lose some pounds or something but climbing isn't really an aerobic sport. That's why you can smoke cigs and still crush stone.

The only P90X I do is for core strength and injury prevention. There are like 12 DVDs and I do only 4 of them. If I did all of them I'd probably look great with my shirt off but I'm not after that. I just want to be able to crank on holds for a long period of time.

does the question get to the heart of..when is enough enough?

if so, the answer is "just a little more'....

and tucky, I am already old and feeble, and would gladly take your rope gunnin' any day.