UKC

A new thread is posted each week on Sunday for anyone to jot down their previous week's activity. UKC fit club is a rich community with posters sharing their goals, noting successes and failures and offering support to those struggling to maintain motivation. Anyone interested in starting is very welcome to join, but to get the most of UKC fit club you should aim to post each week, every week, however little or much you have done. By making such a regular public record of your activities and by restating your goals every week this new habit will hopefully improve your training habits and drive you towards achieving your goals whatever the level of your chosen activity.

The following training article by Alex Barrows gives an excellent breakdown on training the four main "energy systems" specific to climbing:- http://alexbarrowsclimbing.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/training-for-sport-climbi...     also this - https://www.instagram.com/p/CEGfCg7DbkK/?igshid=4a1o55jwpus2

For those wanting to find out more about training for climbing a number of physical training articles are linked here:- http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=274502

And for those looking for more theoretical background, there's a useful subject index of published research studies on the Beta Angel project. Not sure how actively maintained if is though. https://beta-angel.com/research/research-inventory/

Last weeks post - https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/walls+training/ukc_fit_club_week_741-7353...

Crap weather means you don't get a break from me this week after all, so ... Shoe Editorial. Interesting comfy shoe discussion last week. I've been exploring a related theme: ultra soft shoes. Have been doing most of my training & warm up mileage for the last few months in a pair of Scarpa Veloces. Wouldn't want try any hard precision edging in them, but I'm really growiong to like & trust them for everything else. Took an old pair of stiffer comfy multipitch shoes to the crag instead one day this week and felt oddly insecure in them - like I couldn't feel what I was standing on and therefore might slip off at any moment.

Psyche Vid: in a similar vein to AJM's suggestion from last week, I don't think Margo Hayes' full ascent of Biographie has been available outside a paywall before: youtube.com/watch?v=C_N8znD3exI&

AJM - so now we know what you've done on grit, out of season and out of practice.

Ally Smith - I always liked the names of the Bowderstone problems

biscuit - I hear you on the difficulty of the post lockdown transition - the engine more sputtering & stuttering than instantly roaring back into life. That sounds like a pretty good week of training volume though, plus the encouraging E3 trad tick.

Liam P - hope the back is doing better after the involuntary deload week?

planetmarshall - there's grit HVS and then there's grit HVS. Speaking of which, did the visit to Ravenstones take place?

Rebecca Ting - sounds like a fun & diverse week's activities & definitely preferable to going to the wall. "Getting too hot and ferny and midgy for grit anyhow" - similarly in my case, not grit but my autumn 2020 south facing autumn project is starting to feel like it's going to be 2021's autumn project too. 

Roadrunner6 - is the Whites where Cathedral Ledge etc are?

Ross Barker - lockdown local - and south Peak - esoterica season not over yet then? Glad to hear the finger's improving.

Si dH - oh noes - first time I've heard of covid capacity limits actually scuppering somebody's wall session. Glad to hear about the FitClub Widdop meet.

Somerset swede basher - couple of decent Roche ticks there, and the weekend family acitivities will pay off as an investment in future rope guns.

the sheep - all legs of the triathlon covered in the course of the week then. Keep it up.

Tom Green - I liked Barcud on my one visit there, but I agree the harder routes would probably feel pretty lonely on lead.

Tyler - sorry to hear about the foot troubles - maybe you need comfier shoes? Still sounds like a pleasant weekend in a beautiful place.

AlanLittle - good start to the steep board season - now just need to find that delicate balance between enough recovery and enough load.

Haha - thanks Alan. Enjoying the holiday so far, although a mixed bag in terms of achievements. Skin is proving a challenge, and I can tell my body isn’t really used to doing multiple days on.

Monday - Widdop with Si dH and another friend from uni and respective partners, children etc. A lovely day in a very picturesque setting. Too hot for anything serious but bouldered some nice stuff up to 6B

Tuesday - walked from Malham to Goredale via Janet’s Foss. Which was lovely. Followed by pub lunch in the village, which was also lovely. Things went downhill somewhat after that when, distracted by the ceaseless torrent of stuff going on with the various children, I locked the keys to the car and the roof box in the roof box. Oops. Much faff ensued, but it all ended up ok in the end...

Wednesday - Almscliff. Hot and sunny and very far from prime grit temps. Broadly speaking I got spanked by everything and lost a lot of skin. Objectively speaking, I guess that’s what’s supposed to happen on such an anti style day. I got slightly frustrated with myself in that despite it obviously being really warm and despite Almscliff having something of a stern reputation I hadn’t properly recalibrated my expectations. My high point was probably something which I thought was Below the Decks except the logbook description says to start from the two extremely low pockets rather than from the more natural sitting position with one pocket and the arête. So I’m not entirely sure what I did but I suppose it was V4/5 somewhere (using the foot block is V3, and obviously it would be easier to do that, but it wouldn’t be as hard as starting a move lower).

Thursday - cloudy and slightly cooler (high teens rather than mid 20s). MiniAJM in a funny mood all day, seemed a bit unhappy. I had originally planned to go out in the day but in the end went for an evening hit on Earl. It was good and productive - I managed two of the crag classics. Trick Arete (f6B+) I’m not wholly sure I found the trick for and so despite it obviously being a nice line I didn’t think I moved very well on it and the left hands were a bit sharp. Hanging Groove (f6C) I thought was excellent. Steep, reasonable handholds, some tricky but not horrendous footholds, cracking. Second go from the ground after a bit of fruitless flailing about trying to pull into the middle to work the crux, which seemed disproportionately awkward to do. It’s interesting - despite being the hardest thing I’ve done all week (particularly since all the logbook votes are all for 6C+) it was also probably one of the quicker things (fewer goes than anything else in the 6s at Earl, certainly) - a lot more transferability from indoors/local style - I would never really describe this sort of thing as my strength but it is obviously far nearer my comfort zone than hot weather grit tekkers is.

Friday - drove to Keswick, walk by the lakeside, moved into new base for the next few weeks, regrew skin.

Saturday - honister pass boulders. Lovely setting and great with the kids - a stream to throw rocks in, a flat crag base, a minuscule approach. Did a few easy problems and 2 6C+s - South Boulder Eliminate (f6C+) and The Low Traverse (f6C+), which certainly got the forearms warm! Lovely day out.

Sunday - frustrating day. Langdale Boulders were hot, sunny and fairly windless. My skin was thin and my shoulders felt tired. The children were misbehaving. Everyone was fractious and on edge. We ended up leaving early. Nothing got done more than the classic The Crack (V0), with failures on the 3 main other things I had hoped to do - The Pocket (V5), The Overhang (V5) and V6 Traverse (V6). It would have been great to do several of those, and end the week with a good block of 6C/+ things done. Trying to be optimistic - it was obviously not an ideal day, but I had my hands on the top on the overlap once and failed to top it, and despite rushed goes I think my best go on the low traverse had me only a move from better holds (as in, maybe 2-3 moves to be fully established on them).

STG: Frankenjura long weekend. Would be great to get at least one of my numerous previously attempted routes there off the to-do list. NOPE - rain stopped play
MTG: Complete one of my local (Zellerwand) 7a projects - short, sharp power endurance. Complete Couch to 5k
LTG: Be a confident, well rounded low to mid 7's sport climber by 2021. For measurable definition see Fit Club 658

Weather put paid to the planned Frankenjura long weeekend - had to settle for local day trips between thunderstorms instead

M: Rest. Bought a new 80 metre rope (that I won't be needing at the weekend). Little shoulder workout flaking it through a few times to get the kinks out.
T: Thalkirchen. Went primarily to overcome some gravity on the rings in the training room, although I did warm up with half an hour of light bouldering.
W: rest - half an hour stretching

T: Zellerwand. Climbing as a three in humid pre-thunderstorm conditions, so mostly a better than nothing but pretty unproductive day.  In the evening conditions improved though, and I managed my best go yet on the proj: a high point from the ground, then one-hanged it with substantial overlap, including getting the final dyno/sloper crux first go of the day which has never happened before. This is not far off now in terms of number of goes, although it might be in terms of calendar time: the conditions window for a south-facing project with a sloper crux is closing rapidly.

F: Zellerwand. Not a good day. Even worse conditions, and then one of my mates got a call about a family emergency and we had to bail early, so no evening connies go on the project.
S: 
S: Wall, Weyarn. Autobelay onsight (aerobic threshold?) mileage, 14 routes. My finger strength and movement feel ok at the moment, thanks to lockdown fingerboarding and a decent amount of local days out on rock. But my route and session endurance are pitiful - this session was a start at doing something about fixing that.

The pocket is a little bit of a trick move (once you now it you can do it everytime) and the overhang is just bloody hard - and even more so on a hot day as the top is very rounded and disappointing when you get there....

Thanks Alan. Yes things are going OK trad wise.

I am going to do some benchmark testing this week and then crack on with some serious fitness work tailored to what that tells me.

I think Summer is going to be spent mainly tradding but as i am working in a wall twice a week i will use that time to keep strength and power topped up and get the fitness in for some sport efforts in Autumn.

M - BH Monday but i was working....

T - More work

W - Boulder at BUK in my new comfy shoes. Lots of V5 flashing (about 6 i think) and then tried some V6's but i think i was a bit tired by then. In the eve i tried the 7b circuit. I decided to rest 3 mins between goes and treat it as a ground up. Sadly about half way down there's a bit of a stopper move (for me). I got through it once. After 5 goes i was tired and my skin was sore. 

T - Work

F -  Attermire Scar A few routes in the 6's and then a failed attempt on Sven Vath (7a) which was described as a 7a needing a Gogarth E3 approach. It feels quite out there and that definitely got to me. One that i felt would go easily second go, once you know the moves, so i actually left it for another visit. Then did Victorian Overmantel (f7C+) second go after not discussing it probably needed a knee bar from the ground then trying it without a knee bar. Had a look at Lost In Thought and Lost In Time (7b+) - I may have been tired but i thought it was bloody hard (it may have been my comfy shoes) also a bit damp low down and quuite complex to work. One to save when i can do it putting the clips in....

S - a potter about  Seathwaite Bouldering Circuit. Highlights were Cool Logic (f7A) (not sent but worth going back for) and Cathode (f6B+)

S - Supposed to go to  Buck Crag (Duddon) ad we did arrive there (serious off roading to get there) to find it very still with no breeze and a far too liberal dashing of midges. Several alternatives were discussed but in the end we just went for a walk over Harter Fell which must have one of the best views in the Lakes so it was a nice day. 

Another point to note is that after trying comfy shoes out last week this week i walked with poles and i wish i'd done it ages ago. It doesn't stop the problem (i've a gym programme sorted out for over Winter) but it stops the symptoms and for now that's good enough.

Cheers Alan. Another slow week to ease back in to it. Think I’m over the worst of it now fortunately.

Mon-Wed:

• Rest, light stretching, bit of walking.

Thu:

• Wall session to see how the back held up with some easy bouldering - surprisingly well! Still got a bloody big knot in the middle but climbing doesn’t seem to trigger it.

Sat:

• Trip to Wintour’s for some Sport. Was originally planning Trad but had visions of my back locking up again on a long runout!
• 8x onsights up to 6a+ which I’m pretty happy with.
• We didn’t have a guidebook and had a fair few goes at Tea for One (6a+) which felt a lot harder than the given 6a+ (especially ignoring the groove and taking the direct line up the bolts). Was hoping I’d redpointed a 6b/6c so was disappointed to read the grade afterwards. It felt far harder than Thingfrith (6a+) at the side of it which I got first go. Ah well.

Back to the normal routine tomorrow (minus planches!). I’m starting the Barrow’s ‘Pow’ phase so lots of routes and circuits.

Just to clarify the typo where it says i did a 7C+ second go it was actually this Victorian Dig (7a). Not quite as impressive....

I didn't know whether to be most impressed with the 7C+ or that you'd managed to nip back to Stanage mid session  

Thanks Alan. The Hangar is always full to capacity in the evenings but previously I've thought to book a few days ahead.

M: Widdop as per last week's update

T: another session back at the Hangar doing some v5-6s

W: felt tired after a long day at work, rest

T:  as per Wednesday but just did a bit of stuff in the garage. I have bought a little comfy lifting mono hold trainer. I did 10 seconds on every finger with 8 kg, then same again on each pinky and 10 seconds on each of my other fingers with 14 kg, then the same again. Didn't feel any obvious asymmetries between hands but didn't want to push too hard.

F:  nothing, very tired again in the evening

S: night away for our anniversary so no training

S: this evening did another 1 finger session as per Thursday, but with an extra 2 kg. And a hip mobility session.

Overall mostly an unplanned rest week for the most part, due to combo of lots of work, tired evenings and our wedding anniversary. Just did some experimental mono loading from mid week.

Does anyone have any benchmarks for single finger mono strength in a non-hanging position? Not really sure what sort of weight would be normal.

Si

I got one of the Ash Climbing mono trainers, which is/sounds like the thing you've got?

I can't remember on the pinkie - about 15kg perhaps - but for the other fingers various loads in the 20-30kg range (30kg being the index fingers and left middle, from recollection. Right middle probably 20 or 25kg, I'd have to look it up).

Thanks Alan, quality stats as always.

Mon. Just a walk with the kids up Gunnerside Gill.

Tues. Early doors short but productive session at Crag X. My first session at the crag though had checked it out a couple of weeks ago but it was wet then. Managed to do Zippy's traverse (f7A+) which took me about half an hr. Surprised by the comments about campusing some of it, I kept my feet on the whole way (don't think I could have done it without them). Next up was Jericho Road (f7B) which I was really pleased to get 3rd go. I tried Cherokee Lane but never really got off the floor, I wasn't sure which hold was the gaston so possibly not in exactly the right place? Took a look at Moffatrocity and was comfortable getting into the slopers in the middle of the traverse but I didn't know if it dropped down to the starting rail of Jericho or stayed at the same height to join it a couple of moves in so sacked it off intending to get some video beta (I think it stays high?). Finished with Speckled Egg Indirect (f7A) which seemed desperate at first few goes until I found the heel toe and then it went quickly. Spent the rest of the day carrying railway sleepers and 20kg bags of gravel up 4 flights of stairs to build a rooftop garden with a friend (not my house!)

Wed. Continued garden building, discovered railway sleepers don't fit in the mitre saw. Epic day sawing them all by hand. Broken.

Thurs and Fri. Rest.

Sat. Early doors visit to Grinshill for a guided tour with Tom Green. Warmed up on sandy delights of The Cuttings, moved on for a play on Eliminator then hit the dugout. Couldn't work out how to do 'In his head' 7A+. Any Shropshire locals got beta? Couldnt pull through off the small crimp so assume its a go again? Tried left heel but there's nothing for the right foot. Tried to engineer a knee bar but couldn't make it stick. Ran out of ideas but Doug (f7A+) provided a session saving '7'. (beta in case I go back for links: pull on, RF R of chalked X, RH to jam but use the lower baggier bit to give more reach, LH to lip just left of crack, LF heel toe in the back, RH to weird gaston thing right of lip crack, RF in pod heel toe cam, LH to jug, RH to jug, use undercut crimp in roof to hold the swing when extracting foot.

Back at in-laws for 10.30am for 71km Road bike with Mrs. Swede. Nice sedate pace but some surprise cyclo-cross when we realised we'd accidentally planned a route that wasn't all on roads! Destroyed huge quantities of cake at cafe stop.

Sun. 6 sets of BW repeaters as a token nod to some endurance training, 3x10 shoulder shrugs, 3x10 press ups. 

That's right, thanks. (Unsurprisingly) I have some work to do!

On Moff you join Jericho at the right hand sidepull one move in, then come across with your left hand in to the good crimp. There is no dropping down.

Thanks, what you just described seemed logical but I didn't know if there were any weird rules forcing you down to the rail. The bit between the slopers and where you join Jericho looked to be the crux? I didn't manage those moves anyway! 

Hi all. Thanks for the stats, Alan, although sorry that they aren't on Monday due to you having a great Sunday sesh!

This week felt like a good week, although looking back it didn't really have much training in! (Maybe that's why it felt like a good week?!?)

Week 22:

M: Trail run: 9.2km, 260m vert, 5:47/km.

T: Climbing at Llanymynech. Poor session. Had planned to clipstick up Jack the Smuggler to put a rope in to work the moves on shunt, but realised I had left the clipstick at home. Went round to work Spotty Dog (7b) but it was too hard and the overhanging angle made it annoying to shunt. Called it early.

W: Climbing at the Roaches -a dubious choice given the crazy hot weather, but it was actually a great day! Highlight was Safety Net (E1 5b) (although actually a weird highlight was getting an absolute schooling seconding Matinee (HVS 5b) -fell out of the slimy crack, then fell off above the niche at the top -absolutely brutal!)

T: Hill run. Cheeky evening run on the way back from a job in Cumbria. Dropped in to one of my favourite old haunts and ran a glorious loop around Hutton Roof Crags and Farleton Crag -great trails, spongy turf and rock hopping over the limestone pavement. Lovely! 11.4km, 410m vert, 6:33/km. Edit to add: wish I'd had my climbing shoes -I'd forgotten how amazing Hutton Roof is!

F: Prehab (arms and legs).  

S: Bouldering at Grinshill -fun early morning sesh with SSB who was on good form (Flashing my project Eliminator (f6C)!) -a good bit of inspiration to get back to Grinshill after a bit of a break recently.

S: Hill run. Was supposed to be strength and conditioning, but sacked this off to go and play in the sun (sorry, not sorry!) -initially planned to go for a run, but then I saw some people climbing and got FOMO, so tucked the climbing shoes and chalk bag in to my running vest and did a run-climb enchainment... Ran the length of the Eglwyseg valley, stopping to climb a route on each crag I passed (except for Craig Arthur because it's all too hard for me to solo!) Trevor: James the Red Engine (S 3c); Dinbren: Hell's Own Variation (VD); Monk's Buttress: Smooth Hands (S 4a); Pinfold: Auto-De-Fe (S 4a); Twilight: Riboflavin (S 4a) and Ivy Tower Chimney (VD). 11.8km, 746m gain, 7:11/km (plus 65 min climbing time -11 mins per route). Probably 0/10 for training benefit but 11/10 for fun!

Week 23:

Climbing x 2

Fingerboard x 2 

Run x 2

Strength and conditioning x 2

STG (End August):

Max Hang total 85kg

Eliminator (V4) and Yates' Layaway (f6B+) 

Grid Iron (6c) and Jack the Smuggler (7a)

Red Square (E2) and Black Wall Direct (E2 5c)

Edale Skyline and Cheshire Gritstone Trail

2021 Goals:

35 E-points

Run 30km vert and 1000km

I don't think it has a distinct crux per se, just lots of fairly hard moves - for me on 'redpoint' the crux was definitely doing Jericho road at the end. I fell off the big right hand move up many many times from the start of Moff. I guess the moves from the slopers to the sharper pairs of crimps and then across into Jericho are a bit harder than the moves before, yes. Perhaps more shouldery. If you want my beta (well worked out over 11 sessions(!), but I suspect we have quite different styles) it's in my video called peak progression on Vimeo (3 times!) vimeo.com/164888398

My single finger benchmarks using a highly scientific sling-over-the-fingertip are 14-18-13-10, versus a two-handed max hang on the BM1000 18mm edges of 113 kgs. Which conveniently =~ 2*(14+18+13+10)

I only record the maximum weight I can do on both sides, although I this case I don't recall there being a significant difference. (Whereas I am noticeably weaker on the left on four finger strict half crimp)

That's a pretty cool comparison (coincidence?) 

Esoterica season never stops! Finger still improving nicely, had a big boost in confidence yesterday ticking a couple of fingery problems.

Last Week:

T - Rest and rehab.

W - Rest and rehab.

T - Rest and rehab.

F - Crag B, showing the crag to some friends, repeating a couple of bits around 6B/+, nothing too hard. Jovially attempted a one-armer and it felt surprisingly close!

S - Rest and slightly less rehab.

S - Big day out at Gallt yr Ogof Boulder! Managed the crimpiest thing I've done since the injury, Diamond eyes RH (V6), and climbed a couple more belters as well, mostly flashing in the low 6s. Really fun day, lots of banter, cracking jokes and getting mugged by midges at the very end.

Next Week:

M - Rest and rehab.

T - Rest and rehab.

W - Crag B? Gym? See what the weather says!

T - Rest and rehab.

F - Rest and rehab.

S, S - Hopefully another big day out somewhere.

Goals:

Rehabilitate finger (going well!).

Suavito.

Tierdrop.

Rigpa.

Thanks for the stas again Alan - How was your weekend; did you get out at all, or was it a wash-out?

Week 22

BHM – F3SHC Density hangs (BW-10kg; 30s x3). 55kg Benchpress; 5 sets, 6 reps. 1-arm scapular shrugs. 5x5 BW.

T – Pec DOMS. Back to work. No exercise; nursery visit in the evening instead.

W – Deadlift 5x5 @90kg. 5x5 “on-the-minute” pull-ups on lattice edge as warm-up for fingers. F3SHC @BW+8kg; B3@BW+30kg. Then 1-on/1-off aero-cap laps of the board. Too intense; 8 laps only.

T – Nothing but 10min of dicking about trying to kneebar the juggiest hold on the Moonboard, as per IG post from Buster, who in turn was mimicking a Spanish wad. (It’s bloody desperate!)

F – 5x5 “on-the-minute” pull-ups (BW+5kg) on lattice edge as warm-up for fingers. F3SHC @BW+8kg; B3@BW+35kg. 1-arm shoulder shrugs. 40km ride.

S – Morning dose of CBA followed by busy afternoon with visitors with three toddlers in tow. Little bit of COMPEX on core/groin and forearm capillarisation in the evening.

S – Aero-power “Broken Quarters”: Moonboard 7A into woods downclimb; pretty good pump level.

Deliberate ramping up of FB and stamina training this week; looking for a bit of controlled "over-reach" in the next few weeks to force some adaptation.

The essence! We should get that on a FitClub t-shirt!
 

Having read that, you basically don’t need to read anything else about training! ;-p

Thanks Ally. Pretty much a wash out apart from one semi-decent day on the Thursday.

If you head to Conies Dale its worth taking the Eldon Quarry approach rather than Peak Forest approach.  I've only been once and we successfully avoided the farmer in Peak Forest but I've heard from numerous different people who've had a very different experience when bumping into him and his friend 'Mr. Shotgun'.

Edit: but don't let that put you off, its a brilliant crag and well worth a visit.

Cheers Alan, Half term week with a bank holiday so not quite as active.

Monday, rest day.

Tuesday 1km swim

Wednesday 1km swim and 6km run

Thursday, 1km swim and stretch class

Friday, inlaws came over to visit. May have had a beer or two too many....

Saturday, 30k cycle

Sunday, rest.

Thanks Alan but what I need is some common sense…(tune in next week)

M: We were late leaving Keswick and it was very hot so decided to go to Trowbarrow instead of Scout Scar to avoid traffic. Wanted to do two laps on each of the 5 routes I’d previously done, managed the first three ok then had three attempts on the fourth before success and home  9tie ins, 7 successful.

T-W: Nothing except yoga

T: Went to Stockport to autobelay and boulder. The mostly vert bouldering didn’t suit my ankle and toes; auto belay grades did not suit my ego.  

S: Trowbarrow with same plan as Monday only this time I completed, quite pleased but it took quite a while so if I go again I’ll shorten the rests.

S: Unsure whether to go out or not but when an invite to the Outhouse came I jumped at the chance, first visit for months and I made no impression on B&W, hopefully just tired from yesterday. Decided to show N&D around my MTB route, they were bizarrely slow, maybe I’m not that unfit.