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/

This week's Psyche Vid - as mentioned last week, a lovely little reminiscence piece about Armathwaite and the North Lakes scene in the 70s (requires a Vimeo login, well worth it): vimeo.com/141652213

Last weeks post - https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/walls+training/ukc_fit_club_week_753-7383...

AJM - sorry to hear about the return of normal British holiday weather. Hope it functioned at least to some degree as a rest week

Ally Smith - sounds like a solid training week in challenging circumstances.

biscuit - good tick on Electric Warrior, hope it didn't do too much damage to the wrist?

Liam P - good determination to get your two days in on rock despite iffy weather. I hope the North Wales trips happens (or happened?)

Ross Barker - always difficult, but important, to keep up the antagonist & general conditioning work during climbing season. I know I haven't been.

Si dH - hope your training from home week went as planned?

Somerset swede basher - thanks for volunteering for the statting for November & December. Good effort on Moffatrocity - carb loading works, apparently.

Steve Claw - I'm afraid I have no experience or wisdom to offer on the elbow nerve thing - were you able to pick up anything useful?

the sheep - how long to Race Day now?

Tom Green - "I have a sneaky suspicion I've gone for 12-18 months without really ticking off any of my main goals". I suggest there have been extenuating circumstances in the past 12 to 18 months. Nevertheless, any thoughts yet about new goals in the new location?

Tyler - we have calf troubles and a moonboard success rate in common. Need any tips on the easiest (non-benchmark) 2017 6A+'s?s

AlanLittle - try to focus more on positive progress on the Konstein proj than on not actually having done it

STG: plan autumn sport trip, assuming no delta 4th wave / 3rd lockdown
STG: Summer 2021: Fill out my couple-of-goes pyramid around the 6c-ish level before moving back onto harder projects. (Currently fialing, see Saturday)
MTG: Autumn 2021 sport trip. Ditch the lockdown weightbelt (3 to 5 kgs) beforehand and get fit 
LTG: Be a confident, well rounded low to mid 7's sport climber. For measurable definition see Fit Club 658

M: 1½ hours bike
T: Wall, Thalkirchen. Routes. Still pretty much pootling around in my comfort zone to get reacquainted with hjaving a rope on indoors. Need to start trying harder soon.
W: 45 minutes box step-ups & light, careful jogging
T: Wall, Boulderwelt. First time in at least a year that I've spent a whole session on set boulders at the wall instead of just doing a dozen or so easyish ones as a warm-up for the board. Rather enjoyed it.
F: Looked at the weather forecast and agreed with my climbing partner to bail on Frankenjura plans for the weekend. Café Kraft is good, but not worth driving two hundred miles for.
S-S: ... and then spent most of the weekend in bed with a heavy cold (tested negative). Less frustrating than it would have been if the weather had been good.
 

Thanks Alan, it's probably time I have something back! Been a high milage low intensity kind of week for me this week.

Mon. Burbage South with the kids. I managed about a dozen problems along the way, nothing harder than 6B but nice to be out and the kids enjoying playing on the rocks. 10km run flat and fast in the evening. 

Tues. Longdendale Trail (21km) with small swede on his bike and mini swede on the back of mine.

Wed. Catch up with an old friend at small dale quarry. Did routes 6b, 6c, 7a, 6c+, 7a, 6c. All onsight except the first 7a which I tried to do direct (apparently its normal to start up the 6c on the left to the 2nd bolt).

Thurs. Took the kids for a play at Robin Hood's Stride. Managed about 20 problems between general child shinannagins, nothing harder than 6C. Spine Left-hand (f6B) was by far the best problem but really enjoyed channeling my inner Johnny Dawes on The Sitdown Finish (VB) and the no hands arete further left.

Fri. Rest

Sat. Headed over to Hen Cloud and The Roaches with a friend who's just moved from London to Sheffield. He's not pulled on a pair of rock boots for 2 years so we did the 3 classic Rock routes I'd not ticked then a couple of HVSs including the brilliant Saul's Crack (HVS 5a).

Sun. Out with the kids on the bikes again. Did a 18km chunk of the Manifold Way. 

End of the summer holidays looming - currently enjoying denial! 

Good stats Alan once again.

Had a cracking week this week, had a productive indoor session, antagonists, stretches, core, ticked a goal and put to bed some unfinished business up north!

Need to come up with a new goal for now, not sure if it's wise to pick another problem at Kitty's Crag given the conditions need a few dry days, but it's a corker so I'll stick it on, but might have to pick something more autumn/winter appropriate in future.

Last Week:

M - Gym session. Bashed out 8 more 6B+ MB benchmarks, all flash bar one. Making a conscious effort to keep board sessions short (30-45 minutes post-warmup) so I get quality loading without digging a recovery hole or risking injury. Finger happy but had a slight niggle when a pinky slipped off, but seems to have only been acute. Finished with some antagonists and stretches like a good boy.

T - Contrast baths.

W - Very light core. Contrast baths.

T - Kitty's Crag. After a thorough warm-up and practicing the final campus move I was finally able to keep the toehook in for the swing out, and top out Reckless (f7B)! Felt easier than 7B today, but could be a few factors:

• Core training over the past 5 weeks
• Having not done much in the 7s recently, perhaps I'm out of touch with how hard they feel (I got desperately close on a 7B/+ in N'land, so maybe I'm not as weak as I thought?)
• Problem might just suit my strengths
• Problem genuinely might be soft

Armchair critique and pondering welcome!

F - Rest.

S - Mega early session at Buckstones Edge. Finished off Pig In A Pokey (f7A+) almost two years after last trying it!

S - Rest.

Next Week:

M - Kitty's Crag, most likely. Want to make the most of the long spell of dryness to go to the more seepy crags.

T - Rest.

W - Rest.

T to S - Off work, hopefully some little trips out to places, maybe some overnighters. Anyone keen?

Goals:

Rehabilitate finger (going rather well).

Reckless ✅

The Ramp Up.

Rigpa.

Thanks Alan. I've had a pretty good week thanks. Missed a couple of things off my training plan but had positive progress with the finger, which is more important, and overall got a decent amount done. I'm starting a new training phase now really - see below.

M: rest

T: evening - 3*30 second density hangs, then decided try some max hangs and see how my left ring finger held up. I used the bm2000 large pockets (~33mm) and on these it was ok for up to bodyweight +30kg. I'd like to be able to use a slightly smaller edge - it's definitely not up to max hangs on a 20mm edge at the moment but I might be able to adjust the bm2000 pockets down to 25-30mm or something. Afterwards I did a couple of pull-ups with bodyweight +40kg, which I was quite happy with. I was too tired to do any sets of scap pull-ups though, which had been on the plan. I think the heavy weighted max hangs took too much out of my shoulders.

W: rest

T: morning - as per Tuesday evening.

F: morning - hip mobility routine. Evening - 3*30 second density hangs and 5*5 one arm scap pull-ups with theraband assistance. I also did a couple of sets of 10 hamstring curls and 2*8 copenhagens on each side. Felt my left hamstring complain a bit on the second set of curls so stopped. Maybe a bad idea to do them on the same day as stretching.

S: rest

S: morning trip to Pillbox wall on the Orme. Did the usual 3*30 second density hangs after warming up and then got back on Pill Box Original (V6). I finally did it! Pleased with this as it feels very hard for the grade to me and I've put in quite a bit of effort (either 4 or 5 short sessions since I first tried it last summer). Finger felt good throughout today.

I'm in a holding phase now where I'm not going to have many opportunities to get out until our second child has been born (due in 5-6 weeks) and I've worked out whether I can be mobile with them (or No.1).

In the meantime I really want to continue sorting out this finger, which I think is very slowly improving, so I'll be keeping up the rehab for that and otherwise I want to do some more max hang sessions on larger holds that don't aggravate the finger, plus keep up the hip mobility work. If I manage to get outside occasionally I'll see that as a bonus and if not I might try the occasional board session. Priority of exercise if I'm knackered from lack of sleep will be roughly in order of the above. My reports for the next three months might be a bit dull...

Si

Cheers Alan. Unfortunately my North Wales partner cancelled due to injury, but I managed to sort a backup trip to Portland which turned out quite well.

Mon 

• AeroPow at the wall - Route Pyramid (6x leads up to 6b)

Tue-Wed

• Rest

Thu

• 3x 5s Frenchies 2&1/3, 2, 2
• 3x 1 Offset Pull-ups
• 5x pulls on the board. Flashed all the problems I know up to 6c but still come off the right hand mirror of the 6c (work in progress).
• 6x Campus Ladders. Good progress on these. 1st set: 52s/6th set: 18s
• TRX Core
• RTO Dips 3x 4.  First time trying these and they’re great if you’re a fan of the OG exercises. I didn’t have high hopes but managed an easy set of 4 so did the last 2 sets with a 30degree forward lean. Hard workout on the Lats/Biceps which felt bizarre for a dip!

Fri

• Started off the Portland trip with a bouldering warmup at Blacknor Fort. 10x Problems up to f5+, highlight being Mercury and Solace (f5)
• 3x onsights up to 5c at Blacknor South

Sat

• 3x routes up to 6a at Blacknor Far South, highlight being Fear's Younger Brother (6a) which was steep, juggy and excellent…although I popped off the really thin side pull at the crux which seemed quite harsh for the grade! Will definitely be back to pull harder for the RP.

Took away a couple of nuggets from FitClub this week. One was the discussion on goals. Now the baby has settled down a little I’m going to have a think about some new STG/MTG/LTG for the run in to autumn. The other one was Ross’ Board Time Limit. I’m definitely guilty of getting excited and putting myself in a training hole for days afterwards. Will have a play with times.

Have a good week.

Thank you Alan.  I have been away on holiday most of this week, so resting the elbows a bit, but there is definitely something not right, so will book in a Physio when I return.

M - Indoor session. 6 x 10s hangs +15Kg (increase of 5kg and felt ok) with 1m planks during the 2m rests. Then ropes in mid 7's

T - Nothing, drove to Cornwall

W + T - Nothing

F - Returned to Bass point and (TRS) Dawn Direct (E5 6a) and Lazarus (E6 6b) (twice), and came very close to a bat that was hiding in a crack.

S - Nothing

S - Went to (TRS) Basher's Harbour as I had seem some mega hard routes there, but when I got there the whole top half of that section of cliff had collapsed, which is a massive amount missing, and the routes now gone. Instead did Pennies from Heaven (E5 6a) burley moves when not really warmed up and London Bridge (E6 6b) I think some of the base of this one is also missing, making for a hard start.  The guidebook suggested using Gorse bushes and an old stone wall to make a belay, but there was no Gorse there, and the stones just pulled out of the wall, so had to get creative.

Still in Cornwall for another week, but have a Lundy trip booked in for later in Sept, so once back in Bristol, I need to get back into leading hard trad, not just top roping it.

Wouldn't have expected my musings to affect someone else's decisions, but I think it's something that is neglected in training suggestions, to be honest. You wouldn't do max hangs or campusing for 2 or 3 hours, so I feel like for maximum efficiency on a board you shouldn't be spending too long either.

That said, I know a few people who board climb several times a week for hours at a time and never seem to get injured, but I just write that off as them being extremely well conditioned genetic freaks!

I was doing board sessions of 2 hours or even more last year before my finger got bad. I was struck by an Instagram post from Molly TS where she said her board sessions usually lasted 45 minutes! I tried to shorten them a bit after that. Although, it does depend obviously on how much rest you take between problems. My warm-up takes half an hour before I feel ready to pull on properly and I rest at least 3-4 minutes between goes, so if I only spent 45 minutes I would only have three proper attempts! I think that's something to do with getting old. Five years ago I could warm up fine in 5-10 minutes.

I think the best thing is to stop before you are too tired to climb well, rather than when you are too tired to climb well. Sometimes easier said than done.

I was under the impression she would've meant 45 minutes post-warmup, which would get you around 10 burns, more or less.

Definitely agreeing on the last point, especially if you're moving onto different problems where you might not have a reference of "oh that move felt harder than usual, I must be getting tired".

I think the main downside of going for timings is if you're having a good day where you're still fresh after you might be missing out on some gains, but I'd say that's worth the sacrifice.

Cheers Alan, race is on Sunday. Seems to have rather crept up on me. Had a very pleasant week gone by. Monday to Wednesday we went away in our new to us caravan for our first family outing. No exercise but plenty of walking.

Thursday, 1km swim and stretch class

Friday, given the proximity of race day some actual proper race training. Brick session, 20km cycle into 5k run to match race distances. All went well, ride was good at a fair pace and getting off and heading out on the run wasn’t as bad as I remembered 😊

Saturday, quick drive to the coast to visit in-laws and stay over for the night

Sunday, nice 6km run along coastal paths then a quick swim. 

It was a good week seeing family, and we at least did some things that could be considered exercise!

Had a bit of time off this week to look after miniAJM plus the bank holiday weekend, so got a reasonable amount of climbing in - and a big YYFY to boot!

Pretty stoked about Liquid Sun. it’s taken me about as many sessions as Picnic Sarcastic took goes (not surprising given the styles), and easily twice as much as anything else I’ve tried so far since lockdown. I realised today that I’ve now done more 7A+s in the last twelve months than I have in all the years prior to that. Not quite the metric I set my goal on but I’m pleased with it nevertheless! I was starting to think some of my other goals were looking a bit ropey - I’ve not done anywhere near as much dws as last year, and I’m not sure when I’ll get enough time on a rope for the 7c goal - but the bouldering has been doing alright.

Monday - nothing. Drove to Portland in the evening and set up camp.

Tuesday - tried to do dws in the morning. But the NE wind was kicking up a bit of swell which combined with the big high tide meant a lot of stuff was getting washed out. I did a few things that don’t require sea level access but soon decided it wasn’t really the day for it. Loafed about on the campsite for a bit and then after lunch headed for session #5 on Liquid Sun. Made some progress, another move further along. If I had been able to wait for the cooler conditions mid to late afternoon I think I might have done better, the Rock was a lot cooler once the sun went off it, it was warm to the touch on the first go!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS92w65jBEw/?utm_medium=copy_link

Wednesday - Neddyfields for a short hit in the morning. Tried Fontanel, made a start but not much more, shredded my skin a bit. One for a lot colder, I think!

Thursday/Friday - regrowing skin!

Saturday - climbed with ex-Fitclubbers Curious Yellow and hms plus Al at Battleship. Took miniAJM with me. First time I have ever tried to take him out and me do roped climbing and I couldn’t have wanted him to be better. Very well behaved, very tolerant, just great. I did 4-5 6a/+ things, feeling pretty clunky (I think it’s nearly two years since I sport climbed) but otherwise ok. I then dogged up Victims of Fashion which is a tricky 7a+ route, quite sustained on crimps. Gave it a redpoint go and fell off at the top but it was a bit scrappy, my feet were sore (lack of time standing on edges for that long!), my arm cramped (lack of salt I guess, not managing food right for the different demands of a sport day?) and so I lost my sequence. Then the sun came out and I decided to call it. Enjoyed fish and chips on Chesil beach. A great day!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTIQbeTj_Qf/?utm_medium=copy_link

Sunday - rest. Couple of laps of the park and some gardening in which I managed to slice the side of one of my tips with a large thorn. Doh!

Monday - back to see the others on Portland with the whole family. The others were bouldering, so we went and joined them. Nobody had firm plans and so by default I think we drifted back across to Liquid Sun since everyone knew I’d been trying it. I hadn’t particularly planned to get on it, but since we were there and the slice in my finger didn’t seem to be hurting I warmed up and gave it some goes. First good go I got through to near the end again but fell off and cut through the skin on my ankle. Rested, strapped tape all round it, and had another go where I was feeling good but screwed up the sequence near the end. Third time was the charm - not exactly the neatest topout but got it done!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTNRCqEjKct/?utm_medium=copy_link

Nice one on Liquid Sun. I had a fondle of the holds when I was in Portland last year and it certainly looked hard!

Thanks!

Thanks Alan. Yes i was happy with Electric Warrior especially as it is a few hard moves in a row type of route and i'm generally not good at them.

No climbing for most of this week. Life has been busy and my wrist was a bit annoyed by electric warrior. With a trip coming up in a couple of weeks i gave it some rest and rehab.

I did do a couple of sessions of S&C work for upper and lower body. I've really responded to this, i've obviously been ignoring it for too long. Note to self - make it a consistent habit.

S - Chapel Head Moonchild (Sport) (6c+) a couple of times to 'warm up' (that thing is beefy and pumpy) so first time was top rope as the rope was in. Then a couple of goes on Super Dupont (7b+). First go was thwarted by being a bit crap and the cloud parting and giving me the full sun on tiny crimps treatment. Bailed before the second half. Second go was better.  All moves done, so it's officially a project.

I can do the 'crux' moves low down, but the moves after that i find hard and then there's moves through a roof that i will struggle with. It's also very sharp, but great climbing so why not? This route has also highlighted how i am not very good at doing quite a few hardish moves in a row. An Cap training required. No time for that befoe the trip so i'll focus on endurance routes there, but for the sport around me it's pretty essential. One for Winter.

I hear you. Both the routes I've been spending projecting time on this year are 10-12 move bouldery sequences with no real rest or comfortable shakeout positions during the sequence. Physically all about ancap and number of goes per day, but more importantly about learning the sequence and executing it right. And pretty time consuming - if one of the three or so goes per day doesn't go right, come back another day.

Hi all. Thanks for the stats Alan.

Not really thinking of Yorkshire Goals yet. But slimmed down the STGs to focus on what I actually want to get done the most.

Week 34:

M: Rest.

T: Nowt.

W: Climbing. Ogwen Valley. Highlight was Superdirect (HVS 5a) low light was having an epic escaping off Crazy Horse (E3 6a) which ended in me getting my knee stuck in the offwidth of Soapgut - Chimney Route Finish (HS 4b) for over an hour.

T: Moving house -day of hard graft (and it wasn't even my house!) 

F: Moving house -another day of graft.

S: Rest.

S: Climbing. Good day at Cloggy. Highlight was leading the big traverse on The Boulder (E1 5a)

Week 35:

M: Climbing

T: Rest

W: Big work day -maybe fit in a run?

T: Climbing

F: Run

S: Fingerboard

S: Run

STG (Sept 17th): 

Jack the Smuggler (7a)

One of Red Square (E2) and Black Wall (E1 5b)

2021 Goals:

35 E-points -currently miles off this, need to get out more.

Run 30km vert and 1000km -got a LOT to do to get these, but heading in the right direction!

Thanks again chief stats master :-D

Week 34

M – Rest.

T – Board. Left shoulder grumpy gastoning or catching anything at full reach, so reigned in aspirations to do 7C/+’s I’d worked previous sessions. Worked my way through various “easier” things and came away with a bunch of ticks >7A+, including a (soft!) 7B+ flash.

W – Rest – finished work late so no time for a ride.

T – Gorge after work. Redpoint time. 6c warm-up and dogged roof to get draws in. Next go, dogged Underworld and hence only time for one RP effort of the full line. Got through Underworld with a reasonable fight which meant a fair pump to disperse before the new bit. Got through the crux but pumped out on the unwind. This forced me to re-work the beta and found an easier way by taking a foot off and dropping the body lower than the frog position I had worked out before.

F – Rest.

S – Family outing to Manifold valley. Visited Thor’s cave and quite fancy a bash at Thormen’s Moth sometime soon.

S – BBQ gluttony with local colleague and family. Lovely to be doing something relatively “normal” again

BHM – Unexpected gorge session – partner suggested there instead of his more local Orme haunts. Same warm-up and reconfirmed new beta. While dogging had a great view of Freddie repeating my 2019 The Bear (8a+) with some innovative beta. No need to dog Underworld as the draws were already in. 1st RP, quicker up Underworld, so less pumped at the rest. Shook out and just about had enough beans to take it to the top. Chuffed with Daddy Falsetto (8a+) - the easier end of 8a+?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTNS3uKj1Iu/

I’d actually done the top section (Thumbsucker (7c)) as an independent pitch from the ledge in the cave 2 weeks ago but didn’t want to advertise it for fear of the full line being nicked.

The names of both of these are related to my daughter:

• Daddy Falsetto for the silly high-pitched voice most fathers adopt when talking to babies.
• Thumbsucker is all about Squiggle sleeping through (most of) the night after discovering she could suck her thumb. 

Nice job Ally 😀

Very true! I think it’s my most underdeveloped energy system and it takes a long while to develop. Winter is going to be about getting strong and working AnCap. 
 

Also very true about the getting it right - pacing and accuracy, but also the ability to relax and adapt if it doesn’t go perfectly.  It’s hard this climbing things isn’t it? 

I have found working boulder traverses did a lot of good for my ability to do hard sequences on routes, if that's what you need. The sort of route you describe was very much my strength when I was climbing routes well. Not sure if there are many boulder traverses in your vicinities but if so, they can be a more motivating alternative to training indoors.

Last Week

Wednesday

• Delstree (HVS 5a) at  Hen Cloud. Great to finally do this after putting it off for ages. Surely *The* definitive Joe Brown HVS.

Thursday

Planned to drive to Pembroke

Friday

Actually drove to Pembroke. Led Blue Sky (VS 4b)

Saturday

• Galactic Co-ordinator (HVS 5a)
• Pigs on the Wing (HVS 5a) Utterly terrifying. Great lead from Will who had to improvise a hanging belay having not done one before.
• Brief attempt on B-Team Buttress (E1 5b) but found it greasy and horrible. Bailed and escaped up Catch (VS 4b).

Sunday

• Orogeny (E2 5b) Had decided to do it based on the Wired guide before finding Rockfax had upgraded it. E2 is probably fair but low end. - nice to do something technical and slabby which is very much my anti-style.

Next Week

Assuming conditions allow - 

• A couple more days at Pembroke
• Two leads at E1 or above
• Two leads at 6b or above
• Two 6a boulders
• Resume AeroPow training

STG

Not sure any of this years trad goals will be ticked this month, but potential Gogarth trip in Late September, so - 

Red Wall (E2 5b)

I think I sent you that list a couple of years ago, didn’t I? Not sure how much Moonboarding I’ll be doing in future. I’m not in any fit state at the moment and I’m soon moving away from any…

M: Had a sports massage which concentrated on my calf but did not improve it, not sure what the next step is as it seems pretty persistent. More importantly we got confirmation about a house purchase so Fi and I are moving to North Wales. 30 mins from Pen Trwyn, 20 mins from Capel Curig and 20 mins from some nice lakes in the Carneddau. 
T: Yoga

W: Return to blochaus, did ok but not great. Didn’t do a single move, never mind a problem, on the Moonboard.

T & F: Rest/work late

S:  Shelter Crags First day of project Alpine Dawn where I get fit to do some stuff in the hills. Alpine start went ok (I was up before 7:30!) but logistical cock up meant we didn’t leave the car park until late. Did 3 routes and got back just as it was turning dark. Lead my first post op E1s but found one of them a bit more of a push than expected. 
S: Walked around York feeling tired

Sounds great!

I agree, amazing quick access to some fantastic climbing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit jealous!

Great news Ash. Retirement?

No need to be jealous Ross, Llanrwst is due to be underwater by 2050! Our house should just miss it but not by much!

Unfortunately buying this might have set retirement back a couple of years!

Morning FitClubbers,

Had a bit of a setback with training that should put me out of action for the rest of the year. Planned partner for Wednesday had to work so I nipped out with the pad instead…

The descent was a jump to an adjacent Boulder which I landed flat-footed and knew instantly I wouldn’t be heel-hooking anytime soon.

2 hour drive to A&E confirmed a very broken Calcaneus. Fortunately, it looks like I won’t need surgery but I’ve been told it’s a long healing time (up to 12 weeks in a cast) followed by a lot of rehab.

I felt I was just getting my head back after 3 months off with the baby. Big Wall trip to Sardinia cancelled. Scottish Winter unlikely for another season. Very annoying.

Understandably, the Mrs went ballistic as I’m now pretty useless with the baby - although I did manage a one-legged nappy change this morning.

The extent of my training for the foreseeable future will be push-ups/pull-ups/sit-ups so rather than post the same boring log each week, it’s probably best to postpone until I’ve fixed my foot.

After 9 years this is my first injury which leads me to the conclusion that Pebble Hugging is the most dangerous form of climbing!

That's terrible luck Liam. All the best with the recovery.

The only thing I would say is that 12 weeks of properly focused training of the fingers and arms could make a notable uptick in performance, so play the long game well and you'll be out again at Christmas tearing the crags down...

Andy

Sorry to hear that.

I fractured my calcaneus 2 years ago, (although not badly, no cast) and after the first 3-4 weeks, I was surprised how quickly it recovered and I was climbing normally soon after. Obviously no bouldering jumps for a while.

It did take around 9+ months before I stopped getting small pains first thing in the morning, probably due to damage to the soft heel pad.

As AJM said, time to get ripped upper body!

Sorry to hear that, it’s particularly shitty timing but hopefully you can get a bit mobile soon. Take care and hit the fingerboard even in a totally unstructured way

Aw crap! That’s gutting. Hope it heals up as quickly as possible. Keep dropping in to let us know how Recovery Club is going. Time to get on the fingerboard and turn your fingers into steel claws?!

Edit: Just noticed everyone has said the same about fingerboarding!

Oh no! Shocking news, best wishes for your recovery.

I can recommend you a target route for next summer: https://www.camptocamp.org/routes/54604/fr/vallee-d-ailefroide-la-draye-l-e...

However ...

Immaculate timing, because what I actually logged in today to say was ...

Why had I not heard of Ned Feehally's forthcoming training book until this morning when I stumbled across a mention buried deep in a discussion on reddit?

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/books-new-and-coming-soon/books-new-an... 

I know Ned doesn't seem like the type to do a huge publicity tour on the podcast/youtube circuit, but either I haven't been paying attention or this is a stealth launch to a ridiculous degree.  Have pre-ordered my signed copy.

Thanks everyone.

That would be an ideal first route back Alan!

It’s too much of a coincidence for me not to preorder a copy of Beastmaking. The decision is, whether to stick with my Crusher Matrix or use it for firewood and invest in a new Beastmaker…

I've seen it marketed on a few different Instagram accounts including Shauna's, so I don't think it's too stealth

Sorry to here of your mishap - heel quick! (Groan)

Just catching up on the thread. Sorry to hear this, hope it's at least functional as soon as possible. Don't go wild with the finger boarding too soon, you don't want to end up with a finger injury too!

Aw crap. 
Adjust to the new normal and stay in touch. 
 

Speedy healing!

That’s a pretty good idea, ta. 

A great week! 

I feel we need to know more about this……

It was basically exactly this…

youtube.com/watch?v=1dJLN43G6KA&
But fortunately, the pooping myself part was metaphorical rather than literal.