Building a Power Endurance System: Fingers...

Stretching - warm up

setting some bloc moves for PE circuits

Metis (8b+) at Genat, Ariege
(Photo: Ian Storey)

After a month of reasonably intense route climbing in the Grotte de sabart, the sun has come out now and so some of the sessions have moved to the barn in the Farm house with Ruth. I have two major projects in the mix at the moment and both are completly different in style but share the same number (8b/8b+).

Jon Stoelker  of Base Calames sending a 7b at Genat

Genat project is a fingery power endurance climb above a tufa and the other is a huge 28m roof climb called Reine de Sabart.  I want them both, but it will take more time as they are better than me at the moment...but they will fall when I have done the work and paid these great routes their dues... so it is time to start the systems in the barn while the sun is out and work with these two very different routes in mind...fingers and core, fingers and core...

Learned my core and new mental tehniques from Stevie and am now applying my own  PE system for the fingers in between learning more about each route when the weather is cooler.

My PE for the fingers is this:

• Set 3 problems just above capability then work them until you can complete them with good rests between trys until they yield. 
• Then begin timed rests until you can eventually link them as sets, 
• Then weight vest circuits... Then start again!

Chaining 8b : the training journey so far...

Since making my mind up to train hard again towards chaining my 8b ambition this year, I have been focusing the priority on my elbow rehab first in combination with basic weight and fitness conditioning to get me fit enough to take a training pounding over the next 30 weeks or so.

Flexibility and lack of core fitness and strength are my obvious weaknesses as a climber and so I am focusing on these in particluar with stretching every day and working a little harder on core. I am more concerned right now with creating a flexiblity across my body first then i will build a stronger core through both training and climbing on approriately steep rock in coming weeks.  

Most weeks are filled with easy route climbing to keep the head and fingers ticking over while I prepare the other areas and each day is filled with as much inspiration as i can un earth to drive me forward to ocho b...

I took a trip into Spain to visit a great friend and coach for a day in the Spanish Pirineos on a great canyon crag housing an awesome 7b. We used my red point strategies to help provide my friend with more structure in improving her approach to projecting and so we shaped the whole day around that single process of working for a red point instead of just trying something at your limit to see how you get on...

Prepare your day, your mind and your body then you will produce a better performance and ultimately succeed in red pointing the project at your true limit instead of some miss informed percieved limit.

Mi amiga  Sonia using ReAch red point strategy on her 7b proyecto

sonia feliz en su paraíso Pirineos!

Then it was down into Barcelona to meet the cool guys from JM Climbing to discuss the Eva Lopez Transgression and Progression systems to help me train to 8b. Having studied the training strategy I have worked out my plan with the system and it looks like I will opt for the following:

• A first phase of a  5 week block on Maximal Strength Development
• 2 week rest
• second phase of 8 week Strength Endurance phase
• 2 week rest
• 8 week Advanced Maximal Strength phase
• 2 week rest
• 8 week Advanced Strength Endurance phase

Back over into the Pirineos de Francia

Midnight runs when it's cool in the Pyrenees near Foix

The 'Mind' of a project...

Recently I was flattered to be recognized by an awesome Spanish female climber and trainer who is rigorous in her study of the training for sport climbing. (http://www.facebook.com/evalopezriv/posts/2904009751866)

Eva Lopez has impressed me greatly, not just by her climbing (8c - that is amazing and stands for itself!) but by her approach to research and it is this which interests me allot for now.

Having the patience and strategic intent to do a great , in depth job of understanding a key element to improving one's climbing is something I have slowly began to try and unfold. Being in contact with Eva recently has certainly reminded me of how I need to be more long term minded about my climbing strategies especially to help me get to the next level and break a psychological barrier for myself.

This all got me thinking about my previous approach when I started back in 2010 with 6a to 8a and I just remembered the most important thing that drove the whole process... The project and my mindset that allowed me to complete it.

It just came back to me as I was thinking about my new project and the frustrations that are in the way (current elbow injury, 4 kilos of extra weight - which was intentional to train with in a bouldering environment since October BLCC's to increase my maximal strength but i over cooked it!), then I began to get that feeling again... that certain knowing feeling, when I am beginning to realize that I am going to do this project.., because I want it!

The importance of it for me, has to outweigh all the other things in my life for that period of the project and so, that is a big requirement for any human being, especially in this fast paced world full of things that are allowed to get in the way of staying focused on a particularly personal objective. But the answer before was for me to build my life around the project, not build the project around my life...

And so, I want to be trained over a sustainable period of the project that will allow me to make the changes and truly facilitate what needs to happen to my body to achieve the goal... Climb with much better climbers who have the experience, be motivated by them and trust in myself by making action in my daily life over wishful thinking.

I fell off a 7b in Cubells near Lleida with mi amiga from Monistrol when here at Christmas after my knee operation and although 8b just felt so far away then (still does now) I told her I needed to fall on a route since my operation, because only then could i begin to start trying hard again - trying close to my true limit.

The mind obviously drives this and it is the holder of motivation and the value that I have to place on achieving this goal, firstly has to make sense: The plan must be capable 'as a strategy for success' and address all the outcomes in it's path including my own weaknesses and self doubts. But I understand I have to have that singular simple belief that I will climb 8b and then, I use my head to get me there.

So for me, ocho b (8b) is not a number anymore..It's my new life and those 'chains' will be soooooooooooo sweet.. this i know, but the journey, the journey is what i love... Vamos!