Even though I’ve been rock climbing for almost a decade now, I have only climbed on a rope outside a dozen or so times. Basically I’ve always been satisfied bouldering, and I could never get any of the crew to escort me on a roped adventure. I can’t blame them really. I am a sandbag belayer, and I can’t lead climb to save my life (in fact I’ve never led a route outside in my life…..Wow.)
But somehow all this training got me motivated enough to go climb at the Tor. Yesterday I drove up to Santa Maria with Elijah and we met up with Andy and Mary, who by the way, are fucking awesome folks. They’re both strong as nails, and I rarely meet people this nice who like to climb rocks. Not that Elijah isn’t a nice guy, it’s just that Andy and Mary are new and exciting, thus more noteworthy. However, anyone doubting Elijah’s radness, will have a change of heart as soon as they see him get on a rope at the Owl Tor. Watching him attempt to redpoint Hard Boiled, an extremely tricky 5.13b is a treat. You’re gonna get it real soon buddy.
I warmed up top roping the 5.11b warmup at Mr. Lees and then bouldered the first few moves of Wild Kingdom (I actually hung that terrible mono). The highlight of my day was getting on the Power of Eating, 5.11d in the front area on lead and climbing it bolt to bolt a few times. Normal climbers wouldn’t think much of this less than noteworthy feat, but successfully getting up my first route on lead was exciting and motivating. Screwed around on Auto Magic, 5.12a as well, after watching Andy come real close to a redpoint.
After the long drive home, me and the roomies met up with the wonderful Bridget and her clan of awesome friends for dinner and drinks at the Stateside….
DO NOT EAT HERE!
I don’t know what was worse, the service, the food, or the floor managers ridiculous toupe. The soup was cold, the fish overcooked; the prices high and the portions low; the dining room poorly decorated, the staff overly dressed; and no one had a clue how to perform their job efficiently. I’d rather eat cliff bars only for the rest of my life than give this shithole any more of my money.
Actually had some work today, so no time for training.... just some simple yoga and pranayama. Big swim tommorow hopefully.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Rest
I actually had some work to do today and I was feeling pretty worn out when I woke up this morning, so not much training on the agenda…. 30 minutes of yoga and that’s it. Going to the Owl Tor tomorrow for some sport climbing. I’ll need my rest. My power endurance is more or less non existent, and climbing 60 ft a go on a 30 degree overhanging wall of pockets will require some sustained strength. More on that tomorrow if my fingers are still functioning.
Drinking a great bottle of wine from Metropolis. They have some of the best inexpensive wine in town (way better than Trader Joes), $7.99 for a very refined organic Spanish red. Love it. Their macaroons aren’t bad either.
Drinking a great bottle of wine from Metropolis. They have some of the best inexpensive wine in town (way better than Trader Joes), $7.99 for a very refined organic Spanish red. Love it. Their macaroons aren’t bad either.
Vacation is Great
Most of my clients have been out of town for the holidays. This has created a wonderful unexpected 2 week vacation. The extra time has lended itself to great multi activity days.
I met Bridget at the pool today. I’ve coerced her into acting as my birthday challenge swim coach. Her decades of mermaid training are improving my swimming dramatically. Thanks Coach.
I swam an 800 of freestyle and then Bridget gave me a quick kick turn lesson. Seemed simple enough…. until my left calf (the bad ankle calf) completely cramped up when I pushed off the wall. Wow. Cramps in cold water are fairly intense. No more kick turns today. Next lesson: Proper Breast Stroke. Keep your knees in and don’t pull back so much with your hands. Swimming is all about technique. After 400 meters of breaststroke I switched back to freestyle for 400 meters. The end result was my first mile in a day. Cheers to me.
Went to Lizards Mouth this afternoon and explored as well as doing a few dozen problems (including the Sorry About That series….awesome).
My chef buddy Robin Goldstein had a group of us over for dinner and drinks this evening. What a fucking treat. Pomegranate mojitos of the highest caliber, and authentic Spanish Tapas up the wazoo! I haven’t been pampered this properly for a while. Thanks Robin. Your approach is a beautiful reminder of why I love food.
I met Bridget at the pool today. I’ve coerced her into acting as my birthday challenge swim coach. Her decades of mermaid training are improving my swimming dramatically. Thanks Coach.
I swam an 800 of freestyle and then Bridget gave me a quick kick turn lesson. Seemed simple enough…. until my left calf (the bad ankle calf) completely cramped up when I pushed off the wall. Wow. Cramps in cold water are fairly intense. No more kick turns today. Next lesson: Proper Breast Stroke. Keep your knees in and don’t pull back so much with your hands. Swimming is all about technique. After 400 meters of breaststroke I switched back to freestyle for 400 meters. The end result was my first mile in a day. Cheers to me.
Went to Lizards Mouth this afternoon and explored as well as doing a few dozen problems (including the Sorry About That series….awesome).
My chef buddy Robin Goldstein had a group of us over for dinner and drinks this evening. What a fucking treat. Pomegranate mojitos of the highest caliber, and authentic Spanish Tapas up the wazoo! I haven’t been pampered this properly for a while. Thanks Robin. Your approach is a beautiful reminder of why I love food.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Good Karma
The only yoga inspired aspects to my challenge are the headstand and pranayama sequence. However, a consistent component of my training will be my daily yoga practice.
I have been practicing yoga for about 8 years. For 5 of these years (2000-2005) my practice was very strict and very intense. Basically I was a fulltime Ashtanga practioner. Ashtanga yoga is a very physical and orthodox style. 6 days a week I would practice a specific sequence of postures which would take me anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. For more on the specifics of this method see www.ashtanga.com
In fact, I was so committed to Ashtanga, that I slowly lost interest in climbing, partly because I was using all my available physical energy during my morning yoga practice. Ashtanga significantly improved my body awareness, core strength, physical endurance, and my concentration. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for this practice was strong enough to tear the meniscus in both of my knees (left in 2004 and the right in 2005). I had surgery on the left knee, but I have yet to repair the right. My left knee has about 80% of its flexibility and my right is around 40%. I don’t really notice the knees that much in squatting or extension type movements (including landing from high falls), but twisting at the knee joint is very scary to say the least. The end result of this experience is that I have been forced to take a step back and reevaluate my approach to yoga practice. I’ve learned a lot about my body and mind’s mechanics, but at a bit of price.
Some people don’t understand why I still practice yoga, given that it has caused two of the most significant injuries I have ever sustained. The simple answer is that I don’t know how to not practice. Whereas my original intention may have been more physically based; trying to achieve and master new poses etc, yoga is much more of a soul maintenance activity for me these days. Not that I don’t still enjoy the physical challenges and benefits that it offers, but I find that more than anything else, I practice to stay sane, balanced and strong in more levels than just my physical body.
That all being said, I thought I would explain in a bit more detail what my current yoga practice actually involves….
My current asana (pose) practice is based almost completely on Ashtanga poses and their sequencing, including the classical vinyasa entrances and exits to poses. It moves away from traditional Ashtanga in that I don’t stick to the prescribed sequence of poses and I tend to hold certain poses for more than the usual Ashtanga amount of 5 breaths. Rather I have selected poses that feel the most beneficial to my current bodies needs (in total about ½ as many as I used to use) and I have connected them in a bit more poetic way. This practice takes me approximately 75 minutes, but is getting longer because of the extended headstand that I am training for. For those that have dabbled in yoga the best description of what I am doing is a flow sequence based on Ashtanga. The usual flow is sun salutations, standing postures, seated forward folds and twists, backbends, finshing postures (mainly inversions). I’ve been doing this “flow” practice 3 -4 days a week.
On days where I don’t do this fairly physical practice, I have been practicing a half dozen or so restorative postures. These poses are very mellow, relaxing and opening to the body in a much more gentle way than the practice described above. After spending about 20 minutes with these postures I do my pranayama practice.
Pranayama is most easily translated as “breath control”. There is quite a bit of subtlety to this practice, but the basic jist is that I utilize a few different breathing techniques to extend the length of my breaths and enable myself to hold it for extended periods of time. The subtle yet potent concentration and body control gained from pranayama is fascinating and very fulfilling. In yoga philosophy pranayama is considered the bridge between asana (pose practices) and mediation. In asana one works at refining and aligning the body. In pranayama one works to refine and align the breath (which is intimately related to energy channels, chi, whatever you want to call it). In meditation one works to refine and align the contents of the mind. Oh and in case you were wondering, the mind part is by far the most difficult and advanced stuff. Just about any exercise is easy compared to meditation. If you don’ believe me, try sitting on the floor and counting your breaths from 1 -10 over and over again for an hour. You’ll lose count a lot.
12/26/07
90 minute yoga routine including a 14 minute headstand.
-my neck was a little sore after practice today. I guess 48 hours rest wasn’t quite enough for the extended headstand. I’m curious what it will feel like tomorrow.
I wanted to do some endurance Bouldering today as well so I drove up to west camino cielo around 3:00 pm. My plan was to do 50 problems at Lizards Mouth. Well, that didn’t work out…..
I could barely get out of my car the wind was so strong today. I’ve spent a decent amount of time up on the mountain, and I got to tell you this has got to be one of the most insane days I’ve seen up there. 40 degrees and hurricane winds… there was no way in hell that I was bouldering at Lizards Mouth.
So I retreated down the hill to the Brickyard hoping that it would be less affected by the wind. It was a little better down there, but still freezing and way too windy for my taste. As I was trotting down the trail I tripped and buzzed my left ankle which I had only recently rehabilitated from a complete ligament rupture 5 months ago. “Be careful stupid”.
I started climbing (chalk bagless because I’m an idiot and left it in my car). After 28 problems, a few of which I was almost blown off the top of, I heard a very loud yelp a few boulders away. Hmmm. I was definitely more tired than I expected to be after only 28 problems so I went to check out the mystery noise. I stumbled upon two younger chaps. One of whom had just sprained (or broken?) his right ankle. He wasn’t very stoked.
I had told myself that I was going to do 50 problems, but because I had recently fallen into the same misfortune this guy was dealing with, I opted for karma over training. I hiked their pads out for them and then came back down to help carry the fallen soldier to his car. Two trips up and down the brickyard approach (the second of which was weighted) turned out to be somewhat physical. I called it a day.
Another great dinner:
Allspice, Coriander, and Cumin Duck Breast Confit with a Pasilla Pepper Red Wine Sauce, Cabbage and Mushroom Cakes.
I love duck. I love spice. I really like the combo. Half a bottle of wine with dinner. Going out for drinks tonight… My guess is I’ll be in the 4-6 range.
I have been practicing yoga for about 8 years. For 5 of these years (2000-2005) my practice was very strict and very intense. Basically I was a fulltime Ashtanga practioner. Ashtanga yoga is a very physical and orthodox style. 6 days a week I would practice a specific sequence of postures which would take me anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. For more on the specifics of this method see www.ashtanga.com
In fact, I was so committed to Ashtanga, that I slowly lost interest in climbing, partly because I was using all my available physical energy during my morning yoga practice. Ashtanga significantly improved my body awareness, core strength, physical endurance, and my concentration. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for this practice was strong enough to tear the meniscus in both of my knees (left in 2004 and the right in 2005). I had surgery on the left knee, but I have yet to repair the right. My left knee has about 80% of its flexibility and my right is around 40%. I don’t really notice the knees that much in squatting or extension type movements (including landing from high falls), but twisting at the knee joint is very scary to say the least. The end result of this experience is that I have been forced to take a step back and reevaluate my approach to yoga practice. I’ve learned a lot about my body and mind’s mechanics, but at a bit of price.
Some people don’t understand why I still practice yoga, given that it has caused two of the most significant injuries I have ever sustained. The simple answer is that I don’t know how to not practice. Whereas my original intention may have been more physically based; trying to achieve and master new poses etc, yoga is much more of a soul maintenance activity for me these days. Not that I don’t still enjoy the physical challenges and benefits that it offers, but I find that more than anything else, I practice to stay sane, balanced and strong in more levels than just my physical body.
That all being said, I thought I would explain in a bit more detail what my current yoga practice actually involves….
My current asana (pose) practice is based almost completely on Ashtanga poses and their sequencing, including the classical vinyasa entrances and exits to poses. It moves away from traditional Ashtanga in that I don’t stick to the prescribed sequence of poses and I tend to hold certain poses for more than the usual Ashtanga amount of 5 breaths. Rather I have selected poses that feel the most beneficial to my current bodies needs (in total about ½ as many as I used to use) and I have connected them in a bit more poetic way. This practice takes me approximately 75 minutes, but is getting longer because of the extended headstand that I am training for. For those that have dabbled in yoga the best description of what I am doing is a flow sequence based on Ashtanga. The usual flow is sun salutations, standing postures, seated forward folds and twists, backbends, finshing postures (mainly inversions). I’ve been doing this “flow” practice 3 -4 days a week.
On days where I don’t do this fairly physical practice, I have been practicing a half dozen or so restorative postures. These poses are very mellow, relaxing and opening to the body in a much more gentle way than the practice described above. After spending about 20 minutes with these postures I do my pranayama practice.
Pranayama is most easily translated as “breath control”. There is quite a bit of subtlety to this practice, but the basic jist is that I utilize a few different breathing techniques to extend the length of my breaths and enable myself to hold it for extended periods of time. The subtle yet potent concentration and body control gained from pranayama is fascinating and very fulfilling. In yoga philosophy pranayama is considered the bridge between asana (pose practices) and mediation. In asana one works at refining and aligning the body. In pranayama one works to refine and align the breath (which is intimately related to energy channels, chi, whatever you want to call it). In meditation one works to refine and align the contents of the mind. Oh and in case you were wondering, the mind part is by far the most difficult and advanced stuff. Just about any exercise is easy compared to meditation. If you don’ believe me, try sitting on the floor and counting your breaths from 1 -10 over and over again for an hour. You’ll lose count a lot.
12/26/07
90 minute yoga routine including a 14 minute headstand.
-my neck was a little sore after practice today. I guess 48 hours rest wasn’t quite enough for the extended headstand. I’m curious what it will feel like tomorrow.
I wanted to do some endurance Bouldering today as well so I drove up to west camino cielo around 3:00 pm. My plan was to do 50 problems at Lizards Mouth. Well, that didn’t work out…..
I could barely get out of my car the wind was so strong today. I’ve spent a decent amount of time up on the mountain, and I got to tell you this has got to be one of the most insane days I’ve seen up there. 40 degrees and hurricane winds… there was no way in hell that I was bouldering at Lizards Mouth.
So I retreated down the hill to the Brickyard hoping that it would be less affected by the wind. It was a little better down there, but still freezing and way too windy for my taste. As I was trotting down the trail I tripped and buzzed my left ankle which I had only recently rehabilitated from a complete ligament rupture 5 months ago. “Be careful stupid”.
I started climbing (chalk bagless because I’m an idiot and left it in my car). After 28 problems, a few of which I was almost blown off the top of, I heard a very loud yelp a few boulders away. Hmmm. I was definitely more tired than I expected to be after only 28 problems so I went to check out the mystery noise. I stumbled upon two younger chaps. One of whom had just sprained (or broken?) his right ankle. He wasn’t very stoked.
I had told myself that I was going to do 50 problems, but because I had recently fallen into the same misfortune this guy was dealing with, I opted for karma over training. I hiked their pads out for them and then came back down to help carry the fallen soldier to his car. Two trips up and down the brickyard approach (the second of which was weighted) turned out to be somewhat physical. I called it a day.
Another great dinner:
Allspice, Coriander, and Cumin Duck Breast Confit with a Pasilla Pepper Red Wine Sauce, Cabbage and Mushroom Cakes.
I love duck. I love spice. I really like the combo. Half a bottle of wine with dinner. Going out for drinks tonight… My guess is I’ll be in the 4-6 range.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
This is the first of many posts that will chronical my training and life during the final days before my 27th Birthday Challenge.
In homage to the true gentleman and warriors of my past; men who opened my eyes to another way, a passionate and authentic approach to the world, with little concern for the concept of “the right way”; I announce my forthcoming 27th Birthday Challenge.
On March 4th 2008, in 27 hours or less, I will attempt to…
Climb 270 boulder problems
Swim 2700 meters
Hike barefoot 2.7 miles.
Perform a 27 minute headstand.
Complete one three breath cycle of pranayama with 27 sec holds between inhale and exhale.
Prepare and serve a proper meal for 27 people
Drink 2.7 bottles of wine.
(Oh, I reserve the right to alter this challenge up until one month prior to my birthday...yeah, call me what you will, but it's my challenge and I'll do it how I want to)
12/24/07
1 hour of yoga plus a 13 minute headstand.
I've slowly been increasing the length of my headstand over the past month from 5 minutes to this new high. Things really start to get interesting after 10 minutes... My shoulders burn (like a 7 or 8 on the intensity scale), but I feel as if I can maintain the headstand as long as I am willing to put up with the burn, boredom, focus etc. required to keep myself balanced properly. I feel like the crux of my training is going to be learning to relax into this anxiety.
800 meters in the pool
Swimming, like the headstand, is an exercise in relaxation rather than effort. More often than not I find myself srtuggling not to struggle in the pool. Today was a struggling day, but I completed my goal distance in a fairly short time (just under 20 minutes).
My shoulders were tired. I figured a homemade meal was deserved. Wild Mushroom Trout Rolls with Mandarin Braised Cabbage was the end product. Pretty good except I under seasoned the wild mushrooms. Either way, pretty nice for dinner alone on a Monday.
12/25/07
I love being a Jew on Christmas.... Much more freedom than other legal holidays, I have absolutly no obligations. The only bummer is that almost eveyone else I know spends the day with their own families, more often than not leaving me alone to engage solo adventures of my choice.
Well, except for Bob Banks.... This fine gentlemen and I have spent many a Christmas day bouldering. On a whim I got in touch with him this year. Somehow the stars aligned and we met up at Lizards Mouth for a quick late afternoon boulder sesh. All in all, I'd say we had a good time, especially considering the fact that it had to be under 45 degrees. We climbed some classics and explored some new projects in the area. Most of our time was spent on the so called Gangster Hippie (I can't stand the name of this problem). I made it to my usual high point and Bob almost pulled off the scary/physical/humbling/8 ft high mantle. Nice work old man. I'm just stoked that he enjoyed the problem enough that he might come back again and give me some more spots. My fingers are crossed.
Dinner at the parents house afterward. Ate some good grub and drank at least a bottle of wine.
Not really a great training day, but bouldering with an old buddy is always a treat that I'm happy to indulge in, and a free meal with the family is joy of some of the highest caliber.
Merry Christmas.
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