Thrutching Uglies

When I got to the gym last Tuesday night they’d just finished setting a section of the bouldering area and opened it up.

There was a cool looking V2-V4 problem with some sloper pockets, so I tried it but came off. It went up, then hard right, then up and back hard left to finish. Kind of a crescent. 

A gaggle of broccoli-headed pinpricks walked up and were talking about it while I tried it. One got on it and tried to go straight up on long moves and avoided the out right. He fell off. Then the next two managed to do it the way he had tried but kicking feet, sloppy hands, and just barely got it and only because they’re as strong as tape worms.

So I stepped up and sent it the way they had but like I had climbed it a hundred times, no thrutching, no flailing, and without expending a lot of energy.

I didn’t feel so old suddenly.

I worked out for an hour in the fitness room and then I bouldered for an hour. Most of the problems I got on were V2 or harder and even the ones I couldn’t do felt good.

Tonya and I made a visit to Schoolhouse Rocks on Friday. It was disappointing; I was still dragging after my intense Tuesday gym session. I didn’t clean up a bunch of unsent problems like I thought I would. It still feels like Blitzkrieg Bop is waaay over my head. But…I did feel stronger. I guess the lessons is: progress isn’t defined by reaching a goal, just moving closer to it. 

I got on Judy is a Punk and actually made significant progress. If I can get one or two more moves I think it’ll go. Same can be said for Balaclava Lover Boogie. I managed to get my feet up above the lip of the overhang. One more bump up with my left hand and it’ll have went.

Attempting Judy is a Punk

I need more upper body strength/power to get off the ground on Blitzkrieg and Naked and Famous/Afraid. I think once I can pull off those first moves those problems will go easier. 

Then we hiked around to Downtown and then out. I was wrecked the rest of the weekend. Sore and stiff all over. I spent some time soaking in the cold tub. I think I needed more rest after last Tuesday. That’s nuts. But I did a lot and felt good doing it. So I’m paying the price. I need to dial back my efforts. Build slower. And that’s what I’ll do.

I was disappointed with my efforts at Schoolhouse on Saturday, but really I did pretty good. I was sure Balaclava would go easily and it didn’t. But otherwise I posted up a solid effort. I did really good on Judy is a Punk and felt good. I opted to stop so I wouldn’t hurt myself trying it. But obviously it took a bit out of me and kept me from sending Balaclava. And that’s okay. I’ll flip flop my efforts next time. 

My Sunday visit to The Pearl was even more disappointing, but that seems to be the pattern: one week strong and making progress and the next week regression. Repeat.

I should be able to reshape myself inside and out. People do all the time. People go from weak to strong—people who have faced much worse health and injuries than me—people who start from much lower down the mountain than me. I have to unbreak myself and break the cycle of gloom and fatness. I am making progress. I am impatient. 

Attempting Balaclava Lover Boogie