Periodized training update

As the season is winding down I thought I would post an update as to the results from this falls training cycle.  Overall, I would rate it as a success.

There are many factors that influence a seasons quality, some within your control and others beyond - partners, weather, free time, challenging high quality routes, and of course personal fitness.  This fall, things came together nicely and I was able to strike a good balance of getting out to take advantage of good weather and staying sane/not traveling EVERY weekend as well as climbing both trad and sport.  While I didn't bump up my hardest sport redpoint grade, I am stronger than ever bouldering.  Likewise, a combination of physical strength and improved mental toughness have pushed me to new grades on gear (very exciting).

For this training cycle, I focused on one hard workout per week, one hard session bouldering, and then getting out on the weekends.  Weekends climbing throw a wrench in your training schedule, but its worth doing because a day out is always better than a day at the gym.  Plus, depending on the season, you can tailor your day at the crag to fit your training cycle.  The consistent one hard workout plus one hard bouldering session per week were the single most important factor to the training.  More than one hard workout and I 1) got bored of just doing workouts, 2) would push myself too close to injury, and 3) noticed a decrease in my climbing skill.

Near the tail end if my training, just before my planned peak period during early October, I took a small vacation with my girlfriend.  This was the power endurance phase of my cycle, and despite the one day climbing on vacation, it was certainly not power endurance.  The week after the vacation I felt noticeably weaker, but pushed as hard as I could on my 4x4's and by the third week was easily finishing three sets of v2-v3 problems for my 4x4s.  Conclusion: a one week break is not the end of the world.

My peak period was fun!  Routes and holds that previously seemed impossible were now easily in my grasp.  Even routes that felt hard while hanging the quickdraws saw a redpoint on the next burn.  I may not have increased my absolute highest sport redpoint grade (but that is more a function of the fact that I was previously in good shape and found a few routes that fit my strengths), but I built up my base of solid-for-the-grade 5.11's on sport and solid 5.10's on trad.

Looking forward to a winter cycle and killer spring season!

Scarpa Vapor V

As the fall season started this year, I found myself in need of a new pair of shoes.  While many boulderers and sport climbers have an arsenal of shoes, sometimes even wearing different shoes on each foot for a single climb, I prefer to have one or two pairs that I use for everything.  Perhaps if I were pushing closer to my genetic limit, I would require that extra bit of send power, but given my current status, I prefer to know my shoe and be comfortable in it.

For the last several years, my go to shoe has been the La Sportiva Muira (laceup).  It knuckles up my big toe to concentrate power, it edges, it's surprisingly comfy, and its durable.  But its made me complacent - are there other better shoes out there?  Not quite ready to drop $160 to continue my love affair, I picked up some Scarpa Vapor V's and put the savings towards continuing my actual love affair with my girlfriend.  And so far, I am pretty happy with my choice.

The Vapor V's have a dual velcro closure over a padded and elasticized tongue, leather uppers and sturdy Vibram rubber sole.  The velcro is faster than laces, but the shoe doesn't slip on as easily making this shoe more cumbersome in the event you take it off on a multi-pitch route, but less hassle at the boulders or your single pitch sport crag.  Once on however, the shoe feels quite secure.  The full leather uppers do stretch; while remaining secure on your foot, they feel a little baggy after breaking in.  The full leather uppers are also showing a bit of wear just behind my toes from dragging along the rock or the occasional crack.  The Vibram XS Grip 2 rubber is great.  It is plenty thick, which is great for durability, and at my level (low 5.12s), its sensitive enough.  They have performed admirably all around:  at bouldering (secure heel hooks), sporty face climbing, and even some cracks (though given the scrunched nature of the foot, it is obviously not playing to their design).

I've lodged a few complaints above, but those are very nit picky details so that you know what you are getting.  The bottom line is this:  I am happy with my purchase and have worn these bad boys on some proud sends this fall.  I look forward to using them on winter training and for the spring rope season.  That said, after a resole, I'll be saving up an extra $20-30 and getting my lace up muiras again - more durable uppers, same rubber with more flex and sensitivity in the sole, a toe box that fits me a little better, and an easy slip on for casual climbing.  Returning to the Muiras with a more critical foot, perhaps I'll be less impressed...

The Lathe of Heaven

The Lathe of Heaven, by Ursula K. Le Guin

This was a fascinating little sci-fi book.  It perfectly embodies what I see as the power of sci-fi:  to explore humanity through the introduction of bizarre and fantastical alterations to our world.  The story follows George Orr as he attempts to come to grips with his strange ability to have "effective" dreams that change the world.  Read on for further discussion that may present some spoilers.

As a more complete summary, the book documents the struggle of George Orr to control his dreams and fight their exploitation by his psychiatrist, Dr. Haber.  His psychiatrist aims to make George dream effectively under hypnosis so as to study the effect.  Using a new tool called the "augmenter," Haber directs George via hypnosis to effectively dream a world into existence in which Haber himself is a researcher of growing power and importance.  Taking things further, Haber tries to direct George to dream a more peaceful and perfect world.  Each time, however, his attempts are foiled as George's dreams follow the directions but foil their purpose - for example, the war in the middle east is ended, but only as humanity unites against aliens or overpopulation is solved but only by a great plague that wiped out most of the population.  Eventually, Haber directs George to the obvious solution of effectively dreaming to end his ability to dream effectively.  Perhaps due to his unwillingness to relinquish power, Haber further directs George to transfer the ability to effectively dream on to Haber himself.  Haber's resulting nightmare mixes each of the worlds George has dreamed into a single point in space and time.

The ties this book has to eastern philosophy are made obvious throughout.  There are quotes at the beginning of each chapter from Chuang Tzu as well as more subtle references to Taoist tenants like that of the "uncarved block."  George Orr is a very Taoist person - seemingly unassuming and easily manipulated, but impossible to budge when pushed; not one to push in any given direction but looking to follow the path and natural order (even in mixed up realities).  Further, he works with, not against, his surroundings to achieve a harmony in his life despite the ever changing and turbulent world in which he finds himself.  There are also some implications of Hindu-like "Brahman" as George works with the (now) friendly aliens to understand the nature of effective dreaming.

What is the knowledge to be taken away from this book?  Perhaps that solving the worlds problems is more difficult than we can immagine - even with unlimited power to develop a solution, there are many ways for things to go awry.  Perhaps that humans must fight their tendencies towards greed and power. But most of all, I think it mirrors many of the lessons of Taoism and other eastern philosophy:  to work with, not against, the world to become comfortable with your role.  I don't mean that we are each a mysterious cog in the machine of the world trying to figure out where we fit, but I think this book demonstrates, through bizarre circumstances, the necessity to be cognizant of the Way and how to work with the people and the world around you in an organic way to create an environment of peace and harmony.