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!