Get serious about training

My wife, Gaby, is serious about rehabilitation, six weeks after her shoulder surgery

OK then, it's time to get serious about training. The last time I experienced a marked improvement in my climbing ability occurred around nine months after surgery, at about the time I went to the Matrix. Since then I've pretty much hit a plateau. I'm climbing better than I have in three years and I'm still adding new boulders and routes to my repertoire, but I haven't had any significant gains for the past three months. Part of the problem is my weight loss totally halted with the plentiful food available during the holiday season and I still haven´t gotten back on track in this area (did I mention I'm pretty weak-willed when it comes to weight loss?). So I guess it's time to get serious about training.

Until now my training has basically consisted of climbing a few days a week and occasionaly going for hikes.  Even though I don't plan on changing my basic training strategy I think it might me a good idea to take a more analytical look at my activity level. So I've decided I to keep some kind of record of what I do. I imagine this will be boring to most people, but I will be using this blog post to make a log of my activities for an undetermined period of time. Later, in future blog posts I will continue with the travelogue of climbing outings and other topics related to hip replacement and climbing, but I will return here to build an ongoing record of my activities. Hopefully this log will help me better oversee my training. So here goes.

Me and the dogs, about to head out for some boulderting

February 19: Outdoor bouldering at El Huevo. When I boulder alone (like this day) I lash two crash pads together and stuff my basic necesities (rock shoes, chalk, water, etc.) inside one of the pads. Then I hike the steep terrain (using trekking poles) to the bouldering area. I did 10 boulders in the V0 to V2 range. Maybe this was my best day since surgery at El Huevo, but not by much and I still couldn't do the complete version of a test-piece V2 called Knee Bar Crack.

February 20: Outdoor bouldering at The Media Tierra. I was pretty tired  from the day before, but I managed a few problems which I haven't done in years, including a V0, a couple of V1s  and all the moves (unlinked) on a very compressed V2 traverse.

Almost ready to boulder

February 22: A short five mile hike after work. Except for the approaches to climbing, where I'm carrying weight on steep terrain,  I´m hiking without the trekking poles now. I'm also hiking a bit faster, but on this evening after work, I felt kind of tired.

February 23: Training in the climbing gym. Among other things, I managed six tracking problems which I haven't done since before Christmas. Not an awesome performance but not bad either.

February 24. A tough six mile hike including the steep summit pass over the top of La Barrosa (no more trekking poles).

The town of Balcarce and sierra La Bachicha from the top of La Barrosa

February 25: Training in the gym. I was pretty fried and couldn't do much. A weak day, but I managed a few problems.

February 27: Training in the gym. Not a great day, but I had more succes than on Monday (February 25). A highlight was sending a pumpy, difficult traverse I hadn't done since before Christmas. I also did 5 km on the stationary bike.

March 1: Training in the gym. What is it about some days, when the climbing goes well and I feel strong? These last few times in the gym I felt weak, my feet felt slippery and I had to fight to send anything. Today was a complete turn around and I had what could have been my strongest day ever climbing in the gym (it isn't very long that I've had my home gym and I've only been using it regularly since I had hip surgery). After completing with relative ease the seven problems I did my last session, I went on to do eight more problems, including four of the six tracking problems I did on February 25th. I sure hope this represents some kind of sustained improvement. I guess we´ll see next time.

March 3: I really wanted to do some outdoor bouldering on the weekend to gauge myself, but it rained hard all day Saturday (March 2nd) and then the weather was unstable on Sunday, with wind, cold and occasional drizzle. I decided to take the dogs for a walk (it's been exactly a week since my last hike on Sunday February 24) and hit the gym afterwards. The result was a short five mile hike followed by a session in the gym that was hard to gauge in terms of improvement, because I spent the whole time working on new problems. I didn´t feel particularly strong, but the good news is I weighed in at 83.5 kilograms after the the gym workout. This is the lightest I've been since before Christmas.

March 5: A short five mile hike after work. I clocked in walking this in about an hour and half.

March 6: Once again the weather was not cooperating and I wound up doing indoor bouldering. Like March 3rd, I mostly worked on new problems  Although I sent two new tracking problems I couldn't complete on March 3rd, I didn't feel very strong today. My repertoire in the gym now includes nine tracking problems, four hard traverses and various (mostly old) non-tracking problems. The bad news is the weekend weather looks shaky but the good news is the weather looks great to go on Friday and it looks like I can find the time to get our. Hopefully I can do my first outdoor climbing in more than 15 days.

Looking towrds the Media Tierra on top of La Barrosa

March 8: It was a beautiful afternoon and I went outdoor bouldering at the Media Tierra. A good day, maybe my strongest outdoor bouldering since the hip surgeries, but I didn't experience that quantum leap sensation I was hoping for. I managed 11 boulders V0-V2 including the compressed traverse I mentioned on February 20th (first time in around three years) and a high V2 face problem (struggling) that I had done only once in recent hyistory. I also worked the reverse compressed traverse and managed it with one rest in the middle. When I got back down to my house afterwards, I weighed in at 83 kilograms.

The Media Tierra on March 8th

March 9: A six mile hike.

March 10: I've been hiking and climbing alone for the past few weeks (not counting the three dogs), but today I finally got out and climbed in a social setting. Martín, Hugo and I went to climb at the routes in the Bosque. Even though I didn't throw myself at anything new, I managed eight routes including a stout 11c (redpoint on the second go) and a tricky 11b (sent first go on top rope). Without a doubt my strongest day in the Bosque since surgery.

Ceci sent the 5.8 crack on lead, March 10th.

March 13: First time I've taken two days off since I started this log. I feel like today was that leap-in-improvement day I've been hoping for, even if the numbers don't actually show it. I went outdoor bouldering at Arachnophobia, in the Bosque, sending 10 boulders V0 to V2. The real thrill was sending one particular V2 that requires a very compressed stand-up move over the left (operated) hip. This is a problem I was far from doing just a month or so ago and I'd kind of given up hope on ever doing it (again). But when I sent it today, it actually went quite well. In fact, I've done a number of things recently, with my operated hip, that  seemed impossible not long ago and I'm quite happy with this new found strength and flexibility (it's been about a year and a month since the surgery). I finished up the day working on a stout V4 endurance problem.

March 16: I wanted to get out and hike yesterday, but after a short distance walking, it started to rain. Then I got soaking wet and decided to head back home. After that, I couldn´t get back out again, because of family obligations. So I guess this last week has been a little weak on the training aspect. But now I'm coming back strong. Today I went bouldering alone to El Huevo (same as on February 19th) and did a total of 12 problems, adding on two new boulders to the ones I did last time. One of these two new boulders was a V2 which I haven't been able to do in years because of a required high step over the left (operated) hip and the other problem was a high ball V1 which also requires stepping up high with the left leg. However I still didn't complete the Knee Bar Crack. Not an awesome day, but at least I keep adding on new boulder problems I haven't done for awhile.

March 17: Roped climbing in the Matrix with my friend Martín. The Morsa and Adrian were climbing there as well. Martín and I completed five routes: two short 10a's and a bouldery 10d followed by two routes I haven't done in years. The first of these last two routes (a 10d) is one of the longest on La Barrosa and I got it first try, putting in the draws on the way. The second one is a soft 11a that took me two tries to redpoint. Not a bad day, considering I was following up a hard day of boulders.

March 18:  A short five mile hike with the dogs.

March 20: Gym climbing. In spite of the humidity (it was a damp, drizzly day outside) I had an OK session, completing twelve boulder problems.

March 22: Outdoor bouldering at the Media Tierra. I sent a total of 14 boulders. Compared to March 8th, I completed the reverse compressed traverse (stout V2) for the first time in years, but only did the other version in two parts, with a rest in the middle. The other three additional problems were yet another V2 traverse, a troublesome roofy V2 with a heel hook start and a highball V1.

March 23: A full day of yardwork (yes, this does count as training!). Mowing, edging with a hand clipper (gives a nice forearm pump), sawing branches off trees, etc.

March 24: I went to the boulder in the Bosque with Martín. I wanted to do a special blog post about this place, but my camera didn't work (the problem was, the battery was dead, but I do need to get myself a new camera). I didn't complete many boulders, but I worked some harder moves and sent a V3 problem which I haven't been able to do in years. This is the third V3 I've completed since hip surgery.

March 27: I clocked in at exactly two hours on a solid six mile hike.

March 28: Today is the start of a six day vacation. Late in the afternoon I went to El Huevo with plans to try some new stuff and save some energy to boulder with Martín tomorrow. I did four new problems: two V1's and a V2 on a roof above the main bouldering wall and then I finally sent Knee Bar Crack (test-piece V2 or soft V3). These are some roofy, hip intensive problems and my operated hip is not causing me any difficulties.

March 29: Bouldering at the Boulder in the Bosque with Martín (see next blog post). I sent my first new V3 in maybe five years or so (i.e. I sent a V3 that I had never done before and it's been an awfully long time since I've done that).

The start of Techo Clásico on th Boulder in the Bosque

March 30: A four mile hike with the dogs.

March 31: Climbing in the gym. I sent 10 tracking problems (including two new ones) and did the full warm-up  traverse.

April 1: A hard five mile hike over the top of La Barrosa.

April 3: I sent 17 boulder problems in the climbing gym. No new problems but probably my most complete day in the gym.

April 4: A twelve kilometer hike with the dogs.

April 6: My hip was actually a bit sore after my recent splurge of activity. So I decided to take yesterday off,  even though it was a beautiful day and a perfect opportunity to go outside and boulder. Today was nastier: cold and windy and Martín didn't come, because of responsibilities at home, so I decided to climb inside and take it easy. I did eight boulder problems, including two new problems, so not that bad. Plus my hip seems to be done bothering me.

April 7: Bouldering at Arachnophobia (see March 13th). This time I climbed with the group of young Balcarce climbers (known as CELB, for Centro Escalada La Barrosa) and my daughter, Cecilia. I usually don't climb with the kids in CELB because they mostly do stuff that's too hard for for me, but today worked out well. I basically did the same stuff I did March 13th, trying one additional boulder with some success but no send.

Climbing with Cecilia on the boulders near Arachnophobia.

April 9: Work out in the climbing gym after work with Matías and Mariano Maceri (from CELB).

April 10: Six mile hike.

So I've decided to shut down this log for now, although I'll certainly try to make other blog posts in the future. At any rate, I think this post has given a pretty clear idea what my activity level was like a little more than one year after revision surgery.