Dark Horse 2013

Dark Horse 2013

Monday, July 9, 2012

Summer Recovery

The last time I posted on this blog, I had briefly talked out my plans for getting physically fit. I am happy to say that I have had a lot of progress! I am also excited to say that I have had NO PAIN while climbing!! This is such a huge step for me!

Climbing has not been the only thing I have had progress in either. Six weeks ago I could just barley run a mile at 5mph. Now, with the help of an inhaler, I can run three miles at 6mph. Now that I feel that I can actually run well, I am starting to like it. I run a lot in crossfit and I also run through the side streets and park near my apartment. I can tell that my midline is getting thinner and I am pretty excited. Not that I need to lose weight, but it is nice to have a less bulky build. I feel lighter and more healthy.

I also said before that I was going to start crossfit. I took what is called an "on-ramp" class, where we learn different lifts and workouts required of us. So far I have been doing crossfit for five weeks, three days per week. I can already tell that my body is getting stronger. The first day after our on ramp was over, a staff member moved me from their "below beginner" level to their "advanced" level. I'm psyched because my workouts include more complicated lifts, chest to bar pull ups, and handstand pushups! It is nice to have a challenge that is not climbing. I feel that crossfit is another outlet for me and can help my competitive climbing. Ultimately with crossfit, I think that my body will be in a more balanced physical state which will help both my climbing and mental state.

I have also made large strides in changing my diet. I am trying to eat three balanced meals a day with fruits/veggies mixed in as snacks. So far, my only issue is cutting down on dark chocolate and frozen yogurt. Those sweets are my vice and when I get stressed I tend to eat a lot of it! However so far I have been pretty good (we'll see how that goes on my vacation next week). 

With all of this progress in my life, I feel pretty good! Actually, I feel much happier than I have in the past nine months or so. It is nice because I now have some outlets that are challenging for me. Since I am doing all of these things, I am trying to document all of my progress. Along with this blog, I keep a workout calendar and two journals. I also document photo and take video of me climbing so that I can see my progress. I think that most of my problems stemmed from the fact that I could not see that I was progressing in the sport.
Below is a pretty interesting photo I put together showing my physique change in the past seven months. My shoulders have definitely shrunk, but now I look a little slimmer.





Last but not least, this is my climbing blog so I do want to talk a little about my climbing progress. As I said I have been documenting my progress on video. Six weeks ago I was getting pumped out at the end of a 5.10. Now I am making good progress on a (finger friendly) 5.12d circuit that we have up in our training room. Not only that, but I have flashed a couple v6's and got to the last clip on a 5.12 second go! But that is not the best part: I have NO PAIN. I can't even believe it. I don't even have pain the next day! Even still, I am trying to take it easy. I am only climbing twice a week and the last time I climbed was July 1st. I am also taping my fingers. I really do not want another injury, especially while I am trying to recover.

Below is a link to my climbing video documentation. I can see my progress through the weeks and I welcome you to check it out as well. I am psyched to see what the rest of the summer holds for me!!

Video Progress