A New Perspective

Accident Prone

2012-02-08T00:57:00.000-05:00

I always thought that I was invincible, even when walking. I mean, who doesn't feel confident while walking? You always expect to have your feet hit the ground and to keep you moving to your destination. Well, that is where my confidence took a big blow the other night. I was demonstrating to a climbing team member how to properly drop knee. As I got off the foot holds that were 2 inches from the ground, I hit the padded floor wrong and rolled my ankle. What followed shortly was a giant cracking sound as I collapsed to the floor.

Well long story short, I fractured my ankle. Usually when someone rolls an ankle, their ligaments stretch which produces a sprain. In my case, my ligaments are "so healthy" (says my doctor) that instead of stretching, they stayed tight and quite literally chopped a piece of my bone off. So I have what is what is called an evulsion fracture. Now along with my tendovaginitis, I have a nice air cast to wear for four weeks.

I used to think my friend Matt was the definition of accident prone...I think I just proved that wrong.

Seriously though, this is super lame. I am really, really bummed out right now. I just started P90X two weeks ago! However, I can't be depressed about this situation. I mean, how could I have prevented this injury? Also, I can still do P90X. Just not the plyometrics (That's okay though; I hated the plyo anyways).

When things like this happen, I feel like the most important thing to do is to keep your head up and stay optimistic. My motto since I was ten has been "shit happens". Really, it does and there is nothing you can do about it. Just make the best of it.

Through these past two months I have learned and experienced much more than I ever have while climbing. I have been hanging out with a really inspiring group of friends that I met at the gym. I would have never became friends with them if I didn't get injured because I was always so focused on training. They are truly a great support group. I have never had such a great group of friends like them, and it means a lot to me that these people care. I also just moved into a new hall at my school with a bunch of really great people. Being sociable with all of these people and focusing on things like coaching are what is keeping me inspired. Coaching has been the most amazing experience these past couple of months. The teams are doing amazing and I really feel accomplished when I see these kids succeed. You can say that I am living through them in a way, but I feel that I am more proud of what I am building and sharing in their pride.

Now, going back to the "shit happens" motto...I really decided that it was going to be my motto when I lacerated my spleen. When I was ten I tried to dyno to a tree branch and missed it. I wound up falling ten feet down to the ground and punching myself in the spleen. My mother drove me to the hospital where I was life flighted to a larger hospital all while going into shock. I had a 3rd degree laceration of my spleen (one more degree of hurt and I would have ruptured it). The doctor said that if I had gotten to the hospital just 10 minutes later, I would have died. After this incident, I realized that there are some things in life you cannot control. Yes, life can get frustrating at times; but since then I have always felt that life should be lived optimistically. Living through the hard times will just make you stronger and more knowledgeable. If you try and be optimistic, you will gain a lot from the experience. That is how I feel right now. My year of being 19 is off to a rough start, but I have learned so much from my friends, my diversity in workouts, coaching, and the climbing books that I have read. Even though this is a rather depressing situation, I am making the best of it. This has been the longest time I have taken off from climbing, but hopefully I can grow stronger from this. I mean, I am only 19. I am lucky that is just a stupid fracture rather than a life supported coma.

Anyways, that is really a day in the life of Melissa Godowski. I also decided that I am going to go pro at guitar hero. Surprisingly, it is good rehab for my fingers!
(notice I am wearing one 5.10 chase shoe...just in case things get crazy)

Doin' the finger rehab and rockin' the boot!

Too bad I won't be competing at ABS Nationals this year. Oh well, there is always next year.

P90X

2012-01-31T00:31:00.000-05:00

So I have been going to hand therapy for the last two weeks. I have been seen by multiple hand therapists at one time as they work together trying to further diagnose my condition. I guess my injury isn't something they see everyday. One of the therapists said that she was just so excited to work with someone other than an old person. I laughed at that and I really am happy that this Umass hand therapy office has taken such an interest in me! It is like I am a star!

Unfortunately, my current diagnosis does not seem very good. My intrinsic muscles in my hand are apparently exhausted from climbing so much. My extrinsic muscles in my hand are also very under-developed. With those two issues, all of the stress has been placed on my fingers and my tendons sheaths essentially became destroyed. They therapists think that I have adhesions built up in my tendon sheaths, which is constricting my tendon. So when I crimp, it hurts. When I am not putting weight on my ring fingers, it is fine. That being said, they do not think that i will be climbing until March. Super sad face. I also apologize if I am not using the correct medical terminology; this is all very new to me.

Although I am injured, I feel like I can take away a lot from this experience. I have read a lot of books about climbing and have been putting more of my focus on coaching. Last week, I decided to start P90X. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a 90 day at-home fitness program that gets the body "ripped". I strongly believe that if I go through this program correctly, I will get in what might be the best shape of my life. I have always wanted to try this workout, but climbing has always gotten in the way. Now that I have the time, I am dedicating myself to this fitness program and also to a nutrition plan. My goal is to prove that P90X can really give you a "ripped body". I also want to lose 2% of my body fat. I am at 17% now but would like to be at 15% for when I begin climbing again. I decided to cut out all of the saturated fats and bad sugars that I am eating. So bye, bye skittles, burgers, cheese, ice cream, cookies, etc!! (We shall see how long this lasts). Essentially I just want to be more healthy.

So it is week 2 of P90X for me! The first week was brutal. However I am already feeling stronger. The P90X instructor also advises us P90X-ers to take photos on day 1, 30, 60, and 90. Here is a picture from my day one. Maybe we will see results? I am hoping so because I have lost a bit of muscle from all of my non-climbing these past 8 weeks. Also, I hope you don't mind my crazy attire.

Day 1 of P90X

I am somewhat looking forward to the next 12 weeks of P90X! I am doing it with a few friends and it has actually been quite fun! The friends and the load of workouts is helping me keep my mind off of the fact that I can't compete in any national or world championship events this year. Oh well that's life. Hopefully by the time these 90 days are over I will be healed and ready to climb again!

Diagnosis

2012-01-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

I have been on a break from climbing for 5 weeks now...this is killing me. I haven't taken off this much time since I was 17. For the past 3 weeks I haven't done any other strengthening exercises other than aerobics and core. I keep catching myself thinking: How did this happen?

So today I went to a hand specialist. I went to Dr. Dietz last spring for my past finger injury. He sees a lot of climbers and was able to easily diagnose my finger and then send me on my way with a taping method that let me train for the Vail World Cup. At the office I had him look at my two ring fingers, my right middle finger, and my left wrist. He told me that I have tendovaginitis in both ring fingers and in my wrist. My wrist was originally diagnosed as a muscle hernia (Dr. Dietz laughed at this...apparently he doesn't like Dr. Barret, whom I saw for my wrist last month). However, by resting and not doing any pulling on it has allowed my wrist to heal enough to do pull-ups again! My middle finger was diagnosed with pulley strain (which is something I have always struggled with in that finger).

To further explain tendovaginitis, it is the inflammation of the tendon sheaths. This occurs from overuse. What is odd about my case is that my fingers do not hurt until I actually try and crimp...and I don't close hand crimp. Many who are diagnosed with this usually have trouble making a fist and can be mislead into thinking they ruptured a pulley...so maybe there is hope?

I don't know how long it will take to heal. Dr. Dietz said that it could take up to 6-8 more weeks. Until then, I can experiment with taping, climb lightly to test it, do pull-ups...and just wait it out. I am also going to do occupational therapy.

So again I come to the question: How did this happen? Well obviously overuse. But really I had three major flaws in my training:

1: I overlooked the fact that it was fall and that I would be climbing outside on the weekends. So during my training weeks I didn't take the weekends into consideration.

2: I didn't do any antagonist muscle training. This is probably the most important thing that I have overlooked. The fact that I knew I had to do antagonist muscle training but didn't because I was unsure what to do...just plain stupid. Even though I was in school, I should have made the time to at least look it up. Not only is this important for me, but it is important for the climbing team kids as well.

3: I didn't rest enough. I heard a great saying the other day, "You don't get stronger on your training days, you get stronger on your rest days." I just don't understand how I messed that up. Looking back I think that I just got over-excited. I tend to gain too much confidence in my body's healing abilities and then over-train. That has been my downfall since I was born. I always get over-confident and will take things to the extreme until something gives. I just need to take a step back and slow down.

As I continue to heal I find myself asking another question: How can I learn from this? And I really mean that. Obviously I haven't learned anything from my past mistakes and I feel that this is the time to really buckle down and force myself to learn. At least I have taken the first step and decided to study exercise science. Now that I am on a break from school, I am reading climbing and training books like crazy! Currently I am reading Training for Climbing and One Move Too Many. I think I can also learn from other coaches and fellow climbers. Being around many talented co-workers has helped me put my efforts into coaching and organizing the team. Overall, I hope to gain much more out of this rest period than the strength and time I have lost.

It pains me to think that I will not be able to compete at ABS Nationals this year. This will be the first time in 4 years I have not competed at a National event. There is a teeny possibility that I may heal in time to compete, but is it really worth it? Is it worth risking my health, money, and time? Honestly that is a question that I am still trying to answer. Maybe I will be stupid and go, maybe I won't. However I am looking forward to having a free summer. Hopefully I can take a trip out to Colorado, other "colder" places, or maybe internationally if the weather is good enough. All thoughts that can't be answered yet, but will in time.

Been Reading A Lot

2012-01-01T20:01:00.000-05:00

With a break from school and more free time now that I'm not climbing, I've been doing a lot of reading. I'm actually pretty psyched on all of these books and I'm happy that I'm taking the time to read them. I just feel this information is worth knowing and (forgive me for being nerdy) I am really enjoying reading this stuff.

Frustration

2011-12-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

So it has been a month since I last posted. The last day I posted was the last day that I rock climbed on anything. Plastic, hangboard, door jams, real rock, buildings, etc. It has been a busy month so it has been bearable to take time off. I've been doing a lot of biking and treadmilling and my cardio is really feeling great! I've also been reading lots of different training books to help expand my knowledge of coaching. I also managed to get a 3.6 GPA for my first semester of college!

So this all seems so great and really it is! I think that I needed a month off...but now that month is over. Well, in reality it is over in about 5 days. But now that the holidays are coming to an end and my semester is over...and I am getting pretty sick of not climbing. So I tried to climb today...

...This did not go so well. I climbed fine on V1's and traversing. Even on jug haul 5.10's up in the lead cave nothing hurt. However as soon as I hit a mini jug, I felt searing pain in my ring fingers. On my left ring finger I cannot even hold my weight! It is just limp which is surprising since I am able to make a fist and do open hand moves just fine. I don't even close hand crimp ever! So before I stopped climbing for the day I did a little taping experiment. I found out that I could use mini jugs pain free if I taped both knuckles on my ring fingers. This is leading me to believe that I may have a fracture or sprain of some sort.

Unfortunately, I went to an orthopedist who totally sucked at diagnosing my wrist. However after taking this amount of time off, my wrist is fine. So, whats with the fingers? I just don't get why three and a half weeks have not helped at all. What am I doing wrong?

What is more upsetting is that a hand specialist won't be able to see me for another two weeks. Then they are most likely going to send me to get x-rays/MRI and then I will have to have another appointment maybe one or two weeks after that. Well listen. I took time off and it is winter. The Northeast sucks in the winter and I need climbing to just keep my spirits up! I also would like to compete at Nationals. Not even just compete; I want to go and do well.

Hopefully for the next few weeks I can find strength training methods that don't involve re-injuring my wrist or further injuring my fingers. I also hope that this heals so I can climb soon because I hate the feeling of having baby smooth hands.

Resting Redefined

2011-12-05T22:59:00.000-05:00

So I need to take a little hiatus from climbing. I have been involved in the climbing community for 6 years now and I actively climb until I eventually wear out my body and breakdown. Unfortunately, that is not a good climbing tactic. I can't send double digits while being broken!

A lot of my friends joke about how I get hurt every three weeks or so. The unfortunate part about that statement is that it is very true. I am always getting myself hurt. Why? I am not so sure. I think that between my studies, work, and training I eventually work too hard. I don't feel that I am training too hard/not hard enough...everything seems to be going just fine.

However something must be done. Currently I have a weird bump thing on my forearm, a really tight IT Band that I have been working with for 4 months, and two strained a4 pulleys on my ring fingers, one more strained than the other. My realization to this climbing break is due to my poor performance at the dark horse. One of my pulleys was so bad that I could not even climb on crimps. My finger would just blow off. So I of course did not place very well and I think that I needed that. My body needs a change up.

Unlike all of my other breaks due to injuries, I am actually accepting that I need time off and I am staying off the walls for 3 weeks. Instead of climbing, I am going to take up an adult gymnastics class, work on my power in the form of pull ups/weights, work on my endurance in the form of cardio, and throw in a little anaerobic endurance such as crossfit. My body needs a change up. I'm thinking that these exercises will not only help my body, but my climbing as well for when I come back.

It is odd, I am sort of excited to change things up for this month. I have been training hard for the past seven weeks and I am a little burnt out. December pretty much sucks anyways...except for Christmas. I figure why not take the time I need off now so that I can come back strong?

I know that I have the ability to climb double digits. That is my goal through this training along with competing in the ABS/SCS National Championships. I hope that with this rest I'll be able to come back strong and get some time on my double digit projects....I also am so excited to re-learn handstands and cartwheels!!!

November Climbing

2011-11-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a lot of schooling and climbing this month. My friends Tom and Erica came out from Colorado and I have been spending my weekends climbing with them and others in Farley. During the week I've been going to class, coaching, and training.

I would like to congratulate Tom on sending so many v8-v10's in New England! Especially Speed of Life! That is one beautiful climb and one of the many great feats Tom has had this month.

My training has been going well and I feel like I'm actually progressing..however it doesn't help when I get seasonal sinus infections. boo. Anyways, I just enjoy training. I enjoy feeling strong and I enjoy anaerobic activity.

My weekends climbing outside have been filled with great weather, eventful sends from others, and uneventful climbing from me. I have sent nothing! But I'm actually not frustrated. It is fun to get outside and throw myself at some hard climbs before I go back to my weekly routine. Unfortunately I have been spending this weekend doing homework (Actually, I am on a homework break right now). I hope that I can get most of it done so that I can go to Great Barrington tomorrow! But If i do not go, I will just do my homework in the sun outside. I never thought that I would skip climbing for schoolwork...

The one semi-eventful thing that has happened to me occurred 2 weeks ago...

WTH is that lump??

I got this giant lump on what I belive is my flexor muscle. It doesn't hurt and I've been climbing on it just fine...although I am a little concerned...Thoughts??

I'm going to see a specialist next week so hopefully it is nothing to be worried about.

Dark Horse #1

2011-11-13T00:44:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Pat Bagley

As the competition series for youth climbers is in full swing, the first pro competition in the northeast was put on in Metrorock North. I have to say that this was a great competition! I like to compete in the Dark Horses because they are fun and the setters put on a good show. For me, the dynamic problems (that are the majority at these comps) were fun and I came in 1st for the redpoint round.

In finals the climbs were very well set. Nadya, who ultimately placed 1st, crushed the technical Women's 1 problem effortlessly. I wish I could have seen it! But at least i was able to cheer from my chair. I looked at that problem and....yeah that didn't happen. However I have been getting better at technique! But this was just one step ahead of where I am now. The rest of the problems were really good for Women: #2 being a straight forward combination of footwork and strength, and the last 2 being full on dynamic power.

This was a great competition and it is a good checkpoint for me with my training. I have had two successful competitions so far after my heart procedure, so it seems that the problem may be gone for good!

Here is some video shot by Jon Glassberg of the event:

Dark Horse Series Highlights - Competition #1 from Louder Than 11 on Vimeo.

5.10 Partners with Adidas

2011-11-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

Wow, big step for 5.10! I can't wait to see their stuff on a more commercialized scale! I'm psyched to be apart of their team!

To read the article: "Adidas Group to Acquire Outdoor Specialist Five Ten" Click here.

Fiveten Sponsorship!

2011-10-31T12:28:00.000-04:00


My new 5.10 shoes!!

Ever since I began to wear downturned shoes, fiveten has been my favorite brand. Being sponsored by my favorite brand is a great success for me, and I am proud to say that I am a part of the 5.10 team! I feel like this is a new chapter for me and I am finally getting rewarded for all of the hard work that I've put into climbing. I can't wait to send with these outside!!

Unfortunately, the northeast got hit by an unbelievable nor'easter this weekend and I wasn't able to climb outdoors :(

We got a foot of snow!! I have no idea when my classes will begin again since my entire campus lost power.

I had en epic ride back from Central Rock Gym on Saturday night. My campus is 6 miles down the road, uphill and through 23 lights...it took me an hour to get back to campus. There were no plows on the road and some pretty shitty massholes trying to maneuver their two tons of metal on top of 6 inches of snow. I did a lot of zigzagging action and some shoveling with my window brush to successfully make it back to my hall...where there was no power.

So I stayed warm by shoveling my car out the next morning! Hopefully I will be able to break in my new shoes indoors this week and climb outside next weekend!

I really, really hope that the weather is not like this next weekend...

Nor'easter Video

2011-10-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

Check out this sweet video Stonelick made of the Nor'Easter! This pretty much sums up how awesome the weekend was. Great food, weather, people, and climbing!

STONELICK goes to Nor'easter from STONELICK on Vimeo.

Delayed Review of the Nor'easter!

2011-10-19T21:26:00.001-04:00

Photo Cred: Frances Beatty

About a month ago the UBC Pro tour had their final stop in Burlington VT...the Nor'easter. This past year was the first time I have competed in the open category and I also decided to compete in all of the pro tour events. I have to say, I look forward to these events and I have a really great time competing in them.

The Nor'easter was a great event. I'm glad I got to compete in it, considering I had surgery just seven days before. The 2 things I like most about these events is the people and the locations. The people and the other athletes are so supportive and the locations are really beautiful. I mean, Central Park isn't really beautiful per-say, but I enjoyed myself in New York.

Photo Cred: Frances Beatty

I had a great time at every stop and got to climb on some really great problems. I do have to say though that the problems are basically the same at every competition, which I felt was a little boring. While watching the 2011 world cups, I noticed that they all have these interesting, technical moves that also incorporate some of the American dynamic style. Throughout my competing in the 2011 pro tour and the Vail world cup, I saw none of that. Now, I love dynamic movements and using all of my strength on the wall. However I also love watching these dynamic, jacked climbers (especially the men) sweat through technical moves. I myself also love think about the climbs and how I could maneuver myself to finish technical problems. I feel as though the American style lacks this and we should all embrace at least a little bit of technicality that goes further than the slab wall.

Overall, I enjoyed the Nor'easter and the problems were still very, very fun to climb. I am glad that everyone got the chance to be on the live video feed as well! I feel that semi-finals should always be on the live feed online. My family and friends love to watch me climb (and I have a huge family). I was really glad that I got to compete in "finals" because I would have never made the top six with my sore legs from post-surgery. The weather for the event turned out to be really great and I had a great time exploring Burlington.

Photo Cred: Frances Beatty

As a climber, I have progressed so much within a year. Last year I wouldn't have complained about competing on straightforward, brute strength climbs. But now I can see why the movement of climbing is so important. It takes comp climbing to the next level and creates more awareness to one's center of gravity at all times.

I'm psyched for the 2012 UBC Pro Tour to kick off!

Heart Procedure

2011-09-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

So a week before the Nor'easter I had a procedure done a Boston Children's Hospital called catheter ablation. If anyone remembers, I had to go to the hospital during Nationals for a type of heart palpitation called SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). During SVT, my heart races at 260bpm and I sometimes can't stop it myself. This is scary, so I went to a cardiologist, then a cardiac surgeon. What a catheter ablation does is effectively eliminate my SVT by putting catheters in my thighs and bringing them through main arteries to my heart. There,they figure out where the SVT is coming from and burn off fibers to eliminate it.

This procedure was totally voluntary; I could live with SVT if I wanted to. But I really don't want to be worrying about my heart when I'm climbing. When I went in for my procedure, I was the second case of the day, meaning I had to wait a billion hours for the first case to be done. During that time I walked around the hospital. It was really a humbling day for me, seeing so many sick kids, kids with cancer, heart conditions, and many other conditions. What struck me however was how happy they all were. Even though they were all suffering from some illness, they were all enjoying the life that they had.

The one that stuck me the most was this little girl who was in heart surgery. She was having a catheter ablation like me, but this was her 31st time getting an ablation. I talked with her mother in the waiting room and she told me that her child was born with a defective valve in her heart. As an infant, the valve was reconstructed with tissue, which can be accepted by the heart and the heart can regain strength/grow. In her case, the heart kept rejecting the tissue and she has to keep going into surgery to getting the tissue repaired. In total, this 2 year old (whose birthday was the day after her procedure) has had 31 catheter ablations and 3 open heart surgeries.

Shortly after we had talked, a nurse came in and told the little girls mother that there were complications with the ablation and her child was in the ICU with fluid filling up and into her lungs. Now, I felt terrible. Here is me, a very healthy adult, getting a voluntary catheter ablation done where as this little girl has no choice but risk the procedure. That moment was incredibly humbling for me and I will remember it forever. I hope that girl was able to make it to her birthday.

Overall, I went into surgery at 12:30 and it was very well. My doctor said that there was a 90% chance that they fully ablated my SVT and that I should never get it again in my entire life. Along with that good news, the doctor also told me that it wold be safe to compete in the Nor'easter, I just would be a little sore. I also entered myself into a study so during the ablation they could use other tools such as an ultrasound hooked up to a catheter instead of an x-ray to reduce radiation. I had under a minute of radiation during my entire 2 and a half hour procedure! I also got a neat picture that the ultrasound constructed/a picture they used during my procedure. (it is below)

A week later, I am feeling much better, competed decently and now I am at the tail end of my recovery. I'm excited that I got the procedure done just in time for the fall season!

New Avenues of Climbing

2011-09-14T23:08:00.000-04:00

So for the past few weeks I've just been enjoying the sport of climbing. I've been climbing a lot of moderately easy problems and then projecting some v8's and v9's. I've just been enjoying to climb! I have been going outdoors and doing a lot of v3's and v4's. Just whatever looks fun. I've also been focusing a lot on my technique. Every easy problem I get on I have been doing very slow and controlled. Even in the gym, I've been going and just doing easy problems and trying to better understand how my body should move. It's been a great learning experience and I really owe it to my good friend Sydney for making me realize that my technique totally blows.

This past summer was great. I worked and climbed with Syd and it was just a really, really fun time. I got back into ropes (somewhat) and learned how to actually toe hook. I'm really excited for the fall season to come!

I've also been exploring "new avenues" of climbing....such as chair bouldering! I have not been able to "send" the folding chair problem until yesterday. I'm happy my ascent was caught on video...but I cannot upload it. So find it on my facebook!

Summer 2011

2011-09-05T00:36:00.000-04:00

So obviously I haven't blogged in awhile. There here been so many things this summer that I wished I blogged about but I just didn't have the time to sit down and write about it all. But, my summer was great and it was full of adventure. I competed in the Vail World Cup, competed in the EMS Pro, coached at Youth Nationals, and spent a lot of time working climbing summer camps, climbing, being injured, and just enjoying my summer.

I wish I could explain all of my adventures in detail but I'm afraid that would turn into a friggin novel and nobody wants to read that. So, I have condensed my summer into photographs! Here is what I have been doing this summer instead of blogging: (not in chronological order)

One of the team kids drew a picture of me competing at the World Cup (the only picture I can find of the event)

I'm an exercise science major

Giant peach we saw while driving down to Georgia

I drove a lot this summer. This was a sunrise in Virginia

The Book of Insults and Comebacks

My two favorite quotes in the book

Team Ascension goes bouldering!

Nasty flapper

I graduated.

Designed some team shoes!

Again, designed some shoes

Dragons broke :(

Bouldering with Taylor Launter in the in the Dacks

EMS Pro

Me stumped at the EMS Pro...gotta work on technical problems

Youth Nationals! Team Ascension did very well

Ice cream and roller coasters in Texas

Graduated, finally.

My new room!

My first place photography setup

An Interview With Climberism

2011-07-01T20:50:00.000-04:00

So a couple of weeks ago I had an interview with the new Northeast climbing magazine called Climberism. I am really psyched about the interview and I have to thank my sponsor Rock On for helping make it all possible.

A link to the interview is here.

Vail World Cup 2011

2011-06-17T00:16:00.000-04:00

So two weeks ago I went to Vail, Colorado for my first Adult Bouldering World Cup!! Actually, it was my first world cup ever. I really feel so accomplished. It just blows my mind how far I have come since last year. Last year at this time I had just placed in Youth Divisionals and had just accepted my invite to Youth Nationals. Then I placed 15th in the Adult Bouldering National Championships this past February! Such a long way considering the past year I had placed 32nd in the Adult bouldering category and 12th in Junior. Wow.

Vail...was amazing. Even though I had gone to Vail to compete in the World Cup, I enjoyed the entire Teva Mountain game scene and made the best out of my three day stay. The view was breathtaking. The vibe was outrageous. The music was so chill and the people were unbelievable! I fit in perfectly. Not to mention you know, the 2011 Bouldering World Cup!

Like I had said before, this was my first World Cup. I had never seen one up close and personal before. I had only seen the highlights from past world cups online. It is very different when you see something on television then in real life. The perspective is entirely different. In reality, I had no idea what to expect. So, I chose to use this competition as a learning experience. It was my third week back from a partially healed finger injury anyway. But, I still gave it my all and came out in 32nd place.

I feel that 32nd is a very good place! I mean, it is low in the ranks but the best part about these competitions is that you can easily isolate your strengths and weaknesses. Besides, being with competitors from around the world, warming up together and having fun while doing it is what these competitions are all about. Oh, and climbing on boulder problems created by world class setters. That is the most amazing thing to ever ask for. How could I be unhappy with 32nd place? I had so much fun! And even though I had a few foot slips and technical problems, the climbs were stunning.

After leaving the Teva Mountain Games, I had a new found respect for the mountainous life I strive to live by. The World Cup also gave me great psych to start training hard again for Nationals. I mean it is very possible for me to do well with this, so why not give it my all?

So thank you Teva Mountain Games for putting on a great weekend of events!

Also, did I mention my high school graduation was the same day as the qualifying round of the world cup? Yeah, I know what you're thinking...I'm glad I chose the climbing too.

Coaching

2011-06-08T00:20:00.000-04:00

So this year I was the coach of Central Rock Gym's Team Ascension. It was my first year coaching and it has been such a great experience. As our team practices come to a close with Divisionals this weekend, I'd just like to take a moment as reflect on what a great experience this really has been.

During the summer of 2010, I worked incredibly hard to prove that I was qualified for this job. Yes, I am young and yes, I had never coached before. But, I knew the kids and I knew that I was mature enough to do the job right. When we first started the team in September of 2010, I was expecting there to be only about 12 kids....we had 36 kids show up to practice on out first day. Now, I don't know if the right thing was to be nervous at that moment (as I was the only coach at the time), but I was so f***ing psyched!

Jumping right into bouldering season with the kids was a really great time. I learned so much as a coach, climber, and person. I learned how to decipher routes and problems fast so that I could help the kids with beta. I also learned the right way to do moves and the wrong way to do moves, just by watching 36 different body types try the same problems. I never realized how beneficial the problem solving aspect of climbing was until I had this technique under my belt. Now when I compete I can decipher routes in less than 30 seconds, where a year ago it would take me a couple of minutes.

I realized just how great coaching was when I competed in the first of the Dark Horse Series in November 2010. My perspective on competing had completely changed. Since I promoted greatness while coaching, I had to be great not for me, but for them. I was to be professional about competing for them. I was to put on a show as a climber for them and the rest of the crowd. As a competitor, I realized that I was meant to inspire more than climbing as a personally fun sport.

As great as competing is and as much as coaching has helped me with it, nothing will ever come close to the feeling of seeing the climbing team kids reach their goals. I think that I get more excited than them! After coaching someone and watching someone for so long, it just feels amazing when they complete this great feat. It just feels so rewarding when you see hard work paying off. It is very inspiring.

Being able to be immersed in climbing as I am now is really a breathtaking experience. As I would eventually like to meet my own professional climbing goals, there will always be another passion of mine and that is coaching. Nothing will ever live up to how much fun coaching is, and I am so happy to say that I will be coaching Team Ascension next year as well. Ultimately, I am getting my degree in exercise science while coaching at Central Rock Gym so that I have the opportunity to help others reach their goals as I have.

Team Ascension, I'd like to thank you for a wonderful year and I am excited for the years to come! You all have changed my life so completely and I don't ever want to go back. You've inspired me to take climbing to the next level and help others complete their goals. Don't ever forget how great you all are!

Back to Business

2011-05-23T13:30:00.000-04:00

After six weeks of painful resting I am finally back in the game! It is now my third week on climbing and I have had no problems with my fingers, heart, etc. etc.

In the past weeks I have seen a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, and a hand specialist. All of my appointments went well and it looks like I'll be in good shape for the upcoming competition and summer season! My finger is still sprained, I had torn my collateral ligament so it is partially healed. Fortunately, with the help of tape, I can climb again!

Unfortunately however, I missed the little window of spring climbing :(

As most of you New Englanders know, this window was very small...it lasted about 2 weekends in April....thanks snow...and rain. My first day back outdoors was a couple of Fridays ago, where I learned the hard way that summer was approaching fast (see pictures below).

After fending off mosquitoes and dying of heat at the same time, I came to the conclusion that a summer climbing checklist needed to be created. This list is based on the things I forgot to bring that one treacherous bouldering day at Farley. So, here is my checklist for the upcoming weeks:

SUMMER CHECKLIST:
1. Bugspray
2. Hair elastic...or just maybe a haircut
3. Brush(es)
4. Chalk!!
5. Shorts
6. Water
7. A climbing rope because sending hard problems is nonexistent during the days of New England summers.

Fending off mosquitoes with a sweatshirt and jeans.


Fending off mosquitoes with a towel.

...I guess the only good thing about the summer heat/rain everyday is that I can focus on the upcoming world cup in Vail!!! So psyched!!!!!!!

Out Of Commission

2011-04-25T00:37:00.000-04:00

So as I had mentioned in my last blog post, I had hurt my finger. Fortunately, it is only a sprain. I have been resting since the Heart of Steel (with the exception of a few climbing excursions that didn't go well with my finger).

So, what...that's like a month of resting?

Let me just say that I don't know how normal people do it. I can't bear to watch anymore t.v. or my brain will explode. I also can't bring myself to go to a regular gym and do regular workouts. It's just so boring! No wonder so many people are obese.

Since I have been resting, I have begun to take more photos! Photography is a great hobby for when I'm injured because I can still enjoy the outdoors and be around climbers...when the sun finally comes out in New England.

So here's some of my recent photos...the last three were taken a couple of months ago but were recently edited:

Derek Jakoboski- Full Throttle v8


Derek Jakoboski...some problem at Horse Cave in Lincoln Woods

Derek Jakoboski- Barbed Wire v9

Derek Jakoboski- Pocket Rocket v8

...He broke a nail

Flannery Shay-Nemirow- Moon Arete v10

Nick Steinwachs...flashed pumped

Sasha Digulian...some highball in Horsetooth

Heart of Steel, or a head full of stupidity?

2011-03-27T22:11:00.000-04:00

Listen to your heart, that's what they all say. That all seems to work out just fine in movies, but what about in real life?

Yesterday I competed in the Heart Ov Zteel. Overall, I think that the Boston Rock Gym crew is a great job! All of the climbs were phenomenal and the finals were spectacular. I just wish that I had the chance to have fun. See, I have had the worst chain of events. I have had some terribly obscure injuries and obstacles I've had to climb to get where I am now. This past week I have been terribly sick with a sinus cold.....no fun. I thought it would be better by the comp, but I was in terrible shape.

So, why show up? Well I have been thinking about that. It is because I decided to listen to my heart. My heart told me to go climb, go place, get my name out there. But, my body said: fuck you. Every comp I've competed in this year I have gave my all. Yesterday was no different. But, was it a smart idea? I was very sick and because of that by equilibrium was off and I had trouble aiming for holds. Not to mention by body felt 50 lbs heavier! Because of my physical state, I wound up injuring myself. I got my finger stuck in a pocket and hurt it. Luckily, nothing major. At the worst I fractured my knuckle, but it is too early to tell.

Some may say that I'm a fighter. That I did an amazing job despite the fact that I was sick. Others may say that I am stupid. They'll say my ego got to me and turned me into an asshole. Well, to be honest I should not have competed yesterday. I feel ebarrassed that I only grabbed 60 bucks off the wall because I know that I can do better. Yes, I was sick. But that is why I am stupid.

Why try and climb sick??? I have been grappling with that question all day. The fact is, I have been training hard and want to prove it. I climbed sick to prove to myself my love for climbing. I want to prove to myself that I will overcome any circumstance and still be great. And guess what, I proved it. But do I want to be know is the girl who always gets hurt and still makes it in? No! of course not! Even though I feel extremely embarrassed, I also feel at peace. I would have gone insane if I had stayed home on my couch drinking tea. I would have always wondered what may have happened if I gave it a shot.

So do I have a heart of steel or a head full of stupidity? Ehh...I'd love to say I have a heart of steel but I would make the same stupid mistake over again if I had the chance. Hopefully when I compete in the next UBC Pro Tour comp, medical staff will not have to rush to my side.

Boulder!

2011-02-25T23:44:00.000-05:00

Recently I took a two week trip to Boulder, CO.....To explain my entire experience there would take forever, but I do want to touch on what was great about being there.

I've always wanted to take a picture like this...

New England tends to suck a lot of ass and I usually feel depressed because of the attitude people have when winter occurs. Actually, I wound up taking almost all of December off due to a lack of motivation. I planned to take this two week trip back in November. I knew that I would need a break from the weather, and I was right! My planning for Colorado consisted of booking flights and booking my Nationals ticket. Beyond that I had planned to stay with my awesome friend Amanda, who lives out in Denver, and to somehow get to Boulder everyday.

(I guess I fit into the climbing community well since most people I meet have the same sort of planning)

The weekend before Nationals in Boulder, I decided to compete in the Dark Horse Championships. There I met and climbed with Sasha Digulian, Natasha Barnes, Tiffany Hensley, and Courtney Sanders. This comp was the first time I have actually climbed with girls that are the same strength as me! I am not dissing any east coast girls out there, by the way. Until this competition I was actually underestimating myself! I had heard of how all of these girls have sent hard climbs outside etc. etc...but I had no idea that I could keep up with them! Tiffany was also a lifesaver and offered for me to stay at her house during my time in Colorado...thanks Tiff!

Sending Food!!

Boulder, Colorado. I placed 15th in Nationals and met over a hundred new people.....if that's not enough psyche to get you out of a depression then you are not human! The people I met out there were great! I spent every single second enjoying my life and where I was. That is the way life should always be. I climbed every single day...which in total was 11 days on! I climbed in nationals, then went outside, then on the same day trained in a gym, then climbed outside again, again, and again... Oh, not to mention I am now broke because of Whole Foods. Never making that mistake again (but I might because it just tastes so good).

After Tiffany left for Bishop, I was able to crash on the couch of Lesly Ladlad's and stayed with her and Isabel Faus.
Thanks guys!

I'd like to make a big shoutout to everyone I chilled with in Colorado. It was amazing meeting all of you and I hope to see you soon! I am planning a road trip this summer, which will include a 2-3 week stop in Colorado. I also decided to compete in the rest of the UBC Pro Tour comps so if you're there, look out for me!

I'm excited for the weather to get better in New England (please for the love of God) so that I can send some shit outside and also train for these big comps/road trip. So, if you're ever in the area, give me a shout! I'd love to show some of you the climbing out here!

Bouldering=Good for the Heart

2011-02-14T23:24:00.000-05:00

So last weekend was the ABS 12 Open National championships and also the first stop on the UBC Pro Tour! I competed in qualifiers and semi-finals and placed 15th overall. For me, 15th is a big deal. For one, I placed 30th last year and to go up 15 places makes me feel so good. I also am satisfied with how placed due to what went down in the qualifying round...

11:08 am...I began my first climb for qualifiers. Flashed the first and the second problems. I came down from the 2nd problem and sat down in the chair. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat and started racing at 300 beats per minute! This heart condition is known as Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). I have had this before and it is still an unknown cause. When this happens, I have to sit down and do absolutely nothing until it stops due to the lack of oxygen going through my body. But, I was on problem number 2 out of 6....I'm not going to just wimp out and miss a chance at semi-finals. I trained so hard and flew in from Boston! So I decided to climb. I could only give the remaining 4 problems 1 good go and even still I would fall off halfway due to muscle failure from the lack of oxygen. Every climb was a constant fight for consciousness and my chest was unbearably painful. After the 6th problem, I stumbled over to the medical tent where the staff couldn't even count a pulse because my heart was beating so fast.

If someone has this abnormally fast heartbeat for too long, it can cause blood clots. I was going on an hour of a 300bpm heart rate and was therefore rushed to the hospital. There, they recorded a 260bpm heart rate which was definitely less than when I was competing. Luckily, the wonderful doctors at Boulder Community Hospital were able to bring my heart down to a 120bpm rate, which was out of SVT range. I placed 20th in qualifiers, making it into one of the least slots for semi's. The next day my heart was still beating at 120bpm, but fortunately didn't increase. I was able to move down to 15th place, where I now end my ridiculous tale.

I am blogging about this because I think it is important for people to hear that someone tried their hardest for something they love. I believe that there is no excuse to quitting and I certainly showed it. So next time you are climbing and you think your cut hurts and you don't want to push it, think of this blog post. It is a good reminder to realize what you want and to push to your limits no matter what. No one ever said that climbing was safe in the first place!

The Tendon Savior

2011-02-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

Have you come out of a climbing sesh with fingers that are sore and achy? Or the cold blues gettin' your fingers down? I feel the same way. But, unlike you, I have a cure!

The cure is a secret weapon called: Epsom Salt. Yes! This stuff can be bought at any local drug store (I usually use CVS). Just dissolve a couple tablespoons of this stuff into a bowl of hot water and just soak your hands for a minimum of 10 mins.

10 Minutes? That's all? YES! Every night i come home from a hard climbing sesh, I soak my fingers in this salt from heaven and my tendons instantly feel better. If you have a hurt tendon it is suggested that you do not ice it, since tendons have a limited blood supply to begin with. Essentially what the Epsom salt's doing is soaking into your skin (which the hot water helps), and tends to the wounded fingers.

Now, all you hooligans should use this new found knowledge wisely. Along with soaking your hands, you should just keep them warm in general with gloves, hand warmers, and finger exercises. Follow these steps and kick those winter blues right out the door!

Realization

2011-01-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

Realizing something can be a gradual process or it could be something that hits you right in the face. For me, it is both. Climbing is a lifestyle for me. I realized that the first day I touched a rock. However, realizing why I chose it as a lifestyle was a gradual process that wound up hitting me all at once today.

I started climbing because I didn't fit in anywhere. All of my close friends had left my shitty public school and everyone else was too busy living the social life of a 7th grader. I hated everything that was happening with school, friends, and myself. Climbing was an outlook that kept me alive and helped me push through and it ulimately changed my life.

Through high school I climbed. I got better. I stayed dis-attached from everyone else in school, but I liked it that way. But now that high school is coming to a close, I began to ask why I still climb. I wondered what it would be like to be a "normal" senior. This threw off my training schedule and I began to ask what I was training for. Yes, I am competing in Nationals, but why?

It took me about a month to realize that "normal" is pathetic. It took me a month to realize that without climbing, I was not happy. It took me a month to realize that I train because it makes me feel free and confident. So even though my lifestyle of climbing had been a gradual thing, I was slapped in the face with the realization of my love for climbing. I can never stop, it is an obsession. But, it is more than an obsession. Climbing is a love that will never go away and that has saved my life. I feel sorry for those who have not found a love like this. Life must be miserable. I hope those poor souls have a realization as I did.

New Year, New Oppertunities

2011-01-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

So, I'm not gonna lie, the end of 2010 could not have dragged on any further. At the beginning of December, I had competed in the second Dark Horse. Something was wrong that day; I was lacking the strength and power I usually possess. I thought that it was just a bad day, everyone has those once in awhile. A few days later it dawned on me that something must be terribly wrong.

I had gone to Farley the day after Dar Horse which may have been a terrible idea. I was spent and had no energy to climb. I was also freezing. I like the warmth and being in 20 degree weather, shivering, with torn down muscles definitely did not help my condition. The following week was no better. I was very sore and had no will to climb, which is very rare for me.

I soon realized that my muscle was not recovering from the Dark Horse. I got a bunch of blood tests done but everything came out negative. This was very frustrating because I still had no reason as to why I was sucking. The last week of December I had a week off from school and literally spent every day sleeping and eating. I realize now that these two very basic tasks were what I was lacking through December. I was not eating enough and my body was also trying to get used to the cold. Also, sleeping only 6 hours a day was not helping my condition.

As the Snooki ball dropped and the year 2011 began, I decided to take a new approach to my resting. I am my own coach and have been neglecting my basic human needs these past few weeks. Nationals is coming and there is no room for stupidity. I am telling you my tale of trouble so that you readers don't fall into this rut. NEVER ignore your body. The fact that I ignored my body's necessities to the point of muscle failure is terribly wrong!

So, I am sorry body. I will never ignore your needs again. It's a new year, new opportunities. Time to train to send those v10's!!!!

Dark Horse #2

2010-12-08T23:01:00.000-05:00

December 4th 2010, the second of the three part dark horse series begins. I had a fair amount of sleep and was stoked to climb when I woke up around 9:30am. In the month of November, I really focused on my strength. A week before December 4th I had torn down all of my upper body muscle and am now in the process of recovery. Needless to say, the comp was exhausting. Saturday was literally the worst day I've ever climbed and the hardest I've ever tried. It is frustrating, the feeling of failing when you know just 2 weeks ago you could flash this. All in all, it will pay off and my lack of strength did not turn my psyche down one bit! Competing in finals against Francesca Metcalf, Natasha Barnes, and Emma Chilton was so fun, and kept the finals round alive.

Now to sum up the Dark Horse in writing is next to impossible. So, I would like to show this video of the December 4th Dark Horse highlights. This video was taken/edited by my good friend Nick Steinwachs, props to a great recap!!

Dark Horse Comp HIGHLIGHTS - December 2010 from Eastern Climber on Vimeo.

Props to all of the competitiors and Metrorock's crew for putting on a great show!

Rock On!

2010-12-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

So I recently got sponsored by a new company called Rock On! I'm so pumped!!! Rock On sells good quality products for a low price. I recently got their softshell jacket last week and I have barley taken it off since. It's so comfy! Anyways, I'm psyched because this company is great and I am proud to call them my first sponsor!
Rock On is releasing more products along with the softshell, t-shirt, and chalk bag lines they already have. I'm pumped to see the new products and wear them around.

For more information about Rock On, go to www.rock-on.com

Who Needs Hueco= Sent!

2010-11-17T22:06:00.001-05:00

Sunday November 14th, Lincoln Woods.
It was the 4th day I had spent sleeping in for 12 hours, sleep that was much needed! I felt good, like I was having a fresh start. Along with the massive amount of sleep, I also received a new pair of 5.10 dragons! I was ready to break those babies in and get some climbs done!

Saturday night my friend Josh calls me begging to go to Pawtuckaway. Now, I love pway, don't get me wrong. But had unfinished business in Lincoln Woods that needed to be taken care of. First off, I needed to stick the last move on the Executioner (v6). The last time I tried that thing was on an 80 degree day which was very unforgiving. Lastly, I needed to send Who Needs Hueco (v8). I was obsessing over the low percentage dyno and super sucky heel hook and had spent 5 days projecting it. After a week off, I felt ready.

So back to Sunday. I ditched Josh....sorry bud. Got a good sleep and was off! As soon as I stepped into the woods I went over to the Executioner. I laced those dragons up and got on the climb........In like 30 seconds I had topped out the Executioner and just sat there thinking "Okay, I just day flashed/warmed up on my project.....I LOVE the fall!"

Now, Who Needs Hueco. Who needs it right? Why, with this amazing lowball and low percentage dyno I could spend all of my days in the woods with the homeless creepers and be happier than any day in Hueco.........................JUST KIDDING. Anyways, after like 10 go's I finally got the dyno....with a foot dab. 5 more gos and I stuck the dyno....but somehow managed to get pumped out and fall topping out. With fists of rage and a chug of water, I got on it a few more times and sent right before the sun went down! Ohhh so happy!! That thing is done, my first v8 outside! I am glad I sent it because falling on the topout is something my friends would've never let me live down!

Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater

2010-11-07T17:29:00.000-05:00

So I went to the Dark Horse competition Metrorock threw yesterday...before I go on let me just say that it was a pretty sweet comp! Props to the setters and to all of the Metrorock crew who made it a great show!

Now as most of you know, most climbing competitions have a redpoint format. In this format you are to mark your falls and when you finish, you must get two signatures as proof that you did the climb. So basically it is the honors system. It seems as though this would work out but, if a kid is offered the chance to win 50 bucks...things can get a bit crazy. Yesterday I saw multiple people cheat; whether it was putting down fake signatures on climbs that they didn't do or not marking their attempts. Because of this nonsense, kids that actually put an effort into competing in qualifiers while being truthful did not gain their time in the spotlight.

TO ALL THOSE WHO MAY HAVE CHEATED: Let me just remind you that this is a local rock climbing competition, not the NFL aired on TV. It is one little competition that is going to mean nothing in the long run. Climbing is just taking off and there is basically nothing to gain from trying to win in a junior finals competition like this. So, what, you win 50 bucks? Well that just paid for your competition fee and maybe a couple of cliff bars. If you want to win that money so bad, go shovel snow for some elderly neighbors. That way you gain the strength you didn't have to actually qualify and you make money at the same time.

Props to anyone who didn't cheat; that is what is going to move this sport in the right direction!

Black and White Photography

2010-11-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

So I've been really busy lately. Recently, all of my time has been dedicated to climbing, coaching, and photography. I have been in the dark room for only about 10 hrs and had only got about 4 good developed photos. Along with those four I have about 10 crappy ones. Instead of just throwing the crappy photo away, I've decided to "recycle" it and use the photo to experiment. Here's the results of some of my "experiments".....

Black and White faded

Black and White with marker


Black and White scratched

All of these photos were taken in black and white with 400speed film and developed by none other than me......more to come!

Lincoln Woods...In the dark?!

2010-09-21T23:32:00.000-04:00

Nick Steinwachs

So last Wednesday I was in school, looking out the windows, longing for freedom. When I walked into school around 7 am, the weather was brisk and there were clouds in the sky. Well when school FINALLY ended, the sun was out and it was a nice 70 degree temperature!

Now Wednesdays are a good day. Its the day in between coaching at CRG and its also my day to play on the rocks after school. So school ended, 70 degrees and I carefully pull out of the school parking lot (which is very hard to do when 900 kids are trying to leave at the same time).

At last! Nice rock...as nice as lincoln woods can be anyway. The weather made the rock slightly less greasy which led us to project at the try again boulder. After getting on my project Loadies Zen, then having my hand slip and hit me in the face, I decided to take some photos. By this time the sun was setting and it was past the optimal time for pictures. Let me just say, that time of evening is the best time to experiment! I never use a flash but for this circumstance it sufficed.

The dark and light contrast came out better than I expected and made me want to share my photos with you!
So take a look and comment!

And finally, if you are going to climb in Lincoln Woods after dark: bring headlamps, don't go alone, and ignore the creepy teddy bear that is just chillen in the middle of the road.

Josh Zayas

Steve Wong- Loadies Zen


Nick Steinwachs

Nick Steinwachs on Loadies Zen

Steve Wong on Loadies Zen

Send Turkey!

2010-08-23T23:27:00.000-04:00

"Hey Melissa, It's Nick. So I decided to call you this morning and give you another chance to come climbing outside with us today. You know, I wouldn't be a good person if I didn't call....today it is PERFECT CLIMBING WEATHER!! Seventy degrees and not a cloud in the sky... You wouldn't be a real climber if you turned down this day; so what do ya say?"

....That was how I was woken up on Sunday, August 15th. The night before, Nick had called me to ask if I wanted to go to Farley. I wasn't feeling my best, I had worked everyday up to then and was just flat out exhausted. I was still a little unsure about going when he called me...until I walked outside. It was like God had sucked all of the grease and mank from the rock and left it with friction and a hint of love. The sun was shining, but there was a cool breeze leaving it surprisingly cold for a summers day. Seventy degrees. The perfect climbing weather. The only reasons someone would say no to Farley on a day like this is...

a) They are unconscious
b) They are an overweight xbox 360 geek who will die if their skin hits the sun
c) They are in labor

So lets cut to the chase. I went to Farley. It was amazing.
I sent a 5.12a (name unknown) on my second go (my first go could be considered as my warm up along with the hike). Then I got on a rad 5.12c. I also got the chance to take some shots of my friends on the 12a. Overall, it was a great day.

5.12c. On Sunday Cam, Steve, and I left it unfinished. Thursday, we went back to take care of our unfinished business. At first we were all psyched and ready for the send. After a couple of go's our psyche started to fade.
"Eh, today just isn't the day", Said Steve.
"That move is beginning to make my wrist hurt", Cam whined.

......bunch of pansy's.

They're complaining re-vamped my psych to send, so I got up and sent the damn thing. When I got up there I was yelling like I was Chris Sharma when he sent Jumbo Love. For one, it was my first 5.12c ever. Also, the look on the guys faces were priceless. They were just standing below me with huge gaping mouths. After I was lowered the fun continued.

"Dammit, if Melissa sent this, we gotta send this!" ....Typical guy statement.

So I belayed Cam...one last time. He sent it. Two sends in a row, the pressure is on Steve. But Steve didn't hesitate as he hopped on the send train!

So Steve, Cam, and I all sent the 12c. The three of us made a send turkey!! (The word turkey comes from the bowling term of getting three strikes in a row). From now on when the three of us climb, we are called TT. TT is short for Team Turkey!

Cam on the 5.12a

Steve on the 5.12a

Ocean City, NJ

2010-07-28T00:07:00.000-04:00

I recently took a family vacation to Ocean City, NJ. It was perfect timing: nationals had just ended and my body needed a well-deserved break. Now let me just start off by saying that Ocean City was the most touristy, materialistic place I had ever been to. On the boardwalk, t-shirts and ice cream were only a few steps away while band-aids and healthy food had to be searched long and far for. Even though I'm not really into the whole "being a tourist" thing, it was still the most fun I've had in a really long time.

It was fun because I was surrounded by some of my extended family. It was my parents, brother, sister, 5 little cousins, grandparents, 2 aunts, and 2 uncles. We all lived under the same roof for seven whole days. Yes, it was mayhem; but I wouldn't take it any other way. I love my family and without them, I wouldn't be where I am today...literally. My parents have sacrificed so much time and money so that I could climb. We aren't rich and we aren't poor...we get by. Because of this I have learned to love the little things, which is all that matters to me. The progress I make on a project, getting past a crux or just being happy to be climbing for the day. These little things along with a simple sunrise or knowing that you helped someone reach their goal are the things that keep me loving life.

So, I'd like to thank my family for helping along the way and teaching me how to appreciate what I have.

During our trip to Ocean City I took out my trusty Nikon D3000 and got some really good shots of the city and my family. My shots, unlike the show Jersey Shore, make the jersey shore look pleasing.

Sunrise...5:50 AM

Cousin Ty

Uncle John and Ty

Right after sunrise

Sunrise: another angle

Sunrise on another morning

Feet

My brother and the twins...painfully woke up to join me in seeing the sunrise

Two little sleepy cousins