Partially Opening the Crazy Box

I haven't trained since 2013. The Beast in Me closed a chapter in my life, I realised that my body couldn't be ignored any more, and if I wanted to continue enjoying climbing I had to ease up and try to get fixed. In truth I've never really embraced training, I'd built up strength and flexibility, but I've never given much time to conditioning or endurance. I just went climbing.

This year I've set out goals; to get fixed, to climb the Tosheroon project, then climb my Marchlyn project.

Getting fixed. I've had my first proper session of one to one pilates with Eirian. Already I'm gaining better control of my core and a better awareness of my musculature ( what is tight and what's not activating etc.) Even on my pessimistic painful days I'm still hopeful.


Tosheroon. The training has tentatively started. My base is not too miserable, and getting fixed is still too early days for much volume. In fact the volume at the moment is taken up with pilates.

Specific training has always been my anvil on which to batter myself. So when the project is 40ft of horizontal grovelfest, its time to crack open the crazy box and build yourself a grinder:

OK its not a slimy squeeze box, its a lot more fun than that, less painful too. I made it for a bouldering comp at the Beacon, it has multiple knee bars, and goes around F7A+. Prior to my last Eirian session, I wheezed and flailed my way to barely kick the sidewall. This version is after a week of focussed pilates. The next step is to go there and reverse back again, and after that is smooth and under control (and I can walk the next day) its off to George's crack for laps. To squeeze the tide window for Tosheroon into my busy schedule is tricky and infrequent, so I need to be battle ready before I rock up there.

Tosheroon is specialist, even in the widefetish world, but it feeds my crazy and I'm properly psyched. Even if I'm getting pain free just to inflict pain on myself.


More soon, once I start more regular conditioning, who knows what normal achievements I may attain...


Enjoy your own crazy...