Back In Shape
After finishing with the Eiger adventure, I could feel that my power was suffering. For me, there is no better way to get in shape than to prepare for and compete in competitions. The Fall is a great time of year for this and I look forward to this time all year.
It began with the adidas Rockstars in Germany at the end of September. For some reason, this is always the most difficult competition of the year for me. Short, powerful and technical sequences guard the finishing holds. With a strong field of international competitors, you cannot afford to make mistakes. Unfortunately I made many of them. I had one of my worst qualifying rounds in recent memory. It was a hard one to shake off, but I was only 2 weeks into training and left with high hopes for the next comps in the US.
After flying back to Denver and picking up my car, I ventured west. It would be my 3rd straight year at the Portland Boulder Rally, a competition I always look forward to because of the wonderful crowd and energetic atmosphere in Finals.
I tried hard in Qualifiers and entered the Final Round in 1st Place. Not exactly my favorite position to be in…I don’t really like to climb last! I was motivated to climb, but my body was feeling weak. Some cramping in my biceps made it hard throw down as much as I wanted to, but the problems were fun and the crowd was as supportive as ever.
I spent the next few days or so in Leavenworth, WA climbing on the immaculate granite in the region. It was hot, but I still enjoyed sampling some of the local classics. It was good to be back on Granite. Something about the texture makes my hands feel at home on the rock.
The Northwest Boulder Fest at the Seattle Bouldering Project was next in line. The setting at this particular gym is always special. The use of volumes and body position dependent climbing makes it stand out from the rest. I qualified in 1st again, but dropped the ball in Finals…again. Despite feeling like I was finally getting in good shape, it was difficult for me to maintain consistency through 2 rounds of competition in one day. Something to work on for the future.
Last but not least, and on the 4th and final weekend of comps for me, was the Seattle Bouldering Challenge Pro-Am at Stone Gardens in Bellevue. I have never competed at this gym and was excited to check it out. The Qualifiers were a bumpy ride this time. I felt stronger than ever, but got a late start. The extra time pressure was new for me, but in the end it worked out. A few more tries to get done what was necessary, but not enough to tire me out.
After far too long of a break between qualifiers and finals, we were back in the gym again warming up. The finals problems were varied and interesting, representing a multitude of strengths and styles. A combination of the types of climbs I had encountered in the weeks before. With a new scoring system being tested I was never really sure where I stood in regards to everyone else. Beyond 1st place, it was definitely a bottleneck, but I succeeded in establishing my highpoint on every problem on my first attempt. While still not my best performance in a competition, I squeaked out a 2nd Place finish.
Now I am back in California preparing for another season in Yosemite. Endless walls and boulders are waiting.