Trying a 5.11

Yesterday I tried a 5.11A for the first time. The route was next to a crack and using the crack and the holds I worked my way up and as i was being lowered down I thought to myself that it really wasn't that hard. Then I was told that using the crack isn't allowed unless the route explicitly says so. So sad. Of course I tried the 5.11 again without using the crack but by that time I was a bit tired and the results were not good. I think I made it about a quarter of the way...

I'll keep trying but I'm not disappointed at all, actually I'm surprised that I'm even trying a 5.11 this early in the year given that it's one of my goals to accomplish by the end of the year. With 10 more months to go, I'm confident that I'll get an 11 before the year is over - even if I can only climb once or twice a week for the next three and a half months while I'm studying.

As with most things in life, slow and steady will win the race.

Hits and Misses at the gym

I haven't been feeling well this week and as a result i haven't been eating that much or going to the gym regularly. Several nights diner was just a sandwich. So it was with some trepidation that I stepped on the scale at the gym the other day. My fears were confirmed when I came in at 169, a loss of more than a pound and a half.

I have been feeling better and am now eating normally again as well as going to the gym once again but it was still a shock to see that much of a loss. 178 suddenly feels like it's a long way off from where I am right now.

Not everything was bad news though. At the climbing gym I was able to successfully climb the 10.D that I wasn't able to get last time. It felt really good to get a 10.D (and it's only February!) and now I'm positive that I can do an 11 by the end of the year. My confidence level is high so I just might try one tomorrow to see what it's like. It feels really good to be over my injury and able to climb freely again.

Back to climbing

After taking 10 days off to recover from an injury I got back into the climbing gym this weekend. I was very rusty with my footwork and I need to build up my endurance again. In the last four weeks I think i only went climbing 3 times :( and two of those times I had to stop early due to pain. So I really need to build up the strength in my hands, forearms and legs again.

The good news is that I climbed for hours and am pain free! I easily climbed a few 10.A's, struggled up a 10.C, yes I fell, and failed to even make it to the top of a 10.D. It was the first 10.D I've ever tried and it was at the end of the night when I was already tired, so I don't feel bad that I wasn't able to do it. Plus, doing challenging climbs wasn't even my main goal, staying healthy was. And I did that!

After climbing I went into the locker room for my weekly weigh in and this week I came in at 170.8, up nearly half a pound from last time and keeping me well on pace to finish the year at 178.

Also this week, I've hit the gym at lunch for a quick 30 minute workout three times so far. I won't go today because I'm climbing tonight but will go again on Friday. I'm going to try and take the 10.D first thing tonight, hopefully being fresh will help me get up the wall.

exercising?

Sadly no, I haven't been. I aggravated a recurring injury and had to shut things down for a week.
This has been a lingering injury because instead of giving it ample time to heal, as soon as it would stop hurting I'd be climbing again. But after my first or second climb I'd be in pain again. Not this time. This time I went a full week with no stress on my shoulder or arm muscles. After three or four days I was pain free but still kept to my recovery plan. No climbing, no gym for a week. I really missed it. About midway through the week I would look at file cabinets at work and think to myself that I could easily climb up to the top of the cabinet.

After a week has passed I was pain free, but still didn't go back to climbing. Instead I gave my shoulder a series of small tests to help it build up. I did push-ups one day, curls another and finally pull-ups and after each day I was still pain free. I was finally ready to get back to climbing!

This same process of breaking a goal down into smaller goals can also help with your finances. Want to pay down your debts so you can live debt free? First get pain free - get a handle on your monthly budget so you're saving more than you spend. Next start to build a little muscle with small exercises - send extra money toward your debt. Full recovery - find even more places to save and snow ball your payments which will really cut down on the debt you own.

Updates

I managed to go to the gym twice this week and also went climbing twice, though my climbing is being severely restrained by a recent shoulder strain. I think I'm going to have to stop climbing for a week to ten days to let it heal before I can hit the walls again. I really feel bad about it, not only do I really want to climb but I can't help but feel like I'm letting my climbing partner down by not being there. I know that he'll be able to "partner call" for someone to fill in, but I still feel bad about it. Still, there is no way I can reach my goal of climbing an 11 with a bad shoulder, so I have to get myself healthy.

Also, at my weekly weigh in, I tipped the scales at 170.4, so I'm about seven and a half pounds from my goal. With a good healthy diet and plenty of exercise I think I should be able to make my goal of 178 pounds.

Breaking into the 10c's and the importance of being patient

Today I went climbing and completed a 5.10c, and almost had another one. I would have completed the climb but with only 3 or 4 moves to go I suddenly rushed myself, miss-stepped and fell. I quickly got back on the wall and finished the climb but it's not a completed climb until I get to the top without falling. I sometimes fall into the bad habit of losing my patients trying to rush a climb as I get close to the top, this isn't the first time I've fallen because I rushed, I need to remember to stay within myself and to move slowly and deliberately rather then go as fast as I can.

The 10c I completed was a great climb. I did make deliberate movements, I took the opportunity to rest and re-chalk my hands when the course allowed me to and I made it to the top. It was challenging but a very fun climb. Unlike some routes that you climb once and never go back to, I can see myself climbing this one several times and enjoying it each time.

Of course climbing isn't the only place you should stop yourself from rushing. When it comes to spending, rushing is often your worst enemy and being patient can be your greatest ally. When you're making a purchase ask yourself if it's a want or a need. if you truly need something then you should buy it, but if it is a want you would probably be better served to wait. You may be able to find the exact same thing cheaper on-line, find a coupon to the store, find a substitute item that is less expensive or you may decide that you don't even want it anymore. You may not get the instant gratification of making the purchase but the cost savings will be well worth it.

Balancing Life's Passions and Your Budget

Sometimes the things we love in life can be expensive. Several months ago I started rock climbing and I'm hooked. I love it. I try to climb 2 to 3 times a week but if I'm feeling sore I might take a yoga class instead. This got me thinking about how much I was spending on my new passion in life.

I did a trial membership at the gym to see if I liked it. I decided that while I loved the gym and climbing, taking SF Muni to get there was a huge waste of my time. It would take at least an hour each way to make the three mile trip, which I found to be incredibly aggravating. After trying four different bus lines to get there, each worse then the last, I decided that if I was going to keep climbing I would need to stop renting and buy climbing equipment and also a bike. I loved climbing, so it was an easy decision.

My harness and chalk bag were $85. My beginner shoes which would have cost $65 were a gift, but my next pair will likely cost around $125 and I also got power putty ($10) for hand exercises. My out of pocket expenses for equipment was $95, with another $125 expected sometime next year when my shoes wear out. Then there is the cost of the gym membership - $70 a month.

After a few weeks of looking I bought a bike for $50 (it was by far the best deal on craigslist) and spent another $80 on a helmet, a lock, lights and water bottle for a total of $130 in bike expenses. However, I need to have the shifters replaced which I'm expected to cost another $60 including labor which will bring my bike expenses to $190.

My total costs so far: $95+ $130 = $225 for bike and equipment plus $70 per month and I'm anticipating spending another $60 tonight on bike parts. If I go through a pair of shoes a year, my on going expenses would be $840 +125 = $965 a year with one time equipment costs of roughly $285.

Climbing might be expensive, but it's a conscious expense on something i love and is balanced by being frugal in other areas of my life. I take my lunch to work most days, I use zipcar instead of owning a car in SF, I don't have a fancy new internet phone with an expensive data plan (though I do have unlimited texting) and I spend very little on unnecessary items.

So am I any good at climbing? I'm not great but I'm getting much better. I started climbing about two months ago on routes that were 5.6-5.7 and I'm now climbing 5.10B routes. Now, I just need to build up the skill, strength and stamina to get past the C's...

Weekend recap

Saturday my girlfriend R and I decided to go bike riding along the Bay at Crissy Field. I have a bike, which I bought used off of craigslist, but she doesn’t so we had to rent a bike for her. So we do what every good San Franciscan should do and went to Sports Basement rather than one of the high priced tourist ripe-off bike rental shops like Blazing Saddles. Why Sports Basement? Because the staff is super nice, knowledgeable and the prices are cheap - $10 for 3 hours or $20 for the day, kids pay half.

The staff was great in helping R deal with her fear of riding a bike. Knowing that this was her first time riding in years and if she liked it we would be back to rent a bike often they not only gave us an old fashion cruiser bike – the kind without gears and peddle breaks, for our Bay side ride (don’t ever get a cruiser if you’re going to be riding up any of San Francisco’s many, many hills) but they also gave it to us at the kids price. That is fantastic customer service!

I helped R ride around the parking lot a few times to remember how to ride a bike and get used to this particular bike and then we ventured across the street to the Crissy Field paths. Soon we were riding from the Yacht club to the Warming Hut and back with the sun on our faces and the wind in our hair.

Returning the bike, we picked up a few energy bars from their huge selection and played a game of pink pong for free on the table they have set up for their customers to use. Total cost: about $7. Which got us the joy or riding along the Bay, time spent together, fresh air, helping to over come one of R’s fears and a post ride snack. Well worth it. Oh, and you can be sure we’ll be back to Sports Basement again.

I spent Sunday indoor rock climbing and watching football, neither of which cost any money – I have a monthly membership to the climbing gym so essentially once the fee is paid each visit is free. Alternatively I go to the gym on average of 10-12 times per month making each visit cost an average of roughly $6 to $7 if you wanted to calculate it that way.