Climbing, running, stuff

[hawkwing_lb]

Mile in 9 mins 10 secs, 1.5 miles in just under 15 mins. That's my first 1.5 in 15 minutes in nearly two years, I think. 21 mins on the treadmill, for a total of 1.8 miles.

Climbing: I'm at the sticky point where I'm competent enough to do the three routes I can do even when somewhat tired, but not strong enough/sure enough to do any of the next five. I fell off at the same spot on the 4b overhang - I can see what I need to do, I just can't get there - got a little higher on the 4c corner and the other 4c overhang, got higher on the 5a - likewise, I can see what the move is, I just don't have the grip strength to manage it - and fell off another 5a at the same point it beat me last time.

I also managed the first two moves of an itty-bitty 5b route on the slab wall. But, ouch.

But I'm not wrecked right now, not the way I used to get after trying three routes. All I need to do is keep going, keep trying - and maybe talk to a gym instructor about working up a program to improve my upper body strength.

But I'm already doing a lot, so maybe I should just get a consult on exercises to do to keep in trim when I'm in Crete and don't have access to a gym, or a climbing wall. (Alas, I looked up rock climbing in Crete, and the main area is in Chania, on the far end of the island from where I'll be. So I think I should cross that off my list of Things To Do, since I already plan on diving. And that will probably be quite enough to occupy my meagre free time.)

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I studied. Yes. Ask me about Greek tyrants, ask! I can answer.

(Alas, I was supposed to manage three topics today. Oh, well.)

Comments

[ilona-andrews.livejournal.com]

"I studied. Yes. Ask me about Greek tyrants, ask! I can answer."

Which tyrant is rumored to have commissioned an iron bull, in the belly of which prisoners of this tyrant were slowly roasted to death?

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

You had to ask the hard one, didn't you? :)

Um. I think it's Periander of Corinth's father-in-law, but I don't remember his name. Theognis of Megara? Megathocles? After a while, they all start to sound the same.

And good Dr. A.A. Andrews, author of The Greek Tyrants (London, 1961, a handbook that apparently has not been equalled for clarity and ease of reading since), is rather more interested in the reasons behind the legends about tyrants, rather than what the legends actually were. :P

[ilona-andrews.livejournal.com]

:P

http://books.google.com/books?id=ne3G3nPrsD4C&pg=PA200&lpg=PA200&dq=iron+bull+greek+tyrant&source=web&ots=vSBk-rvhNV&sig=PSke9RmDMYkR056AUTVF9KC7luI&hl=en

He is considered to be the first of "evil" tyrants :)

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Ah, one of the western Greek tyrants.

All the tyrants get a bad rep. Makes you kind of feel sorry for them, after a while.

(I don't much like Archaic and Classical Greek history. My favourite bits are the Dark Age and the Bronze Age. :P)

[davefreer.livejournal.com]

http://www.climb.co.za/gradetable.asp

A grade comparison table... just watch how you land! Broken ankle boy just led - on-sight his first 7A - so getting good is no protection. What you actually need is a powerball - or to save yourself a fair amount of money - a spare squash-ball which, when you're walking or sitting in lectures or the train, you squeeze. Useful for pickle jars and firm handshakes:-). Speaking from experience you're probably compensating for hand and forearm strength with shoulder and upper arm (naturally stronger in most people). Also, part of the whole thing is control - you probably started by putting max effort into holding on. As your confidence (and strength) improved you actually reduced the amount of strength you use to hold yourself on, toward how much you need, not have. You're doing great. (I actually get a huge amount of satisfaction reading your blog. Life is tricksy but seems to me you're winning atm.:-))

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I discovered that the gym actually uses the British system - there's a conversion table on the club's website, here (http://www.climbing.tcdlife.ie/grades/), and another one at wikipedia.

I'm thinking of picking up one of those little spring-wired grip strength training things. I'm getting better, but I'd like to be getting better faster. I'm not an adventurous climber, you see: if I feel myself starting to slip, I'll let myself off gently if I can, rather than do the *clitch*cling*FALL!* thing.

By October I might actually feel secure enough to take the lead climbing course at the wall. :)

(But right now I relax after swimming with a big bag of M&Ms. :))