Sunday, November 13, 2011

Chipping away at each goal one chunk at a time

The last three weekends I have found myself out working away at the goals.  Three weekends ago it was a long trail run with a large elevation change. Last weekend it was leading a crack climb that I had never heard anyone tell me anything about and never climbed before on sight.  This weekend it was going out with a crowd and getting 4 laps in on a hard overhanging 5.10 for endurance and many others on some moderates to round out the day while also being in a good positive atmosphere. I put a list of mega goals over my desk at work that I want to do. My coworkers immediately started making comical remarks about how they were going to add things to my list like have 10 children or win the baby making race.  It just made me want to train harder but I am sure that after my next week of travel there will be something added to my list when I come back.  I feel like the process of adding things to a list on paper and making goals is an important one.  I tried to put some thought into things and I came up with one non climbing goal that is called the great circle.  33 miles of trail running over rocky terrain and 8000 feet of vertical gain in the white mountains of NH. Other goals include things like El Capitan and climbing 5.12 or 5.13. 

 I find myself wondering if it is possible for me to get some of these goals and I think that for each goal I am going to have to start small.  With the example of the great circle, the current Richmond hill run has about 800 feet of vertical gain so that is about one tenth of what is needed and it is in 20 percent more miles at seven miles and this run has been hard for me.  I am not even sure how to step it up enough to get to that level. 


Three weekends ago I did the Mt. Hunger to White Rocks trail run which is 7 miles with 2000 feet of vertical gain. For this run I averaged 18 minutes a mile because the uphill portion and scrambling on the rocks and ice at the top slowed me down and I just couldn't sustain the heart rate.  I found myself saying well if this were the great circle I would have to do better because 18 minutes a mile at 33 miles is about 10 hours and that is longer than I think I could sustain myself.  maybe if I can get it to 12 minutes a mile or less would make it 6 hours and 45 minutes or less.   So that is the goal.  After doing the short loop and being really happy I found myself thinking of all the other trail runs that I would want to do as training for the loops.  There is one loop at work that during lunch I am just going to have to run it fast because it is over 1000 feet of gain and like 7 miles.  If I can get up to getting this one in 60 minutes I will be happy.  If I can get it in 49 minutes I feel like someone should be giving me a medal. 


This weekend my wife and I went out climbing with a friend named Zack that was a really good time.  It had been a while since I was out with someone who needed some watching to make sure that the belay was solid and that some techniques were foreign to.  I forgot how much just being at the crag and watching people climbing can be fun and I had a good time explaining some techniques and going from there. We ended up adding a fourth to our group at the cliff when my coworkers husband showed up at the crag to get a couple of burns in before going back home to the kids. It was good.  I forgot how simple it can be to just be out there with friend in the woods and to just be there. I ended up getting in four burns on a 5.10a that is steep and pumpy that was good for me to remember overhangs and keep the technique up.


This next weekend I will be at home with the parents and it is close to some great bouldering on pudding-stone which after years of looking at climbing magazine pictures makes me think that it is a mini cobble canyon. I have never been to cobble canyon but I am sure that I will make it there some day and I will be ready.  I have two V4s that I have been trying for years that I want to get this weekend. One of them is a Henry Barber line called hepatitis that is really not my style of a climb but is really aesthetic for a short route.  I am hoping to get it because it would be a breakthrough to get it.  Each time that I have been home recently I have tried it and got one hold farther.  It is also one of those routes that I have never seen anyone try so every year as my technique has improved I have tried new things and got farther with no beta from others and no help.  I think I have only had a spotter there once.  If I do start getting the topout I am going to make my dad or mom come out and belay me.

3 comments:

  1. Hey Ross! I wish I had some better trail running nearby..OK. I DO have the Appalachian Trail, which I DO run on...but that White Mountain run sounds really awesome.

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  2. Thanks Mandy. Every time I look at trail maps now I am thinking what can I do to make this an awesome trail run loop. I have been following some professional athlete climbers that are doing this at a major scale and trying to figure out how to step it up a notch.

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  3. wow--you are climbing hard. glad you enjoy it. hi to mary and jim, and your wife who i don't know. take care ross.

    beverly b in kelly wyo
    we are totally into skiing now, went on the pass twice for some nice cold powder. climbing gym twice a week.

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