For a change

I guess it's not a change since it's still climbing, but it's not bouldering 100% of the time. It's routes once a week at Ironworks. So okay, bouldering 90% of the time. Either way, tying in a good way to humble your self. It keeps you balanced so you don't get injured from bouldering. At least that's what I feel like it's doing for me.

Ben Eastman, Megan, and I have been tying in the past two Thursdays. I gotta say, I don't believe I would have enjoyed climbing routes again if you asked me a year ago. You would have heard some statement along the lines of, "There's no way, I have no endurance." Or some other excuse. We all have our favorite excuses we love to throw out, but this isn't the time nor the place to throw them out to the world. Save it.

But back to this whole route climbing. It has made me realize that I do enjoy being on a rope. ANd it has pointed out that my route reading abilities have greatly deteriorated over the last year. Being able to read a sequence correctly and find holds while on the ground so as not to be confused about what to do up high has slightly diminished. But it will come back in time.

The last time I did routes seriously was with Zero Gravity in 2008. In good shape, laps became monotonous. Routes stopped appealing to me with the allure of being fun. Bouldering was itching at me to take it and run with it. So I did. Harnesses became used less frequently, my gri-gri sitting idly. It would take a bout of mild elbow tendonitis to get me psyched on doing routes again. At first for the change of pace. 'Just so I don't injure myself,' I told myself. But that all changed. Ben and Megan are two route partners that keep it fresh and fast. Three person rotation means a somewhat short rest time (not as short as t is with two people). Recovery isn't the speediest but in time, I'll learn how to rest and recover faster. But for now, being pumped and falling is normal. It's welcomed. You only get one take and that should be at the anchors.

As Scott Cory's dad repeatedly told me "Climb, fall, or get off the f'**king wall. When in doubt run it out."