Thursday 12 July 2007

'But James - what are you training for?'

Said the mighty Joe Brown to James Foley last night. James looked confused, and quipped back that he wanted to train to do 7c's at the board! reading his comment on yesterday mornings musings he's obviously thinking about it. I hope this doesn't breed the same discontent and festering lack of psyche that so bloated Wheeldon? Ah James, your psyche and energy is your biggest strength, not to mention that you look like a cross between Fred Nicole and Rick Moranis - a goal in itself to be sure...

What do we put ourselves through it for? what is the end point in all this training? for me its about feeling light and strong as I do a move, its about continually creeping forwards however infinitesimal those gains may be. I think I am focussed on the short term, on having a good session, but I do have visibility of the bigger picture, as it often occurs to me how things I have found hard in previous years are getting easier, and each year I am moving forward. Ultimately though, I love the movement and to get the most out of that movement I want to feel good doing the moves, and thats why I go training - it helps me get the most out of actual climbing (when I get to go). Plus, as someone with proper constraints on time I know I can get more out of a short session by going to the wall rather than questing round blocs looking for lines.

So I may never establish classic new problems, and neither will I get to spend days adventure climbing on far flung scottish islands, but I love to climb and I want to make the most of the limited time I have.

I think what Joe meant is that you were doing pull ups when he asked you what were training for, and you don't need to do any more pull ups. As we both said to you last night, you are ripped out of your mind and can already do multiple one armers, so arm strength is clearly not the weak link here, its fingers, fingers, fingers! I think you climb well, you have good technique and certainly the schemas to climb much harder than you do, but you are let down by those digits! Less bar, more edges! You are more than strong enough to climb 7c at that chuffing board so listen and concentrate on your weaknesses!

5 comments:

bonjoy said...

If we are critiquing James' climbing my advice would be, drop the pull-ups and make a concerted effort to climb more dynamically. Foley is clearly a strong beast and it seems crystal clear to me that the lowest hanging fruit as far as quick gains go are in that department. Working weaknesses is tedious compared to repping stuff your good at, but really a little improvment here might go a long way.
Yoooooooooooooooooooooooot. There's my tuppeneth. Anyone else want to step up and have a peck at the poor chap?
BTW I finally got round to updating the blog. Will hopefully be a bit more forecoming now i'm on the road.

Slap Holds! said...

Ditto

The school problems are also tres basic, which folical is already proficient at. Maybe re-enforcing these basic moves hinders different techniques?

I hope he's paying us for this top class coaching

Unknown said...

you'll all be furnished with beer!

Unknown said...

as for being dynamic, i just don't seem toi be able to hold small holds unless i take them in control. probably contact strength.
anyhway as ever i appear to have tweaked a pinky. ace.

Paul Bennett said...

I tell thee the 15' board is the way forward for sorting out weak fingers, think of it as a less boring fingerboard although if you can pull on the 'red n hard' holds then your fingers really can't be too weak. Touches will sort out some contact strength. Just consciously throw a bit more, i've had to do the opposite as I used to leap around like an idiot. Hope the finger isn't too bad.
Anyone up for a board session sunday?