Because sometimes we tend to block things out...

"Maddy, since I'm going to have some down time before we go rock climbing tonight, do you think I should go for a run, start training for our upcoming stair climb, or do the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD?"

"Well, Jenny, you've said before that your Jillian Michael's workout involved a lot of arm workouts, so I would stick to that for today. You wouldn't want to kill your legs before climbing!"


Maddy was right on both accounts.


For her latter point, you really don't want to kill your legs before climbing. A common misconception about climbing is that it involves mostly your arms. People think that if you have strong arms, you should be able to pull yourself up a wall with ease. While it is true that the stronger you are, the more success you'll have on a route, people tend to forget what a crucial role legs play in the climbing process. Our friend Teddy Westside would take this to an extreme sometimes, when he'd ascend the wall using nothing but his arms... both legs flailing in the wind. While he may have made it to the end of a route on occassion, he would also have tired out his arms enough that he would have to spend the rest of the evening watching others. And complaining. Incessantly.

But ask any experienced climber, and they'll tell you just how important it is to use your legs. Your legs are significantly more powerful than your arms, and as a result are much more capable of propelling you up a wall (there is a reason that we walk on our legs rather than constantly doing hand stands... and only part of it has to do with head rushes). Everyone that has ever coached me up a route has always yelled something about trusting my legs and getting my feet up to the next hold. I never hear "ok, now kick off the wall and use just your arms to get to the next hold." In fact, I've had the most success when I rely entirely on my legs for vertical movement, and use my arms to mostly stabilize myself against the wall (which, granted, is still really tiring).

I'm not trying to downplay the role that arms play in climbing, but if you ever try a route with sore/achy/tired legs, you'll likely be in for a much more unsuccessful night.

For Maddy's first point, she is correct in that I have said that the 30 Day Shred involved a lot of arm workouts. Jillian Michaels has you do regular push ups, walking push ups, and traveling push ups. She makes you do punches while holding weights and you spend a third of the time holding plank position (not to be confused with planking). Then there are the bicep curls, arm raises, etc. But it seems that I had focused so much on the arm workouts, that I had completely blocked out how many leg exercises she makes you do. So while Maddy was right that I had said that Jillian Michael's workout was mostly geared towards arms, I had been incorrect when originally mentioning it. I was reminded of this fact yesterday when I was following along with the DVD and was told for the billionth time that we were going to do more lunges (not an exaggeration... we did literally one billion sets).

The point of the story is that in trying to find a workout that wouldn't tire my legs out before rock climbing, I ended up doing one that made simply walking or standing difficult as well as made me wish I had had a straw for the applesauce I ate with dinner (because lifting the spoon to my mouth was proving to require far too much effort).

On the bright side, I'm really sore today (but not detrimentally so), and it's pretty awesome.


When you rock climb, do you focus on legs or arms? Have you ever blocked something like my leg workouts out only to have it bite you later? Should I try working on not visibly wincing every time I stand up or sit down due to my achy legs?


P.S. Even though I was already really tired out before climbing last night, I did manage to make it up a couple new routes clean. It was pretty exciting!

Burns So Good

Sometimes, I really like being sore.

On Monday, a few of my girlfriends and I went rock climbing at an indoor rock wall in town. They were re-working most of the roped courses due to the upcoming competition season, so only one section of wall was available. Fortunately, it was the section of wall where the beginners can climb. I was able to make it up 3 of the routes I've done before, but without falling this time! I also tried a route much harder than I thought I could do, and was right... but I think I might have a better shot next time.

Because most of the roped courses were closed, though, we ended up doing some bouldering. These are the routes where you don't go as high because you aren't attached to anything. If you fall, you actually fall (onto a bunch of mats). Needless to say, I was terrified, and only tried one really easy route. When I jumped down at the end (much easier than climbing back down), it was much less scary than I thought it would be, so I might try some other routes next time.

What I love about rock climbing, though, is just how much it works your arms! I don't even feel like I'm lifting weights, because it is so much fun, but I am, in essence, lifting a large portion of my body weight. Sure, my legs do most of the work, but have you seen how scrawny my arms are? Note: the answer to that question should be no, as I haven't posted any pictures of myself on here... creeps

Last time I went climbing, I had worked my arms really hard, and definitely felt it for the next couple days. I was having trouble opening my car door. It was borderline unpleasant. This time, however, I am still sore, but it is one of those aches that burns so good. It doesn't impede my daily activity, but only reminds me of what a great time I had on Monday!

... kind of got me in the mood to start weight-lifting again...

(Note: not body-building weight lifting, just trying-to-get-less-wimpy weight lifting)


In the event that I get to the point of unpleasant muscle aches again, does anyone have any suggestions for remedies?

You've got to push it to the limit

Who knew that attempting strenuous physical activity after years of couch potato-ing would be so difficult?

Last night, I went rock-climbing. Not outdoor, cliff-side, if-I-misstep-I-fall-down-miles-of-jagged-rocks climbing, but rather safe, indoor rock wall climbing. This was only my second night climbing ever (if you don't count that one time my Girl Scout troop went to a rock wall in the 6th grade). I was actually able to reach the top of four separate routes! Sure, I gave up on one and had to go back to it later, and I kept repeatedly falling on another one... but I got to the top eventually! Thanks to the encouragement of everyone that was with me, and their determination to not let me give up, I pushed myself pretty hard to do my best. It was very exciting and I can't wait to go again. I think Corbin Bleu said it best in his work of cinematic genius, Jump In:

You've got to push it, push it
To the limit, limit
'Cause we're in it to win it, in it to win it
Aw yeah!

At least, that was what I was saying while we were still at the rock wall. Shortly after leaving, I realized that my hands were positively burning. I have extremely soft hands, which have been the subject of admiration by many a friend and acquaintance. Trying to hoist myself up a wall proved to be too much for my soft hands, and they've been torn up. On the bright side, I am starting to form calluses, but too little too late. In addition to my burning hands, my arms have not been under such duress in a while. Sure, I've dabbled in weight lifting, but I am weak, so it usually ended up being extremely light-weight lifting at best. I, however, am much heavier than the weights I usually lift. Even the assistance from my legs wasn't enough to save my arms from the agony of having to lug a 115 pound** mass up the side of (fake) mountain. My arms are so positively useless today, that I had difficulty climbing up into a co-workers giant truck (in all fairness, it is extremely tall).

Fortunately, my hands will heal (they already feel almost normal today), and my arms will grow stronger. I feel confident that these injuries will not be prolonged, and I will live to climb another day... probably next Monday.



**Note: All weights have been altered to preserve the ego of the author**