Summertime Blues!

It's being a while.

Most people get excited about the arrival of summer. Not me folks long hot days just aren't my cup of tea. I had being finding it hard to be motivated about training, climbing or anything for the last couple of weeks. Day after day of days in the high twenties and thirties had given me a case of the summertime blues.

Fortunately in the last 2 weeks temps have dropped to mid twenty highs and some evenings where its got down to about 11. This has led me to get out for morning and evening boulders in quite pleasant conditions, as well as training sessions that are productive not soul destroyingly bad. Managed to repeat some problems and will have to try some new stuff soon.

On a non climbing note for the past couple of years i have been buying most of the music i listen to online, so easy to find most things and cheap. Well i am writing this whilst listening to "popular songs" by Yo La Tengo on vinyl (hang on just got to change sides) and it sounds amazing. Technicaly i cant say what the difference is, its just richer in its sound. I guess what i am saying is listen to cds and records they sound better, listen to full albums to, take some time to enjoy music. Digital music has its place but maybe not as much as i have given it.

Bought a new camera the other day, so i have a 18 month old canon 40d for sale, no reasonable offers refused.

Doing the possible is great but embracing the impossible thats when the fun really starts!

Photo of me by Lee.

Lazy Sundays.

Had a 3 day weekend this week,always good. Went to powerplant on Friday morning in arctic conditions managed various bits and pieces before heading up to Mt York. Tried traverse line on the big boulder, just got to work out a way to do the match on the crimp and i think i can do this problem, which is pleasing.

On Saturday i rapped down Jone's old route "Hari Kari" at Sunset rock, something i had been meaning to do for a long time. Did all but 1 move on the gri-gri, would like to go back to try on top rope to figure out the crux move. Followed by an afternoon session back at powerplant with Jules. Was useless but good to be out and about.

As for Sunday i did nothing besides go for a walk and ate. Nice to have full days of nothing, still don't think i could do it every week.

Old font photo's, good times.

Feeling healthy and rested and looking forward to a full weeks training for the first time in i don't know how long. No more wasted time.

Heres to getting back in the game.

FROTHING!!

sickness is gone, 3 days off, chomping at the bit. So excited i don't know what to do, i really shouldn't look at guide books gives me itchy feet for holidays .

BLAH BLAH BLAH.

Just feeling good and stuff, feels like the world is mine for the taking.

Failure isn't falling down it's staying down.

Questionable Strength?

Well it's done the final stone at Haviland Ave has been lofted skyward. Late Saturday morning Scoots arrived at home and been the great man of stone he is wanted to play with the collection of stones in the back yard. Never one's to be shy of a bit of a session with the stone Phil and i headed out and we got stuck in.

After feeling sick for longer than i care to remember i wasn't expecting to much but the first three stones went up easy, and it was time to move on to bigger objectives, the Haviland and the final hurdle the Clarkstone. A double pump on the Haviland and it was up all that was left was the Clark. Feeling no pressure i grasped the beastie and pressed it out! Rad! small goal achieved.

We then moved on to some pinch gripping Where both Scoots and Phil got the 30kg lift, awesome. I stilll can't make these move but their time will come.

Scoots and i then headed off with Amanda to the Powerplant for a spot of bouldering. What can i say besides that Amanda dominated the session, and pulled off a gutsy send of the stout Ace of Spades. Bleeding fingers and bruised tips couldn't hold her back, i have seen many strong fingered folk fail on this one it was awesome to see.

Returning home we then played around with some dumbell cleans. Managed 30kgs and worked out the style needed to go heavy. Thought this was alright till we looked in Milo later to see some light weights cleaning 60kg. Still not to bad for a first try at this lift.

As for questionable strength, well both on rock and plastic this weekend i struggled yet still managed to perform well in other power pursuits without even training them for quite some time. Very confusing, technique with stone and steel i think is easier than climbing, soon balance will come.

There are no secrets to hard training, other than hard training.

good times.

This weekend was a blast! The main event was Lee and Amanda's Wedding a great time was had by all. Always a great way to spend an evening eating, drinking and dancing.

Secondly was Brec finally sending his project at the Letdown. I don't think i have ever seen or heard of anyone being so driven to send for so long. Years of injury and bad luck got in his way but now Bloodline has been opened, inspiring.

Some older photos from around the traps.

Still battling some illness, Katherine says i created some sort of superbug by not finishing my antibiotics, i reckon i need to harden the fuck up.

Get Down

Where the Wild things are

Very Very excited

http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/

More

Fast and Slow

Past few weeks been as follows:

Drive far

walk

climb

walk

climb

sleep

Repeat

Drive

work

tired

sick

sleep

work

rest now

Something like that anyway,

Rest well Friends,

For tomorrow .........

Rainy holidays

You'd think someone that has as many holidays as me would catch the sun more. Sorry that just doesn't happen. Woke up to rain this morning and decided to head west to Tarana to hopefully get some dry conditions, fat chance raining harder out there than in good ole Bleakheath. So instead i got a bit of training on the board and a run in the rain. Can't complain on risk of sounding English and had fun anyway.

Bought a new coffee machine today, just a cheap one but it doe's its job well.

Heading down south again on Friday with brothers Cossey and Phil great times and medium to big numbers will fall to our valiant efforts.

Here is a poem from the latest ironmind catalogue,  for Benji and Lee.

STRONGHAND

It happened one day, quite out of the blue,

the top of the jar was stuck tight, as if by glue

The peanut butter you wanted was inside the jar,

but you were left sitting, like losing the keys to your car.

Then with a swagger came in your brother Lee,

looked at the jar and said, "hand it over to me"

Flicking his wrist, he gave it a twist....

"Enjoy your nice sandwich, and don't be in a rush:

if you need more help call the captains of crush."

On the music front being listening to Seasick Steve's "i  started out with nothing and a still got most of it left". Good blues music check out some his live stuff on vimeo or youtube, radical sounds coming out of such beat up guitars, and man for that matter.

Holiday 1

Just started two weeks off, and went down to power plant to finish off a problem i have tried quite a bit over the years. Displaying undave like characteristics i sent. Celebrated by taking some ham self portraits and had a chicken schnitzel and beer at pub for lunch.

Life is grand somedays. (most days really)

Get back to work everyone i'm having a nap!

Fatman Flips and Phils HR

Due to letterbox construction on Saturday and a bit of a Sunday morning hangover no climbing happened this weekend. What did happen was of great excitement to the small band of mid-strength strongmen that reside at Haviland Ave.

Firstly Phil set a PB by pressing the Brailey stone above his head with a very solid lock out. We then moved on to the Kettlebells where i managed to flip and press the 24kg bell, again only after Phil showed me it was possible. Pinching steel plates was next where after the crafty introduction of chalk we both managed to pinch grip 4x5kg plates in each hand at the same time.

Phil then set a new HR (Haviland record)  by pinching 2x15kg plates in both the Left and Right hands. 

Other bits and Bobs happened like the usual great food and Friends.

I am  lucky to have such great times and a Holiday in 3 more Days.

There is a Ham warning for the photo's, Pic's of me from Phil.

riding

Went for a ride at lunch today thinking it might be fun and enjoyable, well it was neither and i think the bike might have to go back in the shed for another year. Running seems to be easier just come home strap on the joggers and go, no inflating or putting on more lycra than any man should. Don't get me wrong i still think cycling is great and i have a ton of respect for the pro's but it doesn't sit well with my neck. I mean i like rugby but i don't play anymore, unfortunately the bike might have to go the way of the ball and be for fun only.

On the other hand building hurt bomb's with kettlebells in the backyard over the weekend was great. Throwing lumps of iron around above your head is satisfying to say the least and i recommend it to all.

This post comes to you thanks of half a bottle of Red and chicken rissoto.

Cheers 

Gett'n Down to Business

Got back from Gramps the other week, good times!!

Didn't do anything new, managed a few repeats and did some isometric contractions on various harder lines.

Went down feeling pretty strong but it seems that strength improvements are not the be all in me getting up new problems. Overpowering problems i have done before isn't all that satisfying.

Steps are being taken to rectify my weaknesses, trying not to go to hard so i can string together a solid block of training.

took some good photo's i am lucky to go on trips with strong folk and have such good subjects.

Thanks Amanda, Lee, Scoots, Lawry, and Em for a Great week.

Check out this for some power inspiration. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOxfKdeaRuE

 

HOME,

Bikes and Blocs

First up i built a new cruiser with Andy on Friday, rad coaster brake, riser bar the perfect bike for going to training and the shops. Thanks heaps Andy for your time and expertise and creating the perfect bike for its purpose.

On the bloc front being doing bits and pieces all over the place last weekend was spent in Sydney at the Villas and Tambourine Bay. It was great to get back  down to some old haunts i didn't send anything of note but had a good time. This weekend was spent at various mountains venues with Phil and Lee. It was nice and cold and clear perfect mountains weather and it was great to be out. Feeling a little flat after training hard for the past month but was happy to be out.

A sadder note,  this week my old dog Sam past away. He had being battling cancer for the past year and only in the last few days had lost the will. I must thank Fi and Jeff for being his parents for the second half of his life, i know he loved them dearly. He was a great friend and a great dog and anyone who met him was touched by his presence.

Off to the Grampians for a week on Friday with Scoots, Lee and Amanda will be great to get back down there.

Also the Haviland stone got lofted above my head on the weekend, a small victory.

See y'all soon

Stoked!!

Got a picture published in the latest Rock, it is of Sharik on the Thing at crag x in Sheffield.

Stoked!!

Lazy Boy!!

I sometimes think i don't do much with my time, but when i sit back on a Sunday arvo i actually do quite alot. The past couple of weeks i've trained, explored, bouldered, climbed routes, tweaked elbows, found new pressing stones, made a list and worked.

Last weekend Brailey/Cossey Excavations went boulder searching down in the pass, some quite inexcessible problems were discovered and landings were created and one day soon we will get back to these hidden gems. More discoveries were made by Phil and myself out at Tarana yesterday. Climbing at the most developed pocketed area we looked around and found some great new problems right in the heart of the area, they weren't sent but are ready for our next vist.

On the way back from Tarana we picked up some more stones for the " backyard of strength".

One is definately a training stone called " The Women's qualifier". The other one is lighter than the Clark and Haviland stones by 5-10 kgs. I managed to press it out above my head so it is now known as the Brailey Stone, and looks to be a great stepping stone for greater challenges.

Training has been going quite well but on Wednesday tweaked my already perma bent right elbow and now have a very limited range of motion. Will rest it from non climbing weight bearing activities this week and try to get my range of motion back.

Submitted my list of songs fot Triple j's hottest 100 today

The Specials - A message to you Rudy

N.W.A - Express yourself

Johnny Cash - Hurt

Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs Tears

The Clash - The Guns of Brixton

James Brown - The Boss

Sam and Dave - Hold on, i'm comin'

Black Star - Definition

Bill Withers - Ain't no Sunshine

Bruce Springsteen - The River

Now i don't know if these are really the greatest songs ever but i enjoy them.

The possibility of 2 trips to the Gramps in the next couple of months is also exciting and look forward to crushing some southern stone.

To finish i leave you with these words from Robert Troupe (random American strongman).

 To work out with someone who thinks like me is great. The only way to top off a day of stonelifting  is to eat a huge meal.

So there you have it . . . the challange of the stones, the freindship, and the feast. Sounds like a great day to me.

p.s

Next Sundy Katherine is having a stall at Mathildas Market at Riverview collage which just happens to be next to Tambourine Bay were there is some bouldering to be had so there is something for everyone in Sydney next weekend.

Sunday Ponder

Headed down to Sissy today to boulder with Scoots, Sharik and Chris. Had a good time as always, tough pulling but managed to do a few problems and moves, gotta be happy with that. Went out and bought some new records after, Mos Def's new one "the estatic" is well worth a listen if your into the laid back hip hop thing. 

Anyway onto the main point of this post, i was reading  Milo and in the usual lifting articles  i read this.

"Training hard is a learned skill and like any skill, it becomes better with practice. The more often you train hard the better you become at training hard, and the workouts that seem so difficult at the beginning stages of your training will cause you to laugh at them in the not-to-distant future when you begin to understand how to train hard"

This rang true to me at the stage i feel i'm at in my training at the moment. I think this week should be  good as i now feel i have the "skill" of training hard. 

"The biggest loser" has been going alright the belts been pulled in one hole but as what always seems to happen at the start of any hard training period i eat like a fat guy at burger convention and manage to get a bit leaner but heavier at the same time. Will make a big effort to get my eating right this week, Amanda's diet advice will be kept in my pocket as a reminder of what needs to be done.

One last thing, negativity gives me the shit's, more positive thought's and action's on my path is what's needed, so i am going to "Harness the good and block the bad" from now on!! Just like Happy Gilmore.

Would anyone like maple syrup with this waffle?

Love Dave