I returned from Kranj, Slovenia on Sunday night where I competed in the last round of the EYS for this year. Unfortunately I have been ill the last few days with a flu-type bug and wasn’t feeling 100% when I was competing, and came 14th. I was disappointed with my result (especially as training had been going so well and the week before I had managed to complete my two 8a projects!) but it’s all good experience for next year when I hope to be fully fit and compete in more internationals and go on trips outdoors in Europe.

 I’m off to Paris tomorrow for a short break, so I’m having a week or so off from climbing to recover from my illness! I have been keeping up my Compex sessions though, it’s great that you can do some form of exercise even when you’re ill!

I’ll be back from Paris next Wednesday, then the hard training begins again!

Last Friday I was training at EICA Ratho and managed to complete one of my 8a projects that I’ve been working on! I felt great on the route and my forearms barely felt “pumped” at all! I reckon that using my Compex on the capillarisation and endurance settings is helping my forearm endurance to a large extent, and this gives me great hope for the last European Youth Series Round in Slovenia next week!

Just a quick note about climbing grades such as “8a” etc, see http://www.ukclimbing.com/databases/crags/comptable.html

and the grades that I refer to mostly are the “Sport” grades which are also known as “French” grades. The French system is an internationally recognised system for grading sport climbs and is therefore used on bolted routes within the UK and indoors. Unlike the UK system, this uses a single figure to describe the how hard the route is as a whole.

I have also been doing a lot of coaching over the last two weeks or so, and tonight I am coaching a young boy who has not long started climbing but is showing great potential. I am really enjoying helping the up-and-coming young climbers from the Scotland South region, they are great kids and will be tearing up the competition scene next season I’m sure!

Yesterday was my best training session for a long while. It’s taken me many months to work back up to fitness since my operation and exams and yesterday at EICA Ratho proved that I’m definitely on the right track for the next and final round of the European Youth Series in Kranj, Slovenia in 3 weeks.

I managed to complete a 7c+ route which I have been working on for a few weeks now, plus I’m getting closer and closer to doing two 8a’s which are also projects, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be getting ticked off before I leave for the competition! My power endurance is increasing, and I noticed how much stronger and fresher I felt later on in my session even after having done many hard routes. Normally I’m knackered after 5 hard routes or so!

I think my gains in forearm endurance are coming from my Compex. I have been using the capillarisation setting around level 100-150 which I find more effective than the endurance setting at making my arms feel “pumped” with blood just like they feel after having done a hard climb. I can see the vascularisation in my arms (ie big veins!) and I’ve noticed recently that my recovery on routes and between routes is getting better – I can shake out between moves and the “pump” in my forearms decreases rapidly. I’ve also been trying to regulate my breathing and take slow, deep breaths when climbing, rather than holding my breath which became a habit during hard power moves!

Another aspect of my training that has just started is my bouldering, circuits and core strength session that I’ve been doing once a week with a coach and two to three others at Ratho. These group sessions are great fun and I can really see how much stronger I’m getting on different hold types and powerful moves. Each week I have been progressing and it’s great to be able to train with friends who push you and encourage you to do well!

Off for a gym, Compex and fingerboard session now!