There's a lot of stuff around nowadays, climbing advice, training inspiration. Have you ever noticed how confused it all is, and how a lot of it keeps changing? One of the things that is foremost in the back of peoples minds is they want something for nothing, so most people don't like the idea that you have to train. They really hate it if you tell them to train hard, they generally desert you, and sign up with Zen climbing dot com lazy barstools, who wear fluffy chalk bags training academy incorporated.
Anyway I don't normally fall for it, except on tuesdays, or on rest days when my lats are hurting and I can't grab whatever it is I want to grab. So I was reading this book on running, and it's got some good ideas particularly about core strength and having good technique, and then I suddenly realised, hang on, you still gotta train. So there I was falling for it, and not falling for it. And then I re read some stuff, and I just thought Bollards, he says children have great technique at running, and then I thought 'no they don't', alotta kids run like waddling, limp wristed, drunk ducks. In another bit he says Kenyans run better than the Fins because they are lighter, and run more. I thought are they? Haven't lots of Kenyans been caught taking stacks of drugs lately. And don't they just run lots, and train hard, and when they win you translate the money into Kenyan roubles or what ever they have got, and it means they can buy a sizeable part of Kenya, so they naturally do what they need to do! They don't do it just effortlessly now do they, it's not just green tea, and a joss stick. Is it?
Anyway it's a fairly interesting book, but don't forget to do some work, just incase you need too. There's work on technique there's work on strength, and there's work on stamina, and crucially in both running and climbing, there's work on being the right power to weight, and ultimately the one that ever body hates including me, is just be light! Light is right, and that is why I am still failing on my projects. It's not rocket science, it's not Chi, it's not green tea, it's called climbing well, and being fit, and flexible.
The other day I did 1304 pull ups, and everybody thinks I am nuts, or I,ll become muscle bound. Well strangely I loose weight when I do a lot of them, and because I do a lot I think I become better at doing them, but I could be wrong it's tuesday!
