Outdoors and Getting Stronger

So as the title says I have been trying to juggle the two. How successfully I am doing this who knows, I do feel quite strong and I am managing to get up some things. Had a brilliant time up in northumberland and the lakes with Ned, Dan, Tom and Katy. We visited some fine, fine sandstone, took a trip to the seaside and pulled hard on the giant Bowder pebble. The trip was very laid back with hot weather and huge amounts of food consumed!! Definately heading back up there at some point before we depart for the Jura.

So the Jura is getting closer, only 6 weeks. I am trying to earn as much money as possible while training hard. I have mainly been using the board at the works- trying projects and then getting in some mileage on more familar problems. I love the board, how hard you have to try to scrape your way to the top and how completely fatigued you feel by the end of a session!!

Today I decided to go on the campus board. Now this is something that I do very rarely. Dont ask me why but campusing is a form of training that I have never really participated in. So it was to my great surprise when I managed to float up 1-5-8 on both sides and get close(ish) to 1-5-9 when leading with my right arm!! I then did some power endurance which was my real reason for going on the campus board. I remember Andy Earl once showing us a routine he used to do. I set my sights on this and got shut down, excellent, something to really get my teeth into. Basically it involves doing 1-4-6 on both arms followed straight away by 1-4-7 and then 1-5-8!! I did this 3 times and could barely get past 5 at the end!!

Everytime I campus I remember how much I love the feeling and motion of it. I will definately be doing some more before we head off but the board is the real focus, I feel this can yield the biggest gains in shortest amount of time.

I have recently been thinking about lifetime climbing goals, here is what I have come up with:

• Climb Hubble (I tried this in the blazing heat last week. More strength is definately needed and this is a winter aim with the idea of completing this next summer).
  
• 1-5-9 on both arms.
• Climb consistently hard problems wherever I go and on varying rock types
• Stand on the podium at a world cup round
• Climb 8B+ boulder
  

I feel all these are very achievable, perhaps with exception to the last one. Unfortunately as much as I love competition climbing I am not sure I have the mental toughness for it, but this in turn is why I want to achieve this goal so much.

We will see what the future holds, for now its back to the juggling...