dave noden

Recentlly I have been struggleing to make things happen. Structure doesn't come easily to me, I find it difficult to stick to the plan, but I have also learnt that towards the upper end of my grade I need to have a plan in order to keep making progress. Last year I hit the ground running with the Tracks and the Sit start to the Crest, I felt really good and some bonus ticks like Dolly Rocker came along. What had I done differently to normal? Basicly I made sure that I was climbing well when the weather came good, I had been working hard problems and every session finished in the mill so that I could get the volume in and target specific weak areas. It sounds pretty dull but to be honest I loved it, because I love getting better, and getting better has got harder and when I find something harder its more worthwhile to me.


Another thing I got right last year was being straight, after all there is nothing worse than sleeping away the perfect day with a hangover. This is exactly what I did this weekend, one of the days of the year and you don't tend to get a lot of them in Wales. Meanwhile CJD my greatest friend and rival, was completing his project at Crafnant, to give Wales a contender for hardest 'real' boulder problem. Once again he has got out of his car put in a few months effort and kicked my arse. Fair play I guess I am wasting my time competing really, he has 3 kids and a pretty full on job, I work in a climbing wall and have 4 days a week to train or work projects, still I guess knowing when to run back to the shelter of "I only compete with myself and the rock, man" is a skill in itself. The fact is I ain't a big enough hippy and I compete with everyone all of the time, I hate getting beaten but hopefully I can get beaten by the better man at least a little gracefully.




Joe also got the 3rd ascent of Special K my lovely soft 8a traverse up there, apparently the conditions were so good everything was a jug. Yeah thanks for that boys.




This year being the tool I am, (I have on and off as settings and struggle with anything in between) pushed too hard too early on the campus board, trying to make the gains come too soon. When I had plateaued after a couple of months instead of letting it be, I decided to have an extra session, a couple of months into a painful shoulder I really regret that. Its getting better and the thousands of light weights I have lifted and theraband stretches would have been needed sooner or later anyway. And once its better I will bury him not just beat him but fucking destroy him. Mwhhahahah.


Disclaimer - All of the competitive stuff above should be taken slightly tongue in cheek. Its basically true but only sometimes.