Ididitididitididitididit!!!!!!!!!
I DID IT!
And by that I mean I ran the 13.1 without walking!!!!!!
Time: 2:53:43
The music was great. Dead or Alive came on at mile 7. You're right, Mike. I was dancing on the trail like a record, baby. Mile 10 was I Am Superman (and I can do anything). Jamie Lidell told me it was just a little bit more at 12.5.
Never again.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Almost Famous
Shells arrived this afternoon. We hit the road around 9 (after a couple of games of bowling) and just settled into the hotel. We got crappy directions from the Marriott Web site. There were a couple of places where there was a choice to go either east or west--but with no indication which direction was the correct direction. I guessed wrong the first time. The second time, we went with what the directions seemed to be saying, although I knew we wanted Berkley and not San Francisco. So after a nice scenic detour on the Oakland Bay Bridge, we turned around again. I hate bridges. But we're here now. Tomorrow: 13.1 with an awesome race mix. I had a great time putting it together. I'll have to do some more races now so I can perfect it further.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Music
It's time to put together my final mix of running songs. Any suggestions? I predict this race will take me 3.5+ hours. That's a lot of music, so bring it on.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Science of Aging
I was watching some of HBO's Alzheimer's Project documentaries today. Having had a granfather who suffered from the disease, I was rather interested in learning more about the whole subject.
Here are a few things you should know.
Exercise is good for your brain. Alzheimer's is caused by a build-up of Amyloid Beta protein in the brain. One way to help your brain clear out this protein is through exercise. It seems that it's just good for your brain in general: it stimulates some chemical that clears away the Amyloid Beta. Of course, thirty minutes of exercise a day also helps guard against diabetes. A healthy diet (low sugar, low bad-fat, low salt) also helps. All those things that are bad for your arteries make it tougher for your brain to clear away the Amyloid Beta. You see, all these health risks tie in together. So, exercise and eat right.
Also, people with more friends have brains that are better able to remember things the older they get. The less stress you experience (or maybe, the less you stress out) also helps your brain as you get older.
All of this was rather heartening. I do not have to experience my grandfather's fate. There are things I can do about it. There are things my parents can do about it. I recommend watching the shows if you have the opportunity.
Here are a few things you should know.
Exercise is good for your brain. Alzheimer's is caused by a build-up of Amyloid Beta protein in the brain. One way to help your brain clear out this protein is through exercise. It seems that it's just good for your brain in general: it stimulates some chemical that clears away the Amyloid Beta. Of course, thirty minutes of exercise a day also helps guard against diabetes. A healthy diet (low sugar, low bad-fat, low salt) also helps. All those things that are bad for your arteries make it tougher for your brain to clear away the Amyloid Beta. You see, all these health risks tie in together. So, exercise and eat right.
Also, people with more friends have brains that are better able to remember things the older they get. The less stress you experience (or maybe, the less you stress out) also helps your brain as you get older.
All of this was rather heartening. I do not have to experience my grandfather's fate. There are things I can do about it. There are things my parents can do about it. I recommend watching the shows if you have the opportunity.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
T Minus 7
The plan was to run about 11.2 miles today. I looked it up online, and thought I knew where the turn-around was -- the park with the volleyball court, duh! I wanted to run the way out, and then try to run the whole way back.
I did run the whole way out. Yay! And on the way back, I started walking. As I got closer to the end, I walked more and more. The last mile/mile and a half was almost all walking. My knees hurt. I didn't take preemptive ibuprofen. Big mistake.
Earlier, somewhere around mile 7 (?), I realized a) I had been running much longer than I thought (almost two hours) and b) I might need some calories and water. There, ahead of me, was a gas station. So, a bottle of water and a Crunch bar later, I was feeling a bit better. Even 11 miles is long without any additional calories, and although I have been convinced that it's better to under hydrate than over, water is still a good thing.
Anyway, I finished the run (with actual running, no less) and headed straight to REI for some Gu. Turns out Gu is the only no-chew energy substance with vitamin B. And yet B is what helps you process energy. B doesn't stay in your body long, but while you have it, your body uses its energy more efficiently (or something). So, I bought a bunch of Gu for next weekend -- and had one immediately.
Then, I found a restaurant and had a pretty decent bacon cheeseburger. I would tell you more about it, but I totally forgot to take any photos in my haste to stuff my face. (It was 3pm by this point.) While waiting for said burger, I played with the iPhone, and realized I might have run further than I thought. I drove home the way I ran in, and yes, I ran at least .3 miles (each way) further. Turns out the street I googlemapped last night is not visible from the bike trail.
That makes this weeks run closer to 12 miles... maybe even a bit more than 12 considering I have to do some ups and downs to go around various highway on-ramps. So, I am now less surprised that it took me about 3 1/2 hours and my knees really hurt.
On a side note, my knees have been hurting a bit lately. Then I realized I'd stopped doing the wet sock trick at night. So, it's back to the wet socks at night for me.
I did run the whole way out. Yay! And on the way back, I started walking. As I got closer to the end, I walked more and more. The last mile/mile and a half was almost all walking. My knees hurt. I didn't take preemptive ibuprofen. Big mistake.
Earlier, somewhere around mile 7 (?), I realized a) I had been running much longer than I thought (almost two hours) and b) I might need some calories and water. There, ahead of me, was a gas station. So, a bottle of water and a Crunch bar later, I was feeling a bit better. Even 11 miles is long without any additional calories, and although I have been convinced that it's better to under hydrate than over, water is still a good thing.
Anyway, I finished the run (with actual running, no less) and headed straight to REI for some Gu. Turns out Gu is the only no-chew energy substance with vitamin B. And yet B is what helps you process energy. B doesn't stay in your body long, but while you have it, your body uses its energy more efficiently (or something). So, I bought a bunch of Gu for next weekend -- and had one immediately.
Then, I found a restaurant and had a pretty decent bacon cheeseburger. I would tell you more about it, but I totally forgot to take any photos in my haste to stuff my face. (It was 3pm by this point.) While waiting for said burger, I played with the iPhone, and realized I might have run further than I thought. I drove home the way I ran in, and yes, I ran at least .3 miles (each way) further. Turns out the street I googlemapped last night is not visible from the bike trail.
That makes this weeks run closer to 12 miles... maybe even a bit more than 12 considering I have to do some ups and downs to go around various highway on-ramps. So, I am now less surprised that it took me about 3 1/2 hours and my knees really hurt.
On a side note, my knees have been hurting a bit lately. Then I realized I'd stopped doing the wet sock trick at night. So, it's back to the wet socks at night for me.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
New Duds
I was at school for 12 hours today. I had this very annoying, very long waste-of-time, er, I mean meeting, oops, no it was a "celebration" of all the very "important" work I did in my mentoring program. Of course, it meant very little time for food. So I ran out and got a burrito with another teacher, so that was meat and carbs for dinner (in this town, burritos do not come with veggies or cheese). There was dessert at the meeting, and my Support Provider (SP) wanted a cupcake, but they were huge so I was a team player and had half. I mean that seriously, I did not want the cupcake. It was nasty, plasticky, store-bought cupcake with shortning frosting the flavor of nothing. I do not like store-bought desserts. Now, if they were chips, I would have eaten the whole bag, but they weren't chips, they were cupcakes.
On the way home, I thought to myself, "Self, why don't we go for a short run when we get home?" So, I did. To make it even better, my new running clothes had arrived. I ordered a pair of spandex shorts (since I still can't seem to find anything but capris or shorts with chamois) and a new, stretchy Terry skort (since mine gives me skort burn along my waist when worn for long periods of time). So, I just ran 3 miles. Like that.
Of course, I think I the skort is too big. It's larger than the other one (since my other one is a bit too small), but I think it's too big. So I've got to see what it takes to trade it in for one smaller.
On a similar note, while trying on clothes for today's meeting (where administrators and district muckety-mucks were in attendance by the dozen), I had to wear a skirt I haven't fit in for a couple of years. The one I was going to wear was too big and looked just awful. Of course, the one that now fits is a size 12 while the one that is too big is a size 10. Women's sizes. What a pain.
On the way home, I thought to myself, "Self, why don't we go for a short run when we get home?" So, I did. To make it even better, my new running clothes had arrived. I ordered a pair of spandex shorts (since I still can't seem to find anything but capris or shorts with chamois) and a new, stretchy Terry skort (since mine gives me skort burn along my waist when worn for long periods of time). So, I just ran 3 miles. Like that.
Of course, I think I the skort is too big. It's larger than the other one (since my other one is a bit too small), but I think it's too big. So I've got to see what it takes to trade it in for one smaller.
On a similar note, while trying on clothes for today's meeting (where administrators and district muckety-mucks were in attendance by the dozen), I had to wear a skirt I haven't fit in for a couple of years. The one I was going to wear was too big and looked just awful. Of course, the one that now fits is a size 12 while the one that is too big is a size 10. Women's sizes. What a pain.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mad Props
There is a teacher at work that I often run into at the copy machine in the morning. She "lives" on the other side of campus, so I don't even know what she teaches. At a PTC, she once described me as "the teacher running a half marathon". So I saw her this morning, and told her about the 10k. She was duly impressed. Couldn't shut up about it. It was the best response I've gotten so far. Everyone else is all "oh, that's cool". But I'm not in this for my health, I'm in it for the fame. Bring it, Baby, bring it!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Weekend Warrior
This is not the way to do it. You only get injured when you exercise excessively on the weekends and not at all during the week. I know this, and yet here I am. I have certainly hit a "running wall" during the week. I guess I can maintain focus for 10 weeks, but not 15. And, the end-of-year crap is getting the way: grades, BTSA (don't ask), packing up the room. I still have finals to write.
So, this past week I ran a couple of miles until I got the call to go see Star Trek. Well, we were going to see Star Trek, but then the Europeans didn't want to... but me and my trusty iPhone pointed out (with the aid of Rotten Tomatoes) that all the other films showing were so not-Scottish (therefore, crap), so we did see Star Trek. And it was awesome. I loved it. They... not so much. I think it might be an American thing. All those years watching the original show helped out, too. After that Monday, I never made it back out. I hope that the end of TV season will help me out these next two weeks, two. 'Cause the countdown is ON.
Today, however, I did a 10k. It was part of some local "get healthy" campaign that the crazy gym teacher at school got us all hyped up about. I was the only teacher to show, though. But my prinicpal was there; I love looking like the team player I am in front of admin. The start was about 1.5 miles from home, so I jogged over, signed up, and waited. I got in the big ol' mess o' people and started running. It was just like being back in high school (except it was on the road, and not a golf course).
I was in the middle of a sea of bobbing bodies... and they were all passing me. Just when I thought maybe things had started to even out... more people passed me. The more things change, the more they stay the same. On I ran, however. I played leap frog with a few people who were walking. I stuck to my same-old 12-min. mile pace, however. They all stopped at the 5k. I think they all passed me at the finish, seeing as they were ending and I. I take comfort in the idea that I passed them the second they stopped at the first lap. (The 10k was just two loops of the 5k course.)
Speaking of laps, I only got lapped by the first and second place winners! I was afraid that people would be streaming by me to the finish line while I still had another loop to go, but that wasn't the case. I'm OK with getting passed by the serious runners, and am glad to have held off the less serious ones.
I toyed with walking during the second lap, but I kept on putting it off. (The old "one more mile" trick.) It worked, too. I also found a pretty good stride around mile 4 (it should not have taken that long, I know.) I finally started lengthening my stride, remembering whats-his-name's advice all those years ago. Rach--it was one of your running friends. The tall one. With a longer strike, you cover more ground with the same amount of energy. I can feel it in my hips (and these hips don't lie). Instead of being all knees, the length (and power) comes from my entire leg. I need to remember that, and bring it out.
It was around this time I saw the walker in front of me. She was doing some serious walking, and I slowly, slowly, slowly overtook her. After awhile, she started running again, and she passed me by. Then she started walking again. I passed her for the last time. I came around a corner (and thought I still had one more corner to turn), but there was the finish line. So, I really turned it on. I took real strides and ran like a real person. Somehow, I never find that strength until the end. If I could run like *that* more often, I could make it out of my 12-min. mile slump. (Is it a slump if that's been your pace for 15 years?).
I finished in 1:18:17 (or so). I didn't stick around for all the results, though. It was taking forever, and I still had to make it home. I originially planned on running home, but that didn't happen. My knees felt like jelly and all my joints feltl like they had come unglued (I still feel a little slippery in my skin). So I walked it back, but that's still some more distance-ish.
The big day is two weeks away.
So, this past week I ran a couple of miles until I got the call to go see Star Trek. Well, we were going to see Star Trek, but then the Europeans didn't want to... but me and my trusty iPhone pointed out (with the aid of Rotten Tomatoes) that all the other films showing were so not-Scottish (therefore, crap), so we did see Star Trek. And it was awesome. I loved it. They... not so much. I think it might be an American thing. All those years watching the original show helped out, too. After that Monday, I never made it back out. I hope that the end of TV season will help me out these next two weeks, two. 'Cause the countdown is ON.
Today, however, I did a 10k. It was part of some local "get healthy" campaign that the crazy gym teacher at school got us all hyped up about. I was the only teacher to show, though. But my prinicpal was there; I love looking like the team player I am in front of admin. The start was about 1.5 miles from home, so I jogged over, signed up, and waited. I got in the big ol' mess o' people and started running. It was just like being back in high school (except it was on the road, and not a golf course).
I was in the middle of a sea of bobbing bodies... and they were all passing me. Just when I thought maybe things had started to even out... more people passed me. The more things change, the more they stay the same. On I ran, however. I played leap frog with a few people who were walking. I stuck to my same-old 12-min. mile pace, however. They all stopped at the 5k. I think they all passed me at the finish, seeing as they were ending and I. I take comfort in the idea that I passed them the second they stopped at the first lap. (The 10k was just two loops of the 5k course.)
Speaking of laps, I only got lapped by the first and second place winners! I was afraid that people would be streaming by me to the finish line while I still had another loop to go, but that wasn't the case. I'm OK with getting passed by the serious runners, and am glad to have held off the less serious ones.
I toyed with walking during the second lap, but I kept on putting it off. (The old "one more mile" trick.) It worked, too. I also found a pretty good stride around mile 4 (it should not have taken that long, I know.) I finally started lengthening my stride, remembering whats-his-name's advice all those years ago. Rach--it was one of your running friends. The tall one. With a longer strike, you cover more ground with the same amount of energy. I can feel it in my hips (and these hips don't lie). Instead of being all knees, the length (and power) comes from my entire leg. I need to remember that, and bring it out.
It was around this time I saw the walker in front of me. She was doing some serious walking, and I slowly, slowly, slowly overtook her. After awhile, she started running again, and she passed me by. Then she started walking again. I passed her for the last time. I came around a corner (and thought I still had one more corner to turn), but there was the finish line. So, I really turned it on. I took real strides and ran like a real person. Somehow, I never find that strength until the end. If I could run like *that* more often, I could make it out of my 12-min. mile slump. (Is it a slump if that's been your pace for 15 years?).
I finished in 1:18:17 (or so). I didn't stick around for all the results, though. It was taking forever, and I still had to make it home. I originially planned on running home, but that didn't happen. My knees felt like jelly and all my joints feltl like they had come unglued (I still feel a little slippery in my skin). So I walked it back, but that's still some more distance-ish.
The big day is two weeks away.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Two For the Price of One
OK, still trying to get through the week two weeks ago that sent my training into a tailspin.
Bro on Friday night and climbing all day Saturday. I decided that was enough exercise to excuse a weekend.
M&D and Bro for dinner on Saturday night, then just M&D.
M&D all day Sunday.
M&D and Sister on Sunday night in San Francisco for dinner.
Me all by my lonesome on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Still tired from staying up late/getting up early on the weekend. Not enough time for sleep, let alone running.
Friend from Vancouver and her friends on Thursday night.
School play and bowling on Friday night.
Los Gatos with Baby Mama and her Fam on the weekend. Rainy weather/hangover=no running.
After that crazy week, I knew I had to get back into it, but I only managed the one run during the week. I was going to do a 5 miler, but I wimped out and I'm still not sure how far I went. (I combined some routes in new ways, and I haven't looked it up yet.) I got out, but these things must change.
Which brings us to yesterday.
Back in Los Gatos for some quality time with two adorable pit bulls. Went down to the town proper for some running. Why is it that all the good running trails always run besides the highway? Beautiful greenway; nasty smells and sounds.
I've been watching some Seinfeld lately. I've even found some that I haven't seen before (or at least have forgotten that I've seen). But I was reminded of the Good Naked episode. Jerry had a girlfriend who was always naked at home. He was cool with it until she started doing things like floor sanding naked. He decided to teach her a lesson by wandering around his apartment naked, and she got grossed out. Her response was that all women are good naked. Men, on the other hand, are not. Men's bodies (she reasoned), were angular and functional, but not necessarily beautiful. You don't gaze at men's bodies, you use them. Hence, men should not just wander around naked.
So there I was on the trail, and there is this guy running the opposite way, and he's a bit on the husky side. So am I; I don't judge. But, I do wear a cute little running skirt over my spandex and I try not to advertise my jiggly middle. Dude, however, was running in spandex. No shorts, no covering of any kind. Just jiggly man-flesh encased in lycra. It was so not good. Just past him was another guy, far buffer. I might not have minded him in some spandex. He, however, was wearing normal shorts. Yay normal shorts!
I know we are all out there to get in shape, and it's not always the prettiest scene. That's fine. You do not have to look your absolute best on the trail. But dude, wear some shorts over your underwear. No one wants to see that.
And, I haven't figure out my mileages. (Maybe 6-7 miles?) But I was out for two hours, so I'm getting back on track with my distance weekends. New race: May 30. Shells is coming out to run with me. eeeeeeeee!
Bro on Friday night and climbing all day Saturday. I decided that was enough exercise to excuse a weekend.
M&D and Bro for dinner on Saturday night, then just M&D.
M&D all day Sunday.
M&D and Sister on Sunday night in San Francisco for dinner.
Me all by my lonesome on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Still tired from staying up late/getting up early on the weekend. Not enough time for sleep, let alone running.
Friend from Vancouver and her friends on Thursday night.
School play and bowling on Friday night.
Los Gatos with Baby Mama and her Fam on the weekend. Rainy weather/hangover=no running.
After that crazy week, I knew I had to get back into it, but I only managed the one run during the week. I was going to do a 5 miler, but I wimped out and I'm still not sure how far I went. (I combined some routes in new ways, and I haven't looked it up yet.) I got out, but these things must change.
Which brings us to yesterday.
Back in Los Gatos for some quality time with two adorable pit bulls. Went down to the town proper for some running. Why is it that all the good running trails always run besides the highway? Beautiful greenway; nasty smells and sounds.
I've been watching some Seinfeld lately. I've even found some that I haven't seen before (or at least have forgotten that I've seen). But I was reminded of the Good Naked episode. Jerry had a girlfriend who was always naked at home. He was cool with it until she started doing things like floor sanding naked. He decided to teach her a lesson by wandering around his apartment naked, and she got grossed out. Her response was that all women are good naked. Men, on the other hand, are not. Men's bodies (she reasoned), were angular and functional, but not necessarily beautiful. You don't gaze at men's bodies, you use them. Hence, men should not just wander around naked.
So there I was on the trail, and there is this guy running the opposite way, and he's a bit on the husky side. So am I; I don't judge. But, I do wear a cute little running skirt over my spandex and I try not to advertise my jiggly middle. Dude, however, was running in spandex. No shorts, no covering of any kind. Just jiggly man-flesh encased in lycra. It was so not good. Just past him was another guy, far buffer. I might not have minded him in some spandex. He, however, was wearing normal shorts. Yay normal shorts!
I know we are all out there to get in shape, and it's not always the prettiest scene. That's fine. You do not have to look your absolute best on the trail. But dude, wear some shorts over your underwear. No one wants to see that.
And, I haven't figure out my mileages. (Maybe 6-7 miles?) But I was out for two hours, so I'm getting back on track with my distance weekends. New race: May 30. Shells is coming out to run with me. eeeeeeeee!
On the Rock
So, I haven't been blogging lately. This is partly due to my extreme tiredness, and partly due to my extreme laziness. It all started two weeks ago: the Week of Out-of-Town Guests. First, my brother arrived on Friday and came bowling with the Cinco Equis. (There is nothing else to do but bowl on a Friday night, um, hello!) We slept; we woke up; we drove to Castle Rock State Park. We went climbing.
Climbing was good. We got there around 8. (We were among the first there. What is a late start time anywhere else seems to be super-early in the greater Santa Cruz area. Go figure.) I did OK on some climbs. He is certainly better than I (not to mention in much better practice and the owner of actual climbing gear -- a rack, a rope, you know -- the really important stuff), but I did well with what I could do. I managed to get past the cruxes of my routes. I didn't always (ever?) make the top, but I did get past the tough problems for me, which I consider a success. Katy will feel me on this, but I judge myself against myself, not against the best climber out there (or even out there that day). For me, 5.7 is HARD. The climbs in the book all started at 5.7 -- meaning there was no way I would ever get to the top of something.
In fact, I couldn't downclimb the "5.4" "walk-up" to se the anchor. The quotes are on purpose. It was no 5.4. Bro had to take his pack off to make the move (all unprotected -- this was supposed to be the walk to the top to set an anchor) so I climbed up a few feet to pass his pack over to him. It is impossible, you see, to set an anchor without any gear. I went up about 6 feet and he got his pack, but then the down was a big ol' Not So Much. I gotta give some props to my Bro, though. He got out the rope and tossed an end down to me. It wouldn't do much -- but then I wasn't more 'n 6 feet off the ground anyway. He told me to just tie it around me waist.
Wait! Wait! I know this!!!! I can tie a one-handed bowline around my waist. It was a parlor trick taught to me by my first climb leader in the car on the way to a conditioning hike. I'm good at knots (hey -- let me brag about the one thing I'm actually a natural at), so I picked it up quickly, and kept it. Cause there I was with a rope tied in a nice bowline, around my waist. I made it down fine. I would have made it down fine without the rope; I didn't use it. But Bro didn't make me feel bad about using it at all: no "You wuss" comments, no calling me a sissy. (If you know my Brother, you know he can be harsh. When push comes to shove, though, and his little sister is scared, he totally comes through.)
Anyway. After a second attempt, I make it past the difficult spot on our first climb. We go around the back to a crack and steal a belay off some other guys on the rock. They have their own issues, but I do get a nice belay. I didn't make the top -- I used up all my strength getting past the crux. It took me some time, I fell off once or twice. But with some good advice on how to attack the crack (it involved some stemming -- which isn't always intuitive -- and turning 90 degrees away from crack) I made it past the tough part. Then I fell and I knew I had nothing left to go higher. Bro even complimented me. The dudes were idiots, though, so we left.
We hiked to the other side of the park, and did some more climbing. There was another sketchy climb to set an anchor, but it was at a place where I could do a seated belay for Bro. He had tried to lead climb the thing, but it was too difficult a start. With a top rope, he made it up, however. I made it past the start. It was a difficult start, and I did the first-ever layback type move of my life. It wasn't a complete layback, but enough to make me think that I can, one day, do a layback. (I need more upper body strength, straight up.) So, I got six feet off the ground and told him I had nothing. He sorta laughed and said, "Yeah, I just wanted you to get that far." We moved over a route, and Bro played on the rock for a bit, but he was pretty spent. I went up as well, but I was spent, too. So we called it a day around 3.
As a side note, you've seen the rants about bicycle helmets. Imagine how much more annoyed I am when I see people climbing without helmets. Really? Are you shitting me? This couple is climbing a 5.11 or 5.11b WITHOUT HELMETS. Yeah, dude is good. Dude can climb a 5.11. But even dude falls off the rock while working out the problem, that's how you work out a problem. Imagine, however, what would happen if one time when he falls off the rock he smacks his head. Or what happens to his belay partner when he knocks a stone loose and it comes crashing down on her head. What happens when he's "walking" to the top to set an anchor and falls off. Oh, yeah -- this is what happens: YOU DIE! I read a post on Facebook not a month ago from a friend who was climbing with the Mazamas when a (non-Mazama) family had an accident on the rock and they ended up dead. This was at a very popular climbing spot -- I've been there 3-4 (5?) times myself. They were walking up to set an anchor, and this is an actual walk to the top, (they think -- investigations were still pending when I read the report) and fell. Or maybe the anchor failed. Regardless, they didn't have helmets on. There's not much you can do without a helmet. Why is death so cool? It's not. Bro's sticker on the top of his helmet reads: Contents Empty, Do Not Remove. Mine is a giant target, you know: hit me right here, I dare you. Helmets can be fun.
My same climber leader always said that if you see someone doing something stupid (like glissading with crampons on), tell them to stop doing then and get out of there so you don't have to help with the rescue.
Climbing was good. We got there around 8. (We were among the first there. What is a late start time anywhere else seems to be super-early in the greater Santa Cruz area. Go figure.) I did OK on some climbs. He is certainly better than I (not to mention in much better practice and the owner of actual climbing gear -- a rack, a rope, you know -- the really important stuff), but I did well with what I could do. I managed to get past the cruxes of my routes. I didn't always (ever?) make the top, but I did get past the tough problems for me, which I consider a success. Katy will feel me on this, but I judge myself against myself, not against the best climber out there (or even out there that day). For me, 5.7 is HARD. The climbs in the book all started at 5.7 -- meaning there was no way I would ever get to the top of something.
In fact, I couldn't downclimb the "5.4" "walk-up" to se the anchor. The quotes are on purpose. It was no 5.4. Bro had to take his pack off to make the move (all unprotected -- this was supposed to be the walk to the top to set an anchor) so I climbed up a few feet to pass his pack over to him. It is impossible, you see, to set an anchor without any gear. I went up about 6 feet and he got his pack, but then the down was a big ol' Not So Much. I gotta give some props to my Bro, though. He got out the rope and tossed an end down to me. It wouldn't do much -- but then I wasn't more 'n 6 feet off the ground anyway. He told me to just tie it around me waist.
Wait! Wait! I know this!!!! I can tie a one-handed bowline around my waist. It was a parlor trick taught to me by my first climb leader in the car on the way to a conditioning hike. I'm good at knots (hey -- let me brag about the one thing I'm actually a natural at), so I picked it up quickly, and kept it. Cause there I was with a rope tied in a nice bowline, around my waist. I made it down fine. I would have made it down fine without the rope; I didn't use it. But Bro didn't make me feel bad about using it at all: no "You wuss" comments, no calling me a sissy. (If you know my Brother, you know he can be harsh. When push comes to shove, though, and his little sister is scared, he totally comes through.)
Anyway. After a second attempt, I make it past the difficult spot on our first climb. We go around the back to a crack and steal a belay off some other guys on the rock. They have their own issues, but I do get a nice belay. I didn't make the top -- I used up all my strength getting past the crux. It took me some time, I fell off once or twice. But with some good advice on how to attack the crack (it involved some stemming -- which isn't always intuitive -- and turning 90 degrees away from crack) I made it past the tough part. Then I fell and I knew I had nothing left to go higher. Bro even complimented me. The dudes were idiots, though, so we left.
We hiked to the other side of the park, and did some more climbing. There was another sketchy climb to set an anchor, but it was at a place where I could do a seated belay for Bro. He had tried to lead climb the thing, but it was too difficult a start. With a top rope, he made it up, however. I made it past the start. It was a difficult start, and I did the first-ever layback type move of my life. It wasn't a complete layback, but enough to make me think that I can, one day, do a layback. (I need more upper body strength, straight up.) So, I got six feet off the ground and told him I had nothing. He sorta laughed and said, "Yeah, I just wanted you to get that far." We moved over a route, and Bro played on the rock for a bit, but he was pretty spent. I went up as well, but I was spent, too. So we called it a day around 3.
As a side note, you've seen the rants about bicycle helmets. Imagine how much more annoyed I am when I see people climbing without helmets. Really? Are you shitting me? This couple is climbing a 5.11 or 5.11b WITHOUT HELMETS. Yeah, dude is good. Dude can climb a 5.11. But even dude falls off the rock while working out the problem, that's how you work out a problem. Imagine, however, what would happen if one time when he falls off the rock he smacks his head. Or what happens to his belay partner when he knocks a stone loose and it comes crashing down on her head. What happens when he's "walking" to the top to set an anchor and falls off. Oh, yeah -- this is what happens: YOU DIE! I read a post on Facebook not a month ago from a friend who was climbing with the Mazamas when a (non-Mazama) family had an accident on the rock and they ended up dead. This was at a very popular climbing spot -- I've been there 3-4 (5?) times myself. They were walking up to set an anchor, and this is an actual walk to the top, (they think -- investigations were still pending when I read the report) and fell. Or maybe the anchor failed. Regardless, they didn't have helmets on. There's not much you can do without a helmet. Why is death so cool? It's not. Bro's sticker on the top of his helmet reads: Contents Empty, Do Not Remove. Mine is a giant target, you know: hit me right here, I dare you. Helmets can be fun.
My same climber leader always said that if you see someone doing something stupid (like glissading with crampons on), tell them to stop doing then and get out of there so you don't have to help with the rescue.
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