Since finishing the Tour 14er project (and properly resting, and getting my life in somewhat order), I’ve dove pretty intensely into climbing, learning as much as possible, in a pretty small amount of time. Much of this knowledge, perhaps to my surprise, is about mental, rather than physical mastery – allowing oneself to move your body well on this completely alien, vertical world, without totally – you know: losing your sh*t. Freaky stuff.

Although I am physically stronger, the difference isn’t incredible – same could be said for how hard of a grade I can climb. What is vastly improved is how fast I can move, how fluid, how much I can climb in a session, and how long I can simply hang, so I can make a clip to an anchor successfully. We’ll see what comes to it – our “goal” (if climbing trip vacations have goals) is Time Wave Zero – 23 pitches of mostly moderate sport pitches,

Took a run in the morning, rather than at night – that was a good call. The sun was shining quite nicely, just a little snow on the trails, and the temperature was pretty mild, for December. Putted around on top of Flagstaff, exploring some of the little offshoot trails – found a nice outcrop rocks called, “Amy’s Point”, which worked well to view the beautiful clouds that shrouded the peaks in RMNP in the distance. Always an unreal sight.

Tuesday, December 16th – Sanitas,  5.1mi, 1:07:46, 13:16/mi (Strava)

I certainly remembered how happy I was after the previous day’s run in the morning, so it seemed a good idea to do another one!

Managed to basically run to the top, from home – it’s a steep sunnafabitch, for sure. Ran down the Dakota Ridge Trail, rather than the Sanitas Valley Trail, as I have every other time I’ve gone up Sanitas. A much funner alternative, for sure. Fun to do such mini adventures – surely does stop some of the monotony of running the same set of trails every single time. Sanitas Valley, being so straight, can be pretty pummeling on your knees.

Evening: Climbing Gym: We managed 25 pitches each, the last group of climbs doing the same route 5 times, with no stopping. We’re, I believe, as ready as we’ll ever be.

Thursday, December 18th, 2014: 

Boulder to Denver, 36.0mi, 2:37:04, 1,393ft  (Strava)

Rode the bike to Movement Denver today, to check out the digs.

Bouldering @ Movement Denver

The holds are new, and super grippy, and many of the bouldering problems seem way, way soft graded – I’ve never flashed so many V4+ and above routes in my life.

I’m also covered in scrapes from the newness of everything – nothing has had the chance to be covered in, well, chalk and dead skin cells; shoe rubber and sweat (yuck, kinda).

Uncanny experience, as the same people work the gym, the same climbers (including me, I guess) are there training, the same music is being played – even the WiFi has the same password. It’s just all… much larger, I guess. The lead wall, in particular, is friggin enormous and mostly overhanging. Yikes.