DIY

I'm resting/tapering for the next comp. We decided to do some DIY in the lounge. We are now proud owners of some handcrafted shelves.

Plywood Masters '09

I had a very enjoyable trip to Blackburn yesterday. There were a lot of faces that I hadn't seen for a while Audrey turned out with a group from London, Naomi and Jordan were both looking strong. There was also some good local talent with Gill Peet making the finals in her first comp.

I came second behind Leah. We both topped all the final blocs, but I had a couple more goes. I think this is the first time I've topped all the final blocs in a comp so I'm really chuffed, especially as I was up against the very imaginative setting of the Boulder UK crew.

Finger beasting

I'm on an intensive fingerboard 3 weeks.

I feel that I've come full circle since first starting full training. I started with strong crimping fingers, but lots of other things to work on. Now I feel like my finger strength is holding me back, especially open hand strength. Hence the intensive.

I have never done much fingerboard work am really noticing the difference already after the second week of three 1.5hr sessions a week. Each session comprises of encores of increasing difficulty, warming up and then working my fingers up to back 2 (see the beastmaker site for explanation). I'm doing these sessions on days I do not climb.

I'll taper my training in the 4th week ready for the next comp.

World Cup Hall, Austria

Here are some sideways videos of me on the blocs in Hall for you to watch whilst stretching your neck.

The first bloc was frustrating being easy to the last move. A pop on a slab where I could get the height but not the trajectory. I dropped two other blocs, topped 2 and got all the bonus holds to come 31st. I was a bit disappointed as I felt I should have got further on a couple of the blocs.