The past month.

The past month has been nuts.  I haven't been able to train at all. It's been hell to say the least. I have a pesky little tendon injury that just won't leave me be.  The worst part? Its the middle of my very first season competing in the American Bouldering Series.  I can't climb during the week just so that I can fight through the competitions on the weekends.  Every comp is a fight to finish five climbs before my tendon feels like its ready to explode.  I haven't climbed outside, I haven't trained, I just sit at home and watch TV. It sucks. Ibuprofen and ice packs have become my best friends.

Enough complaining though.  Two weeks ago I competed at Rock N' Jammin in Thornton, a super rad gym.  Injured or not I was able to just barely scrape into the OPEN category, a small victory.  Last weekend I competed at my home gym and things didn't go so well, I wasn't able to finish five climbs due to the pain in my wrist but I still managed a flash of OPEN 1, again, a small victory.  I was able to get one weekend in on real rock and was able to fight the pain and send a route that seemed impossible just a year ago, Kahuna Roof (V6) at Carter Lake as well as flash Fromunda (V6) and flash Seaming Traverse (V5).  I was also able to get out the next day with my wonderful Evolv rep, Bobbie Bensman, and some of her friends to try out the 90 move boulder Bitch Slap (V7).  Unfortunately, with the combo of having absolutely no endurance and a real pain in the ass injury there was no send, not even close... No one was counting but I would say I would be lucky if I made it 30 moves before I was pumped... Anyways, Psychedelia is this weekend. By far the most interesting competition of the season and I'm holding out all hope that the massive amount of Ibuprofen and icing that has been happening will pay off and I will be able to compete. After that I get a few weeks off to finally rest and hopefully heal.  Then if all goes well it'll be off to Joes for my first trip ever! :D

I also got the chance to set for the Top Klaw Competition at the University of Northern Colorado, a small, but amazing, event that we hold every fall semester.  This year we got some amazing sponsors and the turn out was HUGE.  Our gym was built in an old racquetball court and needless to say its tiny. Well we managed to cram somewhere around 25 competitors in there for three hours.  Sean and I set all the OPEN's and helped some other people set some easier routes.  All in all the routes were a blast and I think the competitors really enjoyed them.  Woman's finals were dominated by UNC climbing team athletes, the team that I "coach" and the Men's category was won by a UNC climbing team athlete, which was spectacular for the team, the athletes, and for me to see that my hard work is paying off.

I'm sure this was rambly... I'm tired and I've been writing code all night.  But thanks for reading anyways! Be on the lookout for some more interesting articles!