Uni life

training training training 

 It’s been a while since my latest blog post and getting used to Uni life has taken more time that I thought.

The past six weeks have been very busy with Uni and training but finally I have worked out a good balance between work and sport. Currently I’m training 5 days a week going to the gym, doing lots and lots of pull-ups, hanging on the fingerboard but also weight to balance out the pulling. I’m running 2 days a week for cardio. This includes 30 minutes warm-up jog then 60 minutes of uphill running on the treadmill then 30 minutes warm down jog. Then I finish the session of with lots of stretching. But when the weather is nice I take my training outside where I will run for 60 minutes then do pull-ups on an old anchor, then campus exercises under some stares, then run for another 60 minutes.

This training routine shall get me ready for my planned winter pursuits. I am already ice climbing and ski tours in the Swiss Alps.

Unfortunately, the next climbing wall is 45 minutes dive away and I still don’t have a car here. So I’ve only been getting there once a week. But as of next week, I will drive my car from Switzerland to the UK: super excited!! This will allow me to train 3 to 4 days a week in the climbing gym! 

More soon.

Partnership with Grivel

Im super exited to announce my new partnership with Grivel. As they make some of the best ice tools on the market as well as awesome crampons, ice screws, and carabineers absolutely awesome company, it is all made with green energy as there factory is powered by solar panels! Grivel has been around sinse 1818 so they definitely have a lot of experience in making climbing equipment. check them out www.grivel.com

Its time to Crank again !

Summer’s been great, injuries have healed and now it’s time to crank again. On the nicest day of the week, which was pretty miserable, as it started to rain, I decided to go for a climb outdoors to a boulder which I kept driving past on the motorway for many years. Finally I can drive, so I made it at last only 19 years later! To my surprise there where chalk marks on the boulder even though I didn’t find any info about it online. There where easy routes and harder ones but it’s a good all around boulder with steep to slab to vertical climbing. I did all different sorts of moves from balancing to powerful dyno, to a sloper and trying to land it with one hand. So it was an awesome experience to get back on the rock, as I haven’t climbed outside for the past 3 months. I was also there to test out the new RedChili crash pad, which is epic, check them out!!  www.redchili.de

I’m Back!

Back on the campus board 

The past two months have been crazily different for me. I’ve only really trained in the gym and in the water (is there an expression for throwing a climber into the water??). As reported earlier, after nine months of pulling on fingerboards and climbing holds my elbow got a repetitive strain injury. That’s why this Summer I focused on curing it and went to the gym to do weights and rehab exercises, ready to crush in the winter. After doing this for five days a week for nine weeks I am happy to be back home and climbing again with good results. With my new gained strength I am able to get 1-5-9 on the big rungs on the campus board and I’m getting slowly back into bouldering, as I don’t want to have a relapse of the injury

Outdoor Research Sensor and Natures's Bakery FigBar

The Summer training regime included a daily 120 minutes in the gym and Paddle Boarding during the day. Paddle Boarding is a grate full body work out. I have been doing yoga and big core workouts on the board. It really helped improve my balance.

core work out crunches

Rocking the Kaenon Hard Core

The Outdoor Research Sensor dry holster has been great as it enabled me to monitor the distance I paddled and listen to my music while I’m out on the water, keeping my iPhone dry and safe out in the surf.

The Kaenon hard core sunglasses have been a real treat to train in with, their long arms reaching far back on your head make sure they don’t fall of in the big surf or when running on the beach. 

We had a few days of surf which was great, but it has also been very stormy and it rained a lot. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to go for a run with my amazing Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket with its Pertex® Shield+ it is fully water proof and breathable, which makes it a treat to run in.

totaly dry with the Outdoor Research Helium 2 jacket 

It was indeed a good Summer with lots of training and lots of fun. I’m now super stoked to be back and I am ready to start University mid-September in London. There are lots of competitions to look forward to. I feel strong and am ready to crush!

Fun Times Training, Weather And More

The last few weeks have been very interesting for me. I haven’t blogged much as I’ve mainly been training but here’s a big one, hope you enjoy it. 

I was given a pair the new Red Chilli Nachos to try out. They are epic, with the glove like feel, it makes your foot feel so much more secure and stable in the shoe. Definitely, one of the best bouldering shoes around.

So training has been interesting the last couple of weeks, as I'm on vacation in the USA. Where I am there , there isn't much climbing around so I started making the most of my spare time by going to the gym and getting stronger and working on my elbow injury. I train five days a week in the gym and try and get to the climbing gym to at least once a week. I did bring rock rings to train my finger strength as I knew I wasn't going to get climbing very often. My gym workout usually consists of one hour for weights and 30 minutes of core. My core workout consists of a series of different sit ups and planks by holding the floating plank I engage my core and my back. This is useful for when your climbing steep stuff. I also do about 100 push-ups a day to strengthen my shoulder to prevent injury.

The weather has been crazy of the last few days with lots of rain, lightning and thunderstorms. It has been even more motivating to stay inside and train. When it was just raining outside I would take the opportunity to go outside and run as this was the best time to go as the temperature dropped and it was more sustainable to go for a run then in the heat of 35°. We had some pretty crazy weather we even saw a water spout which was pretty impressive.

A few days ago I made it to a climbing wall called Vertical Ventures in Tampa. It's one of the best walls in the state. I went there for a few hours to train and to Boulder. This was the first time I climbed in an American gym. The route setting is good, lots of variety but I do have to say when I first got there I was very confused with all the different coloured tapes had to ask someone for some advice and direction. So climbing there. After warming up and stretching I went to climb all the easy problems which was no problem. So then I asked around for where the hardest problems in the wall were,  I was told everything with red tape is pretty hard so I set myself a mission to climb all the red boulders I did all except for one problem which was very shoulder intensive and as I still wanted to train that night I left it for another time. Training: this was a first time I was able to use rings to train which I need to get my self some as the are such a good core and upper body workout! but mainly I was just hanging on the hangboard to get my finger strength up to scratch. There is a comp coming up on the 10^th which I hope to be participating in but that’s all dependent on transport at the moment J.

 I am also very pleased to announce my new partnership with Nature’s Bakery, they make the best fig bars around. You haven’t lived if you haven’t had one of their fig bars they are delicious and also nutritious.