The New Toronto Climbing Academy

This weekend the Toronto Climbing Academy opened their second location just 15minute walk away from my house! Now sweet is that?! I've been a member of TCA on and off for a few years but have never been a regular. Well now that they are open near my house I've rejoined to take advantage of this situation.

Bouldering wall at the new TCA.

The new location seems roomy and has large ceiling to floor window that allow for a lot of natural light and make the space feel wide and open. So far the place is still a work in progress with a large section (or at least it looks like it to me) still being build and set up. Apparently it will take a month or two for everything to be fully completed. The only complaint that I have is the current lack of lockers to keep personal belonging in.

After spending two days checking out the new place, I am very sore all over and my hands feel very raw. There is nothing like the feel of a band new climbing surface to remind me of just how bad I am at this. Thank goodness I've gotten a membership and who knows maybe with some practice I won't suck as much.

January Round Up

Well it's been a busy month of January and I am glad it is finally over. I've been spending more time under the kettlebells and it seems to be paying off, my progress is coming along and hopefully will lead to me achieving Rank I in March either at the Arnolds Expo or later on in the month in New York.

Monthly Totals:

Running: 105.84km
Cycling: 98.85km
Swimming: 0meters
Rowing: 5,000meters

LONG CYCLE
Time: 67.5minutes
Reps: 292

2KB JERKS
Time: 46minutes
Reps: 234

Competition Report: Toledo Mid-West Kettlebell Open

Lifters on the Flatform.

This weekend there was a great kettlebell meet put on in Toledo by Todd Baden, Mike Sherman and Rachel Suh at the Synergy Sports and Performance, a premier fitness facility that focuses on the the meat and potatoes of fitness; weightlifting, powerlifting, and kettlebells. My friend Eric St. Onge and myself made the 5 hour trek down from the GTA to Toledo the night before to partake in the event.

On the platform, and yes I am wearing maple leaf boxers.

The meet was a great success with some notable performances by Eric St. Onge who set the North American Two KB Jerk record by doing 101 reps with a pair of 32kg bells and Andrew Durniat who achieved CMS numbers in the Long Cycle. As for yours truly, my performance was not particularly impressive with the 24kg bell as my knee was giving me trouble for a couple of days before the meet and especially after the 5hour drive to Toledo, it kept locking up and hurt like hell in certain positions. All of this seems to have steamed from a bruise on the inside of the knee where I bumped into a kettlebell sometime during training.

My set, went just over 7:30 before the knee wouldn't let me go further.

My goal going in was to go for a full 10minutes and get 40 to 45reps. I was using this meet as a training run for the meet at the Arnold Fitness Expo and in New York that will be happening in March. I managed just under 8minutes before the knee gave out on me and hit 34reps, nothing to write home about but it was enough to get my 1st place in my weight class.

You might be wondering what exactly it is that I was wearing while I was doing my set beside the the pair of Vibram Five Fingers that I won recently. If you think it looks like a pair of maple leaf patterned boxers, you're correct! If you're wondering why, just blame it on a temporary case of kettlebell induced insanity.

It's all in your head.

Today I had a interesting conversation with a friend on the mental state of training. To just how important the mind is to the progress of the body. It is not that our bodies fail us but that our mind fails our body. Most of the time we are mentally unable to get past the discomfort of hard work to get what we want. We are hung up on the fact that what we're doing in uncomfortable and we cut it short.

"Every job is a self portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence."
- Unknown Author

What have you accomplished? What does your work and effort say about you? What do you want it to say? I've failed may times and will fail many times to come, this is the inevitable fact of life. If I fail so be it, let my body fail but don't let my mind stop me and make me weak. To fail is not weakness but to give up is, and I do not want to give up, not anymore.

We fail to train ourselves mentally to progress physically, we are weak in will and we pay for it in strength and endurance. I know I've failed many times; I've told myself there is always next time, the next set, and of course there is always another day, there is tomorrow. Well tomorrow has come and it is time to get serious, it is time to get back to work and get the mind over the fear of discomfort.

Winter Running, Snot and All

Near the finish line at the 2009 Grimsby Half Marathon.

Well I am not going to say that I am not a fan of winter, I actually enjoy it in a sadistic sort of way. But running in sub-arctic temperatures is not really what I'd consider a good time, which leaves me stuck to the treadmill for much of the winter. The treadmill leaves me with an odd sensation of being like a hamster inside a wheel. Sometimes it's not even the cold itself that makes me hate running outside during the winter, it's just the prep that you need to do before you head out. So many things to remember and so many layers to put on, damn...

Snot filled post winter run.

Winter running brings all the joys of snot filled noses, chilly sweat, slushy wet feel and frozen privates. Out of that list the former is the one that I dislike the most, I'll rather risk losing a toe of two to frost bite before I'd risk 'the boys.' To that effect I have to give a huge prop to whom ever created winter proof underwear! Truly one of mankind's greatest inventions, no matter how bad it is outside those miracle briefs keep everything nice and toasty. I am not sure about anyone else but without the windproof briefs winter running is a nearly unbearable preposition.