knowing when

Photo by Travis Vincent
I'm sure it's no secret that I love roofs. Sounds so strange if that sentence were read out of context. But I fear I may be tiring of them. I have been trying another Mars roof epic called "Supplexing Navajos" after hearing rave reviews from many who say it is by far their favorite on the roof. I now have my own opinion on the matter and it is of a contradicting nature. I find the climb to lack flow, have tweaky holds and I'm over it. I've done all the moves, I've done the climb in three parts, so I know that I can do it but, "Do I want to?" The answer is NO. I've moved on. I've decided that while I'm working the climb I've always REALLY wanted to do, maybe I'll give it a go or two for stamina and if I send it I send it, if I don't, no loss.
Is knowing when to stop a step toward enlightenment? Is greatness about knowing when to use it?
I've been thinking about training. Now, I don't mean going to the gym and pulling and not climbing outside. I might do a little of that here and there but when I say training I mean eating well, knowing when and how to peak your performance. Does anyone out there specialize in this kind of knowledge? If so, impart some on me!
Thanks!

Ahhh Climbing is soooo good.

So I wrote this boo hoo post last time. Sorry to get all whiny and emotional. I felt really STUCK!!
But then, the universe aligned and Kyle came home from the canyon because of sideways blowing snow and said he needed some quality time with Ava and sent me out for a day of climbing.
Lisa the Lisa showed up at my house at 2:30. I was napping, the wind was howling and I was cold cold cold. But I pulled myself together, slid into her third world rig and she and I along with Tony Chang, EMA, and Andy Klier set upon the anvil boulders to climb more than two moves.
It was completely gorgeous. Sun was shining, green everywhere, and the desert was in bloom. Amazing that only a half hour drive can send you into an opposite land, Mars you could say.
Lisa the Lisa is strong. I love her. She and I were feeding off each other, she would send, I would try, she would send, I would try. It was awesome. OH and the boys would try too. It was a relaxed posse in a beautiful place. What more could I ask for. I was actually out climbing!
Around 6pm the sun started to duck behind the hills and the chill set in. We rolled up to Mars Attacks, our last climb of the day. Mars Attacks has thwarted me for years. I don't know if its my lack of going back to it and trying often. But I try it at least once a year. I may have gone a few seasons without trying it but most importantly, I've never been able to do the first move. I'd never tried the heinous top out either because, if you can't the first move you can't do the problem.
Photo by Kyle George copyright 2006
I'm about 3 months pregnant in this photo. Still trying the first move!!!

Well, turns out I should have scoped the top out.
Cause I sent it first try yesterday. But I'm not going to say it was pretty. I had no idea where I was going at the top and I'm pretty sure I was talking to myself. But whatever. I did it! Haha.
What a gift at the top above the trees: The sun setting and a desert cactus blooming.
In the last light of the day, my birthday sister Lisa the Lisa sent it too. Girl Power. Meow.

The rundown

The school year has ended and a new schedule begins. For the past few years I've been taking pre-requisite courses for physical therapy school. I've had to take Anatomy and Physiology (which I took online), two semesters of Chemistry, and last but certainly not the least, two semesters of Physics. I absolutely loved the Physics. I was always really intimidated by Physics because my math skills were never very concrete. But being that I am an older student and much more focused towards my end goal, I found it to be an absolute joy. You can ask my friend Justin Wood, who helped me out on more than one occasion with understanding the math, that I had to work really hard to gain the necessary tools to be successful in the subject. Maybe it was the gigantic hurdle I had to leap over, or the idea that energy cannot be created or destroyed, or perhaps the teacher; whatever the reason, I grew as a person from having to take Physics. Weird I know. But if you have a goal that seems unattainable and you have to work (with others and with yourself) to figure out and achieve, I think you can do nothing but be changed. I had to believe in myself.
The class was Mondays and Wed. from 6-8:30pm. I often had to find a baby sitter for Ava (thank you granny liz and grandpa ed). I also taught Pilates during the day at the same institution and so received a tuition waiver (score!). But now that its summer (supposedly), the schedule has changed.
I'm now working as a physical therapy tech 15 hours a week while Ava is at Montessori. Kyle has been working in the canyon with his new business Bright Angel Bicycles so our lives are a bit scattered.
I can't just split whenever I want to go climb in areas you have to scramble to or places that are on a precipice. I can't afford to buy a gym membership ($70 per month) because we just started a business and invested all our savings. That money goes to activities for Ava anyway. Money aside, we live in an amazing place to climb with loads of areas that are kid friendly. But on a day like today when the wind is gusting so quickly that they had to close in interstate, whats a mama to do?
I have been adjusting the past week and a half so I've only climbed 2 days and I'm feeling very very antsy. My day that I have to climb on is the windiest day all year and I feel really frustrated!
I know this will pass as all things do, and I will adjust to my new schedule but right now I just want something to save me!!!!!!!

April showers bring May snow

I'd like to just go ahead and give mother nature a little heads up: It's May 1. It should not still be snowing. Here in Flagtown we had a beautiful week, spring was in the air, folks came into town for climbing, and then all of a sudden I was turning the heat back up and shivering in my socks.
So, Jill, and Ava and I went to Grand Canyon to check out what my huz Kyle and his business partner Wes Neal have been up to...nothing short of revolutionary.
Bright Angel Bicycles. www.bikegrandcanyon.com
It's the first bike rental concession in the Grand Canyon,
but there is more that is special, it caters to a wide population of sight see-ers. Because they don't rent out mountain bikes (you can't bike into the canyon anyway) they have a different user base than the usual outfitter. They rent cruisers: flag-spirit 100%. (Flaggots like to ride single speeds at high high speed on sh*tty terrain http://drunkcyclist.com/2007/07/05/2007-cruiser-nation/).

This new business is sort of welcoming the Grand Canyon to the world of Eco-friendly transportation. The very nice rim trail can be easily followed on a cruiser by way of the shuttle- bus-only Hermit Road.

I took this photo while flying downhill and trying to balance my camera on my helmet. During the ride up, Jill and I got into a debate of whether greater mass actually makes a person faster on a downhill cruiser ride. We set physics aside to answer this question through trial and error. I was the leader every time by about a bike length and it turned out that Jill (5 months pregnant) is still 2 pounds lighter than I!!!! She's a machine. We rode up and down hills for 16 miles and she was right next to me (almost) the entire time!