Category: Training Journal

I was “on assignment” this week at Rumney, NH, where I did more hiking about and taking pictures than climbing (unfortunately). But, it was for a paying gig, so I’ll take it.

Monday
Mostly a rest day. Shoulder exercises, bench, arms, foam roller.

Tuesday
1 hour hike with the dogs and a 42# backpack. I didn’t record the hike, but maybe around 2.5-3 miles in total with a few hundred feet of elevation.

Wednesday
Rest day.

Thursday
Short bouldering session at Rumney. Got in late, really buggy, and needed to get to other climbing areas to take photos.

Friday
Short sport climbing session (only did 3 climbs) and a lot of hoofing it up and down Rattlesnake Mountain. Again, for taking photos.

Saturday
Shoulder exercises, bench, arms.

View this post on Instagram

Wasn’t so hot by the saltwater spray.

A post shared by aaron (@aarongerry) on May 26, 2019 at 4:11pm PDT

Sunday
Bouldering at Rafe’s Chasm in Glouchester, MA. Stunning location, right by the Atlantic. Had it all to myself. Tried a bunch of made-up-ish problems, from traverses to a sketchy jug fest to slabs.

…

Photo sources: The author

Big week! Sent my first V8 in the gym, my first V5 outside, and led a 5.8 trad route. Holy cowabunga, spaghetti monster!

Monday
2 hours of bouldering at the gym. Sent my first V8, a slabby balance-fest with a tricky finish. Tried a lot of other crimpy, slabby, pinchy problems. Finished with shoulder exercises, stretching and rice bucket work.

Tuesday
Rest day. Pull-ups, one-armed hangs, foam roller.

Wednesday
Big day! Sent my first V5 outside, and my first project, an arete traverse starting from under a roof, using heel hooks and big reaches to crimps. Real fun.

Thursday
Lower impact day. One hour of bouldering outside on “my” project walls: Cleaning lines, trying variations, did about 5 problems.

Friday
30 minutes of step-ups with 42#. Pull-ups, foam roller.

Saturday
Big day! Two trad leads, including a 5.8 classic (highest grade yet)! We did a “multi-pitch” and I practiced setting up an anchor with gear and belaying from top. Easy bouldering in the afternoon.

View this post on Instagram

It was a drizzly morning with a threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon; Mostly it meant Lincoln Woods was empty save for the dogs and their leash carriers. The Pond Cave offered shelter from the light rain, and pleasing lines. Today. Today was a quiet one: Slow going, a sense of floating like lifted along on a conveyor belt made of billowy clouds, soft purring underfoot, and pitter-patter percussion tapping away over the pond and on wet dirt. It was a good day.

A post shared by aaron (@aarongerry) on May 19, 2019 at 3:44pm PDT

Sunday
Big day! Sent a fun V4 classic in Lincoln Woods. Took quite a few burns (8 or 9 attempts, maybe?), then tried my hand at a similar styled V3 on the opposite wall.

…

Photo sources: The author

Kinda going with the flow here and climbing when I feel like it (generally about every other day), focusing on bouldering and trad (when I can). Mostly being pretty lax, but I am sending harder. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Monday
~2 hrs. bouldering. Focused on harder stuff, v5-v10 (v10 was mostly flailing after a few months), with an emphasis on overhang. Shoulder exercises.

Tuesday
Rest day. Pull-ups, one-armed hangs, foam roller.

Wednesday
Rest day. Casual walk in the woods with the dogs, ~3 miles.

Thursday
Started exploring some boulders/ small cliffs in town. They are dirty but climbable (and probably have been climbed before). Began cleaning and climbing some lines. A little fun hobby.

1.5h of bouldering.

Friday
40 min. of step-ups with 42#.

Saturday
Bouldering at Lincoln Woods. Sent the fun Peace Dove (v3) and the classic The Wave (v2). Really digging bouldering more and more.

Sunday
Rest day. Foam roller, stretching.

…

Photo sources: The author (unless otherwise noted)

Lighter week. I climbed 3x, 2x outdoors for full days. Haven’t run in a few weeks and step-ups with weight has gone down.

Monday
Climbing at Farley! We did a mix of sport and trad climbing. I attempted a bouldery 5.11c and got shut down at the roof/ crux. We did 3x 5.9s and some 5.6ish trad leads.

Tuesday
Short ~2.5 mile walk in the woods with dogs, carrying #42 on my back. Not too strenuous.

Wednesday
Rest day. Stretching and foam roller.

Thursday
~1.5 hrs. of bouldering indoors, doing mock pro placements. This involved a lot of hanging and “placing” gear, with the aim of getting more accustomed to the longer time it takes to put in pro. Shoulder exercises.

Friday
Rest day. Walk in the woods with the dogs.

Saturday
Climbing at Rumney! It was my first time at New England’s sport mecca. It was a bit wet so our options were limited. We did some easier warmups (after trying a route that was dry, and ended up being a 12.c, i.e., we barely got off the ground), did a longer slabby trad route, a bunch of 9s and some 10s.

Sunday
Rest day. Walked in the woods, explored some boulders. Did some easy problems, maybe V1. Stretching and foam roller.

…

Photo source: The author

Monday
35 minutes of step-ups. carrying 42#. It wasn’t all vertical, I was walking outside so there was more walking on flat ground between steps.

Tuesday
1.25 hrs. of bouldering, 4x4s in the V2-V4 range. Then 35 min. of core and shoulder work.

Wednesday
1.5 hrs. of bouldering at the Middlesex Fells. Did some easier routes, V1s and V2s, some traverses, and maybe a V3 climb to finish.

Thursday
4 mile hike with a 42# backpack on. Working to get my legs stronger and my back accustomed to carrying a heavy load.

Friday
2 hrs. bouldering at the gym. Worked V5s, mostly, with a few V6, V7, V8s in there.

Saturday
Climbing at Crow Hill! It was pretty wet and we had to start later in the day, but we were able to get 3 trad climbs in. These were in the 5.5-5.7 range.

Sunday
Rest day. Stretching and foam roller.

…

Photo sources: The author

Pumped! I got 5 days of climbing in, including two days outside, and and and, my first trad lead ever! Gotta keep on my cardio.


Monday
2hrs. of bouldering. Focused on V4-V7s. Mostly crimps, pinches, slopers.

Tuesday
2 hrs. of top-roping: 5.10-5.12-. Mostly crimpy, pinchy, balancey routes.

Wednesday
Bouldering at Pawtuckaway. Did the classic V3 Hobbit Hole, Power and Grace, projected on a a few, including a V7 and a V8.

Thursday
Rest day.

Friday
30 minutes of step-ups. 1,080 ft. vertical, carrying 42lbs.

Saturday
2 hrs. of bouldering focusing on endurance, a lot of up-down-up-down-up-down climbs on easier routes (V2s and V3s).

Sunday
Led my first trad climb! We did the MA classic, Zipper, a 5.6 at Redrock in Gloucester. We then went bouldering at Lynn Woods and did a few V4s.

…

Photo sources: The author

First time outside bouldering this season! Wahoo! 3 climbing sessions, 1 step-up session, 1 yoga session. Really should keep up my running…

Monday
2h of yoga.

Tuesday
30 minutes of step-ups. 1,080 ft. vertical, carrying 42lbs.

Wednesday
2 hr. of top-roping: 5.10-5.12-. Mostly crimpy, pinchy, balancey routes.

Thursday
2 hr. of bouldering. V4-V8. Didn’t spend a lot of time resting, wanted to try a lot of different problems.

Friday
Rest day.

Saturday
First time bouldering outside this Year! Sent several V1s, V3, almost completed a V5, did some traversing and just playing around on the rock.

Sunday
Rest Day.

…

Feature photo source: The author

3x toproping, 1 run, 1 workout, 1 long stretching session. I wanted to run 2x, but started to feel sick this weekend. Enjoying toproping again, want to get back into leading. Weeee!

Monday
Workout:
1) Squats (bodyweight): 5×20, Pushups: 5×25, Deltoid front and side raises: 5x10x10
2) Lunges (10# in opposite hand raised OH): 3×10, Shoulder presses (10#): 3×10, Serratus pushups: 3×20
3) 1-Leg DL: 3×10, Shoulder circles (2.5#): 3x20s, Forearm curls and extensors (12#): 3×25

Tuesday
1.5h of toproping. Mostly focused on the 5.10+ to 5.11 range.

Wednesday
My body never really settled into the run. It felt okay, but not great.

Thursday
1.5h of toproping. Mostly focused on the 5.10+ to 5.11 range. A few boulders afterwards, core, and shoulder exercises.

Friday
Rest day, did a lot of stretching.

Saturday
Rest day. Was feeling sick.

Sunday
1.5h of toproping. Mostly focused on the 5.10+ to 5.11 range.

…

Feature photo source: Climbing Business Journal

3x bouldering, 1 run, 1 step-up session. Glad the business trip is over and I can get back to more of a routine.

Monday
1.5h bouldering. Wide range of levels, (V2-V6), just trying to variety. + a long walk home in the rain…

Tuesday
Body felt slow, weak. It was hard to push the pace, my legs just didn’t seem to want to move.

Wednesday
1.5h bouldering. V4-V6 range. Played a game at the end where we kept building one more onto the route, so it became a strength endurance exercise.

Thursday
Rest day. All day event.

Friday
Rest day. Cross country flight home.

Saturday
1.5h bouldering. V4-V7 range.

Sunday
25 minutes of step-ups, 900ft. of elevation, 40 lbs.

I’m on a business trip (10 days), that I’m kinda kicking myself for how long it is because it’s getting in the way of climbing and step-up with a lot of weight.

Oh well. One bouldering session (the day before I left), one run, one hike (thank god).

Monday
1:50 of bouldering. V3-V6s, focusing on pinches, crimps.

Tuesday
Flew into CA, felt tired and groggy, but forced myself to go on a run.

Wednesday
4×25 bodyweight squats
4×50 pushups
7x7s hangs (1 pad) on a door frame
3×10 one-leg deadlifts
3×20

Thursday
20 minutes of step-ups, 400ft. of elevation, no weight.

Friday
50 pullups
75 bodyweight squats
8x10s finger hangs
3×10 hanging crunches

Saturday
Rest day.

Sunday
8 mile hike, ~2,000 ft. of elevation, through the hills around Pacifico, CA.