Getting What I Wanted

I was itching to go climbing. It is Saturday, after all, and Saturday = rock climbing. Hello!

Patti was itching to go climbing outside but I was not itching to climb outside especially since Patti and crew were going rock climbing at Jackson Falls.

I had misgivings about going because I've never climbed outdoors and I know next to nothing about what kind of equipment is needed and I like to do my research. I know that I would have been in good hands but the trek to Jackson Falls was going to be an all day affair and I just didn't feel like I had all day.

I pouted internally and I was a little bummed out and part of my pouting was due to my inflexibility and need to be in control.

I was wondering if I should go to the gym at all but knew if I didn't I would be haunted, later on in the day, by thoughts of going rock climbing. I headed to the gym but even my harness wasn't cooperating; it was all twisted and tangled. After I down climbed my warm up route, I was looking around and saw this guy and we made eye contact.

Him: Are you waiting on someone?
Me: No.
Him: Do you want to climb a few routes together?
Me: Sure.

The old me would have never agreed to climb with someone I did not know. For that matter, the old me would not have been climbing.

He (Joe) asked how long I had been climbing and if I felt comfortable belaying. I told him that I was completely comfortable belaying and that I had been climbing seriously for about six months. He had been climbing for two years but had taken a hiatus. I later learned that Joe had been afraid of heights, he's never taken a rock climbing class and his friend taught him what he knows. Said friend also started him off by rappelling down a 60 foot cliff.

It's funny that people don't believe you when you say that you are not crazy about heights. You get so focused during climbing that you concentrate on the task at hand. Eventually, the sensitivity to heights falls by the wayside.

I'm still pondering how the universe gave me what I wanted. I got to rock climb without relying solely on the auto-belay and I enjoyed watching such a skilled climber; Joe was hugging the wall and doing heel hooks while tackling 5.10s and such. One day...

Route Tally:

Sponge Bob, 5.7 (Climbed and Down Climbed 3x's)
Bright Idea, 5.8
Face Plant, 5.8
Rainbow Bright, 5.8

Have you ever been surprised by getting something that you thought you could not have or achieve?

Two Step Platforms Are Better Than One

Okay, so I saw this tweet from Bob Harper this morning. Do I really need a lot of incentive to do crazy things? Negative.

How is it that I got up before 8:00 a.m. and still managed to be late for a 10:30 a.m. Step class?

I guess that I do like to get up gently which is why I have a moonbeam clock which flashes light to wake you up.

I went back to Stacey's class which I really enjoy love. Only, I don't get to go often since her classes are at 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Stacey is calm and friendly and she has easy steps but you still get a good workout. In fact, she might want to consider naming her class Step For Dummies. Stacey did something today that I've never seen before. She used two step platforms. Platform one was Home and the one to the right was Away. We left just enough space between Home and Away to do jumping jacks. I absolutely loved the stomp move that she incorporated and I don't think that I was the only one. Stacey also had me chuckling with her curl and repeat command since it sounded like we were in a salon.

I also liked that Stacey invited questions and feedback. One class member told her of hip discomfort when she steps and Stacey asked her if she wanted to stretch. First class...

When I finished with Step class, I made a pit stop at home, grabbed a Clif Kid bar and headed to Upper Limits to climb a few routes. Remember what Trainer Bob said now.

I didn't have a belay partner so I used the auto-belays and, because I suddenly got a little freaked out by being up 30 feet up with no person on the ground to lower me, I climbed down every route. All that to say, I'm beat and my hand calluses are tender from back-to-back rock climbing stints.

The moral of this story: take what Trainer Bob has to say with a grain of salt.