Cragmama

Jun 05 2014

“I just don’t know what to do.” was the very frustrated text I’d sent my husband one afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Baby Z was wide awake…again, after trying to get her to sleep for the umpteenth time. It was clear that my ordinarily fairly predictable little sleeper was having a series of off days. I’d remembered Big C having plenty of days like this (call them growth spurts, developmental spurts, or just the age-old infant constant of “change.”), but knowing it was just a phase didn’t help get my day under control, hence the text of desperation. I’m not sure what I was expecting him to say. Maybe I just wanted some empathy, just something that let me know he knew how I felt and was praying for me.

But his answer surprised me.

“Love her.”

That’s all. No fresh ideas that I hadn’t heard yet, because let’s face it, by this point, we are all well aware of what we’ve each got in our bag of baby whisperer tricks. No sympathetic “I’m sorry,” or encouraging “I’ll be home soon,” or even a sad face emoticon. Just a simple two-word command that changed my perspective in an instant.

I am far from a perfect parent, and some days I feel like I do more wrong than right. I often find myself praying that my children will turn out okay in spite of the things I do rather than because of them. But one thing I can do for them better than anyone else in this world is give them unconditional love from their mama. Right now that means reading books to a 4 year old while nursing a baby to sleep on my lap. It means trying my best to comfort a very little girl who is adjusting to living in a very big world, and trying my best to carve out some one on one time with a still little boy who some days has a hard time adjusting to that very little girl’s arrival.

As the days, months, and years go by, the specifics of what I’m supposed to do as a mama are sure to change. Soon enough I’ll be playing the role of chauffeur, guidance counselor, and heaven knows what else. But the overarching theme of it all will remain the same. Love her. Love him.

It may not solve all of our problems (Baby Z still took another hour that afternoon before finally giving in to exhaustion.) But it changed the way I saw my problem, which made all the difference in my day. So the next time your life gets out of hand and you throw your hands up in sheer desperation, don’t let your frustrations get the better of you…Just love. (Now cue Beatles album…;))

Nursery Rhymes for Outdoor Play

Homeschooling.

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Jun 02 2014

My little speckled frog…

Not sure about your kiddo, but my 4 year old absolutely loves to sing. He sings in his room in the morning, sings at the dinner table, and sings in the car. In fact, he sings his loudest when he thinks no one can hear him…Many of the songs are learned from us, from Sunday School, from preschool and from the occasional TV show (the theme song from “Thomas the Train” is an annoyingly catchy favorite).

Anyway, one recent school song was the nursery rhyme about the speckled frogs. Big C has been singing it constantly for several days now, and will more than likely continue indefinitely thanks to an impromptu “game” we played hanging out by the creek in our neighborhood one morning. I put the word “game” in quotes because it was nothing more than a spontaneous reenactment of the song…over and over and over and over again. It kept Big C entertained for the better part of an hour (while Baby Z snoozed peacefully in the Boba.)

In case you’re not familiar with it, here’s how it goes…

Five little speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious grubs – yum, yum
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four green speckled frogs – glub, glub.

That got me to thinking – since Big C had so much fun singing and acting out THAT song, what other nursery rhymes would be good for green hour playtimes? So I did some thinking (and googling) and found these – some of them were familiar classics, others were new, at least to me anyway. May they provide your family with some musical, dramatic fun in your outdoor fun this spring!

Baby Bumble Bee
5 Little Ducks
5 Little Monkeys
Itsy Bitsy Spider
I Love the Mountains
Round and Round the Garden
Rain on the Green Grass
I Hear Thunder
Round the Mulberry Bush

What nursery rhymes are on the Top 40 charts in your household?

A Wild and Scenic Weekend at Obed River, Tennessee

Other.

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May 28 2014

Cragbaby #2 relaxing at Lilly Bluff (Photo: Joe Virtanen)

Family tradition mandates that we spend Memorial Day weekend climbing and camping at the Obed Wild and Scenic River, an area just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, and this year was no exception. Despite my excitement to get on a rope again, I was a bit apprehensive about the logistics. It was only our 2nd time roping up with Baby Z, and roped climbing can be a lot harder to manage than bouldering at this age since I can’t always just hop right down to get to her (although if I’m not there someone else always is.) Additionally it would be Baby Z’s longest camping trip yet, and our first time going completely “off the grid” with her in a primitive campsite. But she slept right through us getting lost on our walk back to the tent EVERY NIGHT, and even established a new sleeping record!

Needless to say I went into the weekend with very little expectations. Thanks to the interval training I’ve been doing I felt pretty strong, but I knew my endurance was lacking, and wasn’t sure how my lead head would feel.

Osiris 5.11c

Day 1:
Our first day was spent at Lilly Bluff, where after a quick warm-up (Ticks are for Kids 5.10a), I had my sights set on Osiris (5.11c). It was one of the few 11’s left on the wall that I had yet to get on. It took me longer than I’d wanted, but I finally sent it on my 4th go. My onsight attempt started off well, and after a giant stand-up move off an undercling I actually thought I might be through the business…until I got spanked repeatedly on the very next sequence. After taking several whippers that kept slamming me into the wall (bolt below a bulge + sideways lunging = awkward catch no matter who’s belaying.) I decided to stick clip my way through the move, which of course takes a lot of shenanigans when you’re 50 feet in the air, which of course is when Baby Z starts screaming…and screaming…and SCREAMING! Once I got it clipped I just pulled through the move, and ran to the top. The whole debacle only lasted about 15 minutes but the mommy-guilt lasted for hours…

A while later after everything had settled down I took a toprope lap, intending to just clean it (I’d just lowered off earlier so that I could get to Baby Z faster.) But I of course tried to work out the crux move…and realized if I extended the draw, I could clip before making the move and therefore avoid the awkward fall again, so I decided to pull the rope and try again. My third go I had a hard time getting my foot where I wanted it, and my core couldn’t hold out long enough to keep me tight enough to the wall to make the long reach over the bulge and I popped off. Fourth time was a charm. Again, longer than I’d wanted, but I’ll take it, considering. Plus all those falls were great for the head!

Wish I’d have gotten Big C in for the family portrait… (Photo: Joe VIrtanen

Day 2:
Little Clear Creek was our objective for the day, and I really didn’t have a tick list. I’d already done most of the moderates, which was good because the crag was a mob scene. We noticed several new lines left of the Short Wall that had gone up since we’d last been there, and since they were just about the only thing without a line we decided to check them out. The first one had some pretty big lockoffs and ended up not being the best of warm-ups. The next one was a fun and casual romp up blocky features that felt about 5.9.

Impromptu vase after some breakfast clover-picking

From there we moved to The Hanger, an area with very steep bolted routes (most with perma-draws) that all start from a long shelf-like ledge about 30 feet off the ground. I was pretty skeptical at how my not quite 3 months postpartum core muscles would hold up on such overhanging terrain, but at this point it had started to rain, so I didn’t really have any other option. I decided to try my hand on The Saint of Auschwitz (5.11c, A0). (The A0 part skips the V8 boulder problem at the start…basically you just batman up he rope to the first bolt and climb free from there.) Despite the funkiness of getting started, this route was my favorite of the entire weekend. A tricky sequence through the opening dihedral led to 60 feet of jug-hauling bliss! My first go I hung at several of the bolts but got through all the moves first try. I was reminded of the “power of the second go” when I tied in again later and sent it without any trouble.

Steve crankin’ the mank on a last day attempt on Gangsta 5.12a

Sweet Baby Z 🙂

Day 3:
Our last day found us back at Lilly – the short approach always works out well with the 5 hour drive, plus Steve had started a saga with Gangsta (5.12a) on Day 1, and wanted a crack at it again (unfortunately, just like my saga with the route, he’ll have to be patient and wait for another trip.) We obviously weren’t the only folks with the same idea however, because once again, there were crowds galore. Additionally, the increased humidity from the rain the day before had left a layer of condensation on the rock which made for pretty manky conditions. I started out on Beach Ball (5.11a), which is one of my favorites, and took a crack at Krieg Crack (5.11d.) The business was all in the first 20 feet, then the rest was rather lackluster. No send, but it would be worth doing again on another trip, especially when the friction was better.

All in all though, we had a great trip. Baby Z was awesome, and Big C was thrilled to have friends to play with each day. I’d forgotten how mentally taxing having an infant at the crag can be, so I was delighted to tick a few sends in between the constant nursing and diapering! It felt great to get back on a rope again, and we all left happy and stoked to plan our next adventure!

Bouldering Circuits: A Quickie Power Endurance Workout

Training.

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May 27 2014

Thanks to a loving husband and a (for the most part) cooperative baby, I’ve been able to consistently get to the gym 2-3 times per week starting around 2 weeks postpartum. But when I go and how much time I have is always up in the air. Sometimes I know up front that I only have 45 minutes to acquire a good pump…other times I go in thinking I have an hour and a half, only to have my workout cut short by a screaming baby. If efficiency was an important component to my climbing workouts with just one kiddo, it is a MUST HAVE with two, especially when one is an infant!

That being said, while sometimes I prefer to “just climb” for the relaxation and social benefits, I ALWAYS get a better workout if I go in with a plan of attack. And before the right-brained folk assume that I’m talking about anal, regimented training programs, hear me out! I’m not a big fan of those either (although I’ve used those with good results and they certainly have their place, it’s not for me in this stage of life!)

What I am a fan of however, is leaving the gym feeling like I’ve appropriately pummeled myself, even if I’ve only been there for 30 minutes. And the BEST workout I’ve found for that is something that I like to call a “Points Circuit.” I actually mentioned it about a year ago in a post called How Parents (and Other Busy People) Can Still Find Time to Train in the Climbing Gym. (And in full disclosure, I didn’t make it up – it’s based off of the bouldering interval workout listed here.)

Here’s how it works –
1. Complete (or attempt to complete) 5 boulder problems in 5 minutes. Choose problems that are challenging for you, but are doable 95% of the time when you’re fresh. Problems should be devoid of tweaky moves, especially the ones you pick towards the end of each set. Especially if you’re by yourself, it’s probably not a good idea to throw in that high, sketchy mantle problem at the end either. You will be surprised at how hard these problems will feel towards the end of your set (if you’re not, you’re not choosing hard enough problems!)
2. Rest 5 minutes. The 5 minute intervals are the only “anal” part of this workout. It’s very important to bring your stopwatch – climb ONLY 5 minutes (if you’re on the wall when you hit 5, go ahead and finish that attempt), and rest for the FULL 5 minutes before starting your next set. (Sometimes I throw in some push-ups/core work during the “rest” set.)
3. Repeat. Do anywhere from 3-6 sets, depending on your fitness level (and how much time you have.) It’s easy to drop or add a set depending on what you (or your kiddo) has going on. If I’m planning for an hour, I’ll do a quick warm-up set, 6 sets for points, and then cool down with some core work/antagonist exercises. That allows me to get in 20+ boulder problems (not 25 since I generally can’t make it through every problem in every set), in addition to some antagonist work. Just make sure you take Flexx Labs Supplements or a protein shake to help your muscles recover post-workout. It’s efficient, as well as a great way to up power endurance.

Tracking Progress –
Add up the “points” you earned for each set (V1 = 1 point, V5 = 5 points) and write it down somewhere. In theory, as you get stronger, you should be scoring more and more points per workout because you will be completing more problems at a harder grade. It’s also fun to figure out your average difficulty per problem, or “V-average,” by dividing your total score by the number of problems completed. And as your point tallies get higher, it should also translate to improved performance on real rock – you’ll find yourself able to do more hard moves in a row before getting pumped!

In my experience, this workout is most successful when done consistently for a set number of weeks, perhaps leading up to a goal (new project, climbing trip, competition, etc.) For example, my most recent interval lasted for 5 weeks, in anticipation of getting in shape for a Memorial Day weekend trip at the Obed. I did this workout once per week, and then hit the gym one other day during the week to work on new problems to add to my arsenal. (Some weekends we climbed outside, others we didn’t.) The first week I averaged V2.71, and by week 5 I was at V3.65, which put me in a good position for the routes I wanted to get on. The results? You’ll have to wait for the trip report on Thursday to find out, so stay tuned! I also plan to try Ninja Course . I have heard of some location our local Ninja Warrior Course Design Company has turned into a real adventure places, so I think I will enjoy it. Looking forward to it already.

What’s your secret for fast and effective training? Have you ever tried this workout or something similar? I’d love to know the results…

Highlights from the Jocassee Gorges (and Adventure Package Giveaway!)

Climbing. Other. On the Water.

14 Comments.

May 21 2014

4 happy campers!

I am really excited about this week’s trip report – first of all because I love reporting on new places to explore and play, and secondly because I love giveaways! Jocassee Gorges in Upstate South Carolina is a hidden gem filled with lakes, boulders, trails, and one of the largest expanses of roadless wilderness on the East Coast! Seriously, if you’re a southerner trying to find a Sasquatch, this might be the place! I’d known about the area for a while now through fellow climbing blogger, Brad Caldwell (who also happens to be one of the co-sponsors of the giveaway!) He’s taken on the daunting task of writing guidebooks that cover much of the outdoor recreation opportunities in the area (find ’em here.) The stars finally aligned for our family to make it down there this past weekend, and while the weather did NOT cooperate, we got enough of a taste to know we definitely want to come back sooner rather than later! Here are the highlights (and giveaway details!)

CAMPING: Our second camping experience as a family of 4 was about a thousand times better than our first. While the first night was still fairly chilly (low 40’s), and the second night was really rainy, all 4 of us slept great – the second night Baby Z even made it all the way til 4:30 before waking up to nurse! There are several different camping options in the area, but we chose Keowee-Toxaway State Park based on proximity to the boulderfields. It was a very nice campground with a definite family feel – the second night Big C stayed up til 9:30 running around with our tent “neighbors!

Big C getting an “assisted start” in the Bearfields

BOULDERING: Though this was the original draw to the area for our family, Mother Nature had other plans for us. We had hoped to go deep water soloing (DWS) on Lake Keowee Friday night, but cloudy skies and temps in the low 50’s made everyone less than psyched about ending up in the water. Plan B was to explore the Bearfields bouldering area, a very large collection of boulders perched atop a ridge. We didn’t see any bears, but we did find some good boulder problems, most notably Short Mantle (V3), Washboard (V4), and Washboard Left (V3.) The next day we were on our own to explore so we put Brad’s guidebooks to good use, heading north to Beasley Gap and Sassafras Mountain. Poison ivy kept us from venturing too deep into Beasley Gap, but we enjoyed Eastatoee Trail (V3) and Bob’s Place (V2.) Hiking through the forest to the Sassafras Boulder was stunning – ferns as far as the eye could see, and rhododendrons as big as trees! Unfortunately that’s the only rock we got to touch – the full day of bouldering we’d planned for on Sunday got rained out, but the little climbing we did manage to get in was really good!

Eastatoee Trail V3 at Beasley Gap

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING: Aka SUP, I’ve been wanting to try this for years but haven’t had the opportunity. That’s why I was stoked when the local “surf shop,” One With The Ride (the other giveaway co-sponsor), generously provided a board for us on Saturday afternoon! We were initially a little skeptical about how much fun we’d have considering the temps, but we figured we had nothing to lose so we may as well try it – and I’m so glad we did! What a fun way to explore!!! (And holy core workout, Batman, my poor postpartum abs were sore the next day!) Standing up and paddling around was a lot easier than we’d anticipated (on our beginner board anyway), which was great since the ambient air temperature was motivation enough to stay on the board and out of the water…for the grown-ups anyway. (Big C spent the whole afternoon happily frolicking and squealing in the shallows!) The guys at the shop had told us that our board was stable enough for their SUP yoga classes so once I got my confidence up I couldn’t help but push my luck a little bit. I was able to flow through a rather wobbly vinyasa and tree pose, although I just about bit it when I tried to extend my leg out to the side. (And judging from the way he was egging me on, if I didn’t *know* better, I’d think the Crag-Daddy was secretly hoping I’d take the plunge…;))

FOR NEXT TIME: By the time we left, it was pretty evident that there was SO MUCH MORE to do there, and that we really only got a taste of what the Jocassee Gorges has to offer! Plans are already in the works for future visits – probably a mid-summer paddling extravaganza involving DWS bouldering, SUP, and our little inflatable kayak, and hopefully a fall session to crush all those friction topouts in the boulderfields! Oh yeah, and we definitely NEED to bring our mountain bikes too!

GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!!! Psyched to check it out for yourself? Then here’s the best part. Jocassee Gorges Guides and One With the Ride have teamed up to offer a fantastic Adventure Package! One lucky (and randomly chosen) winner will receive ALL of the following – gift certificate for a one day’s SUP rental, OWTR t-shirt, free night of camping at Keowee-Toxaway State Park, and 3 guidebooks (Upstate Bouldering, Southern Appalachian Bouldering, and Jocassee Gorges Mountain Biking.) This should be more than enough to keep you busy for a weekend, whether your a climber, paddler, mountain biker, or just a family that loves being in the outdoors!

I cannot say enough about the generosity of Brad (Jocassee Gorges Guides) and John and Chip (One With the Ride). These guys are truly top notch, and went out of their way to ensure we had a wonderful weekend. They are obviously very proud of the outdoor recreation opportunities their stomping ground has to offer, and rightly so! When planning a trip, please support these guys – Brad can take care of all your guidebook needs, and One With the Ride can outfit you with the gear you need to explore by water or by bike. (They also sell some pretty sweet clothing/accessories and offer SUP yoga classes as well as guided tours if heading out on your own isn’t your thing!)

While I of course welcome any and everyone to leave a comment if you have something to share, my one request is that you only enter the giveaway if Upstate SC is a realistic distance away for a getaway. (It would be a shame if the winner lived 2000 miles away and couldn’t make the trip!) That being said, this area is pretty doable in a weekend for the majority of the Southeast! Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget, and please take advantage of all the ways you can gain multiple entries through social media! The contest will run through Thursday, May 29th, when a winner will be contacted and announced through social media – good luck! “

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Just Love.

Nursery Rhymes for Outdoor Play

A Wild and Scenic Weekend at Obed River, Tennessee

Bouldering Circuits: A Quickie Power Endurance Workout

Highlights from the Jocassee Gorges (and Adventure Package Giveaway!)