Deroxmainie (6c) Cuvier Rempart, Fontainebleau

A few photos of me working on Deroxmainie

Finally sent it! :)

Cheers to Eamon for the photos!

Portrane

Went for an evening session in Portrane today -

Haven't been there since before I joined the co op and I was excited to see how well I'd do! The rock is so different there - it all seems so polished and slippy and it just has to be held differently than the Wicklow granite I spend most of my time on.

Katie warming up

Had a great evening with Katie, Johno and Darragh in 'The Arch' area of Portrane - After warming up on Richie's Problem (5) and Problem 19 (6a) Katie and I worked away on 'Morning Glory' (6b) while the guys seem to blitz their way through the problems starting from Spiderman (6c+) and then moving along to X-Men (6c).

Darragh on Spiderman (6c+)

Johno on Morning Glory (6b)

After finishing up working on, but not sending, Morning Glory (6b) Katie and I joined the guys and started working on a sequence for X-Men (6c). Johno came within inches of flashing the problem only to be denied - he sent it a few attempts later. Darragh made short work of it too.

Johno on X-Men (6c)

The guys moved on to 'Radioactive Seaweed' (6c), sent after a few attempts - and 'Bop to the Top' (7a) which caused them trouble.

Johno on Radioactive Seaweed (6c)

Darragh on Radioactive Seaweed (6c)

Katie and I stayed working 'X-Men' and while I couldn't work out the opening move - Katie made it look easy. I got there eventually but really felt like I left my brain at home tonight...

Me working X-Men (6c)

The opening of the problem came together for me just as my energy disappeared. Can't wait to get back to it. I think the problem will go for me very quickly once I have the ability to think and remember to eat before I head bouldering next time!

Zapped.

Rhythm and Stealth - Phat Planet

Here's to the best quality line I've sent!

Weak as Tim?

There was little else I thought about for the last week... It was plainly obvious to those I work with that my mind was somewhere else - I spoke to various non-climbing folk about it but they just looked puzzled... Rhythm and Stealth meant nothing to them but everything to me.

I crossed the river over to Big Jane this morning and I knew I had it in me... I just wasn't sure it would all come together. Dec sounded certain as he repeatedly told me that I'd get Rhythm and Stealth today...

So we arrived at the problem having warmed up in the ruins. I was strong on the opening sequence and slapped up to the crimp, but like last week - I narrowly missed out each time, spinning off only to be caught by Mark who's spotting made working the problem easy as I never had to think twice about going for each move. Dec sent it after 2 or 3 attempts and I said 'right, one last go'...


I moved easily through the opening sequence and slapped up to the crimp and caught it, I looked down to the right to move my heel up but my left hand greased off the crimp and I was spat off the line again.


I was delighted I'd caught the crimp - and it felt positive from the angle you catch it - but I was so disappointed to have fallen off. I said I was happy to walk away, but the guys were so encouraging of me to try again. I slapped up but failed to catch the crimp and fell once again.


I said 'ok that's it, I'm done'


Again I was delighted to have caught the crimp once and knew I'd be back in the morning...


Mark said he'd like another go on the problem and I kept my shoes on, happily using his last go as an excuse to take one final shot at sending Rhythm and Stealth after he was done.


I stood under the problem knowing that I wouldn't waste this attempt. Dec had suggested marking my arm with chalk to know how much of it disappears around the boulder before the crimp is caught. I did so and felt like I was writing notes on my forearm before I went into an exam!


I pulled on and felt really positive through the opening moves. I slapped with way more effort than ever before up to the crimp and caught it. My heart was racing as I easily moved my heel into the opening jug. I reached up with my right hand to the finishing hold and thought, 'oh my god, this is it - I can send this!'


I knew the top out was hard, but had just seen Dec make it look easy, so I thought just do it his way!! I matched my left hand up and moved out right... I asked Dec to give me some beta and standing on the boulder behind he talked me through it.


With arms shaking as I refused point blank to let go, I moved my left foot up to the finishing jug and rocked over.


It was mine, Rhythm and Stealth was sent!


My first 7a.


Haven't stopped smiling since.


We had icecreams in the car park after.

The Mayonnaise Jar

Thanks to Eamon for this -

I haven't seen it before and it's lovely...

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day not enough is,remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class, and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -The small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first,’ He continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So…………………..

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house.

Take care of the golf balls first - The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend

BANG!

Was psyched to have a blast today in Glendalough, and started well warming up on the usual before out of nowhere, as I walked across a rock near The Rails I slipped on some grass and fell backwards cracking my ass/hip off the rock.

I flinched into the fetal position, it hurt so much there were even tears...

It's sore to move... I can only describe it as having stunned my muscles and a dull pain lingers all down my femur and all over my ass and lower back with the point of impact a far sharper type of pain!! Not good!

I went off to lie down, feeling pretty dizzy, I thought I might fall over - downed a bottle of lucozade and felt better after that. joined the guys on the end of the warm up and climbed a slab behind The Rails, but my hip and back were just too sore and it wasn't worth climbing.

Sat out the rest of the session in Glendo until we got to Rhythm and Stealth, had to give it a go and having caught the compression move last week for the first time, this session I could catch it consistently and slap up to the crimp narrowly missing out each time... One attempt saw me miss out by only a fraction.

My mind was on the pain though, so I'm hoping that means that the next time I'm on the problem and focused, it should go...

I'm glad to have done another session on Rhythm and Stealth but if I was very sensible I would have sat it out as my back is screaming at me now!!

I look forward to an unmerciful bruise!

:'(

'Memories come down on me once again, I'm caught without an umbrella...'

Quote: Michael Franti, Spearhead.

For 7 years or there abouts I trained most days. From the age of 15 having finished up 10 years of gymnastics, I began trampolining. Gymnastics was too hard and I was too thin and too tall to really succeed how I wanted to. I loved the sport but it was too tough on my frail physique at the time.

Trampolining was in it's infancy in Ireland in 1998. There was quite simply nobody 'training' trampolining in Ireland at the time. I came from a strict gym, it was fun for me, but it was strict. I brought the discipline I had learned in gymnastics to my training in the student trampoline club I started in and was more or less laughed at, at first.

Understandably so as the rather bemused students must have thought 'who's this child who doesn't speak, trains every session, and doesn't drink?' - I looked about 12 at the time, and kept a low profile for the first year. Everyone there was at least 3 years older than me - most were 5-10 years older...

So I trained everyday, and met team mates who came and went, but I stayed on, training and training to what end I didn't know at the time... I just trained.

The sport began to develop and those who developed it included me as the best female trampolinist from the republic, but at the same time seemed to resent my very existence. The first world championships rolled around in 2003, and despite having the goods to bring to the table, it was with scoffs and tuts from those in charge that I was awarded my place on the junior team. (you can be over 18 and still compete in junior worlds in trampolining...)

We travelled to Hanover and I placed 42, or 43 or something. I was, to the best of my memory, the only Irish girl (or one of the only Irish girls) to finish my routine on my feet. Every other routine was recorded on camera. Except mine.

The placings came up after the competition and my name was all funny. I can't remember exactly what the spelling was, but it bore little resemblance to my name and the head of the squad said 'whatever, don't worry about it' and it was left at that.

2005 rolled in and I was awarded a place on the senior team travelling to the World Championships. I would be the first girl from Ireland, North or South to represent the country at senior worlds. With a full mens team we travelled to Eindhoven, Holland.

I had trained for 7 years, paid for flights, hotel, tracksuit etc with no subsidy, (the bill for which I'd rather forget). I was told when I arrived I wouldn't compete. No reason. No comeback. No support. There was nothing I could do and no one cared.

I remember sitting in tears in the tiers watching the competition. The Irish rotation came in. We were to compete with my heroes at the time - the Chinese Team. It always went - female competitor, male competitor, female competitor, male competitor and so on...

When it would have been my turn, two male competitors went in a row - I was inconsolable. I was told to stop crying and support the men's team. Sitting in my Irish tracksuit, with the flag at my feet I couldn't even look up.

People said to me when I got back to Ireland, 'you have to continue'... I gave up almost straight away. Never 'training' again.

I suppose the point of me writing this is firstly because it's come up a couple of times recently and it's an awkward story to tell without ruining the fun that's usually on the go.

But secondly and more importantly, a bad experience shouldn't mean the end of one's sporting career. I went away after trampolining and did a 4 year degree, I coached gymnastics to pay my way, but didn't really do any sport at all. I needed the break.

After trampolining, I could never have known that I'd find bouldering and all the amazing times, awesome places and incredible friends it's offered me.

Every time I send a problem I've been projecting, I sit at the top of the boulder and think how happy this sport has made me, which I guess explains the over sized smile and utter elation on my face at the top of each of my sends.

It's not just the sport though. It's sport+people+situation... I've been in sport since I was 5 and for the first time, I feel like I've got all 3 just right.