"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan
This year I approached the competition in much greater form, although in the few training sessions I had running up to the comp, most of the time it did not feel like it. Continuing with my conditioning work it was climbing that was taking a little bit more of a back seat role in my training. Having a job in the climbing wall I find it very difficult to get motivated for a hard session after work. Most of my sessions recently have just been testing problems after a set or demoing problems in kids sessions. (Not ideal for training at all never mind for any comps really.) Trying to climb on your own problems when training for a comp almost defeats the objective of figuring out the problem as 99% of the time you will know how to do it whereas in a comp situation a lot of the time the reason you wont make the top is because you cant figure it out in the 5 minutes you have rather than the fact you're not physically able to do the bloc. Luckily enough for me however I have two other walls in the form of City Bloc and the Depot that are both under an hour away for me and a week before the BBC's Mr Barrans set the hard circuit at Red Goat meaning I had lots to test myself on when it came to onsight practice. City Bloc is brilliant as it will always have some "funk" to throw you off the wall and make you think rather than just having straight forward pulling and this is definitely what I would need knowing that the BBC's were on the works comp wall, both technical and powerful. The qualifying problems proved to be just that.
My qualification opened with a weird slab problem which I managed to fluff up 4 times before securing the top with a mere 4 seconds left on the clock. This was very frustrating as I knew I could have done it quicker, but at the same time a top on the first bloc will always settle me into the competition. The next two blocs I had very little success with. The fourth was right up my street. Some positive holds but weird moves. I secured bonus on my first attempt then after a couple of minutes rest I snatched the match on the bonus and sprung my way to the top. The last problem was nails.
2tops in 7attempts scraped me into the finals in 9th place in group A.
(Dom Burns and Orrin Coley Battling problem 1)
(Joey Watts crushing on Bloc 4)
After staying to watch most of the womens qualifiers it was time to head home to bed. I can safely say I slept like a baby! Only to get the shock of my life when my alarm went off again at ten to seven telling me to get up and go again. I felt like I had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson and then been hit my a bus. SO tired. Regardless I got some breakfast and went to pick up my compatriot Luke Hughes on the way to the works. Arriving early there was time for a quick chill and chat before it was back into isolation to warm up as I was to be out second.
Trying everything I thought possible to start the first problem but nothing worked. Every time I fell. After some time I decided it could be done as a run and jump, balancing into the start position. Boom, second go trying this method I fumbled my way to the top. Another reasonable start but again, 5 attempts. The second problem was steeper with lots of volume work. Securing the bonus on my first go I couldnt figure how to get match on the bonus and so, peeled off. Another couple of goes down and I decided to quit and save some energy for later. The third problem used some slopey, greasy holds and quite big moves. After doing the first move repeatedly I didn't get the rest. Again I quit hoping to save something for problrm 4. Leaving slightly confused but intrigued as to how the stronger guys would do the problem I sat down ready for problem 4. This used a mixture of clamping and getting as much skin in contact with the first 2 volumes as possible before moving onto 2 positive crimps and then a big double handed move onto a sloper. After dropping the crimps, being called off not tapping my foot on the start hold and dropping the sloper I was racking up the attempts (again....). Knowing it was the last problem and that i had to give it my all I pulled on one last time changing my beta slightly form using a toe to using a heel. Bingo. I stuck the sloper move. From here the was a gaston press and a rockover to the top. Before I knew it I had one hand on the top but it was on the very poor side of the hold. A couple of bumps later it found the jug. 2 tops in 10. A score that wasnt my best, but one I was certainly pleased with.
After waiting and watching all the other guys and girls compete the semis had a nerve racking end. Until the last 2 men came out to compete I was in 6th position. Though it was with false hope that I held my breath as it was Dave Barrans and Jon Partridge, the two guys who had qualified in 1st that came out to climb and would push me out the finals. Overall I finished (chuffed) in 8th place.
The finals were a great watch with Dave topping every problem in the competition and cruising to victory as the other fought tooth and nail to make the podium.
A full set of results and report can be found here.
Of course a big thanks to Red Goat climbing, Evolv and metolius for all the help they give me. Further more a big thanks to all the volunteers and organizers of the event!!
