I Climb Like a Girl

"The Big Concept: Climbing is a movement sport, not a strength sport. The best climbers are good at climbing; strength matters far less than the combination of the climber’s motion skills, attitude and mind. The best way to become a better climber is develop better movement; strength will develop specifically for climbing movement as fast as it is needed. Most climbs are combinations of movements; the better the climber is at those movements, the better he or she will climb the route. Strength is not even secondary, it’s about last on the list of needed skills."
--Will Gadd

I credit two people with teaching me the fundamentals of climbing, both are girls. And I'm damn lucky they took me under their girly wings.

Generally speaking, boys and girls approach climbing differently. In the beginning - on those first 5.7s and 5.8s - boys tend to use upper body strength and power to climb. Girls on the other hand usually do not have that upper body strength and must rely on *gasp* learning technique. This makes for an interesting comparison curve. Boys move quickly through those lower grades, being able to power through moves. Girls progress more slowly, learning balance and movement skills.

But strength takes you only so far. Mr. Gadd is correct: Climbing is a movement sport, not a strength sport.

As the climbing grade (difficulty) increases, it becomes less and less about pure strength. And this is due to many factors: balance starts playing a larger role with smaller holds and steeper inclines presenting a climber with more off-set balance moves; on higher grades the margin of error becomes smaller and things like center of gravity (COG) go from "important" to "critically important"; and the placement of hands and feet on holds and the timing of each movement become paramount.

Which is why when you work on your balance and hand placement and edging and all those other aspects of climbing in the beginning it means those higher grades are much more attainable.

So those who focus just on strength tend to move up through the lower grades quickly and then plateau; and those who rely on technique move through the lower grades more slowly but do not hit that same plateau. And the best part about learning technique? You gain the strength along the way.

I am eternally grateful to Rosa and Kristen because they would not let me rely solely on my boyish strength and were continually pointing out ways I could improve technique. (Rosa: "Use your feet! Use your damn feet!") At times it felt like the stream of commentary from my climbing partners was criticism, but it gave me the skills to lead a 5.12 in a relatively short period of time.

I'm not claiming that strength is unimportant to climbing. It is, in fact, on the list of have-to-haves in climbing. But the importance of strength is overemphasized and a misunderstanding of what kind of strength is needed (isometric versus concentric, anyone?) is perpetuated, especially by new climbers. I remember grumbling something about 'not being strong enough' and Kristen telling me that she couldn't even do a pull-up. This from a girl who looks like she dances up 5.11s. At the end of the day climbing is about a lot of things. But I'm lucky I learned to climb more fluidly and efficiently and not just stronger.

I climb like a girl. Thank God!

I'm like a motorcycle...

I have said it before and will say it again, over and over again if needed - although I do fear it might be a case of "The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks." (Nods to my boy Shakespeare.) - I am not a sports guy.

I'm not.

Despite a love for rock climbing, running, cycling, swimming, snowboarding, et hoc genus omne, I do not like sports.

I realise that this seems like a serious disconnect. But it is how things sit in my mind.

Growing up I never enjoyed sports. I had an adversarial relationship with them. While both my brother and sister played basketball and soccer and baseball and volleyball, I did not if I could in any way prevent it.

When I was about eight or nine, thinking that their youngest was most likely very much like their oldest, my parents signed me up for the local youth soccer league. I cannot remember being more miserable in my youth. I felt awkward and out of place. And clumsy. Frankly, I hated it. And I sucked at it.

But as an adult I do many sporty things. And apparently my body is very much like a motorcycle.

According to a little quiz set up by The Car Connection, my body gets the equivalent of 45.5 miles per gallon.

45.5 miles per gallon
And that's a good thing. I like being healthy. I like doing physical things. I like that my body is like a motorcycle rather than, say, a minivan or a mid-sized sedan. But I still maintain that I do not like sports.

If I take a step back and look at things from the here-and-now I realise it is team sports that are not my thing. Yet I cannot separate the "team" from "sport" and when I hear "sport" it invariable registers as "team sport". Sport to me means soccer. Or baseball. Or any of those other games that to my mind seem like military maneuvers, like empty and disciplinary repetition. I just don't like team sports. Not to play. And not even to watch for the most part.

Individual sports, however, I like. Both to do and to watch. Perhaps I don't play well with others. Perhaps I prefer to have it all about me - I am an Aries after all! If I could wash the association of "sport" and "team sport" from my mind I might be able to admit that I am sporty.

Until then, I'll just be happy to be like a motorcycle.

Wind. Rain. And hail.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta got quite a send off by Mother Nature today. In just under two hours the play area at our local park was turned into a little lake.

The wind swept in, quickly followed by a deluge of rain. That was followed by a crash of hail stones. It was alarming enough that I felt the need to bring the car in to the garage to prevent it from hail damage.

By the time the storm moved on an inch of rain had fallen and left the neighborhood quite a mess. The Chickabiddy and I went for a walk in the late afternoon and we decided to take a pass on the play structure in the park. We had forgotten our swim fins.

Finns! Finns! Eveywhere!

As we do every year, we went to a Mass Ascension at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. It's always a treat - a feast for the eyes. This year there was a balloon from Hämeenlinna, Finland. This in itself is not remarkable. It is, after all, an international event and there are balloons from all over the world. But what is remarkable is how many Finns here in New Mexico - Finns who are not a part of my Finnish wife's rather extensive expat Finns-in-New-Mexico social network - showed up at the Hämeenlinna balloon.

I have long been suspicious that the Finns are trying to take over the world.

If the Finns are plotting for world domination (I point to Nokia, bluetooth technology and Linux as proof positive that there is some kind of plot) it is understandable that they are taking a slow and methodical way about it. That's how Finns work. They are good at it. But I fear that the intel might be lacking.

If they are taking over the world, one country at a time, they may have misjudged the importance of New Mexico. There are a lot of Finns here. And when they pull that mighty insurrection and gain control of New Mexico they are just going to find that the rest of the country will laugh.

If they notice at all.

Run Isi Run!

This year, for the third year in a row, I ran in the Annual JCC Father's Day 5K. The first year my wife and daughter and I walked the 5K; year two my wife and daughter were in Finland; this year I got to run with my daughter. OK, I ran and she rode in the jogging stroller. I've pushed her around the neighborhood before in the stroller, but this was the first organized race in which I did it. It was tough. But fun. And I managed to come in first in my age category (read: older than I want to be) despite the added effort. I was proud. She was happy. And I love building these kind of memories with my daughter. At the end of July we'll run together (yes, we will both run) in the Chunky Monkey 2008 in the Kids-K (a kilometer). I can't wait.

National Bike-to-Work Day

Pedal harder. Go faster.

May is National Bike Month

The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 12-16 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16.

The Albuquerque Metro Area Bike-to-Work Day event is designed to give commuters both information and incentive to use a bicycle or take other alternative transportation to get to work. There will be four "breakfast stops" in Albuquerque open from 6:15am to 8:30am. At each stop bicycle commuters can enjoy a free breakfast from Einstein Bros Bagels and General Mills. While supplies last, reflective leg bands, blinking tail lights, reflective vests and t-shirts will be given away. There will be free drawings for more than $700 worth of gift certificates to local bicycle shops and restaurants.

For the location of the breakfast stops and more information call 311 or visit www.BikeABQ.org.

So ride your bike to work on May 16th. And stop by the Uptown breakfast stop and say "hullo". I'll be there giving out bagels.

The Me I See

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?

"The body is a big sagacity, a plurality with one sense, a war and a peace, a flock and a shepherd."
--Friedrich Nietzsche

"Wisdom begins at the end."
--Daniel Webster

Body image is an interesting thing. I was reading a friend's blog and it struck me how so much value and worth, pain and dread, effort and money are afforded to a subjective, insubstantial thing. Body image is, after all, just a perception. Most people's opinion of their own body is not aligned with the reality of their actual figure. That being said (or typed), much of our self-worth is wrapped up in that perception.

I have never been fat (or to use the preferred term, obese). In fact, I have always been the antithesis of fat. And whereas it is all but taboo to call someone fat, it is perfectly alright to call someone skinny. Being thin used to bother me. I "topped out" at 135lbs as a freshman in high school and did not gain another pound - despite every effort to do so - until I was in my 30's. I don't pretend that my flip-side-of-the-weight-coin makes me good at understanding people trying to loose weight, but body image is body image. And most people need to take a step back.

As my friend pointed out in her blog, various measurements are routinely taken at health clinics and then certain labels are often (arbitrarily) assigned - underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obese - without regard to eating and exercise habits or consideration of a level of fitness or a myriad of other factors.

If anything, the "obesity epidemic" is one of too much emphasis on weight and numbers without regard to eating habits, exercise patterns and other lifestyle choices. It is a belief that there is such thing as an “ideal body weight” based on height. The “ideal” of what our body looks like is based on body type, bone structure, muscle mass, genetics, what weight at which we feel our best and what weight our body tends to want to maintain.

We should all stop weighing ourselves and spend more time celebrating the miracle of our bodies and the marvelous things we can do with them. Let's MOVE and enjoy. Walk. Swim. Climb. Dance. Bike. Run. Not because it something we have to do, but because it is fun and makes us feel great!

Saisinko salmiakkia?

Every so often I start to miss Finland more than just the constant light tug at my heart. Finland is home, just as much as New Mexico is home. The decision to leave there 11 years ago was difficult, and the desire to move back always present.

Quantifying why I adore Finland is tough; there's much to love and most of it is rather abstract. But for the sake of a concrete forum like a blog, I will attempt to write a few of the great things about Finland down.

Paukku's Top Ten Finland List

1. Suomalaiset (Finns)
Of course Finns top the list. Despite the fact that typically Finns are sullen, introverted and often have serious difficulties in expressing their feelings, once you get to know them - and more importantly they get to know you - they are generous, compassionate and a lot of fun to be around! Heck! I married one, after all.

2. Salmiakki (salt liquorice)
Not really salty per se since it doesn't have any sodium chloride in it, Salmiakki is a liquorice candy that contains a relatively large amount of ammonium chloride, which tastes a bit like salt. The Latin term for ammonium chloride is sal ammoniac - you see the connexion! (Those Finns are a literal bunch most of the time...) It is an acquired taste that, once acquired, is an addiction! I've yet to meet a Finn who does not love it. And with rare exception, I have yet to give it to an American who doesn't want to spit it out about 1.5 seconds after tasting it.

3. Siideri (cider)
And not just Linda's. Even people who are maddened by the habitually untalkative Finns, disgusted with salmiakki, offended by blood pancakes and think it's just too damn dark in Finland in the winter love Finnish cider. We don't have anything really like siideri here in the States. It is a bit like Smirnoff Ice but really not the same; siideri is not as sweet and there's just more FLAVOUR. I just found out that this spring Golden Cap will be releasing two new flavors: Golden Cap Puolukka (lingonberry) and Golden Cap Lime (citrus). Maybe it IS time to move back!

4. Sauna
Naked Finns love their saunas, and I love naked Finns. Enough said.

5. Koskenkorva viina
Koskenkorva is one of the symbols of Finnishness. It is a grain (barley) alcohol (high-purity industrial ethanol - yes, ethanol!) that is then diluted with spring water and a very small amount of sugar. Never heard of it? No doubt. The Finns don't export it. It is smooth. And will knock you under the table.

6. Summer cabins
Rowing or canoing on a lake, heating up a wood-heated sauna in the (still light) evenings and then having your fill of makara (knackwurst) on the grilli, swimming, eating wild berries in the forest, playing games with the kids, fishing...

7. Ruis leipa (rye bread)
In Finland rye and bread made from rye are as ubiquitous as Wonderbread here - and oh so much better! Rye bread is an essential part of the family diet, with round, flat loaves with a hole in the middle made from rye by a fermentation process. Whenever we travel to Finland for a visit we stock up on ruis leipa. And I make it here.

8. Public transportation
Finland spoiled me. I rarely drove while in Finland because I almost never had a need to do so. The buses and trains are spectacular, both in punctuality and cleanliness. It is what inspired me to use public transportation here.

9. Kauppatori (Market Square in Helisinki)
Finnish food isn't only about doing shocking things with bread and fish (Thank all that is good and holy!). Finland has great street food. Summer is certainly the most vibrant time in Finland and the open-air markets teem with culture and really, really good food. From the fresh-picked berries to the fresh-caught fish. YUM!

10. Finnish
I mean the language. I miss hearing it. I'm some-what and kind-a-sorta literate in Finnish. And despite my sometimes-frustrations with trying to go from an American with "passable" Finnish to the coveted "fluent as a native speaker" title, I really love the sound of Finnish. You just don't hear things like "Aja hiljaa sillalla" or "Kokko, kokoo kokoon koko kokko!" around New Mexico.

Sigh. I miss Suomi.