Older and colder.

Anyone got any Ibuprofen?? Not just for the tender fingers, sore skin, tweaky elbows and aching shoulders - but also for the strained neck from the whiplash of deceleration as the temperature, dryness, and climbing opportunity hurtle to an abrupt stop. From the most beautiful of autumn sunshine in the West one weekend, to the most foul of sodden storms the next weekend, to the most bitter bone-cracking breezes the next.

Emergency stop on weather and climbing, I wasn't wearing my belt and got caught out with a full repetoire of aches and pains. With the shitty weather of course I wanted to train, but then it's even getting out of Ratho season so being indoors is a laborious process. From feeling I can jump on anything a month ago, it now takes longer to warm-up than it does to climb. Even doing so, I'm feeling quite an old man as the niggles are niggling away - generally achey fingers, stiffening shoulders, and a worrying flare up of my 2008 LH golfer's elbow (the 2012 RH golfer's elbow being okay so far). Carefree climbing is having to be replaced by methodical maintenance.

During all of this, I'm not really sure what I'm training for. The last proper time out climbing was brilliant and of course all I wanted was to keep going with that, but now I can't and I'm using the full force of my mental inflexibility and stubborness to resist it being bouldering season - particularly as I got so much done last winter season and can't think of much left for this season. Suntrap trad, where art thou?? I keep hoping and checking the weather and drawing up a list of venues but it's all very limited up here. To give myself the slightest fighting chance I do need to keep fit for that. Otherwise it's scrabbling around for climbing trips abroad - I'm feeling pretty relaxed after some good trips this year and am quite happy to go along with other people's plans....well that would be nice in theory....climbers who actually go away climbing and would invite me along, where art thou??

I do have one kind offer over the Christmas period so maybe that can give my something to focus on. In the meantime, I guess I need to get genuinely inspired for training in it's own sake, and learning to cope with all the tedium and faff of lengthy warming up, warming down, stretching, active rest, blah blah can't I just pull hard on small holds?? Well.....no. Guess I better go back to TCA soon...