The Challenge, 30 routes in honnor of 30 years

As a culmination of my increased interest in onsighting sport climbing routes, I decided that a logical, yet slight absurd, Birthday Challenge would be onsighting 30 routes on my 30th birthday. I picked Wild Iris in Lander, WY. It is a beautiful crag, cool in the summer, with short routes.

Hands at the start of the day.

Rad Coffee + Rad Rock = Rad Challenge
The owner of Folklore Coffee in Lander is passionate/obsessed about coffee.
Do yourself a favor and stop by.

Sometime in the middle.
The route follows the lieback crack with no feet.

Most of the climbing was vertical limestone, but there was the occasional 3 dimensional route.
The route is graded 5.8, there were 2 actual holds.

My awesome belayer/girlfriend

Clipping the chains on the 30th route.

Hands at the end of the day.
Not too bad, considering the amount of limestone climbed.

I started the challenge at 7:30 and finished around 5:30, with plenty of time for the Lander Bar. Overall, the challenge was "easy". It was 99% mental. My training prepared me almost perfectly. I was most sore from things I didn't train for - holding clipping positions (I trained mostly by bouldering) and from high stepping (I trained mostly indoors).

I've struggled to come with the proper words to describe the experience. This challenge was a once in a lifetime experience, but felt like just another step along my path of life.

The Numbers
0 - Falls/Takes
1 - Awesome Belayer
2 - Major slips (both within the first 10 routes)
4 - Monos

Ticklist
Grade, Name, Route Number*
7, Greenhorns in Velvet (11)
7, “R” is for Redneck (25)
7, Medicine Show (27)
7, Chapito, (30)
8, Phat Phinger Phrenzy (8)
8, Guns of Diablo (14)
8, Ticks for Chicks (21)
8, La Vaca Peligrossa (23)
8, Slave (24)
8, Huggys Pull-ups (28)
8, Pronghorn Pinnacle, (16)
9, Iron Horse With a Twisted Heart (1)
9, Annie Get Your Drill (10)
9, Saddle Up (17)
9, Britchen Strap (18)
9, The Hanging Tree (22)
10a, Red Ryder (12)
10a, Jabba The Hut (13)
10a, Brown Dirt Cowgirl (7)
10a, Nouveau West (19)
10b, Stacked Deck (2)
10b, Aces & Eights (3)
10b, Never Sit With Your Back to the Door (6)
10b, Wet Wipe-a-Whet (29)
10c, Claim Jumper (9)
10c, The Man From Laramie (20)
10c, Back in the Saddle (26)
10d, Red As a Blooming Rose (4)
10d, Matilda’s Last Waltz (5)
* I forgot to write down route #15

Thank Yous
My Girlfriend - She is probably more relieved than me that Birthdays are 365 days apart
All the equippers - Made the challenge "easy"
Todd Skinner - Enough said
Steve Becthtel & Mountain Athlete - Invaluble training & advice

The Challenge, Part I : Olympic Lifting

I started my challenge day like all my other days, eggs & coffee. With a full bell and slight buzz, I started to lift heavy weights very fast.

Matt strugglin' in the morning.

The first event was the Snatch, one of my weakest events. Ironically, I get by being relatively strong. The video catches the end of my best lift. It would have been 3 red lights in Beijing. My backyard rule: If the bar goes up, the lift is good.

Snatch, 155

The clean was up next. I tied my PR which was disappointing because I had done a far amount of training for this lift in particular.

Clean, 205

I was so excited to test the slow lifts that I forget to test overhead squats in my backyard, where I could dump the weight. I had to do it at the UCSB Recreation Center and play it safe.

Overhead Squat, 155X1

The Challenge, Part II : Powerlifting

Back squat, my strongest lift, was the first event in the Powerlifting portion. I warmed-up and failed at my challenge weight of 350. I rested and got it: double body-weight, 3 white lights, Fuck Yeah.


Back Squat, 350

I did less well on the shoulder press, something about heavy weights over my head gets me nervous. I had a heartbreaking failure at 160 but got 155.

Shoulder Press, 155

I trained for PR in the deadlift but had to settle for double bodyweight. I did break 2.5 bodyweight from the ground but couldn't finish the pull.

Deadlift, 350

Benching is hard for me, and I didn't have much in the tank. I did it at the end of the heavy lifts because it is similar to resting. (It is the only event that you lie down to compete in.) I made 225, which is a warm-up lift on most days.

The Challenge, Part III : Track (and rowing)

I was siked about the 400m after setting a PR, 1:04, last weekend. It was completely different his week because I had to time trial and turned in a 1:08.

Feeling Strong, Good Form, But All Alone

I rested and refueled for the 800m. It was decidedly slower, but Matt was my rabbit for last 400m. After I finished I felt like the day was beginning to be a Birthday Challenge.
2:41 = painful & slow

Feeling Weak, Bad Form, But With a Friend

I went back the UCSB recreation center and threw down a 500m row. The time was okay, 1:39.

My legs were tore up, and it was time for the 1600m. Matt was my rabbit for the last 800m. It did not help that he ran the first 100m backwards because my pace was so sadly slow, 6:21.

This is my official recovery position.

The Challenge, Part IV : Gymnastics

The front lever was the first event in the gymnastics portion. The quality is debatable, but it was a satisfying PR.

front lever, 15s

Weighted pull-ups were next. I had to fight for 135.

pull-up, 135

Keeping the balance.

dip, 135

The biggest disappointment was maximum repetitions pull-ups. I did so many pull-ups during training. I could only eek out 22.

It wouldn't be a CrossFit day at the UCSB Recreation Center without being informed that were breaking the rules. This time it was "unapproved photography". Time to head outside.

I don't think I have ever tested my vertical jump. It turns out I have good hops, 25'' vertical (approx), but not the best measuring system. It involved me chalking up my fingertips and measuring with webbing, stupid climbers.

Insert Your Own Caption ...

I knocked out out 11 handstand push-ups. Easy.
I knocked out 25 pistols each leg. Easy.

I felt locked in with L-sit and set a great PR. It became a whole body experience with everything giving out at the end.

L-sit, 41s

Word of the Day

Muscle-ups were another disappointment, 5. It was becoming very warm at that point.


Ring dips, 24. Hard.

Ring push-ups, 41. PR!! Very Hard.

The Challenge, Part V : The Finishers

I finished all the max weight, max rep events, and fast events by 4 pm. All I had remaining were the long slow events. The events that would slowly eat my soul.

The first one was Clean and Jerk, 35lb X 2, 100 reps in 10 minutes. My strategy was Tabata interval the whole thing : 5 reps in 20s, rest 10s, repeat 20 times. It was a mind fuck, but I did it!! It was nice to hit Elite Standard that late in the day.

The second to last event was 5K in 20 minutes. That is the Advanced Standard, but I was taking what my legs would give me at this point. I cued up Rancid on my iPod, very loud.

"Maxwell can't tell he's in hell
He just wants you to visit him there
Same old game that he's playing
His rules are never fair"
Maxwell Murder
Rancid

My Private War:
rowing negative splits for 20 minutes, including a sprint at the end.


I went home and showered. My wonderful girlfriend, who supported me the whole day, fired up the grill for some tri-tip. The last event, sandbag carry with 130lbs for 1 mile, I did "off the coach." I have never even picked up a sandbag that heavy in my life. I thought training for it would not be fun, just suck it up and do it.

MGD - Check
Sandbag with 75% of bodyweight - Check
Let's Start the Party.

I did it!!Last event, Elite Level. If you are curious, it took 20 minutes without setting the sandbag down.

Looking for steaks, beer, and a hole to die in.

The Challenge, Part VI : Wrap-up

I would like to thank Alex and Matt for their tremdous amount of support during training and the event. It would not have been possible without them.

Matt breaking stuff (At least it wasn't himself)

Here is the final tally:

25 events
(I didn't test Mary because I wouldn't have been able to complete 15 rounds. I couldn't test the rope climb because I didn't have access to a rope.)

Elite Level
6 events
Sandbag carry, Pistols, Squat, Clean and Jerks, Handstand Push-ups, Front Lever

Advanced Level
10 events
Push-ups, Bench Press, 400m Run, Deadlift, Shoulder Press, Clean, Vertical Jump, Weighted Dip, Weighted Pull-up, 5K Row

Intermediate Level
9 events
Overhead Squat, 800m run, 500m row, Dips, Pull-ups, Muscle-ups, L-Sit, Snatch, 1600m Run

I had a great day, but I don't think I'll do it again. I'm already thinking about next year, it is my 30th. I want it to be huge.

One clue : It will involve climbing.