I'VE GOT THE POWER!

Surprise! I've got some power left.

This is a bit of an obsession for me, if you still haven't gotten it.

Yesterday I did some tests in the gym, as I do every two weeks. It was quite cold outside, and rainy, with a fresh breeze, and after some rest I was feeling good. So I warmed up slowly, and then proceeded to test the 90° lock off on the usual slopers, and it was as usual, nothing more, nothing less. But there was one thing that had pissed me of recently, and it was that fucking couple of small, slopey edges, that I hadn't been able to decently hang on to in the last weeks. I don't like to give me excuses, and as the drawback I refuse to admit defeat when conditions are poor: in my mind strong climbers are always strong, in the rain, in the cold, in the mist. So when I couldn't hang those holds I thought I had lost my finger strength, and I could only rely on the glory of having the record of the gym on those holds: 30 seconds.

I approached the holds as if they were a final problem at the world cup. I cleaned them perfectly, I felt them (they were fresh), and then made my fingers comfortable on them, by doing one or two quick hangs. I rested, I chalked up, I refreshed my hands. Then I went under them, my stop watch dangling from the wall, already marking the seconds going. I put my fingers where I thought best, and I took off.

I felt the pressure on my fingers, and it was a light pressure, I was light, I was strong and I couldn't feel any effort.

I didn't want to look at the watch, not to be disappointed, but when I saw I was going well, I gave everything not to slide off.

THIRTY-FUCKING-FIVE SECONDS DAMMIT.

It may seem a small increase, but it's a big gain: five seconds over thirty, is more than 15%, and I could have done a couple more, hadn't I greased off.

So, with some confidence left, I tested again the guns on the 2 cm edge. Two one armers went down, and even if I'm no more close to doing three, I was happy nonetheless. I am happy, also because I knew once more that I don't have to panic if I don't train power and strength for a few weeks.