Looking forward

[morsla]

If 2007 was a year for expanding borders, 2008 is one for working on things much closer to home. It's already getting off to a good start. I've been spending much more time with friends, and generally getting out a bit more often... making up for lost time, as I feel like I've been living under a rock since getting back to Melbourne in October.

There are about six weeks left, until I haul my creaking carcass back to wushu again. I don't think that my sore joints (mainly knees, ankles and shoulders) have appreciated taking six months off - with less muscle mass to keep them in place, I can accidentally hyperextend pretty much all my joints at angles they weren't designed to reach. If rest won't re-wind all my errant ligaments, I think the best option is to reinforce them and train the surrounding muscles to do their best impression of a "normal" range of movement.

I'm also getting some more use out of my bike, now that I can talk aeliel into coming out for rides - good company is a good incentive. Hopefully, I'll also start doing some indoor rockclimbing now that HardRock has opened up in the CBD. I'd love to get some sort of regular climbing in, but the admission fee + gear hire are likely to dictate what kind of routine I can get into. Wushu and Tai Chi will already be chewing up a bit of cash, so climbing looks like it'll have to be an occasional luxury. More incentive to work on making the business more profitable, though. Any incentive helps :)

Comments

[caerell.livejournal.com]

jaquiej and I started climbing once a week last year at Hardrock, since we both work in the city.

If you are interested in going, let us know and we can arrange our visits together. It is always good to climb with people you know :)

[morsla.livejournal.com]

Will do :) I think I've climbed a grand total of once since 1993... I'd like to get back into it.

How long has Hardrock been open for? I remember when they announced that the building would have a climbing gym in it, but it's been ages since I walked down that street to check on it.

[caerell.livejournal.com]

Seems like it has been open for about 4 months now.

So far we've been going on Mondays, but there is some flexibility in that if other people are interested in making it a semi-regular group outing, but can't make Mondays.

We use the 10-pass card ($14.40 per visit effectively) and have all our own gear. For how often we climb, it would have been absurd not to have our own gear.

As far as I know, climbing shoes are mandatory, so ouch on the prices.

[morsla.livejournal.com]

Ouch indeed. Still, I can see why they'd do it - shoes generate a lot more revenue for the centre (they'd pay for themselves in a month), and they reduce maintainence costs for the walls. I've never used climbing shoes before...

I'm going to try it out tonight, and then I'll have to count pennies and weigh up how often I can manage to go back again... Mondays should be good, though, as aeliel will be off at yoga then.

Still waiting to find out when Wushu and Tai Chi are happening this year - if they follow the 2007 timetable, Wushu will be running Tuesday and Friday nights, with Tai Chi on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. That's likely to be the least flexible bit of my timetable.

[cookie-dreams.livejournal.com]

oooh, rock climbing is on the list of New Things To Try in 08 for me!
How much is it at HardRock?

Good luck getting back into wushu. you're exactly right. you won't fix your ligaments, might as well teach the muscles to pick up the slack...

[morsla.livejournal.com]

Fairly pricy - a general entry pass is $17 (Adult), plus another $6 for harness hire. I don't know if climbing shoes are compulsory on all their walls - they're generally an optional extra, and only required on some surfaces, so I've never used them at the Seaford or Altona gyms. Shoe hire is another $6.

It gets a bit cheaper with 10-visit passes ($144 Adult). If I get addicted, I might try to tracking down a cheap(ish) harness... Mountain Designs on Smith Street sometimes have secondhand gear.

There's a list of prices at http://www.hardrock.com.au/

Climbing Gear

[rendragon.livejournal.com]

The Wilderness Shop in Box Hill has heaps of serious climbing gear and the people who run it seem to know what they're talking about. I've bought carabiners from there. (not for rockclimbing though ;) ) The shop is an easy walk from Box Hill Station.

http://www.wildernessshop.com.au/

[virtual-munkee.livejournal.com]

i wish there was a hard rock in adelaide! that gym looks so awesome, my friend lives in the partment building next door...

nice ideas there ben, cycling is awesome and i am glad aliel is getting out wit ya!

[jilavre.livejournal.com]

I 'd so be in on it too...

IF I lose a few pound and develop some upper body strength to speak of.

I'm working on both of those... but sadly I'd rather not do it in public to be the laughing stock of the super fit - maybe when I have some confidence again. :)