El Potrero Chico during Power/PE?

[ryanmcd]

We don't have complete control over every aspect of our lives, so sometimes we have the problem of going to El Potrero Chico for two weeks at the end of a Power phase and the start of a PE phase. Tough, I know! I'll be climbing at EPC with my 67-year-old uncle, mostly 5.10 multi-pitch. Which I think will be challenging for me, considering the fact that in the last performance phase (my first) I only onsighted .11a. Ideally, this would be my general fitness / mileage phase, but the more important trip is later in the summer, a month in Ontario with my little monster of a 12-year-old son. Anyway, should I be campusing and bouldering in the off hours when at EPC, or just consider those lost weeks for P/PE and gains for general mileage and fun?

[MarkAnderson]

I think you could probably mostly just enjoy yourself at EPC, and then "recover" whatever power you lost during the following month. However, if you have easy access to a campus board, it would be nice to do a 20-minute sessions once a week while you're there. If you are able to do that, make sure you do it early (in a given day), rather than after you've climbed 15 pitches. If you can't do it when you're relatively fresh, don't do it.

[jcm]

I think the OP is asking the wrong question. If the Potrero trip and the Ontario trip are the two big trips of the year, then his training should be oriented to maximize those two trips. This means adapting your training schedule around these trips, rather than trying to make the trips fit into a rigid 17-week cycle schedule. Also, at the OP's level (~11a), maximizing time getting experience on real rock should take priority. So go on your trip, focus on climbing as much as possible, and then re-set with your training when you get back.

The better question to ask is how to adjust your training to maximize BOTH trips. Ideally, you should compress the timing of your current phase to maximize fitness for Potrero. The take some rest upon getting back, and then start a new cycle to train for the summer Ontario trip. Without knowing the timing of these trips, it is hard to say if this will fit. What phase are you in now, when is the Potrero trip, and when is the Ontario trip?

[jcm]

I would also say that trying to campus in the middle of a big-volume mileage trip is probably a bad idea. If you can even find a campus board to use out there, you will probably be too fatigued from the massive vertical mileage you'll be putting in on the long routes to do any worthwhile campus work. Plus the campusing will tire you out and potentially detract from performance on the real climbing, which is what the whole thing is about. I'd also be concerned about injury risk from campusing when fatigued. Overall it seems like the risks of trying to add in power training while on your trip outweigh the benefits.

[ryanmcd]

Thanks, JCM and Mark. JCM, thanks for prompting a rethink of my schedule. Potrero is first two weeks of Feb., then Ontario is the month of July. Since my uncle is not as strong as I am, the focus as Potrero will be moderate multi-pitch, and not pushing my redpoint limit. I'm trying to fit a performance phase for a couple long weekends at the New River Gorge in the early spring, then cycle again to perform in July. So I do think EPC will just be awkwardly placed in the first cycle, but hopefully can maintain/train some power there with a couple days of hard single pitch, and then make up what I can when I get home. Thanks for the great responses!

[jcm]

Dec 22, 2016 12:35:21 GMT -7 ryanmcd said:

Potrero is first two weeks of Feb., then Ontario is the month of July....I'm trying to fit a performance phase for a couple long weekends at the New River Gorge in the early spring, then cycle again to perform in July...hopefully can maintain/train some power there with a couple days of hard single pitch, and then make up what I can when I get home.

This sounds like a good plan. Even if you lose a bit of power during the trip, you should have no trouble getting it back with a few weeks of focused "re-up" power training afterwards. I've done something similar a few times in the past (get strong, go on trip, come back and re-up, then go on another trip), and it has always worked out pretty well.

Remember that even though the RCTM periodization order (Base, Strength, Power, PE, and Peak in that order) is a damn good approach, it isn't the only way to put together a workable schedule. What you'll be doing will look like Base, Strength, Power, Base (Potrero), Power, PE, and Peak. For your purposes, this should be fine. Not necessarily optimal, but probably totally adequate.

The other main question is whether to include some re-up hangboarding in late February or early March, once you return. Whether to do this would depend on how much time you have before NRG season and/or what you feel you need to work on. It could be useful if you feel like your strength needs replenishment. It could be in the form of a short (5 sessions in 2 weeks) mini hangboard cycle. Or maybe pick your 3 most important grips and incorporate a short max hang protocol into your power days. There's some discussion of how to do this in the "Conjugate Periodization..." thread. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it is needed.

I'll be in Potrero Feb 9-26, so I may see you there!

Basically,

[ryanmcd]

Dec 29, 2016 16:13:48 GMT -7 jcm said:

Remember that even though the RCTM periodization order (Base, Strength, Power, PE, and Peak in that order) is a damn good approach, it isn't the only way to put together a workable schedule. What you'll be doing will look like Base, Strength, Power, Base (Potrero), Power, PE, and Peak. For your purposes, this should be fine. Not necessarily optimal, but probably totally adequate.

I'll be in Potrero Feb 9-26, so I may see you there!

Good to hear--just in my second cycle, so it's good to know there's flexibility. Maybe see you in EPC!--I'll be the one with the short badass elderly uncle crushing 5.10s.