Tuesday, July 31, 2012

3rd Asian Beach Games 2012 (Part 2)

Two more days.  Semis and finals coming up.  Only 4 problems in each of  the semi's and final's bouldering and just 1 more route for each of the lead semi's and final's.  Breaking it down further, there could be 32 moves on the boulder semi's and just about the same for the lead semi's.  Not so much 'ey!?  Along the way, playing with the numbers, there is just so many ways the variations can be.  Timing a move just right, adding the right momentum, gripping at the right possible time.  Everything plays a role.  Geeky math on the boulder problems and the routes will show just how many ways you should train and just how much engrams a climber has to accumulate.  The most interesting part... 1 bad move, 1 mistake is all that stands in the way of ultimate fruition.  The interesting world of competition climbing dwells so much in the mental game, confidence and familiarity to the many variables of on-sight climbing.  During on-sight bouldering, it's easy to miss out crucial holds and features and just go on straight to what you instantly see or feel.  How much of the mental stress can you handle?  How much of it can you carry while training constantly?  There is so much talk on staying in the moment of everything…to the guy in the game it sounds fairly easy.  I'm there and I understand, shutting off everything to gain just one focus, a step at a time.  Once you channel out though, look behind, look to the future…your mind will surely warp and think of the task as something daunting, huge to even start taking notes on.   Could there really be a mathematical formula to success or even an absolute scientific method? How much of this, how much of that, when to do this, when to do that?  The path is very diluted and getting to the pure essence is quite elusive.  The many books written also form part of the distraction, the age of online mining for resources also gives rise to many questions even as answers are revealed.  It's complicated, yet…climbing is, in essence, doing what it takes to get to the top.  I've taken time off and redirected most of my efforts to justify what really needs to be done.  The debate could be a long one for some but for those who truly understand, there is just one real solution.  Believe in what you need and believe in what you do.  The amounts of physical training is quantifiable to a point but what your mind offers and what your spirit can contribute is a huge trump card only you can harness.  Take it to where no one else  has taken it and for sure the impossible can be possible.

Here's a few scenes from the bouldering semi's and finals!































Part 3…
Soon ?!?

In the meantime …………………………………………….



Thursday, July 26, 2012

Project Argentina !!!

So…care enough to send your very best !?  Yeah . . . send me to Argentina aka Patagonia Country . . . yo no sé español, pero me envíe a la Argentina de todos modos

Petzl is celebrating its 10th Year Anniversary of Rock Trips.  This time they're heading down Argentina!  It's another of those places most famous for rock and more specifically PATAGONIAAA! Historical, historical ...  I just can't seem to shake off the previous one in Getu Valley in China.  The last one was more … closer to home so I can.  This one is off to the other side of the world.  It bit me and it's been on my mind for the longest time.  

O.k. so Petzl has this cool contest, but none for Asia right.  So I entered this one from the UK basically because it's got the only web page I can read!  Cool too they've linked it to Facebook.  So voting - liking - the photo I entered might … might get me there - problem is you have to be from the UK to have your entry legit!  Tagged my entry with - From:  San Mateo, Philippines … how cool is that !? Hahaha !!!  It's sweet ! Anyways here's the link:


I know…it's definitely a very, very long shot… but who cares right?  It's just plain fun to get all those votes, hahaha …and who knows?  Here's the photo I entered !  Colette McInerney on the honeycomb features under Getu's Big Arch - Getu Valley, China ! 


Yeah . . .  so go vote like A Muerte ! Have fun voting ! hahaha :)   

Monday, July 23, 2012

Tapped

Short for stout words and an overloaded HD and the fact I'm desperately needing a quick pick-me-upper from this unquiet stomach leaves me with just sitting it out, reading, loping around, watching the sun go down and sprinting through the web for something…anything valid…

Luckily I've found this interesting and very simple video, sort of a pick-me-upper thing…got it from Dave Macleod's blog page.   Here's the video…


Simplicity at it's best.  No other way of putting it better … constancy is always one sure key of getting better at anything.  

Monday, July 9, 2012

Coffee Break !!!



That Part 2 of the Haiyang Beach Games might take a while…I'm outta' harddisk space and I'm enjoying a new found peace in my new wi-fi coffee area !!! Over the last weekend, I finally finished my first coffee table !!! Ooohhh yeah !!! Got the time to mix-up some oatmeal choco-rasin cookies, bake it, eat it, and finally sh…t it all out the same day !  Shhweeettt !  Looking forward to the next hard battles and then to wipe off blood, sweat and tears finally to sit down and enjoy some peace, reset and fight again !  I love this life, A Muerte !!!

Monday, July 2, 2012

3rd Asian Beach Games 2012 - Haiyang, China (Part 1)

5 hour layover in Xiamen Airport

 
Dragon watching, fruit watching, just watching . . .







A day without Stan . . . is a day without . . . a loaded Mac 

Sport Climbing in 3rd Asian Beach Games Report

The Philippine Team for Sport Climbing for th 3rd Asian Beach Games held in Haiyang, China comprised of Jason "Jao" Sauco, Jonathan "Stan" Feleo, Milky Mae "Mhick" Tejares and Coach/Athlete Dennis Diaz.  The team departed June 15th with Jonathan flying over on the 16th

Training for the event, we started formally February 2012 but regular conditioning already went underway as early as January 2012. That plus a carry over from last year’s training, which started March 2011 for the SEA Games gave us a cumulated continuous training of more than a year with switch ups of indoor and outdoor climbing to help break the monotony of seeing 4 walls of plywood day-in, day-out.  In March 2012, me and Jao flew to Hong Kong for a build-up which  gained us momentum with me  finishing on the podium at 3rd for bouldering.  The standard IFSC format was followed for the event.  In May 2012, again, both me and Jao with the addition of Stan, Kat, Ia, Krissie, Bern and Sig attended another comp in Singapore.  Yuji Hirayama and Kim Donghyun did the route setting for Boulderactive 2012. The bouldering format was slightly different from the standard due to the huge number of participants.  Over 70 climbers signed up for the men's open category and over 500  participants for the whole event. We finished with a bit of a disappointment, less than inspiring, but we're able to adjust our heads in no time.  In June 2012 the Philippine National Games provided the team a last build-up comp for the lead category. Switching from bouldering to lead in the last month wasn't too much of a problem. I finished 1st, Stan in 4th, Jao in 7th, and Mhick, in the women’s division, in 3rd right after come backing mommy Krisitne Robles in 1st, and SEA Games Bouldering Women's Champion Ina Flores in 2nd.







Teams represent !


Stan the man in action on day 1 of the bouldering event










Isolation blues

Sol Sa of Team Korea



Min Hyunbin of Team Korea cruisin' the qualification route

Jason Sauco, Team Philippines

Stan Feleo, Team Philippines


Masahiro Higuchi, Team Japan

Yau Ka Chun, Team Hong Kong

Yuka Kobayashi, Team Japan

Day 1- 3rd Asian Beach Games Bouldering Qualifying Round, June 17th 2012

The temperatures were cool and provided the best conditions for climbing.  The holds were dry and friction was best.  Although the team isn’t too well used to climbing in the cool temps, warming up provided enough stimuli.  A little bit of a shake and I'm back to my senses.  I haven't been to these comps in along time. It all felt good but at the same time unfamiliarity creeps in. At the end of the day, all members of the team made it to the Semi-Finals.  Short runs in the afternoon helped in getting our heads back in the game.  

Day 2- Lead Qualifying Round, June 18th 2012

A rest from bouldering, a day for leading. Climbing started around 9am as in the previous day and this will be the start for the remaining 2 more days of competition.  We get ourselves into the Isolation Area at least 8:00am.  Sleeping early and waking up early the next day became easy. There isn't any airconditioning but still the afternoons and nights weren't at all warm and humid. We also run in the afternoons with sweats on so that tells as much how cold it gets sometimes. 

Always, the better temps are in the mornings when the climbing is done.  We can't complain of heat exhaustion.  Food in the athlete dining hall are divided into Halal, Asian, Continental and Chinese.  Suffice to say we're never hungry or thirsty.  Buses to and from the competition venue run like clockwork.  Everything around us worked smoothly.  

The wall used for the lead event was at least 3x higher than the usual walls we use for training and the holds used for both lead and the bouldering events were all unfamiliar.  The level of difficulty for the competition was higher than SEA Games levels.   The presence of contingents from Japan and Korea, both power houses in the World Cup Events, always placing in the podium,  heightened the climbing levels during the event. Still, everyone in the team went to the semis.  Two more days of competition.  Everyday is a climbing day.



Team Philippines + Team Japan


Atori Yasuda, Team Japan

Kim Ja In of Team Korea with Stan, Jao and Mhick of Team Philippines

Stan with Ploy Thomas of Team Thailand

Sleeping Mean of Team Thailand (Left), Thai Cheer Captain (Right)




Misssss Jordannnn !



Beach Handball Ninjas !



Beach Sepak Ninjas !


Ninja Pin Hunters !


. . .