endurance climbing, day 6 (week 2)

25 minutes of 5.8 on rope 1 (climb up and down)
20 minutes on 5.7/5.6 on rope 11 (big overhang)
25 minutes on 5.7 on rope 12 (medium overhang)

We're following a periodized training program where the first 4 weeks are dedicated to "Aerobic Restoration and Capillarity" (i.e. ARC). When ARCing, you're supposed to find a route you can do nonstop for 20 to 30 minutes. This type of training is supposed to promote the growth of capillaries to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the cells. When climbing difficult routes, you usually find that your forearms get rock-solid and you're unable to grip any of the holds; this is what climbers call a "pump." When you start climbing the route, your arms are using an aerobic process which relies on oxygen reaching the cells. But, as you grip hand holds, the capillaries in your arms are squeezed which creates an oxygen deficit. The pump comes from the anaerobic process that kicks in when your arms fail to receive enough oxygen; this anaerobic process leaves lactic acid behind. When done right, ARCing is supposed to make you breath heavy and have a very slight pump in your arms.

ARCing is somewhat of a long-term pursuit -- one that you're supposed to always have in your periodized training schedule. After 4 weeks of ARCing, we move on to maximum strength training. I'll post more about that later.

More than anything, the biggest gains I've felt so far have been mental. When we were coming to the gym 2-3 times/week to climb before starting this program, we would climb for about 7 to 8 minutes. I couldn't even imagine staying on the wall for 15 minutes, let alone 25. I've already feel like I've come a long way. By week four of ARC training, our 3 sets are supposed to be 30 minutes each.

Oh yeah, we went outdoor climbing for the first time this past weekend. It was awesome. Going again very soon.