Cross-Training: Vernal Falls Hike

This past Monday we headed out to Yosemite for a day trip. Hal Higdon said that I should cross-train that day, so I elected to hike to the top of Vernal Falls. The entire hike round trip is about three miles with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet on the way up.

Things I Wish I Would Have Done While Hiking to Top of Vernal Falls

1. Snapped photos of the surprising footwear. I was surprised by the number of people wearing flip flops up the trail.
2. Counted people I passed. (It feels amazing to be in shape!)
3. Taken more snack food. We didn't really plan on doing the whole hike. We sort of decided to do it at the last minute.

They say that there are 600 granite steps up to the top of Vernal Falls. That is a lot of steps. I just googled the number of step up to the top of Peterskirche in Munich--306. I remember how laborious getting to the top of Peterskirche was when I visited in 2007. Conquering Peterskirche was one of the things that motivated me to start running. It is nice to know that 600 uneven granite steps was easier for me than 306 uniform stair steps.

I expected more pain in my quads because downhill hurts more than uphill, but it was my calves that were angered. So to be on the safe side, I took yesterday off from running. Today I was out an ran my scheduled five easily with only minor soreness at the beginning of my run.

To conclude: Hiking these three miles was harder on my body than running 13.1 in SF a week ago.

Cross-Training: Rock Climbing

I've tried resistance training with little success in sticking to the program. Doing reps for the sake of doing reps was never enough motivation for me. It was all very abstract.

At least with running, I cover a concrete distance.

This is partially one reason why I loved rock climbing. Resistance training and covering a concrete distance! Progress is palpable! And like running you can sort of get in a zone and not realize how much you have ascended until you pause to look down/look back.

Here I am ascending a climb called Bake Sale; it earned this name because the rock just bakes in the sunshine and burns up your hands. I happened to take my rock climbing class on a Yosemite day that reached temps in the 90s. This is the sort of day most recreational rock climbers won't climb because the rock heats up to uncomfortable levels.

As rock climbing was new to me, I encountered struggles. As a runner, I should be no stranger to this. My instructor in trying to comfort me told me that climbing is like a hybrid of ballet and chess.

I'm comfortable with the idea of being a ballerina. I was even an adorable ballerina one Halloween in elementary school. But I lack the patience to be a decent chess player. I had to slow down and read the rock.

That is probably a metaphor for a lot in my life.

As a bonus: I aggravated/reinjured (maybe) my calf strain in my left calf. This does not dissuade me from future climbing opportunities!