Katherine @lovetoclimb facebook page

Team Kyou

21 Feb 2011

If you have received my newsletter you will know that I am working with Corinne Theroux (who ran the Chateauvert holidays) to deliver a series of training workshops (in Sheffield and London) and an outdoor performance course in the Peak (this May).  You can find out more information here.

These training courses are really worth attending as there are simply no other courses like this on offer in the UK and certainly not designed by anyone with such in depth training knowledge.  Corinne trains some of the top performing French competition climbers including two people who climb 8c+ so this is an exciting chance to tap into their training methods.

Team Kyou fitball  Introducing instability while climbing

I am helping Corinne market the company, Team Kyou, and run some of the courses in the UK.  Their website is under construction, but if you can understand French there is more information on their facebook page.

I’ve also been organising this year’s Rock Action course for young people and it’s already sold out!!  Everyone from last year wants to come again!  I am looking forward to actually being able to climb with everyone this year – last time I was 7.5 months pregnant.  So I may start thinking about other courses for young people too.

My climbing has been progressing, I’m up to onsighting 6c!  It’s amazing what a thrill it is each week to slowly creeping up the grades.  It seems that the angle has a big effect on what I can manage – vertical there’s not too much of a problem.  But on really overhanging ground gravity rears its head and my stalling weight loss doesn’t help matters.  Still I decided that last night was my final breastfeed... so here’s to the return of my old body and some nights out.

Unfortunately an old finger injury, which seemed to completely disappear during my lay off has very quickly made an appearance again.  Sometimes rest doesn’t help at all – in fact in it’s best to keep joints moving.  So more reasons to take it slowly – but France beckons, and some outdoor climbing in the sun is exactly what I need to blow the cobwebs away.

Climbing again!

02 Feb 2011

As I type this I am beginning to feel a bit like a climber again.  At least there are bits of chalk under my finger nails and I’m sitting here fitting into my old climbing clothing again.  My ‘baby’ tummy is less obvious and I can still pull on the odd crimp.

I’ve been going down to the Foundry doing routes once a week since Christmas.  My friend Siobhan (who has a 3 month year old - see below) joins me, Nic (also below) and whoever else I can rope in to make up that all important ‘climbing in a three’.  Rab has rather naughtily (I would say!) called us the maternity suite.  Well yes, the Furnace part of the wall may take on a different look on Tuesdays now.

Foundry

Last week for the first time my body was remembering what to do and I felt a little more energy as I climbed despite that extra stone regularly saying a big ‘hello I’m here too’.  I’ve since added in a couple of sessions bouldering too and really I’m not as bad as I thought.  But one shock is the inch I’m sure I’ve lost from my biceps – there’s nothing there anymore, so it’s a full body conversion that’s got to happen.

I’m hoping that my daily pilates is going to play a big role in this body transformation and I’m sure it’s doing something.  It’s all happening from the inside out - so I have to be patient to see results.

Recently Moon clothing renewed my sponsorship for this year.  It came as a surprise but I took it as a huge vote of confidence and it certainly adds to my determination to regain something of my former climbing self.  Thank you Moon.  Hope you don't mind the tongue in cheek photo.

Anyway here's a recent pic of my little sweetie.  She's just noticed that she's got feet!

Vanessa finding feet

Nic and I are heading to the south of France to Buis Les Baronnies area this March.  I simply cannot wait as it will have been a full year since my last holiday to Sicily (apart from a handful of days in Cornwall and the Lakes).  It’s going to be somewhat of an adventure though.  We’re heading down there without that important ‘third person’ and hoping to bump into people!!  But with my A-level French, friends of friends, and child friendly southern Europe we’re hoping for the best.

Finally just want to say a big congratulations to Andy and Suzan – they had a baby girl, Amber, at Christmas.  Andy is slowly on the mend too, which is really great to hear.