My macrocycle for 2012

Check out the mad excel skillz displayed by yours truly as I pieced together this puzzle of conditioning strategy for the entire year - my Macrocycle for 2012! I realise that it is highly subject to changes, revisions, "aw-fuck-it"-days et cetera, but it is a good, and motivating start! I feel so psyched now to get going, Emelie's little flipped-out-yet-wonderful travel guide from Tenerife didn't exactly help to alleviate the feeling of climbing abstinence.

Anyway, the point of the macrocycle is to put some thought into how you want to setup your training schedule for the whole year, taking into account where you want to hit peak form, when to take it easy and recover, and also to fill in little notes on progressions you make, record injuries and illnessess and so forth. It gives you an overhead perspective on your training and it gives you so much motivation to stick to your plan when you have intermediate goals.

This is how I planned it
First weeks are actually what has already happened, which is to say: not alot. Because of the important deadline at work, and then catching a nasty cold right afterwards, I haven't been able to go climbing and it has driven me crazy almost.

Anyway, I felt like I really needed to start with a period of stamina training, getting back into business, taking it easy on my joints and finger tendons and just getting that volume of climbing back in my body, and also combining the climbing with cardio training and easy gym exercises. After four weeks I will hopefully "get back into the swing of things".

(btw, inspired by Emelie, I will throw in links to music and clips and other things that pop into my head as I go along. Expect alot of dorky stuff!)

After the stamina, I will alternate strength and endurance before a possible (probable!) climbing trip for one or two weeks at the end of March (It'll be awesome) and I will need to have a rest week before the trip, atleast from heavy training.

Then I'll start a 4-3-2-1 cycle to get into shape for the BIG TRIP, although since it's only 9 weeks between coming back from Spain and going away again, I've skipped the first stamina week (or the last, or... one of the weeks anyway) to get some more endurance in me.

Back from the trip in september I'll start alternating between strength and endurance and maybe mix in more and more power as well, depending on what needs to be done for the final project which I'll find (or it'll find me perhaps) somewhere during our trip.

That's the plan as it is right now. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first I'll need to get through this first period of climbing climbing climbing climbing. That's what's so great about the macrocycle, it keeps you on track, I'm not tempted (ok that's a lie, but I can control the temptation) to go doing hard bouldering when I know It'll screw up my plan, instead it gives me motivation to go climbing, even if I'm away working.

Went to the local "gym" here in Växjö (the place where my project is... and when I say project, I don't mean climbing project, I mean the project where I actually work... you know... to raise money to pay for rent, food etc... still don't know? You dirtbag!) today and did some bouldering circuits and it felt gooooood! So nice to be back, even though the climbing gym is smaller than a shoe box, the holds are about my age and it's a bit of a hassle to get there from where I work. Back at the hotel now for more work, but I feel worked already! :) Forearms are pretty numb!