#77It does look like rain..
By Chris 'Blane' Rowat | posted on 21 July 2009 | 4 comments
It
was wet. Very wet.
I'd had a few ideas for tonight's class but I hadn't been expecting such heavy rain to be joining us and as I sat on the bus to the outdoor class I did wonder, should I change my plans?
The answer came quicker than the question.
I SHOULD change my plans! I could make the most of this weather and use it to my advantage. Sure, they'll hate me, but that's nothing new and I'll be there with them so they can't complain. Too much. Right?
When I arrived and stepped off the bus, the unforgiving barrage of water immediately hit me and I knew this was going to be one of those nights. Visions of the last Rendezvous assaulted my senses and they made me smile.. a smile that only grew as I noticed most of the students seeking shelter under some trees, waiting for everyone else to arrive.
The group was divided, I took three of the more experienced guys with me and as we jogged to a nearby park, we made an effort to avoid the larger puddles.. at this stage.
After some more running and very light routes that gradually became faster, I felt we were all warm enough for what was to come.
I asked the guys to remove their shoes, their socks and their shirts and after the initial surprise all three were only too keen to join me half-naked in the pouring rain. Nobody wanted to be the one to protest and there was an energy in the air that had us all too eager to get colder and wetter to see what we could take.
It was obvious I'd need to keep the tempo high and keep us moving to stop the bitter wind and icy rain from demoralising and beating us down, so we placed our bags and clothes in a rare dry patch and got to work.
First up to get the blood pumping and maintain our body temperature was 50 climb ups on a wall, usually a fairly straightforward task for anyone in this group but the rain had soaked the moss on the top and with no foot protection, the sharp, slippery walls made an example of our feet by the halfway point. Irregardless we all finished the exercise feeling great and the rain was only a minor issue in the backs of our minds now. I silently issued a challenge to the skies to give us all they could and they replied with more of the same. Wind and water. Ha! Is that all you have tonight?
Next up we repeated some simple routes over a wall, through some bars, up on to a garage roof, over the top and down the other side but with one stipulation - we had to complete the route in complete silence.. so no foot slides, misplaced hands, careless limbs or loss of control would be acceptable as this would surely result in at least a squeak or bump or creak in these conditions. After five or so repetitions of the route we had all worked out the best way to overcome the obstacles in silence so I reversed the direction which offered a few interesting variations before we moved on to try a couple of jumps that were suddenly a little trickier in the wet and without any protection for the feet.
By the time we had finished this exercise we realised it had stopped raining. Having long accepted our circumstances and feeling soaked to the bone, it really wasn't an issue any more though. Alongside a brief interval from the rain we were also met with some bewildered looks, smiles and shakes of the heads from passersby.. but all were complimentary and supportive, if not a little curious as to whether we were under the influence of something.
Next I led the guys to another area and we climbed on to a wall that led higher and higher as we eased our way along the top. The moss and barefooted combination made for some very careful steps as the height increased and at the peak we stopped to take a look around and closed our eyes, enjoying the feeling of being at a height in these conditions. Of course this is something you should only do if you're comfortable and experienced enough for this kind of training but I knew these guys and enough about their ability to know they were all safe and capable.
A short traversing route and climbing challenge awaited us next in which we had to travel from one location to another without touching the ground.. an age old game but one made all the more fun and difficult with the addition of some water.
The traverse dug deep in to the hands as metal clashed with mettle and I'm constantly reminded of the exercise as a small cut in my hand keeps skimming the space bar. Again. And again. And again.
Finally we headed back to meet the other group as the rain made a comeback. The walk had done a fair job of cooling us down once more so it was time for something a little more intense to get back to a comfortable temperature! We spent an arduous five or six minutes in press up position constantly mixing push up variations with static holds on the fingertips, knuckles and palms as our body temperature crept back to a decent level for such a night. After some core training and stretching we were all relieved to find our socks, shoes and shirts all dry and ready to slip in to. See? There is a method to my madness! Somewhere..
A challenging night, a great atmosphere and a feeling of unity as we braved the worst of it together.
I do love the rain.
-Blane
Labels: Training
About the Author : Chris 'Blane' Rowat4 Comments:
Inspiring as usual.
A lot of discipline and will strenght.
Respect,
take care, man.
B.Rachacuca
By 
Unknown, at
4:31 pm, July 21, 2009
As the man who had the pleasure of taking the other half of the class that evening, I would like to concur wholeheartedly. Training in the rain rocks.
By Dan, at
5:28 pm, July 21, 2009
too bad i missed some of the start... great day though... cant wait till this friday
By 
, at
12:59 am, July 22, 2009
Hi! Your article as always very useful, to example us, tracers from Ukraine, every time find for itself something new. Thank you !
Take care, good luck & god bless!..
P.S. Sorry, fo mistakes=)
By Neiko, at
7:13 pm, October 07, 2009
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