back to competing!

This past weekend I competed at a college regionals competition in Nashville @ The Crag at Cool Springs.

I competed on a personal level and also with my school, UTC.

It was the first competition I have competed in since my injury. Needless to say, it went pretty well. I have to admit there were a few times when I got high on the wall, i freaked out a little bit in my mind as i would have flashbacks of the fall... but by the end of the day, I was falling on both feet without much worry.

It was a pretty fun comp and I got a really good work out in! I was sore for the next few days! I ended up placing first in advanced women! And our school as a whole got first place overall! (good job, everyone!)

On a raw vegan note, I was completely fueled on ataulfo mangos the whole day! They are my favorite food.


Now i'm just waiting for someone to post pictures or videos! I will update this blog post as soon as those are available.

St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patricks day, everyone!

Here are some of my favorite foods that are green:

green smoothie!green juice!
lettuce, eaten straight!
more lettuce eaten alone!
black sapotes! i took this picture in sort of a ripening progression!

And here are a few pics that i got off the internet of a few more green foods i enjoy:

grapes!avocado!
cucumber!
kiwi!

What green foods do YOU like!?

Urban Climber Mag: HP40 guidebook

Someone informed me that there were pics of me on the UrbanClimber Magazine website... So i went and checked them out!

These pics are mainly from my good friend Dan Brayack and were submitted to make the new HP40 guidebook. Check out the new guidebook here. I am psyched that one of the pics that Dan submitted of me made it to the guidebook.... However, I don't have a picture of it right here. I'll have to get back to you guys on this one!

Check out some of the pics that were submitted here.

For now, here are few of the pics of me that were submitted:

check out the sick Friksn shirts!

Stein Gallery

ART UPDATE:

One of my art pieces was recently shown at the Stein Gallery in Nashville, TN.

This is the art piece that was shown. It is called The Purple Tree.

Mixed Media on canvas. 18x24. acrylic, paper towels, charcoal, sharpie.

$80

Check it out on the bottom left on display among other art pieces.

to check out more of my art, visit www.badashclimber.etsy.com or look at my art album on facebook.

FLORIDA.... again!

I can't stay away for too long!

I just got back from visiting my good raw vegan friends in Jacksonville, FL. Tim and I drove down for just a couple days, but it was totally worth it and we had a blast.

We left on Monday and arrived Monday afternoon. Connie had fresh squeezed OJ waiting for us and it was pure liquid gold! We hung out, played in the sandbox with Christopher, and ate "naked" raw tacos by the fire, which consisted of raw guacamole (the best i've ever had) and raw pineapple salsa. DELICIOUS.

On Tuesday Tim and I went to St. Augustine, which is the oldest city in the U.S. We walked around and visited the shops and had a great time! We got water from the REAL fountain of youth and we checked out a raw vegan restaurant and attempted to order the simplest foods on the menu.... salad, smoothies, and hummus! =)

We also checked out the old fort in St. Augustine... pretty cool!

we also got to see this beautiful sunset!

That night we returned to The Naked Food Cafe (Connie's house) where they made raw vegan brownies served with banana icecream and strawberries!!!! The brownies were way too good to be true and with the banana icecream and strawberries, it was almost too much to handle! It was probably the best raw dessert i've ever had! YUM (thanks so much!)

It was so good to be back with my Naked Food Cafe family in Florida... I can't wait to go back! (p.s. Thanks to Tasha for giving me a haircut!)

back to dayton: progress

I went back out to Dayton today to do some climbing.

I worked on HSR.... and theres really one word to say:

PROGRESS.

this climb is at my limit. I am beginning to accept that it is going to take more than 2 days to send! I have to get out of the mindset of sending hard climbs the first few days out there... because if it is truly hard for me and at my limit, it will take longer than that.

I learn so much everytime I climb. On this particular problem, each day is a huge progression from the last. Today I did all the moves with more flow and fell going for the last hard move quite a few times. I am there. I know I can do it.

The one thing that was not helping was my fingers.

Next time I need to have fresh fingers, evolv talons on both feet (my fav shoe!), properly warmed up, and as always a positive attitude.

I am starting to get obsessed with this climb. In fact, i dreamed about it last night. I can't stop thinking about it!!!!!

Tomorrow I am going to Florida to visit my raw vegan friends in Jacksonville. It will be a good few days rest and then i'll get back out and get a little more progress in!

Today was one of the most beautiful days i've ever seen. PERFECT weather. Beautiful atmosphere. And of course my lovely encouraging boyfriend:

LAST DOC VISIT & BACK TO CLIMBING!!!

This past Monday I went to the doctor and left with the best news i've heard all season.

"Well, it looks like there's no reason to hold you back anymore!"

I'M OFFICIALLY ALL HEALED UP! and i finally have my doc's permission to climb!!!!!!

So i'm back to it FOR REAL!

Today I went out to Dayton Pocket to do a little bouldering.

I put quite a few burns into this REALLY cool v7 called HSR. I reached my high point today and could practically TASTE the send. fingers grasping the 2nd to last hold! I'm so psyched. I have all the moves figured out and I know exactly what to do. My tips are shredded right now but I plan on going back on Sunday and connecting with that piece of rock.

Check out my pinky finger:


Sometimes I get frustrated when I am climbing and not sending.... But when I take a step back, I realize that climbing is like mother nature's school. I am CONSTANTLY learning. Besides learning technique and skills, I am also learning how to connect to the rock and I am constantly learning how to dim my ego. The rock is so humbling! It teaches me lessons that I can carry into every aspect of my life.

When frustration arises, I like to sit in the sun by the river and meditate.... it calms me down and makes me happy! The sound of the running water really puts me back in my place. OM!




So I didn't send it today, but I learned a lot from it. And thats one reason why I climb... it keeps my interest and is constantly teaching me important lessons! I am so thankful for the rock and everything it teaches me!

After a good session on HSR, I went to the riverside boulder and put a few burns into this BEAUTIFUL overhanging v7 line. Check out the pics:



playing w/ effects:

And here is Tim and I chillin down by the river:


I had a great time today and I'm PSYCHED to get back out there on Sunday. I'm so happy to be back!

HOW I DO 100% RAW VEGAN IN COLLEGE

This is how I am able to be 100% RAW VEGAN IN COLLEGE... Enjoy.

THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING FRUIT!

This morning I was privileged to enjoy a new fruit!!!

It is called Black Sapote - also known as the chocolate pudding fruit!



When ripe, the outside turns from hard and green to soft, mushy, and a dark olive color. I cut it open and the flesh was extremely soft, JUST like pudding! the flavor is very mild, sweet, rich, and very enjoyable. The consistency is a winner.

*EDIT* - I ate a couple more and I have decided that it does NOT taste like chocolate pudding at all.. it just LOOKS like chocolate pudding! =) To me it tastes somewhat like a sweeter version of an avocado. It's rich and mousse-like. Very good.

I can't wait till the rest of them ripen!

I received this fruit and more (canistel and sapodilla) from Taylor at Taylor's Tropicals. He is based out of Florida and ships these delicious tropical fruits anywhere in the U.S. Go to www.taylorstropicals.org, click on the most recent newsletter in the archive, and order yours today! There is lots to choose from and most of it is organic and farm-fresh!!!!!

Cheers to new fruit experiences!!!!!

I got a job at TBA!

Check it out!TBA (Tennessee Bouldering Authority) recently offered me a job and I am happily part of their staff now. Click here to see their staff page.




TBA is the most laid back, chill, badass climbing gym in the southeast. It is made up of some of the strongest climbers in the southeast! If you are ever in town and don't have time to hit the real rocks, this gym is a great hangout spot and the perfect place to train and get stronger!!!!!



I'm soooo psyched to be on their team now!

=) =) =)

www.tbagym.com

procrastination activity of the night: editing pics

so today my procrastination activity has been editing random pics on my computer. I will share a few with you:

this is a picture of tim and i, taken by tim on our roadtrip through California this past summer. The quote is from one of my favorite radiohead songs, "All I Need."

this is a picture from the roadtrip through cali. I included my favorite quote by Lord Byron.

this is a pic that dan brayack originally took. I just played around with the effects and contrasting colors. It is a roof at rocktown called the idiot roof... a really awesome climb!

this is a pic that elodio saracco originally took. I played around with the effects. It is of me taking my shirt off while hanging from my feet..... complete trust for sure!

Buddy was/is my best friend... always was and always will be. You can read about him here and here.

CLIMBING AGAIN!!!!!!

This is the moment you've all been waiting for........

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!

In other words, I'M CLIMBING AGAIN!

Okay, before all you moms and dads and worriers freak out a little, IT'S OKAY, i'm being safe. Seriously. I'm taking it slow.

(pause: for you new-comers or forgetful people, i am recovering from a very serious heel injury. You can read about it here and you can hear about the surgery here.)

Here are a few pics of the x-rays and progress for you people who don't have facebook..... It's amazing that modern technology and medicine can put together a foot that was in 25 pieces. It blows my mind but I am also extremely thankful!!!

a couple x-rays: the first one shows my foot before the surgery. It appears to be in 4-5 pieces. However, when they did surgery they found that it was in about 25 pieces. The second xray shows the metal in my foot after surgery.


Here are a couple pics of casts i was in (just 2 of the MANY, i might add! and the art was done by me)


Here are pics of the incision healing up (first one was after they took off the first cast, second one is after the second cast. Now it is perfectly healed up... sorry, no healed up pics here... yet!)


....but that was SOOOOO 2 months ago!!!!!!....

Now it's time to climb! (don't tell my doctor! I hope he doesn't search me online! ha ha)

I have gone outside a few times in the past few weeks but my foot was still very weak and I had to bring my crutch out the first time as well as hike in my boot. It was still an awesome time, but I felt like I was over-doing it a little bit. Nonetheless, here are some shots from the first few times I went outside climbing again:





After 3 times of climbing outside (Pep Boys, Tim's secret boulders, and some other secret boulders near leda), i was blessed with an anonymous gift:

Someone anonymously bought me a membership to one of the climbing gyms in Chattanooga!!!! I think I know who it is, and I am very very thankful for it!!! Whoever you are, if you read this blog post I just want to say that I really really appreciate it!!!! You have really helped me take the next step in my healing process!

I have gone to the gym a few times now. One of the first times I went, I took it a little too far and it left me unable to walk for a couple days.... I took a week off and now i'm back in the game!!!!

This past weekend I went to a climbing gym both days:

On Saturday I climbed at Urban Rocks with my good old friend Dan Brayack. We climbed for a few hours and I ended the day with a v4, which wouldn't normally be saying much, but it is the hardest thing i've sent since my injury so I'm psyched and I know I am getting stronger.


Today it rained and snowed so we went to TBA (Tennessee Bouldering Authority) and it was totally badass. My hands were extremely sore from the day before but I still managed to get some good climbing in. There were a lot of my old climber friends there and the energy and vibe was absolutely amazing! It makes me smile just thinking about it! I love climbing so much and I love being around people who share the same passion!


My heel is truly healing up! Over the past week i've noticed:
-I can now stand on one foot (on the injured foot!) which is something i couldn't do for a while!
-I can begin to toe down while climbing... still needs a lot of work though
-I can put much more weight on my "injured" foot
-I can stand on my tippy toes
-I can walk on my heels

Things I need work on:
-walking on my tippy toes
-range of motion where my toes flex up
-need better bone density
-need more calf muscle

This past weekend was nationals. I was a little bummed that I had to miss it due to this mess of an injury, but you know what?! I am moving on to bigger and better things!!!!!!

But overall, things are looking very good and I'm so glad there is a light at the end of this tunnel!

You know, it's only been 4 months. FOUR MONTHS. The climber part of me thinks, "OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T CLIMBED IN FOUR MONTHS!!!!!" but the other side of me thinks, "PSH, four months!? That is NO time in the big realm of things!!!" You know, it feels like its been a year! In fact, a lot of my climber buddies feel like its been 6 months or more!!! But nope, just a measly four months! Things are looking good!