Strange Loops I
I wanted to write a long detailed post about the run I had today and everything else I've been doing lately, but I'm too tired. I'm going to post something short and go to sleep.
I finally can sleep. That's the first good thing. I didn't get more than 6 hours a night (tops) from my arrival here. Usually I got much less. I've been walking around feeling like a zombie, and my work has been suffering. Last night I managed to sleep for 11 hours. I woke up at noon, feeling great.
Then I ate and I went for a jog: http://www.mapmyrun.com/view_route?r=262126852059593190
I was going to try to meet some people to go climbing today, and I knew I was running late because I ran longer than I'd intended, so I went straight to the shower. As I got out, the phone rang and the people waiting for me at the front gate of CERN told me they'd come back and wait in front of my building. So I dressed quickly and piled into a car with my friend from college, Valkyrie, and these two very cool Finnish dudes who I'd never met before, Jukka and Tuomas (not sure of that spelling). We went to Vitam' Parc (http://www.vitamparc.com/en/), which as far as I can tell is a shopping mall for fitness.
They have a small indoor climbing facility there, where they don't make you sign any waivers and they don't give any classes. And their default assumption is that you'll be leading. I expressed surprise at all of this and it was explained to me that in France they assume that if you're climbing you know what you're doing, or you're with people who know what they're doing. And anyway, they have public healthcare, so it's not like you'll sue the gym for your medical bills.
It was pretty fun. Both Jukka and Tuomas are better than I am, but I managed to crank out a 5a (lead), 5b (toprope), 5c (toprope), 6a (toprope, cleaning, and a struggle) and another 5a (lead). Which I thought was doing pretty well, but the French/YDS comparison chart at wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climbing_grades) would have all of those climbs pretty far below the ratings used at Planet Granite back home. The 5c felt about like a Planet Granite 5.10c or so, and the 6a felt to me like a Planet Granite's stiffest 5.10d or 5.11a. So somebody's sandbagging
Then we drove into Genève for fondue and dessert, and they guys dropped me off on their way home.
I finally can sleep. That's the first good thing. I didn't get more than 6 hours a night (tops) from my arrival here. Usually I got much less. I've been walking around feeling like a zombie, and my work has been suffering. Last night I managed to sleep for 11 hours. I woke up at noon, feeling great.
Then I ate and I went for a jog: http://www.mapmyrun.com/view_route?r=262126852059593190
I was going to try to meet some people to go climbing today, and I knew I was running late because I ran longer than I'd intended, so I went straight to the shower. As I got out, the phone rang and the people waiting for me at the front gate of CERN told me they'd come back and wait in front of my building. So I dressed quickly and piled into a car with my friend from college, Valkyrie, and these two very cool Finnish dudes who I'd never met before, Jukka and Tuomas (not sure of that spelling). We went to Vitam' Parc (http://www.vitamparc.com/en/), which as far as I can tell is a shopping mall for fitness.
They have a small indoor climbing facility there, where they don't make you sign any waivers and they don't give any classes. And their default assumption is that you'll be leading. I expressed surprise at all of this and it was explained to me that in France they assume that if you're climbing you know what you're doing, or you're with people who know what they're doing. And anyway, they have public healthcare, so it's not like you'll sue the gym for your medical bills.
It was pretty fun. Both Jukka and Tuomas are better than I am, but I managed to crank out a 5a (lead), 5b (toprope), 5c (toprope), 6a (toprope, cleaning, and a struggle) and another 5a (lead). Which I thought was doing pretty well, but the French/YDS comparison chart at wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climbing_grades) would have all of those climbs pretty far below the ratings used at Planet Granite back home. The 5c felt about like a Planet Granite 5.10c or so, and the 6a felt to me like a Planet Granite's stiffest 5.10d or 5.11a. So somebody's sandbagging
Then we drove into Genève for fondue and dessert, and they guys dropped me off on their way home.