I'm a little awesome

Groupon.com is the bomb.

It combines two of the best things in life (in my opinion).

Fun activities and not paying Retail.

My mother bought a Groupon voucher to a local climbing wall, which was good for 4 people to climb three times.

She had to work, my dad is all gimpy (he busted his thumb open lifting weights and gave himself a black eye and even more stitches) and my brother broke his foot years ago, but recently had xrays done and his doctor was a little horrified.

He got a total of 21 stitches between his eyebrow and his thumb.

It was decided that I would get to climb with my nieces. I brought my shoes and harness and everything.


Once I was there, I realized just how few times I've gone climbing in the last 8 years.

Under 5 times.

I don't know why, (maybe because it's an expensive sport) I love climbing.

Isabella, Stella and Danielle went first.  I let them run through all their ascents first in case they just LOVED it and wanted to use my ascents to climb more.

Danielle might just be a natural.  She definitely thought about what she was doing and problem solved to figure out good routes to the top.

Isabella is like a slinky.  That girl can probably hook her leg behind her head if she thought about it.  So flexible. She liked climbing and had fun but 2 climbs would have been fine with her.

Stella liked it, but didn't "like" it.  Two times up and she was fine with the new experience.

The truth about climbing is, it's really tiring.  You're griping muscles get tired out pretty fast and your legs can start shaking half way up your first route.  Two climbs up and you're really feeling it in your forearms.

Knowing all this, and knowing that I haven't been climbing in forever, I chose to climb a route with an overhang.

I have a weird sense of "I'm sure I can do this...even though I've never done it and have no reason to believe I can".  Kind of like just figuring that I can do 300 yards of non stop swimming...even though I've never done it!

Yeah, I did it.

It was a bit messier than I wanted.  This means I didn't fallow any particular route on the way and just climbed using all the holds I could reach.  I COULD have done the red route if I was about two inches taller...I stretched as far as I could, but just couldn't reach the right holds!

Then I let Danielle pick out my next route...So she picked one of the hardest ones for me to climb- but I talked her down:)

Two overhangs in a row...like a BOSS!

I had already finished the route when my brother took this photo.  I really DID make it to the top!

Not really.  My hip ceased up as I was trying to do a straddling move- probably because I don't stretch my hips enough.

The route also had amazing solid holds.  I was sweating and having to do some "cleansing breaths" while I climbed.

But I had a blast!:)

I just love climbing.  It's more about problem solving than strength so it's a very mental activity while also exerting you.

In other news my shoulder blade area of my back has been sore and tender.  I couldn't figure out why until today...maybe it had to do with the climbing! (Also, I'm getting old.  Couch sleeping isn't as comfy as it once was:) )