New Improved (Mobile-Friendly) CoffeeTapeClimb Website

Hey All!

I've moved and updated "CoffeeTape" to a new Wordpress site that's easier to navigate and mobile-friendly. Check it out at CoffeeTapeClimb.com, and let me know what you think of the new format and posts. I'll continue to post new content every Monday :)

Best Wishes and Happy Climbing,
Liz

Auto Belays: Why They're Simultaneously Great, Okay, and Terrible

Note: CoffeeTape has moved! Check out the new mobile-friendly site at coffeetapeclimb.com for new posts every Monday and ease of climbing withdrawal symptoms whenever you visit. 

By 2023 most gyms will likely have Siri-like auto belays for partnerless toprope fanatics. Climbers will simply press a fingertip to a small screen and don their wireless earbuds to have a soothing female voice ask them, by name, if they’re ready to climb.

You'll be able to tell Siri if you prefer a loose belay or to be kept tight. Say “take,” and she'll pull up the slack and let you hang when you get tired or are stuck on a sequence. Don’t want to be lowered to the ground when you fall? No problem; tell Siri you’d like to work out the moves, and she’ll keep you right there. She’ll even give you beta if you ask. Better yet, sync her with your Fitbit7, and she’ll keep track of how many calories you burn each time you climb a route, as well as your fastest send time, total time climbing, number of routes sent, number of hangs, total moves made, and how many crimps/jugs/slopers/pinches you've gripped. She can even coach you for workouts, telling you how long to rest between climbs and giving encouragement on the way up. Want to hear your favorite pump up song to get you through the top moves? Siri can do that too.

Unfortunately, for now auto belays aren’t quite that sophisticated.  They gently tug you up the route, can’t “take” when you get tired or confused, and lower you to the ground whether you’re falling halfway up or letting go at the top. When used properly, they’re safe, but not perfect for everyone.

Here is what they do well, not as well, and not well at all:

What they're terrible for:

1. Projecting routes. Every time you fall, unless you’re lucky enough to catch yourself on a jug during the descent, you’re lowered to the ground. This can be quite frustrating, as you have to climb up to your trouble sequence each time you want to try it, which can lead to exhaustion and stress about not making the move (and being lowered to the ground again if/when you're unsuccessful) each time you decide to give the route a go.

2. Allowing you to climb without assistance. Auto belays are constantly pulling in slack until they feel your weight against the rope, thus giving one the feeling of being gently pulled up the route. This also means that the device “helps” you climb by taking a small amount of your weight off.

What they're okay for:

1. Warming up before your partner arrives. Need to run a few easy laps while you’re waiting for a friend? The auto belay is a great way to warm up alone when the bouldering cave is crowded.

2. Burning out at the end of a gym session. Feel bad about making your partner belay you five times up the same route so you can work on endurance at the end of your workout? You shouldn’t, especially if you offer to do the same for them, but, in case you do, the auto belay is a great solution. It’s also good for burning yourself out when your partner has to leave early.

What they're great for:

1. Finding partners. Couldn’t convince anyone to join you for a rope session? Are all your friends boulderers? Simply hang around the auto belay and wait for someone to hop on. Once they’ve finished their climb, ask them if “they’d like a real catch”—or some variation thereof—and 67 percent of the time you’ll have a new partner. Just make sure they know how to belay another human before you start climbing.

Should You Date Another Climber?: A Flowchart Guide

Note: CoffeeTape has moved! Check out the new mobile-friendly site at coffeetapeclimb.com for new posts every Monday and ease of climbing withdrawal symptoms whenever you visit. 

With Valentine's Day less than a week away, you likely fall into one of four categories: 

1) You've already ordered your special someone gifts on Amazon/from EMS or REI. 

2) You're rushing around to figure out what to get your special someone. 

3) You're happy to be single and not have to buy someone else chocolates. 

4) You're single and envious of everyone rushing around to buy gifts. 

If you're in Category 2 and dating a climber, check out these gift ideas. 

If you're in Category 4 and cannot decide if dating another climber is the way to go, follow the flowchart below. 

The Post-Workout PB & Banana Recovery Smoothie and Variations

Don't want to chug this after a workout?
Me neither.

Note: CoffeeTape has moved! Check out the new mobile-friendly site at coffeetapeclimb.com for new posts every Monday and ease of climbing withdrawal symptoms whenever you visit. 

I've read zero articles in the past five years telling me to hold off on eating after a workout. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but according to Neil Gresham's Rock and Ice Magazine article "Endurance Training Tips for Winter," I should: "Properly hydrate for sessions and eat a decent meal or take a recovery supplement drink (including protein and carbohydrate) within the crucial “one-hour window” after every session." This post-workout carb and protein combination, in a 4:1 ratio, is the fitness and nutrition communities' recommendation for promoting ultimate recovery from any and all types of physical activity deemed a "workout." It turns out that chocolate milk is a cheap, tasty way satisfy this 4:1 balance, and thus it has been promoted enough that when I type "chocolate milk as" into Google, "chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid" pops up first on the suggested search list.

But what about those of us who don't want to drink chocolate milk after every workout? Personally, I find the store-bought kind too thick and rich, and chugging a cup or two after a workout sounds like a stomach ache in the making. However, I have found a few cheap, easy smoothie alternatives with the desired carb and protein mix. Enjoy:

THE PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA SMOOTHIE:

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium frozen banana

8 oz skim milk*

1-2 TBSP peanut butter (depending on your taste preference and calorie needs)

3 ice cubes

*Substitute soy or almond milk for a vegan/non-dairy option

DIRECTIONS:

Put ingredients in blender. Blend. Drink immediately if you've just finished a home session or pack in a travel mug or jar for later post-workout enjoyment. 

WHY IT'S AWESOME:

First off, it's delicious (assuming you like peanut butter and bananas). Secondly, it provides one with the optimum ratio of post-workout nutrients in a healthier, more complete package than chugging 8 oz of chocolate milk. You retain the 8 grams of protein from the milk and add in 19 grams of natural sugars for your extra carbs, while now benefitting from the 3 grams of fiber, 13 percent of your daily potassium, and 15 percent of your daily vitamin C you get from adding a banana instead of cane sugar to your milk. Additionally, the peanut butter offers healthy mono- and poly- unsaturated fats and additional fiber and protein. All of your macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) are now blended in one delicious shake that's easy to sip after a hard session on your outdoor project or on your drive/walk home from the gym. 

FOR EXTRA PROTEIN :

Some studies suggest that ingesting 20-25 grams of protein post workout is optimal for protein synthesis and recovery. For an all "real food" protein boost, try adding 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt to your smoothie, or simply double the recipe to ensure you get your 20 grams. You can also add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to the mix, though I'd recommend unflavored, vanilla, or chocolate (green tea and pb and banana sounds less appetizing).

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE PB, BANANAS, OR BOTH:

• Try other nut butters (almond, soynut, cashew) if you're not a fan of the peanut variety.
• Don't like nut butters? Substitute 1 cup of Greek yogurt for a protein kick and tangy flavor. 
• Tired or scared of frozen bananas? Add in your favorite frozen fruit instead. You can get creative and make a CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SMOOTHIE by subbing 1/2 cup each of frozen raspberries and blueberries for the bananas. Yes it does taste like a pb+j; I've tried it. 

I've found that drinking a protein and carb rich smoothie or having another snack (greek yogurt with a banana or fruit on the bottom) with at least 10 grams of protein and simple sugars reduces my muscle soreness after a hard session, allowing me to train two days in a row before taking a much-needed rest day. (Well, unless I'm super psyched and the weather's nice; then I might be climbing for more than two days on.)