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how many pull-ups can you do???

Sam Lightner, Jr. · · Lander, WY · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 2,732

Two.
Then my elbows swell.
I did 51 once, and thats why I can now only do two.

Fat Dad · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 60

I ran a 16:43 5K as the first leg of a 5-30-5km duathlon. Probably could've run faster if it was just a race, but who knows. Ran a 1:24 half at what felt like a comfortable pace. Never got to test it on longer distances since my hip always got REAL sore running anything over 10 miles. Running's not something I can take any credit for. Dad was a fast runner and it just always came kind of naturally without working too hard at it. Wish I could say the same for climbing.

Now, I've had runner's knee for the past 5 years (but not from running) which pretty much keeps me confined to a bike. I miss running.

There's a great line in Chariot of Fire, something like: "God made me for a purpose...but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

mtoensing · · AZ · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 705

My parents both ran marathons and I am the product of them I can run forever. I am working on doing a marathon but so far I have only done a half marathon and more 5K's than I can remember in high school cross country. It doesn't help to much with climbing but I can beat all of my buddies on approaches with the heaviest bag.

As for pullups, I average around 25. I can do one arm pullups but try not to because kids beat me up because they think I am showing off. And I don't want to get tendonitous.

Andy Laakmann · · Bend, OR · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,990

This story can be titled... How not to run a half marathon!

Back when I was a wee lad in high school, I used to run a lot, and I was pretty fast (34 minute 10k). I laid off running through college.

Towards the end of college I decided to run a local half marathon (La Jolla Half Marathon... VERY hilly). In a stroke of genius, I decided to run the race 36 hours before it started... and hadn't run longer than 3 miles in 4 years. Bottom line, no training.

AND, to top it off... I grabbed my old racing shoes (anyone remember those bumble bee racing flats from the 80s?) that had no padding.

So I enter the race, and in my competitive streak end up actually trying to race in the damn thing... I ended up racing against the lead woman. The last 6 miles... HURT. Hurt in a bad way. I crossed the finish line and collapsed in pain... and stupidity.

That was the last I walked for 8 weeks. Numerous large stress fractures up and down my tibia. Fractures big enough to see on an x-ray. I literally broke my bones by running.

Young and dumb.....

Shawn Mitchell · · Broomfield · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 250

Great story, Andy. Ahem...the time?

Fat Dad · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 60

When my dad was still in his late 50s/early 60s, him and some guys at work decided they would all start jogging around the track for lunch hour. Even though my dad was/is about 5'4", 165-170 lb, really round looking, he'd still beat all these younger, much lankier, more athletic looking guys.

At a company picnic, one of these fit looking guys introduces my dad to his kids. They take a look at my dad in all his short, round glory and say in total suprise: "This is the guy who beats you everyday at track?!"

Andy Laakmann · · Bend, OR · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,990
Shawn Mitchell wrote:Great story, Andy. Ahem...the time?
1:25 as I recall. I lost the sprint to the lead woman... broken bones and all. It is an extremely hilly course, hence the slower than normal lead times, and as I recall the lead man came in about 1:18. Large race, about 3000 people usually.

I felt pretty proud about my off-the-couch time. But that didn't do much to mitigate the agony of being on crutches for 8 weeks.

It's also testimony to the power of adrenaline. My body was so amped up on it that I could run through the pain of broken bones. Bizarre.

I miss running, but I blame all my current ailments on my young and dumb days pounding the pavement.
Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665
Brian Abram wrote:what do you mean "a pullup on a vertical surface like a 2x4?" If you mean by pinching the bottom and pulling up, then I've got a photo of a front lever being done on a pinch (not by me) and that would be much, much harder. I'd say many strong climbers can do simply a pullup on a pinch like that.
Don't do that if you value your health.

There was a day and age where I worked in a ralroad yard, jacking up road-to-rail cars (yes, train cars) by hand. My forearms were as big as my neck and I could lock off on anything. I decided I could also do that, having seen it in a picture.

Turns out, I could... and I could hold it, and do a pull-up from it too... but moving under that sort of thension produces some very strange forces in the wrist.

For the Boulderites, Denverites and other people who either go to the local beer outings or can find me in Eldo once my knee is better, ask me to show you my trick wrist with the "bow-stringed" tendons.

That is how I got them.
Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665
John Langston wrote: I've only barely broken 18 on a 5k, kinda slow there.
That's a pretty good time at this elevation. Or at least its as good as I can do, and I'm a 5 minute miler.

John Langston wrote:Some people are just fast runners. I haven't had a VO2 max lower than 70 since I was 15, yet somehow, I never got FAST.
V02max isn't the key to 5K's. Pace, speed, cardio and a willingness to suffer are. You have to go out and run a really fast mile, then one a slightly faster one, then hold the pace until the last few hundred yards after the 3 miles are up, then sprint to the finish.
Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665

Feel for you Andy-

My most recent (and final) endurance race was the Boulder Basic Mountain Marathon... goes from about 5000' to about 8000' 3 times (Green Mountain , Bear Peak, Sobo, then Green Mountain again...) plus other large hills... through snow and all. Coming down shadow Canyon at a run is torture ont eh knees. I finsihed the course in under 4 hours, but walking was tough the next day, harder the day after that, and the day after than, damn ner impossible. I suffered knees and hips for a week or two. And that is the last one.

5K is as long as my body can take. It's a painful distance, some say, but at least it is over quick. I run the Boudler Boulder now and then, for fun, not for time... the road is too hard to pound on it.

Come to Boulder this spring and run it- if I am well, we'll go on the Gimp-wave. I'll still be recovering from the knee, so I'll probably jog slowly, or possibly walk part of it.

Peter Spindloe · · BC · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 3,390

Since the thread has now deviated out away from pull-ups and into running and cardio, I can bring up the Grouse Grind. Here in North Vancouver, the mountains head up from sea level very steeply. There's a trail on Grouse Mountain, originally created by some mountaineers for training, called the Grouse Grind, or simply The 'Grind (sorry Mr. Pet-Peeve).

It has an elevation gain of 2800ft over about 1.7 miles. That's a pretty steep trail, steep enough that if you use basic physics to work out your power output (mass lifted a given height in a given time), you actually get a pretty good estimate of your real power output. My best time is 36:40, which I believe worked out to about .35 horsepower. I looked up some material about human power output and found that .4 horsepower over about 2 hours is elite athlete level.

If you're doing long, steep approaches, the 'Grind is fantastic training, and since you can take the Tram down, you don't kill your knees. I was doing it often before climbing Mount Sir Donald and the approach was a breeze. Now that I'm not doing it so often I'm sure I would struggle, but on the plus side, my legs have lost some bulk (which partly makes up for the looming muffin top).

Brenda Leach · · Ridgway, CO · Joined Sep 2004 · Points: 70

I climb, but never do pull-ups. At the Boulder Theatre last year at a climbing film, they had a pull-up contest set up in the entrance area. Myself and another female BRC climber decided to give it a try. I completed 15 pull-ups. I was OK with that when I saw that the final 3 female contestants were at least 20 years my junior!...Hum, I wonder how much harder you could climb if you did pull-ups regularly.

erik wellborn · · manitou springs · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 355
phil wortmann wrote: E to the Dub is lying. He is a closet Mark Twight. He doesn't have a pullout bar at his house because he does his pullups on door frame crimpers with cement bags in his pack. That, and he's a mutant.
Whatever. You and Alstrin still kick my butt on the incline.
Kat A · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 510
JLP wrote:I think the #1 "athletic metric" for climbing is how much you weigh, ie, if you have a light, perhaps lanky frame.
The kids who climb at The Spot come to mind... if only we all had that strength/mass ratio!
Mulligan · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 235

I remember reading somewhere that Ines Papert did 100 "real" pull ups consecutively and was pondering how much of a badass she must be. Was wondering if anyone else knew this. Also I can do about 25 pullups and at 5'4" weigh about 110lbs. But I can maybe climb 5.11 on a good day.

Tony B · · Around Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 24,665
Kateri Aren't wrote: The kids who climb at The Spot come to mind... if only we all had that strength/mass ratio!
You of all people should complain? You're not that far off.
Monomaniac · · Morrison, CO · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 17,295
JLP wrote:http://www.trainingforclimbing.com/new/research/grant1996.shtml "pull-ups (elite 16.2 +/- 7.2 repetitions; recreational 3.0 +/- 4.0 reps; non-climbers 3.0 +/- 3.9 reps); " Horst has these strength surveys in his books, which have been around for some time. Not sure if the results are online, or what kind of participation he gets. Maybe someone here has seen them.
For the sake of science, note that in this study "elite" is defined as 'having lead E1', which apparently equates to 5.9.
Monty · · Golden, CO · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 3,520

you mean people can actually lead 5.9's. Wow props to those guys. I'm still training to rap-el one of them dang things.

Leveille · · Appleton, WI · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 105

I apologize for the thread steal there, but I just find it interesting how it seems the more experienced (older) generation can still run quite decently, and climb decently, but not necessarily do a whole bunch of pull-ups.

Paul Hunnicutt · · Boulder, CO · Joined Sep 2006 · Points: 325

having seen Dave Graham climb...it is pretty impossible to believe he can't do a one armed pullup.

now I'm curious and have to find a pull up bar. I hardly ever do pullups anymore...just max out on climbing time. once you have lived somewhere without access to your main sports - you get pretty tired of simulating stuff. now I'd rather just spend my time actually doing the stuff I like instead of cross training for them.

also what are you considering a pull-up? palms facing out, not too wide or narrow a grip? I guess palms in is called a chin-up

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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