Conan. NYC, Home

I survived the Conan show and so did Conan despite his best efforts--he chose to "summit" the mock iceberg, which had the producers a bit freaked out as that wasn't planned and there was no padding on the far side of the wall, so Conan's head was about 15 feet off the concrete... Conan is actually a decent athlete and didn't fall off, impale himself or me with an ice tool, break a leg, in short the long list of concerns the show's producer went through with me at length and with intensity just before I walked on didn't happen.


Doing the show was as intense as anything I've ever done, I can see why people get addicted to the pace and glam factor of big-time media--I did my normal comp or hard climb warmup before I went out, I needed to get rid of the bats flapping around my stomach. Backstage was pretty fun, I got to meet some "real" famous people--the actor Ty Reece said he might try ice climbing one day but not anytime soon. Kate Blankinsett (sp?) is indeed pretty damn hot, but she didn't show much interest in the guy ripping up the floor with his crampons on while waiting to go out (that'd be me). I had a pose-down contest with the actor playing the Incredible Hulk, I did not win that one, going to have to work on the old double-bicep pose some more (read, I'll need to get some biceps and he definitely has some.).

It was full madness, as was the evening with some friends in NYC after the show. I went straight from the show to Chelsea Piers climbing wall and got a great session in on there with Ivan and his bud Rex, thanks for the pump! My old friend Les runs the Chelsea walls, good to see faces from my sport climbing past still at the game. We did a tour of bars in Manhattan afterwards, somehow the Red Bull guys had amazing hookups. I of course missed my flight yesterday morning and felt like ass all the way home, but it was worth it.

I'm now back home in Canmore, it's a spliiter blue day and time to get outside and give 'er a bit. I'll publish some photos from the Conan show when I get 'em, should be some fun stuff there...

Workouts: In the midst of all the travel and general chaos I've actually managed to keep some degree of climbing fitness with bouldering and climbing gym visits, sent my first really hard rock (for me) route last week. It's been hard to find the time/energy with everything that's been going on, but climbig keeps me sane when everything else isn't. I'm definitely addicted to just slapping chalk on my hands, I care less and less about where, just going climbing on something is what's most important to me these days.