Month: October 2020

Longtucky Showdown 2020

Posted on by Aaron

Live Results: UPDATED 3:43pm – 4 waves completed. Last Wave has been completed…we are adding them as we go, all top scores have been added, we are simply doing final check now,  finalists please make your way to the LCC!

Men’s Open – Finals begin at 5pm – Top 4 are Finalists – Complete!

  1. Hank Gaylord – 9400
  2. Everett Sloan – 9400
  3. Jack Martinus – 9400
  4. Derek New – 9400
  5. Sam Rothstein – 9000
  6. Tanner Baver – 9000
  7. Andrey Lototskiy – 8700
  8. Simon Hibbeler – 8700
  9. Chris Deuto – 8100
  10. Rick Gentry – 8100
  11. Danny Montalvo – 7000
  12. Zach Mattias – 6800
  13. Alexander Dornemann – 6600
  14. Douglas Sabe – 6600
  15. Jackson Cloud – 6400
  16. Levi Hernandez – 6300
  17. Greg James – 6100
  18. Matt King – 5900
  19. Ryan Kelley 5300
  20. Justin Discar – 5100
  21. Josh Garfein – 4400
  22. Joran Seigal – 4300
  23. Max McElhiney – 4300
  24. Ashwath Gundepally – 2800
  25. Madison Sharps – 2800
  26. Ryan Schmitz – 2600
  27. Thomas Milam – 2400
  28. Thor Horberg – 2300
  29. Karuna Abe – 2100
  30. Henry Benzing – 800

Women’s Open – Finals begin at 5pm – Top 4 are Finalists – Completed

  1. Stephanie Celomni – 7000
  2. Melissa Caid – 7000
  3. Kylie Szilagyi – 7000
  4. Emily Herdic – 6900
  5. Maya Rudd – 6300
  6. Grace Ryan – 6200
  7. Nicole Miswell – 4100
  8. Riley Crawford – 3400
  9. Alyssa Castaneda – 1400
  10. Alexandra Gladleova – 1000
  11. Holly Humphries – 800
  12. Alisha Humphries – 300

Female Youth – Finals begin at 4pm – Top 3 are finalists – COmpleted

  1. Klara Meymaris – 6800
  2. Kestrel Pikiewicz – 5200
  3. Ava Walsh – 4400
  4. Mackenzie Sargent – 4000
  5. Eliza Graybill – 2600
  6. Amelia Christy – 1400
  7. Lilly Fable – 700
  8. Macy Graybill – 300
  9. Kajsa Horgberg – 300

Male Youth – Finals begin at 4pm – Top 3 are finalists – Completed

  1. Lukas Davis – 6800
  2. Reed Garfein – 6100
  3. Calvin Meymaris – 6000
  4. Leif Sundem – 4800
  5. Evan Bates -4700 
  6. Ben Reinhold – 3800
  7. Milo Ruiz – 3800
  8. Quinn Kimmett – 3400
  9. Noah Thompson – 2600
  10. Camden Fligg – 2600
  11. Cayden Hajek – 1800
  12. Austin Holse – 1400
  13. Donovan Bosley – 1200
  14. Cole Walsh – 1100
  15. Milo Garfein – 900

 

On Saturday, November 14th take your shot at Longmont’s top climbing crown during Longmont Climbing Collective’s 3rd Annual Longtucky Showdown. Winners will earn prizes, a valuable LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP and join Daniel Woods and Isabelle Faus on the wall of fame!

There will be two divisions – Youth (ages 8-16) and Open (age 16+). Youth will compete for products and prizes and Open Division participants will compete for a $1,000 cash purse. In addition to these prizes, the top 4 Open Division male and female finalists will qualify for Paul Robinson’s “Battle of the Boards” in February 2021 to face the top pros in a fun bracket game of Pig, hosted by the LCC!

  • The competition will run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 14th.
  • Each competitor must sign up below for a 90 minute slot to enter the LCC facility. Competitors may bring one guest/parent.
  • Finals will be:
    • Youth Division (ages 8-16) – 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm
    • Open Division (age 16+) – 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm
  • All competitors will receive a complementary dinner from one of Longmont’s favorite restaurants – The Roost.
  • Youth Division: $15
  • Open Division: $30 members / $40 non-members.
  • Sign up before November 10th and receive 10% off your registration fee.
  • Finals will be live streamed on Instagram starting at 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
  • Happy Hour at the LCC, sponsored by GrossenBart Brewery and the TopOut Taproom, will be held from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm outside on our patio and upstairs in the Taproom!

If your looking for another challenge, check out our neighbor’s Saturday Ninja event – The Colorado Ninja league! Use the code “longtuckyninja” at checkout and get 20% off on registration for BOTH Events. You must register by Noon on Friday, November 13th, FOR BOTH EVENTS, or your discount will be removed.

Got questions? Please stop by the front desk, call us at 720-340-3640 or email us at [email protected]

How to Buy Your First Pair of Climbing Shoes

Posted on by Aaron

How to Buy Your First Pair of Climbing Shoes
By: Patrick Bodnar

Let’s face it. Buying a pair of climbing shoes is intimidating. There’s a wide range of prices, shapes, and styles (as well as some very strong-yet-conflicting opinions that friends will have about what you should get). Here are some tips so you can stop worrying and start climbing.

Set a Realistic Budget

It’s no myth; climbing shoes are expensive. You can expect to find a range of about $80 - $200 when shopping around (not including rad deals!). However, if you’re buying your first pair, you probably don’t need to spend any more than $100. The bells and whistles of $200 shoes are gonna be uncomfortable for starting out and ultimately an unnecessary expenditure (save that extra dough for some chalk or a harness!).

Make Sure They’re Tight

Climbing shoes should fit tight. Too much room and you’ll feel the toe fold when you step on it. Not enough room and you’ll be fighting blisters more than you’re actually climbing. Here’s a good rule of thumb: your toes should hit the end of the shoe, but they should not curl.

Look for Beginner-Friendly Styles

There are lots of very different-looking climbing shoes out there, but there are three key features that you should focus on when buying your first pair:

  1. Aggressiveness: Have you ever noticed that some climbing shoes are curved down like ballerina shoes? These are called aggressive climbing shoes. Avoid aggressive shoes! While they do a great job of molding your foot into a single stepping point for steep climbing, they’re extremely uncomfortable for beginners. Find something semi-flat (or with a subtle curve) that more naturally fits the shape of your foot.
  2. Stiffness: Some shoes are very stiff, while others easily fold between your hands when you squeeze them. Avoid stiff shoes! These are usually intended for wedging your feet in outdoor cracks. In any other setting, ultra stiff shoes will make your feet sore, and make it more difficult to mold around larger shapes in the gym. The choice between super soft and kind of soft is less important; try them both on and see what feels better on your feet!
  3. Laces and Velcro: The choice between lace-up and velcro strap climbing shoes is almost entirely personal preference, but there are a few arguments for each. Laces allow you to control the tightness of your shoe a little better and remove air pockets across the top of your foot. However, we recommend that beginners start with velcro because they’re easier to get in and out of. If you’re planning to boulder more than climb on a rope, especially, you’ll be able to quickly take a break and pop your shoes off between climbs.
Avoid agressive shoes - they have pointy toes
Laces or velcro - a personal choice
Soft shoes bend easily - this is good

Try Some Shoes On and Go with Your Gut!

Online shopping is easier and more convenient than ever before, but it creates one major hurdle for buying climbing shoes: you can’t try them on! Sizing varies between brands and you’re preparing to place the majority of your weight on the shoes that you choose, so take the time to visit us at the Longmont Climbing Collective. We've got a great selection of shoes in our retail store that you can try on in person.

Once you’ve tried some shoes on, go with your gut! Choose a shoe that feels comfortable on your foot, and don’t let a friend or macho man pro climber try to sell you on a fancy shoe that doesn’t feel right.

If you have any questions or want to try some shoes on, come by the Longmont Climbing Collective and talk to a member of our team! We’ll make sure you get a good, comfy pair of shoes so you can get to the fun part: climbing!

Mindful Breathing

Posted on by Aaron

Breathing Mindfully Can Change Your Life

We all do it, every moment of every day. Inhaling and exhaling, we are all pros right? You may not be as good a breather as you think you are. A relatively healthy person at maximum exercise intensity only uses 70 percent of their possible lung capacity. What about the other 30%? The good news is that with a few simple breathing exercises you can increase your maximum lung capacity as well as calm your nervous system and even increase focus.

It has been long believed in Eastern traditions that breathing is crucial for balancing the body-mind connection and promoting overall well being. The control of the breath has been shown to increase the ability to focus, calm the nervous system and bring about an attitude of mindfulness. Western studies on breathing techniques were developed independently from any religious or spiritual belief or purpose, and are mainly used for therapeutic purposes such as biofeedback and progressive relaxation. These breathing techniques are based on slowing down your breath frequency. This style of ‘Paced” breathing has been associated with relaxation and well-being while fast breathing has been often mutually linked to anxiety and stress (Homma and Masaoka, 2008).

So everyone agrees, mindful breathing increases relaxation, health and wellbeing; so now what. Well, it’s time to designate some time and space for mindful breathing practices. One place where you can experience your breath fully is in a yoga practice. Yoga skillfully integrates your breath with your movement. This practice gives us a sense of what mindful breathing in our day to day life might be like. Our bodies are moving, we are paying attention to our teacher who is guiding us all the while our breath keeps a slow and guiding rhythm. If that all feels like a tap your head, pat your belly situation; try just focusing on your breathing first to lay a foundation of understanding and awareness. Try these two mindful breathing practices accompanied by video guides to begin your journey towards discovering the calming, centering and healing effects of your breath.

Belly Breathing or Diaphragmatic Breathing

Of the muscles used for normal breathing, the diaphragm is one of the most important. Often, people use accessory muscles in their neck, shoulders and back to breathe more than they use their diaphragm. Belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing helps you to retrain the diaphragm to work better, so you can breathe more efficiently. Here’s how to perform belly breathing:

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent or resting on a pillow.
  • Place one hand on your upper chest and the other hand on your belly.
  • Inhale slowly through your nose.
  • As you inhale, focus on feeling the hand on your belly rise and the hand on your chest remaining as still as possible.
  • Exhale slowly through your nose. As you exhale, focus on feeling the hand on your belly go down first. If you are unable to exhale through your nose, purse your lips and exhale through your mouth slowly.
  • Repeat this same sequence sitting and incorporate the awareness of this breath multiple times throughout the day.
  • Watch this video tutorial of Diaphragmatic Breath.

Balanced Breath (Equal inhale and Exhale)

Once you have begun the retraining of your diaphragm with belly breathing, you can add the exercise of balancing your breath. The process of increasing your breath capacity can be challenging at first, so begin slowly and only increase the count of your breath as you feel comfortable.

  • Comfortable seated or standing position. Ensure that your spine is extended to support the fullness of your breath.
  • Repeat the process of the belly breath
  • Begin counting the duration of your inhales and exhales, noting the difference
  • Next, bring a balance to the duration of your inhales and exhales starting with a comfortable count for each.
  • Gradually and with practice you can begin to expand the length of your breaths while keeping them in balance and staying relaxed and comfortable.
  • Log into our Yoga Video Library to watch breath practice videos.

Now is the time to begin a mindful breathing practice. There is no better time to give your immune and respiratory system the most resiliency possible. Join us for one of our weekly classes or tune into the yoga video library for breathing tutorials.

Shoutout Colorado – Shauna

Posted on by Aaron

Have you ever heard of Shoutout Colorado? It's an online magazine that asks questions about life, work, love, parenting, finances, and more. They believe, as we do, that meaningful conversations are at the heart of community building. They also think every voice matters and that these conversations shouldn’t be led by billionaires, media elites, or celebrities. So when Shoutout Colorado wanted to feature Shauna we were happy and proud. The full article is here, but we thought you'd enjoy hearing Shauna's answer to this question -

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Longmont Climbing Collective – of course!
Cheese Importers
Pump House Restaurant
Longs Peak Pub
The Roost
La Vita Bella – Coffee Shop and More
Quarters for retro video games + beer
Grossenbart – favorite Micro Brewery
Wibby’s – Has a pool and outdoor music venue in the summer

Meet Shauna Hylenski | LCC Founder, Program Director & Yoga Teacher