Blog

Climbing Blocks

• January 2015
• Climb Training

Greetings, Steph-
I have long been a visitor of your site, and your book is well-loved and dog-earred on my shelf. I am writing to you at what feels something like my “darkest hour” of climbing–I am at a point so low that I now fear my relationship with the sport is permanently damaged.

I began climbing approximately 10 years ago. In the last several years, I started bonding with some incredible friends who are equally interested in making climbing fun and training to reach our limits. At first, this was fantastic. It was always a pleasure to go, to improve, and to watch the people I care about excel. When I started graduate school three years ago, it was with the goal of climbing V7 by my graduation–a goal that felt very attainable. And yet, in that time, my body has failed to go any further. My friends continue to thrive month by month, while I fall further and further behind, to the point where I can really no longer participate with them–I can’t keep up. I’d even go so far as to say I’ve gotten worse. The only thing I can contribute anymore are the vegan baked goods I whip up once a week.

In desperation I have tried everything to step up–climbing more, climbing less, training, not training, climbing alone, climbing with friends…And last night I finally cracked. For most of our regular Friday night session I sat alone on the floor, no longer even able to make myself try. And it’s heart-breaking, because for most of the last decade this has been the greatest source of my happiness.

I suppose I have simply run out of people to turn to, as no one I climb with has gone three years giving this amount of effort without seeing any improvement. And I don’t know that you will have any advice, either. But it feels good to cling to the idea that maybe, just maybe, I don’t have to give up yet.
Best,
Jenny

Hi Jenny,
Climbing progression is never linear, and the longer you climb the smaller the gains will be. The other day I was talking with a friend who has been out with elbow injuries for 9 months, and he is just starting to climb again. He said it was so much fun, because he’s starting from rock bottom all over again and the progression is so exciting, kind of like when he first started climbing.

There can be countless reasons why you find your improvement curve to have flattened out, and perhaps the worst thing you can do is to compare yourself to others. This is actually like everything else in life. We know that climbing is very much physical and it’s very much mental. People are very different too. For example, I know people who thrive on angst and stress for their climbing, because climbing is the only way they can “tune everything else out,” and they can channel their aggressive energy into sports when life is a struggle. For me, if life is too hectic, complicated or hard, I can barely climb a ladder–I need things to feel good and peaceful in my life in order to be able to feel good energy in my sports. What I’ve seen in myself over the years and in countless others is that the minute you get overly focused on achievement, performance, and most of all climbing grades, the simple beauty disappears. If competitiveness and winning are your goals in climbing, then you will be fulfilled and motivated by this approach–as long as it goes in the direction you hope. If other things are your goals in climbing, this approach will kill the joy and you will lose your energy, and eventually climbing will not be fulfilling for you.

I know a lot of people who take 1-2 months a year off from climbing. This has a lot of benefits–first it allows your tendons and ligaments to heal and rebuild, second it allows you to focus on other things (yoga, art, studying, running, skiing, swimming, cooking) and third it allows your mind to refresh and to regenerate the fun and excitement of climbing when you’re ready to come back to it. It also gives you perspective: complete focus on climbing can give you tunnel vision and make you forget why you’re doing it to begin with. It helps to remember that climbing is one small part of a very big universe and of the beautiful natural world that we get to live in.

I’m also adding another thought, based on the comment that Kate C made below: it’s a good idea to check up on things like low iron or B vitamin deficiencies. These are pretty common in female athletes, whether vegan or not, and can have an affect on your energy levels–and pretty simple to correct by taking supplements.

Next time you go climbing, focus on feeling good. Focus on breathing, stretching and moving and on the beauty of placing the tip of your shoe on a hold and the feeling of carefully grasping a hold with your hand. You’ll want to use the grades to select routes that will feel beautiful to you–so probably routes that are easier than the last time you went climbing. Take a break from the need to achieve, and take some time to feel and to enjoy. Life is short, and climbing itself is very ephemeral. Remember to be thankful every time you get to touch the rock and feel the air move in and out 🙂
Steph