Why I Started Training For Climbing
Photo by Mark Scherle
A New Beginning
I started climbing in 2014 (I’m coming up to my 10th anniversary!) as part of an after-school youth program. I was a freshman in high school, very unathletic, and wholly uninterested in sports. Climbing seemed like a fun activity, so my friend and I decided to sign up. Throughout high school, semester after semester, we continued climbing once a week. However, our sessions were 99% talking and 1% climbing. And even on the wall, we would be conversing about things unrelated to climbing.
We were not interested in any of the drills the coaches told us to do. The coaches would be in the midst of teaching a lesson, and we’d be whispering about what songs we currently had on repeat. We also hated bouldering because it was too hard; We would run away to the ropes area while the rest of the group was bouldering and get in trouble for disappearing without telling the coaches (Oh, how the tables have turned. Today, we are both strictly boulderers!)
Now, I am in the position of my past coaches. I coach kids who enjoy climbing but don’t see it as a sport or want to improve, and I can empathize as I was that kid many years back. However, I also coach many motivated climbers with ambitious goals, and I feel so lucky to connect with people who share my passion for climbing.
Coaching has helped me understand that everyone views and approaches climbing differently. I’m learning to meet the athletes I work with where they are and help them reach their goals in a structured way that works with their current lifestyle, not against it. My goal as a coach is to mentor and help athletes build confidence in themselves and their ability to reach their goals.
Expanding My Horizon
So why did I take four years after starting climbing to start taking the sport seriously? Once I finished high school, I was a little too old for the after-school youth program (we were already the oldest in the group by far), so I decided to apply for a job as a birthday belayer. Working at the gym and being there more often meant exposure to more serious climbers and the climbing community, which I didn’t know existed until then.
Who you surround yourself with matters. I am lucky to have made friends with experienced climbers willing to take me climbing outside. They taught me much of what I know today and pushed me to keep learning and growing. I remember projecting Real Bruce Lee (V9) at the Glen a few years ago, and one of my friends told me to try precisely placing the tip of my shoe on this minuscule spike on the foothold. I hadn’t even thought about where I was placing my foot on this small foothold, I was whacking it on there and hoping it would stick! That’s when I learned the importance of micro-beta!
When I started working at the climbing gym, I remember seeing my coworkers train, and I felt inspired to do the same. I would devise a plan and write it on paper, consisting of projecting followed by random workouts. I was improving at a steady pace and wanted to learn more about how I could optimize my training. I spent loads of time on Reddit asking questions and researching climbing-specific training. Nowadays, I have found much better resources for learning about training/exercise science and no longer rely on random Reddit users for advice. There is also way more climbing-specific training research and experts in the field who share their knowledge in digestible ways.
How I Stay Motivated
I am confident that I can reach my goals. I have seen steady progress year after year and have learned so much, so why would I stop? I find it fascinating that we can continue seeing progress even decades down the line, and I want to see how close I can get to reaching my athletic potential.
I have never struggled with motivation because I know I’m doing myself a disservice if I have made a plan and don’t follow it. I see every session as an opportunity to improve my craft. I'm aware that not sticking to my plan prevents me from realizing my potential. I will admit that this mindset has also been my downfall. I tend to overcommit myself and have difficulty accepting that my plan is not working for me. Sometimes, it is necessary to be flexible and change your plan as life can be unpredictable, and being rigid may cause us to get stuck. It’s all about adaptability and making decisions based on what we feel is best for us at the time.
I am not saying you should have the same goals as me, but knowing what you get from climbing is essential. Stay true to yourself, but don’t be afraid to experiment and be curious. Experience climbing in different ways and see what feels good for you. When I started climbing, I did sport climbing and bouldering, but eventually realized I preferred bouldering. Who knows what the future holds? Maybe one day I’ll get back into sport… or even trad!!
Climbing makes me feel strong, grounded, and happy. Climbing has taught me about discipline, what it means to be passionate about something, and how to approach goals strategically. Don’t get me wrong, I would climb even if I were no longer capable of progressing. However, I get the most fulfillment out of pushing myself and training hard, so I will continue to do so until I can’t anymore.
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
