It's a mental game and I'm losing.

Ok, the teeter totter that is this climbing trip has tipped the other way now. I'm not sending anything hard at the moment. In fact I eased off a bit, deciding I'd get stronger faster if I spent the next week or two getting tonnes of mileage climbing relatively easier routes rather than projecting ones at my limit. Instead of sending route after route with relative ease, I'm now struggling on everything. It's gotta be my head. The mental aspect of climbing is often key to your success or in my case at the moment, ultimate failure. I think all the expectations I brought with me on this trip have created too much pressure to perform. It's not that I'm not strong enough to do the routes I've been getting on recently, it's that I've been making mistakes and pysching myself out. It's time for an attitude adjustment. So what if all the training leading up to the trip didn't get me to where I wanted to be? I can't do anything about it now. I'm here in Spain climbing at what might be the best sport climbing area in the world. It's not about acheaving that 8a+ goal, it's about having fun. When you get really sucked into projecting mode you usually forget about that. It just becomes an obsession to redpoint your route at all cost. Success comes far easier when you set out to accomplish things for the right reasons. Climbing is fun! The routes I'm getting on have amazing moves and the rock has the coolest features. A route I was on yesterday called 'Nanuk' has this great kneebar at the top. As I'm restng in it, I looked out across the valley to see vultures circling the sky above some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. That was an amazing moment. Attitude readjustment beginning. No more chasing grades. No more beating myself up for not being as strong as I wanted to be. Today's a rest day. I'm going to spend the day solidifying this new attitude into my wacked psychy. Stay tuned. I'll report on how it went.

Comments

[nahanni]

Hang in there buddy ;)

Groan...pun not intended, but I'm leaving it!

[nahanni]

Hang in there buddy ;)

Groan...no pun intended, but I'm leaving it!