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Post by joev9 on Feb 17, 2016 7:48:02 GMT -7
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Post by MarkAnderson on Feb 17, 2016 15:16:52 GMT -7
Good stuff, thanks for sharing! That notebook sure looks familiar  Jonathan, Mike and I had pretty extensive email conversation about a month ago, mostly about how to know when you're ready to attempt the "next level", but it touched on a variety of mental issues. What I find amusing, is that Mike and I decided it would be great to take some of the better parts of that conversation and turn it into a blog post. It would seem that Jonathan had the same thought Fortunately he went in a totally different direction so my post won't be a complete re-tread. (I expect to post it next week or the week after). |
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Post by joev9 on Feb 18, 2016 7:13:56 GMT -7
Not that you guys need any more credibility, but I think having a top pro like Jonathan using and preaching your methods provides a lot of positive credibility to your methods I always found it odd over the years that most of the top pros seemed to use the "just climb" method to improve (though I always doubted that this was really the case). I don't recall any top climber supporting Horst's methods or others, even way back when Goddard and Neumann's book came out. This is even more evident when you see a silly video clip of "training" with Daniel Woods or others.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Mar 1, 2016 13:33:12 GMT -7
My "version of events" is on the RCTM blog (click "Home" in the banner above, then scroll down to "Recent Posts" on the right side of the page).
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Post by jlarson on Mar 2, 2016 9:53:37 GMT -7
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Post by MarkAnderson on Mar 2, 2016 14:35:23 GMT -7
Discomfort is the goal, but it's easy to lose sight of that. That's an interesting way of putting it. When I was a runner, I would go on lots of long solo runs, often without much of a plan regarding where I would go. The area where I grew up (Corvallis, OR) is surrounded by rolling hills with a network of great trails, so I would just head out and kinda make up a route as I went along. This would involve many decision points as I approached various trail junctions. Eventually I became aware of the possibility that I could be undermining my training by consciously or subconsciously picking the easiest direction at each junction. Sometimes it was not clear which path was easiest--the left fork may start uphill and end down hill, and the right fork might do the opposite. One hill is stepper, the other hill lasts longer, etc. So I came up with a rule: do the opposite of my first instinct, assuming that my subconscious would naturally select the easiest path.
Later I figured out I should just select a route on a rest day, but it was a fun mind game while it lasted (which is why we say in the RCTM that you should plan your training at a time of rest--so your own laziness, zealousness or whatever doesn't interfere with doing what is optimal).
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Post by MarkAnderson on Mar 2, 2016 14:53:17 GMT -7
The mental aspects from your article are much more vaporous, and therefore trickier to improve. I know I have trouble putting a finger on exactly what mental aspects are decisive, and how to go about improving them. In our discussion with Jonathan he mentioned that he was bewildered by the fact that he could climb harder (on a rope) than all these young studs who seem to be way stronger than him on paper (or on the gym boulders). He's convinced he's doing something different on the mental side that is allowing him to perform consistently at a super high level despite his relative physical weakness (the irony of him thinking himself relatively weak is not lost on me). I've certainly seen a few guys with tremendous physical skills go nowhere because they're lacking some intangible factor (along the lines of desire, motivation, effort, focus, etc). I'm really glad he took the time to put some of his ideas down on paper because I really think he's on to something. I've never met anyone as perpetually stoked as he is. I think that's a huge factor, perhaps the primary factor, in his success. From a coaching perspective, I struggle with teaching "drive" or "desire". To the extent that I have them, those things have always come naturally to me, and even when they didn't I've always had a strong underlying pool of guilt that compels me to train even when I don't want to. Some people just don't have that, and I don't know how to transfer it. |
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Post by marcusyoya on Mar 2, 2016 15:28:24 GMT -7
I have always had conversations with climbing friends about the intangible 'try hard'. "If you aren't falling, you aren't trying hard enough." or you are Alex Megos.
I think the general consensus is that it is trained and by putting yourself in 'try hard' situations, climbing or not, you can get better at feeling out those new gears for your physical and mental limitations.
Stoke/drive/psych to do something plays a major effect too. Not only for your project, but for training, resting, and general health (sleep, eating, stretching, etc)
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Post by Chris W on Mar 2, 2016 18:31:48 GMT -7
Mark, I don't think you can teach that. I believe drive and desire must be supplied by the trainee.
Perhaps that's simply a cynical view that's seeped into my soul like a poison; an unhealthy byproduct of burnout from the harshness of my line of work...
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LeeH
New Member
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Post by LeeH on Mar 2, 2016 18:36:50 GMT -7
Excellent read, and inspiring (both articles). I was just starting to look for goal routes for this season (I'm starting my third season this week), and before the article I was already starting to set my goals too low (only a 2 letters above my last send, a 5.11a/b). Now I'm definitely going to force myself to work at 5.12a this season! Also, as far as discomfort being a goal, I definitely think of discomfort as a necessity to make easier stuff more comfortable. I don't feel like pushing my limits with trad climbing, and I've noticed my comfort zone with trad increase drastically with increasing finger strength.
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