Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!
piz : )
Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com www.windx-treme.com
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I think this post is one of the more important ones that I will write. This is because you need to know why you are training and what you are training for. It is mind boggling to me when I think about those people who can train just for the sake of training. Cheers to those who can go to the gym or wherever and give it their all with no end or big goal in site. I am not one of those people!
Also, for those who have goals that are years off in the distance. That dedication is Olympic and to those I salute you. But for the rest of us, our goals are more short term and in our "near" future.
Looking ahead 1, 2 or even 6 months is pretty easy and not that challenging to stay on task throughout the hard labor of preparation.
This post is more about goal choosing. It is already understood that having goals drives you to complete them. Additionally, creating a timeline where you move closer in stages truly makes reaching that goal a forgone conclusion. Like anything, all you have to do is follow through with your best effort and stay true to the cause.
As I have grown older, my personal climbing goals have migrated all over the place. I want to complete new single pitch climbs that are good for all abilities, I want to travel and do first ascents in the best style possible and I want to establish a few more big routes with lots of belays in them. Externally, I want to positively promote our sport and create an open forum of climbing/training information for the community, now and in the future.
Sounds easy and like I know what I want. Well it is not that easy. Setting goals as a single climber is pretty simple, add in the love of your life, a few kids, a career, other life responsibilities and the clarity seems to be muddied.
Someone in my shoes cannot choose a goal that requires, 150% of effort because you will simply not have enough hours in the day. (I know this because I don't have time between, family, career, other job, freelancing, sponsorship responsibilities, and on and on and on.) I used to have that free time and it, along with my job took all of my time. Starting slicing up the hours that you can commit to something and you better be choosing goals that actually can be achieved within the given 24 hours that each day offers.
The risk of choosing beyond your time constraints is being unhappy with your progress or a lack thereof and never actually completing it. Setting goals that you never complete is NOT the goal at all. Aiming high and not even shooting will never lead you on a positive growth path in your life.
On the other hand, the old saying that nothing good came for free/easily is glaring you right in the face when you shoot to low on the spectrum. So where does that leave us? Where does that leave someone in my shoes?
My Plans for 2014
I have come to the conclusion that local projects are a priority and the only far away project that I will invest my heart and soul in will be something where I can stay there for a couple weeks at a time. That limits my choices for far away objectives due to my work schedule.
I will not to set my self up for failure by staying away from low percentage types of routes and routes that depend on conditions. When you have to schedule your climbing days a month or two out and you can not change due to other obligations, it is best not to be working on the project when the conditions are impossible.
I will choose goals that allow me to be on different rock types, so that I don't get bored of one style or location.
Finally, I will choose goals that will build so that they are preparing me the big final goal way off in the future.
Thanks for listening and get outside and have an adventure.
piz : )
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