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lena_chita
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Sep 22, 2008, 2:47 PM
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I'm disgusted with myself right now.
WTF can't I stay on track and actually do what I planned to do when I was heading to the gym? Why can't I do a real 4x4 when there isn't anyone there to keep me psyched? Sholudn't self-motivation be enough?
Yes, pointless rant, I know. I wish I had someone I could train with, but I don't. And for some reason having a training buddy makes a big difference in how well I do it.
Any suggestions, pointers, or insights into how to train efficiently when you don't have someone to do it with you?
(And I should add that I do have people willing to belay me, that's not an issue.)
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climb4free
Sep 22, 2008, 2:52 PM
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Story of the past few years of my climbing life. Just when I make a commitment to climb more, train more, etc. I find I no longer have a regular (mutually committed) climbing partner. Where's all the diehards these days?
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sidepull
Sep 22, 2008, 3:25 PM
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Lena, I can certainly empathize as I usually have to train alone. Here's my take:
1) Why is harder to train alone? Part of the reason people love climbing is that they love the social aspect of it. Climbing invites strong personalities and pushes us outside of our comfort zones leading to continual self-discovery. This process is always more comfortable when there are others around. If you disregard that aspect of the psychology/philosophy of climbing, from a sheer training perspective, partners introduce competitiveness and help to reduce barriers. It's easier to make a hard move when our partner is close to executing it or maybe they do - it helps us to visualize how to climb and flattens the learning curve. In sum, it's harder to train alone because there is less psychological safety, less competitive motivation, and fewer opportunities to learn from others.
2) Why can't I stay motivated? I think everyone struggles with this. For me, the biggest key has been to select projects that I really want to climb and then to structure my training with those projects in mind. That way, when I'm doing a 4x4 I'm not thinking "these sets are making me stronger for climbing in general" I'm thinking, "these crimps are preparing me for that crimp on X problem." I also try to schedule my training for, at most, 6 weeks out. Most people physically plateau at 4-6 weeks but they also mentally plateau. So I make 6 weeks a max and then I switch up my training. In sum: 1) train for specific projects, not climbing in general; 2) keep rotating training schedules to keep things fresh. One other secret - reward yourself with a good road trip.
Let me know if that helps at all. Good luck!
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lena_chita
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Sep 22, 2008, 3:47 PM
Post #4 of 14
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Thanks, sidepull!
Your second point is something I really should implement. In a way, that is what I ended up doing yesterday--thinking of a project outside as I climbed.
Sigh... road trip... it just isn't going to happen. I'm thankful for weekend climbing.
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Valarc
Sep 22, 2008, 3:55 PM
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sidepull wrote: One other secret - reward yourself with a good road trip.
Don't underestimate the effectiveness of this technique. While work keeps me from using road trips as a reward, I've found other rewards. Climbing has motivated me to change my diet and go from an obese slob to just an overweight slob, but the one exception I make to my newfound healthy lifestyle is when I need to reward myself for a hard day's training. A trip out to get a greasy-ass burger and fries with a couple of beers is a great motivator to really bust my ass at the gym. Maybe not the healthiest way to keep myself motivated, but I'm a lot healthier doing it this way than my old method of eating the burger after a day sitting on the sofa playing video games.
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sidepull
Sep 22, 2008, 4:32 PM
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lena_chita wrote: Thanks, sidepull! Your second point is something I really should implement. In a way, that is what I ended up doing yesterday--thinking of a project outside as I climbed. Sigh... road trip... it just isn't going to happen. I'm thankful for weekend climbing.
You're very welcome. Realize that the road trip could be a year from now or some distant dream trip like spending 2 weeks in font.
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lena_chita
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Sep 22, 2008, 6:45 PM
Post #7 of 14
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Re: 'rewarding' myself for training-- I do understand what you are saying. It just seems strange to me b/c I used to think of training as really fun, too. But I guess good company was a large part of why it seemed like fun, b/c it isn't fun when I'm alone. Time for re-evaluation of training regiment, as sidepull suggested :)
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Myxomatosis
Sep 22, 2008, 10:22 PM
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Nice post sidepull, I have started to think along the same lines .... "Doing stupid heal hooks on the campus board will help me do that 5.12 Ive been working" and it has helped get passed that crux but now gotta do some stupid no feet long reach's on crappy pocket to half decent side pull.... oh the fun 
Lena... I guess I'm lucky to have plently of people to train with but when I am by myself I always take my ipod and crank some music in my ears. It keeps me alot more focus'ed on just the moves and when your mind wonders away from the climbing it goes straight into music then comes back to the climbing again.
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lewismonkey
Sep 23, 2008, 8:10 AM
Post #9 of 14
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I currently do almost all of my training alone. I live about 4 hours drive from any decent rock in a town with few keen climbers. I have built a woodie in my garage and train on it with the ideal of getting strong for road trips.
Music. Music is the key to training alone, no matter what type of training. Choose amping fast paced music that you enjoy (I use drum and bass or break beats, but this is not to everyones liking)
I have always enjoyed playing on a bouldering wall alone. I set inter linking problems that resemble routes I would like to climb. Recently when a strong friend came to visit, I surprised myself by burning him of my endurance problems (in my single garage) ha ha. Now if only the rock wasnt 4 hours away...
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boadman
Sep 23, 2008, 7:32 PM
Post #10 of 14
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I think the real issue is that "training" kind of sucks. It's way funner to just mess around on hard boulder problems. Everytime I try to do a routine I give up about halfway through and go back to bouldering. But really, as I don't get paid to climb or anything, it's not worth it to me to do anything that's not fun.
lena_chita wrote: I'm disgusted with myself right now. WTF can't I stay on track and actually do what I planned to do when I was heading to the gym? Why can't I do a real 4x4 when there isn't anyone there to keep me psyched? Sholudn't self-motivation be enough? Yes, pointless rant, I know. I wish I had someone I could train with, but I don't. And for some reason having a training buddy makes a big difference in how well I do it. Any suggestions, pointers, or insights into how to train efficiently when you don't have someone to do it with you? (And I should add that I do have people willing to belay me, that's not an issue.) |
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lithiummetalman
Sep 23, 2008, 10:39 PM
Post #11 of 14
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boadman wrote: I think the real issue is that "training" kind of sucks. It's way funner to just mess around on hard boulder problems. Everytime I try to do a routine I give up about halfway through and go back to bouldering. But really, as I don't get paid to climb or anything, it's not worth it to me to do anything that's not fun. lena_chita wrote: I'm disgusted with myself right now. WTF can't I stay on track and actually do what I planned to do when I was heading to the gym? Why can't I do a real 4x4 when there isn't anyone there to keep me psyched? Sholudn't self-motivation be enough? Yes, pointless rant, I know. I wish I had someone I could train with, but I don't. And for some reason having a training buddy makes a big difference in how well I do it. Any suggestions, pointers, or insights into how to train efficiently when you don't have someone to do it with you? (And I should add that I do have people willing to belay me, that's not an issue.)
The word "training" sounds more like "work" and who wants "work" at what is considered fun?
Also train quite a bit by oneself, but as sidepull mentioned, def reward oneself (Great incentive), also as unusual / crazy as it may seem, I talk to myself quite bit, to motivate, reinforce or encourage myself to keep going (never any degrading negativity only constructive criticism, this has been most helpful.)
Another thing too, like Sidepull mentioned, switch things up every 4-6 weeks (I'm usually 4 weeks on, 1 week off), this also helps with motivation quite a bit.
As unusual as this may seem, found having a mixed flexible schedule of climbing focuses within a 4 week block helps immensely, so instead of a regiment plan, I just listen to my body on what it wants (depending on my focus on power, or endurance, etc) So instead of forcing my body to stick to a regimented plan, I listen for the right timing for the right focus, find this has helped keep my motivation going, seen improvements in climbing and has helped keep injuries down to a minimum, apologize if this doesn't make sense!
Happy huntings!
(This post was edited by lithiummetalman on Sep 23, 2008, 10:40 PM)
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yodadave
Sep 24, 2008, 2:50 AM
Post #12 of 14
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i agree with lots of whats been said,
music
visualising
etc
in addition i find that youtube helps me, watching some sick moves before a gym session def. adds motivation.
Also use your lack of a partner as motivation, "i better stick this move cause no ones got my spot" (this even works if i have a spotter that i don't know, i don't KNOW that they CAN spot worth anything)
Lastly goalsetting, if you are goal orientated create a tick list or schedule or something to hold yourself to do.
Get psyched!!!
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kane_schutzman
Sep 24, 2008, 3:40 AM
Post #13 of 14
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Registered: May 14, 2005
Posts: 896
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Your not the only one who gets distracted Im the same way, but instead of asking why, just enjoy the solitude. Damn the power of nature to distract me from my hopeless compulsion to climb
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quiteatingmysteak
Sep 24, 2008, 4:15 AM
Post #14 of 14
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Registered: Dec 15, 2004
Posts: 804
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I'm totally with you on that.
I plan on going somewhere interesting the next day, something like a bike ride, or a long run, or a day out at Tahquitz, and invariably sleep in till noon and hit the gym. Arg.
I think a lot of it is stoke. At night, I'm always super amped to get something done. I rifle through some old guidebooks and magazines looking at impressive, beautiful routes and hash plans. I take the picture I'm looking at and mentally superimpose myself on that buttress or clipping that bolt, go "Yeehaw! Lets do it!" and pass out at 8pm ready to start training at the asscrack of dawn.
Until I wake up and reality hits me in the head. I am lazy and I don't care enough in the morning to train to bother lacing my shoes, much less driving the hour and a half to Idyllwild or Mount Baldy.
And so, another day at the local gym. If I didnt' climb there for cheap and it wasn't 15 minutes away, I'd look like any number of before shots.
So here's what you do. Find something you love you can do without. Starbucks, Movies, a girlfriend (or boyfriend, probably in your case, but I won't judge) and don't do that thing until you get in a session. So yes, you can bail out and not do that bitchin' 22 mile ride, but you won't get any cake (or sex).
Better yet, move somewhere you can see the mountains from your backyard. That seems to light even the dimmest of flames.
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