On top of my game…
Warning: Egocentric rambling ahead (well, this IS a blog…)
I had a realisation the other day:
I have now been fighting fit and climbing well continuously for the last 2 years.
That, I think, is quite thought-provoking. I looked in my logbook and saw that it was early February 2006 that I started properly getting back into grit climbing after many months off with a broken foot. Later in the month I had a decent trip to Barcelona….then some increasingly good days on grit….then a good trip to Pembroke with The King….then “that” weekend in North Wales where my climbing dreams started coming true. Since the start of 2006 I’ve had some low points, periods of bad motivation, periods of atrocious weather, times out due to minor injuries - but they’ve all been pauses in the flow of climbing, rather than stops. Even last year, being hampered in spring by a shoulder injury and in summer by the monsoons, as soon as the shoulder healed and the weather cleared, I got out, got fit, and climbed well.
It’s generally regarded, particularly in a highly intensive (physically and mentally) activity such as climbing, that maintaining a high level of performance over a long period of time is unlikely to happen (the mind and body need respite). I’m making no great claims about my performance, only that it is good FOR ME. But the point is, it’s still good now…
(Even recently, I’ve felt my strongest indoors on bouldering and routes, I’ve onsighted my hardest sport climbs outdoors, climbed my hardest boulder problem, and recently climbed my first grit trad routes since November - it took a few goes to get back into it, and I didn’t push myself that much, but I managed to climb with confidence on some routes and tackle fine challenges on others, and kept learning more throughout - not bad!!)
…even 2 years on. If this isn’t “supposed to happen”, then maybe there are explanations.
Firstly, the enforced mini-breaks I’ve taken might have let mind and body recover for a renewed assault. This need for respite is something I’ve become aware of, and thus I make sure I don’t push things at inappropriate times and thus get jaded or too wrapped up in climbing.
But, secondly, more interestingly, maybe this isn’t some straining, pushing, performance peak. Maybe this is my NATURAL level. A level that suits my climbing, my abilities, my desire. And to be honest, that’s what it felt like, that’s why I was striving to climb how I climb now - because I felt I could, I felt it was the right level for me to reach and be inspired by. And sure, it was a long, bloody battle to get there, but what I felt in 2006 was more like “I am climbing as my true self” rather than “I am on top of my game”.
Less of a “peaking”, and more of a “maturing”?
What happens from here, I don’t know. I’m quite happy not knowing. I’m still as psyched, yet less pressured. Maybe I will climb harder or climb better (not the same thing, of course!!). Maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll improve more in different areas, maybe I won’t. Maybe something with go cataclysmically wrong and I will climb very little. Maybe I’ll improve a lot by devious, circuitous methods. Maybe I’ll just plod along doing the climbing I enjoy.
Right at the moment, I have a bit of a tweak in my elbow. I’m being careful - it’s not too bad and doesn’t seem to affect climbing too much - but I’ve been taking it easy, sticking to outdoor routes where possible and avoiding the physical strains of indoor bouldering. So not, right now, 100% fighting fit, BUT it’s okay, and I’ll get past it, and just see where things go…
February 26th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Nice one mate! We all dream of achieving that sort of consistently high level. I managed a great spell of about 4 months back in 2004. Looking forward to getting back to that!
February 26th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Cheers! Maintaining a level wasn’t really a concious plan….I just wanted to climb the things I wanted to climb, and it took a while to do so. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs and this is just a longer up than before - or maybe a longer NORM than before ;). But, I’m no fool, things could change….my elbow could get f–ked….I could break an ankle on a boulder problem….get hit by a bus tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t
February 29th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
> that maintaining a high level of performance over a long period of time is unlikely to happen
Or on the other hand - it’s very likely to happen and be called a plateau
(Although to be fair in the following paragraph you talk about improvements, not maintaining the exact same level. And you probably mean ‘high level or performance’ in absolute terms, not relative to yourself [i.e. not the same as a VS climber always maintaining VS or getting slightly closer to the next grade each year, for example] even though you emphasise “for you” - but even then, climbing at a ‘higher level’ doesn’t mean you’re more likely to go backwards, does it? Blimey these parentheses have become complicated and probably don’t make sense to anyone except me)
Anyways, I personally don’t think it’s that unusual to maintain a level with a slight improvement over 2 years, I’d say it was the norm in fact, whatever level you’re at? But maybe I missed the point. Hmm…
February 29th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
> Or on the other hand - it’s very likely to happen and be called a plateau
That would be the conclusion I was drawing, yes.
I’ve had a lot of experience of going up and down. I’ll take a plateau, for now.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I just thought it strange you think it’s unusual, when climbers are forever complaining about plateauing, as it’s associated with stagnation etc…
March 23rd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Well, I initially thought it was unusual because I thought it was a performance peak. Which, I’ve read and heard elsewhere, needs to be balanced out with clear rest periods and respite to allow that peak to continue (I entirely understand and trust that theory - within my plateau I’ve needed small periods of that myself, otherwise I get burnt out). Then, as I tried to explain in my blog, I realised that it probably wasn’t a performance peak, but as you’ve understood, a plateau. Nevertheless, this particular plateau - if maintained - allows me to do so many great climbs that inspire me in so many places (as well as exploring other climbing genres I haven’t pushed so hard with - bouldering, sport, DWS, redpointing), that I am quite happy with it.