When you totally suck, have you made it better?

Been there man, was climbing 12's and then took off for two years, no climbing what so ever, came back to my hometown and all the bros were asking when we were going to get out on the rock, some of the people I was with I had mentored.... I was hyperventilating on a 5.8. Mid route there was a large ledge and it was all I could do to lay prone on it and pray that this top rope hell would be over. When I got home that day I swore I was going to sale my 3k of gear and wash my hands of rock climbing. A week went by and I got outside for one more try, the planets aligned and by the end of the month I was leading 5.9 no problem, year later I was back in the saddle planning bigger and new adventures all the time. That was December of 1999. The advantage of your age is you've got a pHD...maybe not in nuerosurgery, but from the school of hard knocks and at least a masters degree in life. That's what the 20 somethings don't have. Use what you got and don't forget to enjoy the climb, forget about the grade.

Sweet! You're down to my level! Wanna go climbing?

Another thing. One of the times I was way, way out of it I was casting about for something to motivate me to stick with my comeback plan. In the end I made arrangements like six months in advance with an old partner to climb Epinephrine in Red Rock. That did the trick relative to motivating me to keep it together - having a goal in plain sight.

Last November at 40 years old, I couldn't get my left foot above my right knee. This was secondary to a hip that had been destroyed by arthritis. So I finally started looking for a surgeon. My hip was replaced in May. At the time I was maybe 12 lbs over weight.

I did the rehab and stretching religiously. A few weeks ago I started climbing outside again. I managed to Lead a 5.10 last weekend on gear. My leg is better than it has been in years and I'm back at my ideal climbing wt (160-165 lbs).

But this is really about you. You know what you have to do. Get off the couch, put down the beer, and get started. As soon as you see progress, probably sooner rather than later, the motivation will come. You just have to get started and be consistent.

SHAAWWWWWNNNNN!!! Miss seeing you in our Beloved Chosspile, brutha!

What I see in my 50-ish self is a tendency to cherry-pick memories of my climbs of yore and edit them into a Bachar-like self-image. Somehow that one time I floated the crap out of Metamorphosis (on TR) gets melded into the one time I led pitch one of Genesis with one fall and that one uber-soft boulder canyon 12a I kinda almost got that one time and PRESTO! I manage to forget the 500 times I was scared poopless on 5.6, "bomber" hexes rattling gently down my rope as they pulled, and epic tourettes blowouts at perfectly decent belayers when I flailed.

I believe I've seen a number of fairly serious accidents arise from that exact mental state. 50-ish climber + comeback + Eldo "moderate".

Personally: I've had to spend a lot of time examining what I hope to gain by chasing my old numbers (silly and moderate though they be).

For me, success at this age is being very present on a climb (no matter how easy), and a profound, calm, smirking sense of "fuck you" for any youngsters (including my inner number-chaser) who would dare judge my enjoyment of this sport.

As always, Mr. Mitchell, I stand willing to dust off my trusty goldline, swami belt, and EB's for some technical rock climbing with you.

Healyje wrote:Another thing. One of the times I was way, way out of it I was casting about for something to motivate me to stick with my comeback plan. In the end I made arrangements like six months in advance with an old partner to climb Epinephrine in Red Rock. That did the trick relative to motivating me to keep it together - having a goal in plain sight.

Cool to see so many constructive replies coming in...

I've also found the kind of "medium-term" goals that Healyje describes to be really useful. The "lifetime" goals area little too far away and hard, and the short-term goals don't get you to reorganize your life.

One thing I've really started to enjoy about climbing is using it as a way to "work on yourself", to have a focus that makes you stoked to get stronger mentally and physically, and at an age (I'm 48, so pretty similar to you) when many of the people around you are definitely not getting stronger that's a real gift.

While I have heard of a few people who genuinely can be away from climbing completely for a couple of years and still climb quite hard, I think a lot of folks notice that even after a couple of weeks things aren't what they were and have to get back up to speed.

Some specific things I did that have been helping me to improve and to enjoy the process:
-try to do some form of exercise 6-7 days a week. Doesn't have to be anything epic: 4 or 5 sets of pullups before work, you can do it while the coffee's brewing. Just something every day.
-core workout 1-2x/week
-hangboard about 1x/week
-if you don't have a hangboard or at least some Rock Rings set up in your house, strongly consider doing so.
-lost 9 pounds so far using MyFitnessPal app on my phone
-cut out all food containing refined sugar and all alcohol. Miss the sugar occasionally, not the alcohol. Doing this made dieting MUCH easier.
-climb as much as possible (gym membership? winter's coming!)
-Studying the "Rock Warrior's Way" as well as in-person training with the author, Arno Ilgner (his website has info). Some people find the information in this book too vague, but I think that's because the principles laid out in it are really subtle, and demand that you be really honest and observant with yourself about how your ego or fears are getting in the way of your climbing, which is not fun or easy.
-trail running (although be careful about cardio ramping up your appetite if you're trying to lose weight)
-a couple of running races per year to help focus my general fitness training
-The Rock Climber's Training Manual is great also
-tons of repetition on toprope on routes that expose some weakness (there are many) in my technique or that seem harder for me than they should be. Toprope laps (as opposed to just getting to the top once and moving on) are a pretty new discovery for me and they are a really powerful technique. You want to get a route down to the point where you're not just getting away with it, you're finding the best (or 3 best) way(s) to climb it, nice and smooth, nailing all the rests, shaking out, enjoying the ride, in control. That's the feeling you want to grow. If you've never gone for 5 or even 10 laps on something, you might be surprised, some great learning there.

Good luck and have fun!

Brendan Mulhern wrote:You're a climber bro-- and you're lucky enough to still be breathin'. Go climbing-- everything is gonna be OK.

^^^ this

got hit by a car, 4.5 years ago. 20 stitches in my face and broken wrist, doc said I wouldn't be able to do pushups anymore, the way my wrist was healing.

well, im doing handstand push-ups and walking around on my hands, im hanging on hand jams-still haven't quite mastered the art of fist jamming...

I used to be a boxer, have a vo2 max of 58ml/kg/min (that's pretty damn good).
Then I went to college in a state with winters, after getting hit by said car, stopped exercising, gained 30 lbs, blah blah blah... Got into climbing this year, and just getting on the rock is motivation enough.

Its changing the way I eat, and its changing the way I deal with life in the day to day. It is the sunshine in my cloudy sky of work/eat/survive.
Just keep climbing. everything is gonna be ok.

oh, and that other dude who said, its the most fun you'll have with your pants on.
remember, to have hella fun! its supposed to be fun, and I promise you, it will be fun again, just keep after it.
Getting in shape/athleticism/fitness is gained through mass hard work, but your body can remember how to do these things. just keep swimming!

I know the move you're talking about and unless you have some sort of medical issue you didn't mention in the OP: you can physically do that move. I know the spot you're talking about, and if you are any good at all (which it sounds like you are/were) you know it's all about the feet for off-vert eldo prancing like that.

My guess would be its a head game issue. IIRC that move is basically right off the deck and your first piece is a cam behind that flake -- if you fall and that cam blows you're gonna have a bad time. Consciously or unconsciously that probably got in your head and you got spooked -- it happens.

Maybe there are some tricks out there but IME the only cure is mileage. Even coming back to plugging gear after bouldering all winter I feel pretty shakey the first few times out. Give it a while (and probably dial it down on the booze) and you'll be back at it in no time.

Downtownt wrote: oh, and that other dude who said, its the most fun you'll have with your pants on.

There's the problem... pants....

Four years ago I was a 250 lbs fat ass, this season I'm 205 and gettng better all the time. Keep it up, every one has bad days, I just try to forget about them.

Shit man, hopefully you're being at least slightly hyperbolic about the alcoholism part.

I started cutting back on the drinking 4 or 5 years ago right about the time I started getting hangovers from drinking 3 fucking beers the night before. Then quit entirely last October before having my third surgery for sinus polyps.

Climbing better than ever at 45 (knock on wood..)

Hope you figure it out and good luck.

Currently dealing with some blend or tendinosis and tendinitis in my elbow that prevents me from training in the gym at all. I've had to swear off any hard climbing until I can get this sorted out (PT has done nothing so looking at other options now). I've never been super strong, but was looking to break into 5.9 trad this year.

So instead I've been resigned to moderates, and finding I have just as much fun on 5.6 and 5.7, took a trip to the tetons to do the CMC route on mt. moran. Ideally I (and you) will heal up and get strong,and obviously climbing harder opsn up the amount of rock you can safely climb on... but at least for me, if you can get outside and climb safely with some good friends then the rest is just details.

I have had to take 4 major breaks during my 10 year climbing career. Two for kids and two for injuries. Each one lasted between 6-14 months. Every time I would go back it was like starting from near scratch. Due to this I had to teach myself to just enjoy the fact that I was climbing and not care about getting spanked on something that used to be a warm up.

Moral of the story; screw the grade, screw the ego, just be happy your able to climb.

PS. Even when I was at my best there were still days that I would get brutalized by something that should have been a walk in the park. It happens.

Muscrat wrote: There's the problem... pants....

^^^!!!

old climbing adage: less weight equals more power!

Im 10 years your junior and have similar challenges with getting old and gaining weight. It matters. In my experience, even losing enough fat to get back down to 185-190 will help. Strength training can only help. I use apps to help track my calories, in and out.

Want to thank everyone again for the thoughtful and positive comments. Except for the suggestions I should vote for Sanders. I'm just chubby, weak, and depressed. Not suicidal.

Rick and Mike, I'm gonna elevate the fitness a bit, and you'll hear from me.

I wouldn't make too much of it. I had one of those days yesterday. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad week, month, year, decade. But if you think you're a climber, just go and get after it. Eventually, you will be back on your game.

Or not. In which case, just climb softer routes and take one of those ego healing workshops.

Take Heart, You are not alone my internet friend!!
It's nice to see some other middle aged 40-50 somethings coming off a climbing break for one reason or another.
And finding out( depressingly) we are not what we once (imagined) we were. It is what is.

On a positive note, I came out of my climbing hiatus because my 16 yr old son and I can proudly say he's hooked. But not from the actual climbing, but from the people he's met climbing.

This reason alone has shifted my point of view about not chasing my past "glory" and/or grades and just enjoying the climb, any climb with good people.

This week is like Xmas eve, my son and I are off to Seneca Rocks this weekend to relive my past glory and crush some 5.4's

Signed
In the same boat

McHull wrote: On a positive note, I came out of my climbing hiatus because my 16 yr old son and I can proudly say he's hooked. But not from the actual climbing, but from the people he's met climbing. This reason alone has shifted my point of view about not chasing my past "glory" and/or grades and just enjoying the climb, any climb with good people.

Good for you. The camaraderie is a major reason I have been climbing and, gasp, training regularly since 2006, after a 6-year absence. Not the grades.
I am still waiting for my kid (now 9) to say she is hooked or want to go climbing with me or her friends. One can always hope!!

An easy way to make it heaps better is to quit telling yourself that you suck...