September 2011

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re probably right.” – Henry Ford.

September is over. Which means I either made my goal of getting my first V7, or I didn’t. 4 weeks and some change went by and I pushed for max effort every day I hit the gym.

Every day, my calluses were rubbed raw and my fingers would be stiff. The prescription was stretching, ibuprofen and Ice.

I tried to cut back on the number of days I would go to the gym so I could get my money’s worth on each attempt. I’d try to make my trips 3+ hours with long rests. I focused on two v7’s and pushed.

My breathing was controlled. Body tension was tight. My technique was sharper than ever. And in true fashion, I picked the hardest V7 that fit my style. By the half waypoint of the month I knew which project was mine. A day later I was confident in the beta.

The next week was spent wiring the moves. Climbing until my joints hurt and my fingers (usually) bled. My days became consecutive journeys, visits between shifts at work, and whenever I could.

This, though driven and something I’m proud of, is probably why I failed. I could feel myself closing in. I wanted it so bad I pushed beyond fatigue and what was rationale. Though I improved, I couldn’t heal enough to piece the route together.

I had a following of friends and fellow climbers who I’ve gotten to know over the last several months all coming over and supporting me in my numerous attempts. Looking back, I feel bad that I may have distracted them from their own sessions for so long. But they were nabbing shots on their cameras or phones, just in case THAT attempt was the send.

Persistence turned to frustration, turned to a deeper resolve. My head could see nothing but the moves and the absolute conclusion that I could and would send this problem. There was no doubt.

Which must be where Henry Ford’s “Probably” comes from. The amount of determination wasn’t enough to will me up the wall. I lost sight of the fact that my body breaks down and needs time. As Ron said, “It’s ok to be human.” I just had to be reminded of that.

I made my last attempt. As desperate as this may appear to someone reading this, I felt so calm and strong and smooth. I moved and flowed. Hit the crux and did it right. Slow. Static. Controlled.

Oh, did I mention I showed up to the gym 5 minutes before it closed? My first attempt was cold. Stupid. But I climbed hard. It was easily my most solid attempt at the route. And I failed.

I’ve said I failed a few times now. But did I? I pushed myself to my limits and fell just shy of my goal. It’s a bitter taste, but not totally unappreciated. It’s a lesson. And I’ll take it and learn. Now it’s back to the drawing board. Time to reanalyze my weaknesses and develop a training strategy to grow and get that 7… and then an 8… and 9… you get the idea. :)