Confessions of a Weak Bastard
Climbing Origins Soccer was my favorite sport growing up. I wasn't particularly tall or stocky, but I was fast and my legs were strong. I played each position at some point, but I loved the technical challenges of playing midfield. I learned when to preserve energy and when to make a fast break. I learned to recover on the field, outlast bigger defenders, and strike late game. In many ways, climbing brought similar challenges. There was a time to pace yourself on a climb and a time to blow through a hard sequence. I learned to recover on the wall and how to keep something in the tank for a top crux. And while I did get a bit stronger from climbing, I never made a conscious effort to strengthen my body. I saw climbing as a puzzle that could be solved using intelligence, skill, and tactics. While my friends were spending time on the campus board, I worked on traversing, footwork drills, route reading, and endurance training. I figured out how to position my hips to take the most amou...
