Gaining Mental Toughness &
Tapping into Your Try-Hard
Know your fear
FROM KYRA:
“People get scared and then get mad that they are scared, and I think that’s when things become dangerous. Being afraid is okay, and realizing that it’s okay is good. There is usually a reason that you’re scared, and you can assess if it’s: a) a valid reason, like you’re actually in danger, or b) not a valid reason, and you’re safe. Does your spotter have you? Is the pad under you? Are you clipped in?... If all those are a yes, then it’s a way to logic out of your fear and understand the process more.”
FROM JOSH:
“Nerves don’t mean negative—they can help you find your limit. And if you know your nerves enough, they can help answer questions about yourself.”
Visualize
“For something over your limit, you need to dig deeper. Before going for a redpoint, close your eyes and try visualizing yourself climbing. Imagine you are doing the moves from your own perspective, and then from the perspective of a spectator. Memorize your beta, have checkpoints in mind, trust your beta, and try hard.” -Josh
The buddy system
“I benefit from having a positive support system during a training session. I think people are able to get into a dark spot and just train out of it and be kind of masochistic. I’d say that some of my training is like that, but most of the time, I’m staying positive through it other than the times when I’m working on something hard for my back, it can be pretty frustrating. So that’s when it’s really helpful to have somebody there, like Josh, who points out things that I can do differently when it feels like I’ve tried everything.” -Kyra
Try hard
“To ‘try hard’ is to be pushing your limit. You’ve gotta want it. It’s the difference between waiting for something to happen, and making something happen. When you have extra pressure, fear, ego, that’s the time to push and actually do it now.” -Josh
Stay present, stay calm
“I’m not known for staying calm. One thing I’ve worked on a lot in my climbing is staying present-focused. That’s where, instead of thinking about doing the climb when you are on the ground or when you are on the wall even, you’re thinking about the moves that you’re doing. So, if you try to redpoint a climb and you’re thinking about the success of the climb already while you’re only mid-climb, you’re not really focusing on what you’re doing and you’re more likely to make mistakes.” -Kyra
we’re rooting for
kyra condie!
kyra condie!