Climbing Hills
You know that old adage that says that you’ll never enjoy fitness until you find something that doesn’t feel like working out? I’ve always been so jealous of people who had found their thing. I have always understood the adage and I agree with it. I knew it was possible. I’ve spent years trying various types of exercise and nothing has given me that sense of accomplishment and the feeling of not being able to wait to get to do it again.
From about age 7 to 17, I did karate. I went to class two to three times every week and made my way through the ranks and received my black belt when I was 14 years old. I loved karate. It was engrained in my life - a family member was my sensei, most of my friends were in my karate classes, and it gave me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. This is the last time I remember doing a regular fitness routine that didn’t feel like work. When I was 17 though, I had a boyfriend and had a lot more “important” things to do than go to karate class. I started spending more time with my friends and boyfriend after school during the week and on weekends when in the past I would have been attending a karate tournament with my dojo. I started attending class less and less and eventually stopped going altogether. Looking back, it was the right decision at the time. I wouldn’t trade those last two years of high school with my friends and my (then) boyfriend for anything. That time shaped who I am today. I do miss karate though. But I’m not sure that I want to return to a dojo. Everything felt so effortless back then because my dojo felt like a family and the friends I made there can never be replaced. They made it fun and I looked forward to class mostly because I was going to see the people I cared about. The physical activity was a lucky side effect.
In the years since I have tried dozens of fitness routines. I took up running in college and ran a few 5Ks. I started practicing yoga in my mid-twenties. Yoga is still something I enjoy doing, but it’s not something I crave doing every day. I’ve tried weight training, HIIT workouts, interval training, calisthenics, daily walking, dance classes, you name it. I’ve even tried practicing karate again to see if I can remember my katas (I can). But nothing has given me that feeling of accomplishment and the desire to return to it time and time again like karate did.
Until now.
I worked on a high ropes course for a few years as a part of one of my previous jobs. This involved loads of training, including getting belay certified. We have a fantastic chain of rock climbing gyms in our area, so we tested our skills and abilities for belaying on the rock walls at one of the local gyms. This was the start of my interest in climbing. We practiced top rope climbing and though it challenged my moderate fear of heights, I felt an exhilaration and sense of accomplishment that I have felt so rarely over the years. Another time I can remember feeling accomplished like that is when I tried my first ropes course with a friend about 10 years ago. There is something about pushing your mind beyond your perceived limits of physical fitness and allowing yourself to be high above the ground and trust your skills and your equipment. It was then that I first realized how powerful the mind can be. I am more powerful and stronger than I ever realized. In the years since that first top rope climbing session, I have visited the climbing gym with a few friends for one-off sessions thanks to Groupon. Each time I would leave thinking, “I should really just get a membership and take up climbing as a sport”. And each time I would put it off and think about it for a few more months. Time continued to creep by and I kept returning to the idea that maybe I should find some friends to climb with and try it again.
As it happens, a subset of my husband’s group of guy friends starting occasionally climbing together this year. I had heard them mention it a few times but didn’t know how seriously they were taking it. About two months ago, we were playing an online game together and they started talking about their trips to the climbing gym and I jumped at the opportunity to join them for their next session. We met up about a week later at one of the gym locations and tried out top rope and bouldering. I was very rusty and could barely make it up the wall halfway before coming back down. They were all so incredibly supportive and encouraging though and I felt like this could be a great group to continue climbing with. We moved to the bouldering wall, which I had never tried before. I couldn’t believe how much fun it was despite my inability to make it past a few holds.
Climbing my current project
After this first session, it took only two or three more sessions for me to be absolutely hooked and decide to start up a membership. Not only does the membership include access to all of the climbing the various gym locations have to offer, it includes access to their traditional gym equipment, free group fitness classes, store discounts, and invites to member events. Since joining, I’ve geared up with climbing shoes, a harness, belay device, chalk bag, and chalk (you can get all of these in a bundle minus the climbing shoes for a great price, which is what I did).
I’ve been climbing about two to three times per week, sometimes with my friends, sometimes alone. I am mostly bouldering, but occasionally I will hop on the auto belay or grab one of my friends to belay me on a tall wall. I’ve also been attending a fitness class once or twice each week either before or after a climbing session. I’ve done pilates, yoga, and even a handstand class!
Even though I’ve only been climbing for about two months, I am absolutely hooked. I get the greatest sense of accomplishment after a session, and everytime I complete a climb (or even if I don’t but I get a move down-pat), I feel strong and proud. I’ve even gotten my husband into joining some of our sessions - he might even join the gym too! We talk about how climbing makes you feel like a kid again who is just climbing a tree or scrambling up a hill. Your brain is working so hard to figure out where to go and how to get there, you’re not noticing how physically difficult it is until you’ve finished the climb. Even in bouldering, the walls are high enough to kick in your fear of falling, but if you just focus on the task at hand, the fear fades into the background. It feels so freeing to realize that you can tell your brain and body you are capable of doing something and experiencing them listening and accomplishing it.
I’m excited to share my trials and tribulations of climbing with you. I have a feeling this is going to be a sport I will be a part of for a long time. I’m already seeing gains in strength and skill and can’t wait to see where I go from here.
So, do you have a fitness routine that you are hooked on? Is there something you enjoy doing and can’t wait to be able to go again? I would love to hear what keeps you active!
