I feel compelled today to write in English as I sit here at the main table of Hostel California, in Bishop, CA. Last night I slept about seven hours. Once again woke up thinking, I'm not fully rested, but couldn't get back to sleep. A) I couldn't back to sleep, b) I was excited to watch the World Cup, and C) I was excited to see what the day would bring, if I would climb, where I would climb.
And now I'm sitting at the main table, drinking my cocoa, watching the world cup. Cocoa has become my morning routine. It's usually the only caffeine of the day, and I try not to think of it as caffeine. Neymar is rolling around on the ground. Yes, there definitely is some caffeine in there, but there's also theobromine, which is a different kind of stimulant, one which is supposedly not habit forming.
Today the plan is to hike up to the druid stones and climb some easy stuff there. What will probably happen is I'll climb some easy stuff and then try some harder stuff, and then get pissed off that the harder stuff is shutting me down. But it doesn't really matter, right? Yesterday I was a bit frustrated after my climbing sesh and so went straight to the liquor store and bought a bottle of beer. I think it's important to give into your urges, but not all of them, willy nilly. You must find the middle path. Should your life be completely regimented, completely discipline, or should it be completely hedonistic, doing whatever you feel like? I don't know the answer to this, but it's probably a middle path. For example, I could force myself to not climb today, but that doesn't feel right. I'd rather climb, have fun, get pissed off, but at least know I'm going to get pissed off and that way have some distance from it. For example, yesterday I was frustrated at the end of my session for getting "shut down" but some V2's and V3's, but I couldn't help but stop and notice how beautiful the sun looked on the rock, the Sierras in the distance, the stunning QUIET of the volcanic tablelands. I always forget how quiet it is up there in the Happies and the Sads. I started bouldering at the Slight Inducement area. It was stunningly quiet. Magisterial. The movement on slight inducement right was SUBLIME. Then I went to Beer Tumor. The movement on both beer tumor left and right was sublime, though I sent neither problem.
What difference between sending and not sending
must you value what others value
avoid what others avoid
how ridiculous.
Seriously what is the difference between sending and not sending? Are you a better climber if you send? What were the highpoints of climbing yesterday? Topping out a boulder? Absolutely not. Topping out just to top out feels egoic. Instead, the movement was the part I will take with me forever. For instance, when I was warming up I experimented with the best way to move my right hand from one hold to another. Where to best put the feet. And the movement was glorious. The learning. A thousand times more valuable than topping out.
Unless sending really is important for you. In which case lean in.
I'm a grade chaser as much as the next guy.
78 minutes in and still no score. Pretty standard. Time to do some yoga, aka some stretching, aka some push ups and some physical therapy exercises. The surfing exercises have been great for my back. The supermans. And the bridges. And the downward dog.
What difference between V10 and V2?
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