Eva Lopez has impressed me greatly, not just by her climbing (8c - that is amazing and stands for itself!) but by her approach to research and it is this which interests me allot for now.
Having the patience and strategic intent to do a great , in depth job of understanding a key element to improving one's climbing is something I have slowly began to try and unfold. Being in contact with Eva recently has certainly reminded me of how I need to be more long term minded about my climbing strategies especially to help me get to the next level and break a psychological barrier for myself.
This all got me thinking about my previous approach when I started back in 2010 with 6a to 8a and I just remembered the most important thing that drove the whole process... The project and my mindset that allowed me to complete it.
It just came back to me as I was thinking about my new project and the frustrations that are in the way (current elbow injury, 4 kilos of extra weight - which was intentional to train with in a bouldering environment since October BLCC's to increase my maximal strength but i over cooked it!), then I began to get that feeling again... that certain knowing feeling, when I am beginning to realize that I am going to do this project.., because I want it!
The importance of it for me, has to outweigh all the other things in my life for that period of the project and so, that is a big requirement for any human being, especially in this fast paced world full of things that are allowed to get in the way of staying focused on a particularly personal objective. But the answer before was for me to build my life around the project, not build the project around my life...
And so, I want to be trained over a sustainable period of the project that will allow me to make the changes and truly facilitate what needs to happen to my body to achieve the goal... Climb with much better climbers who have the experience, be motivated by them and trust in myself by making action in my daily life over wishful thinking.
I fell off a 7b in Cubells near Lleida with mi amiga from Monistrol when here at Christmas after my knee operation and although 8b just felt so far away then (still does now) I told her I needed to fall on a route since my operation, because only then could i begin to start trying hard again - trying close to my true limit.
The mind obviously drives this and it is the holder of motivation and the value that I have to place on achieving this goal, firstly has to make sense: The plan must be capable 'as a strategy for success' and address all the outcomes in it's path including my own weaknesses and self doubts. But I understand I have to have that singular simple belief that I will climb 8b and then, I use my head to get me there.
So for me, ocho b (8b) is not a number anymore..It's my new life and those 'chains' will be soooooooooooo sweet.. this i know, but the journey, the journey is what i love... Vamos!
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