Go With the Flow

When it comes to my training, I love "staying on schedule." Who doesn’t? However, similar to a fixation on picturesque climbing (previously reflected on), a fixation on perfectly organized and scheduled sessions can be limiting. I find this fixation to be a problem mainly in competition settings. For example, in the warm-up period of a competition before climbing begins, I am often trying to complete my regular warmup in a timely manner. But in most competition settings this is simply impossible; the equipment is different than what I am used to and the warm-up area is packed with people who are all trying to do the same thing.

This made me realize that is something to be said for "going with the flow" and adapting to the environment you have to work with. When going with the flow, there is no "off schedule" and there is no checklist. Thus, I have reason to believe that "going with the flow" is the optimal approach climbing, especially in situations with time restrictions. Schedules and checklists are useful, but being too rigid about them can take away from quality climbing and exploration on the wall. 


Location: Alexandria, VA, USA

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