Sorry for the delay in the blog– the holiday break has been tremendously busy for us. However, life seems to be returning to “normal” and we are back in the swing of things.
Changing your pace in climbing on your indoor OR outdoor projects can be very important. When you think of your project, there should be parts where you can climb faster than your normal pace, and there are probably spots that require you to climb slower.
Break it up– If your project has any rests, break your climb up into sections between the rests, and look at them as individual shorter routes. Sometimes, by breaking your route into short sections, it appears less overwhelming and can become more manageable. Knowing you can complete each section gives you confidence in the overall route.
Resting- Look at each rest as a campsite– where you will only have x-amount of time to recover or hang out as some rests are better than others. Rest as long as possible and begin the next section when recovery stops, and getting pumped starts. Effective resting techniques:
- Straight arms
- Heels down
- Deep controlled breathing
- Shaking arms above shoulder level
- Look ahead and go over the next section
- Visualize the next section if possible
If your project does not have any rests, do more part 1 of this post as your power endurance will need to improve drastically.
Sprinting- There can be sections of your climb that are easier or spots that lead to a possible rest. Once you have the movement dialed, climb through it quickly.
Active Recovery– Sometimes, there is no rest, but a series of good (or slightly better holds). Use these holds as a rest. Climb slower with smaller hand shakes in between moves to help dissipate lactic acid in your forearms. Try and breathe as much as possible and “recover” as much as possible.
Changing Beta– Rule #1 of redpointing: NEVER CHANGE YOUR BETA ON REDPOINT. Once you have sections dialed in, dont change them when you are climbing. Maximum effort climbing takes everything you have as a climber. Small mistakes can add up to equal a big mistake. Know exactly what you do, and in the order you have to do it.
