This could be a long post! I want to preface it by saying I am not trying to achieve anything with bouldering. or at bouldering. I just wanted some good exercise for muscles that was fun to do.
I used to boulder a lot years ago. And because I do youtube videos, I can kinda see how I was in those days. I seemed to talk slower. And i naturally got really good muscles from doing it. I remember I loved doing it, and even when people asked me about it, i said i loved it and never intended to stop. But then I started doing qigong at some stage, and perhaps i felt having to many hobbies was too hard, so i ended up choosing qigong, cos i really wanted to learn about that. and i am really glad i did.
And then i never got back into bouldering. But then the past year or so, i would hear about it, and think about it. and even my niece thuy mentioned that she had gone to do it once or twice when she was on holiday. so that planted the seed. And then for some reason, i just decided to do it! and it was the best thing ever!! There was a bouldering gym that opened up in clayton, and its actually walkable from my house in about 1 hour ish. They required bouldering shoes to boulder, so i couldn't use my beloved volleys. But i dug out my old bouldering shoes i used to have. my mythos! and i love them! theyre so comfy.
Anyways, when i first went to boulder the first time, I was literally just happy to be there. And did the beginner level 2 ones. Well i started to do them and made my way around maybe half (or less) of the way around the lower floor. And the whole time, i was doing the method i learned from my friend all those years ago, of holding my hand out before grabbing onto the hold for 5 seconds (well a count of 5, which is less than 5 seconds, but its good enough for me!). Anyways, i LOVE this method. Its all i wanna do!
Honestly, I feel it makes me so much stronger. Strengthens my core, and eventually turns the climbs into easy mode yay!
Anyways, the real key for this entire post, is that i remembered my goals for my first time coming back. Simply being at the gym was good enough for me. Simply going up a few of the.beginner problems (grade 2, which is basically the lowest). And my arms were exhausted by the time i had gotten halfway.... oh wait.. the first time i went, i just repeatedly did about 3 of the beginner problems i think!! i didn't even get halfway around till the second or third time. I definitely was in no rush.
Its harder to capture this mentality in words. But basically, every single time i go, I"m already really content. I just know the fact that Ive stepped inside the gym, is good enough already. Even if I just put my hands on the hold and go up and down the warm up problem (thats like going up a ladder almost its so easy haha).. is good enough. Whatever I happen to do, i'm happy with it. and i do not want to talk to anyone. Because I just want to do the problems, be in my own world. I remember from previous experience, if i talked to people and made friends, Id have to chat to them etc. And no, I just wanna go and not talk to anybody at all, thats my goal. Its really part of why i have so much fun. LIke I achieve my goal so easily. Just by showing up.
And wow, By going 2 times a week, and someones just once, cos ive been busy. Ive gotten so much stronger. Now when I see grade 4 and 5 problems, I feel like I can do them (and I do!). Because I train with the 5 second holds, its like i'm playing on a higher difficulty, so when i decide to try a harder problem, if i just do it without the 5 second hold, its becomes quite easy. Its been so good!!
And what i do... is i remember how it used to be. Like i would go, and want to be able to do these problems i couldn't. And be working to be able to do them. And now, my way is soooooooooooo good.
I rock up, and happily do my level 2 ones. I go up, and also down climb them. Then i do them again (so each problem i do twice, but the second time, i try to drop down from the top, to get myself better at dropping down. And yeah i can do a lot of problems and even go upstairs at the end and do some of those too!
Anyways, so you get the idea. I am totally not taking part of the anguish of climbers who are striving to get better. it is sooooo nice. i feel like water ahah. and i can feel the energy of other people around, who are like happy when they can get it, down if they cant. But i'm fine the whole time :)
Another thing, is i dont really have any awe and respect for others. I have this feeling inside like 'i used to climb a lot'. you could say its like in a fantasy novel where theres this tavern keeper who used to be a battler hardened soldier. I have that same feeling.
Like today, i could see lots of people standing around. And i was not feeling this way, but i could see that in another life, i could feel intimidated by them. But I really wasnt at all. I just had my rhythm of what i usually do. And if there were a lot of people in one area, and it seemed i might have to wait ages, i would just go over to another part of wall and do the stuff there.
I felt so great. Right at the end, i went to the top floor and was doing my stuff there. And there was a whole bunch of people attempting some of the problems that are kinda like crawling on the ceiling. I think doing those has given me a lot of confidence. And so i finished my session doing one of those and when i did it, the group cheered and were like nice!!
and i said thank you!
hehe
So the gist of this entire post, which is tricky to capture in words is.
I feel accomplished already if i rock up at bouldering, even if i just do a few easy ones, im already happy with myself. I dont have any goals. I dont want to do it so anyone likes me. I dont care about talking or interacting with anyone. I'm just happy being there.
And i really am getting stronger and stronger! but im actually so happy with what im doing already.
And guess what? that feeling of strength has returned to me. Often, when ive finished a session, i have this tired feeling in both arms, and i love it! And i feel confident, and strong. Its this inner strength I walk around with now.. just cos I know I definitely have strong muscles and core strength. Its hard to pin point.
It was a feeling I missed from when i used to boulder a lot. For the past few years, I did do basic calisthenics body weight stuff, walking, jogging, yoga. kettlebell etc. But bouldering gives me a different feeling. I really like it. And i never ever wanna change my mentality from the first day I returned to doing it.
