It was when I squeezed a hold so hard that blood started to leak from my bloodtest sights in my fingers from earlier today that I realised phase one of my training was well and truly underway! Phase one being trying harder to fail ungracefully and embarrass myself as much as possible to get rid of the 'fear' of failure! this was my first solo session at the wall for what seemed like far too long, and a great opportunity to get back to basics in my bouldering and to put into practice what I'd been reading in my new training book...
 
At this point I'm going to suggest that EVERY single reader goes and buys Dave MacLeod's new book 9 Out Of 10 Climbers Make The Same Mistakes: Navigation Through The Maze Of Advice For The Self-Coached Climber... I hope that's not too much of an advert to put out on my blog, but it is, quite simply, the best climbing book I have ever read, and has really made me re-think my climbing regime - and I've only just read chapter one!!!
 
It is also as a result of something I read in the book that I am writing this blog - in order to advertise my expectations of myself for the coming months in order to 'embarrass' myself into achieving them, or failing them after putting in a real solid effort to achieve my goals!
 
So - Here it is... The grand list of my goals to achieve before the end of summer (preferably before summer...)
 
1) Climb the first 4 moves of that stupidly hard red F8a at the Inverness wall on a top-rope!
2) Climb F7a indoors regularly (maybe even on the lead?!)
3) Lead F6c Sport outdoors
4) Lead E2, maybe even E3 trad outdoors
 
So what's stopping me?! The strength is almost there and the technique is there and there abouts (although I need to be more fluid sometimes) and the more I train the better controlled my diabetes seems to be... So the only thing, really, stopping my achievment of my self-inflicted goals is my head - the psychology. If I can just get rid of the fear of failing and the fear of ANYTHING to do with how I climb and how people percieve my climbing, then all it will take is a bit of solid training and sheer will power and it'll all come together, just like it did when I started climbing and wanted to climb F6a+ for the first time! If I look at it the right way, there is no reason whatsoever that I can't achieve these goals!