Kat: Climbing and Boyfriends

What do you do when climbing with your boyfriend makes you feel terrible instead of happy?

[@lookaway8936]

This chick is so cool, I went skydiving for the first time 5 months ago and plan on going again.

[@RyanMattockpyro]

me and my girl had the same problem. solution was i got to climb she quit and became a road biker. we go on dates and no more ruined weekends! steph ive been a fan of you since 90's..

[@caseyensz158]

I'm not sure how to respond to this without sounding chauvinistic. I'm a big, strong dude and get outclimbed by females on a regular basis. If I let it get to me I wouldn't enjoy climbing. I know the male/female, female/male dynamic is different when it comes to competitiveness, but in either case, you're just destroying yourself from the inside. If you're leaving the gym crying because you can't keep up with another climber (boyfriend or not), you're letting your competitiveness rule your life. I'm 38 years old and started climbing when I was 34, I'll NEVER send a 5.13 like some of my friends can do and make look easy. You just have to come to terms with your own skill set. Never stop trying to get better, but don't hurt yourself agonizing over how much better anyone else is...

[@stephdavis9093]

never say never though! :)

[@Ravenousyouth]

Casey Ensz u make a good point. I think a lot of it is letting ego get in the way of enjoying yourself (which helps u get better)

[@fernandoi3389]

Hello Could you make videos on home workout for climbers ? I'm a beginner and I cannot go to the boulder very often because of work , I would like to know if you can reccommend some home excersises . Thanks!!

[@stephdavis9093]

great idea, I will work on that!

[@JB5D]

Love that shirt!

[@SarahMarchildon]

I would recommend that Kat read "The Rock Warrior's Way." It seems like her mind is what's holding her back. If she could free herself from the tyranny of comparison, I think she would have a lot more fun! Mental training is just as important as physical training. :)

[@stephdavis9093]

the mental side of climbing is always so powerful!

[@z1522]

There are many ways to experience life, of which climbing in all its forms is just a small portion. To judge Kat by assessing that "something is holding her back" is presuming a superior level of accomplishment inherently in her boyfriend's higher level of sends. Measuring her achievements purely on a grading scale is exactly what I rejected and escaped from fifty years ago, in traditional organized sports. Climbing then was eccentric and iconoclastic, and even if competitive, it was in good fun, and much of that holds in competitions today where the athletes encourage and congratulate the winners. I actually admire strong female climbers who seem more grounded and mentally healthier, with degrees or careers beyond the confines of rock walls, and the ability to balance perspectives of life and goals that too many guys don't cope with. If one has performance anxieties, I believe the last thing that person needs to do is focus more on training for higher performance, because the real issues involve underlying insecurities and self-doubt, which will never resolve with just being stronger, any more than starving to death will resolve anorexia.

[@Ravenousyouth]

I second the iron thing. my bf gets annoyed sometimes that I'm better than him. basically I avoid giving him advice which he hates (he's tall I'm super short my beta is useless) and he does overhang stuff so easy so I always get happy for him doing his style and killing it. it sucks a bit that he is competitive because it stops us from climbing more. but I go with other people. and he is happy for me . he just gets frustrated with himself. getting outside helps. it's more of a fun trip than focusing on grades.

[@tanmaythakkar4708]

Just climb 🙌

[@TheLoobis]

2:35 "ugh" of course. I think not eating meat is not part of a well balanced diet.

[@JB5D]

exactly GO VEGAN :)