Mental Challenge
February 26, 2017
This week I happen to get asked a few questions about my
mental state with regards to climbing. So I thought it would be good to jot
these down, as well as to give you some insights as to what goes on in my mind.
I realise that not everyone thinks too much or in-depth
about competitions as I do. We can ask different people about their thoughts
about competition and some may say that they don’t even think about it in the
first place. But as I type out the contents below, I realise that it serves to
remind me on how I can work on my weaknesses and reaffirm the actions that I
need to put in place in order to get out of poor mental states.
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| Photo credits to Alexus Goh } |
What are some of the mental and psychological difficulties
you face during competitions or training as a climber?
· Being the 1st
qualifier, and last out of isolation to attempt a route in finals
· Knowing that a
route needs to be completed because everyone else has done it
· Trying not to
panic after failing an attempt on a route, especially when attempts matter, or
time is running out
· Not having a good
climbing session during training, nearing competition (this can involve
inability to do routes which I previously could, comparatively “weaker” against
other climbers in the gym, etc)
· Onset of injury
in the midst of competition (tendon pull, strained hamstring, stiff hips)
· Trying to
kickstart your body using your determination but physically the body is tired.
Before going in to the qualification round, what are some
of the goals that you set for yourself? Are the goals similar for every
competition?
My goals in the past was to get into the finals for the
competitions that I take part in. Over time, that goal has been constantly met.
And it shifted to being on the podium. These goals are usually for the local
competitions.
International or regional competitions are different. My
goals are more tailored towards a specific process to help me reach it better.
Eg. Hitting a good timing for speed, or completing a certain number of routes
during qualifiers. It is not a surprise that the more difficult goals are, the
more we have to scaffold ourselves to reach those goals. This is something that
I need to remind myself of.
How does mental rehearsal help in the planning of the
boulder problem when you see it for the first time?
When I plan a boulder problem, I try to visualize myself
climbing the route, with respect to placement of hands, feet, imagining the
type of moves (dynamic, static, coordinated). It helps prepare the body to
execute the moves, as well as the muscles for recruitment. It prepares me for
any uncomfortable sequence I might encounter, so that I can come up with
another beta (sequence) for the moves on the problem.
There is a great amount of pressure to win or get a
podium position at every competition that you take part in. How do you cope
with that pressure and stay composed during the qualifications and finals?
Coping with the pressure is not easy. I still have yet
to fully master it. I sink into this quiet and focus mental state each time
during qualifications or finals. However, the difficulty is getting
this composed state to “last” till the end of the round or finals. This
can be affected by a mistake on a route, an unfinished route, onset of injury
in the midst of competition and/or the knowledge that your competitors have
completed the route and you will need to do the same in order to win. These
sometimes causes one to panic and while we appear calm on the outside, the
heart is racing and palms get sweaty, making it more difficult to climb
composed.
To cope with this, sometimes I take deep breaths in
between climbs and even on the wall. This helps slow down the heart rate a
little. During finals, I walk around or isolate away from other climbers to
calm myself down. Sometimes I close my eyes to shut off any stimulation that
would otherwise distraction myself from focusing. I also visualize the moves in
my head to make myself feel more confident of the upcoming moves.
What are some of the social and environmental factors
that affect you during the competitions?
· Hearing the
cheers from the crowd which indicates that fellow competitors have finished the
routes.
· Being the last to
attempt the route in finals, as this means that I am ranked higher, and
expected to be the “better” climber compared to the other finalist.
· Knowing that
there is a pool of strong competitors that I have to go against. i.e. in terms
or attempts on route/ flash.
· Unchalked tiles
which do not provide much friction, and also given my sweaty hands.
· Cooler
temperatures in addition to sweaty palms, which makes the limbs colder and
harder to activate and pull.
How do you cope with those difficulties you face during
these competitions, especially during the finals?
For environmental factors, I ensure that I stay warm
during isolation or do a good warm up before my climb. I get helpers and
officials to brush the tiles and chalk them. I carry my chalk bag instead of
leave it on the ground when I work up a route. Liquid chalk might also help.
During the finals, there is considerably more time to ensure that the
environmental factors are processed and taken into consideration. This is
because of the extra time given to each climber on the wall, as well as having
climbed the qualifiers and you can mentally and physically prepare the body for
any environmental factors before the finals.
For social factors, I just need to keep a strong mind
and guard it against over -thinking. Sometimes I hinge on the confidence during
my qualification to propel myself towards a confident final. I do become more
determined, but as mentioned above, it is a challenge to keep that focus from
start to finish.
Let me know what
you think are some of the challenges you face as a competitive climber. Do you
face the same challenges as I do? How did you overcome them?
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