A few weeks ago, on a whim, I signed up for an introductory climbing class at the university's gym. A few friends thought it was out of character, but I'm desperate to take up a new hobby and get back into shape now that "but I'm working on my dissertation" is no longer a valid excuse. Oh, the excuses.
Besides, rock-climbing was one of those things I always wanted to try. Why not now?
What I like about climbing is it's not only a full-body workout, there's also a lot of mental strategy involved. It often rewards the bold too, which is not something that comes naturally to me. Some of the best advice, when I get stuck on a move and don't think I can make it, is JUST TRY IT.
Yoda says "Do or do not. There is no try," but trying is the very least you can do. Trying allows you to fail. And when you fail, you at least learn what doesn't work, then you try again. And try again. And when you finally get it, you realize it wasn't so bad.
What I like about climbing is it's not only a full-body workout, there's also a lot of mental strategy involved. It often rewards the bold too, which is not something that comes naturally to me. Some of the best advice, when I get stuck on a move and don't think I can make it, is JUST TRY IT.
Yoda says "Do or do not. There is no try," but trying is the very least you can do. Trying allows you to fail. And when you fail, you at least learn what doesn't work, then you try again. And try again. And when you finally get it, you realize it wasn't so bad.
I'm not particularly adept at climbing, in fact I'm probably pretty horrible at it. But it's fun, and seeing my confidence and ability improve over the course of a month is pretty rewarding.
So here's to trying new things. You don't have to be good. You just have to try.
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Last saturday we did our first outdoor climb. Here's a picture of my ass getting past the crux.
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