Get PSYCHED!

Wow! The summer is really getting intense. Sooooooooo many crazy sends are happening right in front of me. You could basically re-play the last 3 years at little si in fast forward and that is, in a nut shell, what Jimmy has been up to, with a few extra ascents thrown in, like californication, gerbil killer, and chronic no less!!
While it is truly amazing to watch someone meet and soar past their potential it can also be a bit frustrating when you are not following suit. However, instead of getting caught up in playing the ‘catch up’ game, or turning green with envy or red(??) with jealousy I’ve actually been extremely inspired by all of the accomplishments Jimmy has been achieving lately (and in very little time as well). With each new hard send comes the realization that he deserves to send these routes. Jimmy has truly put in the time and effort to reach this level of climbing and all of his hard work is paying off. I think I would be more upset if he just rolled out of bed one day without ever really training and effortlessly glided up each route without giving each it it’s just due. Jimmy has really left a mark as far as the Olympia climbing community goes and it certainly isn’t for a lack of effort on his part. I just want to go through a quick rundown of the sends he has accomplished in the last month:
Hydrophobia, bust the rhythm, viagrophobia, californicator, gerbil killer, californication, chronic, and a .12a flash and onsight and .12c flash from a Tieton trip earlier this month.
Whew, that is a mouthful. Just reading over this tick list makes me wish it was mine, but then again, I haven’t really put in the time and energy to obtain the kind of fitness and mental drive to obtain a tick list like this. It goes back to the point I was making before; I was trying to elucidate the fact that there is an extreme difference between what we want in life and what we work for and truly deserve. I have learned so much in such a short time just by climbing with Jimmy and Lisa for the past two months that it really makes me think about climbing; and not just climbing, but what it is I want FROM climbing. What am I looking for? What do I hope to gain? To learn? To discover?
This most recent trip to Little si was a great one. In spite of the less than perfect temps I had a breakthrough on my most current project Californicator. I finally got to the move that I have been consistently falling on every time, except this time I looked up at the hold before engaging in the entering movement and visualized myself doing the move. I launched upward having no expectations whatsoever and snagged it for the first time on lead, giving myself a rather good burst of (What the fuck!!??) before keeping it together and getting to a semi-good rest. I only had one more small crux to overcome and it would be done, but it was just not the right time and I fell off berating myself afterward for not giving it everything I had. Sometimes I give up before the battle is over; perfectly satisfied to lay down and let the oncoming band of crimps and foot sequences trample over me and my waning efforts. Still, I pulled back on and sent the rest of the route. I feel very confident and yet nervous all in one about sending. But I have to keep reminding myself that this route, or my effort on this route, is just like the small pebbles that fall at the beginning of an avalanche. I really hope this send will lead to stronger and stronger efforts and sends in the very near future. I have already learned so much from the time I have spent projecting this route and the best part is that it is half of the route I really would love to get dialed, chronic. Californicator has taught me so much about relaxing on bad rests, foot work, grabbing and pulling on holds with minimal effort, and moving quickly and efficiently. This route has taught me so much about climbing and about myself and the best part is that even when I send it, there are still so many more challenges awaiting me, and opportunities to grow into the climber that I want to be. I have some pretty high expectations for this summer, or what is left of it, but being surrounded by people who try their hardest everyday at something they love to do keeps me balanced and ready to tackle things that may be completely over my head right now. Witnessing how hard work has paid off for one of my friends keeps these goals in close proximity and not only encourages and inspires me, but also excites me and breathes new life into my psych on climbing and life in general. Don’t settle for what you think you deserve, stand up and reach for what you want!!