If you have made your way to this blog, then you are clearly interested in training and trying to get stronger at climbing.  However, what are you actually training for?  Do you have a specific goal or are you simply trying to improve across the board?

No matter what the answer is to these questions, if you commit to making the time commitment to training and put in the hard work, you will hopefully be rewarded by being able to take your climbing to the next level.  First, however, you will inevitably be confronted with some level of doubt as to whether or not your training will have actually worked.

Ultimately, this is the risk you take when committing to training and sacrificing time simply out enjoying climbing.  While we here at TrainingBeta obviously think it is worth it, this risk and the mental battles with doubt that can come with it is not something we as climbers talk much about.

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and Committing to the Process:

To highlight both the commitment that goes into serious training and the mental struggles that can come along with it, here is a blog post from British professional climber Mina Leslie-Wujastyk.  In it, she talks about how much she has been training over the last four months and both her hopes and doubts about how this training will transfer to her goals at the sport climbing area Malham Cove.

“Having said that, I am also nervous. I’ve put in some serious effort to get stronger. Endless fingerboard sessions, weightlifting (with awesome help from the guys at CPC), weighted pull ups, campusing, core workouts, board climbing and endurance based climbing is just some of it. I feel like I have done everything I can with the time available. But….what if it hasn’t worked? Or what if, after hours of toil, I’ve only marginally improved? I know I’m physically stronger but by how much? And will it translate to rock? I suppose this is the risk one takes with big efforts and maybe I’ll never be good enough to climb the things I want to…… but you don’t know unless you try and, well, as a back up, complete failure is probably quite character building.” – Mina Leslie-Wujastyk

The main reason we are re-posting this article is because we feel it really highlights the overall process of what goes into setting goals, working hard towards them, and committing to the process as a whole.  As Mina describes, she’s optimistic her training will work, but she’s not sure.  Additionally, she still feels like her goals are probably still above her and she is ready to measure success not based on sends, but on links and making moves feel more controlled.

Ultimately, Mina doesn’t give you a comprehensive outline of her training plan.  However, click through below if you are looking for a serious dose of motivation and some good perspective on playing the long game and working towards goals that require both physical gains and mental growth.

Full Article: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk: So Much Training…

(photo courtesy of minalesliewujastyk.com)

Other Articles You Might Like:

• Jonathan Siegrist – Start with the Mind
• Bill Ramsey: The Day I Sent Golden (5.14b)
• Mark Anderson on Sending Shadowboxing
• Tips for a Stronger Mental Game