"How can you train for a passion?We just live those, right?"
The season is still early in my book. Perhaps in yours- you lucky thing- the season never ends. But here in the Pacific Northwest, the landscape of my story, it precipitates frequently. This year in particular we've had an incredibly late ski season and our rock is still- surprise, surprise- very drippy and very wet.
While I'd love to be the kind of gal who can jet off to a drier part of the country or world for climbing weekends here and there, I'm not. My inner rock goddess usually hibernates from November through January during "The Drip" until at some arbitrary moment in February when I just cannot take it any longer. That's the point when I head into the rock gym to keep from going fully out of my mind while I wait for our mossy world to dry out. Such was the state I found myself in about four weeks ago, largely fueled by a special project of pre-season training.
Employing tools of training is not my norm when it comes to climbing. Marathons, mountaineering, cycling events: yes. But climbing rock...well...I simply love to climb. Its my passion. How can you train for a passion? We just live those, right? But in counter-argument with myself, I've never actually had this kind of project to dedicate myself to. I typically just climb because I love the feel of the rock, the breeze, my body, the goal simply being the climb at-hand. But one night earlier this winter, my radiant roommate, Sara, a climber, and I created a project over the worn, creaky, idea-fueling kitchen table unlike any I've been a part of before: Solo in Tandem.
"Solo in huhwhat," you ask? Solo in Tandem. We're calling bull on the idea that only extreme athleticism is inspiring. (You can get more of the backstory and join in on the project on our site.) While our goals are moderate by many standards, they nonetheless challenge us in big ways. To prepare myself, I designed a training program to get into the best shape I could; already it is pushing me in ways I wouldn't have imagined.
- Teresa Bruffey
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Follow the girls of Solo In Tandem:
Twitter: @solointandem
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solointandem
Categories:
Climb
I think I'm going to need to read this. After living in MI for the past 1.5 years going to grad school, I just realized I only have 5 months left before I move back to CO. And I need to get into climbing shape. Actually, I need to get into any type of shape, but climbing shape would be ideal...
Hey Suz, good luck with the rest of grad school and with getting ready for CO. Will be sending you good thoughts for strength to stick to it and will be motivated knowing I have a friend as far away as MI working towards similar goals. Power in numbers, right?
Good luck from Utah, as well, Suz! Teresa- absolutely there is power in numbers!
I haven't connected to the links yet, but I love the introductory part - great writing skills! Now to work.