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clee03m
Nov 8, 2007, 7:16 AM
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I used to be really obsessed with climbing, and lately that is fading. My husband joked around that climbing is my religion, and I am just a less devout member. The frustrating thing is that I have a new job that pays better and have better hours. I moved to a part of the country with good climbing near by. My husband finally started to like climbing which means I no longer fight about climbing taking up all my free time. I feel like there is no reason. I still think climbing is my favorite activity, but I don't think about it all the time, and sometimes, I'll even pass on a weekend trip. I can't make myself train at all at the gym, and lately, I've just been randomly top roping or bouldering. I feel frustrated that I am getting less strong but not enough to start training, again. Is this common? Would it pass? I remember reading a similar post, but it seemed that she had specific reasons like a death of a climbing partner. I've climbed for 5 years, and this is the first time I feel this way.
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bizarrodrinker
Nov 8, 2007, 12:16 PM
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Seems to me that you need to get another activity to fill the void.
I was the same way a year or two ago, then I realized by spending all my time climbing I almost never got out snowboarding anymore which sucked cause that was my "true love" before I found climbing. So last year I barely climbed at all in the winter and went snowboarding almost every weekend. This season I have a renewed interest in climbing.
Letting life revolve around one thing is not good. Cause what if one day you can't do that thing anymore (either by choice or not).
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granite_grrl
Nov 8, 2007, 12:57 PM
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How long have you been feeling like this? Its not hard to get burned out after a while and you need to take a break. I've gotten burned out from this summer going away every weekend to go climbing and it was nice when I took a few weeks off last month.
I'm shifting gears right now. I'm spending more time at home chilling, but instead of focusing on redpointing I'll start a bit of training getting stuck outside. I'm also starting to get excited about drytooling but won't get outside to our training grounds more than once a week.
So my recomendation...first, take some time off. A good couple of weeks at least and let your mind and your body relax. Second, look at making your climbing more diverse. My focus shifts from trad, to sport, to ice and now drytooling as well with my shifts with climbing locations and travelling.
Hope you sort things out.
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jgloporto
Nov 8, 2007, 1:58 PM
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granite_grrl wrote: My focus shifts from trad, to sport, to ice and now drytooling as well with my shifts with climbing locations and travelling.
Chossy is a lucky man...
I agree with both bizarro and gg. Experimenting with different types of climbing and mixing it up with other activities is probably the cure.
Trad, ice, mixed routes, (real) alpine... It's such a huge world. Being grade focused can only burn you out. There's no better cure for plateau'ing than exploration.
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lena_chita
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Nov 8, 2007, 4:06 PM
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Hey, Chris, you've had a crazy-busy summer. With the exams, and the moving, and starting a new job, you STILL were going climbing in between all that.
Maybe the waining interest is the sign that you need to listen and take a little break to "re-group", KWIM?
So what if you are just randomly top-roping and bouldering now, and staying home some weekends to chill instead of climbing? Maybe you need that chill-out period! You are climbing b/c it is fun. If training used to be fun and now it isn't, why do it? Without motivation, you probably won't stick with it anyway, and then you will be beating yourself up for not sticking with it, and feeling more guilty and down. Why not consiously deside that you are taking a break and enjoy it?
I've heard from many people about this sort of temporary lag in motivation, so I don't think it is anything unusual.
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tigerlilly
Nov 8, 2007, 5:31 PM
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After 27 years as a serious cyclist, I started feeling the same way, even though I've done different kinds of riding, road riding, mountainbiking, and finally BMX racing. I just wasn't feeling the urge to hop on a bike and ride, especially on the road, which I have been doing the longest. One of the biggest things for me was not having any more goals on a bike. I've ridden the places I've wanted to ride, I'm probably not going to get more aggresive and try crazier stunts on the mtbike and BMX'er, and at my age, I'm sure not getting any faster. So, I have found other sports, including climbing. I still ride my mountain bike some, but find myself opting to climb over biking on weekends when I have invites to do both. It's new, and I'm learning and growing as a climber. That feels good and is rewarding, so it keeps me going.
Kathy
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petsfed
Nov 8, 2007, 5:53 PM
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Climbing's not a job. You don't have to do it every day. If it stops being fun, by all means stop. I go through cycles, and by the time I get back on the rock, I'm so stoked that I'm climbing stronger than ever. Somedays, I just don't want to go outside, so I don't. If you force yourself to do something, even if you don't want to, it'll stop being a past-time, and start feeling like a job. And if I'm not getting a paycheck (or paying for the opportunity), not having fun just isn't worth it.
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clausti
Nov 8, 2007, 6:09 PM
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i went through a period where i didnt feel like going climbing, and then i felt like a bad climber for not being obsessed with it, and then i hid from the gym cause not only did i not want to go, but i wanted to hide from all the real climbers who were obsessed with it.
then i realized i'm not a boy, and while i have great capacity for obsessive behavior, the climbing thing can come and go, and that doesnt mean you're not a "real" climber, and it doesnt mean that you're a "bad" climber. just remember that and seriously, forgive yourself for not being obsessed enough.
and if training isnt fun, stinking dont train. my strongest period to date was when i was in the gym zero days a week and on the rock on the weekends. if you only want to climb two days a week, only climb two days a week. if you dont want to climb for three weeks, dont climb for three weeks, or 6 months. then when you start to crave again, go back.
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smallclimber
Nov 8, 2007, 10:21 PM
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Unless you are a guide and make you living by climbing, you are supposedly doing it for fun. If its not fun anymore dont' do it. Do something else for fun. Another sport. Shopping. Decorating the house with husband. Travel. Golf. Hiking. As soon as something becomes a chore its not fun anymore. After a break you'll either want to come back, or you'll have another obsession you want to spend all your spare time doing.
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acacongua
Nov 8, 2007, 10:56 PM
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People always tell me to quit when I lose that lovin' feeling for climbing. I carry on just doing stuff well below my potential and eventually, the love bug hits me again and I can climb with more aplomb. It just hit me last week. Yay!
Maybe you should approach climbing from with a different perspective. Let's say you're into projecting. Maybe you could just go for onsites instead. I guess you just got to find what it is about climbing that detracts you.
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brutusofwyde
Nov 9, 2007, 11:52 PM
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I have quit climbing every time I have complete a wall.
after every unplanned bivy.
after every "once in a lifetime" goal.
Brutus
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lhwang
Nov 10, 2007, 1:52 AM
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Clee03m, that was me who wrote that post a few years ago. http://www.rockclimbing.com/...20i%20think;#1180470 I got some good responses at the time.
I think what you're referring to is common. And yes, the feeling does pass. I'm obviously still in love with rock climbing... what it took was a few weekends of just hanging out with friends and only going climbing if I really felt like it. I also don't push myself to climb every spare moment anymore. I've learned to use the shoulder season (too early/late for ice but too early/late for rock) to just relax and get stuff done.
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boadman
Nov 13, 2007, 8:05 PM
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Well, now that you've moved to the PNW, you will find it relatively easy to take time off during the winter. Unless you want to make the weekend odessy to Smith, there isn't really much to climb outside this time of year. I generally take the month of december off, to let my body heal and to make sure that I don't get burnt out on the gym too early in the spring season.
When next spring comes around, and the days get longer, see you you feel.
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clee03m
Nov 16, 2007, 5:55 PM
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Wow, that is so weird. I feel like I woke up and my head just cleared from a fog. I'm so happy, y'all. I think I am out of my 2 month slump. Too bad that my slump didn't happen starting this month. I looked every where I can go, they are going to rain. Thanks for all your advise.
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jules
Nov 16, 2007, 6:02 PM
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It happens. I went through a good year of total motivation loss. After a year of being injured (fucked up knee, shoulder surgery, gnarly finger dislocations...) and unable to climb, though, it's sure come back...
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