Grace

Welp, SCS Nationals are a wrap (and have been for slightly over a week now).  It took me some time to write this post partly because of my disappointment surrounding the competition and partly due to the fact that there were 100 other things needing to be prioritized.

Some of you already know, from being personal witnesses, that I train a lot.  I get very tunnel visioned when it comes to me attempting to accomplish a goal that I set for myself.  I will choose  to train on plastic rather than rock to prepare me for competition.  I wake up at 5:30am so I can get to the gym by 6:30 and begin my work out (thanks to all those lovely people who are psyched to do that with me).  I do conditioning with Dave Wahl right before I need to coach.  I’m running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off going from training, school, conditioning, coaching, eat and sleep.  It’s quite the schedule, but I choose it and therefore a part of me enjoys it even when my motivation is rather low.

Caroline Treadway photo

That is a glimpse of the schedule I’ve been living for the last couple of years and here’s how it went down:  First, it began by uprooting my previous climbing style, which was VERY static and slow and simply not congruent with today’s setting standards for competition, to creating someone who is more dynamic and faster paced.  My current climbing style is attributed to the help of Kynan Waggoner.  Seriously, without his help I’d probably still not know how to jump.  After this long process, I decided I wanted to get back into competing and I started with the 2010 SCS National Championships.  That comp was quickly followed up by the 2011 ABS National Championships, 2011 SCS National Championships, 2011 IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Vail, 2011 IFSC Lead World Cup in Boulder, 2012 ABS National Championship and most recently by the 2012 SCS National Championships.   I’ve had perhaps a week of complete rest between each of these events.  And to get to the point, I’m feeling rather burned out on plastic.

The SCS National Championships ended as a disappointment due to scoring shenanigans, but I’d like to gracefully see past it and look at the bright side: I qualified for the US Team and have the World Championships in Paris and the World Cup in Atlanta to look forward to.  The lesson that I learned, again, is that no matter how hard you work for something, it does not guarantee that you will reach your goal.  Some days just don’t work out the way you hope, so the only thing you can do it get back up and try again.  That’s the thing about competition, you can be dealt any sorta hand-and it’s how you deal with it that makes you a champion.  Congratulations to Sasha Digiulian, Delaney Miller and Michaela Keirsch for their great performances.

Caroline Treadway photo

For the highlight real, check out this link: http://vimeo.com/40050096

So what’s next?  Well, as I said before, I’m feeling quite burnt out on training indoors.  I am competing in the 2012 IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Vail during the Summer Teva Games at the beginning of June, but I think I’m going to go into that competition a little more relaxed than I have in the past with other competitions.  The fact of the matter is that I need to climb outside and take a break from breaking my body down on plastic.  I really want to take advantage of my fitness and strength and apply it outside, where it really matters.  I’d love to send more 5.13′s and 5.14′s and there’s an infinite amount of rock that I haven’t even touched in the Colorado area.  I was recently able to get out to Clear Creek, near Golden, Colorado, and send Sonic Youth (5.13a) on my second go, Sweet Inspirations (5.13c) on my 4th go (by the way, I just love that name…Sweet Inspirations) and Public Enemy (5.13c or d?).

Rob Frost photo

I look forward to continuing to climb outside and see what I can do

Cheers!

97 Inspirational Things in Life

Inspiration is important in life.  It motivates us to live, be happy, try new things, explore, laugh, cry, skip, bake cookies, and train days on end in a climbing gym when the weather is perfect outside.  Inspiration is crucial to happiness.  I’ve been focusing on things that inspire me lately.  I think it’s important to always remember what you find inspiring, because if you don’t, perhaps you will get lost in the hustle and bustle of life.

I’m sure I could go on forever writing a list of things that inspire me, but I’ll limit myself for your reading convienence & to ensure I keep a few things only for myself

1. Walking barefoot on the beach and through green grass
2. Swimming in the ocean & realizing how small all of us are
3. Watching people laugh from the heart
4. Smiling so much that my cheeks hurt
5. Laughing so hard that I can’t stop crying
6.  Art & crafts
7. Reading inspirational quotes that speak wonders
8. Puma Dog
9. Watching athletes give 110% effort
10. Listening to children laugh
11. Watching children play simple games (and enjoy them completely) that adults would find boring and mundane
12. The smell of coffee
13. Drinking coffee while it’s snowing outside
14. Listening to the memories of my grandparents
15. Replaying my memories of childhood
16. Sunny days & blue bird skies
17. Uniqueness
18. Long hikes in the mountains
19. Women who can walk in 6 inch heels
20. Collages
21. People who aren’t afraid to follow their dreams
22. Gratitude
23. How people always come together in times of crisis
24. Traveling memories
25. Waking up before the sun peaks over the horizon and watching the beauty that unfolds
26. Acro yoga
27. Laying in fields of wild flowers
28. Listening to birds and thunder
29. Sleeping with the window open when it’s really cold outside
30. Watching interesting movies and documentaries
31. Meeting new people
32. Being surprised
33. Star gazing
34. Hot tubs
35. Those moments where I feel like I’m actually living in the moment
36. Guitars
37. People who speak many different languages
38. The silence of snow falling
39. The sound of rain and how it’s the first sign that spring is coming
40. Creativity
41. Successful marriages and happy couples
42. Teachers who are very intelligent and engaging 
43. Wild horses
44. Butterflies because they go where the wind takes them
45. When you find the exact word to describe something
46. People watching
47. Trying to cook something new and having it come out just right
48. How photography is an unspoken reflection of what you see in this world
49. Music
50. Warm, cozy fires
51. Those who are not afraid to fail
52. Finding pictures in clouds and various random prints
53. Stumbling across rocks that are heart shaped
54. The smell of the mountains
55. Long road trips
56. Adventurous books
57. Cirque du Soleil
58. Hand made jewelry
59. Browsing Etsy
60. All of my friends, each in their unique way
61. Sweating
62. People who seem to balance life so perfectly
63. Confiding in friends
64. Finding those random days where I can sleep in and relax
65. Breakfast for dinner
66. Randomness
67. Spontaneity
68. Making A’s
69. Finding random quotes that engage my mind
70. Getting letters/notes from friends and family
71. Massages
72. My parents
73. People who are odd in the most wondrous of ways
74. Getting a second wind
75. 5 minute power naps
76. Taking chances
77. How sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart
78. Post cards
79. Vintage items
80. Those who live by intention instead of habit
81. Those who are not afraid to dance in the rain, sing aloud, or walk around naked
82. Free spirits
83. Showers after a long, hard climbing days
84. Realizing that to grow, we must explore everything outside of our comfort zone
85. Feeling the breeze flow through my hair
86. Running skirts
87. Dark Chocolate with ginger
88. Traveling into the unknown
89. Making a to-do list, and checking things off
90. Snuggling 
91. Dedicated athletes
92. Being on a summit & counting the different layers of mountains
93. Making a difference in someone’s life
94. Having the skin on my hands hurt after climbing
95. Sore muscles
96. Wonderful scents
97. Falling in love

Freak Finger

Here’s the ABS Nationals wrap up:

I finished in 13th place.  It’s not something that I’m completely proud of considering my goal was to make it to finals (top 6).  However, I’ve come to realize (yet again) that some times competition days just aren’t your best days.  And I’m OK with that…it just motivates me to work even harder for the next competition.

Photo by Caroline Treadway

During the competition, I was battling a finger injury that I talked about briefly in my last blog post.  I think I spoke too soon to say that it was completely healed and ready for the comp.  Here’s my finger in a nut shell:  it undergoes spontaneous combustion, more or less.  I can pull on ANYTHING I want & it doesn’t hurt my tendon.  The only time it hurts when I’m climbing is if the pressure is directly on my main joint in my right ring finger.  And that is what sparks swelling and bruising 50% of the time.  And this is exactly what happened to me while warming up for semi-finals at ABS Nationals.  So as  you can imagine, my mind was pre-occupied while competing…wondering if my finger was completely going to blow up and I’d be screwed for a long time.  But luckily it didn’t as I was climbing cautiously for me.  So, the other 50% of the time when my finger swells and bruises is spontaneous.  It can happen while sitting in class, driving, etc.  It doesn’t have to be sparked by climbing or ANYTHING at all.  The bruising always surrounds my joint…And I feel like there’s no rhyme or reason to the pain.  For example, last week I did quite a bit of volume work on a rope.  It hurt and it swelled and it bruised.  Then for next two mornings, it was swollen to the max.  Then Monday, it was better.  I climbed, even more volume than the previous week, and it didn’t hurt.  Tuesday, I repeated and still no pain, swelling or bruising.  Today is a rest day.  I’m hoping it doesn’t randomly freak out on me, but I’m fully prepared for it to swell and bruise ‘just because’ I have a freak finger at the moment.  Regardless, I’m continuing training until something tells me to stop completely.  I’m playing it safe at the moment, but I’m also not really holding back on my training….

SCS Nationals are only 4 weeks away.  April 6-7 at Movement Climbing + Fitness in Boulder, Colorado.  You can volunteer or buy tickets to spectate at http://scsnationals.org/

I think it’s officially spring time in Boulder.  The weather has been amazing & it’s definitely making me happy inside.  I’ve been staying at a house in Nederland here and there trying to escape the hustle of Boulder and ground myself.  The above picture is a photo of the view.  It’s so peaceful and I find it inspiring.  It’s getting me psyched on future adventures, life and doing things that empower me!  I’ve even decided that I may begin to re-learn my french….

Aventures Heureuses

A little bit of everything

I have found a little bit of time to sit, think, reflect and write.  I find this time is sparse and hard to come by these days.  While this is true, I’m not complaining at the business of my life.  I find it to be continuously more fulfilling, enjoyable, and challenging.  On a day by day basis, I may find myself frustrated at the challenges I am presented with, but I know that these challenges and how I cope with them will and do make me a better/more knowledgeable person.

One of my challenges is school.  I graduated college from The University of Colorado Boulder in December 2010, but I’m back again.  Why, you ask?  I applied to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy at Regis University.  I didn’t get in.  I believe I expected to get in because my GPA was good and my GRE results were above average.  There’s a couple reasons why I think I didn’t get in…but lets not dwell on my mistakes.  Instead, I find it better to focus on the things that I’m doing to improve my chances of getting in next time.  And that is why I am back in school.  I just so happen to be taking one of my least favorite classes…physics.  This is my biggest challenge with school…it’s not having to wake up and go to class, nor is it doing homework and studying…it’s physics and this semester is fully focused on physics because I’m also taking biomechanics.  My brain + physics = tough times.  But I’m getting through it and I will make an A in both classes.

The ABS National Championships are this weekend in Colorado Springs.  I have been training for a couple of months and I feel strong and ready to go.  A couple of weeks ago though I had a mental breakdown while trying to climb.  Really, I wasn’t put together mentally and this resulted in tears when I wasn’t climbing to my expectations.  So I realized I needed to take a step back and come back down to earth.  I’ve been physically training for this event for a long time, but I was neglecting the mental training aspect.  Needless to say, after some focusing & perhaps a slap in the face I feel back on track.   I know this because usually at this time, I feel nervous and perhaps an little anxious about an upcoming competition that means a lot to me.  But I don’t feel anxious at all…not this time.  I’m ready both physically and mentally.  And for an added bonus- my dad is coming to watch!

A week ago, I was climbing with Angie at The Spot.  It was a great day of climbing, but an hour and a half after I left the gym I noticed that my ring finger hurt.  I looked down and noticed it was starting to swell and turn blue.  I started panicking.  I iced it and took ibuprofen immediately with the hopes that it would just disappear and be back to normal in the morning.  No such luck though…it was still there in the morning and the coloring was worse.  My finger was a sausage (probably as fat as Jimmie Redo’s fingers if any of you have noticed what those sausages look like).  I reluctantly had to take a few days off from climbing to try to let it heal.  This was mentally taxing on me because I kept thinking “what if my finger is completely jacked,” “I have all these goals that I’m trying to accomplish and how do I do work towards them with a gimp finger,” etc., etc.  Just in the nic-of-time though, LifeSport Chiropractic invited me to be one of their athletes for 2012.  I made an appointment immediately to get my finger looked at with Dr. Lisa Erikson.  She worked her magic and in just over a week I’m back climbing with NO tape & it feels great!

The week before competitions, like I said, is usually somewhat stressful.  But not this time.  I will be and have been keeping myself busy climbing outdoors, eating yummy dinner with friends and watching the Bachelor (yes, I admit it I’m waiting for it to come on at this very moment…but it’s not my fault that I’m addicted now)……

Happy Monday-

How do you REALLY feel??

I find it interesting that everyday people ask me “How are you?” and I always reply with a very superficial “good,” which may or may not be the whole truth.  Perhaps I do this because I don’t usually have time to tell people how I really feel.  And at that matter, I typically don’t want to share with the world how I’m really feeling.  If I can sum it up correctly, I usually am good.  But at any given moment, there’s a shit-load of emotions and thoughts entering my mind that in a way, I could just being putting on a front to the public.  I mean, really, when someone who is walking past you asks “how are you doing,” we all know that they don’t REALLY care how you’re doing.  It’s just a form of politeness typically.  And if they don’t REALLY care, then why take a the time to give them the REAL answer.  I do this too…it’s polite to ask how someone is doing.  And everyone that I ask this to (outside of my close circle of friends) always reply in the same manner, “I’m good, thanks!”  There’s nothing really wrong with this.

As I’ve already eluded to, there’s more going on in my life than I typically share with others.  And today, I’m ready to share…it’s snowy outside and the atmosphere seems perfect

I created a training plan that I’ve been sticking to for a while with the hopes of performing well at specific competitions this year.  This past week or two have been particularly difficult for me though.  During my strength training, my coach, Dave Wahl, has had me doing weighted pullups and negatives with weight that is about 70-75% of my body weight.  This has made my lats (latissimus dorsi to be more specific since I graduated with a physiology degree) extremely sore and it often makes me feel weaker at any activity we perform after these pullups and/or negatives.  For instance, I was able to do 3-5.5-7.5 on the campus board relatively easily before we began doing pullups and negatives with such heavy weight.  But now I’m off…I am having trouble sticking this with the appropriate speed and finish and this really gets to me.  Sometimes I feel like I want to cry during my conditioning.  Other times, or even right after I want to cry, something positive happens, like I stick something proud, and I can not hide my smile that wants to emerge from my face.  If I could draw a graph of my emotions during my training lately, it would look something like this:

Only a couple hours after my training with Dave, I’ve been heading to CATS to climb on small holds within a gymnastics training facility.  I find CATS to be very beneficial to me because there are an infinite amount of problems there to satisfy my craving for new boulders that challenge my weaknesses.  Last night, I climbed with Angie Payne, a very inspirational female climber who drives me to dig deep and try harder even when I think I don’t have anymore to give.  It’s good to climb with climbers who are stronger than yourself because if you pay close enough attention, you will learn something.  I learned some things last night.

CATS

At CATS though, I often fall off moves that I feel should be easy for me.  I may have a couple words of choice and get pissed off for a moment.  But when I make links within a problem or even finish a ‘day project’ all of my frustration and soreness is washed away for a few moments.  Training, for me, has been a whirlwind of emotions the last week or two.  Twice per week, I leave CATS feeling even more wrecked than when I arrived and I always wonder if I will be able to climb the next day.

Take this morning for example: I sat in bed feeling stiff and sore.  I thought that maybe I wouldn’t climb today because I’m so physically worked and feel even somewhat emotionally and mentally drained.  But then I realized that I’ve created a training plan & I believe I should stick to it within reason.  I want to get stronger physically, emotionally and mentally and I believe it is times like today (where I’d rather stay inside, snuggle with a warm blanket and my puppy dog and drink chai) that if I rally, I will gain more in all three of the above aspects than if I just rally on days when I’m motivated and feeling  like a champ.  The fact of the matter is that I’m worked.  I train 5 days per week, I’m taking classes this semester (biomechanics & physics, of which both have labs), managing a youth climbing team made of 60 young athletes, trying to make this whole climbing thing work for me as far as traveling for competitions, etc, and I’m doing miscellaneous work for USA Climbing.  In addition, I’m trying to maintain somewhat of a social life.  I’m WORKED…in all aspects: physically, emotionally and mentally.  But I think this is how I tick in life-usually at the end of every day I’m content because I realize I choose what I do on a daily basis, and therefore I love what I’m doing.  I strive from it and while I feel like I’m breaking down, I’m actually getting stronger and stronger.

2012 Competition Goals

I want to share my 2012 competition goals with you.  My hope is that by sharing something that I think about seriously, I will further hold my self responsible to continue working for & striving to accomplish these goals even when life gets difficult or seemingly too busy to focus on the completely selfish act of getting stronger solely for pure enjoyment.

The first couple comps that I list are comps that I will most likely be attending.  I say most likely because sometimes life throws you a curve ball and I am, unfortunately, unable to predict the future.  The last couple that I list are comps that I hope and would love to do.  These are pending on finances, time, etc.  You know…those things that we have to factor into the equation that suck and are grown-up like.  So here we go:

• Compete in finals (top 6) @ ABS National Championships in Colorado Springs on February 24 & 25.
• Podium (top 3) @ SCS National Championships in Boulder sometime in the spring.
• Place top 10 @ IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Vail on June 1 & 2.
• Compete in semi finals (top 24) @ IFSC Lead World Championships in Paris on September 12-16.
• Compete in finals (top 8) @ IFSC Lead World Cup in Atlanta on September 29 & 30.

And now to the 2 comps that I would be ecstatic to attend:

• Compete in semi finals (top 24) @ IFSC Lead World Cup in Chamonix, France on July 12 & 13.
• Compete in semi finals (top 24) @ Rockmaster in Arco, Italy on September 1 & 2.

Dan Holz photo from the 2011 IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Vail

Wade David photo from the 2011 IFSC Lead World Cup in Boulder

Todd Pazol photo from the 2011 SCS National Championship. With the most reliable & fashionable rope on the market, Sterling Rope!

Jeremy Papasso photo from the 2011 ABS National Championship

These goals are only my competition goals.  I have outdoor goals as well, but I think I’ll save those for another post

Stay tuned….and good luck to all of you who are working hard to accomplish your 2012 goals!

A New Year

Happy New Year!

The month of December was very busy- full of coaching, climbing, traveling, baking and parties.  Today has been my first day to stop and reflect on the moments that stood out in 2011 and to think about what I’m looking forward to in 2012.

Instead of boring you with my thoughts from 2011, I’ll just talk about what I’m looking forward to in 2012. These are not listed in any special order.

1. Traveling.  I recently found out that I did not get into grad school, which keeps my schedule open for at least another year and a half.  While I am taking steps to improve my application for next year, I am looking forward to traveling in 2012.  I am hoping to go to Singapore, France and Spain as well as travel around the US here and there for some climbing trips. 
2. Cooking.  I’ve decided that I am going to try to try new recipes more often this year.  I used to love cooking when I lived with my parents (6 years ago now?), but when I started college I quickly lost touch.  My college at the time was a small private school in Decatur, GA and I had to live on campus and there was no kitchen.  It sucked.   You can see how I quickly lost touch of cooking.
3. Running.  Before I moved to Colorado in 2008, I was into triathlons.  I swam, rode and ran A LOT.  I used to wake up at 5am every morning to run and beat the southern summer humidity (say that five times as fast as you can).  I truly loved it- running through the thick forests, listening to the birds and the cicada and watching the sun beat heavier and heavier through the foliage.  The humidity would always get the best of me as I always ended up soaked with sweat.  A shower and breakfast afterwards would always make my day.  But shortly after I moved to Colorado, I stopped doing this.  Not initially though- I would wake up and explore the trails below the flatirons and the surrounding foothills.  The elevation got to me at first, but mostly I hated the fact that I could not sweat despite how hard I pushed myself.  The air was too dry and I didn’t feel complete concluding my running adventures sweat-less.  It’s just not what I was used to.  I realized that I loved the humidity at that point because I felt like it ‘cleansed’ me.  But then I moved to Vail for a couple months in the winter and stopped running due to the cold and the snow (treadmills don’t really do the trick for me…I believe it’s safe to say that I hate them).  I haven’t fully gotten back on board with running since then.  I’ve dabbled in it here and there, but until recently it didn’t catch my heart like it did before.  But last week it caught my heart: I was in Pennsylvania visiting my mom for Christmas when I went for a run.  She lives on this ‘mountain’ (Pennsylvania standards, but more large hill-like for Colorado standards) surrounded by Amish farms, lots of trees, and valleys.  There’s a lot of trails and rolling hills to explore.  It’s quite beautiful and very relaxing.  Running there was very quiet and I was able to get back into touch why I love running.  It helps me organize my thoughts and it’s time that I can just spend with myself.  I don’t worry about anything when I’m running.  I can just go and go and turn around when I feel ready.  I don’t rely on a running partner and I can go as fast or as slow as I wish.  I’m fully in control and I like that. 
4. Climbing outside.  As sad as this next statement is, it’s very true.  I’m a gym climber.  In the past, I would climb mostly inside and take 2-3 months every summer to travel to Europe and climb outdoors.  I haven’t been able to do my 2-3 month excursions for the past couple of years though.  The fact that I haven’t been able to do this gets to me sometimes because I love to travel and I love to climb outdoors.  Therefore the time spent on rock the past couple of years has overall been less than it was in the past.  While most of my climbing nowadays is done on plastic, my heart is still out there on the rock.  This year, I will make it my mission to go outside more often, even if it is just mini-excursions.
5. Coaching.  Team Sik Bird has grown into a family of young athletes, their parents and all the coaches.  I’m very proud of how this team has grown in the past year and I am very excited to watch it continue to grow and form into a strong unit of athletes who all truly love the sport of climbing.
6. Being with friends.  I’ve never lived close to my family.  Currently, my closest family (my grandparents from my dads side) lives in Grand Junction, which I absolutely love, but I still don’t see them as much as I would like.  My mom lives in Pennsylvania and my dad lives in Alaska…I see my mom every couple of months, but I don’t see my dad very often at all.  My other grandparents from my moms side lives part time near Jackson Hole, WY and the other part somewhere in Oklahoma.  The rest of my family is spread throughout Washington, Utah, Nevada and my cousin just recently moved to Chicago.  I am an only child from my parents and I have no blood related siblings (although I just thought about this last night: I guess I have 3 (?) step-sisters and 2 step-brothers now).  Anyway I believe it’s really important to be with friends, meet new people, and develop those relationships.  This year, I plan to make more of an effort to spend time with those friends that I don’t get nearly enough time with because really they are my family too.
   

   Dana and I at the MCF Christmas Party

   

   Boom Boom

   

   Chad is psyched for the Broncos

   

   Andy Mann photo

   

7. Reading.  This year I want to read a lot more.  I am really into non-fiction, but can get into some fiction.  If you have book recommendations, please let me know.  I’m open to reading anything.

 

Here’s an Apache blessing and I really enjoy and I’d like to share:

May the sun bring you new energy everyday,
May the moon softly restore you by night,
May the rain wash away your worries,
May the breeze blow new strength into your being,
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life.

Have the best of years in 2012!