As we all know cross training is good for us. I love hiking, especially in the mountains of central PA, (rocks and all:). With a big trip on the schedule for next summer, I've really tried to step up my training as we head into the winter months. Nine weeks of weight lifting and cardio at the local YMCA are already in the bag for me.
Yesterday, the kids had a random day off from school, and I was looking for something to do to get my workout in, and get the kids to do something other than stare at screens. As I scrolled through the schedule at the YMCA, I saw a listing for Open Climb.
Well, I figured I could drop them off to climb and go do my workout. It all went as planned, I even got my poor, tired husband to come with us.
As I dropped them off in the climbing gym I noticed that there were a number of women wearing the red and blue shirts emblazoned with "climbing instructor". They were all fit, confident and friendly. They wore their climbing harnesses with extra rope, carabiners and a sassy bag of chalk, and clearly were comfortable hanging around.
In the way that thoughts slowly percolate, and physical activity brings enlightenment, it occurred to me, why shouldn't I try climbing too? I mean, at my age, with two kids (one a teenager), I have a choice. I can either be the mom that sits on the bleachers holding the coats and water bottles, or I can be the mom out there, climbing the wall, trying new things, conquering fear. And with that, pumped from the workout, I made my decision about which mom I most want to be.
When I returned to the climbing gym, the rest of my family was at various stages of scrambling up the pitches available.
I stood at the back, not sure who to ask for help, or what to say, until my husband came back down, flushed with excitement and smiling. With courage I'd never had before, I told him I wanted to try it too. An instructor happened by and within minutes I was strapped into a harness that didn't seem nearly complete and led over to the beginners area. He walked me through the basics and stepped back to allow my first attempt at a wall.
Now keep in mind, I can't do a pull up, and I've never been know for my balance. Yet, up I went. The instructor calling advice from the floor below. Miraculously, I made it all the way to the top. About halfway up I briefly thought about my fear of heights and my greater fear of falling, but I pushed through those fears, even to the controlled fall back down as I was belayed (?) down.
After a brief break, I tried another route, this time a corner. It was more challenging, but I conquered that one as well. The instructor complimented me on using a more advanced technique. I don't remember what she called it, but basically I pushed off one spot to get to the next spot.
So now I'm hooked. I want to try more routes and learn more skills. Maybe even take a class, we’ll see. And who knows, maybe I'll eventually add mountaineering to my repertoire.
In any case, I will definitely be back
No comments:
Post a Comment