Injuries & Surgeries: The emotional component of injury...things no one ever tells you will happen (PART 2)

"People Who Need Help Sometimes Look A Lot Like People Who Don't Need Help."

~Glennon Melton

This blog post really could be addressed to anyone recovering from an injury, who has experienced death in their life, or divorce.  The emotional landscape has similar themes amongst these three pivotal rights of passage (& yes, they are that).  Let me get some things immediatley out of the way that are uncomfortable and disconcerting.  No one told me these things would happen.  They just did, and they were unexpected.  I don't want you to feel the same shock I did, so if you ever experience any of the above mentioned transitions, you can expect one or more of the following to happen to you:

1)  Your heart will break more than any body part ever will
2) People who you thought would help you in your most vulnerable state don't
3) People who you never thought would help you in your most vulnerable state do
4) Your social circle will dissipate
5) You will feel alone
6) You will be scared
7) You will question your capabilities
8) You will transform into a new person (whether you like it or not)
9) You will not look at situations, people and circumstance with the same set of eyes again
10) If you're in the medical profession, you will become better at your job


Remember these things. 

I've always been drawn to male dominated sports.  I was skateboarding with the boys as a kid.  Racing them on bikes.  Tried to join the high school surf club in 1992, and was not allowed to (yes, even in the 90's).  The teacher who was the head of the club looked at me and said, "Oh, I'm sure you have better things to do than surf.  Why don't you join the cheerleading squad?"  So, that's what I did.  I would still bike down to the beach on my lunch break, and watch the surfers with envy. 

Surfing on the Oregon Coast

Here is something that I've discovered for myself, amongst disbelief, heartache, and confusion.  The vast majority of men are what I term "emotionally crippled."  From surfing, to "CrossFit," climbing to martial arts, they haven't done their inner work.  Rarely, do you find one that's "sat with his demons" in therapy, or sought after his own vulnerability.  This is something female athletes need to realize.  If you become one of the "wolf pack," realize that when you become injured, you (most likely) will be surrounded by a group of emotionally stunted "friends," who won't know how to support you through pain.  Often, I've tended to fall into the "sister" role of my "bands of merry men."  Driving "NyQuil" over to their house, at the first sign of the "man flu," checking in on them, when you don't see them in the line up, on the mats, at the gym, or at the climbing crag, etc.  But, as a female amongst a predominately male crowd, the chances of reciprocity are slim.  This is because your vulnerability mirrors their lack of coming to terms with their own.  Your injury reflects the fact to them that, they too, aren't invincible.  This, is something that shakes them to their core.  Its something they squirm with, emotionally, and don't know how to handle.  The lack of support for you will be painful.

The men, that I've noticed that tend to be the exception to this, are men who have been either raised by women, have only sisters, or are in the medical profession.  They've lived amongst and/or tend to be a bit more in touch with vulnerability, and less scared of it.

When my collarbone broke I was already working with a sports psychologist, weekly.  I was focused on training for "Masters Worlds," in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu, and sought out Melinda Halpern from "GRIT Performance."  Melinda's expertise is performance enhancement, and working through any mental/emotional stumbling blocks that can prevent you from performing your best.

I was grateful to already have an established client/therapist relationship with her, when my injury occurred.  Overnight, our focus together changed from performing at my peak, to daily tasks.  In the blink of an eye I went from feeling confident, at the top of my game, ready to bring that game to a competition setting to "What just happened to me?"  Melinda continues to be my weekly foundation of "You can do this."  She also offers a lens and perspective on the insecurities athletic injuries mirror in those around them.  Its been eye-opening.

I had one girlfriend say to me, "Almine, your collarbone is overwhelming to me.  I'm sorry.  I'm going to need some space from you when you're like this."  I was stunned.  Truly.  I couldn't get out of bed by myself.  All I did was ask her to help me out of bed.  She walked out my front door instead.  All I could think was, "Well, thank God, this wasn't worse than a collarbone break.  She would've been running for the hills."

My job as a health care provider is to offer relief, a listening ear, and support for people in pain.   You will find that people you know and trust are comfortable with you as a pillar of strength in their life, but not when you're weak.  Its a rude awakening.  This will act as a "friend filter."  It will clarify, in a harsh, clear, abrupt manner, whose there for you, and who really isn't, when the chips are down.  Its a painful realization, but it distills those people down, who are necessary for our life growth, and those who aren't.

For those of you who haven't been to Bend, Oregon, its an outdoor enthusiasts dream.  It's been called "Little Boulder."  It has some similarities to Boulder, Colorado, but on a smaller scale (& offers more affordable cost of living).  People move here for the year 'round outdoor life.  Mountain biking, kayaking, white water rafting, trail-running, rock climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, etc.  Its all here in abundance.  What that also means is that activity is entrenched with friendship, and vice versa.  You see your friends, because of the sports you share.  When you're no longer able to do those sports, they virtually disappear from you life.  Its lonely and awkward.  They don't know if they should invite you to climb, run, etc., because they don't want to make you feel weird.  But, then you feel left out.  Almost like you did in 4th grade, when you didn't get invited to the birthday party.  Its a no win situation.  You social circle dissipates.  Its gets small.  And your happiness starts to shrink with it.

Climbing at "Smith Rock," Terrebonne, Oregon

This, too, is something I've been grateful to have Melinda to help me navigate, emotionally.  I didn't anticipate to what extent this affected me.  Most of the sports I do take at least you and another person to accomplish.  Climbing is the way, Jiu-Jitsu is this way, etc.  Now, my life consists of my head under the water in the pool, swimming, on a spin bike, or in a Pilates class.  None of these offer the social interaction that I'm used to, and that I value so much in the sports I do.  It is lonely, when you go from socially dependent sports to a "solo sport."  The "rules" change in your life about how to navigate friendship, when everyone else is playing outside.

The last thing I'll share some thoughts on is the pros/cons of social media.  I look at social media like water, like money.  Its neutral.  It can help or harm.  Empower or destroy.  Its in the intent of the user.  Its a beautiful marketing tool for the self-employed (like myself).  Its fast, free, efficient, and can reach large groups of people with the "click" of a button.  The "shadow" side of social media, to me, however, is that it has made humans "emotionally crippled," or "lazy."  We believe, sitting there, staring at someone's posts means that you truly know them.  This is inaccurate.  We all post what we want others to see.  Again, this is good for marketing.  There's nothing wrong with marketing.  Its how we eat and keep our lights on.  But, please make note:  staring at someone's posts doesn't mean you REALLY know them, know what level of pain they're experiencing, and is a lazy way of making yourself feel better that you've "checked in on them."  Know of someone, whose in your "inner circle" of your life whose in pain (for whatever reason)?  Pick up the phone.  Drop by their home.  Ask them what you can do for them (in whatever capacity you're able to help), bring them a meal.  Texting is barely adequate, and a small step up from nothing, but it IS better than nothing.  Don't let yourself fall into the trap of "emotional numbness."

Even saying, "I feel inadequate, and helpless, seeing you in so much pain" is powerful.  Its a friend offering their vulnerability back to you.  You don't have to know what to say or do.  I think someone holding your hand, saying that they don't know what to do for you is more powerful than the emotional "cop out" of saying/doing nothing at all.

All, in all, I would say this has been in the top 3 worst adult years for me.  Its been a powerful in-depth look at areas of my life that were "stuck," or "stagnant."  One day at a time, as I dig my way out of physical pain, isolation from friends and activities, back to re-discovering who I am, I build strength.  The phoenix rising from the ashes is a powerful symbol of what the emotional journey of death, injury, surgery or divorce is like.  You are not the same, with every inch you claw your way out.  You also gain exponential internal strength with every claw mark you make.

The phrase "BE MORE HUMAN" reminds us all that we are vulnerable...no matter how hard we pretend we're not, and that there's no cyber substitute for holding someone's hand, and bringing them a meal.

 

Foes to Friends: One Journey From Opponents To Allies

"If You Want To Go Fast, Go Alone.
If You Want To Go Far, Go Together."

~ African Proverb

When two women meet in a competition setting they have choices.  The choice presents itself to see one another as adversaries or teachers.  The ego likes the adversary.  The heart loves the teacher.  There is already so much pitting women against women.  Our society almost designs it that way, in many aspects.

I'm not oblivious to the animal kingdom.  There are alphas and there are betas.  One is not better than the other.  They both serve different roles in the grand order of things.  But, lets face it.  You are probably an alpha female if you're drawn to competing in combat sports.  Its possible, yet unlikely, a beta would even be drawn to this.

So, what happens when two alpha females meet one another, eye to eye, in a combat sport setting?  Sometimes a journey of the soul ensues.  A journey of introspection, dark feelings, resolution, ending with deep mutual respect and sisterhood.

Here's the journey that Vickie Valdez and I have undertaken.  Our journey of friendship, competition, training, and understanding has seasoned us as women.  We hope that by sharing our process, you too may benefit in some way...

VICKIE'S WORDS:

I became an athlete later in life. Growing up, I did not play any sports, which is what I thought being an athlete equaled. I opted out of gym class to take AP Chemistry. I was co-captain of the speech team and editor of the literary magazine. I crafted an identity around being nerdy and crafty and a love of learning. My body and what it could do was not relevant.

In my early 30s, I started lifting weights. I found a trainer and fell in love with the barbell. I obsessed about my squat and worked to improve my bench press. The metrics of it - logging reps and sets, setting PRs - were exceptionally satisfying. They would be a comfort when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34. Lifting became a greater focus, as it was something I could control during a time when I felt out of control. I met with my trainer as soon as I was able after each chemotherapy session, and after surgery I had to rebuild much of my upper body strength.

About three years ago I joined a new gym where I’ve had the chance to learn completely new sports, like Olympic weightlifting and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). This is where I began to think of myself as an athlete. I started competing in powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting and BJJ - all with the excellent guidance of my coaching team and without injury. My understanding of my body, of what I can ask it to do, started to shift.

"Hard Work Yields Success"

Jiu jitsu, for me, has been more about getting my mind and my body to work together. The physical aspects are challenging, as is the need to repeatedly drill movements and techniques so they feel natural. But what I’ve struggled with, and continue to struggle with to be honest, is my mental ability in the fight. Unfortunately for my friend Almine, she was initially an instrument for much of my learning. 

Almine was my very first competitor in my very first BJJ tournament. I’d been training for about 6 months at that point, and have never been in a physical fight in my life. Once we slapped hands, my brain shut down. I panicked. There was a lady trying to hurt me. My brain stopped as she pulled me into guard and choked me in 38 seconds. My second match was better, but I succumbed to that same x-choke.

Over the next few months, she became my arch enemy. She was so nice I thought she was being fake, trying to get in my head. I wanted to beat her. I wanted to choke her. I called her not nice things. My teammates knew about all about it. My coaches used the thought of her as a tool to get me to train harder. I want to say that my lack of experience in competitive sports meant I was learning as an adult what most people learn in their youth. But I can’t really defend what is an exceptionally shitty attitude.

We competed against each other in three tournaments, during which I never did beat her. I was frustrated and acted coldly towards her - stuck in my own head. It was when she came to my gym for a charity competition that I was finally able to put myself in her shoes. To have empathy. She was scared. Usual competition jitters combined with a fear that the other ladies were going to be mean to her. Any enmity I had evaporated. I could see in her pieces of myself - someone who’s had to work to feel comfortable in her own skin. On that day we started building a friendship, and it’s become one I can rely on and am grateful for, both on good days and bad.

Vickie Competing
Photo Credit:  SmithHammer Photography

I’ve competed since and will compete again, but never again against Almine. I'm still working on the mental game, and have a lot more to learn. But this experience with Almine taught me that focusing on my competition doesn't help. Feeling angry or wanting to beat someone just means I’ve lost my control over myself. I’m really competing against the little part of my brain that is yelling that someone is trying to hurt me. I’m competing against my own sense of self and my willingness to keep fighting. I’m lucky that other ladies sign up to compete in my division as it gives me the opportunity to measure that progress against full resistance.

Almine & Vickie Competing At "SubLeague," Portland, Oregon

ALMINE'S WORDS:  


Competition was a new concept for me.  Excuse the pun, but it really was one I grappled with.  My background is climbing.  Unless you're going for some major speed record up "El Capitan," or doing an indoor climbing comp, people really don't compete with one another in climbing.  Its more about pushing your personal limits, enjoying nature, taking in the views, and cheering on one another, when you're pushed to your edge.  That's what I'm used to.

Almine, free-soloing, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii

Sure, I've also done "CrossFit" for a decade, and have been a certified coach for almost 5 years now, but I never saw myself as a competitor within the sport.  It was just more of a fitness class for me, where I got to see my girlfriends, and cheer one another on.

You'll notice a theme with me:  cheering one another on.   This is the essence of who I am.  I've always felt particularly passionate about this amongst women.  I've always felt myself to be a "cheerleader" for women, women's rights, and empowerment.

So, when I was given an opportunity to compete in Jiu-Jitsu, it was a foreign thought to me.  Sure, I liked watching the UFC.  I understand you don't have to be mean to be tough.  But, what I've found, over the years, is that not all women have learned that lesson.  They feel the two go hand-in-hand.  That they're inseparable.  That's unfortunate to me.  A famous example of this is the Rousey vs. Holm fight.   I've always had challenges with Ronda's trash-talking her opponents, treating them poorly (see "Ultimate Fighter" t.v. series), and threatening them.  I never saw a need for this. When Holly Holm knocked Ronda out, she exhibited pure class.  Staying with her trash-talking opponent until she received medical attention, making sure she was okay.  This was even after Ronda demonstrated horrible sportsmanship towards her at the weigh-in and wouldn't touch gloves with her, at the start of the fight.  "Why?  Why are you like that, Ronda?"  I've always wondered.  I didn't understand the need for it, and still don't.  I instantly became a Holly Holm fan, then and there.  Class, integrity, sportsmanship, and kindness CAN exist in combat sports.  In fact, to me, its the origins of martial arts.

Rousey vs. Holm, UFC #193

In my 3 years of BJJ, I've realized a lot of women start the sport, fighting invisible "ghosts."  These ghosts are comprised of memories, most of them painful.  They're fighting those "demons," really.  Not you.  Many people who enter the world of combat sports do so with a "chip" on their shoulder.  They're fighting and running against their darkest self.   When you can do as much internal introspection as you can physical training, you realize the meaning of the Ying/Yang symbol. They're interdependent.  Kindness and combat, actually, aren't mutually exclusive.  The word"Code" is fundamental to who I am.  I choose to live, to the utmost of my ability to the Bushido "code," or "Way."  This means, your competition is, in actuality, your teacher.  How can you feel anger at one whose about to teach you something?

Vickie has taught me many things.  She's wise.  She's funny.  She's kind.  She gave me a second chance.  This second chance came in the form of changing her viewpoint of me, and our connection.  She gave both of us the opportunity to go from "opponent" to "training partners."  She gave me a second chance, seeing me as enemy, initially, tofriend.  I'm grateful to her for this.  This is how I've always wanted to be seen. This is how I will always wish to be seen.

I'm not afraid of failure.  A win has never been as important to me as sisterhood and community.   My hope is for all women in combat sports to embrace this.  Its a wonderful thing when you can.  Its like a soothing balm to the heart.  Forgiveness is one of the highest emotional laws there is.

Vickie, (her Professor) Hillary Wright VanOrnum, & Almine

Because Vickie and I have transformed our friendship into one of deep mutual respect, we're now training partners.  We don't go to the same gym.  We don't even live in the same city.  In fact, we're 3+ hrs. apart.  Yet, we maintain an ongoing cyber "training log," where we post inspirational quotes, what obstacles come up for us on the mats (whether mental, physical or emotional), and have begun a wonderful year of goal-setting together.

Almine & Her Professor, Ryan Clark



Links:

"Impact Jiu-Jitsu," Portland, OR.  

http://www.impactjj.com/

"Clarks Univ. Of Martial Arts," Bend, OR.
http://www.clarksuniversityofma.com/

Almine & Vickie's Sponsor:
http://femalesoldiersbjj.com/

"SmithHammer Photography"
https://www.facebook.com/Smithhammerphotography/

Specialist Or Generalist? To Compete Or Not To Compete?

John's Thoughts:

Couch to competition?

With the obesity rate soaring and increasing trends in our society towards a sedentary lifestyle,  I think we can agree as a society we need a major overhaul in our physical culture. We are disconnected from our bodies and need to wake up! I hear excuse after excuse on a daily basis from incredibly capable adults about why they can’t find time to exercise, let alone compete in a sport or any physical endeavor beyond silly exercise videos, light family activity, or otherwise “safe” activities. Our society has created some kind of excuse bubble that keeps people from getting off of the sidelines to “just do it” as Nike saying goes. Time after time, I hear “I wish I was in the kind of shape I was in high school” or since I (fill in the blank with an excuse), it won’t work for me. At the same time, incredible new world records are being broken and more athletes than ever are competing and training in “extreme sports” like the StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge, Crossfit, Strongman, and Highland Games at all ages. So the art and love of competition is still alive and well in our society. Unfortunately, lack of planning, general conditioning and poor fitness levels leave a huge gap that will take time to overcome for the average deconditioned American. Lack of planning and patience can easily lead to burnout and major injuries before an athlete ever reaches anywhere near their potential in performance or true appreciation for the art of competition in our modern sedentary society. The big question is how do we bridge the gap between the couch and competition?

From Couch To Competition

My personal journey has been a long one full of twists, turns, and utter failures. My quest began after I decided I was tired of being a scrawny, awkward basketball player in high school. Within a few years, I became a seemingly “bodybuilder type” of guy after gaining nearly 50 pounds of solid muscle, but I was burned out, broken down with injuries and generally lacking passion in my training once I had reached my early twenties.  I was training to basically look good and ward off major health problems, but this was just enough to keep me in perpetual motion of maintaining a decent level of athleticism and looking fit, but not truly satisfied with training or life. Fast forward 10 years now, I have found my training and ultimately, my life purpose. That is: to empower others to reach their physical goals through safe, effective movement and strength fundamentals, which ultimately transfers into all areas of their lives. In 2004, I stumbled onto a unique “fringe sport” that has changed my life forever. The Scottish Highland Games were my new purpose and little did I know, I would find my way to the top as a world record holder and professional highland games athlete in the sport. These accomplishments did not come easy. I spent several years as a lackluster, bottom level competitor before a serious level of commitment and competitive focus took hold within me. I finally “caught the bug”, but I still had to fight hard to stay competitive and injury free as a very specialized athlete.

I am not particularly gifted as an athlete or coach out of the gate. I simply found my passions and I never stop learning, doing and setting new goals.. Having a true, deep physical skill has made a major impact on my personal and professional life. I would never have trained to a peak skill level or known my athletic potential without finding this this sport. I now have a purpose to my

training that is greater and I can measure and feel the benefits in the gym and my everyday life.  During a competition I feel like the world stands still and I have total focus for a brief moment when I “step in and throw”.  Every ounce of energy possible goes completely into my throw. At the end of a long day of competition, I always feel a wave of emotions and perspective on life as I walk away from the field knowing I gave it everything I possibly could on that day. I leave the field with a clarity and appreciation for life that just seems to wash over me.

Clarity Comes From Competition

It's all too easy to get side tracked in our fast paced society or get overloaded trying to train at a high level in any sport. A quote from strength coach and wise masters athlete Dan John resonates strongly with me and gives me a reminder of my purpose anytime I lose focus “the goal is keeping the goal, the goal”. I have seen so many young professionals in the fitness industry and other athletes get sidetracked or even paralyzed  trying to do too many things at once or lose focus on the purpose of their training or life goals.   Knowing I can keep learning and bettering myself in my sport keeps me feeling alive, yet grounded in my goals and purpose. The pursuit of perfection in a technical, physical skill has continued to carry over to how I coach and approach life. It makes me better at life. It’s empowering to know that I can always get better with some extra focus, effort, or by learning from other coaching and athletes. This pursuit of perfection has been an incredible gift, but it has also been full of challenges and obstacles.

Now my daily life involves the new challenge of running and building my new gym from the ground up, while still competing as a top ranked lightweight highland games athlete. I often work 7 days a week and many long hours. While it does help to be able to walk into the gym anytime to train, the weights don’t lift themselves and I usually don’t have a consistent training partner or coaches around me to keep me accountable.  My life must be very structured and disciplined to make sure I have time for training, proper nutrition, and a healthy balance to life. This has become a welcomed challenge and defines who I am in many ways now. It gives me structure and discipline that I may not have if I did not have a training purpose. I have to stay focused with my time and efforts in all areas of life to stay competitive, especially going into my late 30’s. Why do I still train and compete you might ask?. It’s basically a “strong body, strong mind” approach that I believe we should all follow. I even structure the year's competitions and events around my life whenever possible, which to many may sound extreme. To me, it has become just a way of life. I have learned to enjoy the challenge and find ways to keep going strong despite many obstacles of time, money, and many other life demands.

Competition is a raw, vulnerable way to challenge yourself and put it on the line. When you sign up for a competition it gets real. You have a deadline and sense of urgency to complete the task. It’s time to rise up and take action like the Nike slogan “Just do it”. This can present a new kind of challenge and uneasy feeling for most adults, since our culture is so far away from truly supporting adult athletic endeavors or even general physical activity after the teenage years. Many of us live though our kids and lose touch with our own physical abilities, which is just not how it should be. This doesn’t have to be the case, but you do need to consider a few essentials before training for competition…

Competing In "The Highland Games"

Am I willing to put in the time to train, learn, and develop the necessary skills?

Do I have a qualified coach and can I use my resources to prepare well?

Am I able to plan ahead and possibly let training revolving around life, at least for a few weeks leading up to the competition?

Do I have any serious injuries or health conditions that would make it unsafe for me to commit to this competition?

Have I considered the other obstacles that I might come across?

If you truly dig deep and can’t commit, then don’t compete! You really can’t lose if you can answer “yes” to these questions, because you will get better and learn a great deal about yourself. Say “yes” and find every reason to compete, turn the tables on your own mindset. I truly believe that we all have an athlete and warrior inside of us that wants to come out. Everyone should want to get better every day.  So show up, do work, and  learn hard.

Have a plan, stay the course, and step into the “arena”.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”  Theodore Roosevelt

Almine's Thoughts:

John's words ring powerful for me.  Last year, I tried my hand at competing in Jiu-Jitsu.  It was a year I explored my "inner competitor," what she could do, at the belt level she was at.  I decided to stretch my boundaries, and explore a different facet of myself.  I did this, all the while, continuing to climb, and do "CrossFit."

I'm a personal trainer, and "CrossFit" coach.  What that means is that I'm comfortable in writing training programs, and workout programming to meet goals.  I know when to increase a particular activity to meet a certain goal, and when to decrease others.

I have the capacity to see the end goal, and program according to it, giving myself a time table to increase/decrease various activities.  You could think of it like an "on" season and "off" season.

Typically, in the spring and summer, I decrease my olympic lifting, focus on climbing, and increase more MetCon and/or body-weight placement exercises (to enhance my climbing).  In the winter, when climbing rock at "Smith" is not a consistent option, I increase my strength training, and decrease my cardio/MetCon.   This gives my body a seasonal way to "rest" from specific movements and exercises, and to increase others.   This type of training schedule takes a lot of attention paid to it, watching the ebbs and flows of specific gains, one wants to see, to meet specific goals.

A perfect example of the mental game that climbers move through, when on "The Sharp End" (Sender Films, 2009)

I believe in the ebb/flow of training specific movements, and the ebb/flow of competition.  For my personality type, I need specific "rests" in my training, so that I can absorb the benefits of my hard work, re-focus on goals, and dream bigger dreams.

I don't believe many people can maintain the type of ongoing training schedule I uphold (and have for years).  They would "burn out."  I think a lot of it is genetics.   My paternal grandmother, and father are the same way.  In his late 60's my Dad's greatest joy is still being able to pull a "double" (one activity in the morning, one in the evening).  This is how he operates 6 days a week.  He's never been otherwise.

Climbing is a high adrenaline sport.  There is no doubt about it.  Particularly when you're on lead (a.k.a. "The Sharp End").   I know it would string my nervous system out to climb the way I like to, and compete in a separate sport, year after year.  I let myself ebb/flow, according to how I feel, from year to year.  Maybe I choose to focus my energy (adrenaline) towards hitting climbing goals one year (like this year).  Maybe the year prior I compete in Jiu-Jitsu.  I don't peak in both sports, and hit them equally as hard in the same year, however.

I've had many ultra-runner friends of mine say "You would be an excellent ultra-runner.  You have the determination, and tenacity for such a distance."  I agree with them.  I do.  I'm what you term a "Mult-Sport Athlete," however.  I'm not a "Mono Sport Athlete."  They each have their pros and cons, but I'm much better suited to "Adventure Racing," where multiple sports are required on the same course.  I'm a diverse, dynamic, eclectic athlete, and I also credit that with being a huge reason (in addition to nutrition, etc.) I have next to no injuries.  I make, not just my muscles cross-train, but my brain also.  My brain has to focus in a completely different way in climbing, than it has to while trail-running.  Jiu-Jitsu requires a totally different mental pathway in my mind, versus lifting weights.
I think cross-training your brain, along with totally different movements, is one of several keys to longevity.  They say doing cross-word puzzles, and card games keep older people's thinking faculties sharp.  Couple various ways of challenging your mind, with body movement, and you have a recipe for youth.  That is why I'm an advocate of doing multiple sports, with completely (seemingly) unrelated body movements.  

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) @ "Clark's Univ. Of Martial Arts," Bend, OR.

Climbing a steep overhanging route is a completely different series of movements than passing the guard in Jiu-Jitsu, is completely different than a deadlift.  Or, is it?  The reality is, even though I increase one type of body movement, and decrease another, seasonally, they all enhance one another.  They all involve getting the hips through, a strong core, and focus.  They all benefit one another.

The main thing for me is body awareness.  This entails listening very closely to when my body is asking for me to shift gears.  They body does talk to you.  You just have to know how to listen.  I knew 2016 was my year to downshift from competition, and increase my climbing.  I will listen, season by season to see if this changes.  When it does, I will be ready to shift my training programming again.  Fluidity is key.  Flexibility is key, if being a mult-sport athlete interests you.  Developing body awareness is key.

"NW Fit Games,"

Be willing to dream big, smash goals, and then move on to the next.  Opportunity has a funny way of presenting itself when you least expect it.  The question is:  "Will You Be Ready To Shift Gears?"

Handstands In My Home Town, Newport, OR., "Agate Beach"

ABOUT JOHN ODDEN:

John is a Strength and Conditioning Coach, Clinical Exercise, and owner/head coach of his gym Empowered Strength in Bend, OR. John has a diverse background in the fitness/wellness industry, having worked with clinical cardiac rehab patients, high school athletes, and employee wellness programs in Longview, WA for 11 years before "retiring" to Bend to start his gym and online coaching programs. John is the current world record holder in the 42lb. weight over bar as a lightweight athlete in the Scottish Highland Games and finished #3 in the world at the Lightweight World Championships in 2015. John's newest pursuit is the StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge and competitive Olympic Weightlifting in his off season from the Highland Games.

Contact John or learn more about him here..

empowereredstrength.com
541-639-5000

john@empoweredstrength.com

Learn more about the StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge here..
http://www.strongfirst.com/tactical-strength-challenge/

ABOUT ALMINE BARTON:

BIO.:     http://www.rechargesport.com/almine-barton/
Instagram:  @alminebarton
Twitter:  @AlmineBarton1
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/alminewellness
To Book An Appt. For Acupuncture:  (541) 306-6541