UKC

I’m keen to push my climbing but I have a list of vices I don’t want to abandon.
Call this a research project.

How hard do you climb and what naughties do you enjoy..

ME:
7b Sport
V6 boulder

I smoke
Drink most days – ale and red wine.
Enjoy a weekend booze-hound session
Like the green stuff
Like an all night party time to time.

I eat well, but have a weakness for burgers.

In mitigation:
I hate running, but will pickup a skipping rope once a week.
Hit the wall 3 x a week.
Occasionally fingerboard at home.
20 mins of yoga 3 x a week.

In reply to bonzka:

What's the "green stuff"? Broccoli?

In reply to bonzka:


ME:
Diff on a perfect day with a very tight top rope and 10 mats below.

80 cigarettes a day.
15 pints cider a day.
McDonalds 21 times a week.
Walk to the car if less than 20 feet away, otherwise get a taxi to it. No other exercise.

In reply to bonzka:
I don't climb or train as hard as you so there's no point comparing. Indeed I think there are too many variables for it to be worth your while collecting any data. Climbing harder is important to you; you train and play fairly hard and if I was you I'd want to know what easy step I could do to make a difference.

I don't know anything about smoking and climbing hard, but I do think that if you (or I) drink after training it has a noticeable negative effect.

And keep on at the broccoli.

In reply to bonzka:

bit of a pointless exercise, there will be people who are paragons of health that climb 6a on a good day and people like yourself who could probably make some lifestyle improvements who climb 7b. I'm sure that you could improve if you cut down on the smoking and drinking though

In reply to bonzka:

Climb 6c, VII, E1.

I have a 6 inch Blue Record on a swivel base in my workshop.

In reply to Bonzkars:

Sounds like you have an addictive personality type. I think its probably pretty common amongst climbers. Sensation seekers is the phrase that probably describes many of us. It's thought there is a genetic basis for this so nothing to be ashamed of, but nothing to be proud of either.

However it might be sensible to realize that booze, weed and tobacco are all addictive substances and although you might think you're in control of them it's far more likely that they're in control of you and the reality is that they are massively limiting your freedoms.

Why would you not want to abandon smoking? From any intelligent standpoint that's totally ridiculous. It's expensive, antisocial and it is going to kill you. I'm sure you can justify it in multiple ways to yourself and probably see it as a some kind of statement about who you are too, a bit alternative perhaps. But the truth is that it's just a chemical addiction.


In terms of climbing though I think one's ability is far more determined by genetics, psyche, dedication to train than to one's vices. I know several people who have engaged in all of the vices you list and managed to climb into the high 8s (routes and boulders) so if you've got a good way to go yet before you can use these as a reason that you're not climbing harder.

In reply to Bonzkars:

I smoke
Drink most days – ale and red wine.
Enjoy a weekend booze-hound session
Like the green stuff
Like an all night party time to time.
I eat well, but have a weakness for burgers.

In mitigation:
I hate running, but will pickup a skipping rope once a week.
Hit the wall 3 x a week.
Occasionally fingerboard at home.
20 mins of yoga 3 x a week.

Have you considered Trad Climbing, as it sounds like you're a natural...

In reply to Bonzkars:

Don't know about climbing but for running I noticed a very direct correlation between alcohol the night before and time on my training run the next day - about two minutes off my 'good day' time on a 35 minute run.

In reply to Bonzkars:

Gave up smoking and alcohol, full time veggie, part time vegan.
Climb indoors and out, Regular Beastmaker, TRX and rings sessions.
Probably climb/train 5 days out of 7. Just about to be 56. Occasional runs, but my knees are shot. Walk a lot.
Total punter, struggle to climb harder than 7a+

In reply to FactorXXX:













You'll be suggesting Paramo (XL), full breakfast and Scottish Winter climbing next

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

You'll be suggesting Paramo (XL), full breakfast and Scottish Winter climbing next

You forgot the Skoda Octavia!

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:


There's a strong correlation between alcohol consumption and onset of hypothermia ( alcohol opens up the blood vessels and enables the body to lose heat more rapidly ), so I wouldn't recommend the Scottish Winter route.

In reply to Bonzkars:
I climb so hard, I'm always bloody injured! According to my employer, my main vice is climbing.... :-/

In reply to Bonzkars:
Interesting

I boulder f7A in one session a good day, but my trad climbing is firmly stuck at the VS / HVS level as my headgame is pants. Never really bothered with sport.

I don't train outside of going climbing around 2 to 3 times a week, and have a fairly stressful job that requires excessive drinking after it. I don't smoke (anymore), but I have never successfully said no to a burger, and having a fairly unhealthy canteen at work does nothing for my fitness levels.

In reply to Bonzkars:

Until a year or two back I climbed at roughly your level. I climbed maybe 2 days in 7, ran a bit but was doing less and less, I ate what I liked and drank more than I should.

Not much has changed but these days I'm a stone or two heavier, climb maybe once a fortnight, haven't run for years and have to sit to put my socks on. I could probably still just about get up a 7a/V4 without a protracted siege though I haven't tied on in months so perhaps I'm deluding myself.
jk

In reply to Bonzkars:

I climb 8a+ and my main vice is fantasising.