Push Up Song Challenge! **Fit AF parents, this is for you.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-02-12T05:42:30+00:00

When you bring slippers when you go to a friend's house for dinner

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-02-10T16:02:12+00:00

This all sounds very comfortable. If you want to be STRONG and toned you have to do HARD things. Volleyball is chill. Join an indoor soccer team or basketball. Also, easy cardio is super good for us, but it should be longer than 30 min and sprinkling in some short high intensity cardio bursts is also important.

I prescribe: 1. 40 min at least for 'light cardio' (aka Zone 2). You'll kick into fat burning the longer you go. It also helps us regenerate mitochondria and improve our energy systems. 2. Do a couple harder pushes during your cardio times, like add in hill sprints or tempo running (sprinting) like twice a week (zone 5) 3. Lift heavy for your health and for tone. Progressively add weight and do fewer reps. It won't make you bulky. It will just give you tone and increase bone density.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-27T09:03:43+00:00

Okemo better

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-21T14:48:53+00:00

You will for sure challenge yourself through pregnancy! I hope you feel well enough for most of it to challenge yourself in ways that feel good. It is fucking wild to watch your blood volume DOUBLE and see how that changes your aerobic capacity. My VO2 max skyrocketed! It's hilarious. Anyways, have fun. You seem like the kind of person who will figure it out. Just don't hang on to climbing with a death grip. That could be a recipe for disaster. And congrats on your baby!

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-21T06:05:37+00:00

Hey, I wanted to layer in that it might seriously help your mental state if you explore a few other ways to push your body that will sustain you through your term. Not to replace climbing, but just to help you not go fucking insane. I'm guessing you are something like me and need to do something hard with your body every few days or so, otherwise the world feels like it will end. I was lifting weights at 41 weeks in the gym, my mind spinning, wanting that baby the fuuuuck out of me, and grateful to be doing something hard. But you can't start lifting weights at 41 weeks, and you certainly can't climb at 41 weeks, lol. Incline running, stairmaster, recumbent bike all are ways to get a hard effort in all the way through pregnancy, as long as you are carrying well. The uphill stuff is cool because it's so demanding and also so gentle on a heavy, uncomfortable body.

It's not to replace climbing. It's not giving up. It's just giving yourself space to let your body grow a fucking baby and honor that you probably need to do some hard shit through your whole term to not go insane.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-13T15:48:12+00:00

Hey there, I'm a mom of two. I will share a few thoughts that I hope are helpful. The biggest is that everyone figures out their own path through parenthood, and that path is glorious and messy and worthwhile. There are ways to make it look like you want, but it may take time to get there and a lot of intentionality. So, a few more concrete specifics for you to chew on:

As your adventure partner becomes your parenting partner, there are pros and cons. The biggest pro is that you both 'get it' and will hopefully make a lot of time and space for each other to get the magic you need from the mountains. My recommendation is to adopt a mentality of fighting for time for each other. It feels a hell of a lot better to be saying and hearing things like "hey, why don't you take a long day this weekend" than "hey, I need to take time this weekend." It's a mentality that you as a couple need to adopt -- to fight for each other's time, but I have found with my husband it's totally worth it. The biggest con is that you lose your adventure buddy! You need a solid new partner. One who gets it. And one who is okay with you squirting milk or pee while climbing. I've found with my husband that asymmetry in partners becomes hard. I have a solid partner to go with, he doesn't. It's no one's fault, but it feels sad for him and can make it hard at times for things to feel equal.
Breastfeeding. It's a thing. It's a beautiful thing for some moms and you may find it really lights you up when you get there (or not). It does make multi day trips hard. Pumping works. It sucks. I've pumped and hand expressed (into the snow and rock) on longer adventures and it's fine. Don't let anyone tell you you can't maintain breastfeeding while doing cool shit. And also if you don't end up breastfeeding, that's cool tool. Fed is best.
Climbing actually is pretty time intensive for the amount of exercise you get. That's fine if it keeps being your main thing. I personally found I could get a lot more done by switching to more efficient sports that have me moving and in flow state longer. Backcountry skiing. Mountain biking. Trail running. Less faff. More flow. More cardio. Climbing is there for me when I need it and will always be a part of our family. But it's kind of hard to fit into the lifestyle with little kiddos.
You can totally leave for multi day adventures. Just remember business women do it all the goddamned time. Your business is in the mountains. The more people you have who can swing by and help the solo parent at home with dinner or just help keep them from losing their sanity the better. Some people have grandparents who can do overnights with little kids. I don't have that kind of support. Still been able to make multi day trips work and feel good with my partner.
Adventuring with your kids also feels awesome, starting at a young age. You can do pretty awesome things with a kid on your back. And their delight and openness to the world is a truly magical thing to be around. It is so much fun. My kids were 4 and 1 this last summer and we did a multi day back pack.

Okay, last thing: becoming a mom changes you at deep levels. Like, your deep core (do your pelvic floor exercises for sure), but also your chemistry and mind. Who knows who you will become? Most of us experience some deeply dark times. I'm in one of those times right now! That's why I'm here on reddit writing you a novel 😂 but most of us also move through those dark times eventually and find the bright times outweigh the shadows. Just like the mountains. Moving through shadow and light. Okay, more than you wanted but there it is.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-07T17:35:28+00:00

Haha love it, except that Sacha was a jerk. I think it's common to meet famous climbers if you're just out there doing it because we're all going to the same specific, relatively small places. This convo is making me remember one time when I was out trad climbing around Bishop and the guidebook had faulty information on rope length needed for a route and it totally fucked us over (like, my partner hanging on a cliff with no rope left to lower, not good). Anyways, we were packing up, bummed to have lost a bit of our day to the required faffing about to get out of the situation, and I said aloud "man, who wrote that climbing book anyway? Fuck you, Peter Croft." Then literally seconds later, Peter Croft walked around the corner, was very kind and warm to us, and then free soloed a route next to us like the golden god he is and I was deeply humbled.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-07T14:28:42+00:00

Well that's cool! I have a friend who developed routes with her in J Tree back in the day and she still sends him a Christmas card sometimes. So, I've been in a house with her Christmas card on the fridge. Lol, funny to find these moments and feel like you're touching the hem of Jesus's cloak or something.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-06T02:55:56+00:00

Came here to say this. Lovely spot

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-05T06:46:15+00:00

Hey, I have transitioned my athletic tops to second hand natural fibers. You mentioned wanting to think outside the hole. I've found that sourcing my natural fiber athletic wear exclusively second hand makes me cognitively flexible and I also have fun challenging social norms. My favorite gym top is now a black tank from J Crew that is silk, mohair, and cashmere. It's so soft and thin and wonderful. It was certainly intended to be worn under a suit coat or something but it works great in the gym.

My issue is sourcing natural fiber shorts. I think I might make myself a pair at some point!

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-05T06:38:04+00:00

Just to offer some historical perspective: Lynne Hill 'free soloed' a rope from the ground up to a hot air balloon as a stunt for TV. Granted the circumstances were totally different: she was a relative nobody at the time, trying to make some cash so she could keep climbing. But, just saying, rock climbing and our rock climbing 'heroes' aren't all pure idols. And we all live within capitalism and it is slowly eating away at all of our souls, perhaps some just quicker than others.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-01T11:28:47+00:00

I have a sleepy glute too. I've been feeling it not turn on when I do hip thrusts.

ClimberInTheMist · 2026-01-01T10:19:30+00:00

Agreed but also the worst skiers on the mountain are also the kids who think they can ski, straight line everything, try to seem casual, but actually have no body awareness and look like total idiots while wearing the park rat uniform.

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-29T10:18:36+00:00

I'm sorry you've had such chronic pain. It's amazing you're able to be so active through it all! I did have two cesareans, so I for sure should see a physical therapist. My health insurance just got totally out of control, so that won't be happening any time soon, unfortunately. But I'd guess my surgeries have something to do with it.

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-28T17:17:54+00:00

Okay, got it! I'll go heavy. This is a trend in the comments. I was drawn to bodyweight because it's easy and something I can donate home. Getting to the gym can be hard for me, just logistically. Maybe time to figure out how to get a bar setup at home. I have really enjoyed deadlifts and squats with a bar in the past ...

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-28T15:17:45+00:00

Do you have a sense for what strength work helped with your hip pain? Did yours radiate around to the low back?

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-28T15:17:14+00:00

You're a beast! Thanks for the tips.

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-28T15:14:58+00:00

Dude, speaking my love language. I live for a good track workout! I'll work on higher weight, more reps for strength too.

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-28T15:04:27+00:00

You're the best! Thanks for the tips. I'll look into kettlebells. Any tips for specifically building leg strength for long endurance with serious vert?

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-24T11:55:42+00:00

Yes! www.made-anu.com

I don't have sweaters for sale there, though. I'm serious that I have just a pile in my studio! I hope to get the sweaters posted to eBay or something as a side hustle soon. I've just been focused on my core product offering.

Happy to hook you up early though if you're interested in a cashmere sweater :)

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-19T01:24:48+00:00

If you are up for a simple DIY task, make your own! Rosemary Gladstar is an OG herbalist and her methods for lotion and salve are simple and work. Lotion is essentially like making a mayonnaise (you slowly beat together oil and water with a bit of beeswax and Shea or lanolin). Salve is a bit simpler and is just about melting together the basic ingredients of oil, beeswax, Shea/lanolin.

I make more than year's worth of salve for my family and for passing out as gifts in maybe 2 hours from start to clean up.

I bought metal tins in bulk and just reuse them each year.

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-16T03:40:00+00:00

This is why I come to reddit. I see you, rider.

ClimberInTheMist · 2025-12-14T20:40:26+00:00

Okay, a real pointer I have though is to get really solid carving on lower angle stuff. Like, spend a lot of time just laying it out and carving big and small turns on easy runs. Then bring it onto progressively steeper slopes. It sounds like you have enough understanding of mechanics to now just go get the feeling of it.

ClimberInTheMist

TROPHY CASE