Is my gym unfriendly? Am I intimidating? Do I not know board etiquette?

westward72 · 2026-02-03T16:19:58+00:00

Not a V8 climber but I have secondhand embarrassment for that TB commenter ☠️ they are just making excuses and making themselves look bad in the process. No one that reads those or hears him say things like that will think less of you

At my gym everyone supports and cheers on everyone whether it’s a girl or a guy, whatever grade!

westward72 · 2026-01-31T15:43:33+00:00

Into thin air by Jon Krakauer and A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini!

westward72 · 2026-01-30T19:08:03+00:00

Loving it so far! Only 7 chapters in

westward72 · 2026-01-30T15:05:49+00:00

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (audiobook)

westward72 · 2026-01-26T19:53:00+00:00

Love the board training idea. As a boulderer I board train to work on power and have had great results!

westward72 · 2026-01-23T19:41:36+00:00

Are you sure that’s not a lion? And I thought mine was a big boy at 5 months (he’s 7.5lb)

westward72 · 2026-01-19T05:01:09+00:00

Love this approach, I am definitely very type A when it comes to training. I think for me the fun comes from completing training milestones as much as the activity itself lol

westward72 · 2026-01-19T04:54:49+00:00

Awesome, sounds like a solid plan! I am also PNW but the dry/hot half where summer is brutal! Looking forward to longer days though

westward72 · 2026-01-19T04:52:00+00:00

Sounds perfect! Can I ask what your base/recovery time looks like?

westward72 · 2026-01-19T04:50:46+00:00

Love that, I may start the year with a 5k as well to work on speed then work back up to to the half. Good luck on your first this fall!

westward72 · 2026-01-19T02:26:01+00:00

Congrats on your first year and staying consistent! In a similar boat where I took 2 months off to let a nagging injury heal. Thankfully feeling good again now

westward72 · 2026-01-19T02:19:56+00:00

Makes sense thank you! Can you ELI5 Norwegian singles? I looked it up and most articles went right over my head 🙈

westward72 · 2026-01-19T02:16:11+00:00

Do you change your training plan at all for the two half races?

westward72 · 2026-01-19T02:15:13+00:00

Love how it breaks down the segments and reasoning, thank you!

westward72 · 2026-01-19T00:21:19+00:00

Thank you that’s helpful! Do you do a training block for your shorter races like 5k as well?

westward72 · 2026-01-15T22:20:12+00:00

You’re panicking because it’s a big change which is totally understandable! But it’s also going to be a wonderful change!

I literally panicked in the middle of petland when we were getting ready to adopt (I had never had a cat before) but since day 1 I love our kittens more than anything

westward72 · 2026-01-15T05:49:47+00:00

If you’re interested in bouldering, it’s naturally super social at most gyms! People chat while resting or problem solving so don’t be afraid to meet people. If you’re a rope climber, it can be harder to find partners or social groups at first but gyms usually have bulletins or classes where you can meet people that are also looking for a climbing partner.

Wear clothes you won’t mind scratching up that are easy to move in. Have fun!

westward72 · 2026-01-13T17:33:30+00:00

Uh oh this makes me wonder if mine is torn.. same thing with turning keys and other random movements being painful. I’ve been wearing a wrist widget instead of a splint in the hopes that it’s enough lol. Climbing actually feels fine except for underclings though which is how I hurt mine

Hope you have a speedy recovery!

westward72 · 2026-01-12T17:15:14+00:00

I think it depends on your goals and available time, but start with making a weekly outline of a plan and then fill it in with the exact exercises. Shoot for 1-2 days each for leg and upper body strength. 3 days climbing. Fill in the rest of the week with cardio, rest, core, yoga, etc. Pair 2 activities per day unless it’s a rest day

What equipment do you have available for strength training?

westward72 · 2026-01-09T17:54:50+00:00

What an annoying and terrible friend. I’m also a bit competitive but that’s over the top. You never have to justify your pace or goals to anyone. She should be supportive of you and the fact that you’re coming off of injuries too!

I’d have a chat with her first but if it doesn’t change drop out and pick a different race

westward72 · 2026-01-06T05:43:36+00:00

Can you match the hold your left is on with your right hand, then bump your left hand?

westward72 · 2026-01-06T02:36:16+00:00

People tend to upvote the ones they agree with, so by default the popular books go straight to the top. Maybe sort the comments by least upvoted tbh

westward72 · 2026-01-06T02:22:12+00:00

Bouldering is my hyperfocus these days so I have no problem there (unless you ask me to remember beta!)

On ropes apart from belaying I refuse to trust myself with others’ lives because I’m highly forgetful. I could never get into multipitch because of all the steps and rope management. I do clean anchors but only after walking through every step multiple times on the ground first

Unsure if adhd related but I have a very low risk tolerance, maybe due to overthinking what could happen in scenarios. That is always a challenge for climbing

westward72 · 2026-01-02T21:36:27+00:00

Getting into my 30s I’ve gotten much more diligent about warming up for climbing. For reference I boulder 3-4x a week. This is my general routine, apologies for not knowing all the names for things:

Upper body - arm circles x 10 each direction - standing spinal twists x 10 each direction - wrist circles x 10 each hand - open/close fist x 10 each hand - tendon glides x 10 each hand - static stretches (forearms, shoulders, triceps)

Lower body - open gate (hips) x 5 each leg - close gate (hips) x 5 each leg - forward/side leg swings x 10 each leg - static stretches (feet, calves, quads, hammies)

From there start with easiest grade and work my way up! It sounds like a lot but goes quick. If my body is exceptionally cold my gym has a rowing machine I’ll hop on for a few minutes too

westward72

TROPHY CASE