Friday, December 28, 2007

New Years Resolution - To CRANK in 2008!

Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated in climbing. Either you get sick of climbing at the same crags and on the same routes, you get injured, your partner keeps flaking, the weather sucks or dozens of other things keep you from staying psyched about climbing. One of the best things I have found is that setting hard, yet attainable goals can get you out of your funk.

If you have the discipline and the motivation to stay up with it, setting goals can make you stronger and more confident in your climbing than ever. Set a goal with a timeline that is reasonable and at a level not too high above your current ability. Then, create a "regiment" that will get you there. There are several training guide books you can pick and choose tips from. 

If you have a goal in mind and a training schedule to stick to, even climbing at the gym will be motivating (which is near impossible for me). Also, sign up for e-newsletters or RSS feeds from online publications or blogs like Rock and Ice, Climbing Magazine, Lynn Hill's blog and Nicros' Training Center (link below). Having this available while at work will keep you going throughout the day and you may even learn something new. Be sure to keep climbing magazines, guide books and videos around too. Seeing people sending and researching potential routes you will send will keep you good and stoked.

So, stay psyched and motivated by setting a goal and sticking to a routine that will get you there. Happy New Year!

The below Nicros Training Center article touches on the same subject with more tips. Check it out:

http://www.nicros.com/archive/goal_setting.cfm
http://lynnhillblogs.com/
http://www.climbing.com/
http://rockandice.com/

Sunday, December 9, 2007

34-mile Green Belt Expansion: Climbing?

Article from Austin American-Statesman
New jewel planned in crown of trails: Walk-for-A-Day
November 10, 2007

For years, the City of Austin has quietly acquired thousands of acres of open space in western Travis and northern Hays counties but has offered the public few opportunities to enjoy them. Now, a nonprofit conservation group wants to use a small portion of that land as the foundation of a 34-mile trail from Barton Springs Pool to the city-owned Onion Creek Preserve at FM 150 near Kyle. The exact path and cost have not been determined.

The project is expected to take as long as five years and to be paid for with contributions from numerous public and private entities. The Hill Country Conservancy believes that city land can be used to form all but eight miles of the trail."Because of what the city has already done, it's not a task that seems to me out of reach," said real estate attorney and conservancy President Steve Drenner.Many details concerning funding, construction, maintenance, ownership and permitted activities have yet to be determined, but Austin is supportive of the project, which the conservancy has named Walk-for-a-Day.

See links for more info:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/10/WEB1110bartonspringstrail.html http://www.hillcountryconservancy.org/news.php?a_id=42