RC News #37: The Mid-Season Grind

This season just keeps going.

On the one hand, I love it. All year, I think about IFSC events. I train for them, I dream of them, and then eventually, I get to compete in them.

As rewarding as it is to be mid-season on the circuit, it's also draining. I'm competing on boulders at my absolute limit every time I step out on the mats for another World Cup. The preparation and mental energy that takes out of you is insane.

In a typical season, there are six events spaced no more than three weeks apart from one another. You only have to focus on performance and maintenance for two and a half to three months of the year.

This season, because of the Summer Olympics in August, the IFSC season is seven months long, and only includes five events. Each World Cup is on average six weeks apart from the next.

Mentally, I'm ready for the off-season.

The Innsbruck World Cup which took place three weeks ago, usually marks the end of the bouldering season. It's like my body runs on a Circadian rhythm of IFSC events because, after Innsbruck, I hit a wall.

My training performance took a dip. My motivation dulled.

After the Salt Lake City World Cup, I made a big push to fix some technical weaknesses I noticed, and I think made huge strides going into Innsbruck.

My performance was a little under my standards and missed the semi-final for the third time in a row at the Austrian World Cup.

When I got home, I was checked out. I gave the first three events my all and still have four more months of the season left to go. Again, I love peaking and performing, but as with most things, a little moderation goes a long way.

That being said, Zach and I had two North American competitions planned for the summer - Jackalope Mississauga and Boston Summer of Climb.

We drove down to Toronto last weekend, which is always a good time. We were able to stay at home, visit family, and take a break from dishes and cooking for a second.

The competition was a little bit of a let-down. Jackalope is an outdoor festival primarily focused on skateboarding but also hosts a bouldering competition. It's not your usual competition because it isn't put on by a climbing federation or gym, but rather the Jackalope organization, run by Allez Up.

With that said, some of the details are a little unorthodox, such as the warm-up/isolation situation - or lack thereof.

The qualifier round was humid, crowded, and stormy. Without a warm-up wall, we had to jump right into the competition and warm up on the easier boulders. It was an alright trade-off, except for the 20-minute lines for each boulder.

Zach is dealing with a finger tweak, so we pulled out of the competition as soon as he realized he couldn't execute a safe warm-up. I wouldn't say my warm-up was thorough by any means, but I made it work.

The next day in finals was a lot sunnier. Jackalope allowed athletes to warm up at a nearby climbing gym in advance of the final round. Though there was a two-hour gap between my warm-up and the round, it was hot enough that I never really cooled down.

I ended up with a silver medal at the competition and a giant cheque to add to our wall!

In classic Zaddie fashion, we were in and out in a flash. The next morning, we said goodbye to our home Province and drove the six hours back to Montreal.

With Zach's finger on the rocks, we decided against attending our next scheduled competition in Boston, which, as it happens, frees up our entire summer!

My first order of business once we decided to forgo the competition was to take a much-needed rest week. Amid this never-ending season, and following a high-energy competition like Jackalope, I needed a break from climbing.

But let's be honest - it doesn't take that long to get the psych back for training! On Monday, I'll be back to the grind as I begin tapering for the last two World Cups of the season and perhaps my favorite two destinations on this year's circuit - Prague and Seoul.