Below you will find six (6) questions to help assess the amount of Care you give your body. Much like a farmer’s field, you reap what you sow, and what you put into your body has a direct impact on the kind of performance you can expect to receive from your body. The three (3) aspects of Care include the following: 1) Rest, which is not only the amount of sleep you get but also taking time off to recover from tough sessions; 2) Intake, such as what and how much you are eating and drinking; 3) Recreation, or any of those potentially (or definitely) damaging habits that can negatively impact your health and ability. Answer the six questions below and fill in the values to gain your Care Characteristic Score.
Characteristic Score
Aspects
1) I never miss a training session or opportunity to climb, even if I am tired and/or I have been on for multiple days in a row. No pain, no gain.
Tip: ‘No pain, no gain’ is often thrown around to call people out for a “sissy.” It is true that working out hurts because we are damaging our tissue at the microscopic level in order to heal and come back stronger. However, it is important to know the difference between being tired, fatigued, sore, and hurt. This was already touched on in the Conditioning/Corrective Characteristic and will be explored further in a later section. The important take away is that the body needs rest to recover and knowing your personal limits are not the same as everyone else’s is a great mental exercise. Take the time off when you can! Now, we all make exceptions and some of those include the following: last day of a road trip, an area is closing (maybe forever), you know that you have not reached your limit yet, etc.
2) I skip meals because I am too busy, or I eat less than the recommended amount for my age and gender because I am trying to cut weight.
Tip: There is no reason to skip a meal anymore. Personally I am not a breakfast person, I enjoy hitting the snooze button too much to have enough time in the morning to make it, but I do put down a meal replacement shake (I prefer Boost™) because I cab grab and go with some decent nutrition. If you are trying to cut weight, take a look at what exactly you are eating. Chances are you can reduce empty calories, maybe even eat more than you thought, and still lose weight in a healthy way. The point is that the body needs fuel, and when you deprive it of fuel things can turn very ugly very quickly. More details will be covered in Nutrition but for now, stop skipping meals.
3) I smoke (anything) or take part in using any other type of recreational drugs, and/or abuse over the counter and/or prescription drugs (this can include diet pills).
Tip: I think we all know the prevalence of recreational drugs in the climbing community, especially when even our top athletes are associated with that lifestyle. This is not a soapbox, merely a reminder that use of recreational drugs, tobacco products, and inappropriate use of prescription and over-the-counter medications will only hinder your progress. If your goal is to have fun and enjoy the rebel lifestyle, I say to each his own (just keep your stank away from my tent). If your goal is to improve your climbing with consistency then you know what you have to do. As a side note, I included diet-type pills in here because I knew some young ladies in the competitive circuit that would have gotten a perfect score everywhere else if not for this question. Their performance suffered as the weight loss they sought to achieve started to be muscle mass once all of the fat was gone, not to mention the deadly female athlete triad which wreaks havoc on female cycles.
4) I manage to get, or at least try to get, an adequate amount of sleep each night, 6-9 hours depending on age and personal requirement.
Tip: Do you like sleep? Then make sure you get some! Sleep is how and when our bodies recover best, especially after a long training session or at the end of a hard day cragging. We all require different amounts of sleep based on our personal needs, but once you know what you need, make the time for it. Not only will you physically benefit, but your mental game will also be spot on when trying to suss out a sequence, remember that hidden undercling during the crux, or be an attentive belayer or spotter. I am also a big fan of napping, if you are that kind of person. Usually I am not, but a quick nap after lunch while bouldering or a quiet ledge during an all day pursuit has its charm and benefits.
5) I try to drink at least 2 liters of water every day, or up to 4 liters a day when it is hot and/or I am very active.
Tip: Water is what makes our bodies work right; food is fuel and water is the oil. Without getting too technical, water help every single process in the body from nutrient transfer, energy production, and electrical impulses, without it we can not function properly. The standard for water consumption, and I mean water, not just any liquid, is 2 liters a day for a healthy person with a desk job. That amount increases based on other factors such as individual needs, exterior temperature, and activity level. The higher those factors, the more water you need up to about 4 liters a day of water before needing an electrolyte supplement. Again, more details will be covered in Nutrition, but this is clinically accepted starting point.
6) I drink the following number of alcoholic beverages per week:
Tip: Sometimes after a long day we all could use a 12 oz. ice pack for those toasted finger tips, like after those razor edges on Pennsylvania diabase. As with most things, taking alcohol to excess is dangerous our health, and the hangover might be as well to you or your party on day 2 of a trip. If you are training for a specific goal, keep the drinking to a minimum until you reach that goal, then go ahead and reward yourself, you earned it. When competing in the Triple Crown, I go clean for the week leading up to each comp day drinking only water. But at the after party, I have been known to release the beast. Still, we should all seek moderation in all things, and alcohol is no exception. As with most tips in this Characteristic, know your limits and stay safe.
-Tylor Streett, MS, NASM-CPT, PES
