Well, since i posted about wanting to run the SLC marathon, I have done quite a bit of thinking. And that thinking has led me to decide not to run the SLC marathon. I'll pretend I haven't mentioned this before, just for fun.
Why though? It would be so much "fun". Here's why.
I need to keep my priorities straight. Am I a runner? Not particularly. I CAN run, and I do run. Why do I run? To stay in shape. Why do I want to stay in shape (other than to pick up the ladies)? So I can CLIMB! That's right. I'm a climber. So why should I spend my time and money doing something that I do to stay in shape for climbing when I can spend my time and money climbing?
Time. Yeah, it'll take up a whole Saturday. One which I can use to climb a mountain. Any mountain I want. I do love to climb mountains.
Money. Totally. I mean, a $90 entrance fee? That's almost half of the cost to travel to Oregon so I can climb Mount Hood. And I'm talking air fare people, not driving. Not to mention my running shoes suck, and so I'd have to buy really nice ones. Well, I would much rather spend my money on climbing gear.
Climbing is something I can take great comfort in. By comfort, of course, I mean pain. But it's all the same when you need to clear your head. For example, today I went to the gym desperate to climb. I was physically exhausted, but my mind was in the right place. I climbed 2 cracks that I had done before, but with ease. Travis took notice and said I was a machine and made it look easy. I moved on to the next crack. Once I had gotten to the top of, but not without falling a few times. It was tighter, so it took a lot more effort to stay in the crack. Also it hurts a lot more on my feet. But I flew up it. Another clean ascent, this one a first. The next crack was wider. Not quite big enough to make a fist in. This makes for some interesting climbing. As it got wider I was sticking my whole arm in the crack and making it stay. In the end, clean ascent #4.
Then I tried the next one. Even wider. Too wide. I only made it halfway up. And then I tried one that was really small.. I only made it about 5 feet.
In the end, I wore myself out, hurt myself quite a bit, bled some from my hands and ankles, and climbed some fun cracks. Halfway up a crack, holding yourself in it, fighting off the urge to give up, you can step back from everything, and live in the moment. Clear your mind. Nothing else matters right now.
In short, climbing is great, running is okay, and I need to sleep.
