So two weeks ago I went to Vail, Colorado for my first Adult Bouldering World Cup!! Actually, it was my first world cup ever. I really feel so accomplished. It just blows my mind how far I have come since last year. Last year at this time I had just placed in Youth Divisionals and had just accepted my invite to Youth Nationals. Then I placed 15th in the Adult Bouldering National Championships this past February! Such a long way considering the past year I had placed 32nd in the Adult bouldering category and 12th in Junior. Wow.
Vail...was amazing. Even though I had gone to Vail to compete in the World Cup, I enjoyed the entire Teva Mountain game scene and made the best out of my three day stay. The view was breathtaking. The vibe was outrageous. The music was so chill and the people were unbelievable! I fit in perfectly. Not to mention you know, the 2011 Bouldering World Cup!
Like I had said before, this was my first World Cup. I had never seen one up close and personal before. I had only seen the highlights from past world cups online. It is very different when you see something on television then in real life. The perspective is entirely different. In reality, I had no idea what to expect. So, I chose to use this competition as a learning experience. It was my third week back from a partially healed finger injury anyway. But, I still gave it my all and came out in 32nd place.
I feel that 32nd is a very good place! I mean, it is low in the ranks but the best part about these competitions is that you can easily isolate your strengths and weaknesses. Besides, being with competitors from around the world, warming up together and having fun while doing it is what these competitions are all about. Oh, and climbing on boulder problems created by world class setters. That is the most amazing thing to ever ask for. How could I be unhappy with 32nd place? I had so much fun! And even though I had a few foot slips and technical problems, the climbs were stunning.
After leaving the Teva Mountain Games, I had a new found respect for the mountainous life I strive to live by. The World Cup also gave me great psych to start training hard again for Nationals. I mean it is very possible for me to do well with this, so why not give it my all?
So thank you Teva Mountain Games for putting on a great weekend of events!
Also, did I mention my high school graduation was the same day as the qualifying round of the world cup? Yeah, I know what you're thinking...I'm glad I chose the climbing too.
No comments:
Post a Comment