Don McGrath is the author of Vertical Mind and an expert on mental training for climbing. We talked about the two simple diet changes he made to get back in shape in his 60s, our untapped potential in mental training, debunking and rewriting unhelpful scripts, how to tackle fear of falling and fear of failure, pre-climb rituals, how to use your climbing partner as a coach, how to stay in love with climbing as we age, duct tape and baling wire, embracing the suck, and much more!
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/don-mcgrath
Nuggets:
0:03:56 – The love/hate relationship to climbing in Rifle and Smith Rock
0:07:49 – Living in Colorado Springs, spending the winter in the gym, and working with a coach
0:08:52 – The two simple diet changes Don made to lose his “60-year-old belly”
0:10:56 – Increasing his climbing volume, getting on harder routes in the gym, and the accountability of a coach
0:12:31 – Whiskey time, habits, and alcohol substitutes
0:16:16 – Turning 60, being retired, and setting the goal of climbing 5.12+/13- (7c/+) again after a decade
0:18:07 – Don’s coach Kevin Branford
0:20:40 – Don’s introduction to climbing, and how he became interested in writing and mental training
0:27:27 – Shame Theory, and Fear of Failure
0:30:43 – How the mental aspect of training is overlooked, and diving into movement, emotions, and thoughts
0:34:03 – How to tackle fear of falling, scripts, working on one thing at a time, and the arsenal of uneventful falls
0:39:16 – The story of the woman in The Gunks, and understanding irrational fear
0:42:29 – Debunking scripts
0:45:40 – The script that was holding Don back when he was one-hanging routes in Rifle
0:47:49 – Don’s mantra, and “one move at a time”
0:52:20 – Pre-climb ritual
0:56:38 – Don’s first breakthrough with his mental game
0:58:11 – Most common unproductive scripts
1:04:23 – The best piece of onsighting advice I’ve gotten
1:05:25 – Opening and closing your focus
1:08:53 – What musical instruments and karate have to do with climbing
1:10:30 – Warmups as a big missed opportunity
1:13:56 – Cocreative coaching with your climbing partner
1:17:43 – Shoulds elicit a shame response
1:21:02 – Recommendations for couples who are also climbing partners
1:23:25 – The area of mental game that I’ve been focused on, more about scripts, and breaking into new grades
1:29:32 – Patron question from Gromstoph: Do you have any strategies for getting comfortable on a route more quickly?
1:33:05 – “Just go find out.”
1:37:29 – Patron question from Caden: Are there any ways to practice commitment with new moves when doing new climbs?
1:40:37 – Main takeaway about mental training
1:41:24 – How to love your sport as you age, play, and innovate
1:46:24 – Why climbing is unique
1:48:06 – Duct tape and baling wire
1:49:40 – Don’s advice for those of us in our 20s and 30s
1:51:52 – Socio-behavioral changes, and employing winning tactics
1:54:28 – Don’s book The Climb
1:56:38 – What’s the next book?
1:57:15 – Don’s writing practice, and how a book develops a life of its own
1:59:01 – Advice from Les Brown: “Every point should have a story, and every story should have a point.”
2:00:41 – Have fun, enjoy the process, and embrace the suck
2:03:30 – Getting inspiration from watching kids
2:04:53 – Inspiration from good coaches, and the book Running With the Buffalo
2:06:25 – What’s next?
2:07:23 – Wrap up, and how to connect with Don
Follow-Up: Dave MacLeod — Lessons From Recent Diet Experiments, the 9a+ Goal, and Getting Stronger After Age 40 (Teaser)
EP 176: Eric Hörst Returns — Top 7 Most Common Training Mistakes
EP 175: Ady Wright — The Pressure of Opportunity, Acts of Rebellion, and Eating Oreos for Breakfast
EP 174: Bernd Zangerl — Developing World-Class Bouldering in the Himalayas, Entering the Easiness, and the Power of the Mind
Follow-Up: Hazel Findlay — Top 3 Performance Hacks (Teaser)
EP 173: Louis Parkinson — How to Break Down Dynamic Movements, the Benefits of Indoor Climbing, and Cultivating Confidence
EP 172: Brittany Leavitt — Seeking Change in Climbing, Unmasking, and Top Lessons From Teaching Kids
EP 171: Leo Houlding — A Life of Adventure, Climbing Big Walls With Kids, and Epic Stories From El Cap
BONUS: Ron Kauk — Spiritual Revolution for Evolution
EP 170: Karly Rager & Casey Elliott — What the Data Says About Weight, Height, and Ape Index, and Which Metrics Matter for Climbing Performance
Follow-Up: Steve Bechtel — Active Recovery: Everything You Need to Know (Teaser)
EP 169: Scott Johnston — A Masterclass in Training Principles, and Why Boulderers Should Train Their Aerobic System
Climbing Gold — Hot Henry
EP 167: Alex Honnold — Epic Solos That Nobody Heard About, Near Misses, and Sh*tting His Pants While Free Soloing
EP 166: Will Bosi — Sending ‘Burden of Dreams’ V17, Dream Projects, and Functional Finger Strength vs. Party Tricks
Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Sending ‘Spectre’ V14, and Breaking Down Crux Moves (Teaser)
EP 165: Charlie Schreiber — Asking "Why", Squeezing Lemons, and How to Have a Good Poop in the Morning, Every Time
EP 164: Melina Costanza — Why Eating Food Makes You Awesome, Competing to Win vs. Not Lose, and Fun Facts With Melina
Follow-Up: Matt Heyliger — How I Rehabbed My Bicep Tendon Injury, and How to Make the Transition From Rehab Back to Training (Teaser)
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