Karly Rager is a structural engineer turned climbing coach, and the founder of Project Direct Coaching. We talked about Karly’s background and what led her to start her own coaching business, being a female in two male-dominated industries, mental strategies for developing focus and overcoming fear, transitioning between climbing disciplines, using injuries as opportunities, cultivating longevity in our climbing, valuing coaches more highly, and much more.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/karly-rager
Nuggets:
0:06:11 – Literature, poetry, and public speaking
0:10:07 – Engineering school, and rediscovering art
0:11:37 – Karly’s background, studying engineering and working as a structural engineer, and discovering climbing
0:15:48 – How climbing connects with the engineering and the artistic parts of the brain
0:19:11 – Mentoring friends, and becoming a climbing coach
0:21:52 – Mental strategies for developing focus, and being an observer of your own mind
0:25:53 – Making mental training measurable, and mindfulness practice
0:28:31 – Starting her coaching business (Project Direct), and figuring out which lever to pull
0:31:58 – Developing skills, emersion, and learning vs. performing
0:36:41 – The “Trenches of Transition”, and my (Steven’s) transition from Smith Rock to steep cave climbing
0:39:26 – Having different grade pyramids for different styles of climbing
0:43:51 – Karly’s 4 Pillars, and questions to ask yourself if you are considering getting a coach
0:48:24 – How to get initial coaching experience, Karly’s leap from engineering to coaching, and recommended certifications for climbing coaches
0:53:43 – Stacking her resume, and being female in a male-dominated engineering world
0:58:23 – Being scrutinized as a female climbing coach, standing up for herself, and letting her guard down
1:01:49 – Using respectful language, and Karly’s tip of pretending your email is addressed to a male recipient
1:07:18 – Setbacks in climbing, breaking her leg, and the finite number of tears we have to cry
1:14:30 – My (Steven’s) first finger injury, and the wisdom I got from my roommate
1:17:45 – Using injuries as an opportunity
1:22:47 – My (Steven’s) favorite climbing areas right now, and favorite crags in St. George, UT
1:26:45 – New rock types take time
1:33:01 – Trying to onsight ‘The Rainbow Wall’
1:40:41 – Placing more value on ourselves as climbers and coaches, and being paid based on the scarcity of our skills
1:48:12 – How we value overworking in western society, and why we should be encouraged (and paid well) to do work we enjoy
1:52:56 – Karly’s “zone of genius”
1:54:51 – Cultivating longevity
1:59:36 – The eye contact drill
2:01:50 – Give each skill 8-10 weeks of focus
2:02:35 – Our body’s ability to remember skills and movements
2:04:51 – Different learning styles, using imagery, and using video as a tool
2:12:22 – Karly’s strategies for keeping her coaching businesses sustainable, having set days for specific tasks, and taking time off
2:20:13 – Making coaching more accessible while paying coaches well, and other ways to pay it forward
2:28:00 – Being a mentor and a mentee
2:30:33 – How Karly is currently being a mentee
2:33:46 – Karly’s hope for the climbing industry
EP 79: Tyler Nelson — A Deep Dive Into Blood Flow Restriction (BFR), Finger Training, and Doughnut Eating
EP 78: Jason Kehl — Karate Screams, Chronology of Hairstyles, and Bouldering with Cargo Nets
EP 77: Allison Vest — A Competitor’s Mindset, Fun Challenges, and the Secret to One-Arm Hangs
Follow-Up: Shanjean Lee — Free Climbing El Cap (Teaser)
A Call from Ethan
EP 76: Q&A 2 — Party Tricks vs. Useful Exercises, Training for Long-Term Goals, and Octopus Wrestling
EP 75: John Long — Yosemite Tales, the Love of Writing, and Opening Up About Alcoholism
Follow-Up: William Woodward — Sailing Stories, Vanlife Tips, and How to Wash Dishes (Teaser)
EP 74: Tom Randall on Patience, Finger Training, and the Late Night Climbing Show
EP 73: Kyle O’Meara — Favorite First Ascents, Experience vs. Strength, and Sharing the Love of Climbing
Follow-Up: Katie Lambert — Zebra Stripes, and the Goal to Climb 300 5.13s (Teaser)
EP 72: Eric Hörst (Part 2) — Coaching Kids, Training Slopers and Pinches, and the Science of Collagen
EP 71: Eric Hörst (Part 1) — TV Weather, Campusing vs. Hangboarding, and How to Train Your Core
Follow-Up: Alex Johnson — Sending The Mother F***ing Swarm (Teaser)
EP 70: Steve Maisch — How to Structure a Bouldering Trip, the 85% Rule, and Hueco Debrief
EP 69: Ron Kauk — Hollywood Stories, Camp 4 in the 70s, and Connecting with Mother Nature
Follow-Up: Ken Klein — The 3 Things We Should Be Assessing As Climbers (Teaser)
EP 68: Steve McClure — Hitchhiking Stories, Tenacity vs. Strength, and Making Your Own Luck
EP 67: Heth Jennings — Understanding Pain, Rehabbing Climbing Injuries, and Carb Backloading
Follow-Up: Mercedes Pollmeier — Your Flexibility Questions Answered (Teaser)
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