we all forget about the thinking. Thinking doesn't come easily either, but there you go some one once said "theres no such thing as a free lunch"and they were right. I could add that there's nothing free about a Sub 2 hour 35 min marathon, or a poxy standard 8a for that matter. There's definitel a price to pay, but if the price is too expensive we won't even look in the shop window.
I think the price is about 7 hours a week (not for the sub 2hour 40-35) or call it 10 if you don't structure your training very well, because you think thinking is a sweaty activity also.
7 hours isn't much is it? But it is to some. Can you get more out of 7 hours than an 8a, yes maybe, but you would have to be really good, and either think very well, or have a group of people around you who did the thinking for you.
Think about your shoes, think about your feet, then think about friction, then think about placing your foot on the holds correctly. Think about pressing the rubber into the hold, not just on the ledge, but into the holds contours. Engage the rubber.
Think about your weight, sub 2hr 40mins guys and girls look the part! 8a climbers have much more latitude, but it still counts in large amounts.
Next think about how you place that foot where you want! Yoga helps here, a good core helps here. Think about how you reach that high hand hold, bad shoulder mobility and a stiff chest, and breathing at the wrong time will cause you problems. I often suffer from bad shoulder mobility. I also often suffer from not thinking and trying to get more from less! You can't get more miles from a gallon, you have to have a better car for that! In our case our car is our body, we can do maintenance on it. We shouldn't sit down all day getting stiff, and by so doing, shortening some of our muscles. Stretch or do some yoga every day even if it is 5 mins.
If you can't stand on one leg, and put a sock on, like you did when you were a kid, its probably time to understand you need to do more, not less. Maybe less eating. Anyway try it, maybe on a carpeted floor if your hung over!
