Training when life gets chaotic

Before applying to graduate school, I anticipated the future: hours spent in clinical, working full time, and endless homework. Even though I was ready for this step in my career, I wondered how, or if, I could climb and train, let alone continue to improve in my climbing. 

When I was in my undergraduate nursing school program, I did not understand how to balance the new demands of life. I became obsessed with studying as much as I could, thinking it was necessary for academic success. I also only had access to the small college climbing wall, killing motivation for the sport. Ultimately, I did not invest in climbing at this time, thinking I needed the time for school, but consequently, I was out of shape and felt unhealthy. 

My experience made me apprehensive about my ability to balance several responsibilities. Zane instilled confidence in me that I would find a routine that allowed me to focus on my academics, work full time, and train and improve in my climbing. A Reddit thread written by a strong, local Salt Lake City climber expressed how he broke through a plateau while climbing in graduate school. It felt counter-intuitive; how could less time and a busier schedule improve athletic performance? 

Over the past three years of graduate school, I learned that a busy schedule forces you to be more intentional and productive with your time. I used to do three to four-hour gym climbing sessions, thinking this was the time I needed to climb as much as I should. Once I was in school, sessions were usually shorter but more structured. Zane helped me identify weaknesses in my climbing and structured sessions with climbing drills or weighted exercises that targeted these weaknesses. On top of that, I had a home workout setup consisting of a hangboard and some weights. I would hang-board in the morning (or sometimes evenings) twice to three times a week. I climbed the best in the gym were when I did ‘two-a-days,’ or a hang-board workout in the morning and a shorter climbing session in the afternoon. My ideal setup would be a home wall, allowing you to do 30 to 60-minute sessions twice or multiple times daily (a life goal). Frequent short sessions were vital in seeing continued improvements in my climbing. 

Each semester varied, but in the thick of it, I had to complete about 200 clinical hours per term on top of two to three intense courses while working full-time. During some stretches, I was at the hospital five days in a row, working 12-hour shifts. One month I was at the hospital for about 20 of the 30 days. To stay motivated, I had trips planned that created goals and a purpose for my climbing. During these busiest stretches, I had to find any time in the day I could work out, just like how I functioned to get my homework done. Often, I would wake up early before work (around 5:30 am) to get in a hang-board workout or hit the gym in the evening after clinical if possible. Handboarding usually took me about 30 minutes so it was easier to incorporate in any day. Some days, I went to the gym at night after working all day and felt slow, unmotivated, and like there was little return, but something was better than nothing. 

One of the most prominent strategies was setting goals and believing that climbing and training (or any exercise) was a priority for my mental and physical well-being. Too often in American society, people prioritize their careers or academics above all else, putting exercise on the back burner. The day before almost every exam, I wanted to study more to ease my test anxiety, but I always forced myself to go to the gym for at least a short session. During this valuable time, I often listened to podcasts about the topics on the exam, studying in a new way. Usually, I felt like I could focus better after working out or get work done faster. In the moment, though, choosing to go to the gym was sometimes forced, and it was even uncomfortable. 

The thing that kept me going during this busy time was having trips to look forward to between semesters. The two to three-week trips were a great reset. I noticed continued climbing improvements despite my busy schedule. I was beginning to do climbs that were once a project grade, or my upper limit ability, quickly, and I could do more challenging boulders. 

With this being said, having a support system at home was instrumental in making this balance work. Zane helped me plan my training blocks and provided motivation, on top of grocery shopping and preparing almost every meal I ate. It would have been harder to maintain this schedule without his support. 

I am also not endorsing the "hustle culture." It is equally essential to find balance and rest. I found joy in climbing training, making it a priority. In order to meet my goals, I also had to create space for it despite my busy schedule. This meant making time for it amongst school and studies but also saying 'no' at times. Occasionally, I would have to say 'no' to timely social engagements and outings. Setting boundaries and learning to say 'no' is essential when maintaining healthy relationships with friends, family, and even in a professional setting. 

Here is a summary of lessons I have learned and instilled in my daily routines over the past few years. I plan to apply these concepts to other times when inevitable chaos strikes again. 

• Less is often more. 

What is the benefit of a super long gym climbing session? Frequent shorter sessions (even an hour to hour ½) were key. 

I used to study for 8 hours straight as an undergraduate before exams. In nurse 

practitioner school, I held myself to going to the gym a day before an exam. In 

general, when I worked out regularly, I found that I was able to focus better and work 

more efficiently. 

• Have a plan and goal for your workout beforehand, and find intention in your routines. 

Working on weaknesses and having a structured training block was helpful in my climbing. I was bad at this, but Zane helped me plan my week and daily schedule, so I had a sense of what days I could climb in a given week and what my plan was once I went to the gym. 

• Set goals. 

Planning climbing trips kept me motivated. Having climbs you want to try to send, or even training metrics you want to meet could help. 

• Prioritize your health and movement. 

This was key! I would have been less anxious initially a lot of times if I let myself skip the 

gym since studying more or perfecting my work could become an endless pursuit. Ultimately, these patterns in nursing school made me unhealthy and unhappy. 

Exercise became as crucial as my midnight deadline for my paper or my scheduled  shifts. With this    mentality, it became easier to incorporate it into my life and look forward to this time. This could also be said for sleep and diet. Of course, you can not be perfect, and often something has to give during busy phases of life, but living intentionally helps. 

• Find ways to use the time you have. 

I often found it helpful to multitask. I would listen to podcasts in the gym or lectures while doing hang-board workouts. While I rested between climbs, I sometimes read notes or studied. 

On days I worked my 12-hour work shifts or clinical shifts, I often completed a quiz in the morning or did an hour or so of homework after my shift in the evening. 

The same could be said for a busy career. If you have an hour lunch break, could you walk for 30 minutes?