Your Performance Plateau is all in Your Mind – a Warrior’s Way Training Program

 Belmont, Classes, San Francisco, Sunnyvale  Comments Off
Jan 312013
 

Your Performance Plateau is all in Your Mind
By Arno Ilgner

(Arno discusses what you will learn in his training program in the above audio track).

Planet Granite is proud to host 2 more workshops by Arno!
Space is limited, so don’t wait – sign up today!  Details below.

NEW DATES:
Saturday April 6th – PG San Francisco 8:30am-12:30pm
Sunday April 7th – PG Sunnyvale 8:30am – 12:30pm

  • Sat, March 2nd: Belmont 8:30a-12:30p FULL
  • Sun, March 3rd: Sunnyvale 8:30a-12:30p FULL
  • Sat, March 9th: SF 8:30-12:30p  FULL

WarriorsWaylogo®

So, you’ve hit the dreaded plateau; you’re frustrated. If you had an opportunity to break through it, would you jump at it? What if I offered you a money back guarantee? Here’s your chance. I developed the Warrior’s Way mental training program and will be teaching it at PG in March.

This training addresses falling directly to help improve commitment. We do progressive falling practice, followed by movement, breathing, resting, and body/mind awareness exercises. Finally, you’ll apply everything to a goal route. You’ll leave understanding how to take appropriate risks and how to commit to those risks. That’s a lot to cover in 4 hours. Imagine the benefits, but don’t take my word for it. Read Dennis’ comments below:

“Hey Arno, how’s it going?  Dennis here from your City of Rocks class this past summer.  Let me first say thank you for the amazing course.  All through the Fall I truly focused on implementing the WW methods in my climbing and it made HUGE differences!!!  I went from struggling up 11′s to almost on-sighting 13a.  I didn’t get frustrated with falling or have trouble on routes.  I had more fun climbing than I had in years, simply by implementing the techniques you taught us.   The WW has truly made an impact on my climbing and on my life.  So thank you for spending time with me and Krista at the City.”

130130-Poster-FC_Planet Granite_2013-01

I’m not promising miracles; all progress takes hard work on your part. But, if you know how and what to practice, it makes your progress quicker, more effective, and with less chance of injury.

Check out this falling exercise video from a camp at Red Rocks. Students are instructed to focus on breathing, eye shift, and body position. Yet, students miss many subtleties that only direct coaching corrects, speeding the student’s progress. This is the power of receiving that direct coaching in the ww clinics. We’ll practice the same exercises in the gym that you see in this video, and many more.

In just 4 hours you’ll learn how to:

  • Fall safely
  • Give a dynamic (cushioned) belay
  • Improve focus
  • Create flow and momentum
  • Deal with climbing stress
  • Commit more deliberately
  • Distinguish between no- and yes-fall zones
  • Make appropriate risk decisions
  • Improve body and mind awareness
  • Rest effectively
  • Improve breathing
  • Reduce fear

Don’t delay; spaces are limited; some clinics are already full.

No risk, money back guarantee. If you don’t feel the clinic benefited you, I’ll refund your money.

Register by contacting Arno:
615-406-3404, orders@warriorsway.com, or wwSiteLink
13013-Arno_Gilgamesh-w900-h700
Arno demonstrating his mental fitness.

 

On the 5.7 – the most inspirational climber I know

 Community, Sunnyvale  6 Responses »
Jan 142013
 

On the 5.7 by Evan

DSC_5354

On a cold December morning I watched as the most inspirational climber I know fought his way to the top of yet another climb that seemed impossible only a few weeks before. Tim cruised through the lower section more smoothly than he ever had before, reaching the top of the route, and its previously insurmountable moves, with more energy than either of us had dreamed possible. Just below those crux high steps, Tim rested, chalking up and gathering his resources for the final push into the unknown. Finally, in a sequence of movement that seemed both sudden and prolonged, Tim completed one new move after another and finally found himself at the top of the route.

I have watched climbers send hard routes and boulders, overcome mental challenges, and demonstrate physical strength so far beyond me that it seems superhuman, but none of them ever inspired me more than watching Tim Miller get to the top of that yellow 5.7. You see, Tim has Cerebral Palsy with Spastic Diplegia; basically his brain has a hard time communicating with the muscles in his legs. His nerves are always telling his leg muscles to contract whether he wants them to or not, and when he was 5 years old his doctors told him he would never be able to walk on his own.

DSC_5321

Over the past 6 months, I have discovered the same thing Tim’s doctors did back when he was only a boy. Tim has a relentless drive and determination to achieve his goals, and by the age of 8 he was able to walk. Unfortunately, at such a young age, Tim did not have another goal to pursue that would drive him to improve his ability to use his legs. For many years Tim set his sights on other physical activities like alpine mono skiing and skydiving, and his ability to walk and use his legs remained pretty much the same. His abs and back muscles were weak, and while he worked on his glutes, calves and quads with a personal trainer, many things about balance and leg control remained a mystery.

A few years ago, Tim found a new goal, kite boarding. But kite boarding is a full body challenge and Tim discovered that his legs were not up to the task of maintaining balance while holding a kite even while only standing on the beach. This new challenge kicked Tim’s determination back into high gear and he began to search for ways to improve his body. Improvement was progressing slowly until a chance outing introduced Tim to the sport of rock climbing.

DSC_5329

In the fall of 2011, Tim walked through the doors of Planet Granite in Sunnyvale, CA and into a realm of possibility he had never imagined. From the first, rock climbing stretched the limits of what Tim was able to do with his legs and core muscles. He discovered a multitude of new things that his body could do, and with each visit he noticed improvement in the way he walked and maintained balance. Climbing requires many of the under-used muscle groups of Tim’s lower body to work both separately and in unison, often in ways that are entirely new to him.

In the 15 months since Tim first came to Planet Granite, he has been able to see changes and improvements to his body that he never dreamed possible. Now, among other things, he can comfortably walk down the aisle of an airplane, maintaining balance and stability with his feet much closer together than was ever before possible. His goal of being able to stand up on a kiteboard seems closer than ever. However, despite Tim’s vast reserves of will and desire, he was not able to accomplish all of this on his own.

DSC_5359

Planet Granite is more than just a place to climb or exercise, it is a community as well, and that community has played an essential role in Tim’s physical transformation. From the first, Tim felt accepted and welcomed to the community as “just another climber.” His presence is never questioned, and every climber sees a reflection of his own struggles and triumphs in Tim’s progress on a route. However, there is one person Tim singles out as having had the most impact on him as a climber. When he was looking for a private climbing instructor, everyone on the PG Staff said “you have to talk to Monica!”  Monica had previous experience working with people who have disabilities and she provided Tim with invaluable perspectives as he began to learn more about how his body works and moves. Monica inspired Tim and introduced him to new concepts like motor planning. She helped Tim to understand what sort of developmental phases he had missed and how much he had left to work towards.

DSC_5315

Tim has made great strides in improving the strength and function of his body, and along the way he has become a better climber too. These achievements came through a synthesis of Tim’s own strength of body and will, the intricate and challenging nature of climbing, and the special knowledge and spirit of one of the many exceptional staff members working at Planet Granite. Tim’s kiteboarding goal is closer than ever, but climbing has played a huge role in getting him this close and he says simply, “I’m a climber now.”

Evan Pearce is one of the advanced instructors at Planet Granite in Sunnyvale and has been working with Tim Miller for 6 months.

Big City Mountaineers visits Planet Granite!

 Community, PG Gives Back  Comments Off
Nov 262012
 

120902 - group shot at PG SF

In 2012, as part of our PG Gives Back $1/member/month giving program, Planet Granite donated $10,000 to the Big City Mountaineers (BCM) to get youth climbing!  BCM has visisted Planet Granite a couple times this year, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.  I sat down with Anders, the Program Manager for BCM to talk to him about his kids, the programs and what BCM means to the youth with whom he works.

 

120902 - Learning to Belay with Stephanie

 

What is Big City Mountaineers?  How long has Big City Mountaineers been working in the Bay Area? 

The core Big City Mountaineers program is a week-long wilderness mentoring expedition where urban youth are given the opportunity to experience the beauty and challenges of the wilderness alongside supportive adult mentors.  What had begun as a simple backpacking trip with an urban, at-risk teen 20 years ago has now evolved into a documented and well-tested progression of experiences coupled with opportunities for reflection and learning.

 

120902 - Success!

How does coming to Planet Granite help the kids?

Every group that goes on a week-long backpacking trip with us is required to participate in a single day training to prepare them for the challenges of wilderness travel.  When possible I bring these groups to a  Planet Granite gym.  I can’t think of a better way to work on communication skills, trust, and goal setting than by visiting the climbing gym.  I remember hearing one teen saying to a friend after he was lowered, “Man, I was so freaked out up there, but I knew you had my life in your hands and you wouldn’t drop me…..that was awesome”!

120902 - Belaying is fun - at PGSF

 What do you think your teens loved most about climbing at Planet Granite? 

Getting vertical! Climbing at a gym is like going to one ginormous playground with the rush of adrenaline from being 50 ft off the ground.

 Was there anything that made climbing at Planet Granite special?

The instruction from the staff is just outright awesome.  Every time we come to the gym, PG makes sure that the classes are limited to 4-6 students.  They have developed a very nuanced style of teaching the belay and climbing systems so that even people brand new to the sport can learn to belay!

120902 - Teaching BCM youth to belay

 You mentioned one of the teens expressed an interest in going on the backpacking trip after experiencing climbing, what do you think caused his change of mind?  That’s awesome! 

That’s right, one of the teens said, “before today (visiting the climbing gym) I was nervous about the trip, but you see that you can trust your friends not to drop you, that makes me feel better about going backpacking with everyone here”.  I think when you go to a climbing gym for the first time you need to step outside of your comfort zone in order to get 10 ft off the ground.  Being on a week-long backpacking trip also requires stepping outside one’s comfort zone.  That parallel is easily understood by a teen.  As humans we are shaped by out habits, so if we can get in a habit of challenging ourselves we will more likely seek out those kind of experiences in the future and then really  grow as a person.

 

120902 - group shot at PG Belmont!

 

 Anything else you’d like to add for our members about Big City Mountaineers?   If any are interested in getting involved, how can they help?

We are always looking for motivated volunteers for our weeklong backpacking trips that traditionally run during the summer months.  This year in the winter/spring of 2013 we will also have single day hikes, over-night backpacking trips, and service learning projects doing park clean up and trail restoration in order to get the teens prepared for the weeklong trips.  Ideally, a volunteer participates in all 4 trips, thereby building a strong connection to the teens.

Additionally, we are looking for people who want to participate in the Summit for Someone program, which the main source of funding for BCM.  If you have ever wanted to climb Whitney, Shasta, Rainer, or even Kilimanjaro, and also wants to help get more teens into the wilderness then you should seriously look into SFS.  Every year hundreds of people fundraise for BCM and get to climb some of the most iconic peaks in America (and internationally!).

 In order to get involved as a volunteer, climber, or donor, please visit bigcitymountaineers.org to sign up or look for an upcoming information session at your local Any Mountain, REI, or even Planet Granite!

 It sounds cliché, but we really are changing lives.  Bringing under-served urban teens into the wilderness is the most important thing I have ever done in my 10-year career in the field of outdoor education!  But in order to reach even more Bay Area teens we need as much help as possible!

 

120902 - BCM home base

‘Big City Mountaineers is a non-profit organization that works to instill critical life skills in under-served urban youth through transformative wilderness mentoring experiences.  Our program consists of 4 preparatory single day experiences and culminates with a weeklong expedition.  At this information session you will learn how to get involved either as a volunteer mentor working directly with the teens or as a ‘Summit for Someone’ climber who raises money for our organization while participating in a guided climb of one of many iconic peaks nationally or internationally.  Either way you can be secure knowing that in working with BCM you are helping to get under-served urban youth outdoors!  To learn more check out: www.bigcitymountaineers.org and come on by on one of the following dates’

December 6th, 6:00-7:15pm Any Mountain Berkeley (2777 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA 94705)

December 13th, 6:00-7:15pm Any Mountain Redwood City (928 Whipple Ave. Redwood City, CA 94063)

January 22nd, 6:00-7:15pm REI San Francisco (840 Brannan St. San Francisco, CA 94103)

January 29th, 6:00-7:15pm REI Berkeley (1338 San Pablo Avanue Berkeley, CA 94702)

If these dates and locations do not work out, stay tuned as we will be having Information Sessions in various locations through February.

Please contact: Anders Fistedt

(anders@bigcitymountaineers.org) or 510-558-2795 with any questions or to RSVP