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
EP 220: Alannah Yip (Olympian) — Alopecia, Finding Power Beyond Hair Loss, and Her Fight Against Disordered Eating
EP 219: Fitz Cahall (The Dirtbag Diaries, Climbing Gold) — A Lifetime of Storytelling, Taking Authorship of Your Time, and Being Pro But Not Fancy
EP 218: Mat Wright — Sending One of the World's Hardest Trad Climbs, 'Rhapsody' E11
EP 217: A Masterclass in Relieving Stress, Sleeping Better, & Improving Focus Using Self-Hypnosis — Dr. David Spiegel (Stanford Psychiatrist)
EXTRA: Maddy Cope — A Masterclass in Endurance Training
EP 216: Maddy Cope — Erase Your Bucket List, Embrace Discomfort, and Discover the Joy of Missing Out
EP 215: Nathan Williams — Lessons From 100+ Days on a V17, the Simplest Way to Get Strong Fingers, and Static Shenanigans
EP 214: How to Find Contentment in Your Climbing, Banish Shame, and Send Harder Than Ever — Neely Quinn (TrainingBeta, Life Coach)
EP 213: Simon Lorenzi — Three V17s, the Fascinating Story Behind ‘Soudain Seul’, and Dream V18 Projects
EP 212: Filmmaker Carlos Mason on Creating SENDING — A Look Behind the Scenes at One of My Favorite Climbing Films
EP 211: Davis Ngo (dr.climb) — Blowing Up on Instagram, Why Pro Climbers Deserve to Get Paid, and Overcoming Fear After Injury
EP 210: Stefano Ghisolfi — Chasing the Impossible, Using Humor to Send, and Two Drills for Legendary Endurance
EP 209: Graham Zimmerman — Going to the Mountains to Learn, the 100-Year Plan, and Imperfect Advocacy
EP 208: Jesse Grupper — Optimistic Training, Last Place to Olympian, and Leveling Up His Bouldering
SEND ALERT: Will Bosi — ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ V17, and What He Plans to Try Next!
EP 207: How to Rehab Finger Injuries, Build Bulletproof Wrists & Elbows, and Never Get Injured Again — Paul Houghoughi (The Climbing Physio)
EP 206: Building a Perfect Replica of ‘The Big Island’ V15, Training on Your Projects, and the Ideal Circuit — Charlie Schreiber Returns
SEND ALERT: Kai Lightner — ‘Life of Villains’ 9a, Not Rushing the Process, and Building Jamaica’s First Climbing Wall
EP 205: Adrian Vanoni — Finger Crack Wizardry, Blue Collar Sending, and Lucid Dreams About Beta
EP 204: Anak Verhoeven — How to Build 9a Endurance, Why Motivation Trumps Fancy Facilities, and Being Public About Her Faith
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