Carlos Tkacz returns and is joined by his partner Steph Letourneau for a sitdown here in Rocklands. We talked about their diet habits, lessons from their 7 trips to Rocklands, learning to try harder, comparison games, respecting the difficulty of climbing, being good at being consistent, balancing your carbon footprint, making the most of a climbing trip to South Africa, writing novels, and much more!
Check out AG1!
drinkAG1.com/NUGGET
Use this link to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!
Check out Crimpd!
crimpd.com
Or download the Crimpd app!
Check out Rumpl!
rumpl.com/nugget
Use code "NUGGET" at checkout for 10% off your first order!
Check out Wonderful Pistachios!
WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!
Check out Rocky Talkie!
RockyTalkie.com/Nugget
Use this link to get 10% off your first order of backcountry radios!
We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:
Become a Patron:
patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing
Carlos's Previous Episode:
EP 58: Carlos Tkacz
Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/carlos-and-steph
Nuggets:
0:03:36 – Breakfast and food habits
0:06:24 – Trading climbing days with your partner
0:08:48 – Resting more to climb harder
0:11:01 – 7 trips to Rocklands apiece, and how to make long flights better
0:13:12 – Teaching and going back to school
0:19:01 – Why Carlos and Steph keep coming back to Rocklands year after year
0:21:23 – Steph’s experience on her first trip to Rocklands, and why both of them prefer bouldering to trad climbing
0:28:01 – Describing Rocklands’ style, Carlos’ first 8B ‘Monkey Business', and learning to try harder
0:33:10 – Steph’s lesson in trying hard, practicing her yell in the car, and getting hyped on Adele
0:37:21 – Carlos' experience watching a guy yell in Thailand, Coach Carlos, and asking if people want feedback
0:39:50 – Steph’s send of ‘Ghost in the Darkness’ 7C/+, and trying ‘Caroline’ 7C+
0:43:02 – Carlos’ tick list from the trip, sending ‘Airstar’ 8B, and reconnecting with the joy of climbing
0:46:16 – What helped Carlos change his mindset, and sending ‘Into the Void’ 8B
0:50:01 – Sending ‘Airstar’, and drawing inspiration from “the kids”
0:52:36 – Favorite Rocklands films
0:57:21 – Struggling with comparison games, respecting the difficulty of climbing, and doing your best
1:07:35 – Climbing is centralizing, and mental energy as a finite resource
1:09:42 – Unpacking my feelings about not progressing quickly enough, and our American obsession with speed
1:12:21 – Being good at being consistent
1:14:12 – Dopamine hits vs. building relationships with climbs
1:19:22 – Growing as a climber in Rocklands, and the stories we tell ourselves
1:22:13 – My shift in mindset in Rocklands, and redefining a lifetime worth of climbing
1:24:47 – Steph talks about how every season in Rocklands is a completely different experience
1:27:02 – Getting the most out of the experience in South Africa, and learning about the place and its history and politics
1:35:27 – Taking breaks from climbing to have other experiences
1:41:53 – Planning the whole year around their Rocklands trips, and doing two 12-week training blocks
1:45:47 – Teaching
1:55:41 – Flying, carbon footprint, and how our brains make shortcuts
2:06:29 – Being a park person, and how we’ve impacted nature
2:09:26 – Steph’s thoughts on climate from a physics perspective, and trying to be carbon neutral on balance
2:16:59 – Offsetting CO2 emissions
2:20:44 – How they fit their 12-week training blocks into a school semester
2:23:27 – The Training Trip, and building a community in Vegas
2:28:59 – Nesting and baby fever
2:33:04 – Training Weight, and the commitment to family
2:36:16 – Carlos’ new book list
2:40:31 – Speculative fiction
2:42:09 – Carlos’ latest book projects, and Steph’s first novel
2:45:59 – Carlos’ horror film
2:48:19 – Steph’s new book project, and where to find her first book
2:49:54 – Publishing a book
2:53:04 – The feedback Steph got from her publisher
2:54:58 – The Day You Became A Better Writer by Scott Adams
2:56:23 – Having a family, ‘Sky’ as the final boss of the 8Bs, and making the horror movie
2:58:24 – Enjoying the process
2:59:40 – What’s next?
EP 190: Josh Champion — Quitting After Sending V13, and Reengaging With Climbing in a Healthier Way
Follow-Up: Martin Keller — Sending V16 at Age 45, Getting More Out of Less, and the Skill of Delayed Gratification (Teaser)
EP 189: Lily Kral — Building a Board Climbing Gym, Exotic Dancing, and Being a Work in Progress
EP 188: Joey Jannsen & Rich Breuner — Underground Hip-Hop, Cage Fighting, and Hustling ‘Til You Make It
EP 187: Stefanie Myr — Miniature Carpentry, Becoming Polyamorous, and Finding “Church” at the Gym
Four Women Have Climbed V15
Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Box Therapy V16, and the Willingness to Persist (Teaser)
EP 186: Q&A 7 (feat. Ethan Pringle) — Rocklands Wrap-Up, Bat Hang Shenanigans, and Challenging Your Perceived Limits
EP 185: Mattias Braach-Maksvytis — All Things Dynos, Why Boulderers Should Train Their Legs, and How to Enjoy Your Climbing
EP 184: Nic Rummel — Embracing Thickness, Lessons From 9 Years of Hangboarding, and Doing Whatever It Takes to Feel Like a Badass
EP 183: Jenn DeBellis — Chasing Dream Boulders, Turning Small Wins Into Big Wins, and Sustaining a Full-Time Job on the Road
EP 181: Charlie Schreiber, Adam Shahar, Noah & Benn Wheeler — Accidentally Flashing V13, Board Training, and Ultimate Dream Sends
EP 180: Troy Fauteux, Austin Hoyt, & Bryce Viola — Times We Almost Died, Toe Hook Training, and Laughs and Sends in Rocklands
EP 179: Cat Runner — Life After Winning The Climb, Embracing Trans Pride, and Sending Big at 5’0”
Follow-Up: Ollie Torr — How to Improve Your Critical Force, Training Endurance at Home, and Listener Q&A (Teaser)
EP 178: Ethan Pringle Returns — Two Things He Does Every Day, Taking Your Time, and Honoring His Dad
EP 177: Tiba Vroom — Confronting Fear of Failure, Being the 8, and Taking Responsibility for Your Life
Follow-Up: Dave MacLeod — Lessons From Recent Diet Experiments, the 9a+ Goal, and Getting Stronger After Age 40 (Teaser)
EP 176: Eric Hörst Returns — Top 7 Most Common Training Mistakes
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The MeatEater Podcast
Bear Grease
The Bear Archery Podcast
Live Wild with Remi Warren
Cal’s Week in Review