Melina Costanza swept the US National Championships in October, making one hell of a comeback after her competition break. She returns to the podcast to talk about why Nationals was the hardest competition she has ever done, how to use nerves to focus and thrive, training for Nationals, praising effort, her fueling strategy, gaining weight to be more powerful, Alex Johnson’s hype shirt, balancing training with fueling and mental health, choosing good over perfect, upcoming goals, and much more!
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/melina-costanza-returns
Nuggets:
0:00:00 – Intro/Ads
0:04:40 – Recovery from her foot surgery, and sweeping the National Championships in Boise Idaho
0:07:05 – Trying a new approach with fueling and training
0:08:17 – A message about Melina from Tyson Schoene
0:09:55 – Why Nationals was the hardest competition Melina has ever done, and finding flow in the sport climbing final
0:16:00 – Training primarily for bouldering, and proving to herself that she is a better climber than before
0:21:39 – The limit is higher when you focus on getting stronger vs. lighter
0:23:28 – The nerves and joy of competitions, and a weight lifted
0:29:10 – Training for lead and bouldering at the same time, and her training phases before Nationals
0:34:51 – How she won lead despite her lack of power endurance after getting covid, and the mental side of competition
0:37:11 – Praising her effort more than her performance
0:41:21 – Effort is trainable
0:42:48 – How Melina’s fueling strategy has changed, eating more carbs on comp days, and Sour Patch Kids
0:51:13 – Gaining weight to be more powerful
0:54:06 – What Melina does when she has dark thoughts around eating, and how to know when you’re “overtraining”
0:58:51 – Knowing when to take more rest vs. put your head down and do the work
1:01:51 – Doing every part of your training for a reason
1:06:30 – “You just have to go to win.”
1:10:55 – Coming out last in finals, and pressure as a privilege
1:13:46 – Alex Johnson’s shirt
1:16:03 – Balancing training, fueling, and mental health, and choosing good over perfect
1:19:01 – What Melina would tell others who struggle with eating disorders
1:22:07 – The false promise of success, achieving your goals while being true to who you are, carrying guilt, and giving each other permission to be imperfect
1:27:37 – Surrounding yourself with people who love you unconditionally
1:29:55 – Melina’s goals
1:33:11 – Melina’s thoughts on the Paris Olympics, and the 2028 Olympic games
1:35:56 – Thanks to Melina for bringing us along on her journey
1:37:16 – Check out this week’s Patreon bonus episode for more fun facts with Melina!
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 182: Carlos Tkacz & Steph Letourneau — Lessons From 7 Trips to Rocklands, Being Good at Being Consistent, and Writing Novels
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
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