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!
Follow-Up. Joe Kinder — Sending 'Mamajamma', and What I Learned from 5 Weeks of Projecting with Joe (Teaser)
EP 117: Yves Gravelle — Lessons From Grip Sports, Basing Your Training on the Demands of Your Goal, and Top 3 Finger Training Methods
EP 116: Paul Robinson — Coming Back From Injuries, Opening Up About Autism, and Working Boulders Top Down
Steven's Blog: Mar '22
Reflections: Mina
Announcing "Reflections" and "Steven's Blog"
Follow-Up: Steve Maisch — Hueco 2022 Debrief (Teaser)
EP 115: Jordan Cannon — The Triple Crown in Yosemite, Big Wall Pooping Stories, and How to Build the Skills to Climb El Capitan
EP 114: Q&A 5 — My Current Finger Training Routine, How to Deal With Bad Body Image, and Golden Nuggets for Newer Climbers
EP 113: Ned Feehally — Beastmaking, Long-Term Finger Training, and Climbing With Ankle Weights
Follow-Up: Steve McClure — Sending ‘Lexicon’ E11, Projecting Tips, and How to Enjoy a Long Life of Climbing (Teaser)
EP 112: Favia Dubyk — Specializing in Lowball Roof Bouldering, Surviving Cancer, and Learning How to Dyno
EP 111: Jerry Moffatt — Being a “Crag Rat”, Developing Your Mental Game, and What the Top Climbers Have in Common
EP 110: “The Verm” Returns — Life Lessons at Age 62, Fun Facts About Birds, and Injury Stories
Follow-Up: Josh Wharton — Attempting to Flash 'Freerider' on El Cap (Teaser)
EP 109: Martin Keller — How to Train on Rock, Your Subconscious Brain, and Lessons from 150+ Days on a Boulder
EP 108: John Sherman — Hueco Tanks in the 80s, Highballing Before Crash Pads, and Adding Layers to the Bouldering Experience
EP 107: Tim Emmett — How to Climb Harder After 40, The Magic Formula for Climbing 9a, and Life Philosophies
Follow-Up: Tom Randall — How to Program Your Training Like a Pro (Teaser)
EP 106: Hans Florine — Speed Climbing on ‘The Nose’, Big Wall Tips, and the Evolution of Speed Climbing Competitions
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