Light the stove

I was recently reading an article about motivation, and how action leads to motivation, rather than the other way around. As a slow learner, it seems I have to be reminded of this frequently. While it is true that having a big goal is a great way for me to structure my training and habits, there are times when that big goal isn’t enough to help me decide exactly what I should do now. I’ve wasted a lot of time watching youtube videos, reading trip reports, blasting heavy music (ok, this one isn’t really a waste, but it can be better taken advantage of), and drinking yet another cup of coffee, only to be even more ambivalent about what action to take in the moment. It’s taken me years to develop better habits that work for me to stay on track towards what I want to accomplish.

One of my reminders for this concept is “light the stove.” It’s been said that sometimes the best mountaineer is the one who gets up and lights the stove. Success does not come unless you start, and starting is often tedious and unpleasant, or just plain scary. Most of us can picture that moment of stepping onto the summit, or crossing the finish line. We can imagine how fulfilling that moment will be. But it won’t happen if you don’t climb out of your nice warm sleeping bag and light the stove. This idea applies to everyday life. To accomplish big goals there will be a lot of pretty boring days that don’t seem to matter, but when these days stack up they can take us to the great heights we dream of. Tending to the small habits and processes that are essential to long term improvement takes time, and may not seem like fun, but they can be. Here are a few simple habits I’ve adopted to start my days off in a good direction, and even find joy in what might seem terribly trivial. Maybe they can help you develop your own positive habits.

1) Roll out the mat. The first thing I do after I get out of bed in the morning is throw the magical Moka pot on the stove for the all important coffee. I’m an addict, I can admit that. I know it takes about seven minutes to brew. In that time I roll out my yoga mat and sit down. I’ll start in child’s pose or cat/cow and move VERY slowly. Sometimes I won’t move at all, but I get on the mat. I pay attention to my breathing and how I feel (which is usually pretty terrible until I’ve moved some more). I’ll slide into downward dog and then a couple of sun salutations. By this time the coffee is ready, and I’ll sip in between a few basic postures. This whole process takes around thirty minutes, and after that I usually feel pretty good. Contrast that with waking up and staring at my phone looking for inspiration, and there is no question which of those habits makes for a better start to my day. A hardcore yogi might scoff at the idea of ingesting a stimulant while only practicing a few simple postures for a mere half an hour, but it beats frying my brain and my neck posture while I stare at people far more flexible than myself on youtube while I try to find inspiration to do yoga. I find this slow, movement based approach will often make it easier and more obvious what I should do next.

2) Manipulate things. So much of what we do these days involves staring at a screen and processing information. It’s just a necessary evil for most of us. For myself, someone that spends too much time deep in my own mind anyway, this can lead to some lousy downward spirals. If work is requiring screen time, but I keep getting distracted and dreaming of backpacking trips, then it’s time to get away from the screen and manipulate something tangible. Often these things are laughably simple, but seem to have the effect of bringing me back to the present and reminding me how lucky I am. I’ll repair a hole in a pair of pants or a pack. I’ll wash a load of clothes, or put some chain lube on my bike and adjust the brakes. Waxing skis, inspecting and organizing climbing gear, changing the oil in my car, a quick strength workout, most anything works so long as I actually pay attention to what I’m doing, instead just trying to get the chore done so that I can get back to my fantasy world of imagined adventure. Focusing on what I have (A roof over my head! Clean water on demand! Food and warmth!), instead of what I don’t (I wish I was in Pakistan putting up a first ascent on an unclimbed 7,000 meter peak like the Frenchies in this youtube video. My life is SO lame.) usually makes me more content with life, and more capable of actually planning and executing my own scaled down versions of big adventures.

3) Time outside. Clearly this list is not in order of importance, because this is the most important one for me. Usually I’m lucky enough to have a one hour minimum for my daily run, ski or hike. For me this is about how long it takes to get warmed up, and then get in some sort of groove. Some days I can make due with less, and most days I crave more, but carving this time into my day makes all the difference. I think those of us that are used to big, intense doses of nature sometimes forget how valuable small but frequent exposure is. At the moment I have an injury that forces more off days than I care to admit. I’ve had to come up with some alternative ways to get my little nature fix. One of these is walking outside my front door as soon as I get out of bed, often barefoot. You’re damn right that concrete is cold! But the morning light is usually beautiful and there are often birds and deer to watch. There are trees. wind, and so many other sensory stimulations that make me feel more alive than I ever can indoors. And my cold feet only have to make it those seven minutes until I go back inside to enjoy my coffee and yoga mat. Because I already lit the stove.

Curiosity

“The essence of life is ascent. Ascent is love. The essence of ascent is balance. Creativity is the essence of balance.” Voytek Kurtyka

I’ve used the line “ascent is life” for many years now. It is my favorite metaphor for life. Life is one long climb, and we never reach the top. Why bother? Well, I would add “Curiosity is the essence of creativity” to what Voytek said. I’m very curious. What will we find along the way on this climb? That curiosity has led me to some amazing highs and some devastating lows, but I still want to ascend. Curiosity is what brought me to endurance sports and it’s where I feel most creative. What can I do? How far can I go? What will I learn? Now my curiosity is leading me to help others on their journeys. I want to help people unleash their own creativity and find balance.

I was hesitant to get into coaching, because I disagree with the way it is usually practiced. Like much of western medicine, coaching can be too reductionist and mechanistic. People are highly complex. Especially as we push into higher training loads and longer events, the psychological aspects become paramount. Very quickly an athlete is beyond the realm of sports science as it is usually practiced. However, after many years of reading everything I can get my hands on to better my own training, and discussing ideas with fellow athletes and coaches, I believe I have a unique skill set to offer guidance to endurance athletes. A good coach must have a depth of knowledge of physiology. Psychology may be just as important. When we enter the realm of mountain sports, add to that list a knowledge of high altitude, clothing, gear, weather, navigation and tactics. Top that off with years of first hand experience. I have this experience, but more importantly, I can listen and relate to others to apply this knowledge to an individual situation. Blending these myriad and sometimes disparate factors can be challenging, but curiosity can lead to creativity, which in turn leads to that elusive balance.

I want you to find a goal that you’re passionate about. One that scares you, but keeps calling to you. One that will challenge you, and bring out the best in you, and even then will only be on the margin of possibility. I want you to be ready to fail, but willing to give everything to succeed. I want to help you with this process, and most of all I want you to find your own love of ascent.