[comPiler]

My return to the wood…
16 July 2014, 1:25 pm

2 years ago I went to Magic Wood for the first time ever. I spent a few days climbing in the beautiful setting, totally overwhelmed and incredibly motivated by the volume of rock. In the evening on my third day out climbing I jumped off a boulder, I should note that I landed perfectly, no sketchy spotting or bad mat placement, and I broke my leg. An incident that, ironically, transformed me into a much better climber.

I was both excited and reluctant about returning. My emotions were confused with those coming from finishing the bouldering World Cup series. I arrived in Andeer, Switzerland wanting to sleep, eat and sunbathe. Climbing was the reason we were there but it was my two week break, my holiday after such an intense period. Motivation was a little difficult to muster initially. My life had been so fast paced, organised and tiring. Finally I had the opportunity to stop, rest and be in just one place for 2 weeks. Luxury.

We arrived to a very wet scene. Apparently it had been really dry for the past months and the farmers were welcoming the rain. We did not share their joy. Our first week was better than the forecast suggested. Things were often damp and it rained a fair bit. We were able to take strategic rest days and take advantage of the cooler conditions brought by the showers. During my first days out climbing I remembered why I had a deep desire to return to the place. Nostalgia around every corner and unfinished business drawing my psyche to the surface. There were two boulder problems on my tick list. Both had tested me 2 years before. Both I longed to finish. The first Piranja.On my first attempt of this problem I fell slightly short on the crux move and landed in a frustrated heap. I pulled back on immediately, doing the move quite easily I got to the final jug and let go. This was the moment that my leg snapped. I have an extremely vivid memory of that moment. The pain pulsing and my desire for it to stop so I could have another go. It didn’t. Instead I spent the next hour being carried out of the forest by my good friend Ged and the remainder of the evening in hospital at the comically named department ‘Notfall’.

It was important for me to go back to Piranja. To finish it and close that door. It took me longer than I expected to do the climb. Being so absorbed in my emotions surrounding the boulder problem I had forgotten that it is actually quite hard. I had to try hard to get up it physically as well as mentally. I did it. I jumped down once again. A distinct and welcome sense of satisfaction followed me around for the remainder of the day.

A couple of days later I manage to send the second boulder problem on my tick list. One Summer In Paradise. This boulder problem stuck with me for 2 years. In the back of my mind distant but clear. Trying this problem again was a little like seeing an old friend after a period of absence when it’s like nothing has changed and you sit down and chat for hours. I remembered every move, every foot hold and my motivation was right there waiting for me too. After one session reacquainting myself with the moves I managed to finish it on my second try from the start, the first time I forgot my sequence and ended up giggling my way off the rock.

Once that was done I was a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong I was psyched out of my mind to do the problem but it lacked the fight I had been craving. Rock Climbing to me is a way to test myself. I enjoy pushing myself. I love the feeling of completing something that you have worked really hard for. I was telling the truth when I said there were only two boulders on my tick list but what I didn’t mention earlier was my wish list. At the top of that list stood New Base Line. 8B+, V14, Hard. I had promised myself that I would at least try the boulder.

Simply putting bouldering mats beneath an 8B+ so that I could try it was kind of daunting. I was afraid to try. I didn’t know what to expect. This was the first time ever that I was going to try and climb something that hard. I felt the holds, they were not very good. But what had I expected? Jugs? I was hesitant and reluctant to put my shoes on. Ned quickly pushed all of my uneasiness aside and helped me find the confidence to not only try but figure out and complete almost all of the moves.

The sequence on this boulder problem was complicated and intricate for me. I had to figure out precise beta for all of the moves and work really hard to remember it when trying my best not to fall off. Once I had done the boulder in sections I knew it was possible and it was terrifying. Knowing that something is possible sparks a new head battle. My first session trying the climb from the start I stepped off near the end. It was a cold day and my hands were numb. I felt tired. It was a committing move and I was scared to fall. I was furious at myself. Anger and disappointment brought tears to my eyes. How could I just step off.

It rained for the next three days. The possibility of it drying before I left to go home seeming more and more unlikely. Leaving it unfinished seeming more and more imminent. On Saturday 12th July I woke up after one of the worst nights sleep I have ever had. We went to the forest filled with optimism and hope. Only to be rewarded with wet rock. This was it. My last chance and I couldn’t even try. I spent the next few hours attempting to find psyche and motivation to try some other boulders with Ned but I couldn’t. There was a small part of me that was still optimistic, maybe it could dry. It was due to rain again in the late afternoon but the sun was out and there was a breeze, albeit a slight pathetic breeze but it was there.

We went back up the hill to find only one hold remained wet. It was crazy! Just hours before it was dripping. Suddenly I had a chance. To say the day was an emotional roller coaster is a slight understatement. This was not helped when I once again stepped off the boulder problem at the same move that had challenged me last time. I am always amazed at the psychological battles climbing presents. On my second attempt I was ready, I wanted to commit, I wanted to at least try to commit. But messed up the beta and fell off flustered and annoyed I didn’t even get to try on the move that had been challenging me. I had made so much progress and got so close. Surely I could leave pleased with myself? Luckily I didn’t have to face that ending. On my next attempt I got through the start quicker and more efficiently than ever before. I reached my crux and without hesitation threw as hard as I could to the next hold. I proceed to get extremely flustered, squealing and panicking as I topped out. It still hasn’t sunk in. I have watched the video over and over on my phone. The squealing is rather amusing actually. As was the 10 minutes following my ascent as I tried to get down off the boulder. Luckily that wasn’t caught on camera.

Astronautenfieber – A really fun but slightly scary 8a!



One Summer In Paradise-





Exploring Switzerland on rainy days -





Ned





Prianja -



Right Hand of Darkness – 8a



NEW BASE LINE!!!!!!!!















 











Ned flashing Jacks Broken Heart – 8a+







 

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[comPiler]

Real Life
25 September 2014, 9:01 pm

So I am finally sitting down and writing. I have been putting this off for quite some time now through fear of sounding like I am moaning and complaining. But that’s pretty much exactly what I am about to do. I try to be as honest as possible with my blog posts and this is the reason I have been reluctant to write. Over the past few months I have been struggling with niggles and injuries. Some small and simply irritating and others leaving me unable to climb at all.

My life has been incredibly fast paced this year. With my busiest competition season to date and my attempts to squeeze in as much rock climbing as possible I didn’t have much time to do anything else. Especially not get injured. The World Cup season was incredibly intense. 8 World Cups in just 11 weeks! Countless hours spent travelling and on the go. I think it would be hard not to get worn out or injured. We demand a lot from our bodies over the World Cup period. Thankfully I didn’t get any serious injuries during the season, just little niggles that were mildly hindering and irritating.

After the World Cup season finished I escaped to Magic Wood. Although the bad weather there was incredibly frustrating it actually allowed me to take a good chunk of rest. We only managed to climb on 6 of the 14 days we spent in Switzerland. I returned to the UK excited by my achievements on rock in that time but I was also massively unmotivated to train again. I worked hard with my coach to break down the World Cup season, clear my head and focus again. With the help of my training partner I found my psyche and felt ready to prepare for the World Championships. It was the last big comp of the year and my enthusiasm to train was back in full force. My first session back on the training plan brought all of my positivity, motivation and psyche to it’s highest high until one move flipped everything. It was a really hard shoulder move and I came up a little short for the next hold. As my feet hit the mat an unfamiliar sensation of discomfort began to pulse in my shoulder. As the evening progressed so did my frustration and the pain.

This was exactly 3 weeks before the World Championships. I spent every minute doing everything possible to try and promote healing. I saw my physiotherapist every few days and got massages from my sport therapist as often as possible. Initially I was unable to move my arm without pain. I couldn’t even lift a glass of water! There is no nice way to put it. Dealing with injury sucks! It’s like someone putting all of your emotions in a mixer and putting it on full speed. I went from positive, happy, cheery Shauna to negative, grumpy, teary Shauna multiple times every day. Each morning meant it was one day closer to the World Championships. I felt like my life was on fast forward. The event got closer and closer way too quickly. Some days I made progress and other days I would push it too far with my rehab exercises and take a step backwards. It was an agonising and tormenting process.

My coach was involved in every aspect. Taking time to attend physiotherapy appointments with me, meeting with my sports therapist and talking to me every day. I am incredibly lucky to have someone so dedicated and passionate to help me through the hard times. I appreciate that many people don’t have this luxury. But I was the only person who knew how it felt. The big decision was left until the very last minute. To compete or not… Together we made the decision to go.

I had not appreciated how much all of this played with my head. Thinking back now I feel rather stupid that I assumed I could turn up after 3 weeks off, with an injury and expect perform at my best. I knew I could climb. It was painful and irritating but I was strong and capable so I knew I could do the boulders. Before I injured my shoulder I was at my strongest and fittest. I was climbing well and most importantly I felt good. It was not my physical state that hindered me. 3 weeks is not long. I didn’t lose much strength or fitness but I had not prepared for the psychological effects.

This injury was simply unlucky. I don’t think it could have been avoided. I just got into an awkward position and pushed it a little too hard. I have thought a lot about how and why this happened but I have finally accepted that it was just unfortunate. I think this actually makes it even more frustrating! It was unavoidable. The weeks following Munich were full of ups and downs too. I had to take more time off, get more treatment and continue rehab. To make things worse the weather in the UK was amazing and all I wanted to do was get out and potter on the grit. I remained positive. I was determined to get fixed up and find my love for climbing again. I had some really fun sessions outside jumping around on slabs and doing some easy classics with Ned before I turned my attention to competing at my very last event of the year, Adidas Rockstars.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about going to another competition. I was ready to welcome the end of the season with open arms. Embrace the break and not worry about all of the pressures and stress that are unavoidable in competition climbing. I was scared that I wouldn’t be in the right mind set for Adidas Rockstars. However, my fear was replaced with relief as the invigorating buzz of excitement and anticipation hit me on my journey to the airport. The very last competition of the year and the very best event too! Adidas Rockstars isn’t like other competitions. It’s at a whole new standard. From the moment the athletes arrive they are treated like rockstars. Or how I imagine rockstars are treated. You get put up in the Hilton, with treats waiting for you in your room, a huge goody bag when you register and you are fed and watered throughout the entire weekend.

The day before the event I headed out with some fellow Adidas athletes to check out some of the local bouldering spots. An abrupt end to my session came when I jumped off a boulder and rolled my ankle. I cannot thank Adidas enough for how they handeled with the situation. Within a couple of hours I’d been x-rayed, scanned and diagnosed by the doctors at the local Sports Clinic: Partial ligament ruptures, lots of pain and a big blue ankle. I sat on the bed and felt a rush of relief as they told me it wasn’t broken. But then it was time to try and stand on it… Tears ran down my face and eventually pain won over my determination. I left the clinic on crutches. I was to have my ankle strapped up the next morning. If I could take the pain I could climb.

I woke on the morning of the competition determined. My first challenge was to get to the bathroom without crutches. It took a while but I managed it. The day before I had met with my good friend John Ellison. John founded the charity Climbers Against Cancer after being diagnosed with terminal cancer 2 years ago. John suffers every minute of every day. How could I complain about a sore ankle! I headed into the competition with a smile on my face ready to give whatever I had. The competition was great! Despite not being able to push myself or try as hard as I would have liked to, I had so much fun.

Another Competition over. Another year of competition climbing done. Another injury… I was heading home with yet another injury to deal with. My confidence and positivity were dwindling and I was left wondering what I did to deserve such an unlucky streak. I am really quite good at looking at the positives and accepting the negatives but I can only keep my brave face on for so long. All I want to do right now is go climbing. All I ever want to do is go climbing. There is no magic to dealing with injury. We all know exactly what we are supposed to do with regards to rehab and staying positive but sometimes that is just hard. I am lucky to have so many other things to keep myself occupied. With the Women’s Climbing Symposium coming up this weekend I don’t have much time to think about anything other that the event. Of course I am squeezing in time to do my rehab exercises, ice and elevate

Right. Apologies for my moan and grumble. I promise I am finished now. I know it’s not that bad. I have no serious injury. It’s the end of the season. I have no competitions coming up. And surely I am way overdue a lucky/injury free streak? Aren’t I?

I wish all of you suffering from injury a quick speedy recovery!

 



Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Time to break the silence
1 May 2015, 12:57 pm

Last November my boyfriend and I set out on an adventure to the USA. Travelling around America in a camper van is the idea of a dream holiday for many people and something I had wanted do for quite a while. I didn’t exactly expect to be doing it in the middle of winter and […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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I feel like it’s time to start writing again
10 February 2016, 8:48 pm

Finally I have managed to sit down and get some words out and post them on my website. It has been an incredibly long time since my last post and I feel like it’s time to start writing again. So here it goes… I guess I should start with a little recap on the last […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[SA Chris]

The free camper looks like a win!

http://www.justkampers.com/jkblog/just-kampers-are-proud-to-sponsor-shauna-coxsey-69

[lagerstarfish]

now that's proper sponsorship

result

[SA Chris]

Should have the classic "Ned & Shauna" stickers on the top of the windscreen.

[Will Hunt]

"Shauna Coxsey: Professional Climber"

 

[Fiend]

Nice happy interview, looks like a good deal for both sides.

[comPiler]

Trips to London
18 February 2016, 8:59 pm

It’s been a busy month already. Time really feels like its moving at a very fast pace right now. Does that ever change? In a standard week I do a beastmaker session on a Monday morning and then I drive over to The Climbing Hangar to train in the evening with my coach and Leah. […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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How did you start climbing?
6 March 2016, 9:26 pm

How did you start climbing? It’s the question I have been asked more times than anything else in my life. I don’t get bored telling the tale though. I am constantly asking people how they found the sport as I find it fascinating. I do wish I could remember it more. Much to the surprise […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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CWIF 2016
21 March 2016, 9:57 pm

The Climbing Works International Festival took place last weekend. This competition has a big reputation and rightly so. It’s a gathering of motivated, passionate climbers who come together to have a good laugh at a great event. It’s an opportunity for climbers of all abilities from all over to try a selection of famously tricky […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Ropes Of Maui
11 April 2016, 10:51 pm

I tried Ropes of Maui for the first time a couple of weeks back. I’d been wanting to try it for a while but my free time and the good conditions never aligned. Ned and I really wanted to spend Easter weekend climbing on rocks and luckily the coach agreed. We’d made plans to go […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[Fiend]

 

Yoga doesn't help you climb 8B though....

[Nibile]

Nope.
Dozens of sessions of fingerboarding and board climbing do.

[comPiler]

The 2016 season has started!
22 April 2016, 1:43 pm

So we’re in Tokyo. It’s totally crazy. We’ve been running around the city since we got here; sight seeing, eating yummy food and checking out the climbing gyms. I haven’t really found the time to get any words down about the World Cup last weekend until now. I think I am still processing it. Winning […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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JAPAN!
4 May 2016, 12:05 pm

Sorry it’s taken me so long to post again. I seem to spend my life either sat on an aeroplane or sat in a hotel room so I really don’t have a valid excuse for not getting my words out quicker. Time just seems to be going by so fast yet thinking back to when […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[Three Nine]

Shauna clearly doesn't need no stupid keto diet to be the best!

[standard]

Must be the acro yoga.

[comPiler]

Chongqing, China
13 May 2016, 2:10 pm

We’ve just arrived in India for the fourth World Cup of the season so I figured it was about time I got some thoughts down about the last World Cup two weekends ago in Chongqing, China. Thinking back it’s hard to remember anything but the heat and humidity. It was an incredibly challenging round. The […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[comPiler]

Mumbai, India
18 May 2016, 7:18 pm

I’d always liked the idea of visiting India. I’d looked into travelling there a couple of times but no plans ever came to fruition. I was quite excited and also a little surprised to hear that there was going to be a World Cup in Mumbai. However, once again the packed calendar would not allow […]

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[SA Chris]

The warm up wall was outside, there were some fans pointing at the wall but it was still unbearably hot

I totally misread this, and though what the hell were they letting fans in there for.

[Coops_13]

The warm up wall was outside, there were some fans pointing at the wall but it was still unbearably hot

I totally misread this, and though what the hell were they letting fans in there for.

I thought she'd got lost and they were helping her find the way!

[Muenchener]

Beta sprayers are everywhere

[Grubes]

It was also incredibly shocking and humbling to see first hand the poverty and distress that is so prevalent in India. Walking to the venue was a sobering experience. I had been told to prepare myself for the sights but there’s nothing that can prepare you.

This was my biggest issue when I was working in India. I saw some of the workers areas of abu dhabi which were pretty bad and I had been to many areas of china and seen the poverty, but india was a whole new level.
The people I met were lovely and the food was amazing but it the memory that sticks in my mind most is sitting in a car with a stick thin women and here thin baby tapping on the window begging for food only to have our driver say something aggressive in the local tongue.
The first thing I said when I came back was why would you ever go there on holiday?