Regression, progression.

Yesterday I failed on a route I quite fancied, and got rather (i.e. very) cross. It was a fairly insignificant route but it was the main route I wanted to do in a whole (albeit very short) afternoon. Plus: Each and every climb, irrespective of quality and worth, is an opportunity to show what quality one's climbing is worth - one practises and forms habits on the insignificant to be ready for, and deserving of, tackling the significant.

I failed in part due to encroaching darkness, but mostly due to fear of falling, fear of commitment, getting pumped, getting scared, going for a foolish clip rather than a sensible move. The same old story, the same old bollox I've been fighting against for the last decade or so, with varying success, and as such a regression.

However, I didn't fail due to: having my heart pounding so badly it juddered me off the rock, being so out of breath I couldn't survive on the route any further, having my vision go funny or feeling nauseous and faint from exhaustion, nor from still being exhausted from short walk-in hours earlier. Thus, in physical terms, a progression!! I was crap because I'm crap not because I'm crippled ;).

The message being: my body can probably take a more aggressive approach on overall improvement, and my mind certainly needs it!!