Entries RSSRunning has always been my sport of choice. I have come to rely heavily on the solitude and sense of peace it provides. In fact, there has never been a problem I encountered which I could not solve with a pair of good running shoes and an open path. A firm believer in independence and using exercise for purely selfish reasons, I never saw any reason to modify my habits. That is, of course, until I was introduced to the sport of climbing.
It was not long after a few sessions of climbing with various partners that I began to question to role of relationships in climbing. Sure I loved the graceful movements and spatial problem-solving presented by climbing, but I soon began to love the social and emotional elements as well. For instance, I once had a climbing partner early in my career who told me the he preferred “not to use verbal cues” when reaching the top of a climb. A novice to the sport, I thought this normal, perhaps. Once I began to test out different partners for the sport, both men and women, my ignorance was no longer bliss. Clearly this was a very intricate sport, which every individual approached with a different set of standards and expectations. In every climbing session (in or outside) I started demanding healthy communication. I wanted a partner who saw safety as the number one priority and who was bold enough to communicate all aspects of the climbing process. And yes, there have been many times in which my partner has called me out on my unsafe behavior. Whether s/he is trying to improve my ability or to simply keep me from physical danger, I valued this relationship.
Having been a climber for only a few years, I still have many questions as to how these relationships work. Sometimes I wonder if my partner wants to date me, or how people who work well together can become climbing partners despite vast differences in skill levels. Sometimes I even wonder why people climb. Perhaps it will take me years to have some of these questions answered. However, the one certainty I have is that this great big world in which we live is filled with many awesome athletic opportunities as well as many awesome people. While I will always have a soft spot in my heart for running alone, I am beginning to open myself to the possibilities of new sports and new relationships. After all, we were created as social beings with a thirst for companionship. What form that companionship takes is individual, but the certainty is that we feel more fulfilled when we find it.
