Jon Cardwell interview

Jon Cardwell

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/jon%20cardwell

Red River Gorge

Bad Girls Club

White Noise, 8C

The Game, 8C

How has your climbing life changed over the years and what are you most psyked for now?
My life in climbing has changed drastically in the last couple years. Before I was traveling all year with no home, searching for anything that was motivating and now I keep a more stable lifestyle in Boulder, Colorado. In a lot of ways it has proved more productive. I work as a route setter and am able to prepare for whatever goals I have easily. It doesn't hurt that I live in one of the most popular bouldering destinations in the world.

My psyche is all over the place, I would just like to enjoy climbing and stay healthy. I think traveling has taught me a lot about who I am and also what I look for in climbing. I know now where my true motivation lies and it makes it easier to stay in one place at a time to prepare and focus on more specific goals.

How much do you work over a year?
I normally work 3 days a week, Tuesday through Thursday. I was also coaching a youth team in 2011 and 2012. I hope to continue coaching in the future.

What is your plan and ambition for 2013?
The plan for 2013 is to travel more but keep a home base in Colorado. There's a few competitions that I'm interested in but the true motivation is on the rock, both sport climbing and bouldering.

I'm also planning on making a couple trips to Europe, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain. I've spent so much time in those places in the past, except Germany, that I'm completely excited to return not only for the climbing but for my friends and culture.

And what about... how is it possible to keep progress for so many years?
I think to keep progressing it's important to have a positive attitude and never loose the excitement to climb. I see people struggle when they are trying too hard, getting frustrated and negative.

It doesn't necessarily mean they are loosing that passion to climb it's simply that they don't enjoy what they're doing. For me, its been key to live a healthy lifestyle and simply don't try to force my ambitions but rather prepare patiently and when everything feels right, give it all I can.

How do you train/climb to get progress, any structured programme?
To begin, my training is always changing. I think that it one of the most important concepts in progression; to always create something new, whether its mental strategy, where you climb, who you climb with, etc. On average, I spend time route setting which always keeps me in basic shape and then I have 4-5 sessions a week indoors, if the weather's bad.

When I'm bouldering, I try to climb with as many climbers as possible. Lately in the last year I climb and train mostly with Matty Hong. He has a great attitude and we're always able to push each other, progression is always made. Once I'm feeling tired during a session I try to end it on a high note instead of exhaustion, and then I do basic conditioning.

I try to avoid exhaustion so that I can ensure a healthy recovery and more high end sessions.  It's the worst to try and train when you're feeling completely exhausted. Route climbing is a bit different because to achieve maximum endurance I usually I have to push beyond my comfort level.

When I'm preparing for a competition I usually organize my training so that I'm not over worked, have plenty of recovery time before the event, and feel at my maximum potential. I basically aim to peak but less scientific than more developed sports. When it comes to outside projects, it's more important to just be motivated, that's the most useful strategy for me.

What is your strategy when working a project?
It really depends on the type of project. When I approach a new climb I try to have an open mind, because I know that you can always surprise yourself despite the challenge. After that initial stage, onsite for example, I try to examine all the possibilities and hopefully choose the ones that suit me best. After that, every try counts.

Lately I have been putting more emphasis on every attempt, if I'm more tired, I observe what I can do to make things easier, if I'm fresh then I try to focus on making the movements exact to my beta. This stuff is pretty basic and I think it runs through the minds of many climbers.

I think things begin to become complicated once the challenge is in the mind. If that happens, which is often, I try to take some time to focus on other climbs to reset my mentality. If it works, I return to the project more motivated, rested and in some cases stronger.