Games Within the Game — Mastery, Humor, and Climbing for Life | Tom Addison

Get ready to hang with the one and only Tom Addison from Northern California; low-key but outperforming with a lifetime of big wall ascents and a knack for crushing sport climbing up to 5.14. But hold on, there's more to Tom than just climbing—he's opened up countless first ascents across the country and fought tirelessly to preserve public lands. In today's episode, we're diving into Tom's  stories, extracting nuggets of wisdom you can apply to your own adventures. From training tricks and overcoming injuries to the joy and wisdom of building a climbing community, we cover it all. Don't miss his key takeaways on resilience, improvement at any age, and the secret to lifelong power training. Plus, he's got a wit sharper than a carabiner! Until next time, keep defying gravity and stay ageless! 🧗‍♂️✨

References:

Tom’s Instagram
Kush's Instagram
Ageless Athlete Instagram

Advocacy:

Access Fund: A national organization related to climbing advocacy. It is suggested that climbers can find ways to protect climbing areas, participate in existing projects, contribute to the organization, and find resources on their website.

 American Safe Climbing Association. Arranging hardware replacement work for climber safety. 

Bay Area Climbing Coalition. Place to find local climbing projects that need help in Northern California

Bookshelf: 

Covenant for Water by Abraham Verghese (I read Cutting for Stone, loved it, so this one is next for me)

Podcast Chapters:

00:19 Introduction and Welcome

00:40 Introducing Guest: Tom Addison

00:53 Tom's Climbing Achievements and Advocacy

02:04 Catching Up with Tom

02:19 Discussing Climbing Locations

06:44 Tom's Climbing Journey

08:21 Influences and Mentors

14:29 The Climbing Community

15:20 Tom's First Ascents and Advocacy

24:35 Challenges and Triumphs in Climbing

45:37 Early Career and Passion for Climbing

46:42 Transitioning to Retirement and Side Hustles

47:14 Balancing Climbing and Other Life Obligations

48:24 The Importance of a Balanced Lifestyle

50:22 Diet and Nutrition Habits

55:04 The Role of Genetics and Lifestyle in Climbing Success

57:22 The Impact of Training and Persistence

01:12:53 The Joy of Reading and Learning

01:16:00 Getting Involved in Environmental Advocacy

01:20:07 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

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Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention