EP 189: Lily Kral — Building a Board Climbing Gym, Exotic Dancing, and Being a Work in Progress
The Nugget Climbing Podcast
Challenges and Delays in Construction Projects
An exploration of the underestimated time and unrealistic expectations involved in construction projects, using the example of the delayed bridge at Smith.
Lily Kral is the owner of Boardworks in Bend, Oregon. We talked about her childhood and her mother’s struggle with addiction, being hospitalized for an eating disorder, exotic dancing her way through college, finding an identity as a strong climber, why she decided to build a board climbing gym, biggest challenges, burning the candle at both ends, being a work in progress, training for 5.14 at Smith Rock, and much more!
Listen to the Patron Show on Spotify!
Check out PhysiVantage!
physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)
Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!
Check out Rhino Skin Solutions!
Use code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order!
And check out EP 22 with Justin Brown to learn more about how to use Rhino products!
Check out Rocky Talkie!
Use this link to get 10% off your first order of backcountry radios!
Check out Wonderful Pistachios!
WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more!
We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:
- Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt Mickolas
Become a Patron:
Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/lily-kral
Nuggets:
0:04:13 – Lily sets the scene
0:06:46 – Minimalist vs. mooch
0:08:50 – Lily’s childhood, her mom’s struggle with addiction, and seeking control
0:14:48 – Hussling vegetable at 10 years old
0:16:55 – Feeling unpopular in high school, wanting external validation, and being hospitalized for an eating disorder
0:21:17 – Exotic dancing in college
0:26:20 – The stigma around exotic dancing, and more about Lily’s experience in that world
0:33:46 – Type 1 vs type 2 thinking
0:36:15 – Coming out of retirement for a weekend
0:38:08 – Her time as a full-time route setter, burning the candle at both ends, and existing in fight or flight
0:40:53 – Moving to LA to become a head route setter
0:43:44 – Issues with substances, and how Lily was able to stay sober as a dancer
0:46:25 – Building Boardworks, and where the idea came from
0:52:16 – Why she chose Bend for her first location
0:57:14 – The Boardworks model, and what makes it special and unique
1:06:14 – The biggest challenges of opening and running a gym
1:11:02 – Delegation, and letting go of control
1:15:34 – More unforeseen challenges, and annoying questions from people who assume your work is easy
1:20:22 – Email
1:25:26 – Portaling
1:26:55 – The discomfort of feeling flaky, and practicing radical honesty
1:30:23 – Wanting the invite, keeping our options open, and how texting has made us flaky
1:32:08 – What Lily wishes she had known about marketing, and why construction is always behind schedule
1:35:56 – Undervaluing design and aesthetics
1:38:13 – Tying her identity to how hard she’s climbing
1:41:32 – Being a work in progress with disordered eating, and obsessive and compulsive behaviors in climbers
1:50:47 – Unpacking why we want to climb 5.14
1:56:12 – My thoughts on trying Badman again at Smith Rock, and climbing hard and being happy at the same time
1:59:40 – Lily’s thoughts on board training for Smith Rock
2:01:53 – Doing weighted pullups on a hangboard, and training endurance for To Bolt or Not To Be (first 5.14a in America)
2:06:26 – Working on getting validation from herself, and bringing more energy to other parts of her life
2:08:46 – Being in the present moment
2:10:34 – Having more grace for others and for ourselves
2:12:31 – Follow @boardworks_climbing on Instagram
The AI-powered Podcast Player
