Reflections on Climbing at the Red River Gorge

Elite climber Michaela Kiersch shares her struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game     -  

Michaela Kiersch has been crushing for decades. She’s the first woman to climb both 5.15a and V14 (9a+ / 8B+). The 5.15 was La Rambla, and as Michaela shares today, she doesn't feel like she has yet hit her limit in sport grades. Other notable sport sends for Michaela include the 14d/9a ascent of the Chris Sharma line Dreamcatcher in Squamish, a first female ascent of another classic Sharma route, Necessary Evil, and pretty much everything at the Red River Gorge, including the 14c FFA of The Golden Ticket. On the blocks she’s got a few V14 (8B+) sends to her name, including Tigris Sit and New Base Line, both in Magic Wood. And what’s perhaps more impressive than her ticklist is the fact that she’s done pretty much all of it while being a full-time student and youth coach. If you want to get psyched on what we’re all capable of accomplishing with busy lives and limited time to train… you’re in the right place. 

  -     CHAPTERS:   Struggle: 0:10:10   Training: 0:12:01   Nutrition: 0:26:52   Tactics: 0:36:33   Mental Game: 0:46:00   Purpose: 0:57:14   Takeaways: 1:03:22     Follow along on Instagram @michaelakiersch and @thestruggleclimbingshow.      -     The Struggle is on YouTube! Watch interviews with the sport's best climbers come to life with amazing footage and actionable takeaways that'll help you to level up your Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game. Check it all out at YouTube.com/@thestruggleclimbingshow.      -     BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE:     Crimpd: The absolute best tool for self-coached climbers to stay on track with training. Visit Crimpd.com to download the app for FREE and take your training to the next level.      SCARPA: Whether you’re a climber, trail runner, skier, or hiker, SCARPA offers an array of adventure footwear for the adventure seeker in you. with a commitment to sustainability. Shop the whole collection at SCARPA.com. SCARPA, No Place Too Far.     PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order.      Frictitious Climbing: Check out their revolutionary doorway mount for hangboards (no drilling!) along with their amazing boards for training your fingers at home or on the road. Score 20% off a board when you purchase a doorway mount.      -     The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.     -     Want to gain access to 20+ hours of exclusive content featuring Chris Sharma, Alex Honnold, Nina Williams, Ravioli Biceps, Michaela Kiersch, Emil Abrahamsson and more? Support the show and the climbers who make it by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/thestruggleclimbingshow     -     Still reading? You deserve a free sticker: Please rate and review the show -- it really helps us to reach a wider audience! Snap a pic of your review, post to IG, and tag @thestruggleclimbingshow so that we can find you, and we'll send you a sticker just because you're rad.     -     This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.     -     The struggle makes us stronger. Let's climb hard and do good things in the world!