First Time at the Climbing Gym

Wow, it's been a while. I've been at a period of low activity after hurting my knee, but I'm finally finding the strength to move forward. Yesterday I went to a rock climbing gym for the first time, and it was amazing! I don't have a harness yet, so I was planning on bouldering, but they lent me a harness and my life is forever changed! Thank you, auto belay! First I tried a route that I think was 5.7, it was easy and the crux was easily identifiable, but what I didn't consider was the fact that I had to let go to get down. At first I let go a little and then immediately grabbed on again. I started slowly inching down but it just wouldn't give me the force I thought I needed to let go. Until finally I just let go, thinking I was going to fall to my death. But it catched me, and I survived. I started laughing, releasing all my fear, feeling so caught up in the moment. I went again, this time faster, trying a different way. And then I let go again. I put it back on the hook, realizing I didn't want to take it up for too long, and someone clipped in and did a 5.10b! 

Next I tried one that was labeled orange, I think it was 5.8, and I did it, but I struggled for a bit. I kept trying different ones, even 5.9, and I finished a 5.9, but I can't even remember how I did it! Later I realized that there were more holds on the other side of the wall, after the arette. By then my arms were so tired that I could barely keep going, but I did. I kept trying different routes over and over, and by the time I realized I had to call it a day, I couldn't even hold on to a big jug. My arms were totally out. I also found that it was extremely difficult to reach holds, they seemed almost impossible. I'm eager to go back and keep trying. This is the best time of my life. 

My goal is to go every day, even though it takes me 2 hours to get there and 2 more to get back. Maybe one day I'll have a car and I'll get there faster. I secretly hope they need to hire someone one day, it would be amazing to work there. Anyways, I feel so good about it that I ran a 5K again this morning. Now I'm getting ready to go to work and make the money for my harness. I really wanted to go today, but I'll be very disappointed without a harness. I still haven't tried the bouldering because it's in plain view of the entrance and I'm shy. Also they don't really have many easy bouldering routes, or many at all. But yeah, ttyl!