TBP 004: Angie Payne on V14, Failures, Rivals, Diet, Weight, and Training

I met Angie Payne in 2004 when she first moved to Boulder. I worked at the Spot Bouldering Gym and she lived at the Spot Bouldering Gym. Not really, but she was there an awful lot. She was quiet, shy, sweet, and studious (she studied in the café where I "worked"). And obviously strong as hell.

She won three ABS National Championships and two PCA competitions during the 2003-2004 season. Over the next six years, Angie stood atop more than ten podiums as a top 3 finisher in bouldering competitions.

She doesn’t just crush inside, though — Angie has been a trailblazer among female climbers on boulders outside, too. Between 2004 and 2010, Payne did first female ascents of 17 V10-V12 boulder problems.

In 2010, after climbing European Human Being (video) V12 and No More Greener Grasses V12, Angie completed The Automator (video), becoming the first woman in the world to climb a confirmed V13. These accomplishments earned her two Climbing Magazine Golden Piton honorable mentions and the 2007 Everest Award in Women’s Bouldering.

Angie graciously sat down with me last summer (2013) to talk about how she got to be such a badass, how she continues to be such a badass after so many years competing, and how her "rivals" - who are also some of her best friends - keep her motivated. I'm lookin' at you, Puccio.

We also talk about...

• Being a female in a man's world, and how she avoids the notorious downgrading of her FFAs
• How she trains
• What she eats
• How weight affects her climbing
• Her struggle with eating disorders
• Her roller coaster relationship with competition climbing
• Why she's not a full-time pro climber
• The mental blocks she gets with projects and how she overcomes them
• Her thoughts on climbing a V14
• And lots of other things...
• Oh, and I apologize for the temporary outdoor noises in the background intermittently. Recording a podcast outside is nice because of the birds in the background, but NOT good for the noise factor. Duly noted.

Show Links

• You can read her full bio here.
• Check out her website here.
• She also wrote an article about how she trains on TrainingBeta here.
• The podcast is made possible by the training programs on TrainingBeta here. Check 'em out if you need some help sending.

Listen on iTunes

• Link to the TrainingBeta Podcast on iTunes is HERE.
• Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world ;)

Thanks for listening!