Meet the Machine: Sean Patton

When/why did you decide to start training?

Like most climbers, as soon as I "discovered" climbing, I was immediately hooked. I started climbing relatively late in life (at age 25), but as an early climber I was very fortunate to be welcomed into an awesome crew of climbers that were well more advanced than I, who have now become my closest friends. I very much looked up to them, and was obsessed with figuring out ways to "catch-up" to their ability - the routes (and sometimes boulders) they were getting on looked so awesome, and all I wanted was to also get on those same routes. To do that I knew I needed to figure out ways to get better faster, so obviously I became very interested in training, pretty much immediately.

In my previous life I was a competitive swimmer, from age 10 to 22. Being at the top-end of that sport, I was very familiar with training, dedication, performance, etc.. In that life, I was very accustomed to having a coach give me direction. Every workout I did in my entire career was given to me - all I had to do was execute that workout to the best of my ability. So naturally, pretty early on in my climbing, I became obsessed with figuring out a training plan: what could I do in my day-to-day gym sessions to get better faster? And oh man, those first training plans were bad in hindsight. But after a while I discovered the Rock Prodigy training book which provided me with some very much needed guidance, and I started to get more intelligent with my approach. I found that I loved training for climbing as much as I loved climbing. Things didn't really "click" though, until I discovered Power Company Climbing. It took zero convincing to sign up for a Custom Plan - it would provide a coach-driven, proven, planned workout schedule that I could follow. It was just like my previous life - all I had to do was execute it to the best of my ability. I've been on board now for 4 years, and there is no question - I would never have sent the routes I have without Nate's guidance. Plus, its fun - Nate and I always get into the "why" we're doing what we are, and he's able to give me very specific reasons that make complete sense, and how it will improve my climbing.

What made you choose to go with Power Company?

Nate was a big reason I chose to go with Power Company Climbing. I first heard Nate on a “Training Beta” podcast, and thought to myself, he sounds very similar to me: a background in an endurance sport and even similar weaknesses that he'd overcome. I had had a bad stretch of finger injuries, whether they generated from over-training or just being a bigger climber, and I felt like I needed some help to put these constant finger issues behind me. Also, he had a background in both sport climbing and bouldering, and had spent a ton of time in the southeast - specifically the New River Gorge. Bouldering has always been such a struggle for me, and at the time I chose to start training with Power Company, I was feeling plateaued at the 5.12b/c range for sport climbing. The biggest reason for that plateau was my bouldering ability. Being an NRG climber, knowing the extremely bouldery style of the routes there, I wanted to get some guidance in order to overcome my weaknesses. I remember a specific series of thoughts that crossed my mind: I knew I wanted a coach to provide specific workouts so that I didn't have to figure out what I should be doing to get out of this plateau. I knew Nate was now coaching for Power Company, knew that we had a similar background, and that he'd recently been very focused on bouldering. It was right then and there, I pulled up the Power Company Climbing website, and started a 12 Week Custom Plan with Nate - he just seemed like the perfect coach for me. At the end of that first 12 weeks, I sent three routes that I never thought I'd be able to do, in a single day... and I haven't stop training with Nate since.

What plan did you do and how did you choose that one?

I first started out with a 12 Week Custom Plan, but I've since just stayed on with Nate - I've essentially had back-to-back custom plans for almost 4 years. Like I've already mentioned, I was very interested in having a coach give me workouts - so that all I had to do was execute these workouts. I had grown sick of trying to figure out on my own what I should be doing to get better, just because this was around the time that "training content” was the new hot topic, and there was just so much of it that it was hard to figure out what was the best approach. Having a coach tell me what to do (and why), allowed me to just turn my brain off, and erase that unknown skepticism of, "Is this really what I should be doing?". With this approach, I could show up to my projects mentally knowing I'd done everything that Nate told me I needed to do, and just try hard. It allowed me to be more confident that I was doing the right things in order to send my projects.

Did you work with a coach? If so, which one?

Yep. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of Nate.

The Racist (13b) - New River Gorge, West Virginia | Photo by Alex Long

What aspect of the plan did you like best? Why?

Specificity, no question. There have been countless workouts Nate has designed for me over the years that were extremely specific to my projects at the NRG. Plus, Nate has done pretty much every route that I have as a goal, so he is able to provide extremely applicable programmed workouts for these projects. Frequently, I finish a workout and feel like I was just climbing on my project. Additionally, one of the things I like best, that isn't really a part of the plan itself, is the support that Nate offers. Whether that be project tactics, encouragement, or general guidance for long term success, etc., etc. - I love that I can just message Nate whatever I'm thinking, and he always has a very detailed, thought-out response that makes so much sense.

What aspect of the plan did you like least? Why?

Focusing on weaknesses is never really that fun. There have been some workouts Nate has provided, mostly climbing drills, that made me say to myself, “Is this really doing anything? Shouldn't I just be hitting the Moonboard to get my bouldering power up?”. But nonetheless, I've always trusted Nate, and resisted the urge to do more fun-based training (like Moonboarding), in order to focus on the drills he provides. Sometimes I feel pretty stupid, and it isn't that much fun, but I'm always the first to admit it, and Nate has heard my say it numerous times, "Yeah, I was pretty sure that wasn't doing anything... and I was wrong."

What were your goals when you began the plan? How did you progress towards those goals?

With my first training plan, my goal was to send my first 5.13a. I sent that route, along with two other projects, on the same day towards the end of my 12 Week Custom Plan. I've been training with Nate ever since and each season, I've only gotten better. This last season, I hadn't yet sent a 13b, and once the season died off, I've now done three. And if it weren't for this unfortunate pandemic, I think I would have finished off a fourth.

Tell us about any memorable successes during/after your training experience.

So many to count, given how long I've been training with Nate. The first that stands out though, I've already mentioned: the triple send day. I sent my first 5.13a, “Blood Raid,” and then continued to also send “Lactic Acid Bath” (12d), and “Slash and Burn” (12d). I'll never forget that day, and afterward, I immediately asked Nate if we could continue working together long-term. Another memorable success was this past fall: at the end of the previous spring season, I'd unfortunately really injured a finger - again. It’s a problem that I've always had, on-and-off, but this one was the worst I'd ever had. Nate designed a rehab approach for me, to make my fingers bullet-proof, so we could finally get past this finger injury problem. This past summer was a real low point for me; I was so sick of having this problem. But we found creative ways to train full-crimping, so that crimps would stop causing me finger injuries. Not only do I feel like my fingers are healthier than they've ever been, but my full-crimp strength - and even desire to full-crimp - have increased drastically. It resulted in the best climbing season of my life, sending some of the crimpiest (and hardest) routes I've ever been on.

What's the next step in your climbing and training? 

Well, right now, we're kind of in a holding pattern with the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm also going to be a dad in July, which I'm very excited about. So given this social distancing and upcoming big life change, I built a Moonboard at my house. I've always wanted a home wall, so I'm really excited to have one, which will make it easy to continue to train once I'm a dad. For now though, I'm already looking toward next fall. I have one goal in particular, and it’s the route that got away: “The Racist” (13b) at the NRG. It definitely feels like the next step, a true Endless Wall test piece. I was starting to make big links, and felt like I was getting really close to sending the route just before we were put on lock-down.

However, I do love what we call "romping in the swamp" at the NRG: climbing in the summer. It's just fun to go out and climb, to try hard at the summer crags with a little less pressure to send. So depending on when this all blows over, I have a few routes I'd love to climb on and hopefully send before July. But the real next step is “The Racist” - I'm coming back for you this fall.

What would you say were the most important things (positive or negative) you learned during your training experience?

Nate has forced me to learn that it's better to leave the gym with a little left in the tank. I'd always want to go “a muerte,” and felt like I was losing out on potential gains unless I was training myself into the ground every session. Doing less is more, as long as what you're doing is quality.

What would you consider your greatest strength or superpower when it comes to climbing?

Sigh, my height. Especially when it comes to climbing at the NRG. There is no doubt that some boulder problems on routes at the NRG are just easier for me - sometimes I even feel pretty guilty about it. But if I had to choose a superpower, I'd probably say that I can be pretty clutch when it's all on the line, which is something I feel can be extremely helpful, especially for sport climbers. It's extremely rare that I fumble any beta or punt off of a route.

The Haulage (12c) - New River Gorge, West Virginia | Photo by Joe Virtanen

Tell us about your proudest (not necessarily hardest) send.

This is a hard one. It's not my hardest send, but it's probably “Pod” (13b) at the NRG. I first started trying “Pod” in the spring of 2019. I had spent around a month’s-worth of weekends working on the route, and the crux was just very hard for me. It was very bunchy using the traditional beta, and no matter how many times I tried it that way, I was never able to do the moves - even off the hang. I had to resort to some very stretched-out beta that was very low-percentage, especially from the ground. Then “pop!” and I had hurt my finger crimping in the gym. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, wasn't even that horrible of a crimp, but it turned out to be the worst finger injury I've had to date. It forced me to table working on “Pod” and stick around the gym for a long while, just doing rehab and strength workouts (from the Kettlebells for Climbers Proven Plan). It got pretty dark there for a while, I started to feel like I'd never climb again because the injury was just taking longer than normal to recover. Friends even started to worry about me, saying they hadn't seen me smile in weeks. Finally, with Nate's guidance, we got my fingers bullet-proof. I went back in the fall, but still had to fight hard for that route, partly because I had to regain a lot of lost fitness. The redpoint process itself was very up and down due to the lower percentage crux. I’d feel like I was getting close, then I'd regress, get close again, regress again - it was super frustrating. It caused more mental-related uncertainty than I've ever had. It was a battle, and thanks to Nate and a good friend, Alex, providing constant support, I finally sent the route after around 10 weekends of effort - it was definitely the hardest "mental" send of my climbing.

What would you say is a weakness or skill you need to improve in climbing?

Too many to count, but I'd say a few to highlight are: Hand-jams - Nate is always hard on me because I opt to skip hand-jam rests since I suck at them. High-feet - Nate calls me "a giant" and I know that if I could get more flexible, the sky would be the limit. Lastly, I'd say I occasionally let uncertainty impact my climbing ability; my hardest sends usually feel effortless by the time I send the route. If I'm working on something I feel is maybe too hard for me, or things don't feel easy after a few beta-triage burns, I start to just write it off too quickly, as "I'm not strong enough for this route." Nate pressures me to give things at least two goes, on two separate days before I pass any judgement on how possible the route is.

What advice would you give someone considering starting a training plan?

It's a no-brainer in my mind: getting specific training plans for your goals from coaches that have already "been there" is an obvious strategy - it keeps you dedicated and psyched. I can't speak highly enough about my experience with Power Company Climbing.