Today on episode 34 I’m excited to have climber, author, coach, and business owner Eric Horst. Many of you are aware of Eric’s multifaceted influence on climbing, notably performance rock climbing. He is a pioneering figure in the world of climbing training and the author of the international bestselling (and well-named) book, Training for Climbing.
But this guy gets a lot done. In 2020, Eric retired at age 56 as director of Millersville University’s Weather Information Center near his hometown of Lancaster, PA. But he didn’t really retire.
Eric is now properly embracing his love of climbing, leaning into his new business, PhysiVantage, a supplement company for performance climbers.
In this wide-ranging interview we tackle Eric’s recent climbing ambitions since retirement, how he has built a company from scratch, and perhaps most importantly, some key systems Eric uses to maintain his high workload while still enjoying the sport and the family he loves.
Topics Discussed with Eric Horst
- Eric’s ambitions to climb harder than ever in his late 50s
- The importance of family and why Eric always eschewed projecting hard routes
- How Eric balanced two careers, one as a meteorologist and the other as a climbing training expert
- Why Eric was “never cut out to be a dirtbag”
- Where Eric gets his drive to produce content
- How being in the public eye is at odds with his personality
- Why Eric never pursued climbing full-time
- Why Eric retired early from his traditional career at age 56
- PhysiVantage and the psychology of starting a business with a large up-front investment
- The importance of valuing athletes at PhysiVantage
- Accomplishing great work: Time management and time blocking
- Eric’s other interests as he ages: music and golf!
Get in Touch with Eric Horst
Training for Climbing Instagram
Other Interviews Discussed:
The Nugget Climbing: Eric Horst Part 1 and Part 2.
Books by Eric Horst (Select)
Training for Climbing: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance
Maximum Climbing: Mental Training For Peak Performance And Optimal Experience
Other Books
John Gill: Master of Rock (Pat Ament)
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t (Jim Collins)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey et al.)
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport)
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results (Gary Keller, Jay Papasan)
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (Peter Thiel, Blake Masters)
Clipping Chains Posts
A list of all articles and podcast episodes is here.
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