Drew Ruana: Climbing Hard Everyday, Never Hang Boarding, Progression, and When to Walk Away

Elite climber Drew Ruana shares his struggles and breakthroughs in Training, Nutrition, Tactics, and Mental Game

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Drew started climbing at Smith Rock at the age of 3, and it didn’t take long for him to climb the place out. His focus in those earlier years was on sport climbing, and the kid was a crusher, sending Just Do It, the first 5.14C / 8C+ in the US, at 15 years old. Drew also dominated on the youth comp circuit, taking first place twice at US Youth Nationals in sport and once in bouldering.

More recently, Drew has developed a passion for sending and developing the hardest outdoor rigs he can find. Are you ready to have your mind blown? At the time of our interview, Drew had sent 90 V14s (8B+), 37 V15s (8C), and 10 V16s (8C+). Put in a bit of perspective, I believe Daniel Woods has sent 8 V16s and Will Bosi has sent two. Drew has 10. It's outrageous to think about what the future holds for this guy. This conversation is thoughtful and full of incredibly useful insights for climbers of all levels.

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CHAPTERS:

• Struggle: 0:16:10
• Training: 0:24:57
• Nutrition: 0:36:26
• Tactics: 0:46:11
• Mental Game: 0:54:08
• Purpose: 1:07:00

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Follow along on Instagram @drewruana and @thestruggleclimbingshow

Check out some rad YouTube content @drew_ruana and @thestruggleclimbingshow

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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. 
• PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order. 
• ShayrdAir: Sign up to have Jordan Cannon as your climbing mentor! This in-depth 4-month experience is capped at just 30 climbers. Use code STRUGGLE to score $300 off this incredible mentorship program. 

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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.

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The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.