Megan Mascarenas is a multiple-time World Cup gold medalist and the 2016 Open National Champion in bouldering. She is currently 23 years old. We talked about her fascination with puzzles, why she retired from competing in 2017, discovering a new self-identity outside of climbing, pole dancing, getting back to climbing, her goal to climb V14, and current training.Support the Podcast:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/megan-mascarenasNuggets:6:45 – Tuna sandwich and coffee9:19 – Whiskey (the dog, not the alcohol)10:35 – Sunday mornings11:07 – Rubiks Cubes15:20 – Megan’s cloud puzzle16:00 – The puzzle addiction, and becoming a climber at age 218:45 – Siblings and coaches22:33 – Retiring from competition and transitioning away from climbing26:04 – The two sides of freedom, and the path to medicine 29:26 – How Megan achieved a 4.7 GPA in high school, and getting an A- in Rock Climbing class 31:56 – Losing a chunk of herself when she stopped climbing, and getting back into climbing 33:26 – Hindsight is 20/2034:42 – Pole dancing39:46 – Applying pole strength to climbing40:52 – Megan’s current pole dancing “project”41:56 – Megan’s outdoor climbing goals in RMNP,  and current training45:08 – Pole dancing = barndoor training45:51 – Preparing for ‘Jade’, and outdoor vs. indoor climbing48:10 – Advice for new/young climbers 49:26 – Advice new/young climbers should ignore, and what Megan wishes she had done differently50:44 – Magic Wood and ‘New Baseline’52:43 – Question from Jimmy: Any tips for calming nerves during competition finals?54:25 – Competition rituals55:42 – Megan’s self talk when she is getting shut down by a climb56:41 – Question from Jeffrey: What made you so dominant as a young female competitor?57:51 – Megan’s drive to improve, and dealing with growing expectations 1:00:04 – Question from Jeffrey: How do you view climbing vs. training, and has that changed as you have gotten older?1:01:17 – Board climbing1:03:39 – Making up boulders and working on weaknesses1:05:19 – Megan’s favorite pun1:06:10 – Dinner party guest1:07:41 – Singing in the car1:08:18 – The Golden Axe1:09:04 – Happiest climbing day1:09:45 – The ups and downs 1:11:24 – What Megan would want a new best friend to know about her1:12:13 – The Incredibles, mind reading, and superhero colors1:13:25  – Molecules1:14:26 – Gratitude1:15:02 – Math1:16:02 – Zion1:17:09 – Enjoying the path