In Case Anyone Hasn't Seen this Yet

James' and Rhys' epic climbing tale!

A pause button maybe?

I imagined what falling from a boulder would be like with my new ankle last evening...

It didn't bear thinking about - the thoughts of turning it again make me wince - it's so unstable and floppy - there's nothing stopping it anymore and the pain would probably lift me back up into the air again.

After years of training how to fall, I'm pretty good at knowing which way is up and down and how to land on my feet and stop - unfortunately, now there's nothing stopping my ankle rolling.

There was a part of me that missed bouldering last evening and wondered how long it would be before I get back - I'm starting to think it might be more of a psychological game than a physical one at this point.

Something tells me my ankle will be ready before my mind is.

Pain is the great leveler.

We must do what we can do.

As much as I was bouldering last year, I'm not bouldering now. I'm not bouldering as enthusiastically as when I was bouldering my most elusive and captivating projects.

Such is the extent of my not bouldering, that even if I wanted to boulder, I couldn't.

But I don't want to boulder at the moment, so my ankle is perfectly timed. If I did want to, I'd be in the same position.

Not bouldering.

As soon as I got word from the physio that I was allowed back on my bike, I went for a spin up Stocking Lane with Eoin. Patience was needed as I rested 3/4 times in a feeble attempt at the hill.

The following Wednesday I went out again on my own - in the rain. Took a couple of rests but felt altogether better.

Subsequent to that, relentless repetition of the various squats I've been ordered to do left me asserting my most convincing ascent of the lane to date on the following attempt. It was difficult, no doubt - but I didn't need a rest.

We took one to put on our rain jackets, but my legs felt well able for the climb.

Come what may, I'm out again tomorrow - I'm not bouldering any more at all... but there's still climbing to be done.

At the moment - I'm psyched to do what I can.

Squats

A relentless number of squats...

Apparently when an ankle is sprained, the knees and hips can suffer so it's important to complete at least 2500 squats every day...

Or at least that's how it feels.

The physio said I should increase my walking so I went for a 10km stroll taking plenty of rests up over the Spink in Glendalough yesterday... closest I've come to rocks since I did my ankle in... It's amazing up there, it's a part of Glendalough I never really knew was so accessible - lovely walk, beautiful views and every type of weather except snow.

We had endless amounts of lasagne waiting in the car when we returned - totally starved and dehydrated

Then when I got home there was physio homework to be done. Nearly 200 squats later, I felt like I had regressed to the sudden acquisition of Bambi legs... walking, standing, decision making - too much trouble -

Cup of tea and the couch... Much better.

But I've learned my lesson the hard way - going to bed before total and complete stretching of every muscle (front and back of the legs) from one's ass to one's big toe will result in upset by way of a lactic acid hang over from hell the following day.

It hurt - but it was worth it this morning.

Ankle is still balloon shaped by mid morning and remains that way until bedtime - It's with glee I awake in the morning to see my left ankle bone and the veins that run across it greeting me-

They match!

By the time breakfast is over, lefty's all puffed up again.

With that in mind - it's time for more squats...

4 more weeks of this... then I'm allowed tape my ankle for the rest of my days and I can do whatever I please!!!

Morale is high.

The Diagnosis.

Torn Ligaments... The pain will go away, the swelling will go away - but the ligaments, once torn, will always be torn.

So it's a management issue for the rest of my days...

6-8 weeks before I can climb again.

And so it begins...
Stage 3: recovery.

Stage 2... Feeling Sorry for Myself.

The ankle business is starting to weigh on my mind... Before today there was a sort of denial that it might be anything serious until I made an appointment with my physio and then I sort of admitted to myself that there's a reason it's still swollen and very sore 4 days later despite diligent icing and rest etc...

It's hard to imagine that I'll be out for 4-6 weeks or maybe longer cause walking doesn't hurt too much, except when I turn corners and then I have to be a little more nimble than usual... Cycling is fine too, but uphill might pose issues...

A running pace had been established too and I was psyched to improve my distance, speed, fitness etc...

The fall I took on saturday has changed the next month for me...
Time to rediscover my love of being fluent in handstand,  and remind my hands of finger boards and make an introduction to the Co op campus board...

If the Co op is still there in a month that is...

It's not knitting we do...

The cutting edge of bouldering.

Putting up new lines...

Eoin found a new slab to warm up on and cleaned the scrittley bits of rock and moss and choss away as he climbed. The holds were good and the moves were quality. The top out was covered in heather though. Eoin made use of it and clambered over the top. A new line!

I was eager to follow him up and sure enough, made it to the final move before I became a little off balance. It was clear in the moment that there were two choices - I was either coming off or doing a dyno to catch some heather at the top. I threw for it as I heard gasps below me and caught it. My foothold was good and I breathed a sigh of relief - home and dry...

I thought...

I thought I was copying Eoin's method of topping out, but he later told me that he didn't pull on the heather. I did and it came away in my hands and before I knew it and to my complete surprise I was falling a long way down. We reckoned later that one piece of heather must have come away before the other because I twisted around and came clattering down on my ankle.

I twisted it well and Eoin brought me straight to the river beside us to dunk it in and perhaps contain the swelling...

I think the sorest part of the fall was my nail bending backwards on my hand... that was painful!

The day was a stunner and we relaxed in the sun for most of it. Some climbing was done but no one else tried Eoin's new slab.

'Wicklow Tea' saw a lot of action and everyone found their way up it. 

We headed up to the roof that John had found on the last visit and 'Karaoke Nightmare' got it's fair share of top outs too.