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chiefjusticechui · 8 years ago

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something like an update [22 May 2017]

I’ve got my gear and my plans! Last I shared about my climbing, I just talked through some training ideas; so I’ll tell about how that’s going and then update!

As planned, I usually start with a simple traverse to get the blood flowing to my limbs and fingers followed by basic stretching. I don’t like to stretch much in the beginning of a workout as much as at the end for whatever reason...

Oh I’ve really been quite lazy in regards to core exercise. On the bright side, I have been doing assisted pull-ups, finger boarding, and ankle exercises even though I think the last one isn’t even helping. I basically quit with dips because my triceps get used so much while climbing that I don’t want to do the extra work. Push ups usually happen at the end of a session in order to sort of balance out all the pulling involved in climbing.

Handstand practice is going quite well, actually. I can hold a free handstand for about 5-6 seconds and control the “mount” and “dismount” so to speak (don’t know the actual terms sooo). Frog handstands are easier now, and I can walk up the wall with my feet while crawling backwards on the floor. I also started going from a bridge to a handstand by walking up a wall in order to get towards control from a backwards arch. Soon, I’ll start getting up more slowly for control.

The diet has been going pretty well! I actually feel healthier because I probably am. At this point, I eat mostly yogurt, granola, granola bars, salad, and some meat and cheese. Also lots of coffee because coffee. When I’m hungry and having cravings, I literally eat a nut protein bar thing. That’s weird to me, but that’s what has to count as sweets for me because of the blood sugar stuff.

Anyway, it’s gear and plan show and tell! More like just tell because I don’t want to bother with pictures. Buuuut I included links to everything.

Since my last blog, I bought a pair of 5.10 Anasazi LV, a Camp Acqualong chalk bag, 200g Black Diamond White Gold, Rock Technology Dry 5 liquid chalk, and some tape and sandpaper. My Scarpa pair should come in the mail soon too, since my mom finally agreed to ship them from America :D. Oh and I got the Beal Combi rope bag to carry all my shit. I figure that it’ll be useful even though I don’t have rope cause I have to walk around with a laptop for work etc.

SO, since climbing more, I realized that I really need to practice pinches and bicycles more. Bicycling will come with stronger ankles, I think, but I’m trying to get better at pinches just by actually climbing more since I hear that using fingerboards is actually dangerous unless you use them properly which I probably don’t... Thoughts? Send me an ask!

All that to say that ankles and fingers are big priorities, and I also know that I need to commit to core workouts. ugh.

I did get a monthly membership to the Arch and have gone 4-5 times per week in the last two weeks. But the more exciting climbing gym plan is that I’M GOING TO STOCKHOLM IN 3 WEEKS! That means I’ll get to go to Klattercentret Telefonplan!

I’m partially excited just because I’m lowkey in love with Eric Karlsson because of his YouTube vlogs. But also, I mean, it’s Klattercentret Telefonplan. That’s fucking sick. I booked my airfare and hostel for only £67 total; so I’m prettyyyy stoked. I just hope Eric and the crew are there when I visit. I’ll go on a Saturday evening and basically a full Sunday. So.

I don’t know if anybody will actually read this, but if you do, then let me know! Drop me an ask! :D

#klattercentret #klattercentret telefonplan #climbing #bouldering #rock climbing #climbing blog #training #update #the arch climbing wall #arch climbing #eric karlsson

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chiefjusticechui · 8 years ago

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woe is me

This weekend, I took an amazing, solo trip to Stockholm, Sweden just to visit Klattercentret Telefonplan, and it was a dream come true--until I ripped a ligament in my ankle.

I broke my right ankle in March, 2007 during a taekwondo tournament. The growth plates for both the tibia and the fibula cracked clean-through, and I was on crutches for a couple of months. Since then, my right ankle has always been really weak, but I evened out the weakness this weekend by tearing the anterior talofibular ligament on my left side!

I wasn’t even climbing, and that’s the most ridiculous part. I had downclimbed from just testing a hold and even had both of my feet on the mat. On the first step that I took, my ankle gave out, and I heard a loud pop as I felt a sharp pain suddenly. I don’t remember a clear thought, but I felt so much anger in the next few moments as previous climbing injuries “flashed before my eyes,” so to speak.

I tore pretty much all of the ligaments in my left elbow last year while climbing, and I hadn’t given climbing another shot until two months ago because of that injury. Since I just got back into climbing and just decided to really invest in it for the long-term, I was suddenly so angry at the moment of falling and so determined not to be injured that badly again... Some thoughts flew through my mind.

This is not happening again. I don’t want to stop climbing. This is unfair.

What do I do? I’m in Sweden, alone and immobile.

A man to whom I had previously given some tape got an employee from downstairs, and she came and wrapped my ankle in a bandage. Eventually, we gathered my things, and the man was so generous as to drive me to the nearby hospital where we learned that I was not covered by insurance--and I was not about to fork out £400 when I could hobble around for a day and a half until returning to London where I could get free healthcare.

The man, Cameron, drove me to the chemist where I bought a proper ankle brace and some ibuprofen, and then he drove me to my hostel.

The next day, I had planned to go back to K2 since the Stockholm trip was supposed to be all about climbing, but obviously, climbing would not have been the best thing. I tried to just walk around the neighborhood for a bit, but I got super bored (and then lost my FitBit...) and decided just to go to Klattercentret again.

Since I had taken 800mg of ibuprofen (pretty much the maximum for somebody of my size), I wasn’t feeling much pain in the ankle and decided to do some stretching and easy boulder problems. On Saturday (first day), I climbed some 6A’s-6B+’s and struggled on the 6B+ routes, and I found myself climbing (even flashing) 6B’s with the nonfunctional left ankle! That was actually incredibly encouraging because, while it forced me to climb differently than normal, it showed me that I am actually stronger than I had thought before the ankle injury. (In retrospect, I should not have climbed on Sunday. I am just so stubborn and thought that I should go to K2 because that was the purpose of the trip).

That is probably the most silver-lining aspect of the injury. I mean, of course, I am frustrated by being immobilised now (more on that below), but I know I’m strong. Once I heal from this torn ligament, I will push myself to climb harder because I know I am stronger. I know I can.

If you’ve invested in climbing much, then you probably have found that half of it is a mental game; once you change your mindset from “I can’t” to “I can, and I will,” everything becomes easier. If I can flash a few 6B’s with a torn ankle ligament, then I can surely do better than 6B+’s with completely functional limbs. 6C’s, maybe 6C+’s? Not out of the question.

I just need to heal.

The healing process frustrates me. Well, being injured in the first place frustrates the hell out of me because I was so set on being committed to climbing and to training properly--3-4 times a week for a handful of hours at a time. I just thought that, this time, I would make climbing my long-term hobby and personal investment. It still will be, but to have ruined my ankle just two months into it just sucks.

I’m also just an incredibly impatient person; I’m very Type A in that I like to plan, like to execute, and like to be efficient and productive. Simply sitting around and waiting for my ligament to heal is so inefficient. There’s nothing that I can do about it, and, being the active person that I am, that doesn’t work for me.

The thoughts that have run through my mind since the injury have varied so much--from anger to self-pity, from frustration to gratefulness (grateful that it wasn’t worse, to be honest). I’ve had a surprisingly positive attitude towards this recent immobility and slowness, but that’s most likely because I found myself able to flash 6B’s with a shit ankle (and because I met Hannes, Norea, Frederik, and Samuel from Eric Karlsson’s bouldering channel on YouTube - pics below!).

What also really sucks is that I was just starting to make friends with the regulars at the Arch. I met Imralis there, and he’s pretty much my closest friend in London now. Then there’s Matt, Rachel, Soy, Finn, Bolique, Clint, Tom, Hal, AJ, Frank, Jamie from New York, Jamie the employee, etc... The climbing community is generally really friendly and supportive; we all want each other to succeed in our projects, and we can all challenge each other too. I was so happy to have found that since I’ve largely been depressingly lonely in my months in London, and now, I’m just pissed that I don’t know if I can go back to Arch at all.

I was going to renew my climbing membership to the Arch, but that’s a no-go. Whether or not I even return after the next 4-8 weeks of healing depends on how long I stay in London which depends on a job (and that’s another depressing topic). As I said before, I really like the people that I’ve met through climbing, and I would be so upset to not see them again. (“Upset” doesn’t accurately capture how purely disappointed I am currently, knowing that I’ll be out for another couple of months at the least.)

This is getting ramble-y, but now that I have hours to process what I’ve been feeling for a couple of days--as I am just sitting in bed and waiting for my crutches to be delivered tomorrow--I’m finally starting to figure out a plan of action for healing and regaining strength (i.e. physical therapy).

In a week, the acute injury (swelling, sharp pains) should be decently-healed especially if I completely stop walking on it (hence, crutches coming in tomorrow. I know I need to stop walking on it because, even though pain is minimal, the swelling has increased due to activity). Then, Sasha is going to be in town, and we’re going to travel to Paris, Antwerp, and Berlin (that should be interesting with crutches). I’m just hoping that I’m moving a bit more quickly by then so that I’m not an inconvenience and so that I can actually see more, do more, etc.

All in all, I just have mixed feelings about this situation. Though encouraged about my strength, I reckon that the disappointment and frustration outweigh the positive feelings. And because I tend to be an “independent woman,” I hate asking for help, but I would really, really like it if you would encourage me in this time. I accept prayer, hugs, and food. I would accept most manifestations of support, to be fair. Flowers. High-fives. Pitiful smiles. Pizza. Socks. Pictures of cats. Memes. Nearly anything.

Anyway, here are some pictures from my day and a half in Stockholm!