Struck down.

Fucking hell.

A week ago, just after rotpunkting at The Tor, and just at the start of a week off, I felt the fittest I had for a couple of years. A few weeks of regular sport climbing and occasional running and a bit of hillwalking, and I felt noticably really good in my body. Lovely.

Today, a week later, I have barely been able to walk for 20 yards without excruciating pain and feeling exhausted, even with a crutch. Stairs have been agony and getting out a chair a major effort.

I have - completely randomly and for the first time in my life - a bout of sciatica, an impingement of the sciatic nerve in my lower back, affecting my leg as well. I have been to see my doctor Simon Connor (no, not THAT Simon Connor!!), and my osteo Kim, and they both say it's not a slipped disc, it's just a general impingement, and it should be fairly short term: A few days of total rest, a few more days of only gentle exercise, and a few weeks until it's totally clear. And it might not crop again for a long time.

Even so, to go from full fitness to being a cripple has been utterly shocking.

In the meantime I've been given 100 Co-codamol, 84 extra strong anti-inflammatories, and 14 Dimazepan - more drugs than a 90s rave!! With this and the doctor's/osteo's advice, the prognosis is fairly good given how grim today has been. And, trying to be positive, it's another useful challenge for me to deal with a bit of a shit time. Hmmmmm!!

Natural lull.

*Snort*

So this weekend the longest day of the year came and went, heralding the start of summer with an impressive display of wind and rain and general unsuitability for climbing or indeed much outdoor appreciation.

Such unsuitability suits me fine. It's over 2 weeks since getting back from Scotland, and aside from a couple of very gentle evenings seconding easy routes on grit, I'm giving my elbow a good rest (along with massage and a bit of swimming). Come next weekend, that will be 3 weeks of rest, and although I'm missing proper climbing, I'm fairly happy with time off at this time.

Hmmm, time off proper blog updates too, lol. I might post more soon.

Not Wales?

More like, Wales, Not Climbing. But I can't resist recycling titles.

I was over in North Wales this weekend, more of a social visit (my presence was welcomed apparently!) than a climbing visit. Which was a bit of an odd concept especially given the weather was top notch and we were staying on a campsite approx 2 minutes drive from Gogarth, but in line with the motto of the best climbing is not climbing, it seemed an acceptable plan.

What was even more of an odd concept is that I actually had the opportunity to climb on Saturday (and later, as it happened on Sunday, but by then I'd got into the "rest weekend" spirit), but had a sudden attack of lethargy, laziness, and a lack of moral fibre. That and feeling knackered from eating crap most of the week and having no energy. Thus we drove to Gogarth, walked around for a little bit, ate a cafe lunch, and fell asleep in the sun. Hardcore.

(Bet you wouldn't catch Martin Crocker or Dave Birkett doing that :S)

Anyway, this "so close yet so far" faffery did help clarify my climbing goals and inspirations for this year, including primarily Mid-Wales and a bit of North Wales. There are several places I'm keen to explore and several routes I'm keen to do, and subject to summer monsoons etc, the time is now. I've done the mileage and exploration thing in Scotland, I've found a level my elbow can cope with, and I'm keen to get involved with specific challenges. I'll post a fresh ticklist soon.

(P.S. Have finished destroying the ivy TFFT.)