No Hell With a Broken Foot

Hi everyone, last time I was here I talked to you about our plans leading up to 24hrs of Horseshoe Hell. Well, sad to say it did not happen in the end, because… I broke my ankle. Yup! I fractured my right ankle 4 days before we were set to leave to the competition.

It was a solemn Sunday afternoon of bouldering, the day I took a gnarly fall and landed on my right ankle, a loud snap being the telling sign that the dream of Hell had come to an end. I was climbing with my friend and theDIHEDRAL’s own, High-clip. We were finishing some bouldering-league routes and taking in some last-minute training and advice from a HH veteran, when I pushed myself too hard.

I am not the strongest climber and I am working on getting back in tip-top shape, so my bouldering limit is currently at V2. I was being overly ambitious, soaking in the progress of my training when I blindsided myself and pushed way past what my body could handle, aiming for a V4. However, I WAS SO SO CLOSE! It was on the last hold that my grip gave out and fell about 12′ toward the mat, snapping so loudly even the guy in the corner of the room could also tell, right away, that something had broken as well.

Lovely High-Clip drove me home, where I met with Carrot and our son, and headed to the Urgent Care. I kept apologizing to him because we all knew that our near-future plans would have to be put on hold. Even though I knew deep down that he was far more concerned about my health than the competition, I still felt regret for taking the opportunity to experience HH away from him. About now, we would be resting in our tents, soaking in the wonderful and challenging hours we spent together, and…Most definitely draining some blisters. Instead, because we have to make the most out of our circumstances, Carrot did 251 routes at the gym yesterday and broke his own record!

I am in a strict 4-week no-walking period, to allow my ankle to heal and prevent the fracture from displacing, which means… Falling more and more in love with resilience, my body, and my boys.

Hopefully, we’ll get the chance to compete next year, or whenever is the right time for us. For now, time to heal!

Gaia