(Click picture to take a look)
And it got me thinking because as my hip been generally okay I've now got a touch of what can only be described as 'tennis elbow'.
Having moved to a new town there were 2 things that I wanted to try and get involved in
One was indeed Tennis 🎾
The other was Bouldering 🧗♂️
(or climbing with crash mats)
Now I haven't got to the tennis yet, but I have started a bit of climbing..
I'm bad at it but am really enjoying it- it's properly challenging.
Ironically, I've started getting tennis elbow*
.. all very confusing!
*that's pain on the outside of my left elbow. Lateral epicondylitis if you want the technical term :)
So, my thoughts have turned to whether I should be stopping climbing.
Sticking to what I know. Especially having had that big birthday last year..(!)
One Conversation
Then, one conversation changed my perspective..
It was a chat in the park after pick up from school. A fellow parent was reflecting on how they were struggling to get back into running.
Someone in healthcare had told them:
'Well you're just NOT well suited to running'
Hearing that got my hackles up..
That one line had put the kibosh on their entire running refresh.
My immediate thought and reply went along the predictable lines of..
'No way! You just have to strengthen and scale back to it slowly..'
And it only twigged a couple of days later while climbing in said, excellent, Frome Boulder Rooms.. that is exactly what I need to do.
I need to add some of that upper body strength and conditioning work to my daily routine.
That's the way I'll be able to build into this new sport that I'm really enjoying.
Stopping is NOT the answer..
(well, not just yet at least).
It's an important mindset change for me.
Brought on by listening to my own advice
AND to someone else's experience
AND writing stuff down, and
Launching said course.
(which contains these principles, techniques + understanding in bucket loads).
I'll let you know how it goes..
Dan
Mr Dan H Williams MSc FRCS
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
