I have had what I am lovingly referring to as the death cold for well over three weeks now. And I’m not very good at just sitting around so my body can get over it and as a consequence; I'm not always the best at listening to my body (does this surprise anyone?!?). Typically I’m of the mentality that I can just beat my body into submission, which I actually thought was working quite well for the first 2 weeks. And then I ended up taking 3.5 sick days from work and not being able to climb last weekend...
I’ve since found out I have strep throat and am taking Advil and antibiotics (add in an allergic reaction to the antibiotics for good measure) and some other medicine like they’re candy, but only as directed by a physician. Sometimes your body just needs REST!!!!! And typically when it needs rest, one day is not enough as I learned the hard way. After trying to push myself back into things a little to early, I ended up right back on my ass, sicker than I was before.
I’m mentally well past being ready to get back to climbing but physically still not quite there. The downside to this is that I’ve been getting really frustrated with not being able to do anything. (I don’t sit around well.) So here is what I’ve done to try and keep my psyche up:
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| Team training - after I decided my body was not yet up for it. |
1. Go hang out at your local gym anyways. Don’t touch all the holds, kiss all the babies or spread your germs unnecessarily but sometimes you just need to get out. If you’re still infectious, maybe skip down to #2. Otherwise, leave your shoes at home to avoid any temptation and head to your gym to watch your friends sesh. Keep your creativity flowing by making some problems for them to try. Plus, they’ll still likely be up once you’re better (saving you time during your next session)! (Side note - if your throat is killing you, also a good idea to avoid the gym. It won’t feel any better after spending all that time in a chalk congested area...)
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| Alyssa training hard!! |
2. Climbing videos, climbing videos and more climbing videos! Ok, maybe a chick flick in there too... But in all seriousness, I’ve been watching a lot of climbing videos on YouTube. Udo Neumann’s videos are especially inspiring. (Note to everyone: Just follow him on YouTube!!! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfWrBweMrEigiXq9DVCG4_Q ) The best of the World Cup videos are also amazing!!! It’s a good opportunity to try and see how World Cup climbers move differently than you do.
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| Sam crushing! |
4. Roll out and stretch - That problem area(s) your physio has been telling you to roll? Well guess who has time to work on that now! No climbing to get in your way. And guess what?! You might even be able to do this while doing #1 or #2!!!
5. Keep your goals in mind - We’re coming up to the start of the competition season and while I always want to perform my best at every comp, the ones that count for points are a long time away and that is what I need to focus on. The practice I will get from the other comps is important but I can’t get this practice if I’m too sick to compete!
6. For the love of god, SLEEP!!!! Rest is a pain in the butt, I get it. Trust me, I really do but when your body needs to recover, just let it! Or you’ll end up in bed longer than necessary JUST LIKE ME! And that is a bigger pain!!!!!
7. If all else fails? Paint your nails! This might sound more enjoyable to some of us than others but at least it takes your brain off climbing for a few minutes!
Hopefully this helps you to not be 100% deflated about the time you and your new bug are spending on the couch! ;)
