[huntermiles3353]

Hi,
I’ve recently had feet problems somewhat from genetics but also from overtraining. Unfortunately I overstrained on a small local butte while the mountains were still snowy. I put in a lot of distance and elevation gain that would have gotten me up many mountains during that time. Now that the snow has melted and I can climb them my feet are in pain and I can’t climb them. I also stopped my training cycle so my fitness is “reset”.

It’s just been hard for me to deal with as I was extremely excited for this season and the fitness I built up and what I could experience with all that time and abilities in the mountains. Now I see people are climbing them and am missing out. It’s just been stressing me out and I do put a lot of pressure on myself. I just wanted to share this for some relief just to talk about it and to see what advice and experience you guys have had with this. Thanks

Topic

[Jon44]

Jon44 on July 26, 2021 at 1:54 pm #55980

Sorry you’re going through this. One piece of advice I found helpful was to allow yourself to acknowledge what a loss this is to you and process it like you would other significant losses. (E.g., acknowledge how much you were looking forward to the season, as you seem to be doing, and mourn its absence.)
Also, if he’s your cup of tea, Jordan Peterson has two relevant chapters in his new book (I’m just planning to read the second one tonight). Avoiding anger and resentment in the face of misfortune and being thankful in spite of suffering.

[rich.b]

rich.b on July 27, 2021 at 5:42 am #55988

It is more useful to focus energy and attention on what you can do rather than what you cannot. I have had one broken collar bone and two episodes of plantar fasciitis that caused breaks in running. For PF this entailed about 5 and 3 months of no running, but since not training is not an option for me I jumped on my bike and put in the hours that way until I could transition back to running. I lost no fitness, and although not chosen the break from running was beneficial and each time the following year I raced better.

[jakedev]

jakedev on July 27, 2021 at 11:27 am #55993

I’ve been where you are several times for various reasons. Tore a finger pulley tendon at the beginning of the summer then reinjured it by coming back too fast. I herniated a disc just before ice season and refused to not climb after the training I did. I took a good friend and chiropractor to smack some sense into me. It’s scary when you are 36 years old and can barely walk across your own house.

I too used to get really down and downright depressed about it. I spent all my time thinking about what I’m missing out on and not what could be gained. Things changed for me when I started to refocus what I wanted. I learned the banjo, picked up swimming (great for recovery), read some great books, went to school for computer coding, doing some challenging puzzles. At first those activities seemed lame but even recovered I still do them to balance out my training and I actually look forward to picking the banjo as much as climbing now.

I think it’s great to be motivated about activities and for some of these lofty goals you need to be. However there is a real problem when you assign your sense of self worth to your ability to climb a mountain. There is so much more to being a man or woman than that. The mountains will still be there next year and the year after that, etc. Analyze your training that lead up to the injury and learn from it.

Hope my ranting helps. Just to summarize I’ve been there multiple times and it will pass and you’ll be a better person and athlete cause of it.

Jake.

[Bayetagl]

Bayetagl on April 4, 2024 at 4:43 am #86213

Exercise is usually my happy place, so missing out on it can definitely send my mood spiraling. That’s when I focus on reframing my mindset. Instead of dwelling on what I can’t do, I try to find alternative activities that keep my spirits up and maybe even benefit my recovery. Yoga, meditation, even reading inspirational stories about overcoming challenges – all those things can help.

[Bayetagl]

Bayetagl on April 13, 2024 at 1:24 pm #86313

Of course, if things get really tough, there’s no shame in seeking professional help. Talking to a therapist can be a game-changer, and sometimes medication like https://www.mentalhealth.com/medication/fluoxetine-prozac can be a helpful bridge back to feeling like yourself.