Body care, body challenges
My toe is already well on the way to recovery! I'm frankly astonished. It was fully purple yesterday, but putting arnica on it, taking care of it and getting lots of sleep seems to have been helping - the bruising has already gone down a lot. I'm surprised but relieved - I guess it was probably a bruise rather than a sprain. So glad I didn't call it and sell my Microburn ticket!
Leo's back is faring less well. They managed to sell their ticket yesterday, so at least they've recouped their costs. I'm less nervous about going on my own now that it looks like my toe is likely to be well on the way to recovery by then. I've got lovely friends offering to help me transport my stuff from the car, and a sturdy pair of hiking boots, and I'm totally open to going a day late or whatever if that seems like it would work better.
I'm actually excited about flying solo. I'll miss Leo of course, but I've not done a solo festival since we got together, and it'll be really good to have the chance to do my thing and make new connections. If I can't do my normal bouncing-around-the-dancefloor act there'll be time for lots of workshops and chats instead - I'm looking forward to deepening friendships, meeting new people, doing my volunteering shifts and seeing what the burn has to offer. I've emailed the Rangers to let them know that I might not be able to do much ranging, but I imagine a slightly limpy Ranger will be better than no Ranger at all, and honestly based on current progress I might even be fully healed by then.
We had a lovely Sunday yesterday. Went swimming before breakfast - non-gravity-dependent activity being my concession to the toe - which was the first time I'd done so in several years. It was really nice. I slipped straight back into my old rhythm, and enjoyed the meditative focus of ottering up and down. Took it quite easy, with a few rests and a bit of a sit in the sauna (before I realised that was for members only, oops!) but still did 50 lengths in the hour. Got back home, ate a massive brunch and then we both read in bed and had a nearly-two hour nap in the sun. Perfect. I'd like to go back to the pool soon, it feels like swimming is really good for my body, and I think it would be a great complement to the Tai Chi.
I haven't been back to Kung Fu yet. I do want to - my teacher has asked where I've been - but last time as well as wiping me out for the whole of that day, it also gave me noodle legs, knee pain and a fatigue crash that took four days to recover from. That's fine, as long as it's temporary - I'm not going to keep it up if that happens every time, but hopefully I'd get stronger quickly at first, in the way you do when you're a total n00b at a new fitness thing, and reach a stage where it was sustainable. But if I'm going back, I want it to be on a day when I can reasonably take it easy for the next couple of days, and the last couple of weeks have been so full that I haven't had the opportunity. I'm certainly not going to do it before Microburn. So Kung Fu is on the back burner for now.
Looking after a human body is like walking a tightrope. If you never challenge it it atrophies, and if you push it too hard you can do yourself damage. Trying to work out how much activity is the right amount of activity is a constant challenge.
Leo's back is faring less well. They managed to sell their ticket yesterday, so at least they've recouped their costs. I'm less nervous about going on my own now that it looks like my toe is likely to be well on the way to recovery by then. I've got lovely friends offering to help me transport my stuff from the car, and a sturdy pair of hiking boots, and I'm totally open to going a day late or whatever if that seems like it would work better.
I'm actually excited about flying solo. I'll miss Leo of course, but I've not done a solo festival since we got together, and it'll be really good to have the chance to do my thing and make new connections. If I can't do my normal bouncing-around-the-dancefloor act there'll be time for lots of workshops and chats instead - I'm looking forward to deepening friendships, meeting new people, doing my volunteering shifts and seeing what the burn has to offer. I've emailed the Rangers to let them know that I might not be able to do much ranging, but I imagine a slightly limpy Ranger will be better than no Ranger at all, and honestly based on current progress I might even be fully healed by then.
We had a lovely Sunday yesterday. Went swimming before breakfast - non-gravity-dependent activity being my concession to the toe - which was the first time I'd done so in several years. It was really nice. I slipped straight back into my old rhythm, and enjoyed the meditative focus of ottering up and down. Took it quite easy, with a few rests and a bit of a sit in the sauna (before I realised that was for members only, oops!) but still did 50 lengths in the hour. Got back home, ate a massive brunch and then we both read in bed and had a nearly-two hour nap in the sun. Perfect. I'd like to go back to the pool soon, it feels like swimming is really good for my body, and I think it would be a great complement to the Tai Chi.
I haven't been back to Kung Fu yet. I do want to - my teacher has asked where I've been - but last time as well as wiping me out for the whole of that day, it also gave me noodle legs, knee pain and a fatigue crash that took four days to recover from. That's fine, as long as it's temporary - I'm not going to keep it up if that happens every time, but hopefully I'd get stronger quickly at first, in the way you do when you're a total n00b at a new fitness thing, and reach a stage where it was sustainable. But if I'm going back, I want it to be on a day when I can reasonably take it easy for the next couple of days, and the last couple of weeks have been so full that I haven't had the opportunity. I'm certainly not going to do it before Microburn. So Kung Fu is on the back burner for now.
Looking after a human body is like walking a tightrope. If you never challenge it it atrophies, and if you push it too hard you can do yourself damage. Trying to work out how much activity is the right amount of activity is a constant challenge.
Sprains and burns
Three weeks ago Leo threw their back out lifting something heavy (part of the aforementioned Wrangling of Stuff). A week ago it got bad enough they saw an osteopath: since then they've had two more appointments, gone back to work, overdone it, had to take more time off, and generally been in pain and incapacitated. They've been doing the rest, heat and gentle stretching thing for the last three days, but a sprained ligament is always going to take time to heal.
We have tickets to go to Microburn this week: a beautiful tiny regional in Wales. 150 delightful people, a single communal kitchen, a beautiful organic farm, a rave chapel, yurts, workshops, and all the rest of the stuff you get from a burn. Hanging out with competent, cheerful humans whose default mode is to see what needs doing, take the initiative and get stuck in; fabulous fun and self-expression with lots of costumery and silliness; lots of gender non-conforming, queer, poly and kinky people; rewarding opportunities to participate; an escape from commercialism; and all the rest. There's an effigy burn and a temple burn. It's small but perfectly formed. In addition to our kitchen shifts we're both signed up to Ranger on Saturday and Fire Marshal at the temple burn on Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to it.
The thing is, Leo probably now can't make it. Even if their back has healed up enough by Thursday for it to be a good idea, it would risk setting their recovery back; and the burn and recovery time would both take them away from work when the injury has already done so, and they can't really afford to not be making progress with their startup right now.
So that's disappointing. I was starting to psych myself up to doing the driving-to-Wales and the unpacking and the tent pitching all by myself (I've not done a solo burn since Leo and I got together: I went to Nest 2016 solo, but booked space in one of the dorms so that was on Easy mode, and at Nowhere that year I was sharing a tent with my BFF (Bestest Faery Friend) apart from when I was sharing a tent with Leo, so I didn't do the travelling or the tent-pitching on my own then either. I'm a more experienced burner these days - six burns under my belt, including one assistant camp-lead role at Nowhere last year, and multiple other lead roles (decor/lighting/events/kitchen) and I did the getting-to-Nest thing by myself this year because Leo didn't come for build, and I do have buddies at Microburn I can team up with, but still. It's a bit intimidating.
The thing is, that would all be fine, but yesterday at work I fell down the stairs and sprained my toe. That's what I get for working on a Saturday. The second two toes on my left foot are super sore and very very reluctant to have weight put on them. They still bend okay so they aren't broken, and the bruising hasn't become visible yet, but ow.
I have a busy three days Mon-Weds this week, with at least two of those days involving schlepping around London for work, and the third one prepping and packing for the burn, all of which is going to be harder to do with a foot I can't put weight on properly. Plus it might mean I have to miss Tai Chi on Monday and Tuesday. Woe! Toe woe!
So now I'm wondering whether Microburn is even a good idea. I really want to go and have an amazing time, work has been busy lately and I hunger for a break, friend time, being outdoors and off grid. But camping is physically demanding - the mud, the carrying stuff around, the long walks everywhere including to the loo - and camping solo even more so, without someone to share the tent-pitching and bed-putting-up and striking duties with. And if my toe isn't better by then dancing and hooping will be tricky.
I sprained my ankle at the start of Nowhere 2016 on the third day of build while Leo and I were creating a new theme camp with one other co-lead, which was catastrophic timing. I'm not saying I wish I hadn't gone, but it was hard to have enough fun for the rest of the week to make the effort and pain worthwhile. The poor payoff to effort ratio was the main reason we chose not to go to Nowhere this year; desert burns are hard and there are more valuable ways to spend a month of our lives. I'm not saying that the challenge wasn't rewarding - it was - but I'm reluctant to push myself beyond sensible limits to get to Microburn and set things up so I'm comfortable while there, and then possibly be too exhausted or footsore to properly enjoy it once I'm there.
Today is the last day to transfer tickets, so if I want to sell my space I have to decide today. I dunno though. It kind of depends on how bad the sprain is and how quickly it heals. It might be fine by Thursday: there's really no way to tell.
We have tickets to go to Microburn this week: a beautiful tiny regional in Wales. 150 delightful people, a single communal kitchen, a beautiful organic farm, a rave chapel, yurts, workshops, and all the rest of the stuff you get from a burn. Hanging out with competent, cheerful humans whose default mode is to see what needs doing, take the initiative and get stuck in; fabulous fun and self-expression with lots of costumery and silliness; lots of gender non-conforming, queer, poly and kinky people; rewarding opportunities to participate; an escape from commercialism; and all the rest. There's an effigy burn and a temple burn. It's small but perfectly formed. In addition to our kitchen shifts we're both signed up to Ranger on Saturday and Fire Marshal at the temple burn on Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to it.
The thing is, Leo probably now can't make it. Even if their back has healed up enough by Thursday for it to be a good idea, it would risk setting their recovery back; and the burn and recovery time would both take them away from work when the injury has already done so, and they can't really afford to not be making progress with their startup right now.
So that's disappointing. I was starting to psych myself up to doing the driving-to-Wales and the unpacking and the tent pitching all by myself (I've not done a solo burn since Leo and I got together: I went to Nest 2016 solo, but booked space in one of the dorms so that was on Easy mode, and at Nowhere that year I was sharing a tent with my BFF (Bestest Faery Friend) apart from when I was sharing a tent with Leo, so I didn't do the travelling or the tent-pitching on my own then either. I'm a more experienced burner these days - six burns under my belt, including one assistant camp-lead role at Nowhere last year, and multiple other lead roles (decor/lighting/events/kitchen) and I did the getting-to-Nest thing by myself this year because Leo didn't come for build, and I do have buddies at Microburn I can team up with, but still. It's a bit intimidating.
The thing is, that would all be fine, but yesterday at work I fell down the stairs and sprained my toe. That's what I get for working on a Saturday. The second two toes on my left foot are super sore and very very reluctant to have weight put on them. They still bend okay so they aren't broken, and the bruising hasn't become visible yet, but ow.
I have a busy three days Mon-Weds this week, with at least two of those days involving schlepping around London for work, and the third one prepping and packing for the burn, all of which is going to be harder to do with a foot I can't put weight on properly. Plus it might mean I have to miss Tai Chi on Monday and Tuesday. Woe! Toe woe!
So now I'm wondering whether Microburn is even a good idea. I really want to go and have an amazing time, work has been busy lately and I hunger for a break, friend time, being outdoors and off grid. But camping is physically demanding - the mud, the carrying stuff around, the long walks everywhere including to the loo - and camping solo even more so, without someone to share the tent-pitching and bed-putting-up and striking duties with. And if my toe isn't better by then dancing and hooping will be tricky.
I sprained my ankle at the start of Nowhere 2016 on the third day of build while Leo and I were creating a new theme camp with one other co-lead, which was catastrophic timing. I'm not saying I wish I hadn't gone, but it was hard to have enough fun for the rest of the week to make the effort and pain worthwhile. The poor payoff to effort ratio was the main reason we chose not to go to Nowhere this year; desert burns are hard and there are more valuable ways to spend a month of our lives. I'm not saying that the challenge wasn't rewarding - it was - but I'm reluctant to push myself beyond sensible limits to get to Microburn and set things up so I'm comfortable while there, and then possibly be too exhausted or footsore to properly enjoy it once I'm there.
Today is the last day to transfer tickets, so if I want to sell my space I have to decide today. I dunno though. It kind of depends on how bad the sprain is and how quickly it heals. It might be fine by Thursday: there's really no way to tell.