And it's all over for me

Torts Relay Teams

No WHW for me this year.

I know it can happen to anyone and this weekend it happened to me. A bad slip and a bad landing saw me hobbling off the Conic Hill on Saturday during the Highland Fling relay race. I was sure I had heard a crack, I was feeling very sick and my ankle felt huge and numb.

Lots of people stopped, runners and walkers offering me help and pain killers. I am so grateful to them even though at the time I refused all help. I think it was a mixture of pain, shock, disbelief and me being bloody determined I could run it off if I could just get off the hill.

Long story short I didn’t run anything off and by the time I got to the easier path I was met by Robert and George, thanks to the female runner who was on a training run and passed my message to them.

Between them they helped me to the car park and by that time I knew it was well and truly over for me.

BDTP managed to get through to the drop out marshal and update her they no longer had a sweeper. Natalie our leg 3 runner continued my run then her own covering 21 miles. What a girl, well done Nats. This was added to our leg 1 runner in one of the male teams having breathing problems and dropping out. George took over his run then his own leg 3. We were dropping like flies!!

I got a couple of ice packs for my ankle and sat in the back of the car with my leg elevated. Of we went to Rowerdennan, oh trying not to be sick on that wee bendy windy road! We passed an ambulance going in the opposite direction, Mags reckoned we should have stopped it, only finding out later that it was Ellen who had fallen further on and broken her arm, I think right on the elbow and had lay on the damp cold ground for a very long time waiting on the ambulance. It was a bit upsetting to find out that folk complained about her blocking the path and the ambulance blocking the road WTF and whoTF are these people? I do believe in Karma.

I was managing to hobble about even in quite a bit of discomfort. I filled my boots with painkillers and I was having positive thoughts that it was just a bad strain and was probably a branch I heard crack.

We got to Beinglas farm and I thought I should see if I could get my ankle strapped up. Neil who I recognised from being a runner at a lot of the ultras was on duty as doc. He had a good look at my foot and gave his diagnosis as fractured fibula but as he didn’t have X-ray eyes I should go to A&E and get it seen to.

Oh dear

Now I don’t get out much and I didn't want to have to go home early, that would also have ruined other folks weekend (they don’t get out much either) so I decided the swelling was huge anyway and I could still stand in it. Would do till Sunday. Huge fish supper and a few beers later I was convinced I made the correct decision.

Sunday morning and it was still the same which means it wasn’t worse so all is good. Arriving home I got changed and Mags, Nats and Moira came up to A&E with me. Approx 2 hours wait! The girls wanted to wait but it had already been a very long weekend so I had to practically send them away! I listened to episode 13 WHW podcast and surfed away the time. Soon I was taken for X-ray and Neil’s diagnosis was confirmed.  2 long thin cracks running from ankle to mid calf. Nurse put a huge heavy plaster on it and gave me an appointment for Monday.

I was amazed at the lack of negative thoughts I was having. Thinking hard about things I knew I have lost nothing that won’t be there for me another time. So I was over the moon after seeing the doc on Monday who just seemed to know what I was thinking without me saying anything. So you’re a runner then? You wont want a stookie if we can help it then? Can’t have your bones stiffening up can we? I’m like ok ok ok.

I have a brace which even with the painkillers is bleeding agony, but it is going to make a huge difference to my recovery so a wee bit of pain is doable. I also have an ankle brace below the leg one to stabilise the ankle. These braces I can take of for showers etc, maybe even get myself into the pool once the doc says I can. So glad I haven’t cancelled that gym subscription yet!

Much better!

This morning I entered the Beacons Ultra .. yes!  booked my accommodation.. yes!

So that’ll be The Devil, The Glenmore 24, The GO33 and the Beacons. So much to look forward to.

Not sure about our holiday in the Alps yet, I’m hopeful but not pinning my hopes on it.

Stay safe.

Karen and now unfit Munro x