redfiona99

Content warning: some mentions of COVID and sporting injury

The 2019 Fencers Club London Open does feature one of my better stories of utter sporting terribleness - it is down in the books as "the time I lost to someone with a broken rib".

Now J is one of my favourite nemesises (and is aware I call her that) but still.

Even now, nigh on 6 years later, I can still tell you what I did wrong - I rushed it, I pushed too hard, I chased the victory. I learnt from it.

As you can imagine, at the time, I was livid with myself.

Other than uselessness on the fencing front, it was a nice competition. It was at Rickmansworth School, or, to quote what I said to the Italian fencer who was on the same tube as me, "I don't think I'm rich enough to be here." For someone of my political persuasion, I spend too much time at posh schools.

One of the fencing parents ran the food and it was delicious bacon bun time (it remains an all-time best fencing food).

We will skip over L offering me space in his flat, forgetting that he was in France that weekend, sending me his spare keys in the post and banning me from putting the "cheese wedge" (stinky fencing kit bag) in his flat, me having to put it in the loft space, there being engineering work so I had to go a very round about route there and back and a train delay on the way back.

The bonus was because the competition was on the Sunday, I got to go to the Smoke and Mirrors exhibition (https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/W_vuwBQAACoA_SY2), which I really enjoyed. I really enjoy magic, but I was brought up with the Houdini and Conan Doyle story so whenever anyone claims ghosts or the supernatural, I go looking for the trick.

So, if we ignore the fencing, I had a great time, and even that wasn't too bad, because I'd deliberately done the FCL as a stretch competition. FCL the club is one of the best fencing clubs in the country so you can imagine what the standard was like.

It was also there that C told me my excuses for not doing the Welsh Open weren't good enough, which is why the Welsh Open (3rd strongest competition in the country) was the first competition I did after COVID. Too many fencers are aware that 'I dare you' works on me.

J, and her broken rib, do highlight that you can't trust athletes to make sensible play/no-play decisions. In fencing, at our level, we're amateurs. So no prize money (FCL is actually one of the few exceptions to this).

We pay to attend.
We pay transport and any necessary hotel costs because the competitions (unless you are a sabreur) start too early to get there easily.

And, for me and J, we did this, knowing we're not going to win.

J is a sensible person, normally. She's a vet tech (guess how the rib bust). She needs to be able to move. She really ought to have been at home recovering.

But she wanted to fence.

Imagine what that's like if you're a young man or woman with money on the line. That sort of decision should be in the hands of someone whose not got money on the line, because Bloodgate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodgate) showed that team doctors can be suborned.

Back in the UK

Yet another place where I know only the conference centre. It's a very *big* conference centre.

Needless to say, I feel amazing.

Oddly, the strength is still mostly there, and most of the cardiovascular endurance (such as it ever was). The foot-speed, on the other hand, is down. But I did jog for 3 minutes, which is an unexpected success.

I am not dead!

I do however appear to be cursed never to get the the gym again.

On Wednesday 6th I got pulled into an important work thing, cue mass panic to get something done and through two other departments by the 18th (mission successful).

That Saturday, I was at t'other [real name redacted]'s 70th birthday party, then Sunday, Dune part 2.

Wednesday the after, I had a fencing competition meeting (which was unusually useful). Then fencing where I overdid it (I acknowledge the overdoing, it was totally worth it).

Friday to Sunday I was in Manchester, L appears to be trying to catch all the acting knights because he took me to see Ian McKellen as Falstaff in the Player Kings.

Got back from that (thankfully not caught up in the usual train chaos) only to head straight into a 3 day straight work meeting which I shouldn't complain about too much, especially as I got a present in re: important work thing, but I am exhausted and caught this month's cold, which is, as the girl in Superdrug agreed, a stinker.

After that, there was yet another fencing meeting which I could have done without.

Since then I have been busy feeling grotty, it's an itchy throat and running nose cold.

In possibly the only plus, whisper it quietly, but the third section of Swings and Roundabouts might be done.

In thematic and mostly chronological order:

Fencing - I've been back for 3 sessions, doing footwork only for 2 sessions, and then with swords for another one. I can now step forward and backward without pain (fast steps back hurt for the two but that's settled down now). I have had a match to 5 with one of the epeeists. It finished 5-2 to him, and everyone else is most LOL that I am annoyed at that after 5 months out. I was so close to hitting him another time though. Have asked one of the foilists for a match next week. Still working on 5s for the time being, and will build up to 15s. I'm about 2 weeks ahead of where I thought I'd be but still work in progress.

First 10 k steps (x5) - Since the last post, I've hit 10 k steps for the first time since the break. And hit it 5 times. With no major objection from the leg. I'm having to explain to people that I can tell the difference between "pain" and "sore because it's not done this for 5 months". Apparently, other people don't phrase it as "my muscles are objecting because I didn't warn them in triplicate".

I can now do >50 minutes walking without crutches.

Which brings us to the good news. I have been signed off by the consultant, and she has given me permission to cast aside the crutches, permission I have been using with great vigour.

This means I am allowed back in the office, and will be building up from 1 day a week starting from Wednesday next week. Unfortunately for our health and safety team, that just means I will be bothering them about the lack of evac chair in person. (There is still no evac chair)

Mid-December was busy, and I had 3 back-to-back days out of the house.

The 15th saw the work Christmas party. Various people were amazed I appeared (in moonboot and on crutches). The crutches were helpful for more than just me. The venue had forgotten that not all disabilities are visible and were being awkward about letting a colleague recovering from a torn ACL use the lift. Cue "she's helping me".

The night also featured a drunken CEO assuring me I was allowed to work from home for as long as I need, and reports back from the most recent Health and Safety disaster, which ... eurgh! (Everyone involved is fine.)

16th was the President's Cup, where one of the Birmingham FC teams won, and not everything went on fire, which was even more pleasing.

17th I went to see the second of the new Musketeer films as a treat. It was non-bon.

On the 20th I came up to Mum's, thanks to colleague S2 allowing himself to be the only one in for one day. I asked for passenger assist. Of the 6 times I needed a ramp, a ramp was provided precisely 0 times. To the extent that I would have been left on the train at Leeds if I wasn't already recovered enough to do my own stepping. Disgruntled email being sent after the second leg.

Other than that, I can now stand on the ill tiptoes only, and can walk up and down stairs if I need to. Intriguingly, upstairs is as easy as pre-break, down is pain and suffering and difficult. There are now evac chairs at new work building but no-one trained to use them so the people who betted on "[real name redacted] will be able to do stairs before there are working evac chairs" won that bet.

This was my last big trip before COVID. Given everything that's happened since, I'm glad I went then.

My poor unfortunate mother (TM) had always wanted to visit the Alhambra. Given one of her friends's advice to seize the day, I felt it would make an excellent birthday present.

We decided to go on a coach tour. I know all the coach trip jokes (and I was the youngest person on the trip by 15 years) but they provide a really good service, giving you a taster of something. It definitely did that, and I have plans to return to Andalusia. But then again, I've been planning to go to Stockholm since 2017.

I went entirely OTT on photos and was going to promise to restrain myself to 8 photos and the occasional town sign per post, but the I hit my Seville photos and realised I would fail that one miserably, so the plan is 8 photos per post, but splitting a couple of days into more than 1 post.

The trip was 8 days long.

The first day was a flight to Spain and then recovery. Theoretically, because the flight was so early and because we arrived at the hotel at 11 am, you could have gone to Malaga or Torremolinos in the afternoon. However, it was a very early flight so Mum was not up for further movement, so she rested and I spent the afternoon sunbathing and swimming.

The next day we went to Ronda and Grazalema on the way to Seville.

This post focuses on Ronda.

First let me admit my ignorance. Before the trip, I'd never heard of Ronda. Now I have. And I want to go back.

It's fantastically interesting, and I do recommend it. For further information, please see this remarkably detailed page from the Andalusian Tourism body - https://www.andalucia.org/en/ronda

Because of the gorge it's built on, and the split between the old and new (1700s) towns is part of what makes it so remarkable.

( The gorge, and a view from one side to the other )

It was part of the Romantic trail

( As told by these beautiful tiles )

It does mean that there's a fair bit of ( Orson Welles was here )

The city also does a modern twist on this, having as it does, a road named for Kazunori Yamauchi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazunori_Yamauchi). As you do.

The Bullring in Ronda (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_Toros_de_Ronda) is one of the oldest in Spain and is the home of the Real Maestranza de Caballería, the oldest order of bullfighting in Spain. (Madonna fans will recognise it from the video to "Take a Bow" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDeiovnCv1o)

It definitely has an excellent statue of a bull outside



My photo doesn't do it justice, you know those statues that are full of life and feeling, it's one of those.

Ronda was also where the Constitution of Andalusia and it's flag were formally adopted (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_of_Ronda), which is why the Plaza del Socorro has two giant Andalusian flags flying.

( Two photos of Independence Square )

We spent the morning in Ronda and then on to Grazalema.

The last three weeks have been interestingly busy.

Had a work meal out (the Italian round the corner from the old office). Colleague S was most annoyed that they seem to have been bought out by English people. Food still good, but inflation has definitely happened.

I caused much horror with my walk, which I admit was a little Frankenstein's Monster's initial attempts, and as becomes a pattern, no one believed me when I said it didn't hurt. Slow speed of movement was noted, and fitted into London plans.

Almost a week after, I had my follow-up physio appointment. Physio happy with progress (because I think the work meal walking had helped iron out the kinks in my nervous system going 'walking, what is this nonsense?!'), so happy that she's scheduled my next one for the day after my next orthopaedics appointment. Cross fingers on the 16th of November, please.

She was also horrified/amused by how I was doing one of my exercises and showed me a different way to do it, that involved less wriggling.

I did tell her about the London trip, and she also didn't say no, although she was worried about the stairs (because I still don't have 'all weight on bad leg permission' but the only way I can do stairs is all weight on bad leg at certain points).

London trip was interesting.

Passenger Assist is both better than people have warned me it will be and expleteing useless at times. I made sure to ask for ramps to get on and off, because stairs are the only things I can't do. Of the 8 times I needed a ramp on the there and back, ramps were provided 6 times. So there was more pain than necessary. I also liked that according to station [name redacted], other station had called them ahead and said I didn't need a ramp. Now I love the staff of station [name redacted], but I am also used to them, so if there's been a miscommunication, I have strong suspicions where it occurred.

However, Passenger Assist did mean I got to go under Euston and see whole new parts of Euston train station. (L also liked that my ride both times had Pride livery).

Train journeys went okay despite one train being cancelled. Lovely train guard directed me to the "special assistance seats outside the guard's office". So I sat, much to the annoyance of the man who wanted that seat for his wife. Shame that the people who need assistance get first claim of those seats.

Lovely lady on the kitchen also gave me a free tea, which I shan't specifically mention when I email Avanti saying how lovely the train crew were.

Got to London, the Cafe Nero at Euston has moved so had to find that. L then had to do overtime at work so I waited as late as I could but then had to hobble to the taxi stand. In one of those lucky coincidences, the lady behind me had had a broken hip and was up and about again. As they are more serious than my break and she is older than me, I am taking it as a sign that these things can be overcome.

Got to the hotel. The set up for telling them I needed the fancy limited mobility lift was tricky (and I may have shouted), but the lift itself was awesome. They took one look at me and upgraded me to the fully disabled room. I had emailed them to say I was on crutches but apparently no-one communicates anywhere.

The room was most excellent and I was able to have two showers in 3 days. Which since I can't have showers at home is a big thing!!! (It did feature me having to dry myself then hop out of the bathroom with moonboot, walking boot, rucksack and nothing else on but clean at least).

It's the Assembly Covent Garden (https://www.assemblyhotels.com/) if you're wanting a central London hotel that's not extortionate, comfortable and excellently located.

The Wyndham is a lovely theatre. The front door staff took one look at me and were like "are you sure you're safe to be out." I explained that I had emailed and was told it would be okay, but again, no one had communicated this so they snuck me in the side entrance.

Lear was good, even if they did cut too much of Regan and Goneril. The people who didn't like the stick fighting are wrong.

The original intention was to spend Saturday in the National Gallery (which hires out wheelchairs if you need them) but the weather intervened (also, it was a bit busy - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/04/thousands-demonstrate-in-trafalgar-square-for-gaza-ceasefire), so we hung out in a local pub instead.

Which turns out to be featured in "Murder Must Advertise".

Downside of London, so many places have steps. This did lead to breakfast at Five Guys, who now do pistachio milkshakes, so you know, silver linings.

If you need taxis in London for a set time, rather than grabbing a Hackney carriage (which are hell on Earth to get into/out of on crutches), may I recommend Addison Lee (https://www.addisonlee.com/).

Sunday we went to the Wellcome Collection, which is one of my favourite museums in London. Got to see the "Cult of Beauty" exhibition (https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA) which I recommend if you're down there.

Walked along the whole exhibition without side effects so I'm taking that as a good sign.

By the time I got back on Sunday night the leg had swelled up somewhat, and gone entirely rhomboid in the ankle, but it calmed down within a couple of days, so I'm presuming it was just over-doing it.

Work still don't have an evac chair, and more and more people are annoyed on my behalf and support my plans to keep raising it. It meant that I had a 6 hour meeting online so my brain was mush.

I'd also managed to double book myself that evening, with a works do and a fencing AGM. With some fancy footwork (and some forgiveness on the part of work colleagues) I managed to do both. Boss and Marketing Me Equivalent were both slightly freaked by the crutch walk, but remaining colleagues agreed when I said it was much improved from the two weeks previous.

I mean, I'm not going to, but the fact that I know I could walk home from the hospital or the physio (same hospital, different building) does make me feel a lot better.

Woke up this morning and three of them were "post-bruise brown" and the other two were the expected shade of off pink.

I suspected something was going on because my body woke me up at ack of dawn (~4 am) with hot tingling toes. Cue me waking up to check that all was well and I'd not lain on a nerve/thrown a clot/any of the 900 other things that actual doctors or Google warned me about, and since nothing was obviously wrong, going back to sleep after a short reading pause.