08/17/2026
๐๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐จ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ซ๐! ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ โ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ. ๐ณ
It wasn't good. I fell in a "funny way," but it wasn't funny at all.
I ended up with a grade 2 partial ligament tear in my ankle and a small bone contusion (bone bruise) at the top of my ankle. I was in a boot for 6 weeks. ๐ฅพ
It was TOUGH! The lack of weight-bearing activity was HARD! BUT โ I survived it! ๐ช Here's what I did to keep myself sane, and even some GOOD THINGS (silver linings โจ) that came out of this whole ordeal.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐?
๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง. No more squats or hip hinges for now. I revamped my workout routine to reflect more upper body and core strength. I knew I couldn't and wouldn't just stop exercising โ that was NOT the answer. Nope, just like any good coach, I pivoted and made a program that worked for me.
This approach worked really well. On days I felt low or even cranky, I felt my mood lighten with each exercise. It really confirmed that exercise can be the ultimate mood lifter! ๐
๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ. Damn, that was hard, but I did it. My husband drove me to work every day, and to all of my doctor's appointments. I was thankful, and as much as my independent self hated it, it became a lot more tolerable when I expressed my gratitude. ๐ฅฐ
๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ค๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ซ. This one is very specific to my injury, but I highly recommend a knee scooter if your doctor recommends one. My ortho told me I could just walk in the boot, but when I mentioned I average about 8,000 steps a day at work, he suggested I get one instead. It was a lifesaver! It kept the weight off my ankle and let me keep it elevated throughout the day, instead of walking on it all day.
๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐. I'm not usually one for "extras" โ products I don't really need โ but damn, I LOVE MY ICE MACHINE. ๐ง It's not a machine that dispenses ice cubes; it's more like a little cooler you fill with water and ice, connected by a tube to an ankle wrap that circulates ice-cold water around my ankle. After work every day, I'd spend at least 20 minutes icing. It felt great, and became a wonderful way to end the workday and start decompressing.
๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ (๐๐ฒ๐-๐๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ ๐จ ๐
). Boots are clunkly and definitley not comfortable or sexy, but I wore my boot religiously. I used the scooter to reduce time on my ankle. I put on my ankle ointment to reduce inflammation. My ortho told me some people end up needing surgery, especially if they don't take the time to heal properly. You don't have to tell me twice!
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ?
๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐! With my husband giving me rides every morning, we really dialed in our AM routine โ lunches packed the night before, breakfast and coffee sorted in the morning. I'm definitely keeping that routine! โ
๐๐จ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ! Being in the boot for 6 weeks let my right foot fully rest and heal, and my plantar fasciitis has disappeared. ๐ Here's hoping it stays gone!
๐๐จ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ค๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ. I am a 52 year old woman who fell off a climbing wall and I DIDN'T BREAK A BONE! Damn, thank you strength training and nutrition!
๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ ๐จ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐. I had to put my September powerlifting meet on hold. Who knows, maybe I'll return to Powerlifting again in a few months, but I'm in no rush. For now, I'll be training for my 65-mile cycling ride and looking forward to a fall full of outdoor climbing (woot woot โ it's been about 10 years since I've climbed outdoors!) ๐ด๐งโโ๏ธ Feel free to donate to my fundraising efforts if you're feeling generous: https://www.rideclosertofree.org/participants/JulieBailisโ
๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง "๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐จ๐ง" ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค. Getting into the routine of icing my ankle every day after work helped me realize how powerful it is to have a real off button from work. It made my evenings calm and lovely, so I could focus on relaxing, cooking, and prepping for the next day. Thank you, ankle injury. ๐
๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. Since I couldn't bear weight on my legs for 6 weeks, I was forced to learn a lot more about upper body movement โ especially muscle-building work with dumbbells and the cable machine. Less rest, more of that pump โ it was educational, and honestly, fun. I'll be keeping some hypertrophy work in my program going forward. It's not only nice to BE strong, but to LOOK strong too. ๐ช
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐. If I'd had the ability to drive myself, I probably would have broken up my day โ gone home for lunch after morning coaching hours, then come back in the afternoon. Instead, my husband dropped me off in the morning and picked me up hours later. I got very efficient about getting things done AT work, which meant I stopped bringing work home during the week and have very little prep left for weekends. This has been amazing, and I hope to keep this trend going! Woo hoo! ๐
๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐. I really did feel the community love. So many members and colleagues asked about my healing journey and wished me the speediest recovery. I felt so loved and supported, and I do NOT take that for granted. ๐ฉท
AND THAT IS THAT.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐ข๐ญ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ญ?
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ?
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ญ?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Coach Julie
PS โ I know September is right around the corner. If you're at all interested in training with me and my strength team at Ascent Climbing Gym in New Haven, I highly recommend booking your Free 20-Minute Strength Consultation soon. August and September tend to be very busy months here at the gym, and my schedule fills up fast. So book soon if you can! I look forward to talking soon โ the hardest part of any fitness journey is just getting started! ๐
https://ascentclimbinggym.com/personal-training
