When (Acute) Injury Strikes

Or what to do on a rainy (or otherwise) recovery day

Before I start, we are doing a vert challenge for the month of June! It’s very low key, but we have some fun prizes for the winners and raffle prizes for everyone who joins. It’s simply on Strava, tracking vertical gain by foot, bike, or ski. This event is the start but I created the challenge through my personal account so I think you need to be friends with me to join? I don’t know how Strava works (if you do, let me know!) but find the Uppy Buppy challenge for the month of June and join! If you’re in the Methow, we’ll be doing laps at Driveway Butte on the 1st to kick things off.

The other day I had a scheduled call with an athlete training for a 100 mile mountain run. She’s run several, and is one of those delightful people that make coaching so rewarding. I’ve worked with her for several years and was looking forward to catching up in real life rather than comments in TrainingPeaks and the occasional texts. I grabbed my phone and saw she’d texted: “I just rolled my ankle really bad on a run and heard a pop. My husband’s coming to pick me up, but I don’t know if there will be much to talk about on a call sadly.”

UGH. In an instant, everything can change.

My mind flash backed to when I broke my leg. One moment I was skiing blissfully home to my newborn, the next I was in excruciating pain trying to click back into my binding, knowing that the next several months would be spent recovering from whatever orthopedic catastrophe I’d just experienced.

I’m optimistic that my athlete will recover quickly, but after giving her my tv and book recommendations, I thought it would be fun to share my top recent picks for the unexpected off days, taper time, a day (or seven) to veg (which is not veg’ing, because our bodies need down time), or a lovely surprise (for a non-forecast looker like me) rainy late May day.

Books/Reading (all linked here!)

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. I love contradictions, and this book had so much to discuss in my book club. Religion, online identity, motherhood, gender roles, and more.

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Turns out I love reading fiction by poets. This prose was so interesting. His voice was different than anything I’ve read before, though I can’t really pin down what the distinction was.

On the Calculation of Volume (Book One and Two) by Solvej Balle. It’s hard not to write more about this book, but without much editorializing, I found both of these books highly interesting, though to say there’s much of a plot would be a reach. A woman finds herself stuck repeating November 18th (I think; I’m recalling it from memory now) and this is her journal. Somehow I was mesmerized, though wasn’t sure if I’d read the next one. Then I did, and ended wondering if I’d read the next, which I’m sure I will when I come upon it.

Brawler by Lauren Groff. I’ll read anything and everything by Groff. Her writing process fascinates me (gift link), and this collection of short stories is great, like every book she writes.

My Dear You by Rachel Khong. I never liked short stories until this year and now I find their ability to say so much in a handful of pages nothing short of astonishing. These stories are fun, funny, thought provoking, and perfect if you want to fall into a story that will sit with you, but not take much time.

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan. Three incredible short stories, one of which, George Saunders discusses on the New Yorker Fiction podcast. If you like short stories, that podcast and its sibling The Writer’s Voice, is fantastic. A perfect accompany to any run, house cleaning, or dinner making.

Adult Braces by Lindy West. I loved this, despite all the hubbub and judgment about West. Lindy, you’re awesome and you don’t owe anyone anything. Keep writing.

TV/Film

I’m a sucker for religious cult documentaries and Netflix has two right now: Trust Me, the False Prophet, and Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. It’s difficult to watch but somehow fascinating.

I’ve been working on a larger writing project that may or may not ever amount to anything, but in doing research/remembering what inspires me, I remembered the amazing documentary The Great Dance, which I first watched in college at the historic Wilma Theater in Missoula. Ah, the good ole day. Anyway, it’s a beautiful illustration of humans at one with their environment, produced by the same guy as My Octopus Teacher (also a good one).

Happy People is the other documentary that sticks in my mind, directed by Werner Herzog, about trappers in the Tiaga.

We just introduced Fiona to the wonderful world of Christopher Guest, and Best in Show is even funnier than I remember. Side note, Parker Posey’s book You’re on an Airplane is fantastic. I recommend the audiobook, narrated by Posey herself.

Lest you think I’m too high brow, my all time favorite binge show remains Selling Sunset. If you haven’t seen the nine seasons, I highly recommend, as an anthropological study if nothing else.

Happy recovery day or weeks!