I'm a student in the basic climbing class and thought I might share a learning experience about injury. Recently, too much of my Can Do Attitude turned into a case of Can Hurt Tendonitis. Over the last 7 months, I've climbed weekly at Stone Gardens, a climbing gym in Ballard. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my friends and I practice our skills and enjoy the challenge of increasingly difficult routes. The environment is a good balance of support and friendly competition, so that when the crux appears especially tough or the route feels unusually high, a little peer pressure becomes a bit of inspiration.

Fast forward to February of this year and an evening at the gym. A friend and I stretched, warmed up, and then climbed non-stop for over an hour on 5.7's, 5.8's and a couple of 5.9's. Climbing inside, obviously, the anchors are preset, and the only break you need is to untie and tie into the ropes at the next route. He climbed and I belayed. I climbed and he belayed. Back and forth, no rest. Each time he motioned to a new route, I said, "climb on", even late in the session when the tendon in my right elbow began to ache and my arm began to weaken. I was enjoying the pace; it was too much fun to stop.

Like many women, I haven't yet developed significant upper body strength. Climbing is also my first attempt at a demanding activity that, at times, requires strength in the arms, shoulders, and upper back. At the gym that day, the non-stop climbing using less-than-developed upper body muscles had weakened the tendon in my arm. Two days later, I shoveled snow, with my right arm, for several hours. By nightfall, I couldn't hold a glass of water.

That was over 7 weeks ago and I now have the equivalent of "tennis elbow." I could do nothing with my right arm for several weeks and today I need to limit my gym time and be careful on class field trips. After reprimanding myself mercilessly, I got over it and tried to be clear about what I'd just learned. I've got to respect my own limits as they exist today. And, if I feel it's an issue of strength, I then need to learn how to break past these limits at a pace that's right FOR ME. Though the technical exertion at the gym is supposed to be more difficult than we can expect in the Basic class, the field trips and climbs are, after all, an exercise in physical exertion. And I dread the idea of being last to reach the top.

I'm also realizing that I need to become serious about a training program to be able to keep pushing my limits. I guess this means that, especially outside of class, I'll need to come up with more thoughtful objectives, whether the activity is climbing, hiking, or training. But I also remember that a determined attitude with a little competitive spirit is a great remedy for obstacles. I intend to use this resolve to learn when it's appropriate to say, "that's enough," so my Can Do Attitude also Can Stop early enough to prevent injury and allow me to climb another day.