Sunday, September 8, 2013

Portillo

Today was my second day skiing in Portillo and it has been awesome to ski without pain. This place is so beautiful and you just feel at home in the mountains being here. I have been taking a few photos with Jonathan Selkowitz, who is an amazing photographer and just working on getting back onto my feet again. The womens US Ski Team is here training, including Lindsey Vonn and this being her debut back on snow since her injury. It is very motivating for me to be skiing around with the girls I grew up racing with even though we are on an entire different level now, their skiing and hard work are inspiring to me. I can still feel my leg on hardapack, but this is the first time I feel like I have skied without pain in a few years. The last couple years have been tough from my broken fibula to my shoudler dislocating when I wave to someone to the worst injury I have ever had which was my broken tib/fib. Last season I thought I was healed, but now that I am skiing since the first time since March 1st I realize wow, this is what it feels like to have no pain! It is amazing how the mind can trick you into thinking that you are okay. Now I am working on gaining back my confidence in my skiing thatI felt I lost last season. This is the first ski trip I have ever done without competing or racing and it feels so good not to have the pressures of having to perform. I simply get to ski for myself and it feels great. Thanks to Rob at Mountain Athlete again for making me feel strong again. Also Arcteryx, Head, Gu, Scott, Probar and JHMR for supporting me in my skiing endeavers! Next stop Bariloche, Argentina!

2 comments:

smallwoo said...

Hey Crystal! So awesome to hear that you are skiing without pain. Thanks to your support and workouts, as well as hard work I suppose, I am also skiing without pain! Glad to hear you are feeling like yourself again. The mountains are our home and damn isn't it good to be home!

Unknown said...

Hey Crystal, glad to hear you are pain free! I broke my tib and fib a few years ago and it does take time. I am now dealing with a cartilage tear in the same ankle and am trying to get a scope but my insurance is just lagging and the season is coming up. I am 49 and still compete on the SFS series. It happened about 3 months ago and got better but I really fu*** it up about 3 weeks ago. It's doing better now and I want to start training again for the winter and I know you run a crossfit type gym and was wondering if you think it's a good idea to sign back up for the cross fit gym out my way? Do you think they would be able to modify the workouts to take some of the stress of the ankle? Its a problem when I get off camber side to side that makes it hurt and I am sure that when Im in my boots its not a huge issue. I am asking you because you would understand better than the coaches at the gym Im wanting to use.