My index finger hurts when I bend it and is puffy. My right ankle hurts when I point my toes and does not have the same range of motion as my left. My left foot hurts in the tendon along my arch to the ball of my foot... I'm a lil broken and it's frustrating. So I'm not training this season. I started off with the team but couldn't drag myself out of bed to practice or pull myself into the frigid pool in the dark of night. I dropped. I don't really miss it. I miss the bragging rights. I miss saying that I did double digit runs and triple digit rides. I miss the regularity and the friendly faces but I'm also enjoying my freedom and time to do whatever I want. Actually I kind of replaced Ironteam with something else.
Crossfit.
Ya, now I'm one of those. It's been 3 months and I drank the kool-aid. I now know the jokes, the sayings, the terms, and even the gear. Say hello to my fancy rope and light-weight shoes.
RX rope and Inov8 F-lite 230s
Blame the rope for my finger. Made of aircraft cable, I landed on it and it whipped back into my hand right onto the joint of my index finger. Swollen with a one purple line where I'm guessing the rope broke the vein, I can't bend it all the way. It'll be fine. The bruise will heal but never as fast as I'd like.
I'm enjoying myself. It's a lot more fun to attend a class led by a coach, supported and cheered on by fellow athletes suffering through the same workout as you, than a 3 hour ride where you briefly see teammates as they pass you. The mental strain isn't as bad. I also see subtle differences. Muscle where I don't recall there being muscle. Extra definition.
My face got thinner :)
Other crossfitters at the box (we call our gyms boxes *shrug*) have commented on the difference. Even my massage therapist asked if I was losing weight. But just like the healing, the progress is never as fast as I'd like. I'm impatient.
I went paleo. Cut out grains, dairy, legumes, granulated sugar, and processed foods. I'm left with meat, eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts, and coconut. Lots of coconut. If I get the craving I bake my own cookies made of almond meal, shredded coconut, and my sugar of choice is maple syrup or I splurge and indulge in ice cream made of coconut. I feel good. Less bloating and stomach issues. I don't feel like crap after I eat.
I'm headed in the right direction.
Will I go back to endurance racing? Yes. I'm being considered as part of the staff for TnT's cycling team. I miss my bike I just hope my ankle doesn't mind it. I actually miss running too but till I get my foot figured out I'm hesitant to go for a jog. If anyone has any recommendations for a specialist I'm all ears.
So right now I'm still IronMel, it's just a different kind of iron right now. Back squats. Presses. Dead lifts. Bench. Clean & jerks. Snatches.
