Discovery - One Man's Struggle with Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...: So Wills

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

So Wills - What are you doing to that knee?

It was just a month ago, July 14th to be exact, that Dr. Woods, the orthopedic surgeon made a big cut on the inside of my left knee and went in with a hammer and chisel (I guess that makes him a Knee Sculptor or something) and knocked a 1-3/4" bone spur off the back inside of my left knee.

So what am I doing with that knee now? I'm resting it... right?

Not exactly.... I'm doing what I always do.... I'm working the sonofabitch as hard as I can.

Like Dr. Woods told me on my follow up when he released me.... "Go back to doing whatever it was you were doing.... you can't screw that knee up anymore than it already is!"

Thanks for that Doc!

And when I asked him about the activity level I had with that knee in the condition it was in..... he described the knee performance as....

"Grossly Abnormal".....

I like that.... Grossly Abnormal.... that's me in 2 words.

So I had my first CrossFit workout after the surgery last Friday but it was kinda just a cardio - bodyweight type of WOD.

The workout yesterday.... or should I say the 4 workouts yesterday.... were more like what I am used to from the House of Pain.... otherwise known as CrossFit WMD!

So here's how it went down....

The warmup: Phase 1
600m run - I only did 400 in deference to the problem child.
15 - 35# kettlebell clean and jerks 1 KB in each hand
Farmer's Walk gripping a 45# plate in each hand
20 - Romanian Deadlifts with 95#

Phase 2: 8 min EMOM
Every Minute on the Minute
Even minutes: 8 - 24" box jumps
Odd minutes: 8 - wall balls - throw 20# wall ball up 9 ft catch it do a full squat then throw it back up 9 ft.

Phase 3: Strength work
5 sets of 3 reps of Behind the Neck Jerks
Barbell resting on shoulders behind neck - Dip with legs OR do split leg and thrust weight overhead - I got to 135#. I normally do 185# so that tells you something about my weakened out of shape state.

Phase 4: 10 min AMRAP - As Many Reps as Possible in 10 mins

10 deadlifts with 185# Rx - I did 135#
30 double under rope jumps or 90 single unders.... I did the singles cause I can't do doubles.
10 pull-ups
Repeat as fast as you can for 10 mins

I ended up getting 3 rounds even on the 10 min AMRAP.... which was OK.

So how did the knee and I feel?

Notice I give the knee it's own feelings cause let's face it.... it's becoming a person in and of itself.... with bad moods and bitching and good days and bad days.... kinda like someone I know.... but that's another story.

Okay. Here's my summary. And this is not negative. This is an unbiased description of how I felt.

When I started, I was stiff and weak and unsure.

My left knee hurt like hell.

My cardio capacity was low because I hadn't been working out with any intensity so I was gasping for air most of the time.

I ended up doing 270 rope jumps. I haven't jumped rope in several months.

My knee got less stiff and painful as the workout went on but it still hurt pretty bad.

My Achilles Tendon was only felt when I was doing the Behind the Neck Jerks.

Considering it was the first full blown intense weight workout I had since my surgery, I did OK.

So here's to Grossly Abnormal and fucking up stuff that's already fucked up.

I had to laugh when I heard this song come up and was thinking about the whole left knee pain thing....

But everyday is a new day.... and this morning the knee felt better.... worked out.... but stronger somehow.

Sometimes you just have to lead with the Mind and make the Body follow.

So from the ashes of the Phoenix, hopefully the Left Knee will Rise again to at least its former glory.... and strength and flexibility.

I remember saying something about this song below to the indomitable Miss S, the Goddess of Christianity and CrossFit, a long time ago and she responded in an absolute knowledge kinda way (cause that's the way she talks when she's talking about God and Christianity).....

There's no such place....