You were born 200 years too late.... Exploring the lives before and the life after.... You haven't lived until you've died.

Pretty interesting title..... and we'll get to this topic cause I have a lot to say.

But for the moment, let's shoot a Nutribullet straight through to my heart.

Which is basically where everything you eat goes eventually.

Banana, green beans, fuji apple, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, cilantro, basil, salt, vanilla extract, Creatine and Protein.

Looking for something different on the music side....

And came up with this....

Maybe it's time to change....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFhRowkNrTM

Gorgeous fucking song....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFU2oPWdl-A

Hang on to this one.... it will have more meaning later in this post...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkjU1tcf5-E

Midnight snack - Ground Turkey Breast tacos with Pear and Cilantro and mixed veggies.

Gotta relate a cool little experience I had yesterday.

No secret - the chronically degenerated arthritic left knee has taken a turn for the worse since the first of the year and has left me with a 2 hour battle every morning just to be able to get down the stairs and walk without a limp.

I've exhausted the ability of the Modern Medical Community to deal with a knee with no cartilage and bone spurs like a porcupine so I'm taking it to the next level....

Alternative Medicine.

Which is a big industry in Santa Fe.

So I went to my alternative medicine go to guy in Santa Fe - Dr Mavrick Lobe - http://drmavrick.com/

to get a Platelet Rich Plasma therapy injection for my left knee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet-rich_plasma

Had 2 injections done on my torn - 40% detached left Achilles Tendon last year and it worked wonders... instant pain relief and increased strength - and I haven't looked back from that injury.

Mav takes the 30cc of blood and puts it in the centrifuge to separate out the platelets and we go into a long consult about my left knee and some alternatives I was researching for left knee pain / regeneration / restoration of some level of activity:

• THC elements with the high inducing components removed leaving just the anti-inflammatory, pain relieving components behind - usually administered in oral form with eye dropper.
• Testosterone supplements - got some negative side effects but so does chronic pain.
• HGH - Human Growth Hormone - everybody I've talked to and all the research I've done says this is the way to go..... but it's pretty cost prohibitive.
• Vioxx - a wonder drug of pain reliever and anti-inflammatory that was marketed by Merck but taken off the market in the late 90s amidst massive class action lawsuits because it caused heart attacks.  Can't get it anymore.... kinda like what Dow's Singlets was to the common flu.

So in the process of talking about all this neat shit, I tell Mav that my Santa Fe orthopedic guy, Dr Bair, said he couldn't do anything with the knee.  I had also asked Dr Bair to drain the knee of excess fluid and he felt of the knee and said "Doesn't seem to be that much fluid there".  I knew that was bullshit cause I could feel how swollen the knee was and the internal pressure being caused by the excess fluid.

So - Mav and I got our heads together and decided to drain the knee.... pretty simple process.

Stick a 2-1/2" needle in the knee using a real time ultrasound image as a guide and draw some fluid off.

Mav says "Yeah - I'm figuring there's probably 18 - 24 cc in there".

So in goes the needle and I'm watching it on the ultrasound.

He takes off 16cc and unscrews the capsule from the needle head, screws in another one and keeps drawing.

The knee has been hurting cause it's been in a pretty stationary position for awhile and having a 2-1/2" needle stuck in it ain't helping.

So... here's a little history... I ain't real good with needles.... Had a cortisone injection in my left shoulder when I was 17.... and the doc did basically the same thing..... injected some cortisone, unscrewed the capsule, left the needle in my shoulder and I looked down at it and saw the blood running down my chest, he shoots a 2nd capsule in and about that time I check out of this world and fall off the gurney into the arms of a nurse and take her to the floor.

And I passed out one time in my early 20s giving blood.

With all the needles and painful procedures I've had done in the past 30 years, I thought I had conquered the whole needle thing.....

So's anyway.... 2 capsules later..... and Mav is still drawing fluid off..... like over 40cc now and the fucking knee feels like I got a hot knife sticking in it and I'm starting to squirm around a little bit and I'm chewing my gum and gritting my teeth and saying.... "Yeah, that fucker is really hurting now" and I'm starting to feel a little light headed.  Only I don't say anything to Mav cause I don't want to be a Whining Bitch especially in front of a Stud like Mav.....

So we finish drawing off the fluid - total of 46 cc - which is like the most he's ever taken out of a knee and in goes the platelets....

And out go the lights!

I open my eyes and a slightly concerned looking Mav says.....

"Hey - you Ok?  You passed out and you stopped breathing so I gave you CPR.  Was about to call 911 when you came to".

Aaaah..... so that deep dark hole I found myself in was.....

Me being Dead.

Cool!

Well - the first thing I'm thinking is that Mav is exaggerating but then I look at his face and hear his rapid breathing and I'm thinking....

I don't think he's kidding.

I'm totally weak and nauseated and I'm hot and clammy..... yeah all those symptoms.

So I'm laying there for about 15 minutes trying to recover and I get some water and some ice packs from Mav....

And we take my pulse and blood pressure..... 52 and 95/60.... holy shit - that ain't good.

I finally get off the gurney and sit on an adjacent chair and the nausea is just overwhelming..... Hey Mav - how bout a bucket so I can puke?

Back on the gurney for another 15 - deep breathing - cause that's what you do when you're living as opposed to not breathing when you're dead.

2nd pulse and BP - 50 and 84/53.... Dammit - that's still not good.

So after about 30 mins, I get up and walk around and dare myself to fall down.... and go into the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face and neck and arms..... 

And look into the mirror..... Hey dude - not looking so good.

So I ask Mav - "You ever have that happen before?" and he says..... "I've had people pass out but never stop breathing."

Well - I can't recall stopping breathing myself.... so I guess that's a first for boffus.

We decide Mav is gonna drive me home.... but after another 15 mins pride and prejudice kicks in and I tell him.... I can make it home.

So I gingerly drive the Red Mare back to the condo..... collapse on the couch feeling very tired and weak and sleepy but afraid to go to sleep cause I'm afraid....

I won't wake up.

I text Mav and let him know I made it and he texts me back to check in in a couple of hours.

I know - what a Drama Queen.

So after laying on the couch a couple of hours, I get up and make me my favorite comfort food go to meal....

Grits and Eggs and Turkey Bacon - which I scarffed down like a Dead Man coming back to Life.

So what's up with this thing..... Who knows?  It was probably a combination of Pain, Low Blood Sugar and my whimpiness with needles.

Did I really stop breathing?  

Hell - I don't know - I wasn't there..... I mean I was there but I wasn't there.

When a guy like Mav says you stopped breathing, I don't question him, cause he's a stand-up no bullshit kind of guy.

So what's up with all this?

Well - it kinda ties in with a New Theme of Life I've been considering based upon recent conversations I've been having with a friend of mine from PIYO class.

This friend is very deep into the Spiritual World of past lives, parallel universes and extended and multiple dimensions.....

Yeah I know..... but hey you gotta keep an open mind and listen and learn and consider.

I've always felt like I was born 200 years too late..... or maybe 2 million years too late.

My friend's contention that these feelings and tendencies exhibited in this life are based on the spirit and memories of past lives.

Based on and in thoughtful consideration of this concept, I am convinced that, if this is true, that I existed in past lives as the following:

• Cave Man or some Primordial Being - I love Fire, being outside, hunting, killing, surviving, existing alone.  I love meat - I love to eat with my hands - and have deep and primordial thoughts and images that I continuously suppress or push to the back of my mind.
• Mountain Man in Western America in the 1820s - 1840s - for a lot of the same reasons listed above. Plus I was born on the Texas Gulf Coast and have always been drawn to the Mountains - love to hike, backpack, live off the land.
• World War II combatant - probably a sniper - Love WWII and have read literally hundred of books on WWII and visualize myself in the scenes fighting for life.
• Probably lived as a Black Man or a Woman in a prior life - have preferences and tendencies of both.

So I guess it's appropriate and timely that I had occasion to pass from this life into the portal that leads to the next life - whatever that next life is - even if it was only for a few seconds.

It's a journey not too many have been blessed enough to experience.

Is all this a bunch of bullshit?  Hell - I don't know.

One of my favorite life axioms is....

"That Last Breath was a Good One".

Love the guitar lead into this one and the lyrics.

If Life is Your Lover..... Give her one last kiss....

Before you die.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0H3RlaQVrM

"Welcome Home"

You could've been all I wanted
But you weren't honest
Now get in the ground
You choked off the surest of favors
But if you really loved me
You would've endured my world

Well if you're just as I presumed
A whore in sheep's clothing
Fucking up all I do
And if so here we stop
Then never again
Will you see this in your life

Hang on to the glory at my right hand
Here laid to rest is our love ever longed
With truth on the shores of compassion
You seem to take premise to all of these songs

You stormed off to scar the armada
Like Jesus played martyr,
I'll drill through your hands
The stone for the curse you have blamed me
With love and devotion, I'll die as you sleep
But if you could just write me out
To neverless wonder... happy will I become
Be true that this is no option,
So with sin I condemn you
Demon play, demon out!

Hang on to the glory at my right hand
Here laid to rest is our love ever longed
With truth on the shores of compassion
You seem to take premise to all of these songs

One last kiss for you
One more wish to you
Please make up your mind girl...
I'd do anything for you
One last kiss for you
One more wish to you
Please make up your mind girl...
Before I hope you die

So what have I learned from this little experience....

Well it just reinforces the belief that I profess to others on almost a daily basis....

You can't take Life for Granted.

It is to be lived each day to it's fullest with an acceptance and belief....

That it can end on that last breath...

And the Hope and Expectation....

That you will pass on to the....

Next Life.

Just another day in a Life of.....

Discovery.

As the World Turns...

You know despite our best efforts to make ourselves out to be more than we really are, the harsh reality are that we are just tiny specks of insignificant sand on the beach, being shifted in and out by the Tides of Life.

One of the Great Learnings of Life is that realization and that you just have to find your inner Peace and Self-Worth by your own Daily Life and Activities....

Simple Pleasures are the Best.....

Like Grits and Eggs and Turkey Bacon....

And a dramatic sunset....

And defining a few Life Virtues.... and working on Living your Life by those Virtues.

Thanks Mama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgFQ6WmxdMs

Seen this one before..... but it's still one of my favorite.

Focus on saving each day and Life will take care of itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfj6r5tfEf4

Some people focus on building a Network of Support around them.... family, friends, loved ones.

I take the opposite approach..... I find security, solace and safety being alone.

Was talking about this with my son and he reinforced this perspective saying I was like a wounded wolf who seeks its own den.... lest he return to the pack for comfort and be killed before weakening the pack.

I'm right there with you bro!

When I go, it will be on my terms, my time and myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7uOXHMhaO8

Love this song, because you have to seek to be someone's SuperMan..... for a significant other... or just for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPU8OAjjS4k

Another one of the simple things in life..... a Glass of Wine and a Roaring Fire!

Another secret to Peace and Happiness.....

Lean Meat and Veggies..... TJ's Organic Turkey Breast fortified with a wet mix of egg, hot sweet mustard, Srirach, Tabasco, Balsamic and Kikkoman and liberally seasoned with Salt, Pepper, Garam Masala, Hot Madras Curry Powder, Cumin and Turmeric.

Add in a stack of diced sweet onion, poblano and jalapeno peppers, carrots, bok choy and fuji apple.

2 tacos with extra mixed veggies made from the amped up Turkey Mix.

Seek to be your own Rockstar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1hgVcNzvzY

What I say to my cup of coffee every morning!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM

Open faced ground turkey breast sandwich with Claussen Dill pickle, salad and mixed veggies.

Praxis makes Perfect!

Warmup - Strength - WOD....

Bid Ed getting warmed up with some Squat Jerks!

Control what you can - Especially what you eat!

I am absolutely convinced that the single most important element of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health is....

What You Eat!

What You Put in your Body defines who you are, what you can be and what you are capable of - Good or Bad.

Lean Meat, Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts, Seeds and Berries..... That is one option for a healthy well being.

Roasted chicken breast, pan grilled egg plant, green beans, onions, peppers and banana....

Beautiful and Healthy Food makes a Beautiful and Healthy Body and Mind!

Blackened Sirloin, veggies, homemade pico de gallo.

Turkey stuffed bell pepper, Tuscan Kale, Veggies.

Tacos with sliced sirloin and veggies.

More sliced sirloin, pan grilled squash, green beans, eggplant, peppers and spring mix with carrot sticks and tomatoes.

Beautiful fruit plate with kiwi, blackberries, raisins and mixed nuts.

Aaaaah.... there's the meat - TJ's Apple Bacon and Pastrami.

Got below the 170 mark.....  and eating the high volumes of food you see above.....

It's not how much you eat..... It's what you eat that counts.

Roasted chicken breast tacos with corn torillas, pan grilled eggplant and Japanese baked sweet potatoes and spring mix salad.

This kind of food may not make you completely Invincible but it will definitely build your immune system and give you the energy you need to jump over tall buildings in a single bound.

Let's build a meal with spring mix, arugula, organic basil, heirloom tomatoes and.....

Cast iron skillet grilled Wild Sockeye Salmon - 2 minutes on each side - no need to kill it twice!

Nice.... and add a scoop of Chocolate Protein mix to the Fruit Punch Creatine mix and get the muscle restoration and electrolytes you need to build that body bigger, badder and better than it was before!

Old School Meets New Ways....

TJ's Sweet Basil and Pesto Chicken and Turkey Sausage resting on a bed of creamy Southern Grits with thin sliced Parm - Gouda combo cheese with micro greens slopped over 2 pieces of TJ's Peppered Turkey Bacon, 2 eggs over easy, Organic Basil, Cherry tomatoes and jalapenos.

Build a Meal.... Build a Body....

Double fisted cast iron skillets.....

Eggplant slices on the left....

Red Bell Pepper, Poblano Pepper and Jalapeno Pepper on the right.

On deck....

3/4" thick Wild Sockeye Salmon fillet seasoned with salt, pepper, Garam Masala, Hot Madras Curry Powder, Turmeric and Cumin.

Yellow Squash

1 slice of TJ's Artisan sourdough bread.

Beautiful salmon sandwich with parsley, arugula, tomatoes, eggplant and squash.

Dessert - Raspberries, Blueberries, Kiwi,  Yellow Mango, Almond - Cashew, Raisin - Chocolate Chip mix.

There's a Parade of Beautiful Food that reinforces the Concept of.....

What You Eat is the Essence of your Health and Well Being!

I ain't as good as I once was.... But I'm as good once as I ever was!

Was talking with an interesting guy on what turned out to be my last hike for a long time....

And this guy was really lean and fit and older than me.

And I asked him what he did to maintain his energy level and fitness and ability to run up and down the mountains like a Billy Goat....

And he revealed what I kinda already knew - He ate a strict low calorie diet flush with fruits, veggies and herbal tea.

And he talked about how he had learned this from his grandma and how he had always been stronger and more fit than his friends in his youth.

The discussion turned a little nostalgic and he related how one of his favorite artists was Toby Keith and one of his favorite songs was a cute little ditty called....

"As Good As I Once Was"

Given my experience over the last few years of returning to a high level of fitness and chasing the Fountain of Youth or bowing before the Altar of Ego..... or whatever you wanna call it.....

I thought it was kinda fitting to pay tribute to the concept that, while we may never be as good as we once were, we can have our moments in the spotlight, where, in the heat and spirit of crisis and competition, we rise above our aged abilities and return to the Wonder of Youth.

So here's to those folks like my 67 year old friend, Elliott, who continue to be as good as they once were!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldQrapQ4d0Y

"As Good As I Once Was"

She said, "I've seen you in here before."
I said, "I've been here a time or two."
She said, "Hello, my
Name is Bobby Jo
Meet my twin sister Betty Lou
And we're both feeling kinda wild tonight
And you're the only cowboy in this place
And if you're up for a rodeo
We'll put a big Texas smile on
Your face"
I said, "Girls,"

[Chorus]
I ain't as good as I once was
I got a few years on me now
But there was a time back in my prime

When I could really lay it down
And if you need some love tonight
Then I might have just enough
I ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was

I still hang out with my best friend dave
Ive known him since we were kids at school
Last night he
Had a few shots
Got in a tight spot hustlin' a game of pool
With a couple of redneck boys
One great
Big bad biker man
I heard David yell across the room
"Hey buddy, how 'bout a helping hand."
I said, "Dave,"

[Chorus]
I ain't as good as I once was
My how the years have flown
But there was a time back in my prime

When I could really hold my own
But if you wanna fight tonight
Guess those boys dont look all that
Tough
I ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was

I used to be hell on wheels
Back when I was younger man
Now my body says, "You can't do this boy"

But my pride says, "Oh, yes you can

I ain't as good as I once was
Thats just the cold hard truth
I still throw a few back, talk a little smack
When I'm feelin bullet proof
So don't double dog dare me now
'Cause I'd have to call your bluff

I ain't as good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was
Maybe not be good as I once was
But I'm as good once as I ever was

Living in a State of Pain and a World of Hurt - Altered Knee.... Altered Reality

Well the 1-day recovery of my left knee lasted about....

1 day.

Basically, since my last hike on January 3rd, my left knee has left me in the worst pain I have experienced in my entire life.

Deep throbbing pain, Sharp knifing pain, Can't straighten my leg, Can't bend my leg, Can't put weight on it, Can't walk without a limp, Can't work out....

Can't.... Can't.... Can't....

Blah Blah Blah.

So what can you do Wuss?

Well - you can adapt, modify and overcome!

Now that sounds more like the Crazy Man I know!

So my day now starts with a sit-up in bed and 50 forced leg extensions off the edge of the bed before I even attempt to put weight on the leg.

I then hobble 1 legged downstairs for at least of 3 cups of float a horseshoe coffee which definitely gets the heart rate up and the blood pumping.

Followed by a 1 legged hobble back up the stairs to a boiling hot bath where I let the shower head water steam my tortured left knee into a state of half boiled submission.  I continue to force extension and bending while the hot water pours over it.

This usually gets the knee where I can put some weight on it so I do my standard stretching, active release with a piece of 4" PVC pipe and LaCrosse Ball and then my shoulder flexibility exercises with a 5' piece of 3/4" PVC pipe and finally 20 Overhead squats with the same PVC pipe.

Back downstairs to a round of 50 leg extensions, 50 leg lifts, 50 leg curls and depending on the knee pain and flexibility.... 50 air squats....

So I went to see the local orthopedic guy again.... Dr. Bair.  

Prep'd a PowerPoint file with images of X-rays and MRI's over the last 2 years.... thought the side by side comparisons might reveal something... which it did.... as I quote Dr. Bair....

"I can't do anything with that knee.... Just keep exercising it and maybe it will get better".

Wow - Thanks for that..... Guess I'm on my own - So what's new?

As I've said before, it's these setbacks in life that really define who you are.

And who I am is a Person who meets problems and challenges head-on.... No Rollover No Belly Up.

More like 2 middle fingers up!

So what's the Plan?

Well - for one thing you try new things.... you learn new things.... you push and pull and twist and turn and experiment.... till something gets better or worse and then you learn from that and then you try something else.

Like I've always said... You just keep moving.... You don't sit, stand or lay still..... You fucking move!

And just trust that your body will adapt, will learn to deal with the new problems and will reshape, remake and remold itself to address the crisis.

So here's my laundry list of changes / additions to address the left knee pain and immobility:

• Hot shower treatment of knee as explained above.
• Icing knee 10 - 15 minutes 3 - 4 times per day.
• Stopped the hiking - Done.
• Stopped the Praxis workouts for the time being - if you can't stand on 2 legs... can't do that workout... Find something else.
• Despite the danger with the icy streets and slick surfaces, over the last week, I started riding my bike again, most recently a 20 mile Santa Fe circle yesterday.  The knee cried, the knee hurt, the knee rebelled and I just kept gritting my teeth and forcing the muscles to push the leg down against the resistance of the pedals.  It wasn't pretty... but today was better.  Remember.... always Remember.... if you have knee pain, try riding a bike.  Dr. Woods, my orthopedic surgeon at the Fondren Orthopedic Group, has always told me that they don't even understand fully why but there is something about the non-impactful rotary motion of pedaling a bicycle that does wonders for the human knee..... I agree.
• Have continued the PIYO Strength group exercise classes - a combo of Pilates, Yoga, Flow and Body weight movements that are remarkably difficult and about all my knee can take for now.
• Doing 3 - 4 rounds per day of the aforementioned 50 leg extensions, 50 leg lifts, 50 leg curls, 50 air squats.  
• Started taking the following supplements - Turmeric (anti-inflammatory), Hyaluronic Acid (joint lubricant), Arneca (Homeopathic painkiller and treatment for arthritis) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnica
• Switched NSAID from Meloxicam to Dicloflenac and doubled the morning dosage.
• When all else fails and the pain keeps me from sleeping I get up, drink a cup of hot decaf mint tea, take a 500 mg Extra Strength Tylenol, do 50 leg extensions and go back to sleep.
• And next week I have an appointment with my "alternative medicine" doc - Dr Mavrick Lobe - http://drmavrick.com/ - who basically healed my 40% detached left Achilles Tendon last May and June with 2 PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet-rich_plasma
• And an appointment with a massage therapist.

So there you have it....

Is the knee getting better?

Not enough and Not long enough for me to wave the Victory Flag.

For now I live with the reality that the knee has changed and my reality has changed.

I can't do what I could 3 weeks ago.... and I may never be able to again.

But guess what -  I've never been very good at predicting the future.

But I'll tell you what I am good at....

I'm good at hard work and sticking to it...... and never giving up!

Reminds me of 2 of the sayings on my RockTape Manifesto Kneecaps -

http://shop.rocktape.com/kneecaps-knee-support-and-protection-for-crossfit-ocr-and-weightlifting/?_ga=1.249713093.21771799.1453070492

"Pain is Temporary.  Quitting lasts Forever."

"Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit." 

Why do I relate this little Pain Experience and my Response to It?

Because it's important to know that Pain can be managed....

And Life with Pain is still Life.

And with every day of Life with Pain.

There is the Hope of....

Life without Pain.

Not so Happy Knee Year - To Hike or not to Hike - Pain is the Question

Went on an incredible hike on Sunday, 01/03/16....

Into the high desert north of Nambe.... Chimayo Badlands was the name of the hike.

Began with a Spiritual Circle by a cross at the top of a hill..... Hmmmm.....

And went through some of the most beautiful high desert terrain I have ever seen.

Kinda like the scenery from a Spaghetti Western.

Loved the Hike and Love my Hiking Group....

But after making the ascent to the top of the above mesa and sitting down for lunch, I stood up and faced my nemesis.....

Mr. Pain.

Yep - somehow in the course of sitting down and not moving while eating, my Left Knee decided to take its own hike.... to a World I have tried to avoid.

To make a painful story even more painful, I spent the 1st 3 days and nights of this week crippled.  My left knee was incredibly swollen and painful and refused to straighten or bend.... basically locked up with deep bone pain.

So much so that I resorted to taking Tylenol 3s - which are basically Extra Strength Tylenol with Codeine - left over from my painful bone spur removal surgery in July.

I iced the knee, did hard and deep massages to the painful areas on the outside and under the knee cap, forced it to bend and straighten with gritted teeth and shortened gasps and scheduled an Emergency appointment with a local orthopedic guy I had heard good things about - Dr. Brant Bair.

Had an X-ray taken which the good doctor gasped at when he walked in the Exam room.  

"Don't have to get any closer... can see it from across the room... that knee is trashed.  No cartilage, lateral displacement, gross enlargement of the joint..... I'm amazed you're walking on that thing!" 

Sing me a song I haven't heard Doc..... I related Dr. Woods - my surgeon at the Fondren Orthopedic Group - assessment of my knee -

"Your performance with that knee is grossly abnormal".

The Good Dr. Bair seemed to like that.... 

"Ice the knee.... Force it to bend.... Force it to straighten.... Ride a bike" was Dr. Bair's recommendations.

Geez Doc - Thanks - I think I got this.

Realized I was in deep pain shit this week so went to bed early, slept as long as I could, took the pain meds only when I couldn't stand it any longer.... and kept working the knee.

Woke up at 3:00 am this morning in intense pain.... made some hot herbal tea with honey and an open faced pastrami sandwich, took 2 T-3s and forced a set of squats, a set of leg extensions and leg lifts and went back to bed.

Woke up at 7:15 and slid my legs out from under the covers and stood up....

For the first time on a straight left leg with much reduced pain.

Went downstairs and sucked down a pot of strong coffee, took a hot shower, did my stretches and warmup with almost totally restored flexibility and almost no pain, threw on my workout gear and raced to the 9:00 am Anytime Fitness Core Strength and More class.

Did reduced weights on the leg exercises but skipped through the lunges, squats and front squats with ease and relatively no pain.

I was ecstatic.... I was excited... I was like a little kid....I just couldn't quit smiling.

I was so happy to be without Pain.

Which brings me to a point.... or maybe several points so I'll just list them out:

• While I would never wish Pain on anyone, I do believe that most people would be better off if they were forced to deal with some sort of sustained physical pain at some time in their life because it supports a premise that has become a Life Learning for Me..... You cannot appreciate a Life Without Pain until you have experienced a Life With Pain.  It intensifies your appreciation and gratitude for every minute of every day that is without Pain.  It makes you feel more alive, more in tune with your body and the world around you.  Once you have been in Pain, being without Pain is kinda like being High.
• It is amazing to me how the Body can restore and heal itself given the proper environment of sufficient sleep and recuperation, nutrition and prudent and knowledgeable use of recovery techniques including icing, stretching, massage, forced range of movement and yes - drugs such as NSAIDs and Pain Relievers.
• One of the reasons I moved to Santa Fe was to experience the incredible diversities of terrain and environment this region holds.  The best way to explore this incredible resource is by hiking and the best kind of hiking is with a group led by a knowledgeable guide.  I have this with the Santa Fe Hiking Social Meetup Group.  I love to hike..... but I've come to realize that it's just something I can't do anymore.... at least not now.... my knee just won't take it and after the 3 days and nights of intense pain I went through..... No hike and No amount of social interaction is worth it.

I like walking too much.... and ironically the brief but intense CrossFit style workouts at Praxis and the Boot Camp style Core Strength and More class and the PIYO Strength classes at Anytime Fitness don't hurt my knee at all.... in fact, my knee feels better, stronger and with better range of motion after these workouts.

But the impact, dynamic angles and stresses of hiking in a mountainous terrain are just something my knee cannot take.

I am stubborn.... and I can endure a lot of Pain.... but not that much Pain.

So my Happy New Year so far has not been a Happy Knee Year.

But I have finally realized what I can do and what I cannot do and I have resolved to do what I can do.

Learning and Adapting to your Limitations and Weaknesses and Exploring and Exploiting your Strengths are all a part of Life and....

Discovery.