Continuing to Expand the Limits of a Total Knee Replacement

It's been over 10 months since my Left Knee Total Knee Replacement.

In summary, I am faster, stronger, more flexible, stronger and bigger than I was before the Total Knee Replacement and at any other time since I was 20 years old.

My weekly activities include 3 - 5 CrossFit Rx workouts, 2 hikes, 3 - 4 10 mile bike rides, 2 PIYO workouts and at least 1 circuit inside Boot Camp style workout class.

Add to that at least two 4 - 8 mile high altitude hikes a week and it gives you some idea of the level of activity that is part of my life.

Yesterday's hike was on the Blue Dot Trail down to the Rio Grande River.

Strength milestones have been:

• 185# Power Cleans
• 175# Military Press
• 275# Squats
• 355# Deadlifts
• and now 30" Box Jumps

This is at 54 years of age and 178 - 180 lbs bodyweight.

My Rx CrossFit workouts are usually alongside athletes that are 10 - 30 years younger than I am and with 2 God-given knees.

Part of it is Attitude, Part of it is Desire, Part of it is just wanting to be the Strongest, Fastest and most versatile Athlete I can be.

I tried to explain this to a Friend of mine the other day and she just looked at me and asked -

"But why are you doing this?  Are you training for a competition?  What are you competing for?"

I kinda felt sorry for her because she just didn't get it.

I usually reply to these blank inquiries by saying....

"Well if we weren't meant to compete, then why do they call us The Human Race?"

But I simply said - "Because I want to be able to do what others can't do."

What I can't OutGun, I wanna be able to OutRun.

I wanna Win at Fight or Flight.

Finally, I like the way overcoming these daily Physical Challenges make me feel.

I feel used up and cleansed in Body, Mind and Spirit.

It's like being taken down to the base level of existence and being Reborn.

Kind like the way I feel when I eat my Post Workout Meal.

Today's was a beautiful combination of Arugula, Herb - Spring Mix, Basil, red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, kalamata olives, feta cheese.

Pan grilled zucchini and jalapeno.

Triplex of Protein - sirloin, pork chops, beef sausage.

I was gonna go buy something to eat for lunch and thought through the possibilities and decided I could make a much better tasting and healthier meal than anything I could buy.

The Quest for Strength, Flexibility, Speed and Agility continues 10 months after my Total Knee Replacement and at 54 years of age.

The only limits are set by my own Self-Discipline and Desire.

Nice to know the limits are all Mental and not Physical.

Why did I write this post?

I talk to a lot of people that just say they can't do this and they can't do that.

In my mind and body, my limits are defined by the ability to substitute "I can't" with "I'll try" every day.

I'm always worrying about the Kids!

Been tuned into the Offspring lately and speaking of Offspring, I'm always worrying about the Kids.

The psychos - errr I mean psychologists - will tell you it's all about giving your kids Self Esteem -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abrn8aVQ76Q

Despite all this, sometimes things don't turn out the way we planned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iNbnineUCI

But I have to say in my case, I think they're gonna go pretty far!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql9-82oV2JE

I may be a Loser and I may be Old but I'm Still Pretty Fly for a White Guy!

I got up the morning after,
Having spent the night before,

Drinking too much wine,

Spending too much time,

Chasing the Life beyond my Reach,

Everything to Learn and Nothing to Teach.

Simply feeling like a.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ui_Q4qBDJY

I finally left my own Pity Party and stumbled in to Praxis' Saturday Team Competition Workout.

2 - 3 man teams doing the following workout.

My team finished 3rd but there was a close cluster of 1 minute of time - 29:59, 30:40, 31:01 between the 3 teams.

Putting 30 minutes of all out effort into this kind of competitive workout will definitely take away the Saturday morning blahs and put you in a more positive frame of mind and body!

Ordered some red mirrored glasses because I wanted some to go with my red outfits.

Somebody the other day told me I was just looking for attention.

To which I replied..... 

"Well Hell Yeah - who wants to be invisible in this World?"

After all - all we have is the Here and Now....

So let's make the Biggest Bang for the Buck we can!

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

You know - what the World sees of us is Who We Are - whether We Like it or Not.

I was walking through Walmart today and did the normal shopping cart dodge with a lady coming down the aisle and looked up and flashed her the best smile I could.

She went past me and then turned around and said....

"You know - You have a beautiful smile!"

To which I replied -

"Thank You - I gave it to you so now you have to give it to someone else - Please Pass it On."

Sometimes the best part of someone's day is that momentary encounter with you.

Part of the Energy I have - Part of the Persona the World sees - is a result of the challenging, intense workouts I do but a lot of it is due to the Food I Eat.

Here's a cast iron skillet grilled 3/4" thick sirloin - $2.99 / lb at Smith's in Santa Fe - 4 minutes on each side with 5 minutes to rest sided with a Wild Rice mix with mixed veggies and a cilantro salad with a few Sweet Gherkins for the Perkins.

Part of what I am is Physical - Part of it is Attitude.

Yeah I may have failed at a lot of things and I may be a 54 year old clinging to the thrill, energy and enthusiasm of Youth....

But I'm Still Pretty Fly for a White Guy!!!

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

Enjoy your Food, your Music, your Workouts and your Life

Once or twice a week I will have what I call a "splurge" meal where I indulge in some sort of non-Paleo intake whether it be a well-cooked and juicy hamburger or something like this store bought spaghetti with a grilled bread and butter and an olive mix with sausage.

One of the things I have learned in this Cruel, Hard Life is that nothing is certain especially if it involves other people.

A critical component of success in Life is realizing this subtle but unerring fact and keeping your head up and your eyes fixed on something above and beyond....

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

Of course with one meal of splurge comes another week of back to basics Paleo....

Grilled salmon, mixed veggies, asparagus and Barefoot Cabernet.

Another aspect of Life that has proven itself over and over again is the value of humbleness and humility.

We all have our good points and bad points but if we just keep it all in perspective and realize we are all just insignificant specks in this Black Hole of Existence, it makes things a lot easier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JQkO7z47x4

Late night walk down to the still lit up Santa Fe Plaza....

Followed by a late night cup of tomato soup and open faced pork chop sandwich with a side pickle, boiled egg and sliver of pecorino romano.

Where has this song been all my life?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1jrO5PBXvs

Starting to get the picture?  

Variety is the essence of a balanced life.

This morning's Praxis workout was a great example

3 rounds of 20 walking lunges, 10 ring rows and 10 weighted situps.

Followed by a 12 min AMRAP of:

6 - 24" box jumps

9 - 95# push presses

12 - 95# Romanian Deadlifts

A little bit of everything and not a lot of anything....

Kinda like a well orchestrated symphony of exercise.

And here 8 oz of pre-tenderized sirloin....

With a monster mix of arugula, cilantro, tomato, carrots, red bell pepper, purple radish and blueberries drizzled generously with EVOO and balsamic and dusted with salt, pepper and TJ's 21 Season Salute.

Add the standard post workout recovery drink - Fruit Punch Creatine and Chocolate Isolate Protein...

And once again, you are back in balance.

One of my current mentors, BJ Monger, owner of Praxis, seems to capture this symphony of strength, cardio, flexibility and agility in the workouts he prescribes.

I see it in the efforts of my fellow workout partners at Praxis.

I experience it with the older people I meet with in Santa Fe who, while undoubtedly knowing that they are in the latter part of their productive lives, continue to strike out on each day's walk with focused effort and youthful enthusiasm.

It's really easy to stress out about your weight, your relationships, your work, your money and your Life in general.

Take it easy on yourself and seek balance in all things Grasshopper.

Then and only then will you meet and master this challenge we call Life.

Once Something.... Now a Nothingman

I once remember when she looked at me with adoring eyes,
But with the passing of days in our lives, the time flies.
And with it the something that we had,
That once was so good turns so bad.

And I find myself through my own devices,
Living a life alone and paying the prices.
Wanting her back but knowing that in the end,
It will all just come back to haunt me again.

In these walls I surrender to decay and age,
Fighting the turning of each day's page.
Imprisoned by a life where I know,
That which I reap I must sow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgSR4ltkDCg

Another day of Praxis... Another day of Paleo

As I have said many times, for most workout aficionados, a CrossFit warmup is like a workout.

Split Jerk max and 3 rounds of:

10 Ground to Overhead with 115#

15 Chest to Bar

400 meter run

20:30 of lung busting body breaking grab your ass and try to survive workout.

That's what a WOD at Praxis is all about.....

www.thepraxislab.com

For you yoga people in Santa Fe that aren't seeing your body be what you want it to be, you might wanna try a month of this and then check yourself in the mirror.

I think you'll be surprised and pleased!

When I cook, I generally cook enough for the next 2 or 3 meals.

Such is this -

A beautiful mix of pork chop and leftover New York Strip, cast iron skillet grilled veggies - sweet onions, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, yellow squash and baby bella mushrooms and an arugula - basil - tomato salad with a few slivers of pecorino romano thrown in with my standard post workout Fruit Punch Creatine / Chocolate Protein Isolate mix to wash it all down.

And 2 pork chops and a big container of veggies for the next couple of meals

Is this a lot of food?

Yep it is - but here's the key - it's not a lot of bad carbs and sugar - and that makes all the difference in the world.

If you are a big eater, try putting down a bucket of this kind of food and see how you feel.

Better than that....

Combine the Praxis and the Paleo for a month and see how you look!

My bitch about neutering!

Sometimes you have to just suck it up and quit Crying like a Bitch!

In many ways I have a blessed life, but it hasn't been without its challenges and changes.

A little over 2 years ago I was selling my comfy spacious home in Lake Jackson Tx and beginning to work through the dissolution of my 2nd marriage.

I was preparing to leave the failures of the past for the promises of the future.

The move to Santa Fe New Mexico has been a mixed blessing.

It has more than delivered in the main reasons I moved here which was a beautiful and outdoor inviting 4-season environment but it has been challenging for a natural loner like me to make new friends and establish new relationships.

Throw in some injuries and a left knee total replacement and the recovery from that and it seems like the last 2 years have been a lifetime.

As the days tick away, I realize my life, my feelings and my dreams are not what they were before.

While in a better spiritual, mental and physical state....

I still find myself So Far Away from where I want to be.

"So Far Away"

this is my life
its not what it was before
all these feelings i've shared
and these are my dreams
that i'd never lived before
somebody shake me
'cause i
i must be sleeping

[chorus]
now that we're here,
it's so far away
all the struggle we thought was in vain
all the mistakes,
one life contained
they all finally start to go away
now that we're here its so far away
and i feel like i can face the day i can forgive
and i'm not ashamed to be the person that i am today

these are my words
that i've never said before
i think i'm doing okay
and this is the smile
that i've never shown before

somebody shake me 'cause i
i must be sleeping

[chorus]

i'm so afraid of waking
please don't shake me
afraid of waking
please don't shake me

[chorus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPW7T_tu3PM

One thing I have kept up with through thick and thin has been my commitment to physical excellence and there's no better way to challenge who you are and what you are than with a CrossFit style workout.

Even at 54, I continue to put myself through the pain and discomfort of this class of physical effort.

It may sound simple and perhaps even egotistical, but these type of workouts prepare you for the rest of the challenges in life.

They harden your resolve and hone your mental strength to meet and beat anything life can throw at you.

And as important as the workouts are, the nutrition is equally and maybe even more important.

Following today's workout and the 9.5 mile round trip bike ride, I fixed a 3 oz salmon fillet, a 3 oz pork chop and a spring mix salad with tomato, purple radish, boiled egg and blueberries and the rest of my Creatine mix with a scoop of Chocolate protein isolate.

That's at least 70 grams of protein in under 1000 calories and no insulin spiking - low blood sugar swing effect from too much sugar.

I was talking with BJ, owner of Praxis, www.thepraxislab.com, where I do my CrossFit style workouts, about the fact that the last 2 months had been challenging.

I seemed to lack the normal energy and intensity I had before.  I compared my recent lack of performance to 2 years ago when I was doing 2 workouts a day at least 3 times a week - a PIYO workout in the morning and my CrossFit workout in the evening and riding my bike back and forth to both.

In a nutshell, I was Crying like a little Bitch about not being in as good a shape as I was before.

BJ's recommendation was interesting and somewhat unexpected.

"Well - you could try the 'Fake it to Make it" approach and just gut it up and go back to the 2 a day workouts for a while and force your body to adjust."

Hmmm..... this guy may know me better than I know myself.

Sometimes - Shut the Fuck Up and Just Work is the right answer to a lot of things!

And sometimes, you need a Friend to remind you of that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eXIOK2vOhM

Continuing to Live Life My Way

Hey - Breaking News Kids - 

This is a Sick Puppies song that I have featured before but it continues to be one of my favorites and in light of recent events, it seems more appropriate than ever.

As I have come to the conclusion of and have stated repeatedly, in so many things that are important to me....

The World has it all Wrong.

I continue to Live My Life My Way.....

And if that means I live it alone, 

Then all the Better.

"Riptide"

You all hate your children
They're too fat to feed
You're on medication
Taking pills to sleep
I think I'm doing just fine
Compared to what you've been doing
I won't get vaccinated
Insurance costs too much
You think you're so persuasive
But I'm not giving up
Saving my life
It's not what you're doing

I, I won't justify
The way I live my life
'Cause I'm the one livin' it
Feelin' it, tastin' it
And you're just wasting your time
Trying to throw me a line
When you're the one drowning
I like where I'm at on my back
Floating down in my own riptide
The water is fine

I like to step on cracks
I go against the odds
You think my world is flat
Do I turn you on?
Maybe, yeah I'm wrong
But I like where I'm going
I leave when others stay
I never re-decide
I don't mind if you wait
But I don't waste my time
Crazy is just fine
'Cause I like where I'm going

I, I won't justify
The way I live my life
'Cause I'm the one livin' it
Feelin' it, tastin' it
And you're just wasting your time
Trying to throw me a line
When you're the one drowning
I like where I'm at on my back
Floating down in my own riptide
The water is fine

I remember when it used to be easy
I remember when it wasn't so hard
I remember when it used to be easy
I remember when, I remember when

I, I didn't have to justify
The way I live my life
'Cause I'm the one livin' it
Feelin' it, tastin' it
And you're just wasting your time
Trying to throw me a line
When you're the one drowning
I like where I'm at on my back
Floating down in my own riptide
The water is fine

I remember when it used to be easy
I remember when it wasn't so hard
I remember when it used to be easy
I remember when, I remember when

https://youtu.be/CFOtX3VkG88

Following a harder than usual Core Strength and More group exercise class led by Liz P at Anytime Fitness, I biked the 3 miles back to la casa and banged out a 10 minute Paleo meal consisting of equal portions of pork loin, New York Strip, pan grilled onions and peppers and a spring mix with all the fixings including fresh blueberries.

Yeah - I'm not working very hard but I am working out very hard and eating right.

And for me that's the Best Life I can Live.

Turns out it in a World so Cold, Dealing with the Human Race has made me realize - It's Not Me It's You

Life over the last few years has been a kind of transition from remembering and regretting the relationships and World I left behind.....

https://youtu.be/0DQimvlEpjY

To being sick of running the Human Race....

https://youtu.be/dk2vNh3VXgc

To realizing it wasn't all my fault..... in fact coming to the conclusion that in most cases it wasn't my fault at all.

Yeah ____ - It's Not Me It's You.

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

To coming to a state of Numbness of the Heart....