Good Knee Gone Bad?

[Ed Hurst]

The proper explanation requires some lengthy blather, but the short version is my left knee is giving me trouble.

People driven to exercise like I am seek to find the balance between too little and too much, between "that hurts" and "but it's so much fun!" I thought I was doing a really good job of that, because I was losing weight and having fun with the workouts, but was able to keep the pain at a bearable minimum. About ten days ago, my left knee started hurting just a little -- that's the good knee. I tried various forms of active recovery, even taking a rare dose of ibuprofen. I thought it was on the mend and hit a hard workout in the park. The next morning the pain was quite severe.

Go ahead and pray for my knee to recover, but that's not the whole story. It raises the question of whether I am required to shift to a much gentler workout. That's not as fun, and certainly not as effective in terms of the results I want. My resting heart-rate has been pushed down to 56 BPM, and my focus is on keeping that as healthy as possible. I'm not sure a gentler workout will work the same way.

So the real prayer request is for God's guidance in the broader sense of how to make the most of what's left for divine glory. I have this powerful sense I'm going to live a whole lot longer, and I don't want to be an invalid the whole time. I'd rather keel over in the midst of having fun.

[jaybreak]

I have this powerful sense I'm going to live a whole lot longer, and I don't want to be an invalid the whole time. I'd rather keel over in the midst of having fun.

Oh man, you and I are of the same mind on this One of my big fears is ending up decrepit in my later years, although it makes for a good excuse to do a lot of reading and writing. Most of us are really one injury or illness away from that, though.

If your knee keeps going south, there's other ways to get a good workout in, I'm sure you know. Though it might not be what you want or are used to. It would take some acclimation.

Regardless of all that, you'll have my prayers.

[Ed Hurst]

Thanks, Jay and others I know are praying. I woke up this morning and it's feeling better. Yesterday I rode my bike 13 miles one-way to the VA to shuffle some papers and get some money (in a few months). I also walked slowly up and down the stairs to the office one floor above where I had to turn those papers in.

This isn't the first time my left leg has given symptoms of serious injury spontaneously, without any trauma at all. Still, I was careful today when I rode to the park and did my heavy workout; I stayed away from the leg stuff and hit my upper body harder. Maybe someday I can get a rowing rig, or even a boat so I can row on the lake I now ride around.

[Ed Hurst]

Follow-up: The left leg has gotten better. I'm still performing jumping exercises, but nothing that resembles running. Instead, I am now riding a lot harder than before. Today I rode around Draper Lake and hit the hills extra hard to give the exercise effect of running. The route is about 27 miles, and by the time I was still 5 miles out from the end, I was whipped and had to slow down. We'll see if I can keep this up.

[jaybreak]

Follow-up: The left leg has gotten better. I'm still performing jumping exercises, but nothing that resembles running. Instead, I am now riding a lot harder than before. Today I rode around Draper Lake and hit the hills extra hard to give the exercise effect of running. The route is about 27 miles, and by the time I was still 5 miles out from the end, I was whipped and had to slow down. We'll see if I can keep this up.

A hard 22 miles on an mtb is pretty good, regardless. You have a mountain bike, right?

[Ed Hurst]

Yes, and I run the knobbies full time. Over the past two weeks of trying to consistently ride hard, I can tolerate it for a lot longer, averaging 10 MPH, including hills. I'm looking at that 50-mile loop once the heat backs off a little.

[Ed Hurst]

Today I took a one-mile walk and the pain in my left knee returned, so there's something in the soft tissue down inside the knee joint that doesn't tolerate walking and running too much. I surmised correctly that bicycling is about the only route left for serious exercise.

Thank you all for praying with me about this. I got an answer I can use.

[jaybreak]

There's also swimming. I've heard that's great for people with joint issues, but it can be a PITA because of the preparation and facilities stuff, vs just hopping on a bike and going.

[Ed Hurst]

There's no safe place to swim in Oklahoma without paying hefty fees. Safe, I say, because the lakes are notorious for hosting brain-eating amoebae.

[jaybreak]

Safe, I say, because the lakes are notorious for hosting brain-eating amoebae.

Doesn't sound safe at all, but it would make things interesting.