Zen and the Art of Speedskating

Feeling phenomenal in the gym today, like the plates & bar were made of Styrofoam, I was tossing around weight with ease and snap, my body has absorbed all my recent hard work, and then doing a front squat with 185lbs on the bar (and I do this all the time, this weight is not even close to my max) at rep 8 of a 10 rep set, I felt a bad twinge behind the right knee, I put the bar back immediately, walked around, stretched, shook the leg cautiously, it felt fine, no problem at all… I took the bar off the rack in back squat position (easier for me, I am far stronger in that range of motion) and the same bad twinge announced itself on the second rep, like an electric shock of pain right behind the right kneecap…

My “oh fuck” echoed loudly through the weight room, just to see if it was a range of motion thing, I tried the leg press, even with two plates on each side (for me a nothing weight) zing!!!!!! pain again, right behind the right kneecap.. I had warmed up properly, stretched well, nothing unusual in my routine…… I am 34, and very aware that I need to listen to my body, and it was sending me a very loud and clear message….

I ended the workout right there…. It does not hurt at all to walk or ride a bike or stand on one leg or even hop around on the one “hurt” leg… But that lifting stress was electric pain, very bad….. I hope it goes away!!! Looking back at my training journals from last year, on april 27th, a muscle in the top of the right thigh suddenly pulled in the gym. I also ended that workout immediately, and was fine in the following days..

I think I will be ok for my coming very demanding workouts…. As an athlete, its important to know yourself, know the line between and “owie” and a true chromic “injury” this is an owie at this point, since I stopped so early, not an injury…. but crap!! its scary to have this stuff happen… This could become an injury, I hope not…

Is there a lesson? Health is wealth maybe? Treasure what you have, it might be gone in 1 rep on the squat rack?

Its also scary cause my right ankle has been bothering me, it seems as if the right leg chain of joints & motion is somehow out of whack… I need my right leg…

Stay tuned….

Filed under: sweat, from home