A Loud Pop in My Knee…

Recently, I was grappling in No-Gi Jiu Jitsu at the MMA gym I attend and while defending against a leg attack, both my training partner and I heard a loud pop come from my right knee.  We both immediately stopped.  I felt it and was sure I had torn clean through my lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in my right knee.  Having a medical background, I started running a few manual tests to figure out if there was instability and I couldn’t detect any.  I got up and was able to squat all the way down without my knee giving out.  I injured the same knee in October of 2021 but on the opposite side of the knee.  At that time my knee was giving out immediately after the injury and there wasn’t even an audible pop involved.

It’s been a couple of weeks since this most recent injury and I have to say I’m impressed with my rate of recovery.  I went to the ER the day it happened as I was certain I tore my LCL.  X-ray didn’t show any dislocation, swelling/bruising was non-existent that day (swelling came a day later but no bruising), and pain came the next day.  Within 48 hours of the initial pain and swelling, both symptoms began to recede.  I never missed any work and I’ve kept my workouts going by simply pushing my right leg as far as it will let me without pain.  I don’t know what happened exactly and to be honest the hospital wasn’t very helpful but I’m grateful that recovery has been so immediate and positive.

Just after that first knee injury back in October of 2021 I started the Knee Ability Zero Program by Ben Patrick aka TheKneesOverToesGuy.  I firmly believe that whatever happened in my knee a couple of weeks ago would have been far worse had it not been for the last 12-15 months using Ben’s system of training my lower body to be more resilient and strong in a deep knee bend position.  For my older folks out there who may feel excluded from this conversation I’m sharing this short video of Ben working with his mom who I believe is in her 60’s and also runs customer service for his company.  She can do a full ATG split squat (shown in the video) which I couldn’t do when I started.  ATG does a great job of making the movements scalable to anyone’s level.

There could totally still be damage in my knee but what trips me out is the fact that it’s almost fully functional again after the infamous ‘pop’ which is like the literal kryptonite of all athletes.  Contrast this with being in college and in the army and having chronic tendinitis in both knees and not being able to walk up and down stairs without pain.  I was in my 20’s then.  I’m 40 now and able to gracefully navigate one of the scariest injuries that can happen to an athlete while participating in their sport… Feeling and Hearing a Loud POP in the knee.

One of the things that I have learned over the last 15 years between being a Green Beret in the Army, Coaching and Competing in Crossfit, Training and Competing in MMA, and working through the injuries associated with these activities is that the body can put up with a lot of abuse.  Our bodies can tolerate so much abuse for so long.  Not just the physical abuse I’ve self imposed but obviously there’s things like smoking, drinking/drug use, processed food consumption, chronic stress etc.  But, given the right inputs of proper physical training, good diet, mitigating stress, good sleep, and seeking activities that are fulfilling… Given these types of inputs our bodies can also do things we never thought possible.  I am more athletic and more durable in my 40’s than I have ever been in my entire life to include the height of my fitness in the military in my late 20’s as a Special Forces Soldier.  

I’m starting to rethink what it means to be injured.  I’m challenging you to rethink what it means to be healthy as you age.  Also, in a world where we are constantly being inundated with signals that tell us the world is falling apart and we’re not enough as we are and we don’t don’t have enough money and we don’t have a house and we don’t have a new car and we should be chasing all these things… What if you could bring your attention inward and make small steps everyday to not just be physically healthier but mentally and emotionally healthier?  What Ben Patrick has helped me do for my thoughts around injury, pursuing personal growth and has helped me do for my thoughts around injuries to my mental and emotional wellbeing.  I’m definitely more durable and more resilient physically, mentally, and emotionally than I’ve ever been at any other point in my life.  That resilience has been predicated on small steps everyday. 

Little by little.  Learning.  Acting.  Failing.  Learning.  Acting.  Progressing.