Nys

Knees tend to be the downfall of many athletes. Whether through repeated impact, twisting, wear and tear, or even a catastrophic injury, once you lose your knees...it's over!

Back in the day, when back in the day really was back in the day, Mongo used to be a pretty good athlete. Varsity letters in High-School, campus championships in college...all revolving around running.

When I hit my late twenties, I gave up most of my healthy physical fitness activities in order to focus on more important things like a career, binge drinking, bad relationships, and golf...with a cart.

Though my handicap dropped to a low of 3.4(Really!), my weight ballooned to 270 pounds(Really!). Then in my thirties, I quit drinking, changed jobs, dumped the soul-sucking girlfriend, and decided to get back into some sort of shape. Unfortunately, fat guys and jogging don't mix. My knees couldn't take the pounding. So I started cycling.

Here I am today... fifty pounds lighter, seven inches off my waist, and with a resting heart rate in the low fifties. If I am not the healthiest and fittest I've been in my whole life, then it's at least in the last twenty years...all because of cycling.

I found a way initially to exercise without impact on my weak and flabby joints. And it turned into an activity and lifestyle that has changed my entire life for the better. All of this leads me to this point.

On yesterday's Hammerfest, Mongo attacked some hills in too big of a gear. The transitions are so fast and dramatic that missing a shift can get you dropped. My tendency is to power through it. I paid the price and tweaked something in my right knee. When I woke up today, I flashed back to that fat guy years ago who was in constant pain. I remembered how far I'd come and what a decent job I'd done taking care of my body...and reminded myself not to f**k up a good thing.

Listen to your knees. They'll tell you what you need to know.