Best. Day. Ever.

photo from suksim

Yesterday was the most amazing day I’ve had in a while. No, I didn’t win the lottery and I’m not currently swimming Scrooge McDuck-style in a sea of money. And, nope, I didn’t win a free vacation to Bora Bora and I’m not currently sunning myself on the white sand beach. For people with chronic knee pain, there’s something even better: going to the grocery store.

You heard that right.

If you’re confused and think I’m nuts, read my full story here. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’ve been dealing with knee pain for years. And over the past two years it’s been particularly bad. So bad that I haven’t been able do the amount of walking required of grocery shopping for quite some time. That job—along with, oh, 50 billion others—is left to The Man.

Except yesterday.

The Man and I made a trip to the gym post-work. It was a Friday night, which means the place was only a third as crowded as usual and I could complete a hard workout super efficiently. (You know, without semi stalking the people who claim certain machines for what seems like hours. For some reason, I’m always stuck staking out the leg press machine like an undercover spy since most people break for at least 10 minutes between sets. But, I digress…)

I focused solely on my legs yesterday and on increasing the amount and resistance of my cycling as much as I could without feeling pain under my kneecaps. (That’s my body’s code for “push harder and suffer the consequences later.”) To build leg strength I did:

1. 18 minutes on the bike (going 85 rpm or higher), alternating between level seven and eight for three minutes each.
2. Single leg press: 40 pounds, 15 count. Repeat three times for each leg.
3. Single-leg squats with an exercise ball: 15 count, repeat three times for each leg.
4. Step ups on the Bosu ball using 10-pound medicine ball. 30 steps for each leg.
5. 30 hip hikes on the Bosu ball per leg.
6. 30 single-leg mini squats on the Bosu ball: 30 on each leg.
7. Single-leg hamstring curls: 15 count. Repeat twice for each leg.
8. Walking squats: Repeat three times for each leg.
9. Stretch, stretch, stretch.

When we left the gym, The Man was starving and wanted to stop at the grocery store to pick up some bread for dinner. I usually wait in the car during trips like this. But as we neared the grocery store, I decided to join him. That’s a big deal. The last time I went grocery shopping milk was 10 cents. Kidding. But it’s been a while.

Get this: What was meant to be a quick in-and-out kind of trip turned into an hour-long shopping spree. I browsed each aisle not because it’s super exciting but because there were so many food options I had forgotten about. I’ll admit, I was a little like a kid in a grocery store. Can we get this? How about this?

Still, after an hour, I was still standing and walking without pain. My knees had started to get a tad bit red, which is always a sign of pain to come, but other than that I did it. When I got home, I even stood to chop veggies for an amazing salad we had with grilled chicken.

I know what you’re thinking: So what? You went to the grocery store for goodness’ sake! Get a hold of yourself woman!

But the point is that I went to the grocery store on legs that had been challenged at the gym for an hour. I walked around for another hour without pain. Then I came home and stood some more. And today, they feel good. That’s good news since last year at this time I wouldn’t have dared enter any type of store. I wouldn’t have walked to and from the parked car. I wouldn’t have stood at the counter and made dinner.

Whether it’s the PRP working or a combo of PRP and PT, I’m not sure. Either way, it was a wonderful day.

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. Any fun plans?