The Journey From Knee Cartilage Surgery Back to Ultramarathoning: What Helped and What Didn't
Okay, so after 4.5 years, 2 knee surgeries, and 1000+ hours of physical therapy, I've been able to get back to ultramarathoning. What exercises, strategies, and approaches seemed to work for me and what didn't seem to help? I'll explore that below. So, what worked? Start from where you are. Progress rehab and training very, very gradually. Patience. The general approach that ultimately helped me return to ultramarathon form was the same one that enabled to me to become successful at the sport in the first place: play the long game and sneak up on amazing a little at a time. To return to running, what I needed to do first was to re-learn how to walk. Once I could walk for 5 minutes without my knee swelling so much that I couldn't walk again for several days...I had the foothold I needed to get started. It is important when you are starting a training program to begin from where you are. The first several weeks should be boringly easy. You need to not only start with som