This morning, I woke up at 4 AM to take my wife to the airport. I don’t have to be at work until 7:30 AM, so I assumed after I dropped her off I’d just go back home and sleep a couple of hours. Of course, my body wasn’t having that, so instead of playing on my phone, I decided to be productive. I put on my workout shorts and went down to the garage to get my Pump workout out of the way.

Things were going great. I recently bought some wrist wraps, since my MMA gloves needed more wrist support for my punching bag. This was only my second time using them, but they allow me to hit so much harder for so much longer, which is great since this is usually how I warm up.

Today, marked the beginning of phase two of my Foundation: Starting from Scratch workout and that meant new exercises including a basic lunge.

With Paul Engemann’s Push It to the Limit from the Scarface soundtrack booming through my Aftershocks, I was working up a sweat. I was in the zone, and then after about my fourth lunge, I felt my left knee explode in pain.

I should have known better. When I outlined my plan of attack for my workouts, I concentrated on some of my weak spots (such as my lower back and wrists), and I’ve been doing additional strengthening exercises to build up those muscles. I just forgot about my knee. It’s not something that bothers me often, but it has been enough of an issue in the past that I own a knee brace and even bought an aerobic step seven or eight years to use to strengthen my knee. Guess, who hasn’t been using that step?

I sat down on the mat and realized I had just screwed up. It was too much pressure and too much weight on a weak joint and I was paying the price. I was determined to get my reps in, so I tried a few modifications, and ended up finishing the reps with a one-legged hip raise from my back.

Afterwards, I dragged myself up the stairs, found my knee brace in the closet, popped some ibuprofen, and made myself some scrambled eggs.

I was frustrated with myself. I really shouldn’t have tried to go so hard, but I’ve mentioned this in the past, it’s just weird getting older and not realizing your limits. Some things are just so much more difficult and while I have shedded some pounds, I’m definitely not a small guy.

I think my knee will be fine in a few days or maybe a week. I’m going to have to modify my workout and be patient with myself, which will be the hardest part. I’m pumped and ready to go, and with my wife out of town, I figured I’d get extra workouts in. But my almost forty-year-old self decided I should lunge all the way down to the floor on a weak knee and now I must pay the price.