Last week I rode to College of San Mateo, careful to be kind to my knees. But yet again I injured my knees riding my bike. Ow, it hurts. It’s this horribly nonspecific pain, more like a tingling gone horribly wrong. When it’s in full swing, it feels more like a “worry” that at each step something in me is on the verge of breaking badly. Thinking about where the sensation is coming from, I imagine it’s cartilage damage that heals over a 2 week period.
The mode of pain is really weird. If, for example I walk 100 yards, it’s not until 10 minutes later that the pain will come on moderately for about 4 hours. If I walk 1/2 mile, 10 minutes later the pain will come on strong for about 24 hours. That delay is really weird. The pain started gently a day after riding to CSM (obviously when the injury happened) and here we are 7 days later and I’m still very sensitive to any stresses on my knees.
In the past year I’ve hurt my knees about 3 times. Each time I make a further effort to be more careful so it doesn’t happen again. But apparently I haven’t done a good job of it.
The worst injury was after riding up Berkeley Hills, then the next day riding hard again, then again the next. The NEXT day the pain set in and I was nearly bedridden for a week.
I would like to take the advice of my mother on the matter, “Getting old sucks. Don’t do it.”
Next time, I’ll regale you about my slight tinnitus, my arms falling asleep while in bed, my sore throats from snoring, and the further adventures of Oliver my eye floater.