No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

It's not really a good deed, but I am being punished.

Swimming is great exercise, but it doesn't do much to strengthen my stair climbing musculature.  So, after 35 minutes of laps, I decided to use the pool steps to work on that.  Silver Sneakers suggested using the pool steps after hip replacement ("be sure to stay out of the way of others using those steps") because if you fall you just land in the water.  That made sense to me, especially since we don't have a handrail.

Up I went, surgerized leg first, supporting all my weight until my left leg met it on the same step.  Repeat twice more, each time getting more difficult as less of my body was buoyed by the water.  I used my hand on my quadricep for balance, but my legs powered me up.

It was a major accomplishment, another first time since 2011 experience.  It felt great.  I smiled.  I bragged about it.  I did it again the next day, this time skipping the matching foot on the step.  That's a lot harder, both in balance in in strength, but, again, I was a success.

And then I woke up this morning.

My knee hurts.  

My quads hurt.

My connecting tendons and ligaments are announcing their presence with authority.

I am doing my best not to limp, but bending my knee is approaching excruciating.

Rehab is supposed to hurt (unlike regular exercise).  In this instance, I believe the affirmation in the poster on the wall at the gym - Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body.  I haven't used these muscles this way (the way God intended them to be used) in more than a decade.  I have to keep reminding myself of that fact.

I'm like a rusty old car that just got an overhaul.  I'm trying to figure it all out.