"Week 1 Post-ACL Recovery: A 43-year-old strength coach shares insights on managing life with crutches, handling brain fog from pain meds, reducing swelling, and starting mobility exercises with patience and perseverance." Last week, I swapped barbells for hospital gowns and underwent ACL reconstruction surgery on my left knee — complete with a successful bone graft and the kind of anaesthetic that makes you wonder whether you confessed any embarrassing childhood stories to t

Overcoming challenges: Rebuilding strength and reclaiming competition in my 40s after knee surgery, transitioning from recovery to HYROX athlete. In your 20s, an injury is an inconvenience. In your 40s, it can feel like a threat to who you are. Last year, during what should have been a routine outing with my wife, I tore my ACL. One sharp twist, one split‑second misstep — and suddenly everything I’d built my life around as a trainer, strength coach, and lifelong (kinda) ath