Jumps Before Strides

How I'm Learning to Trust My Knee. And the Process.

Knee-deep in Recovery. Literally.

It’s week five after my knee surgery, and progress is steady.

• Mobility? Check.

• Coordination? Much improved.

• Strength? Growing daily.

So much so that on Monday, I found myself asking my physiotherapist the question I’ve been dying to ask:

“When. Running.”

Her answer:

“We’ll do jumps first.”

“Might as well… Jump!”

Wait, what? Jumps? Nothing puts more strain on the knee than jumping. But as my physiotherapist explained, jumps can be controlled, measured, and precisely calibrated. The goal is to teach my knee to handle that kind of impact again — without causing harm. Well, at least without causing unwanted harm.

A Bouncy Week

OK, good. Jumps. I did them. Lots of them. Monday to Thursday, every day. My knee? It held up surprisingly well, though it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. At night, it would pump and during the day it felt a bit like it was sore.

Pain level? Below 1 on the infamous 1-to-10 scale where 10 is akin to, oh, being burned alive (my personal benchmark). In short, everything was within acceptable limits — just as it should be.

(Not exactly a luxury gym, but it does the job)

Twice the Effort, Half the Stability

By Thursday, I had a new question for my physiotherapist:

“Now can I run?”

Her reply?

“Jumps. But this time, on one leg.”

Ah. Twice the load, half the legs.

One more week keeping up the daily regimen: leg lifts, wall sits, split squats, side steps, step-ups, step-downs, hamstring bridges — the works. And jumps.

“Running?”

My physiotherapist gives me a tentative

"Maybe next Thursday."

and I trust her. Completely.

Healing is a Process

So, why am I sharing this anecdote in such detail? Because it underscores a fundamental truth: healing, like training, is a process. You don’t just wake up one day completely healed. Nor do you lose all progress overnight.

That thought is comforting. In fact, it’s the same mindset I’ve shared before in my book Runhundred:

Trusting the process is beautiful and right. But enjoying the process? That’s the ultimate goal.

Jumping Through Doubts

This summer of injury brought many questions and uncertainties.

• How far can I push conservative therapy?

• Am I risking more harm by trying to run again?

• Do I truly miss running, or was I overdue for a longer break?

• What will my next running life look like?

For months, I had more questions than answers. But surgery has changed the game. It’s given me clarity. Facts. Now I know where I stand, and the path ahead is clear.

Another week of jumps? That’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Healing takes time. Progress demands patience. And right now, I’m exactly where I need to be.

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Everything Not Running

Today is Bold Friday, which is the BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) spin of my running brand Willpower. I've teased it a couple of times, but today, or rather yesterday, was the big day. New drop, big sale, lots of work.

Since yesterday morning, I have been sitting in front of the screen almost non-stop, tackling one task after another. At times, I move through them like a robot; at others, I feel the tension of a final exam. But overall, I’d describe my mood as 'jittery joy'.

(“The Fuel”)

Of course, I’m thrilled about the many orders. After all, Willpower wouldn’t exist without them. But just as it was when I founded Willpower nine years ago, my thoughts aren’t consumed by sales or profit margins with every item sold. Instead, I think about the fact that there’s one more person out there wearing and sharing an important message with the world.

Sure, that might sound idealistic, and sometimes, I admit, a little less idealism and a bit more business sense wouldn’t hurt. But the foundation of Willpower has always been just that: sending messages. That’s the “why” behind this brand.

Every year on Bold Friday, many people discover Willpower for the first time. That’s why I put so much heart into it — it’s not just about selling a product, but about connecting with human beings. In fact, I’d love to personally greet every new customer with a handwritten, heartfelt email. Who knows, maybe I’ll actually do it. Though, if I do, it’s going to make things a little tight for the other non-Willpower task on my list today: recording Das Z Sprachnachricht ;-)

Anyway, if you care about what I’m building with Willpower, feel free to check it out.

(Photo by Stephan Wieser)

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On Repeat

Machine Head deliver. Always. Ok, apart from a couple of weak albums around the turn of the millennium, they got their act together again in 2007 with their masterpiece 'The Blackening'. Since then, I've actually enjoyed every album (yes, even the much-hated 'Catharsis') and at least 3–4 songs from each release have stuck with me in the long term.

Machine Head are coming back in 2025, not only with a new album, but also on tour (North America) with Unearth, Lacuna Coil and In Flames. Reason enough to put all these bands on a single mighty feature track and call the whole thing a 'Wu Tang Clan-level thrash collaboration'. I'll sign that right now. The song is called These Scars Won't Define Us, and it sounds like this:

These Scars Won't Define Us' is a strong thrash metal tune with a distinct "no bullshit" vibe. For me, Machine Head have always been something of a hybrid. In terms of image and appearance, they are certainly a metal band, but musically, Machine Head have explored an huge range in their long career.

To be fair, Machine Head never managed to top the very first song on their very first album. For me, 'Davidian' is the epitome of musical heaviness and will forever overshadow everything the band themselves (and most other metal bands) have released. Still, enjoy These Scars Won't Define Us.