Cliffs of Moher, Ireland with O’Brien Tower
Ireland Gave Me Photography. It Also Took My Knees.
Some souvenirs fit in a suitcase. Mine fit in an MRI.
Back in 2014 I spent two weeks in Ireland, that magical emerald country where even the sheep look like they posed for a postcard. That trip is the reason photography became so much more than a hobby for me. Photography is a rabbit hole: the deeper you go, the more you crave it, and the more you realize how little you actually know.
Now, about my packing. I was not traveling light. Two weeks felt like it called for more, and then more, and once every "necessity" was in, my luggage was, let's say, over the limit. I didn't think much of it until I remembered one small detail about Europe: it's old. Most of those beautiful buildings were built long before anyone dreamed of an elevator. Stairs. Stairs. And then a few more stairs.
Dragging that suitcase up every staircase in the Emerald Isle was the beginning of the end for my meniscus.
Then came the Cliffs of Moher. Absolutely unforgettable, and they finished the job. I decided I was going to climb the endless steps up to O'Brien's Tower, plus the spiral iron staircase inside. Halfway up, I was giving myself the pep talk: You can do it, girl. Push through the pain. Make it happen.
And I did! Wow. Then I remembered the small print: what goes up must come down. Going down those stairs was not as "easy" as going up, and that's putting it kindly.
Long story short: both menisci were done, and for the rest of the trip I lived on ibuprofen and Irish charm.
Cliffs of Moher in March - cold, rainy, foggy and super windy but still unforgettable!
Two Knees, Two Surgeries, One Stubborn Girl
I went through surgery twice. On both knees. At the same time. My doctor looked at me and said, "I know you. You can do it!" And I did.
Things got bearable, but never fixed. The pain stuck around, so I cut back on activities. Less moving meant a few extra pounds, the extra pounds meant more work for my knees, and, well, you know how that circle goes.
I was slowed down in my life. That's a tough spot for an active, wandering, adventure-chasing girl with a camera.
I tried so many things just to be a little better and a little more mobile. I'd start, stop, pick it up again, drop it again. The classic yo-yo. If there were a medal for restarting, I'd have a whole drawer full.
But... Day Eight of Something New
Today is day eight of my own exercise routine. I built it after researching many, many programs, and for the first time it feels like I actually understand what my body needs. Turns out the wisdom of age is a pretty good thing to have.
Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated. Three things on the burner:
1. Walking backwards (yes, really)
I know. It looks funny. Hear me out.
Ben Patrick, better known as the Knees Over Toes Guy, rebuilt his own badly injured knees and now has backward walking as the very first move he teaches everyone. His whole philosophy flips the old gym rule of "never let your knees go past your toes." His point: in real life, our knees go over our toes all the time, on stairs, getting out of the car, picking things up. So instead of avoiding that position, you gently build strength in it.
Why backward walking helps, in short:
Easier on the joint. Your toes land first instead of your heel, so there's less pounding through the knee.
Wakes up the quads. Especially the teardrop-shaped muscle just above the inside of the knee that helps keep the kneecap on track.
Balance and brain. Moving in a direction you can't see makes your body pay attention. Good insurance against falls as we age.
More work, same distance. It gets your heart going more than the same walk forward.
Old wisdom. The Chinese have practiced it for ages, with a saying that a hundred steps backward are worth a thousand forward.
Go deeper down the rabbit hole: Ben's official YouTube channel has short demos for every level, including people starting from scratch.
2. A walk after every meal
15 to 20 minutes, inside or outside, after each meal. Your muscles soak up the sugar from your meal like little sponges, which keeps your energy steadier. A study out of George Washington University found that three short walks after meals did as much for older adults' blood sugar over 24 hours as one 45-minute walk. (Read about it here.) Grandma's "go take a stroll after supper" was right all along.
3. Resistance training with weights
Strong muscles are the knee's best bodyguards. The stronger everything around the joint gets, the less the joint has to take on alone.
The bonus round: 5+ miles of HIIT on my recumbent bike. Deep inside, I feel this combo is going to bring me closer to victory. My Apple Watch is tracking every step, backwards ones included. It's early, I know. But I feel good and confident.
I'm not a doctor, just a girl who's done her homework. If your knees have a history, check with someone who knows them before you start.
Why I Need My Wheels Back
I'm convinced, and I'm eager. I want my 100% mobility back.
To borrow loosely from Dylan Thomas, I'm not going gently. I don't want to live on memories. I want to make new ones, as many as I can. Walking up a steep mountain trail. Going down the stairs without bargaining with them. Wandering wherever the road and the light lead me. That's where I want to be, and to wander, a girl needs her wheels.
Getting older is like a good vintage wine: it gets better with time. Sometimes it just needs a special ingredient here and there.
This is where you come in. I'd love your support on this journey. Encouragement and good vibes from friends are always welcome. And if you want the nitty-gritty details of my routine, just hit me up. I'm glad to share.
So many places and so many birds are out there waiting to be experienced and photographed. Miss Focus is packed. (Lightly, this time.)
Let's go!
With dust on my boots (and soon, on my knees from all those backward laps), Bo
Sunset at Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Did You Know?
The tower that wrecked my knees started as a tea house. Local landlord Cornelius O'Brien built O'Brien's Tower in 1835 for Victorian tourists, complete with a big round table and iron seats. Locals joked he built everything around there except the cliffs.
The Cliffs of Moher were a tourist attraction before the phrase existed. Visitors have been gawking (and climbing) since the 1800s. I'm just one in a very long line of sore-kneed admirers.
On a clear day from the tower you can see the Aran Islands, and even the Twelve Bens mountains in Connemara beyond Galway Bay.
Backward walking had races before it had influencers. Once people caught on in China and beyond, retro-walking and retro-running races popped up around the world.
The Knees Over Toes Guy got the idea from an old-school strength coach, the late Charles Poliquin, and from traditional Chinese wisdom about protecting knee cartilage.
Behind the shot note for your featured image: if your Cliffs of Moher frame with the tower is a strong one, this post is a natural, low-key way to point readers toward it in the shop later.
P.S.
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