I had back surgery so that sucked – but here’s what I’m doing to recover.
[I posted this on the Slowtwitch.com Triathlon Forum after I had back surgery in July 2020]
Preparing for a Microdiscectomy and Laminectomy – L5/S1 Lumbar Spine
I wanted to start a thread about “preparing for a microdiscectomy and laminectomy” in the hope it would help a lot of you who have made a decision to have the procedure. And I also wanted to give an overview of immediate life after microdiscectomy surgery based on the specific instructions I was given by my surgeon. And also give readers a list of the items I bought pre and post-op that helped in my recovery. Standard disclaimers, I am not a Doctor, don’t rely on anything I say as medical advice, do everything at your own risk etc, etc, blah, blah, blah…
- Introduction
- Treat your Pre-Hab as Seriously as your Re-Hab.
- Microdiscectomy Immediate Post-Op Life.
- Stuff I bought Pre and Post-Surgery to Help.
- Other Stuff that Helped.
- Current Status and Exercise Program – September 1, 2020.
Introduction.
Lots of readers are searching this forum in anticipation of having a microdiscectomy as well as those, like me, that have had the procedure and are looking for help in recovery. Lots of you are also trying to get some form of reassurance as to the path back and what your prospects are for training/racing again. So I’m assuming for the purposes of this post that you’ve made the decision to have a microdiscectomy/or are about to have one. “Misery” loves company but so does “hope”. That’s why this forum was a great inspiration for me as I debated the “surgery” or “no-surgery” question right up to the night before when I finally started freaking out about what I was getting myself in to. I wanted to be that guy who came out of surgery positioned to be stronger than before as well as better educated about how to manage my training at 57 years old in a way that was going to keep me pain-free and turning up at the start line. Read More
Extract from My Book: “Your New Prime”. BRAINPOWER TIP #6: CONNECT!
BRAINPOWER TIP #6: CONNECT
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
—JIM ROHN
You’ve heard it before: man is a social animal. And it’s the truth. We like to think we’re independent, up-by the bootstraps, self-reliant John Wayne types, never asking for a free lunch. But it ain’t so: not one of us would have made it much past a few hours old without all kinds of help from the adults around us. Unlike, say, sharks, whose mothers swim blithely away after giving birth, humans are born helpless. We need nurturing, feeding, and educating for many years before we can hope to survive on our own.
But we need other people beyond infancy. In Paleolithic times, man’s capacity to cooperate with other men—to work together to build shelters, bring down large prey, grow food, travel long distances, and raise and protect children was what allowed him to survive, thrive, and eventually become the dominant species on earth (it certainly wasn’t his physical strength, speed, or acute senses, all of which were laughable when compared with many other competing species). It’s part of what makes us who we are. Read More
@56 Years Fastest 5K Run and Fastest 1K Swim Ever this Week – There’s a Reason….
Also just finished 3 weeks of tests and going into my 57th year completely disease free and everything on track. I get a lot of questions about what I do and the program in my book and the reality is if you want to thrive forward and live a life of maximum wellness it takes HARD work – there are no shortcuts! Here is a link to the table of contents.
Praise For Your New Prime: 30 Days to Better Sex, Eternal Strength, and a Kick-Ass Life After 40…
— Tony Robbins, New York Times #1 Best Seller, Entrepreneur, & Peak Performance Strategist“Easy to follow and highly informative. Your New Prime is a groundbreaking program for better health for all men as they age.”
— Alejandro Junger, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Clean and Clean Eats
“Craig Cooper offers up great information to men who are looking to maximize their potential at any age. He has a passion for helping men be their best in all facets of life.”
— Laird Hamilton, Big Wave Surfer, World-Renowned Waterman and New York Times Bestselling Author of Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul, and, of Course, Surfing
“The challenges for men that Cooper addresses are real—and his solutions are too. In Your New Prime, he’s not just re-labeling an experience, but offering a new vision of health, and powerful ways to follow it.”
— Randall Wallace, Bestselling Author of Living the Braveheart Lifeand Director, Producer, and Oscar-nominated Screenwriter of Braveheart, Secretariat, and Pearl Harbor
“Cooper has done a spectacular job putting together concise and easy-to-incorporate information to be your very best at any age. So whether you are figuring out how to get started or continue to get the most out of each year, this is an essential men’s health manual.”
— Gabrielle Reece, Creator of HighX Training and Bestselling Author of Big Girl in the Middle and My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper
“Finally, someone speaking the truth about men’s health. A practical, straightforward guide to what works and what doesn’t. Craig reduces the facts and studies into easy to follow, every day tools, so you can kick ass and have the best life ever—regardless of age. Every man should read this!”
— Darin Olien, SuperFood Hunter and author of SuperLife
“A practical guide to peak performance as you age. Buy this book and get ready to live again!”
— Scott Flanders, CEO, Playboy Enterprises
“Craig Cooper is a remarkable athlete and businessman who has a down-to-earth message for middle-aged men: Don’t succumb to a sedentary existence.”
— Lou Schuler, Multi-Award Winning Journalist, Contributing Editor to Men’s Health magazine, and Author of Strong, New Rules of Lifting, and The Lean Muscle Diet
“Cooper brings his expertise to this how-to book on men’s health after 40…Gathering from personal and professional experience, he says it’s not about getting ripped abs, it’s about becoming healthy; it’s also recognizing that not all men are the same…Honest, balanced, rewarding…Recommended to men interested in healthy aging”
— Library Journal
Breca New Zealand SwimRun Championships – Craig Cooper.
Bahamian Great Hammerheads
We first heard about the Great Hammerheads in Bimini when I was filming Adventure Capitalists in the Bahamas. They weren’t there at the time given that they only migrate through the Bimini area for Jan and Feb each year. So this year we flew back down especially to dive with them which was awesome.
Here’s Maria breaking the first rule of Hammerhead diving – “Never turn your back on the Hammerhead!”
Meet Craig Cooper – Adventure Capitalists
Spartan World Championships – Lake Tahoe – Sept 29, 2018
Healthcare boss Craig Cooper runs to get away from it all
Craig Cooper, chief executive of healthcare company CardieX, runs five days a week – and most of the time he doesn’t know where he’s going. He answers our Time Out Q&A.
3 questions with venture capitalist Craig Cooper
When he’s not obstacle course racing, surfing, biking, or trail running, Craig Cooper—former co-host of the CNBC outdoor investment show “Adventure Capitalists”— is looking for the next best company to invest in.
Some thoughts on investing in the outdoor and consumer sectors
Lifelong adventurer Craig Cooper is continuing his search for passion and profits. The former co-host of the CNBC’s outdoor investment show “Adventure Capitalists,” is joining the judging panel this month for The Pitch, a OneSeed sponsored event where budding outdoor entrepreneurs present their gear ideas for a chance to win a cash prize and product exposure.