set back

Can you get worker's comp for sitting in an uncomfortable chair? I would love more than to have MGTA pay for a back massage. For the last three days and approximately an hour and a half of today, I have been sitting in a hard wicker chair, facing a bookcase, attempting to type on the computer on top of the bookcase. There is no where for my legs to go, so today, I traded in my jeans for my favorite victoria's secret sweatpants in order to effectively curl up in this chair and try to work. Good thing there isn't much work for me to do, mostly because it's just not comfortable, but so I can do valuable things like update my blog, and read my email.

Anyways, today was the big day, my doctors appointment with Dr. Golden, my surgeon. We talked about my approved activities and my current strength. He says my leg and knee looks good, really good. I asked him about the running, and being an orthopedic doctor, he obviously doesn't support the stress that running puts on your knees.

He made a nice analogy for me. He said that if I had a million dollars to 'pay' for exercise, and that's all the money I had for the rest of my life, different activities would cost different things. He said that swimming was free, biking was pretty inexpensive, but running was expensive. I wouldn't be able to run as much as biking before giving in to knee pain and early on set arthritis. Ultimately, a little running is fine, mostly on tracks and flat roads, probably not the breakdown lanes I'm forced into sometimes while running around Oakland. When it comes down to it, it's my body, and the more I run, the earlier I'll feel pain in my knees.

He said it would be easy for me to stop running now, because I haven't been a runner my whole life. I disagree. While I haven't been a runner my whole life, I have been an athlete, and there isn't much in the world that can replace the feeling of being an athlete. Last February when that feeling was taken away from me, it was horrendous, emotional and one of the most difficult thing I have ever been through. When it happened again in September, it was equally as disappointing. I tried to look at is as a set back, knowing that a set back is only a set up for a comeback. When I started running, I was able to feel like an athlete again. I may not be able to tumble, play soccer, or fully play tennis right now, but I can run. It's going to take a lot more than a threat of arthritis to make me stop running.

As soon as he left the room, I told my mom that he said it's my body, so I'll do what I want. Somehow, she knew that was going to be the case. She kindly reminded me that the third ACL surgery will be on me, something that probably has made me a bit more cautious about my activities.

Today's appointment was a bit discouraging, especially because I had just come in from a great run. Regardless, I don't think that this will stop me. I will however take it a bit slower, skip that half marathon in July, and savor my miles. Enjoy them while I can, enjoy being an athlete and enjoy being a runner.