A lesson in patience

So I'm a little frustrated these days.

That is, mostly, because my knees have been hurting since I really started running a little over a month ago. On Saturday, while I was on the treadmill (please, we had just gotten a foot of snow the day before and it was pouring rain), I ended up running and feeling a sharp pain in my left kneecap. So I hit the emergency stop (this time on purpose) and stopped. It hurt a lot on Saturday night but that has eased quite a bit. However, walking up and down stairs has been painful since then (to varying degrees), so I was determined to figure it out.

I saw the doctor on Tuesday and long story short, she recommended physical therapy for me. At first, I was all bummed, because isn't PT for people that routinely eat at Denny's for the "Senior Discount" and who watch "Matlock" and "Murder She Wrote" on a regular basis?

Turns out, the answer to that question is: no. It's also for people who get in accidents and can't move properly. Fantastic.

BUT THEN I was told that their primary focus is to help me know what exercises to do (and what ones to avoid) so that I can live my life to the fullest...even including targeting specific muscles so that pressure will be taken off of my joints and patella. My patellas and tendons will have a chance to heal and then I might be able to start running again. I'm clinging to that hope.

So I'm trying to embrace the positive. And even though my first 5K was SUPPOSED to be this weekend, I'm coming to terms with walking it instead of running it. I'm disappointed - mostly because what I *want* my body to do is apparently different than what it is going to be able to do.

But hey, that's life right?