Hello, readers. It’s been nine weeks now, and I’m still sidelined from running due to some nasty upper leg tendonitis. I will say I’m now really starting to understand Trisha’s frustration from her summer-long “haitus.” But although you wouldn’t know it if you read my Facebook statuses as of late, I actually don’t like to complain or whine. My general attitude toward life’s obstacles has always been “How can I get around this?” rather than “Why can’t I get around this?” I’m not a Suzy Sunshine or anything, it’s just that concentrating on the suckiness of a situation doesn’t really result in any sort of positive outcome.

I think I’m more like Suzy Sunshine’s drill sergeant; actually, my disposition is probably best summarized as a picture (see left).  It’s the design on a t-shirt from Threadless Tees, called “the Curse of the Care Were.”

Shortly after posting the following status update, I realized that maybe I was starting to forget my Suzy Sunshine Drill Sargeant Suck-it-up-itive-ness:

“Today is a bitch, whine, moan, and complain kind of day. I’m not feeling a whole hell of a lot of pain but my lack of physical activity is causing me to go crazy(ier).”

I guess I’m just antsy and generally frustrated because I can’t function at the level I’m used to, which is an average of 30 miles per week. I run because my brain doesn’t stop, ever (even at night with the help of alcohol). With that said, I managed a whoping 30 minutes on the elliptical last night after going through my range of motion exercises and massage stuff, and it did help. Also what helps is the mantra that my spinning mind recently adopted:

No, it’s not getting worse.
Yes, it is getting better.
I know these things can take forever to heal.
And no, I will not go postal.

But still, where’s the positivity in that?  Where’s my action plan to get myself out of Suckville?  And, where is my normal sarcastic humor that at least adds a bit of comic relief to my life? Just “not going postal” is not enough. I need to do something about this.

So without further ado, with you guys as my witnesses, here is my List of Ways that Being Injured Has Not Sucked.

1. My car reeks less of “eau de sweaty runner.” No further explanation needed? No, I didn’t think so.
2. I discovered that people generally like my FuzzyFeet.  That’s not just a lame attempt at self-promotion; I’ve actually found that not running has given me more time to do things like work on a website, update Facebook, and contact Race Directors. Some of them even said they were really cool!
3. My life expectancy has increased due to less contact with distracted drivers as I attempt to cross the street. I’m positive that all my close-encounters have taken years off my life. I was once tagged by a car while walking through a crosswalk at a local mall. I was wearing a bright yellow tech shirt on a bright sunny day.
4. I’ve developed a small bit of sympathy for some of the drivers who look completely astonished that they nearly obtained a runner atop their vehicle’s hood. There are some massive blind-spots at these intersections, like this giant shrubbery that the city recently put in. I mean, I’m all for beautification of my city, but it would be nice to able to clearly see a runner waiting at the corner.
5. My grocery bill has decreased.  It’s taken The Husband a good month to really understand the food-economics associated with my running habit; hell, it took me two weeks to get used to it. Hubby will say things like: “Sweetheart, how come you didn’t eat your sweet potatoes this week?” and “Come on, I’ve seen you put down way more food than that in one sitting.”  I think I’ll remind him of the lowered bill once I’m back in full swing.
6. Wine. Hydrating is a bit less pertinent right now so I’ve had the time to sample a plethora of delicious grape tonics. I happen to like sweet dessert wines, in case anyone wants to donate to an injured runner’s cause.

I guess it wasn’t too hard to think of those positive things. I suppose I’ll have to come back and read this next time I’m having a bad day.