A Postive Spin on Things

Today’s Reason to Drink: Summer is halfway over today! Drink those ice cold drinks in the sun while you can!

Yesterday I was pretty sad. Facing the concrete reality that I will not be running for awhile was a huge bummer. Huger (more huge?) than the word “bummer” can adequately convey.

However, I got a lot of good advice. Most of it involved drinking, which is my favorite kind of advice.

Also, I’ve been thinking really hard about the adjustments I’m going to have to make now that I won’t be running 20 miles a week. Not that I have been for the last month, but I was in a holding pattern, just knowing that a couple of weeks off wouldn’t hurt too much. Now I’m to a point where not only am I not gaining strength, stamina, speed, I’m actually starting to lose it (the 3 S’s, not my mind – not yet).

The biggest adjustment thus far has been when I forget what I’m doing and eat like I’m working out every day. Which I’m not. The next big adjustment is going to be how to work in enough activity to keep me healthy & stress-free (no smokes ‘til Vegas, bitches).

I think the challenge is trying to figure out different goals that will work with the situation I’m in instead of giving up on having ANY goals because I can’t physically meet them now. It’s a rearrangement of thinking. What CAN I do, instead of what CAN’T I do. (Maybe I should make a martini-related goal. 🙂 )

  • I’m going to Bikram this weekend. I’ll talk to the instructor ahead of time & hopefully I can modify enough of the poses that I’ll be fine.
  • I need to get to the gym for some upper body strength-training. Perhaps I can become an Amazon on top, even if my nice runner’s legs get puny & weak. Winter’s coming, anyway – no one will be looking at my legs, right?
  • I need to swim once a week. That’s not much, but I think that’s all the commitment to swimming I can handle right now. I will go on Monday. I have to run an errand down town anyway, so I might as well stop at the gym & swim.
  • I need to continue to work on my push-ups & sit-ups. Those I can do without hurting the knee (no girly-style push-ups for me!). I’m not exactly doing the 100 push-up challenge, but I am working on increasing my push-up street cred. I’m up to 25 without stopping. I don’t care about 100, but I’d like to be able to do 50. And then? I want a pull-up bar. I will never do a pull-up at the gym (people might see me). I’ve never done a pull-up anywhere, actually. When we had to do the presidential fitness test thingie in elementary school, I wasn’t good at the running bits (not very fast, even then), but I rocked the sit-ups & the sit & stretch thing (very flexible – still am). However, the part that I sucked at was the flexed arm hang (girls didn’t even have to pull – just hang). I never climbed the gym rope to the top. I have no upper body strength. So – no pull-ups in public, but I would like to try. I think I could maybe do one.
  • I can walk. Maybe not quickly, but I can walk. It’s awfully slow, but it’s certainly better than nothing. I will walk tonight. Then, I will walk 30 minutes 3 times a week until I have the (probable) surgery. After that, I’ll be in PT, so I’ll have to adjust again when that happens.

I’ve really appreciated all the comments & encouragement, and license to drink martinis I’ve gotten. I’ll definitely keep you updated on how this all goes. Because it’s my blog & I like to talk about myself.

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