Bad News

What do you want first, the bad news or the bad news? 

You may have noticed the numbers last week. One category fell off a cliff. My left knee (the good one) has been a bit gimpy of late so the running took a major hit. In fact, I am wondering if my running days are over. Permanently. 

No, I have not nor will I visit a physician. It would cost about $1,000 for a diagnosis alone (office visit, referral to orthopedist, MRI), and I am pretty confident I can do that myself for $00.00. A doctor will tell me either to 1) stop running, or 2) have surgery. Surgery would mean I have to stop running. Most likely forever. So I will stop running. Maybe one day I can pick it back up. I did stop for a week. Last night I decided to test drive my knee. I made .27 miles and then had to hobble home. That's the bad news. 

That moment I realized . . . .

Now for the bad news. Instead of going crazy, I am rapidly reorganizing my brain and my plans. I realize that I can now pour all of my training energy and time into swimming and weightlifting. How is that bad news? you ask. It's bad news for my friends who work the Chicot Challenge. I am already stressing my long-suffering buddies to the max in several ways. It must get a little old to read (assuming anyone does) all those posts on social media and blog writings about training ad nauseum. Then there are the ubiquitous pictures of the catfish pond that I flood Facebook with every spring. On top of that, there is the big event where some dear ones get up early, make a long drive, and then crew me for almost fourteen hours. If all my eggs are in one swim basket, I will be insufferable. 

What to do?

I don't know what I should do, but I do know what I am going to do. I am going to be the biggest swimming fool you ever knew, heard of, or can imagine. I will swim so much even John won't get in the pool with me. I will swim so far at Chicot VI, the alligators will start to eye me. I will find new swims to do. I will save so much money on running shoes, I may begin to do Swim the Suck again. I will explore new waters, make up new challenges. I will drive everyone crazy with swimming. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.