There are worse things in the world

You know what they say, that things could be worse? Well, they got worse. I received some really bad news with regards to two different matters these last few days, news that almost knocked me down. I can't tell you what they are. Why? Because then I would have to kill you.

When you're knocked down, it's tempting to just give up. Accept that things are shit. Stop trying. Fall into despair and struggle to look past all the bad stuff and into a future when things have gotten better. You go from being an eagle to being a sparrow. From feeling like a million dollars to feeling like a penny, that people wouldn't even bother to pick up if they found it on the street. From top of the world to the bottom of the ocean.

As I sat in my physiotherapist's waiting room, I thought about how easy it would be to just let go of dreams, goals, ambitions, when facing this tremendous brick wall. I thought about what brought me to where I am today. Mistakes? Choices? A twist of fate? What could I have done differently?

Trying to solve all of life's great mysteries and to find the meaning of it all while you're waiting to be called in by your physiotherapist doesn't leave you much room for philosophical breakthroughs though. I got nowhere, and my mood only got worse. When he finally came outside and introduced himself, I couldn't even find it in me to care about my runner's knee. There are worse things in the world.

Taping my knee is just one of many ways to tackle this problem

But as we discussed my runner's knee, as he made everything so concrete, as he told me exactly what I needed to do to get well, I found something to focus on, in the midst of all this chaos that my life is currently in. There are things in life that I can't control, that I can't do anything about. But this? This problem here? I will kick its ass. I wanted to give my physiotherapist a big sloppy kiss on the cheek when we were done. Two weeks of rest instead of the three the doctor prescribed. Stretching. Strengthening exercises. Another week of diclofenac and then I can power walk. Göteborgsvarvet is not out of the question, if I alternate jogging with walking. Intervals, trail running, variation are all great preventative measures against repetitive injuries like mine. He even won some bonus points with me when he said that barefoot running, if you build up carefully, is good for your knees. Unfortunately, he didn't think cycling is particularly good for my knee, but I can't say I'm going to miss it that much.

A ray of hope just broke through the clouds.