O is for....

A lot of good things:

oreos
oranges
oatmeal
open-minded
options

And this weeks Wednesday Word:  Optimism,  which is something I've been feeling a lot of lately and it's a really nice change of pace.  I try to keep things upbeat here but my knee issues REALLY started to wear on me last year.  I remember sitting in the living room bawling my eyes out to G because I was so worried about losing my identity as a runner if I couldn't run anymore.  I didn't get into that too much here but I really bothered me.  Running has been such a huge part of my life for so long and a large part of my social circle are runners so I couldn't imagine NOT being able to do it.  I had been in pain for a while and I honestly felt like I would never get better and that I would have to make a choice between running and leading a pain free existence.  Those were dark days.  Running helps keep me sane and happy.  To not have that in my life would probably make things very difficult for myself and for those around me.

Once I started seeing Lauren, I left that first appointment with a series of exercises and a clear game plan.  That first run I went on wasn't amazing but it wasn't horrible either.  But each subsequent run I went on, things got better and better.  I still had some pain here and there but it was improving with every step.  Then one day it happened.  I ran without pain.  None.  My knees didn't hurt at all.  Not even after my run.  That's when the optimism really started to take hold.  Things were starting to come together.

I'm continuing to ride this wonderful wave of optimism.  Even when I have "off" days I remind myself that I am so much better than I was.  The road to recovery is never a straight line and I've learned to remain optimistic, even when I have a couple of bad days.

Thanks to Deb at Deb Runs for the Wednesday Word Link up!

How do you remain optimistic?