Running Into Another Obstacle (And Looking on the Bright Side)

I ran four miles this weekend, and I felt great. It was my longest run since March, but I recovered well and was looking forward to adding mileage before my 10k on July 4th.

Then I took Little Man to Stone Mountain, got bit by a fire ant, and my foot swelled up to epic proportions.

"Wow," my doctor commented yesterday when I went hobbling into the exam room. "I've never seen an allergic reaction quite that impressive." And then he called his buddies in to take a look.

"Do you think I'll be able to run a five mile training run this weekend?" I asked me. He gave me a look.

"Okay..." I tried again. "Will I be ready for a 10k in two weeks?"

"As long as you're not planning on winning it," he said, handing me a prescription for a week of steroids and antibiotics. "And if your foot starts to swell, take your shoe off or it will get stuck."

I pictured myself hobbling down Peachtree Street with one shoe on and 60,000 other people. And I cringed.

I'm just not having much luck on the running front, guys. What is going on? I'm frustrated, but I'm trying to look on the bright side. At least it's my foot that's swollen, and not my spleen anymore. At least it's not half marathon season. At least I have a couple of weeks before my race and not a couple of days. Being off my feet for another few days means more time to read and write, and more time to plan some summer fun--although perhaps this time with sneakers and a healthy dose of bug spray.

A penny for your thoughts: How do you look on the bright side when an unexpected road block pops up?