Cue Daniel Powter’s one-hit wonder.

I don’t think anything frustrates me more than being told that I cannot do something. Especially when I know that not doing what I want is actually good for me — I’m stubborn, shocker.

After winning a personal victory and  overcoming my own road blocks, I finally felt like my running patterns have been consistent. I even ran six miles on Saturday night, a personal outdoor record for me. Too bad I paid for it on Sunday and could barely bend my knee. Conveniently enough I had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this morning.

My doctor evaluated the MRI I had taken two weeks ago and said that I have right knee patellar and quadriceps tendinitis with patellofemoral syndrome, AKA I have extreme pain in my knees, especially when I run more than 5 miles.

The solution? Cut my running down from 4-5 times a week to once a week. Keep my distance under five miles. Incorporate swimming into my exercise routine at least twice a week, go back to physical therapy to strengthen my core and the muscles around my knee and get new fitted sneakers (my baby-sized feet make it difficult to just walk into a store and find shoes conducive to my troubling situation.) This may not sound like a bad deal to some, but when running is the one form of exercise I genuinely look forward to in order to relieve my stress, it’s nothing short of a major bummer to me. The inconsistency just kills me.

I had plans to run the Rochester Marathon at the end of September. I was following a 15-week training program. Some call me crazy, I refer to it as ambitious. Looks like I’ll be swapping marathons for an excessive amount of 5Ks to keep my competitive spirit alive.

The bad news: No marathon, not even a half marathon in my near future. Spend more time and money to fix my knees. Find an exercise other than running to relieve my stress.

The good news: My patience for frustrating situations is only growing stronger. It could be worse. It will get better.

You’re allowed to have bad days, more than one actually. Sometimes your circumstances are just out of your control. As long as you stay focused on your goals and keep your heart full of appreciation for the blessings you already have, then I believe life has no other choice but to eventually reward you with brand new blessings that are sure to be worthwhile.

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”- S. Freud