Everything Happens for a Reason

Oh, it's the oldest; well, one of the oldest cliches in the book. You hear people say it all the time. Most of the time you wonder if they believe themselves or if it's just to comfort a bad situation. Who knows. But if everything happens for a reason, I for one am here to tell you that it's a straight 50/50 and possibly less that you immediately know what that reason is right away.

And so today, I came to the grim reality that it makes no sense, common or otherwise, to take a trip five hours from home to run in a marathon that will take place in just over a week. Not when my foot is still bothering me badly. Not when I have run 4 miles since October 26 and the first two of those miles were run at a pace slower than eight and half minutes. Not when I've got thirteen days in front of me to recuperate before I have to get back on the ice to officiate my next hockey game.

I could be a hero and go and do the marathon. Of that I am sure. It seemed the longer I ran on the treadmill the other night the more my foot seemed to loosen up. But what damage would I do and how much further would I set myself back upon finishing?

No, the reality of the situation; which I have known for about a week, is that the wise thing to do is take my losses in stride and get this foot well. There are other races to be run. There are many more miles to be run. Frustrating as it is, I'm sure this is happening for a reason. But I have no idea what the hell that reason is right now. And that, perhaps, is one of the most frustrating things about this. That and not running.