IT'S been 54 days since I had my foot operation. I've still got 16 days to go before the steel pin gets pulled out. In all, that will be a total of 70 non-running days I will have endured; that's 30 days more than the 40 days that Jesus had to endure in the desert. Okay, my desert experience comes nowhere near his but that does not take away the fact that I have been and still am, in the desert; the desert of a runner who can't run. His desert experience was all about being tried and tested and so is mine. Perhaps I shouldn't compare his trials to my own piffling little thing but I have been tried and tested never the less and, according to my temporarily sidelined running coach, I am still quite 'chipper' about life. Being a 'soft southerner', this is indeed an accolade to receive from a northern* born running man. Being cast into the desert then, has meant that I've had to rely on my own resources to help me survive the temptations that manifest in this place; biscuits, cakes, chocolate, multiple cups of tea and coffee, not forgetting breakfast, lunch and dinner of course - all consumed in a horizontal position. Biblically speaking, this is like facing off the 7 deadly sins, some of which were more threatening to me than others. Pride for instance didn't really figure. Greed (all those biscuits etc.) needed to be minimised. Envy (of others still able to run) could have been a problem. Anger (at my condition), I had to avoid that. Lust (after more food etc.) needed to be controlled. Gluttony (give me more, lots more) had to be restrained and last but not least, Sloth I had to be very careful of indeed. In fact Sloth was the one to watch out for, as this is where apathy, weight gain and depression could have become my companions. So what saved the day and my sanity? Well I found an oasis in my desert and I have been dwelling there ever since. It is the oasis of my blogspot; the place where I sit and explore the rubbish dump of my mind. Trouble is, I'm going to have to leave this place soon, in 16 days time in fact and I have a feeling that I'm not going to like that at all. Still, as Arnie Shwarzenegger said, 'I'll be back' and hopefully, I'll be running! * Mythical belief that 'northerners' are hardier and more resilient that 'soft southerners'.
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