Running has been something Melanie Carvell has enjoyed immensely for the past 30 years.

This summer the triathlete is taking a different approach to fitness - but not by choice.

Carvell, the director of women's health at Medcenter One, has been battling avascular necrosis in her left knee. It's a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to an area of bone.

She spent eight weeks on crutches following surgery and now gets the majority of her exercise by walking her dog, biking or swimming.

"I'm taking all my frustration out on my bike," Carvell said. "I miss running. There's not anything that gives me that much joy. I'm trying pretty hard to make lemonade out of it."

Carvell had surgery in April and got off crutches in early June. She was told not to run for six months, and she's heeding those orders because disobeying could be catastrophic.

"If it doesn't recover, the only other thing I can do is get a knee replacement," Carvell said. "I'm not willing to take any chances with that."

No running means no triathlons this summer. A triathlon consists of running, swimming and biking. She will try the 50-mile bike race on Saturday at the Prairie Rose State Games. The games will be held Friday and Saturday in Grand Forks.

Carvell has missed training - her favorite part - for summer triathlons. The injury has allowed her to focus on her biking and swimming skills.

The reason Carvell loves training is simple.

"Part of running is a social thing," Carvell said. "I would go in the pool for a water jog while all my buddies are on the street running."

During her recovery, Carvell would crutch in and out of the water. She would swim with just one leg, because she couldn't apply pressure to the injured one. At first, getting in the water was Carvell's only option for a workout.

She's now able to walk about six miles with her dog, and she can bike 35 miles a day.

"As an athlete you're going to be injured," Carvell said. "I try to stay positive because you have a better chance of healing. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have painful days and depressing times. But if you look around there are a lot of people in worse shape than you're in. This too shall pass."

Carvell is also working on writing a book about growing up in North Dakota, her experiences as a triathlete, mental strategy for competition and finding ways to fit fitness into her life.

"Maybe this is God's way of telling me to finish the darn book," Carvell said.