The Ox in the Mire or May Workout Day 3 of 24

There is a saying in my church about "the ox in the mire". What it means is, we follow the commandment to keep the sabbath day holy (refer to the 10 commandments, it's in there), but sometimes, rarely even, your ox is in the mire, and you must labor that day. I suppose that darn ox isn't going to get out of the mire on its own, and if it is IN the mire, it could become overwhelmed, discouraged, and frustrated. It could give up. It is critical, even on the sabbath, to get your ox out of the mire.

Today I was the ox in the mire. I did what I should, and put on my workout clothes as soon as I woke up. In fact, waking up was a treat. I woke up before my alarm, and felt rejuvenated. I had forgotten how awesome this aspect of exercise was. I had an errand to run, but I was home by 8:30. I ate. I checked Facebook. I rechecked Facebook. I announced that I was going to be exercising. I rechecked Facebook. I perused Pinterest. I rechecked Facebook. I didn't want to exercise. I was wondering if today would be one of my 7 days off for the month. I rechecked Facebook. And there it was.

Atreyu...

Do you remember in the Neverending Story how Atreyu and Artax had to trudge through the Swamps of Sadness? Atreyu begging Artax to not let the sadness overcome him? Good heavens, this is actually a great analogy for supporting someone with depression... Anyway, I felt like Artax, neck deep in mud, not really actually wanting to get out of the mud. My Atreyu was the responses on my Facebook post... AM, PS, JS, and MC were all cheering me on, offering support and encouragement, stating pride and enthusiasm.

Knowing I couldn't let them down, I did it. The 100 workout again. It was my "day off" from Couch to 5k. I did it in less time than the other day. It wasn't quite as much of a killer, but it was still tough, which was good. I discovered that I shouldn't look at the ceiling while doing jumping jacks because watching yourself get closer further closer further, is really unsettling. And I discovered I need to invest in another sports bra (sorry Mom, for mentioning undergarments in public) to alternate while one is in the wash.

Peach still danced to the music. I still smiled at the end. I feel stronger and leaner, even though I'm sure I'm not leaner, yet. I feel like I'm doing good. I hurt, and it ticks me off that I can't just sit among feather pillows eating bon bons for the rest of my life. But I will do it again tomorrow. Because I know who I am, and who I am is not an unfit lop of a person.