I Want to What?

Exercise is not something that I have enjoyed doing.  I will admit, I . . . Am . . . . Lazy.  Once I was done work and the Little One's had gone home, all I wanted to do was kick back on the couch with a steaming cup of coffee and a good book (or the TV).  Who could even think about exercising after working an 11 hour work day running around after six (6) Little One's and then taking care of the house and making sure that everyone in the house was fed?  The woman that could think of exercising after that must be one strong and powerful woman who is goal oriented and focused on the task at hand.  That woman was most certainly not me.

At least, at the time it wasn't.

You see, it turns out that I could become that type of woman.  I could be the type of woman who was up at 6 a.m. to start work and to ensure that her own two (2) girls were dressed and fed ready for school.  I could be the type of woman who spent the day watching six (6) Little One's, teaching them, encouraging them, loving them for 11 hours for the day and then sending them home with their parents.  I could be the type of woman who cooks a healthy meal for her family.  I could by the type of woman who could do ALL that and then think of lacing up her shoes and going for a run or maybe even a spin on the bike.

The longer that I work at changing my focus from craving food to craving God, I find that my attitude towards exercise is changing too.  I find that there is a desire to workout now.  I feel like if I don't workout then my day is lacking something.

Today was supposed to be a rest day.  I was supposed to enjoy my down time and curl up on the couch with a cup of tea, my laptop and a nice chat with a good friend.  However, I found myself walking the door after returning from leading a group of kids at church and wanting to lace up my sneakers and put a few kilometres under my feet.  So that is what I did!  I laced up and went out and ran 3 km.  Boy did it feel good!

There is something so rejuvenating and empowering about getting out with some powerful praise and worship music and putting some mileage between me and my day.  It feels great to work out the frustrations of the day that I had.  My head becomes more clear and my perspective on life seems to switch.  That is not to say that today was an overly frustrating day.  It was just a long one with a frustrating moment.  It felt good to have God speak to me as I listened to the sounds of the music flowing in my ears.

Dear friends, if you feel like me, like exercising just isn't possible right now because "things are too busy" always remember that you can make it work . . . if you want to.  I liked to use the "too busy" excuse all the time.  Saying that I was "worn out" and "exhausted."  However, now that I make the time to exercise I find myself more energized and more ready and able to tackle the day ahead of me!

Like the photo says, it doesn't matter whether it is a 14 minute mile or a 7 minute mile.  It is still a mile.