A Day of Rest

I'm a pastor (i.e. nerd) so I pay attention when the Bible uses the same word over and over-- and I'm surprised by just how many times the word "rest" shows up.  Apparently, God knew that people get tired out, body and soul.  Gosh, we're even commanded to take a sabbath.  (The other nine don't seem nearly as hard for me as this one.)  And I realize that I'm one of those people God was worried about because I just go and go and go, and once I'm on something I'm on it.  I want to give something my all until there is nothing left to give.

So I was torn today as my lovely british lady that lives in my iphone (GetRunning App) told me that it was a rest day.  That is, a day off.  At first I was tempted to run anyway, because I had by then done it three or four days in a row, and I was in a good groove.  I didn't want to relapse. I didn't want to break my streak of serious dedication.  And besides, I told myself, I feel better when I get some exercise.   But I realized that my ankles have been hurting and my knees making a grinding noise like my brakes, so I talked myself out of it.  I thought about going to the gym and doing the elliptical or something, but as I gettting ready to go, I read an article in Runner's World that talked about how important it was to rest, and about how most injuries are caused by an overzealous person who goes too hard too fast.  The article said "It's better to have two quality days and two days of total rest than four days of mediocrity from lingering fatigue."  Hmmmph.  So I took the hint, and I didn't do anything.

And I was surprisingly productive anyway. My body still felt ramped up instead of sluggish.  And I know I'll be more ready to go tomorrow, even though a small part of me thinks this is counterintuitive.

But I'm seeing some results.  It's been less than a week since I got serious about actually tracking with weight watchers (apparently it only works if you actually count the points...hmmmph), and I'm down over two pounds.  And I'm learning that I don't have to give into every "want" I have, that cravings usually pass,  and that I'm not actually going to starve to death.