Fun Times

Mike and I have joined a gym. Since both of us are running this marathon and we have a child, it's just easier to go somewhere that she can be watched without us having to be the ones watching her. I have a fear of gyms - mostly because I don't have a clue what I'm doing. There are lots of machines and they have these pictures on them that are supposed to show you how they work but if you stand there for 10 minutes trying to figure out what the picture means everyone is going to know that you really don't know what you're doing. And there are fit people in gyms, people who exercise for fun. I know, I couldn't believe they existed either! So, I signed up for three sessions with a trainer - hoping that she'll show me what I'm supposed to be doing before I break something.

On Monday of this week I met with my trainer for the first time. On Tuesday, I couldn't get out of bed. And, on Wednesday I also couldn't get out of bed. Apparently when my trainer said "today we're going to work on core training" what she really meant was "I'm going to destroy your muscles from your ribs to your knees, have fun trying to move later." I couldn't sit down without intentionally falling onto the seat. Then if I wanted to get back up I had to plan ahead because it took at least 5 minutes. If I dropped something I mostly just left it on the floor because even if I could bend over to grab it, there's no way I would get back to an upright position. Getting in and out of my car looked like something that should've been recorded and sent to America's Funniest Home Videos.

Last night I was downstairs trying to pick up Mikayla's toys before bed. After a few minutes, Mike called down to ask me if I was stuck on the floor. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. I find that I'm in a situation that is soooo outside my comfort zone and soooo uncharacteristic of me and yet, I'm loving it. No, not the pain or loss of mobility, but the journey itself. This is something I would not choose for myself - I would not go through the pain if my goal were only beneficial to me. The thought of quitting has not crossed my mind - although, canceling the rest of my training sessions may have a few times. And, that's not to say that when I'm supposed to run 15 miles one day I won't feel like quitting - running 15 miles is a lot scarier than the gym.

The truth is that this is bigger than me and more important than a few days of pain. And I'm soooo thankful that I'm not doing this alone. My teammates will be running those 15 miles right next to me (so they can call 911 if I pass out). This is an exciting story God has placed me in and I'm thrilled to be a part of it - pain and all!

- By Chrystal Murphy