Rest Days

By Carol Woolum Roberts

When Paul decided to join his sister Laurie in running in the local Jackass Half-Marathon this coming October, I decided I would also like to participate.  I decided to try and run the 5K race, which is 3.1 miles.

We both registered for our respective races.  I knew I could easily walk the course, but part of me wanted to get back to running again and see if I could do it.

I found an 8-week training program to follow, to prepare to run a 5K, and started it last week.

Before I started the training, I did want to see if I could run/walk three miles.  So Paul and I headed over to our local track, and timed me running/walking three miles.  I did it, and it didn’t feel too bad.

The weekly training is a combination of three days of running, one day of run/walk and one day of just walking.  Two of the days are rest days.

In describing rest days, here is what Hal Higdon, the writer of this training plan said:

Rest: Rest days are as vital as training days. They give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Actually, your muscles will build in strength as you rest.

This phrase keeps going through my mind and thoughts…..

your muscles will build in strength as you rest.

Wait a minute.  My muscle strengthens as I rest?

Maybe I can apply this, not only to running and exercise, but to my inner life as well.

God was big on a day of rest.  He told us in the Bible, many, many times, that we need to have a Sabbath, a day of rest, and keep it holy.

Maybe because our spiritual muscles will also strengthen as we rest.

Genesis 2:2 says this:

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

My life goes through different seasons, and when I am busy with a creative project, such as writing, directing, rehearsing and performing in a musical revue for the last four months, I get tunnel vision and don’t take the time to rest.

I need to do better.  As our theater time came to an end last Sunday, this week both Paul and I haven’t been feeling good.  It is as if our body, soul and spirit is saying, “Hey, give us a rest.  We need some down time.  Slow down.  It is okay.”

Your muscles will build in strength as you rest.

Yes, the body builds in strength, as does our soul and spirit.  But part of that strength comes from giving ourselves time to rest.

And that is what I often set aside.  Rest for the spirit.  Rest for the soul.  And then I get all out of sorts.  Like my 5K workout, I need to follow a schedule for my inner life and make rest a priority for my soul health as well.

Rest is not a sign of weakness.  Rest is a sign of strength.

What is a way you allow yourself to rest and relax and gain back your strength?

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