"Stop patting the dog, Dorothy, and do some exercise!"

Let me confess to how the post-work afternoon hours for me went today. It was muggy as, and second-day-back fatigue had set in. Before I knew it, the quick relax on the couch had become a Nana nap - in the sitting position - of about 30 mins. Once awake, I did not feel refreshed, quite the opposite. Certainly did not feel like walking the boys, as planned. I did the cheat's option, threw them in the car and drove them to the reserve.

Talk about make a person feel guilty and inadequate. A group of people, not too dissimilar in age and fitness level to me, were being put through their paces by a pert, young female trainer. The dogs and I were  heading in their general direction, though still some 10m away from the group. Then they were all sent to run to a cone that we had just reached. I felt bad for getting in the way of their exercise, and could tell they were all 'feeling it'. I think my dogs - and an exuberant extra spaniel puppy who had joined the fray - were a welcome distraction.

One lady suggested to me "Yes we are all mad!" and I replied that I was actually envious. And I meant it - it is so hard for me to motivate myself these days, especially when the tangible motivation is meant to be this archaic exercise machine that has been gathering dust in the spare room for the past year. I moved it back into my bedroom tonight, as I have officially rejoined the dub-dub-club and am trying to make some commitments to myself re upping the exercise.

So when I wake in the morning, I will replay as a mantra, the voice of the trainer at the reserve today, directed at one poor woman who dared to greet the spaniel puppy. "Stop patting the dog, Dorothy, and do some exercise!" Maybe that will get me up and on me bike. No more exercise excuses. No more patting the dog.