Mind over matter.

I exercise a lot.  I usually average 45 minutes to an hour every day, six days a week.

I rarely enjoy it.

I do it because it's healthy and it helps me maintain my weight and keeps me in shape for soccer that I do enjoy.

But it's happened almost every time this week that after a four mile run or strenuous yoga session, when I'm still in the throes of whatever agony that exercise has wrought upon my aging body, I've had this unusual thought:

"I feel so good right now."

What?  Really?  I have that thought, then immediately call myself a liar because my joints are smarting, muscles aching, and I'm just feeling weary overall.  But maybe I'm not lying.

Maybe I'm just glad that I'm alive, relatively young, happy, and enjoying a beautiful day.  Maybe I love that my body works well enough that I can run and play.

Or maybe I've brainwashed myself into enjoying exercise.