Mmmust Get Mmmoving

The story continued with the seventh chapter as the week of Stamina began and dove right back into the action. Who is friend? Who is foe? Can anyone be trusted? All our BattleMates know for sure is that they Mmmust Get Mmmoving!

**The Story: Mmmust Get Mmmoving**

**The Coral Reef Explorer in the very center of the battalion points at you and shouts something. You are unable to understand their language, but can clearly tell something is not right. From behind you, an arrow whizzes by your head and buries itself in the hard, wet sand where the water meets the beach. You spin around as another arrow just misses your shoulder. Nothing. Where did they come from?**

**"Shield wall!" you shout. "Face the rocks!" Your band rushes together and assembles the best shield wall they can with the shields they have among them. It is not pretty and there are many gaps, but it is better than nothing and at least the arrows have stopped for the moment. In the shadows of the rocks you can just make out two yellow eyes and a set of pointed ears. Could it be? Whoever is after you sent a Renegade Assassin? But you thought the Renegade Assassins only worked for themselves. Who could want you dead so badly they paid whatever they had to pay to enlist the help of the infamous assassins?**

**You begin to rack your brain for who it could be when from behind you a slimy hand covers your mouth and pulls you under the water. A moment of panic and then you realize, you can breathe! The captain of the Coral Reef Explorers has placed a seaweed mask over your mouth and nose. One by one, the rest of the explorers grab your band, apply the mask and submerge them in the water. "We mmmust get mmmoving, the mmmasks don't work forever and the assassin will mmmost assuredly follow mmmomentarily." While definitely affected, you are thankful you can understand the Merfolk's language under water.**

**Arrows begin to fall into the water without any hinderance at an alarming rate. Far too many plunge deep for one assassin to be firing them all, but then again, the stories of the Renegade Assassins' capabilities are legendary. The Coral Reef Explorer's captain pulls you deeper under the water, "Follow mmme. We mmmust go." You wave for your band to follow you. Each one seems to have their own Coral Reef Explorer by their side. From unknown, to ally and savior in a flash.**

**As you swim deeper and deeper toward the bottom of the underground sea you notice the light is unaffected.  Just as the arrows from the Renegade Assassin did not appear to be slowed down by the water, the light does not seem to be affected either. At the bottom of the lake appears a large bolder. Your band gathers around you as the Coral Reef Explorer captain begins to push the bolder to the side to reveal a tunnel. As you and your band enter the mouth of the tunnel, the captain says, "Swimmm until you reach the top. Mmmake no mmmistake, take too long and the mmmasks will run out and you will drown."**

**"Wait, you're not coming with us?" you ask alarmed. "We mmmust stay here and mmmake sure no one follows you. The Renegade Assassins mmmust be working for sommmeone. We cannot risk it. Go! You are wasting precious mmmoments." And with that, the bolder is rolled back into place and you are again alone with your band. At least this tunnel only goes one direction.**

**You begin to swim toward the source of the light. Your arms and legs are heavy, but you must keep swimming. Your back aches and your feet start to cramp, but you must keep swimming. Your lungs burn from breathing in the salty air that your mask is somehow producing, but you must keep swimming. You glance behind and notice your party is slowing down and spreading farther and farther apart. No! This will not be how it ends. You must keep swimming.**

**The Workout:**

**Stamina is the ability to persevere through prolonged physical or mental exertion. As most long distance runners will tell you, it is often more mental than physical. Often times the body will want to give up and the mind will be able to push through and keep the body moving.**

**This week as we continue our 60 second X value for our Red cardio activities and increase our reps to 14 for our Black strength activities, be aware that your cardio activities may be even harder now that there is more blood trapped in your muscles from your strength activities and the strength activities will be a little harder as your heart rate will hopefully be elevated while you're performing them. This may require you to dig deep just like in our story. Remember: just keep swimming toward the light.**