Perfect August, Day Eight Recap: "Getting In A Groove"

It's been a full week now (eight days, actually, as I'm writing this), and I have to be honest. I feel great. It's amazing what a break from junk food does for my energy. I had already been running again before the challenge began, but the combination of consistent exercise and healthier eating has already made an impact.

I'm sleeping better than I have been in months. I'm out almost as soon as I hit the pillow and, for the most part, I sleep through the night. I wake up ten to fifteen minutes before the alarm goes off and I feel refreshed and recharged.

I'm also noticing that my overall attitude is better. Starting each day with an hour of cardio or cardio/strength training helps me feel more calm and less stressed all day long. Maybe it's physical and maybe it's all just in my head, but who cares? It's working and I feel great. If a sweat-fest in the morning makes the rest of the day better, I'm in.

I'm remembering what it feels like to be in a groove, when physical activity is as much a part of the day as bathing and eating. And as I go about my daily routine, I like feeling the occasional muscle soreness as a reminder that, yeah, I kicked ass earlier in the morning.

Today is the eight day in a row of Perfect August, and I was on fire. I repeated Tuesday's workout (a mile warm-up run, a strength training circuit, and a mile run afterwards). The muscles were still store from the first go-round, but I stuck with it.

I won't be perfect forever, but this month is proving to be a great exercise in discipline and motivation. The fact that the scale is also moving in the right direction is just an additional perk!

(And yes, I did hit every goal today. And now, I'm off to bed.)