Day 221

Before the glow fades and I get swept up into the chaos of the day, before I start focusing on all of the things on the to-do list that don't get crossed off, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the important thing that (finally) did. 

Today, I got up at 5:30, put on my running clothes (laid out in the bathroom - so as not to disrupt Jon - the night before), drank a glass of water, ate 5 cherries (stalling) and got myself out the door by 5:45. I did my standard 4-mile loop. Five minutes in, my legs were itchy and my chest was tight ... but two sweet bunnies hopped across my path... and when the trees opened up to the lake, I noticed that the clouds hung low in front of the mountains. The image was like one you'd see on an inspirational poster, or a book about finding your Zen. Perfect. I stretched on the bridge to the sounds of screeching gulls "harmonizing" with some delicate dark bird whose pretty sound I did not know. Down below, there was smooth driftwood on wavy sand, deep-blue water with so many concentric circles breaking out on the glass-like surface where the river meets the lake that I thought it might raining. It wasn't. So what were they: fish? frogs?

And when I got back home, the teeth-brushing wrangle and bagel battles didn't break my stride. I know I need to run every day to keep sane. (And I don't... hence...). And I don't know why I was able to stick to my morning plan so easily today but I'm glad I did. 

Because it's most certainly going to be a manic Monday. Happy one to you!

And tell me: What helps you stick to your exercise plans?