Hunh.

Something strange happened to me tonight.  I think I hit what people talk about when they say they “hit the zone” in exercise.  That’s happened about as often as I’ve made out with Matt Damon, which is...uh, never.  I’ve been to David Hasselhoff’s house, and that’s usually how working out makes me feel.  Awkward and kind of nauseous. 

But tonight was the fifteenth day in three weeks that I have walked at least 30 minutes.  My motivation is that each fifth consecutive day, I get to drink Coke, thereby meeting two huge goals: cutting back on soda AND forcing me to exercise consistently.  Fifteen days since July 22nd feels like an achievement for the girl who always came in last during our monthly mile.  It helps that I have a TV by the treadmill in the garage, so I watch all sorts of weird TV shows and pray to make it through.  Not that it’s hard to walk fast.  It just seems like a long time.

I know I haven’t really lost weight yet, despite the large quantities of veggies, fruits, and whole grains I’m using to replace loads of processed junk.  But in the past few days, I’ve noticed a weird shift in the way I carry myself.  My back seems a bit stronger, and I can feel muscle forming under the jelly belly.  It’s not a lot, but it gives me a sense of hope that I might eventually be a truly healthy person. 

Tonight I watched the Opening Ceremonies while walking, and although I’d increased my pace for the workout, I felt as if I were moving with complete ease.  It was effortless, and my torso felt oddly stable.  I wasn’t flailing.  It just seemed natural.  The 30 minutes just eased by.  At each commercial, I’d increase the incline to 11%, and I didn’t fall off the belt.

My goal in starting this summer was to establish the habit before the school year swept me away and gave me excuses.  Right now, I’m very grateful to have experienced “The Zone”, but I would consider trading it in for that session with Matt Damon if you’ve got an in.  We could film a P.S.A. under the guise of “acting”, and it wouldn’t be cheating, right? 

The more you know.