A new day is dawning...

Hear that? It's the sound of my paradigm shifting without a clutch.

When I started the day I thought this was going to be a very different post. I expected to be airing my woes about how hard it was to go back to the gym after such a long absense, how much of my cardio base I'd lost from my illness, blah blah bitch bitch moan moan - the type of icky crappy stuff that is normal for me and my icky crappy health. I expected it to suck.

Since I've still sniffles and a hint of bronchitis I was in no hurry to get back in the gym. But, the rest of me has apparently decided we're done being sick so I had to go. And I mean had to. I had so much nervous energy two nights ago I went nuts cleaning and organizing - I even ironed the napkins for fuck's sake! Then I laid awake all night. Last night, even after not sleeping the previous, I was so full of energy it was all I could do to sit still to work, what with the unpainted kitchen walls taunting me. Laid awake most of this night too.

So I decided, cough or no, to hit the gym this the morning. I thought I'd be able to get in 20, maybe even 30 minutes walking on the treadmill. You know - ease back into it, pamper my fragile health.

Boy did I get a surprise. Actually, surprise isn't a strong enough word. It was Shock and Awe, baby! 'Cause folks, I was running. There was no denying, even in the face of a lingering cough and half a remaining course of antibiotics, that I was perfectly capable of doing so. And what's more, it felt fucking GREAT!

In a concession to my cough I did shorter intervals than usual at a slower pace, but I found speeding up was irresistable, plus I threw in an extra interval. Even though in the last interval I did finally feel the pull of the bronchitis on my breathing, I didn't want to stop. Wouldn't have, if I hadn't had a meeting to get to.

I'm not complaining - just having trouble wrapping my brain around it. For two years it's felt like I was betting on a rigged game; one that paid out just enough success to keep me coming back, but would never give up the jackpot. Well, today I won big. Game on, baby - let it ride and see where it takes me. I can't wait to see what happens next.