Up at 4:20 AM–after a few stray thoughts of taking a sick day simply because I was tired–I fought them off and got up, had breakfast and headed into the gym. The cardio workout today was outstanding. I’m finally getting back to the point where my heart rate is dropping. When I started up again a few weeks ago, an 80 RPM pace had me at a heart rate of 168. (My target range is 148.) Today, 80 RPM had me around 154-155. That’s a good sign. I did 3.04 miles and burned somewhere around 565 calories.

Leaving the gym, the air was cold and it felt great. I took several deep breaths, drawing that cold air into my lungs and it was quite a rush. I’ve felt really good since the workout and have been quite productive in the three hours since.