720 Hours of Water

I'm twenty minutes from a drink of something other than water.

On January 1st at about 5:00pm, I finished a Coca-Cola. I'd planned on starting my 30 Days of Water when I awoke, but the necessities of the day required some caffeine. New Year's Eve does that to a person. But as the second half of the afternoon NFL games began, I went to the bathroom and poured myself a cup of water, and that's all I've been drinking since.

It has been an excellent 30 days, and I learned quite a lot. I had a lot of sweets throughout the month to compensate for the sugar that was no longer provided in aluminum cans, so many of the health benefits were probably less than they could have been. However, I've been sleeping much better, and at least in the last couple days, I've been waking up easier. I've found myself hungrier, but I think that's the result of fewer calories in beverage form.

There were difficult times, but the vast majority of those involved being out in social situations at bars. I'm fortunate to have friends who don't care one way or the other, but when you're at a place with a great beer selection, it's a little sad that you don't get to have one. Also, the servers give you weird looks when you order water.

The great news is, I've taken a few things away from the month that just might stay for a while. I'm going to return to my morning coffee, because I just enjoy the moment too much to let that go. However, it will happen after my run, my yoga, and my glass of supplement-taking water. Throughout the day, I'm still going to try and drink water. This will help save money, and when I get cravings for something with a taste, I'll have meals, which will help fuel my running. Also, I'm going to try, whenever possible, to match my fun beverage intake with my water intake. In other words, when I have a glass of anything, I also have a glass of water.

Intentionally, I did not purchase any soft drinks for this moment. For the sake of my body, my teeth, and my sleep, I think it's best if I drop my intake of sugary beverages, pop above all. Now that I'm on a roll, there's no reason to go back.

Tomorrow begins the next challenge, bright and early (hopefully). I've just done something that, to be honest, I wasn't sure I'd be able to do. It's an amazing way to start a year, and I hope to continue improving aspects of my life throughout the coming months.

But first, a drink.

Tuesday's Run:
7.93 Miles
10 Minutes Yoga Basics