So I'm in the middle of the eighth day of my lemon cleanse thing and I'm feeling pretty good. Up until Friday (the halfway point), I was feeling lethargic, didn't have much energy, and found myself sleeping longer than normal. Today, though, I feel terrific – I slept a bit less and was able to get out for a jog. Nike+ says…

Two weeks ago when I went out for a jog, I couldn't run more than 15 minutes before I was exhausted and needed a break to walk. Today I was able to run the entire half hour, even stepping up the speed at the end. I certainly pounded the lemonade when I got back and my legs were a bit wobbly, but I felt pretty good. This is not up to the level of five-mile runs I was doing back when I was marathon training, but it's a great leap towards that goal.

Speaking of that, I have decided that I won't be running in the Columbus Marathon this year, despite previous aspirations to do so. After looking at my schedule for the fall, I just do not have enough time or energy to properly train for a marathon – between classes, working, and marching band, I am going to have a FULL autumn. I will continue to run for exercise and for conditioning, though, just not the extended runs a marathon requires.

It's hard to believe I am almost done with this cleanse. I have considered continuing for more days after the tenth (Wednesday), but I am actually quite eager to start eating solid foods again – in particular a bowl of brown rice, broccoli & cauliflower, cubed grilled chicken, and steamed shrimp sounds amazing right now. Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Yesterday I was visiting my parents' house and my youngest brother was taking chocolate chip pecan brownies out of the oven shortly after I arrived…unnngh. And Saturday I made cupcakes with a friend's young daughter and they smelled absolutely wonderful, and the rest of my friends were eating their Subway, Chipotle, and fried chicken. Man, I was tempted a bit to cheat, but I know that the end results are worth the abstention. That is probably the biggest piece of advice I can give to someone considering the lemon cleanse – keep your goals in the front of your mind (write them down, even)nand remember what you are working towards.