Holy Yum and More Treadmill Workouts

Heaven arrived in a box at my apartment yesterday. It may not look like it on the outside, but there was something very special inside! 😀

The wonderful and amazing VeggieGirl sent me a batch of her delectable baked goods. She actually let me chose some of the ingredients, which was really fun! 😀 VeggieGirl also included a card with a very sweet message inside. Thanks, Liz/VeggieGirl!

So, listen to what VeggieGirl baked for me: Chocolate Chip-Carob Chip-Fig Spread Blondies! Ahh, heaven! How delicious does this combo sound?!?

VeggieGirl’s baked goods are incredibly soft and moist with yummy chunks of chocolate and carob chips. Each bite practically melts in your mouth! The fig spread gives the blondies a subtle flavor, but it adds a lovely texture to them. I am obsessed with these babies! Hopefully, I don’t eat them all in just a couple of days!

Again, thanks VeggieGirl! You are the BEST!

Breakfast

I’m not going to lie, I was dreaming about VeggieGirl’s blondies last night. Before starting my yoga for the day this morning, I nibbled on small piece. So good!

Breakfast this morning wasn’t my usual oat bowl of goodies. Instead, I made an egg white and Swiss cheese sandwich on a toasted whole wheat English muffin. I used the microwave method to make my egg white patty.

On the side, I had some perfectly ripe strawberries.

With iced coffee…

I also may have eaten another one of VeggieGirl’s blondies! 😳 Seriously, that girl can bake!

Yoga Challenge: Day 19

I slept in a little this morning, but still gave myself time to practice 20 minutes of yoga. I did YogaDownload’s Morning Flow. Of course, I did my yoga in my PJs and half asleep, so I was in the mood for something slow-paced and “gentle.” Morning Flow was much more active than I had wanted, but I was happy that I chose this session by the end of it. All of the backbends and continuous movement woke me right up, but I definitely needed more downward dogs, forward bends, and pigeon poses to stretch my very tight hamstrings and hips. This was the first time that a 20-minute session left me wanting more! It’s definitely time to step-it-up!

Treadmill Workouts

As you know, I am a slave to the treadmill from November – April. So, to break-up the monotonmy, I utilize treadmill workouts.

Some of my favorites:

• 45-Minute Treadmill run/walk
• Not a Boring Treadmill Workout
• 3-Mile Challenge
• 30-Minute Treadmill Run
• Fitness NYC’s 3’s and 5’s Treadmill Challenge

These workouts are my actual treadmill workouts that I take with me to the gym. They are cut out from magazines and laminated onto a piece of cardboard. I put them on the front of the treadmill and refer to them as needed. They are a constant motivator! (This one, in particular, is back to front with a workout on each side of the cardboard.)

You can always change the speeds and inclines of these workouts based on your own personal preference, but still use the basic format to guide your treadmill run. For instance, the speeds on the second workout, “Run Uphill,” are a little to slow for me. For a quickie 20 minute run, I add 1.0 to each of the speeds. So, 6.2 becomes 7.2, 6.0 becomes 7.0, etc, and keep the inclines as stated. If I want a longer workout, I will repeat the first 15 minutes, skipping the 5 minute cool down (until the very end), which makes the workout 35 minutes (or 50 minutes if you repeat it 3 times). For a longer workout, I may only increase the speed by 0.5, so 6.2 becomes 6.7, 6.0 becomes 6.5, etc., which makes the treadmill run a little more manageable for me. So, long story short, all treadmill runs can be customized to your liking!

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Question of the Day

What food makes you gag?