This whole super early morning thing (vs. "sleeping in" 'til 6am - a little frightening that that is truly considered sleeping in now...) is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be– especially when trying to balance the job and daily life (not to mention quality time with the Hubs) on top of that. Holy stress.














Anyway, enough whining. I like what I do and I’m happy.

At 4:30 this morning, I had the best new ("old") running workout on the treadmill - yes, I once again avoided the frigid cold air outside ...

The run that I did today was from an old issue of Shape magazine (October 2007). I keep a fitness binder of various cardio and lifting workouts, so I always have the option of changing things up.

This particular workout is a new favorite of mine! Its intervals are designed to keep your workout’s intensity high, but also manageable, so you don’t keel over! You work really hard for a short period of time then recover at a moderate pace. And switching-up the pace and incline prevents you from getting bored. Here's the lowdown...

Run Stats:
Distance: 6.11 miles

Time: 54:28
Pace: 8:53 min/mile
Calories: 600

The RPE in the final column is based on Shape’s Rate of Perceived Exertion
WHAT TO DO                                 TIME (MINUTES)                    RPE (1-10)

Warm up at an easy pace                          0:00 – 10:00                                4 – 5

Sprint                                                      10:00 – 10:30                                   9

Go at a moderate pace                             10:30 – 11:30                               5 – 6

Repeat minutes 10:00 – 11:30 three times  11:30 – 16:00                              5 – 9

Go at a moderate pace                              16:00 – 20:00                              5 – 6

Increase the incline                                     20:00 – 21:00                                 8

Recover (decrease the incline)                    21:00 – 22:00                              5 – 6

Increase the incline                                      22:00 – 24:00                                8

Recover (decrease the incline)                     24:00 – 25:00                              5 – 6

Increase the incline                                      25:00 – 28:00                                8

Recover (decrease the incline)                     28:00 – 29:00                              5 – 6

Increase the incline                                      29:00 – 31:00                                8

Recover (decrease the incline)                     31:00 – 32:00                              5 – 6

Increase the incline                                      32:00 – 33:00                                8

Recover (decrease the incline)                     33:00 – 34:00                              5 – 6

Go at a moderate pace                                34:00 – 39:00                                6

Speed Up                                                   39:00 – 44:00                                 7

Recover (slow down to moderate pace)       44:00 – 49:00                              5 – 6

Speed Up                                                    49:00 – 54:00                                7

Cool down gradually                                    54:00 – 60:00                              3 – 4

FYI…

My speeds:
Easy pace: 5.5 – 6.0
Moderate: 6.5 – 6.7
Sprint: 7.2 – 7.5

My inclines:
Increase: 4.0 – 6.0
Recover: 1.0