Cat’s Outta the Bag

Hello friends! I’m impressed so many of you workout at home! Some great exercise DVD suggestions in the comments section of the last post, ch-ch-check it out.

Today I left the comfort of my own home to work out. I wanted to run! It was –18 C without the windchill this morning (-1 F) so there was no way in hell that was happening outside.

I did my usual 5+ mile treadmill speed workout:

On a 1% incline:
2 min @ 3.2 mph
3 min @ 3.7 mph
5 min @ 5.6 mph
10 min of 1 min intervals alternating between 6.0 & 6.4 mph
10 min of 1 min intervals alternating between 6.2 & 6.6 mph
10 min of 1 min intervals alternating between 6.4 & 6.8 mph
10 min of 1 min intervals alternating between 6.6 & 7.0 mph
5 min @ 5.8 mph
3 min @ 3.7 mph
2 min @ 3.2 mph

Baddabing. Stellar sweat sesh in 60 minutes flat. One thing I love about this workout is that I gets my heart rate up really high and keeps it there for at least the last 15 minutes. I can get my heart rate to peak at 175 bpm doing HIIT, but I feel like I’m training the ticker when I get it up in the 170s and “comfortably” keep it there for an extended period.

Usually I come home after the gym to shower and eat before scooting off to work. But today I tried something different and went straight to work (showering at the gym).

I packed two homemade protein bars for breakfast. Normally I would pack a breakfast cookie, but that’s what these things essentially are.

I loved this new routine! I got a solid 45 minutes extra sleep, and felt much less rushed. It was also nice to get to work a little early and leisurely eat breakfast before the madness of the workday begun.

Morning snack attack:

McIntosh apple and two cheese strings. I don’t normally buy McIntosh, but they were on sale for $1/lb!! Sold!

Lunch:

Yves veggie salami slices, marble cheese, mayo on bakery whole wheat bread (no more light bread- blech!) and a naval orange. Looks boring but it was mega tasty. What can I say, I’m a simple sandwich girl.

Afternoon munchables:

Source vanilla yogurt muesli cup and a Kashi blackberry cereal bar. I don’t normally buy flavoured yogurts, but these cups are pretty handy and tasty to boot.

I have a ton of romaine and spinach at the moment, so I went for another salad for dinner. It was delicious.

• romaine
• spinach
• onion
• carrot
• mushrooms
• green pepper
• mandarin
• leftover roast chicken
• roasted almond pieces
• black sesame seeds

 
For the dressing, I shook up 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp Bragg’s, 1/2 tsp agave. I LOVED this salad. I tend to always make the same sort of salads at home. I need to branch out a little more. Salads can be fun!

So. The title of the post. I have had a few days to mull over things, and in order to continue moving forward, I feel like it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. You may recall that Saturday was an “off” day for me. I alluded to something major happening in my personal life. Well, Chris and I broke up.

Oof. That feels tough to say.

I’m obviously not going to go into the dirty details. Chris and I spent four wonderful years together. We “worked” together seamlessly for almost that entire period of time. But due to several non-scandalous reasons, it seems we’ll be better off apart than together.

Despite losing a dear friend, I am remaining positive about it. I have essentially spent no time as a single adult and I think it’s very important for me to do so. Especially in this period of my life. I remain excited about my current situation and opportunities for the future. I love my new job, am making new friends, pursuing my passions and reconnecting with my family. I am slowly starting to feel “full” again. This is a big deal, as just a few short months ago, I was feeling very “empty” indeed.

 

…and like any newly single lady should, I’ve already booked an appointment to get my hair cut and dyed :)

 

Well that’s that. Time for me to go do the work I brought home. I’m thinking of trying out Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones dvd in the morning, so I’ll review it for ya tomorrow. Also, I want to talk about the whole Heidi Montag plastic surgery thing. I’ve got a rant brewing!

Don’t forget about my blogaversary giveaway!! You’ve got till Friday! I also never did a whole “review” post to celebrate my one year blogging anniversary, but if you’re curious about it, I did something similar just before the new year: http://thegreatbalancingact.com/2009/12/31/year-in-review-un-piece-de-resistance/

 

See ya tomorrow! We’re over the hump!