This week I increased my intervals again – this time another .1 for a total of .3 increase since I started. I’m doing my increases every 2 weeks and will hit my goal in less than 4 weeks now. When I started my intervals were:

5 — 6 — 7 — 8

They are now:

5 — 6.3 — 7.6 — 8.9

The power run at the end was 9 when I started and it is now 10 for the last minute before the 2 minute cool down. I’ll do the current intervals for next week as well, then increase another .1 the week after. The final goal is to be 5–6.5–8–9.5 then power at 10. I don’t really want to go any higher than 10.0 on the treadmill. 10.0 is 10 miles an hour, or a 6 minute mile. I’m doing 10.0 now for my power run and will keep it there. The last minute is pure sprinting at a 6 minute mile pace.

This week has been one of my harder weeks. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve had a harder time getting motivated. I still haven’t missed a workout, though. This morning was especially difficult – more of a mental difficulty than a physical difficulty. It is a huge mental challenge to keep up with going to the gym 6 days a week. I think the thing that helped motivate me was that I knew it would only be 21 minutes. That’s not really that long at all if you think about it. I think there is a reason why Bill Phillip’s book is titled “Body-for-LIFE: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength”. It’s not just getting fit, eating right, and building muscle. It is also about mental strength. Training yourself to put health in front of other things in your life is a huge life change and something that will stick with you for the rest of your life if you do Body For Life. I’ll end with the motivational tip from the Body For Life website today, which I really liked:

If improving your life and your health are that important to you, you’ll find the time and make it flow with the groove of your life.