Merry Christmas, everyone!
This very joyous day has finally arrived, and I couldn’t be more content just sitting here after all presents have been opened, stockings have been rummaged through and christmas cookings and feastings have been done, doing nothing.
Hudson agrees. Just chillin’ in his hoodie.
As I get older, the holiday’s commercialization has become more apparent, and therefore so unappealing. All I really seem to care about is being with my family and celebrating what this day is really about, just how it should be. It’s actually pretty funny to look back at the 20-something long Christmas wish lists I used to make when I was younger. How times have changed!
Just my brother, Kyle, and I being goofy mid-present opening.
Although Wednesday happens to be my scheduled rest day, I thought I would update you on my past few days of workouts, eats, and other little tidbits of my life.
On Saturday, I had a Sprints & Abs day, which consisted of
2 mile sprinting interval treadmill workout:
- 0.0-.15 mi 9 mph
- .16-.30 mi 4 mph
- .31-.45 mi 9 mph
- .46-.60 mi 4 mph
- .61-.75 mi 8.5 mph
- .76-.90 mi 3.5 mph
- .91-1.05 mi 8.5 mph
- 1.06-1.15 mi 3.5 mph
- 1.16-1.30 mi 8 mph
- 1.31-1.45 mi 3.5 mph
- 1.46 mi-1.60 mi 8 mph
- 1.61-1.75 mi 4 mph
- 1.76-1.90 mi 9 mph
- 1.91-2.0 mi 3 mph
Ab workout:
- 4×10 hanging leg raises
- 4×12 back extensions
- 3×12 cable crunches
- 2×10 ab wheels
- 3×25 Russian twists
Stretching. I always end with lots of stretching. This is so crucial.
Monday was Leg Day (with my mother!),
- 4×12 squats
- 3×12 leg extensions
- 3×12 leg presses
- 4×10 Romanian dead lifts
- 3×10 dumbbell step ups (each leg)
- 3×20 walking lunges (each leg)
- 2×12 leg curls
- 3×15 calf raises (foward, in, out)
but it was also the day my boyfriend Ryan came to visit me all the way from Baltimore! It was a fun-filled day of holiday festivities to say the least.
We went walking around the bustling, well decorated Reston Town Center, ice skated (indoors, b/c it’s been too hot out 😦 ), and even went to a huge christmas lights display, Bull Run Festival of Lights, that’s known around the area, clearly…as we waited for about 30 minutes in traffic to actually enter. Fabulous day though!
Tuesday was Chest & Triceps Day (also with my mom!) and boy were we worn out toward the finish of that workout. I still really need to strengthen my upper body, as I get fatigued super quickly for these workouts, and with such minimal weight.
- 4×12 dumb bell bench press
- 3×15 dumb bell incline press
- 3×10 machine press
- 3×15 push ups
- 3×10 assisted dips
- 3×12 push downs
- 2×15 cable kickbacks
…which brings us to today, my break from the gym, and Christmas day! After a sleepy head morning in the Howell Household, my Christmas Breakfast looked a little like this. Not too different from my norm, but hey, I like what I like. Mother made her usual Christmas coffee cake for the rest of the fam.
[Steel cut oats topped with chia seeds, flax meal, cinnamon, walnuts, cashews & almond butter]
My Christmas Lunch consisted of one of my mom’s delicious Spinach Chickpea Burgers pulled apart a top a spinach & tomato salad with my mom’s homemade Italian dressing, Italian seasoning, sunflower seeds, pepper and hummus.
And now we wait for our Christmas Dinner, which I believe is a Tomato Basil Shrimp Scampi, but which my mom is transforming into a Tomato Basil Chickpea Salad for me! Can’t wait!
Today has been amazingly relaxing, enough so that I almost forgot I start back at work tomorrow. AKA tomorrow begins my 5:45 AM gym time. Yipee. You’ll be hearing lots about that, I’m sure.
See you all soon, and enjoy the rest of this festive day with loved ones. Again, Merry Christmas!
Be excepting our vegan Christmas cookie line up and our Christmas dinner in my next post!
Chow.
CHOWIDO 