What are your thoughts on this running question and three things I need to tell you about Brooke lately!

Three things I need to tell you about Brooke lately:

1.  Whenever people come over to our house she takes an ornament off of our Christmas tree and gives it to them.  The other day I found that she packed a bunch of ornaments in her bag to give to her cousins too.  She is quite a generous soul but I would like to keep at least some of our ornaments on our tree.

2.  The other day at the airport Brooke looked at me and asked me if I needed to use the restroom before getting on the plane… my mom laughed so hard she was crying.  Brooke also reminds me to get gas for our car and what items we need at the grocery store (especially when we are out of fruit snacks).  I’m glad one of us is responsible.    

3.  Every morning Brooke runs into my bedroom and says, ‘Momma, can I take a nap with you’ and then she crawls in my bed for a few minutes and then she races over to the window to see if it has snowed.  She almost did a back flip yesterday morning when she saw all of the new snow.  

Her excitement about snow is making me love it a heck of a lot more than usual.  Kiddos help all of us adults see the world in a much better way.  

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We built the shortest snowman you have ever seen, had a snowman fight (I don’t want her to ever call it a snowball fight so I don’t correct her when she calls it this) and tried to run as fast as we could in the snow.  

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After we couldn’t feel our fingers anymore, we went and got some fancy hot chocolate at the gas station and added mini marshmallows.  

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Yesterday’s workout was Megan’s bootcamp class.  Here she is demonstrating one of the moves:)  Her classes get me every.single.time.  I’ll be sore until Thursday just in case you were wondering. 

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Tis’ the season for me to fall and slip daily for the next few months.  My slide mark from last night… I don’t know how I survive the icey season.  

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Leftover taco soup at my mom’s house afterwards.  Brooke was really thrilled about it.  

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And then the two of us went to a church activity.  Our group held an auction a few weeks ago to raise mula to provide Christmas presents for a few families.  So last night there was a lot of wrapping and a lot of…

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my favorite cookies from Swig.  Just close your eyes and imagine a drive-thru with the best sugar/chocolate/pb/chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies ever. 

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And then we did our usual hangout in her bed for a bit before she falls asleep.  That little freckle on her foot.  

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I might be the last human on the planet to have seen this but WHY DOESN’T our Mcdonald’s have sweet potato fries?  It is probably a good thing because otherwise I would be getting these daily.  

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PS The Truth About Setting Your Treadmill Incline by Matt Fitzgerald (when talking about what incline to set your treadmill on for a run) says,  “So instead leave it at 0 percent unless you’re looking for the specific challenge of running uphill.”  

I have put in close to a million miles on the treadmill (remember my treadmill marathon or the time I put my treadmill on the deck and ran on an outside treadmill everyday?) and I ALWAYS set it on a 1% incline.  I don’t know what to do now.  Stick with the 1% or try something new and go along with what Matt said?  So many hard life decisions;)

When you run on the treadmill do you set it on an incline?  What are your thoughts on this whole thing… does adding an incline make you feel more like you are running outdoors?

Have any cute stories about your kiddos/nieces/nephews/grandkids/friends’ kids etc to share??

Favorite place to buy cookies?  Ever had a Swig cookie… thoughts please!  

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93 comments

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My little girl is the same age as Brooke and she also makes me see the world in a whole new light. Blessed!

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Those cookies! I agree seeing kids love the snow makes me like it just a smidge more :) Brooke is at such a great age right now – my youngest is 4 and he’s getting just a bit too grown up for me now!

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I always set my treadmill to 1% so now I don’t know if I should continue to do it and call it a hill workout or just go with 0%?!

I love that Brooke calls it a snowman fight! That’s awesome! I need to try your torilla soup! Soup sounds so good this week!

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I need a Brooke around to keep me in check! I could definitely use reminders to use the restroom and get gas. Haha, she’s adorable!

Those look like the best cookies I’ve ever seen! We have a couple good cookie places here, but I’m more of a cupcake girl so I haven’t tried them all.

I avoid the treadmill, but when I do use it, I typically add some incline to just break up the workout because I get really bored!

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I always set my treadmill incline to 0.5-1.5%, although lately it’s been hurting my hips and boring me so I use stick to outside. I once ran a half marathon on it – I ran on it every day in grad school!

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I love those little stories about Brooke! How is she so mature already? It’s hard to believe she’s already a little lady. I hardly ever run on the treadmill, but I always set it at .5%. Sometimes I’ll do their pre-programmed workouts which changes the incline automatically.

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I will celebrate that article until the cows come home. I NEVER put it on an incline for the whole time. Every once in a while I”ll mix it up to make the time go by faster but this article came as such a relief to me!

Also I just had to tell you that I bought your plaid Christmas leggings from last year and I’m looking forward to doing my holiday run in them this weekend :)

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I usually don’t mess much with treadmill incline but always thought I should raise it. Hmm…

I love Tiff’s Treats cookies!! I’ve never had a Swig cookie, but they look delicious! I really want cookies now.

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a drive-thru with cookies?!! I’m moving.

love those 3 things about Brooke– what a personality! love it.

haven’t done a bootcamp in a while- but I DID make it to spin this morning! ;)

I do 1% on the treadmill because that’s what I’ve heard you should do and I believe everything I hear.

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I only use a treadmill once or twice a year so I guess I’m safe keeping the 1 percent. Lol.
My niece used to say arts and crabs instead of arts and crafts. I still giggle when I think about that

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First: I’m SO JEALOUS of the snow. I live in Western NY and it was 70 here yesterday. It’s so hard to get into the Christmas spirit this way!!

Second: I actually never set my treadmill to anything. I always leave it at 0%, unless I am doing rolling hills. I always kind of thought, if I’m not running hills, why do I need to set the incline. But I also understood the thought that it is more like running outside. Running on the treadmill always feels more difficult for me…so I’ll stick with 0%:)

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I definitely agree with you Annette! The treadmill is seriously WAY harder than running outside. I do most of my running in the winter on the “dreadmill” but it is challenging for me! I feel like I’m sprinting sometimes on the treadmill (and really I am going slower than my natural easy pace outside) so I leave it at 0 or else I don’t think I could handle it! It is hard enough as is! It’s so strange because I will run about 30 sec per mile + faster outside without even thinking about it… on easy days! I’m sticking to 0 ;)

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And I thought it was only me! I’ve always found running on a treadmill harder than outside. I assuming that because it can get boring.

But…if we are talking about varied perception, doesn’t that just mean that training for a race on a treadmill, will make the actual race (outside) feel easier?

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agree with you all! treadmill is almost always harder than outside. thought it was just me.
that means if we train on it, we’ll kill it in the races :)

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i always set my treadmill to 1% !! but maybe i’ll save the incline changes for specific workouts and stick to making easy runs easy by enjoying the break at 0%.

My little nephews recently got to hang out with my husband for the first time, we didn’t know if they’d be comfortable calling him “Uncle Cameron” just yet, but as we were afternoon Thanksgiving napping, i overheard one tell the other—“we have to be quiet, aunt Cori & uncle Cameron are sleeping”. I melted… <3

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Great post, Brooke is so adorable! Can’t believe how much snow you guys have out west! I have always been told/have read that you need to put your treadmill at an incline to mimic the conditions of road running, but I sometimes find it tough. Interesting article!

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First, is that a bare-footprint in the snow on your slippage photo??? Brrrr!!!

Second, this weekend, my 2 year old and I went to buy and drop off a present for Toys for Tots. Later that night, on the phone with her grandma, I said, “Did you tell grandma we bought a present for Toys for Tots?”. Harlow said, “GRANDMA!!! We bought a present for TATOR TOTS!!!”. I laughed so hard… :)

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* I almost always put it at 1% – my coach noted that most treadmills have a little bit of “bounce” to them, and go below vertical, risking Achilles injuries if you don’t set it at a little incline. Sometimes I put it at a decline (when I want to pretend I’m going down a hill) and THAT is delightful, even just for a few minutes.

* My almost-3 year old is JACKED for Christmas, but has very low expectations, since he hasn’t quite grasped the “ask for stuff” thing. His Christmas list involved a pencil (there was one on the table), and a visit to Grammy and Grampy’s house (we go there about once a month).

* The wrapping party looked awesome!! Love the paper (double-sided? Amazing!) and what a lovely idea :)

* Megan’s workouts on IG always look so intense! I try some of the moves but I have yet to keep up with her for the whole thing at once. Whew.

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Um…I meant “horizontal”, as in perfectly flat. I don’t think I could do a vertical treadmill!

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I second what your coach said about the treadmill bounce! My treadmill is the type the folds and therefore the deck isn’t as solid as a gym-quality one. My experimentation found that a 2% incline stiffens the deck to where I want it. It’s flobbery otherwise. The nice side effect is that when the weather behaves and I can do a flat run outside then I feel amazing and strong.

Additionally, a little incline on the treadmill helps keeps my butt looking nice! Treadmills don’t require the same muscles that non-treadmill running uses, so adding an incline foreces some of them to activate anyway.

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I third this. Most treadmills do have a “bounce”. I actually set the treadmill incline at our work gym to 2 or 2.5…I find anything lower feels like I am a little under flat and I always hit the front-board with my feet. But it goes to show it may depend on the treadmill because if I go into the city on a higher-end treadmill, I’ll stick to 0 or 1.

I think you should experiment and go with what feels right for you – I don’t believe everything Matt says ;)

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I never ever set my treadmill on an incline. Running on that thing vs running outside is hard enough so I leave it at 0% :) Brooke is so cute! My daughter is almost 2 and when she sees me laying on the couch or floor she puts her hand on me and says “mama ok?”. So sweet

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Very interesting about the treadmill. I always set mine somewhere between 0.5-1% depending on the treadmill I am on!

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I only up the incline to .5% or 1% if my shins start to get sore running on 0%. I don’t know why it is, but if I’m on the treadmill for longer than 45 mins or so my shins start to bother me, and upping the incline makes them feel better. Weird, I know.

I didn’t even know sweet potato fries at McD’s was a thing! I’ve never seen them available, which is probably for the best!

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I usually have my treadmill at .5, I am not opposed to going to 0 or 1…my opinion is not to worry about it too much. I don’t do the treadmill that much and I usually consider it a little easier running anyways. If I do the treadmill it is usually in the winter and I don’t do it for a hard workout. If I have a hard specific workout on a day when I have to do the treadmill then I will try to switch it with an easy running day. Too much of an incline on the treadmill starts to bother my shins…I do know that :)

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Your Brooke stories made me smile this morning!! I’ve always been a 0% incliner, mainly because I find increasing it bothers my shins and calves. They always are touchy after too much treadmill running anyway, so I do whatever I can to keep them happy!

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Sweet potato fries at McDonald’s?! I didn’t know this!!

Those cookies at Swig look so buttery and cakey and delicious. If you’re ever near a college campus that has an Insomnia Cookie in the neighborhood, go there and get the pb deluxe cookie! OR … Levain Bakery’s cookies in NYC are insanely tasty too!

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My treadmill runs always depend on how tired I’m feeling by the time I CB get over there for a run. Some days I change the incline every 5 minutes or so, others I stay at a 0% incline the whole time.

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Sweet potato fries at McDonald’s??!!?? I hope they come to my McDonald’s!! I would be there every day! :) :) :) And, I’m jealous that you have all that snow! I live in Kentucky…it’s been 60-some degrees here and I ran in shorts and a tank top on Sunday! I used to always run on the treadmill at 0% unless I was specifically doing a hill workout…but then I read somewhere that setting it at least at 1% was more realistically mimicking the road (or whatever), so I started doing that. No arguments from me if it’s okay to leave it at zero! :)

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That article came at a perfect time! I am having such a hard time hitting my paces on the treadmill (always set at 1%), yet I have no trouble hitting them (and even faster) outside. Marathon training is starting soon and I have to run on the treadmill during the week (kids, husbands work schedule). I really wanted to hit my tempo paces on the treadmill….now I can rest easy and set the treadmill to 0% and hopefully hit my paces;-)

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I try and change up the treadmill incline relatively frequently when running on there for anything longer than an hour. Less than that and it’s usually at 0-2%. If I know I’ll be on longer I’ll change it up every 10-15 minutes just to keep the legs from neglecting working in other ways- and it gives me something to think about (not get bored as easily). When I do that I’ll play around from -2% up to 5% with the intervals at the extremes being shorter than the others.

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I used to always just do 0% until I heard it might be easier and looked at all those pace conversion charts, so then occasionally I’d do 1%, but lately I’ve actually just been compromising and doing 0.5% because the treadmill sucks enough as is!

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I go back and forth with whether or not the incline matters on my treadmill. Sometimes I set it just because it makes it squeak less.

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I’ve always done 1% and I read that article as well, so now I don’t know what to do!

The best cookies in our city are at a place called Jake’s. They are a local Tex-Mex restaurant. They make amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies and put a to-die-for chocolate frosting to make a cookie sandwich. Yummo!

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MCDONALDS SWEET POTATO FRIES!?

You’re not the last human to hear of this. Oh boy do those sound good. I would have to get regular AND sweet potato if they started selling those near me.

I always set the treadmill on at least 1%. Probably because I heard somewhere once that you should. I probably would never set it to 0%. I mean why? I can handle it at 1%. Shrugs. I’ll just be over here blissfully unaware about the how & whys of setting the incline.

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I generally don’t run with a incline unless I’m wanting to run some hills. Interesting stuff! A drive through for cookies is awesome! We don’t have one of those around here but that needs to change. I love what you said about seeing the world through kid’s eyes. So true!

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I just try not to run on a treadmill! I always thought that the 1% correction was not because of wind resistance but rather because on a treadmill, the band pulls your feet back on it’s own instead of forcing you to push off. And I always find treadmill runs harder, but I thought that was a mental thing, not a physical one. Like, the runs are more boring, so it feels harder because I don’t have anything else to think about. IMO, a workout being mentally difficult doesn’t necessarily translate into it being more physically difficult (and training your muscles and body as such).

I wish the article had been longer… I feel like I wasn’t getting the whole story.

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So I’m wondering – does your gas station actually have a separate cup of mini marshmallows to add to hot chocolate or do you buy a bag of them and add them yourself? I can’t imagine any gas stations here having mini-marshmallows! :)
Nothing I do to the treadmill makes it feel like I’m running outside! Ha. I usually set it at 2% incline at the gym and 1% at home (my at home 1% feels like a mountain for some reason). The incline definitely ups the difficulty factor for me. So if I start it at an incline at a slow plodding pace, I will set it down when I want to speed it up and it feels easier and I’m able to go faster.

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I’ll leave my treadmill at 1%. My line of thinking is that we’re missing wind resistance that we get by running outdoors. Then you’ve got the belt moving for you making it a little easier. The 1% makes the effort more comparable.

Then there’s my home treadmill, a 15 year old piece of junk, that goes no lower than 1.5% so I am not running at 0%.

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Oh man if I fell as much as you I would have a lot of broken bones. Stay safe out there! Very interesting about the incline too. I usually walk on an incline, but if i’m running it’s at a 1.0 max.

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So jealous you and Brooke had snow to play in!! Here in Ohio it is rainy. Not okay. It is December!!!

Homemade cookies trump store bought cookies always!!! :)

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There’s a place in NYC (maybe also other places, not sure) called Insomnia cookies that delivers and sells in-store the most amazing freshly baked cookies. Our office has done a lot of 2 a.m. ordering during busy seasons.

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The only time I do not use an incline of at least 2%, usually 3% on my treadmill is when I am doing a recovery run or I am working through an injury and trying to be gentle. The run feels harder with the 2-3% and I want reassurance I am getting enough of a workout.

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Just had to comment, I am also a Nikki B

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I do the majority of my running on a treadmill and I set it at 2% because I’ve noticed a big difference in my outside running when I’ve done this. I actually go a lot faster and feel stronger:) It took a couple weeks to adjust but I think it really helps. I’ve tried it on lower incline and running outside at the paces I want to has just been a lot harder.

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My treadmill is always set for 1.5% unless I’m doing hill work. It always feels too easy for me if I put it at 0% so I just go with it.

Will be starting my annual Christmas cookie baking session this weekend! I don’t really have a place I buy cookies at.

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I always set the treadmill to 1%. It’s just habit after doing it for so long.

Those cookies look absolutely delicious! I think I’d only be able to but one at a time or else I would eat the entire box.

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When I first started studying this sport I read that you needed to put it at 1% so that is what I’ve always done to mimic outdoors running. Sometimes I forget and then have to increase it in the middle of a run when I’ve already been increasing my speed so then I’m like ‘oh no’, haha, this is harder. I guess I’m just glad I have the treadmill at the gym as an option for when the weather is really cold or rainy. I live in a very small town so the gym is not the greatest and the treadmills are old and I know that they frown on me running high miles on them (oh well!) but I just make the best of the options around me.

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I always put the incline at .5.. That’s my ‘base’… Then I’ll make the incline steeper if I’m trying to mimic hills. But a lot of the time I get lazy and just keep it at .5!! haha

Brooke’s smiling face in the snow is just the cutest thing!

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I love all 3 of those things about Brooke. She is just so cute! Also I’m so jealous of the snow.

I honestly had never heard of that 1% rule. But then again I don’t run much on a treadmill (maybe 5 times in 2015!) But when I do use the treadmill I up the incline a lot and run fewer miles, 2-3 so that I can get done sooner but not feel like I cheated myself too much.

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I always set the treadmill to 1% for the same reason but even at 0%, I have always thought running on the treadmill was harder than an outside run. So I guess I can just leave it at 0! Lol, maybe I’ll settle for 0.5%.

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Brooke looks very skeptical of the taco soup, I think it looks delish.

My niece used to sit in the back seat and remind us to get the Easy Pass out before we came to the bridge or a toll. She was very urgent and almost panicked about it, too cute. Brooke was reminding you to always take advantage of a clean bathroom when you find one. ;) Wise child.

I almost always set the incline a 1%, it feels too flat at 0. If I’m particularly achy I might do .5 but that’s rare.

I love Shcmakaray’s cookies and Insomnia cookies because they’re always fresh. Insomnia’s are always warm and gooey, heavenly.

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When I lived in San Francisco I LOVED the cookies from Specialty’s. Buttery, gigantic, and right on my bus line. Probably better for my waistline that I don’t live there anymore :)

Brooke’s stories are cracking me up!

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I keep the treadmill incline at 0 even though every coach/seasoned runner I know has told me to make it at least .5% incline. I’m thrilled this article supports me. I’ll be interested to more reactions to it.

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I keep the treadmill incline at 0 even though every coach/seasoned runner I know has told me to make it at least .5% incline. I’m thrilled this article supports me. I’ll be interested to see more reactions to it.

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Swig!! <3

I always put the treadmill on 1% too, and I think I'm still going to do it… I only use the treadmill when the weather is really horrible (like this whole week is turning out to be in Utah) and unless I'm doing a speed workout on the treadmill, I am mainly just trying to get in a workout. The 1% or higher makes my legs feel like they have to work just a little bit more to keep up the pace. W

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Giving away ornaments – Brooke is officially my favorite little girl ever, what a sweetheart! I would suggest that next year you stock up on ornaments from the dollar store for her to give away so you can hang on to your good ones!

Being a single mom may be the toughest job you’ll ever have but you are totally rocking it. You’ve raised such a sweet, thoughtful, sensitive, well-adjusted little love bug ; ) I know you’re proud of her but you should really be proud of yourself!

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Somewhere, years ago, I heard that you should set the treadmill at a 1% incline to model what it’s like to run outside. That’s what I’ve always done, and I don’t know if I could run at any higher of an elevation! But maybe, it’s worth a shot!

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That is so sweet that Brooke stays on top of you… How responsible ;) I’m not much of a cookie person but there’s a French bakery where I live and that’s where I love to get desserts :)

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My daughter is such a thoughtful child. She made everyone in our family a christmas present, wrapped it and had it under our tree on Dec. 1. She is 7, she writes thank you notes for gifts that she is given. She gives her teacher cards for every holiday and made her a painting for Christmas. All of this without my help. I am not the kind of person that sends thank you cards and I don’t make presents or buy presents for very many people. She is all of the things I wish I could be. I love her natural gifts and that she so effortlessly uses them to make the world better.

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I run at 0.5 or 1% at the gym and 0% at home…because my 1% on my home treadmill feels like 10%….I haven’t noticed anything different with my IT band since doing this which is what I worry about most.

Also, do you have any tips for running in the snow? I am going to Canada on Saturday and I want to run as much as I can, but there is a TON of ice up there and I am a seasoned runner…but a sissy when it comes to icy conditions.

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I always set the treadmill at 4% incline for slower runs and 2% for faster runs. Even after reading that article, the lowest I would ever set it is 1% b/c when it’s at 0% it feels awkward…kind of like I’m running downhill.

I’ve never had a Swig cookie, but they always look so A-mazing when you post pics of them. I’m a fan of cookies at Panera Bread and you can’t go wrong with Mrs. Fields :)

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Everything about Brookie in this post is so adorable. My favorite is her reminding you to get gas.

I cannot speak to the treadmill question because I loathe treadmills… so much so that even though it was raining today, I still ran outside instead of going to a nearby free student rec center to use their treadmill.

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The only time I adjust the incline is when I am doing a HILL day. Otherwise 0%.

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I always run at a 0% incline, and can always tell when it was accidentally left on a .5 or 1%. The few times I did hill training on the treadmill, I uped the inline.

Those cookies look delicious!

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Sweet potato fries would make me go to McDonalds – Sometimes I think I might be the only person who doesn’t go there.
I love Brooke asking you if you need to use the bathroom. She really does sound so responsible – not just for herself but for others.

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I just keep my treadmill incline on 0, but I feel like I can see the benefits of adding an incline.

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I love Brooke’s gift giving tradition, what a little sweetie pie! I keep my treadmill at a 0% incline, with 3 other days on the road I just always figured I was getting enough uphill and downhill training. I feel inspired to grab Swig cookies on my way home, it’s totally fine to eat dessert first, right? Happy running!

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WHAT?? Sweet potato fries at McDs??? I bet there not here in Canada…ever…sigh. lol

I have always set it at 1% and think that at this point, if I lower it to 0% I’ll just feel like I’m cheating myself!

Am so jealous of your snow…it’s looking like it’s going to be a green Christmas up here and it’s just awful!!! :((

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I never set my ‘mill to incline. I feel like my body needs a visual going up hill (like seeing the top of the hill) and if it doesn’t get it, even at a 1%, my ankles and calves get all messed up. It’s like if you were running up a hill blindfolded — every step is that much trickier because you don’t really know where you’re landing. So, 0% and playing with speed is my bag.
That is so cute that Brooke hands out ornaments!! I wish I could love snow like a kid again :)

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My goal every time I drink hot chocolate is to add so many marshmallows so that you can no longer see the top of the hot chocolate!
I usually don’t set an incline when I run on a treadmill. I found that when I do set an incline and then go back to 0, it feels almost like I’m running down hill. It is pretty flat here though. I have 6 nephews and 1 niece! One of my nephews always adds “ie” or “ies” to the end of every word! Our dog, Nugget, is now named Nuggie and our cat, Whiskers, is now named Whiskies.
I love to buy cookies from Tiff’s Treats!! They are always so warm, moist, and delicious! Sadly, I have never had a Swig cookie though.

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Awww those Brooke updates cheer me up so much! I’m having a rough week and your blog always brings some happiness to my day and always reminds me to lighten up and smile! Thanks for sharing xx

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I ALWAYS play around with the incline. After years of running at the same incline, 1-2%, I found I was getting soreness and injuries from the repetitiveness. You don’t get the variation like you do outside. Plus, running on an incline diminishes the impact on your joints. Of course, running an entire run at say 5% incline could also cause problems, like tight calves. This is why I love to play with incline a little more than speed. This is just my little input ;)

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For whatever reason I thought if you run slower on the treadmill then your incline should be at 0% and it will still simulate running outside. If you run at a faster pace then you were supposed to set it at a 1-2%. So now I don’t know…

I love swig cookies and will always and forever buy them! ?

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Brooke is so precious!!
If anyone gets the chance it would be great if you could check out my blog: https://sweetpotatoesrunner.wordpress.com

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I love how even the little lamb has his feet up in the bedtime picture – so cute!

Since I don’t run at a constant 1% grade when I run outside I don’t keep my treadmill at a constant incline. I go back and forth if I get bored, but mostly keep it at 0. Since I mostly run outside, I don’t worry that I’m not getting hill work in…

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Oh my word, my niece (who is 5) says the darnedest things. They kill me every time. One of my faves that my sister told me about was when my niece told her dad, after my sister handed him something that he wasn’t thrilled about: “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” I was almost crying from laughing so hard. She also told her mom the other day, when my sister woke her up for kindergarten, that she was “ruining her life.” SHE’S ONLY FIVE!

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PS I’ve only ever made a copycat Swig recipe off Pinterest…and they were SO.GOOD. So I can’t even imagine what the real deals taste like. My mouth waters every time I see your pictures of them!

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Okay, your niece sounds like the cutest thing EVER!! I love it. I need to send you a Swig cookie. The copycat ones are pretty darn good too!

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Those cookies look delicious. Love all that frosting. We’re having a very unseasonably warm fall/beginning of winter here in the northeast, and I’m not really looking forward to slipping outside either. I’m quite clutzy when it comes to that!

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Interesting…I have always set my treadmill to a 2% incline because I heard it most mimics being outside. I may have to change this now…

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Oh my gosh, those cookies look SO good! And I would be petrified to run in the ice!!! I would totally kill myself haha! Probably a good thing I live where it doesn’t snow…

xo

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I always leave the treadmill incline at 0%, but I’ve definitely read that you should put it at 1% to simulate outside (I just don’t wanna work harder; it’s all I can do to force myself to run on that awful contraption anyway).

I can’t decide which of the 3 things about Brooke is the cutest!

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I have read that the effort expended on the treadmill (not sure what metric they are using) is exactly the same at 0% as it is outside for speeds slower than 8.4mph, and at speeds faster it’s a tiny bit easier on the treadmill. I wish I could find the reference. I usually use 0.5% but I only really do tempo runs on the treadmill, usually between 8.6 and 9mph, so I guess the treadmill is helping me? I don’t know, but it feels challenging enough. Plus my Achilles tend to hurt if I keep a consistent incline higher than 0.5. Also I don’t buy that running outside is harder because of wind resistance/ hills – unless you’re running point to point, you have at least as much help from a tailwind as you do resistance from a headwind the other half the run.

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Your comment is SO awesome. I remember reading that same article that you are talking about (the higher speeds= add a little incline). My calves/feet don’t love to up the incline about 1% very much too. You are also right about the tailwind/headwind etc. I nodded while reading your comment:)

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did you just say a drive thru cookie place! what is this slice of heaven!! plus those cookies look like little cloud pillows. i love cookies…its probably best I dont know more about these it could get me in trouble. i must be lazy because i always set my treadmill incline to 0%. ok also, i hate being on the treadmill so the harder it is the easier for me to get off…guess i should stop being lazy then lol.

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My treadmill is always at 3%. It’s kind of old so I follow that old rule that no incline doesn’t approximate a flat surface. I also used to live somewhere that was totally flat do I went up to 3% to compensate. Where I run now, 3% is flat compared to the hills.

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As someone who moved from a snowy area to the south, I’m so so sad that we never get any. It’s still like 70 degrees here and it’s almost to the end of December. BOO! So, I love seeing your pictures!!

ALSO, BROOKE’S FRECKLE! I died..so cute!

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Oh and I leave it at 0% but that’s not because of any other reason than I’m bad, and figure come race day I’ll grind out whatever I missed in training from raising my incline because that makes it so much harder to me! HAHA! So laziness won on that one.

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I used to always set my treadmill incline to 1%, but for some reason I stopped doing that a while ago.. and I am not sure why. When I run on the treadmill without the incline, it almost feels like I am going downhill compared to using the incline.

Brooke is so cute. The world through children’s eyes is such a beautiful place.

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My brother is giving me his treadmill and 8 am so excited! I don’t have a gym membership right now so when it rains I don’t run. Now I’ll have no excuses! :)

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Mmm those cookies look delicious! And what a great cause buying presents for families!

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There aren’t any sweet potato fries in Nor Cal McDonalds! :(

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