So, I'm gaining a new perspective on exercise. It seems the harder I work, the easier my previous workouts seem. This leaves me wondering how I thought running at 6 mph, for example, was so darn taxing when today, I ran for 10 minutes at 7 mph. It was hard -- don't get me wrong -- but I did it. So now, I think I'll leave my 6 mph behind and strive for more.

It all started the other day when I borrowed a treadmill workout my sister had tackled. I didn't do the program in its entirely but I plucked out a few components and gave it a whirl. It had me huffing, puffing, sweating, and feeling great. So the next day, I did the entire 30-minute conditioning workout. I loved it. Here it is if you'd like to give it a go.

This morning, I took on another treadmill feat. This one kept me running for 40 minutes at various speeds -- including the 10 minutes at 7 mph -- and just as perspective would have it, my 6 mph jogs seemed just that: jogs. I felt like I could have walked these segments of the workout, they seemed that easy.

My cousin, a marathon regular, tells me our bodies need a little shock now and then. That's what workouts like these accomplish. They get us out of the rut of running at the same pace day after day. They challenge us mentally and physically, they boost our metabolisms, they up our abilities, they allow us to soar to new heights.

Are you ready to soar? Try this workout I did today.

Run 5 minutes at 6 mph
Run 10 minutes at 6.5 mph
Run 10 minutes at 7 - 7.5 mph
Run 10 minutes at 6.5 mph
Run 5 minutes at 6 mph