Survivor

Love that so many of you plan on doing races! I will say though, I do agree that training for one can add unneeded stress and pressure. That?s the main reason why I don?t plan on doing another triathlon this year. I?m happy I did one, but I spent way to much physical and mental energy stressing about it. The goal for this year is to participate in a few events and have fun doing it :D

Onward!

Hit up the gym before work today Had an excellent weight lifting sesh, totally making up for the lacklustre one I had on my birthday. Can?t win ?em all I guess! Here?s what I did:

Treadmill

Minutes
Speed – MPH
Incline


0-5
3.5
0.0


5-6
5.5
0.0


6-7
6.0
0.0


7-8
6.5
0.0


8-9
7.0
0.0


9-10
5.5
0.5


10-11
6.0
0.5


11-12
6.5
0.5


12-13
7.0
0.5


13-14
5.5
1.0


14-15
6.0
1.0


15-16
6.5
1.0


16-17
7.0
1.0


17-18
5.5
1.5


18-19
6.0
1.5


19-20
6.5
1.5


20-21
7.0
1.5


21-22
5.5
2.0


22-23
6.0
2.0


23-24
6.5
2.0


24-25
7.0
2.0

Exercise
Weight
Reps
Sets


Front squat push-press
30 lbs
12
3


Wide-grip lat pulldown
55 lbs
8
3

Exercise
Weight
Reps
Sets


Step-up
50 lbs
10
3


Seated cable row
55 lbs
8
3

Exercise
Weight
Reps
Sets


Lying medicine ball throw
13 lbs
15
3


Russian twist
13 lbs
30
3

Exercise
Weight
Reps
Sets


Medicine ball pullover with stability ball
13 lbs
15
3


Swiss ball crunch
13 lbs
15
3

Elliptical

Minutes
Level
Effort


0-1
8
2/10


1-3
10
5/10


3-4
19
9/10


4-6
10
5/10


6-7
19
9/10


7-9
10
5/10


9-10
19
9/10


10-12
10
5/10


12-13
19
9/10


13-15
10
2/10

Phew! My heart was pumping during this one! This was also my first time doing the lying medicine ball throw. Definitely felt it in my triceps, loved it. A fun departure from my usual dumbbells :)

Went straight to work after and dug into my packed breakfast.

Overnight oats!

2/3 cup yogurt
40g package of instant oats
1/2 scoop vanilla whey powder
1 tbsp almond butter
raisins

Holy moly this was thick.

I?ve dabbled in overnight oats a few times, and I must say, I still don?t care for it. I?m not the biggest fan of cold breakfasts to begin with, and this is just always unsatisfying for me. If I?m eating oatmeal cold, I want it in cookie form please :)

I also had to dig into my snack a little early?

Granny smith and two squares of cheddah. Apples and cheese, almost as good as apples n? PB ;)

Then for lunch, my co-workers took me out for a belated b-day meal!! We had planned on going to a local Greek spot, but it was closed due to ?equipment failure.? So we instead went to a place called Yoo China Curry House, which I?ve been to once before. I got some chicken thing with a side of some cauliflower and potato thing. And some basmati rice. It was tasty treat, and a nice change from our regular lunch routine :)

I had to work again tonight, so I came home for a quick meal in-between.

Leftover turkey mini meatloaf! I always like to save a few servings of everything I make and put it in the freezer. Perfect for weeks like this one where I don?t have the time to do a lot of cooking.

My veggie side was butternut squash fries. I had this exact same combo the other day, it was so good I had to have it again. This was a particularly good batch of b-nut squash fries. My oven must have been in a good mood today :)

For my evening snack I decided to mix two things I love: protein powder + applesauce.

With the addition of cinnamon + peanut butter of course. Surprisingly, this was just alright! But I’m not crazy about the vanilla protein powder I have right now. I bought Whey Gourmet vanilla sweetened with stevia, and it tastes “off.” Stevia has the tendency to do that…

So, much of my job is writing content for the university?s website. This includes going to campus events and doing postings on them. Tonight I went to a lecture featuring a Holocaust survivor. My. God. It was inspirational, heart wrenching, moving, almost inexplicable.

This man was taken to a death camp with his family when he was 12 years old. The very same day he arrived, his parents and twin sister were killed. He somehow lucked out and was taken to a work camp instead.

For the four years that followed, he escaped death time and time again. Made friends with the right people, then lost friends at the same time. The man subsisted on almost nothing for food, including a few days where he drank nothing but water and sugar.

It got me thinking about how humans are built to survive more than we can even fathom. I constantly cross paths with people who go through seemingly impossible ordeals, and still come out alive. I?ve watched best friends and family members go through hardships, who to this day still can?t explain how they got through to the other side. They just ?survived.?

This Holocaust survivor saw and lived things I will never understand. But at the same time, it gives me hope that no matter what life throws at me, I can get through it, and I will live to tell the tale. We may not think we can get through something, but we absolutely can. Because we are so much stronger than we think.

So no question of the day today my friends. Just a few thoughts for the day :) See ya tomorrow!