Week #5

I selected this quotation about compassion because after yoga on Thursday at Quest, I spent some time reflecting on a passage that the fabulous Karen Kenney read. At the beginning and end of class (and quite often in the middle), Karen shares words of wisdom that have made me want to try to improve how I view life and treat others. One of the main things I took away from that evening was compassion. So many people forget about treating others with compassion. I am certainly guilty of putting myself first and not showing care or concern when people may need it the most. I think certainly in this election year, people of all backgrounds have lost sight of compassion. Some people are privileged and receive things because they are lucky--that is not their fault, but they should understand they are fortunate and show compassion for those who have not been dealt that same hand in life. Some people work hard and can never get ahead. But we are all humans. If we want to make out country better, we could start by being supportive to those in need because you never know when your life will change and you will need assistance in some form. Another thing that Karen has touched on is materialism. We are a society driven by this, in fact there was a riot outside a store over Nike galaxy shoes recently. Are you kidding me?! People care more about possessions than other human beings. Again, I am not excusing myself from being guilty of enjoying things. I love my Felt bike and my Iphone; however, I work a second job to have those luxuries and I am certainly not trampling over others to obtain those things. Thus, Henry David Thoreau's quote seems very fitting here: "It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly." Are you living freely and nobly? Or are you a slave to possessions?


OK, thoughtful reflection aside (I just felt the need to digress for a bit)...this week was about physical recovery from the half marathon on Sunday. As I mentioned at the bottom of my post last week, I was able to PR in the Half at the Hamptons. I finished in just under 2 hours and about 5 minutes faster than my time in 2010 Big Lake Half. I am happy because now that I have reached that goal, I can take a break from the long runs for awhile :) Monday, I was able to get up and go for a morning swim and evening crossfit class. It was Tuesday when the race exhaustion really hit me, so I rested that day. As the week progressed, I got some more energy back. Next week, I plan to again hone in on morning cardio and diet. I feel as though I could be approaching a plateau, but hopefully I can push through to the next level. The challenge is still on for another 9 weeks!

Week 5 Workouts:

Monday- AM swim/PM xfit (Bench, chins, and G Row)
Tuesday-Rest
Wednesday- AM Swim/ Lunch boot camp
Thursday-AM elliptical/PM yoga
Friday- AM elliptical/PM xfit (Press, G Row, Deadlifts)
Saturday- AM Swim/AM lifting (Squats)
Sunday- AM cardio (elliptical, arc trainer, 500m rowing, and walking)

Pushup weekly total = 240 pushups ( 5 sets of 8 for 6 days)
Bricks = 6, for a total of 30 perfect bricks in the wall!