Feeling Feelings

Wow- what a year this week has been. It’s been a rough one, filled with the best of what humans are capable of and the absolutely worst. The highs- a rocket launch from US soil, and all-Star athletes/olympians competing against each other in a Peloton race broadcast on ESPN, show what happens when people work together and put their gifts to a honorable purpose.

The lows- the killing of George Floyd, followed by peaceful protests turned violent and deadly in cities across America (including my own). I’ve always grown up in a diverse city, going to a school where I was in the minority. So to me, BIPOC were my teachers, my principals, my friends and dates. It hurts my heart and confuses me when I see people capable of hating, hurting, and killing someone just because of how they look. I’ve always known about racism and oppression, but this is on a whole other level.

I would encourage all of you to learn more, make calls and send emails to demand justice, donate to organizations that are helping, and talk to your friends. Now is the time we need to be anti-racist.

On a ride I took this week for Asian Heritage month, Ally Love said something that stuck with me- “no matter what you look like or who you are- my heart beats the same as yours.” Please everyone- stay safe.
Here's a look at how the week went-

Monday

10 mile Bike Ride

Early morning wake up for a bike ride! We decided to try the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, and biked from Trafford to Murrysville. It was about 5 miles each way, and absolutely beautiful. Even early it was pretty busy, so I can tell this is a popular trail.

Crush your Core W4D1

Finished my strength when we got home. It's the final week for both challenges, and it's been a good way to workout without having to decide what classes to take. Hope to find a good program to try after these are done!

10 min Bodyweight Strength with Matty

Lots of core in this one- I wish there were more arms and legs but it was a tough workout overall.

Tuesday

45 min Country Rock Fun Run with Selena

Headed to the park for my first lake loop in a long time! It wasn't too busy in the morning but already getting HOT! We went straight from winter to summer here (literally snowing just 2 weeks ago, and already in the 90s). Crazy! But this was a fun run and I felt really good.

Crush your Core W4D2

Repeat workout! I wish this program had fresh classes for every day, but it is nice to know what to expect by now.

10 min Arms and Shoulders with Matty

This was a great class! One of my complaints about Matty is that he takes a while to explain the moves or talks a lot, but this one we got right into the move and didn't have much downtime at all. It was brutal but felt great when I finished. 

20 min Pop Ride with Cody

I wasn't planning on being so active today, but I had to join this ride because it was Cody's first live ride since the Peloton studio shut down for the virus. They just reopened for live studio classes (without participants- just the instructor and minimal production staff). I took it super easy, which felt really good to stretch out the legs! The class was amazing of course- Cody has a great combination of being "fun and flirty" but also giving you hard love to get you to push (he was talking about taking it easy in a workout and settling for being "ok" and said "what happens when we settle? we end up with ugly boyfriends"). It was a great class and felt like a tiny step towards things getting back to normal.

Wednesday

60 min Walk + Run with Matty

Easy morning workout to kick off the day. I really liked this as a recovery run- it was just the right amount of activity and a great way to wake up.

30 min Bollywood Yoga with Aditi

This was a really fun and fast-paced yoga flow in the middle of the day. The Bollywood music was interesting and I loved hearing Aditi's stories about her memories associated with them. I love how Peloton offers so many diverse programs and celebrates events like Asian Heritage Month- it's a great chance to learn about different cultures and respect their different artistry and history.

10 min Core with Matty

Oof...this was so hard! The time seemed to dribble by and I was exhausted by the end. Could not follow up with a Crush Your Core workout!

Thursday

10 min Glutes and Legs with Matty

My nemesis - lunges- and I meet again. This entire workout was just squats and lunges (back, forward, curtsy) so it wasn't my favorite workout ever, but was effective.

Crush your Core W4D3

This was the workout that had one minute plank holds and really advanced moves! I did much better than the last time I took it, which felt great. Almost done with this program!

Friday

30 min Intervals Run with Olivia

Super humid run this morning (98% when I left) so I was DRENCHED after I finished. This was a really great workout with a fantastic playlist. We started with 30 second run / 30 second jog intervals, followed by 60 / 60, and finally 90 / 90. I tried to hit 8:00 as a goal for my run pace, and seemed to do well each time!  At the end, we had some all out sprints that were shorter with longer recovery jogs.

Crush your Core W4D4

This was just a five minute workout, which was all the way back from week one! It's crazy now how easy this seemed compared to all the other work I've done!

BTS Ride

This is the workout that I mentioned above. It was powerful, it was energizing, it was everything that I needed. Loved.

Saturday

7 mile Trail Run

Ran on a few different trails in North Park- linking the main lake loop to the pool. I never explored these trails so I'm loving getting out of my comfort zone lately and getting in some nature. So beautiful.

Crush your Core W4D5

I can feel the finish line closing in- even if I still don't have a six pack! I liked this challenge and think Emma might be one of my favorite trainers now.

Sunday

20 min 90s Hip Hop Run with Robin

Easy 2.5 mile run to hit my goal of 75 miles for the week. Felt surprisingly good after yesterday's miles!

15 min Hip Hop Ride with Tunde

This. Was. Incredible. Tunde is a powerful woman who can get across important messages in a succinct way. If you need proof- just check out her Instagram after this week's events. She's a great trainer, but an even better human being. She's going to be hosting a ride for solidarity this week- I will be on and encourage everyone with the Peloton app to join as well.