#becomingstronger

One Step at a Time I’m on this journey of self-improvement, and it’s something I’m working on every single day. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m far from perfect, but that doesn’t stop me from striving to be better. My goal is to become a woman who embodies both peace and strength—someone who can handle life’s challenges with calm and confidence. But I also know that this kind of…

It's becoming increasingly difficult for Russians in Russia to remain oblivious to the war in Ukraine. 🇺🇦💙💛🇺🇦

#Repost @kyivindependent_official with @use.repost . . . In a video message on July 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it's natural and fair that the war is returning to Russian territory.

"Ukraine is becoming stronger. The war is gradually returning to Russian territory – to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process," Zelensky said.

"Russian aggression has suffered bankruptcy on the battlefield," he continued. "Today is the 522nd day of (Russia's) so-called 'special military operation,' which the Russian leadership expected to last a week or two."

While Zelensky did not clarify what he meant by the war "returning to Russian territory," the statement came after earlier reports on June 30 that several high-rise buildings in Russia were hit by drones.

Russia claimed Ukraine was responsible for the attack.

The Ukrainian Air Force's spokesperson, Yurii Ihnat, said the drone attacks on moscow were aimed at affecting Russians who, since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, felt the war was distant.

“There’s always something flying in Russia, as well as in Moscow. Now the war is affecting those who were not concerned,” Ihnat said. “No matter how the Russian authorities would like to turn a blind eye on this by saying they have intercepted everything … something does hit.”

According to the report, the offices of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development, as well as the Federal Agency for Nationalities, and several other agencies were located there.

In his speech, Zelensky also warned Ukrainians that Russia can still attack Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure this winter, as it did last year. Zelensky said he met with regional officers to prepare for such a possibility.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram

April 10th. Day 1 began at 5:00 AM with an upper body focused workout. I then had a two hour break to eat a little something. I knew I would be unable to keep a protein shake down…especially with a cycle class ahead. So I opted for something light—a banana, whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey. 8:00 AM was an hour-long full-body workout then 9:00 AM was an hour of cycle.  I’ve been on one of these bikes maybe 5 times before this. I was mainly just dreading the uncomfortable seat. After this I went home and ate and went to work.

Protein Shake with aminos and chia seeds (>50g protein) 

2 Eggs

4 Egg Whites

Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter

Feta Cheese

Mushrooms

Avocado

Bone Broth

Coffee with half-and-half

I ate again a few hours later around 2:00 PM.  With classes starting again at 5:00 PM, I would need time to digest.  I had a turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat. Also adding to my full feeling was all of the water I was consuming. At home I drank plain water but during the workouts I supplemented with aminos and carbs.  I remember being excited about how much I would get to this week but in practice it wasn’t much fun at all.

The evening workout was a glutes-focused circuit. It was my first time attending that class and I had a blast. D.J. and Andrea are a little bit crazy so I recommend attending if just for the show. I picked-up some knowledge too. Apparently, hard workouts can start your monthly cycle. Who knew? The ladies speculated that maybe by week’s end I might start mine.  Anyway, I have a feeling the glutes class would be a good one to continue post-Hell week for my back health since tight hamstrings and glutes have caused back strains in the past.

I wandered home around 8:45 PM. I showered and grabbed clothes for the next morning. Jill had 16 ounces of chicken breast and some Asian noodles waiting for me. We watched a little TV while I ate. Right before bed I forced down over a cup of cottage cheese and another half avocado. Have I ever mentioned that I hate cottage cheese? I went to bed just before 11.

It’s important to point out that day 1 was the day I did my best tracking of food intake and calories burned. I consumed nearly 3400 calories…about 40% of them coming from Protein, 30% from fat and 30% from carbs. However, I had burned almost 4100 calories. That caloric deficit would be the first of many struggles with nutrition throughout the week.

Yes, the guy eating two breakfasts wasn’t eating enough calories.

Day 2 – Tuesday, April 11th.  The morning alarm rang much too soon for me. I was tired. My legs felt weak. My stomach churned from all of the food and supplements. This was the first morning that I thought about quitting. I didn’t entertain the thought for long but oh yeah, it was definitely there. I got out of bed, got dressed and left before I reconsidered. I managed to get through the lower-body focused workout (deadlifts day!) and went home to eat and work a full day. My nutrition was much the same.

The evening string of classes began with a repeat of the lower body focused workout. I always feel better in the evenings and I even added an extra 70 lbs. to the bar and knocked out a couple of deadlifts with a much higher weight. Next was Becoming Spartan, our Spartan SGX workout.  For me, all of the other workouts are for training but these are my “race day” trials to see how I am progressing. I push as if there is a podium and a beer waiting for me at the end. I had a good outing but I did start to notice a drop in endurance—especially in my legs.