Cheetahs Check-in
Good morning, Cathy and Cheetahs! Another sleepless Cheetah checking in! I have been missing in action this week. I battle SAD, and it hit me hard this week. I do not usually struggle in April as this form of depression is triggered by lack of light. Of course, it does not usually snow in Texas in April either! The cold and dreary days that hit threw me for a loop. My body thought it was winter. I also had an extremely stressful week at work and crashed back down to reality after my Good Friday high. I was too tired to move by the end of each day, so I blessed my body by going to bed early instead of checking in. I woke up in the middle of the night a few times. Thankfully, I invested in a light box last year. After sitting in front of my light box every morning this week, I finally started feeling better last night. I thought I would actually sleep through the night. My neighbors had another wild party last night, so I have been up since 1:00 a.m.
I persevered and pushed myself through my workouts this week even though I was tired. It was not my best performance by far, but at least I did something. I started my 16-week fat blasting rotation Sunday morning with my beloved Rhythmic Step. I did the Butts and Guts abs and stretch segments Sunday evening, and I enjoyed my beloved Butts and Guts leg blast premix Monday morning.
Tuesday morning, I had a blast with the Body Max 2 cardio and weights premix. Fun, fun, fun! Body Max 2 is still the crown jewel of this new series. I love the choreography in this workout. My new Reebox cross training shoes did not feel good during the warm-up, so I returned to my Nike Shox Turn and Go cross training shoes. Perfect! I have special shoes for special workouts. It is funny how different choreography flows better and feels more comfortable with different shoes. I will be having a serious shoe crisis when it comes time to pack my bags for the Road Trip! Cathe will think I am a nut if I change shoes during one of her live classes! My butt was sore from the Butts and Guts leg blast premix, and my abs were super sore from the Butts and Guts abs that I did Sunday night. It was hard to do the Body Max 2 ab and core work Tuesday morning. I coasted through part of it.
I did Cardio Kicks Wednesday morning. After a long day at work, I was looking forward to jogging in the pool with Rebecca. I drove home during my lunch hour to pack my bag for the club and forgot my beach towel. I drove all the way home after work, grabbed my towel, and rushed to the club to meet Rebecca only to discover that management chose that day of all days to drain and resurface the pool. While I was at the club, I observed a few minutes of my friend’s cardio boot camp class. Oh my! She had the class outside in the parking lot doing high impact moves like jumping jacks on the pavement!
Thursday morning was Drill Max. Oh my! I have plenty of room to grow with this one. The push-ups and dips on the stability ball are still out of my league. I can do a few if I modify by resting the ball next to my sofa to keep it stable. I also modify the last drill by placing my hands on my step platform for the squat thrust move. That small modification makes a big difference.
I relaxed with Stretch Max yesterday morning. I am planning to do Kari Anderson’s DanceWorks this morning followed by Jen Carman’s Strength in Movement. Friday and Saturday are basically active recovery days for me.
I packed my meals and snacks every day this week, so my eating was very clean. I knew I was dealing with depression because I was extremely tired even after taking naps, exercising consistently, and eating clean all week. I also had no appetite and was extremely emotional and sensitive about everything.
I am hoping that Cathe finds time to film Rhythmic Step 2 this year! I am disappointed that she is no longer planning to film it with the 4-day split as originally planned. I also prefer the original 4-day split that was going to have 2 days of upper body and 2 days of lower body. I use parts of the CTX Series all the time, so I am sure I will enjoy the cardio segments if nothing else. I also love Push Pull and Supersets. If the new 4-day split has a similar format, I will enjoy it. I love the Slow and Heavy Series. Those are the only heavy weight training workouts I have ever enjoyed. I will get more use out of that series and the sequel when I get closer to my goal weight. My body sheds fat with cardio and circuit training. I am not sure about the boxing series. I will see what Cathe shows us in August. I definitely do not have room for a heavy bag. My workout room is my living room. I do not have a coffee table as it is. I am not selling the rest of my furniture! My living room is already decorated with a step, a high step, risers, weights, and a rebounder! As for the digital workouts, I will see what Cathe produces before I decide about them. I do not have an iPod yet and do not enjoy weight machines or cardio machines. It she does an outdoor walking or running workout, I might like it. Of course, Cathe has a way of making me love workouts I never dreamed I would enjoy!
Have a blessed Saturday!
Blessings,
Heather B.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
