In The Beginning...

I first met Mike in my running group and liked him immediately. He’s very laid back but energetic and an incredibly positive person. He held a free training about fitness screening at his private gym, Genuine Fitness. I thought that personal training was outside of my budget, but when I talked to Mike, he mentioned something about partner training. I had recently asked my friend Biz to collaborate with me on filling out food journals. Biz is one of the funniest people I have ever met and I completely enjoyed spending time with her. Lucky for me she was willing to go to the training sessions with me and split the cost.

There were some assessment components to our first few sessions including a medical history and that really uncomfortable, creepy test where they pinch your fat and you feel like maybe you don’t look as hot as you thought in those running pants. Mike also took some measurements of various parts of my body and my weight.

This all happened over several sessions so that we still had plenty of time to get a workout in. One of the things I really like about Mike is that he is not interested in putting us on weight machines and telling us to go forever. We do a lot of natural body movements with weights or just using our own body weight. It feels more natural to me and like there’s a benefit to it rather than me learning how to bench press 1,000,000 pounds which I have no need for my everyday life.

So far the results have been a lot of soreness. I know that means I’m getting stronger, but boy am I feeling all 37 years of my life after every workout. And well into the following week as a matter of fact. At this point I’m pretty sure I’m working on my general strength level, and once I’m not so sore all of the time we can start working towards some of my specific goals. I am already noticing that my healing time has diminished since the beginning of the training.

As far as my short-term goals are concerned, I might enter a running race before August, but if not, my goal is to train for the Hood to Coast. Hood to Coast is a relay race from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon. I’m usually one of the slowest runners on the team. I get on the team because I’m willing to run downhill. The 1st leg is straight downhill on pavement and wrecks your body. I have run for many years, however, I have not run very many miles. Most of my running friends are marathon runners and they wrecked their joints long ago. I would love to be less sore at the end of the race as I have been in previous years while not losing any speed.


Side Note:

These are the things I want from Partner Personal Training
  • Clear setting and review of goals and the mini goals to reach the larger goals.
  • Tracking of success/growth in training activities.
  • A clear explanation and understanding of the purpose of each training session and its activities. I’m spending weeks and weeks being sore and for what?
  • Homework and check in on the homework.
  • Results of the tests and measures – fat caliper thing and no results or benchmarks?
  • Use my name more and give me more encouragement and compliments.
  • Ask me how I’m feeling and re-frame it into something positive if I go negative.
  • Consistency and direction on how to warm up and cool down. It’s different every time. I want to be taught how to warm up and come ready or be able to come early and grab a treadmill and foam roller and save our hour for the things I need my trainer for.

~Heather

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