10 More Seconds

Finally, I have found the missing piece of my workout plan.... A great trainer! For the past year, one day a month, I have been working out with a trainer at Gold's Gym North. We would get together, run through the workouts she had written, and I would take them to do on my own for the following four weeks. To give her some credit, I gained some muscle and lost a little weight; and I felt and looked better than I had in a long time. But she never really motivated me. I took the workouts and went on my way - always having to stay on myself to keep up my schedule and heart rate.

Now, things have really changed. Last night was my second workout with my new trainer and he pushed me harder than I ever thought possible. Fifteen minutes in, I was beyond exhausted and my arms were burning. Twenty minutes in, I was sweating worse than the man next to me, and at twenty-five... well, I'm sure you get the point. So when it came to core for the last five minutes, I really wasn't sure if I'd even be able to hold up my body weight in plank position. But Ted pushed me to get in position, and then to make it even more difficult. "Flex your calves, your hamstrings, your quads, pull the bellybutton to the spine, bend your elbows just a little." OMG, by the third one I really thought I was going to fall on my face. But he kept saying, "ten more seconds....ten more seconds....ten more seconds," and I did just that. Ten more, and then ten more, and more and more... I made it a minute longer than I ever have before and I felt a sense of accomplishment that I haven't known in a very long time.

At the end of my workout, there was a puddle of sweat on my mat, my whole body was shaking, and I basically wanted to puke; but I felt fabulous! And, just for good measure, I made sure to go do my extra half hour of cardio on the treadmill and stair stepper.