From Sore to Soar!

I’m aching, my body is so sore (how sore is it?).

Today was the beginning of a new journey for me- one that I have been preparing myself for, for quite some time. Today I signed up with a personal trainer at my gym. I know, I know, its' so LA. But I need to be accountable to someone!

Last weekend, while I was learning how to tie a hand drum, an image of the “better Jennifer”, the person that I know that I could be if I strived to be the best I could be, flashed before my eyes. How do I get there? Who is she? Why aren't I her now?

That’s easy, I would say because I’m lazy, I’m really lazy. Not all the time, but enough for me to put on quite a few extra pounds (a few….?). True, I’ve run 3 marathons, working on my 4th, but still, I do not look like a marathon runner. I don’t even think I look athletic.

I’ve been a gym member since 2003, but have not been a regular. I would rarely set foot in there, for various reasons (excuses, really). The lamest and biggest excuse is that it was my ex who paid for the membership, it was all his idea. I don’t need no stinkin’ gym! But the truth is I do. My work out routine is non existent and I need to be accountable to someone. So I made it one of my goals to call the gym and check out the personal trainers. I finally get around to it Thursday. They tell me I could come in today, if I wanted. I know myself, I need to take action ASAP or I won’t do it. So 45 minutes later I find myself at the gym asking for “Joey”.

Joey looks like a trainer, he’s Asian and probably in his late 20’s. He starts asking me all kinds of questions about why I’m there, what’s my goal, how active am I, etc. I start answering his questions, and then remember back to when I was in the best shape of my life. I was in high school; I had 2 personal trainers because I was in recovering from a torn ACL. I was a soccer star, I had one personal coach and one personal trainer that worked me out. I was fit and boy, back then, I looked good. I don’t even know what my body fat was, but it was low. Now all I have to show for it is a big scar on my right knee. Most people look at it and just get this blank stare, kinda like a “poor her”. Those looks are especially from “girly girls”. But I love my scar and I’m proud of it- and it’s a great conversation starter…lol.

So anyways, it turns out that the image that I had of myself was also part of my body memory, remembering back to when I was fit. As Joey was putting me through physical torture, he was telling me that my muscles will remember, they have memory. They will remember what it was like to lift weights and be pushed to the limit. After every exercise Joey would ask me, “How do you feel girl?” and I forced myself to respond, “Good!” I decided that no matter what he threw at me, I would do it, I wouldn’t complain and I would smile. Towards the end I wanted to quit, it was really hard, but then I closed my eyes and remembered back to my goal image. He was there all along, coaxing me “only 5 more girl, come on, 4,3,2,- you’re done!”

Crunches, sit ups, dips, squats, running laps (they have a track inside)- by the end of the session I felt good and tired. He told me to go home and eat. No problem there, that’s what got me into this situation in the first place.

So all day I’ve been drinking water and feelin’ pretty good. I got to hang out with my good friend Bel, she’s my hairstylist. We’ve been friends ever since I moved to LA. We were pretty wild back then, but now she’s married to Michael Dudikoff. He’s an actor best known as the “American Ninja”. So I got a hair cut and we agreed that next we we’re gonna hang out at the beach. Woo-hoo!

I’m set to meet with my regular trainer tomorrow at 7am. I requested 6am, but when he called to confirm, I changed it to 7am. I’m gonna hit the hay early tonight, sometime before midnight. I want change in my life and a part of it is getting my sleep patterns back on track- no more 3am bedtimes here.

Oh, and if I had a digital camera I would take one of those “before” pictures in a bikini- NOT! Come on now, I'm not about to do that! But I’ll be sure to prance around in much cuter clothes this time next year. :-)