GOAL!!

For the past month I have been teaching a core class twice a week.  It's a half hour class that is directly after my half hour spinning class. It's great cardio followed by an awesome core workout.

I'm never sure if the members who take my class like it or not.  I was a little rusty at first and they were used to an instructor who, quite frankly, was not the good.  One thing I've realized living here in western Washington is that people here don't always show their feelings.  Every one is very subdued and I can never read anyone.  I'm used to the mid-west where everyone is so open and friendly.  Here is seems there is alot of passive aggressive behavior.  People in the Seattle area are polite, but not that friendly.

So imagine my surprise when two members came up to me after core class to let me know how much the loved that class.  Then 10 minutes later they came back and asked me if I was still personal training and what my rates were.  The fact that I was dressed in head-to-toe spandex cycling gear my have had something to do with it but I digress.  Unfortunately I'm not really training right now so I directed them to the YMCA staff.

You see I was in the process of giving up that class because I didn't know if anyone was benefiting from it.  No one was giving me any feedback.  I realized I'm the type of person that needs feedback.  I need people to tell me if I am doing a good job or not.  Because of these two members positive feedback, now I want to keep the classes.  I started to wonder how many other places in my life where I may not follow through because I'm afraid of failure.   Am I not following through because I'm not getting feedback from people?  Am I good enough?

I started to think back. I am the only person in that class who is a personal trainer.  I am the only one in that class who really knows what they are doing technically.  I'm the one who is up front motivating and inspiring them to do a 3 minute plank.  What the hell?  Why do I feel less than?

This came up in my pharmaceutical job.  I was constantly feeling like I was less than because I knew the doctor is an expert in his field.  I forgot that I am an expert on the drug I was selling.  I was so intimidated and insecure that I let myself fail.

There is a modeling agency in Portland that only deals with sports related modeling.  They do fitness modeling for Nike, REI and other big names in the fitness industry.  In order to be considered you must be in a sport, have experience with a sport or have some kind of skill in the fitness industry.  Well guess what?  I'm a personal trainer, spin instructor, cyclist and now thanks to a half-marathon training program, a runner.

I am just a hop, skip and a jump away from submitting myself to be considered for this agency.  All I need is to be a little leaner and I'm in.  My headshots are great.  I went down another waist size and I'm in the BEST shape of my life!  I'm ready to show them what 42 can look like.

I've found that in order to accomplish something, I need a goal.  My running is a result of my goal of finishing a half-marathon in September.  I'm setting a goal to lose enough body fat so I can submit myself to this agency.  One of the requirements is that you have a candid shot (non-professional) of your body in just shorts.  They want to see how good you look without your clothes on.  After all I would be modeling sports gear.

I have to really think about when the goal date is.  I need to find out my current body fat and see how long I need to lose the body fat in a healthy way.  I'm getting my body fat tested the week after next.  I was 27% so I'm sure I've come down a bit.  I know to see my abs I should be around 10% body fat.

Time to pull myself up by my bootstraps and start hitting some goals!