Personal Trainers Not Super Beings Shocker !

Personal Trainers aren’t a breed of super being. We find it as hard sometimes to exercise as everybody else.

I got into this industry through a love of cycling. Not strength training. Meaning I have as much affinity for that type of training as most of my clients. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it when I do it (and it’s surprised me that kettllebell training and Olympic lifts are actually good fun, in a slightly masochistic way) but lying in bed at 5.30 contemplating doing a session imminently set me off on a mental checklist of really great reasons why I shouldn’t; too tired, overcoming an injury, prejudicing the rest of the days activities, the likelihood of encountering one of the myriad fatal insects, mammals or reptiles that Australia specialises in, non-auspicious alignment of the stars which are, anyway, already in the wrong place for this northern hemisphere dweller etc. But, as I’m fond of reminding (and reminding, and reminding, and reminding) clients we all have an exercise prescription to undertake and so at 6 I set out for Captain John Burke Park, under Story Bridge. As did half of Brisbane apparently.

 

Today's Gym

Probably due to too much pre-exercise contemplation it was actually 6.05 by the time I left the hotel and the drastic slip in punctuality pressurised me into a tentative jog. Tentative since it’s been just under fortnight since a tore a calf muscle, the result of a 10 month bike race season tightening up my calves, immediately followed by my annual, over-zealous shock initiation into almost-barefoot running where the brunt of the damage is borne by, yes, the calves.

 

The Anxious Run felt good. I extended it. Then more, until it became the Cautious Run. Then into the Get A Load Of This, I’m Running ! Run. Just as long as I can keep my shoes on this bodes well – looking forward to running in Sydney next.

 

Twenty minutes smugly passing other joggers even with the Triumphant Yet Still Reserved Run it was time for the ugly stuff;

Crab Walks: 10 metres from tree to tree and back, trees containing birds issuing quite unbelievable sounds. Worried about fatal fauna underhand.

Front Plank: 2 minutes, plenty of time to watch the City Cat ferry zip along the Brisbane.

Pull Ups: From a tree containing weird-sounding and now fighting birds.

Push Ups: Just push ups.

Step throughs: Effective as ever, although reporting back to colleagues that your backside hurts results in tedious waggery.

Side Plank Kicks. Always a weird-looking treat for bemused passers by.

Two sets and it felt like enough was done. The run up to travelling out to Australia was  18+ hours a day hectic and didn’t lend itself to exercise, regardless of my torn calf. Might try and ease back in while Down Under. Or just try 30 minutes full-on barefoot, like usual.

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