Paint It Black (Goals)

Lead Trainer is eyeing me skeptically, "Answer truthfully, if I create this workout routine for you, you'll actually do it? Right?!"

The question was the result of me injecting all sorts of negativity into our goal setting meeting sparked by her innocuous question of, "What do you like?"

"I like the cardio machines though I hate the fan bike."

The Rolling Stones Paint It Black begins playing in my head.

I see an elliptical and I want to paint it black...

Realizing I'd gone too far with the negativity I lean forward, "Look, you don't know me but I'm told I'm an 'acquired taste.' I just hate slogging through twenty minutes on a machine."

Iron Man strolls by the open door and says, "Just did fifty minutes on the elliptical!"

I see a treadmill and I want to paint it black...

Lead Trainer eyes me frankly, "You don't have to be on the machines, I can devise a routine that will get your caloric burn up the same as thirty on a machine in much less time."

I'm stunned and allow a trickle of hope to enter this exercise gulag I've checked myself into. It feels like a chore and I (if I'm to succeed) need it to feel like something I want to do. I had it once and lost it and I'm at a loss on getting it back.

I've always been intimidated by Lead Trainer and as I'm getting to know her I'm starting to get a feel for the kind of person I'm dealing with. Your initial impression is she's incredibly bubbly, always "up beat" and there's an element of truth in that assessment but this is also a woman who's tried running her own business and is managing the corporate exercise "show" coming up with group exercise times, things to keep whiners like me in line, dealing with "people" (I shudder).

In short, she's incredibly driven and you can get glimpses of the steel underneath that bubbly if you look or (I'm guessing) irritate her.

I make a mental note, "Lead Trainer doesn't 'speak' negativity. It's not part of her vocabulary,"

Next Monday I'll be introduced to my first routine. I'm curious about it and what she'll come up with, I'm also told if I want to stay sane I'll need to get another one six weeks from then, or so.

Maybe I'll try a spin class this Friday ... while I'm waiting for the whip to come down.