Meet Captain Awesome

Okay, when I said a couple of weeks ago that change is good, the universe took that a little too seriously. In the time since I left for Fort Lauderdale and came back, things had changed a little at my gym. Okay, things had changed a lot.

I arrived after my morning run and opened the door to see a new face. It belonged to a new trainer. My new trainer. As in, my trainer who I have been working with for over a year, who had been molding my plan with me and got me on this whole competition track in the first place and listened to my endless chatter at 5:30 in the morning, was gone. Permanently. I won't stir the drama on that right now. Anyway, this new guy was different. Where my old trainer was more of an athletic coach, this guy was obviously a bodybuilder. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) I was skeptical and annoyed, but cautiously intrigued. Like I said, change is good, and I tried to remain open to it.

The whispering and emailing and Facebooking among the regular morning crowd started as soon as we hit our office desks. I googled the new guy and asked my other gym rat friends if they knew this new guy. I learned that he was a certified Zumba instructor and tried not to hold it against him. He was a nice guy, competent, and despite my loyalty to my old trainer, I was interested to see what he could do. Unfortunately, I never got the chance.

I went to Orlando (uber-crappy hotel gym). When I came back, New Guy was gone. Another new trainer showed up, an energetic guy I have decided to call Captain Awesome, since he reminds me of this hilarious character by the same name. (And no, I am not planning to dance the tango with an underwear-clad Captain Awesome, this is just the best video I could find.)

Captain Awesome is a young, burly, and enthusiastic guy with a stopwatch around his neck. It is as if someone drew a cartoon caricature of a personal trainer and brought him to life. He was a little too bouncy and "feel the burn" for so early in the morning, but I kinda liked him. It was a good workout. He listened to what I wanted and gave it to me. I really can't complain too much about that. And, breaking in new trainers is always fun - handing back the 10-lb weights and taking 25-lbs instead for bicep curls always makes me smile. I'm stronger than I look, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy showing that off to someone who may still think that girls can't lift.

I feel really guilty for liking this guy. My old trainer is a friend, a good guy, and a great trainer. He's funny, talented, and he cares about his clients. But, I knew this would happen eventually. Relationships are temporary; people are sporadic. The only person I can really count on to get me to my goal is myself. After all, my trainer isn't going to go jump hurdles and climb rope walls and run sprints for me. A trainer can guide, advise, and lead, but expecting more than that is misplaced trust.

So, I'll give Captain Awesome a try. So far, he hasn't disappointed me. I miss my old trainer, but like I said, change is good...for all of us.