I did it. I really did it! This week, I made progress towards one of my 2017 resolutions, and I’m super excited to talk about it. This is something I’ve been meaning to and needing to do for quite some time. Though it includes plenty of anxious moments, some embarrassment, and a few laughs, this experience was totally worth it and I’m so grateful I didn’t back out of it.
I had the opportunity to participate in a complimentary performance training session with Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. The program is called EXOS and it offers individually designed programs for all ages and levels of athletes, from youth to professional and all of us in between. It is used for weight loss, weight gain, strength training, and performance improvement for basically any sport. I wasn’t entirely sure what the complimentary session would include, and truthfully, was really expecting more of a consultation and sales pitch. To be fully prepared either way, I dressed in my workout attire and walked the 1.5 miles to the clinic for my warmup. Checking in was simple; all they needed was my name, which made me all the more convinced this would be mostly conversational in nature. If they were going to have me engage in activity, surely they’d want me to sign a waiver, right? Nervously, I sat in the waiting room and hoped I wasn’t wasting my time. Not long after, my name was called and I met the trainer, Adam. He asked me how I got to them. I thought it was curious he wanted to know my mode of transportation and while I would have proudly said “I walked here!”, I realized he wanted to know how I found out about them. Relieved that I had paused to consider his question, I said that it was a promotion offered to Twins Season Ticket holders. Embarrassment avoided, for the time-being.
Adam led me back to the training area, past all the offices where I thought I would be taken, and pointed out the locker room. He indicated that I should leave my jacket and handbag in a locker and meet him and the others at the far end of the facility once I had done so. The others? This wasn’t one-on-one? Was that good or bad? I wasn’t yet sure. I did as instructed and found my group. After introductions, Adam pointed out my mat and instructed me to begin foam rolling my quads. Okay, so they knew my first name and that was it. Did they want to know why I was there? Or what about my current state of fitness or my goals? Were they at all worried that I’d injure myself with the foam roller? Because if anyone could do that, it would be me. I didn’t say anything. I wanted to appear confident and strong, so I got down on the mat and started foam rolling. After fumbling through something that should come easily, it was time to stretch the quads. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know that I don’t stretch too much. Apparently, quad stretches have changed dramatically since I last did them. I was laying on my back grabbing one leg with one arm and using my other arm to grab the opposite foot, and then I was somehow supposed to lay back far enough that both shoulders were touching the ground. Remember, Adam doesn’t yet know anything about me. He doesn’t know I’m an inflexible distance runner. I did the best I could, but he had to explain the position to me more than once. He eventually said “good job” so I must have gotten it right, or he was just tired of explaining it to me. Either way, I felt like a pretzel and was convinced I was going to tear a muscle trying to stretch it. I kept up the positive self-talk, telling myself I needed to do these things to become a stronger and healthier runner. Eventually, Adam sent the others off to do a separate exercise at which point he asked me if I worked out much (apparently, it wasn’t obvious). Finally, my chance to explain my pathetic flexibility and what I had hoped to achieve by being there. Once he knew that I was a distance runner, he understood my situation a little more and of course, he had already identified my weak core muscles. We talked a little more about my goal of running Grandma’s marathon this summer and avoiding injury during the 18-week training program. I was starting to feel more comfortable. The others had finished their vertical climb and joined the conversation as well. Things were improving. I was ready to do this.
We moved to an upper body exercise with medicine balls. This one was tough to screw up, and it felt good to do something correctly on the first try. I have been trying to incorporate some upper body strength training lately, so I felt more confident with this activity. Then, it was back to legs and balance work. Difficult? Yes. Done perfectly? No. Felt the burn? Definitely.
Little-by-little, I gleaned more information from the others. The sessions were 1 hour and 15 minutes. Some of them attend several times per week, others just once. They all seemed to love coming and spoke of the progress they have seen and the improvements they had made.
More arm work followed. Then some squats and a little ab work. More stretching. Gosh, I was getting sweaty and tired and I felt so great! The people seemed so welcoming and happy and engaged me in conversation during each crossover. The facility was beautiful, not to mention clean. Any time I did something right, I felt immensely proud. I was also not afraid to ask for help when needed. It was embarrassing to be sure, but I also know how easy it is to injure yourself when doing something wrong. I lost my balance on more than one occasion and was more than happy to notice that Adam was assisting someone else at the time.
The end of the session was nearing and it was time for some aerobic work. Finally! We hopped on the stationary bikes and I was thrilled. I might have been ages behind the others in the strength training and balance work, but I could hold my own on that bicycle. What a great way to end the session.
I was already sold on signing up when I found out about one last perk. Each session ends with a smoothie! Participants in the program also meet with a dietician to identify their pre and post performance nutritional needs. Since I hadn’t done this yet as a trial member, I was the lucky recipient of a standard fruit smoothie. I cannot tell you how good that tasted.
The others left and I talked to Adam about the registration and intake process. Then, it was time to head out. Smoothie in hand, I would have skipped home in pure joy and satisfaction if my lower body hadn’t been so sore. Instead, I settled for a brisk walk. I wonder if I was actually outwardly smiling. People in the skyway were looking at my peculiarly, but it could have been my flashy and wild tights that stood out in the lunchtime crowd.
I am so proud that I took action towards this necessary goal. This year, I will invest in preventative measures versus rehabilitation care. It’s been a couple of days since my session, and I can still barely walk down stairs and I can’t sit down or stand up without grunting in pain. But let me tell you, it’s the best pain the world. I can’t wait to go back.