deja vu...

Another man is leaving me, and this time I am OK with it.

10 months ago JC left me to go on vacation in another state, and ended up being gone for 4 months. He warned me that he was moving "at some point in the future", and I asked him to warn me, and maybe even introduce me to a new trainer before he left. That's not the way it ended up happening :(  JC wrote me a routine to hold me over, and told me he would be back in a week. Two weeks later I emailed him and he told me he had decided to stay at his vacation destination.

A guy named "Buff" covered for JC while he was gone, and eventually took his position. I'm not proud to say it, but I really did not like Buff the first few weeks he was at the gym. Looking back, I think I resented that he slipped so seamlessly into JC's place, and no one could ever "replace" JC...but Buff ended up doing a great job creating his own place in the gym family.

With a lot of reflection, I was able to see that JC leaving was a good thing. Switching trainers forced me to step out of my comfort zone both physically and emotionally. I HAD to tell Buff my fitness goals, and that meant telling him about DS1's rages, a secret that I keep fairly close. People just tend to look at you differently when you tell them things like that. Buff had a different training style, and exposed me to things that I never would have tried on my own --like different ways of going up flights of steps, or working with the heavy bag. The day a lady walked up to me and told me that Buff trains me "like a man" , but that it is working for me was a proud day. So was the day that some big muscled guy gawked at me as I stood on 2 BOSU balls doing battle ropes. Nothing makes you feel badass like someone obviously amazed at what you can do.

About 6 months ago or so there were some staffing changed at the gym. An attendant named CC dropped several shifts ( which made me happy...more on that later), and  a few new faces showed up. One of the new faces was "Shy", a quiet young bodybuilder. It took him several months to really come out of his shell and start interacting with members, but now I really do enjoy talking with him. A few months ago I stepped out of my comfort zone and asked him to spot my squat--a job I usually reserve for people I really trust--and he did a good job.

Two weeks ago Buff announced that he had put in his notice and he was leaving the gym. He has a baby due in a few months, and being a trainer just isn't bringing in enough money. I haven't really trained with Buff in a while, but was hoping to start back up in the next few months. Because of the lessons I learned when JC left, I am taking Buff's exit as a sign that my routine needs a change. Picking a new trainer was going to be a tough job. Did I really want to get used to someone new? Honestly, my thought was that Shy would be the natural choice for stepping into the position, and apparently management shared my opinion. I found out last week that Shy IS taking Buff's position. After speaking with Shy, I have decided he WILL be my new trainer, and we are both excited to work together.