Personal training revisited

It is quite amazing how much stronger I have become during the past year, thanks to personal training (PT) sessions. This week my trainer Ketil and I had our 1-year anniversary.

You might remember my first post about personal training, the benefits of it and what you should look for in a personal trainer. When I first started my PT sessions with Ketil on March 10, 2014, I had already been strength training and interval training on treadmill three times a week at Barry’s Bootcamp since 2012. Thus I considered myself strong and fast. It was therefore a big surprise to experience how much stronger and faster I became already after a few weeks’ of PT sessions once a week. Within a month I was ready for my very first half marathon! In the beginning, I was both running outdoors and still going to bootcamp classes once or twice a week. After half a year though, having gotten the real taste of outdoors activities, with running both flat and uphill, long and short distances, and participating in lots of races (of course with the great influence of Melkesyre), I found myself not participating in enough bootcamp classes and thus not getting enough strength training. At that point we increased the number of PT sessions to twice a week. I have my PT sessions early in the morning before going to work, which leaves the afternoons of these two days also free for outdoor running.

From earlier posts, you already know how much I appreciate Ketil and how enthusiastic I am to have him as my trainer, with his vast knowledge and experience as a trainer and an athlete. By now he is also a good friend, and I have hard time imagining how I would manage without his continuous expert advice and guidance. The benefits of a personal trainer are perhaps more obvious at the start of a running career. At least many of my friends are asking me why I still need a personal trainer now that I am strong and a runner with more routine and knowledge. So I thought I would explain how the PT sessions are helping me, at the same time answering some of these questions.

An alternative to PT sessions could perhaps be going to morning bootcamp classes twice a week and do double floor (with this option, you skip the treadmill intervals and do strength training for the full hour). However, during a PT session we do a lot of exercises that are not possible to do in a bootcamp class. More importantly, each week’s exercises are carefully designed by Ketil depending on what kind of outdoor activities and races are coming up, and whether I have injuries, pain or weaknesses that need to be worked on. I also have a couple of strength goals that are not related to running, but that do require the equipment in the PT room and the guidance of a trainer.

In addition to the practical and physical benefits, I get an amazing energy and boost of self-confidence after every PT session. The sessions are a lot of fun and we laugh a lot, and I feel super strong as I almost every time manage something new which I could not do before. When I am struggling with injuries or pain, or when I am worried about my form, Ketil gives me all kinds of motivating pep talk, as well as reassuring and comforting comments about how well I am doing. He has an incredible confidence in what I can do and how far I can reach, most of the time much more than I do. And all of his predictions come true! One of the things I appreciate the most is that he takes all my worries seriously, no matter how small or stupid they might sound. He fully understands and appreciates what I am struggling with, and he always has exactly the perfect feedback to get my spirit back up high in the sky.

A question that I get often is whether it is not expensive. This depends on what other expenses one has. I am not into jewelry, accessories, or expensive brands, which leaves quite a bit of room for expenses related to running and training. I drive an electric car, which gives savings in parking, city entrance toll, and gas. Every now and then PT packages are on sale, and I make sure to grab a whole bunch. Many of my friends are regulars at training centers that charge quite high monthly membership fees, and they end up not using their centers that much after all. In this respect, paying only for the classes that you actually attend (both with PT and bootcamp sessions), as it is the rule at Barry’s Bootcamp, might be more economic in the long run. If you are thinking about it, I would say just try it now!

Cool leg muscles these days by the way - bikini fitness next! :-D