How It Happened, Part II

As I had stated in my previous post, kicking my smoking habit put me in a position in which I could really ramp up my workouts, because my cardiovascular system was now better able to handle the increased workload. This knowledge also gave me a psychological edge, because I was no longer fearful about whether or not strenuous exercise would cause me more harm than good. But there was also a setback: I compensated for the sudden absence of cigarettes from my daily routine with food, as many people who quit smoking do, and despite the fact that the intensity of my workouts was slowly but steadily increasing, I also inexorably gained back both the pounds and the inches that I had previously lost. I’ll make no bones about it: Controlling my weight was a struggle, and it took time – a couple of years, in fact. But with persistence, patience, and consistent effort in maintaining good exercise and eating habits, I was eventually able to once again drop the extra pounds and shrink my waistline accordingly. By the fall of 1994, the physical transformation was complete: I was lifting more weight than I had ever lifted in my life, and I was completing 5-mile runs in well under 40 minutes. In a nutshell, I was the leanest and fittest I had ever been, and I felt great! Moreover, old friends started to give me compliments, saying that they were astonished at the difference both in how I looked and how I carried myself.

Somebody else had apparently noticed too: She was a strikingly pretty woman with medium-length, very light blonde hair and a fair, beautiful complexion who had caught my eye as well. Catnhy and I started out as friends, and then began dating in the spring of 1995. Three years later, in 1998, were husband and wife, and have been ever since.

When I was single and still living with Mom and Dad, I conducted my workouts down in their basement, which had ample room to accommodate the equipment. During the first few years that Cathy and I were married, however, that wasn’t an option. We were living in a one-bedroom apartment, and there simply wasn’t enough space. As a result, I joined Gold’s Gym in West Concord, which Cathy was a member of. As I was working out there, I began to notice some of the staff were working one-on-one with some of the clients. I had heard of personal trainers before, but had never actually seen one in action. As I began to watch the trainers working with clients, I also found that there were seeds being planted in my head…

Up next: From Hardcore Gym Rat To Trainer. Stay Tuned!

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