First Session

OK. Guys. This Carbon thing is not what I expected. I show up at 11:05 am, five minutes late for my individual session. I'm racing because, of course, I don't want my trainer to think I'm not excited to have my a** handed to me. But, it was ok. Leah was waiting and her first question was, "What's the matter? Are you anxious?"

"I was racing here." I said.

"You just relax. It's me you're working with."

So, I get changed and head back out where Leah directs me to what I think is one of the workout rooms. It's not. It's a room with what looks like a giant massage table. I am confused and more terrified than I should be. I could cry I'm so anxious.

You have to understand that I haven't been doing much of anything physical for a good ten years now. I used to run in my early twenties. I did take a few Pilates classes at the YWCA in North Carolina. But, since I moved back to Oklahoma in 2000, I've gained 100 pounds. My reaction to this weight gain ranges from Ignorning It (which I am very good at) to being Angry At Myself. The problem with these two ways of dealing with my body is that when I have done physical things like work in the yard or take the dog for a walk, I tend to ignore the initial pain in my body and when I do feel the pain I get angry and push through it or give up.

Leah says, "Get up here on the table. All you're going to have to do today is relax. We're going to do some stretching."

"I thought we were going to excercise today. " I said.

"You think you're ready to just jump in, huh?" she says, laughing. "Give me your leg. Relax your leg. Give it to me. Relaxxxxxxx. Breathe." So, she takes my left leg in the air and presses her hip against my right leg that's still on the table and it is the most amazing stretched feeling. You know how when you feel tense and you stretch but you don't ever feel stretched enough? It doesn't get to the sweet spot? This did it.

Leah worked on stretching me for the entire session! I can't tell you what she did but I can say I felt more noodley (and a little guilty for just lying there on my back or on my stomach the entire time) and more relaxed than I have felt in years. I left so relaxed in my body that after I left I noticed I felt well........peaceful. Who knew?