Recently I was sent a message asking if I would like to participate in some training sessions, on the proviso that for now I was to keep it quiet and not mention any names. The aim of the training sessions is 2 fold, to increase my over all fitness and mobility, but it was also to allow the trainer to test if the training plan can make a middle-aged, over weight man who is relatively new to the sport of BMX, improve enough to become competitive and in amongst the pack within a relatively short time frame.

I was very appreciative of the offer and accepted the training offer, yesterday started day 1 of my secret training with the secret trainer, I really did want to write this yesterday, but I was in all sorts of pain and could not muster up enough energy to focus my thoughts and get the words out, oh the pain.

The session started off innocently enough, with explanation as what the training was about and that I was going to be the guinea pig so to speak to see if the training plan would work on me, if it works on me then it will pretty much work for anyone.

That was the end of the innocence and the pain was about to begin, with a core workout nothing too strenuous but more just to see where I am at, we start off the step ups, which were about knee height, for most people this is not an issue, but with my dodgy right knee I was not sure if I could get the strength through the knee to lift this massive 125kg frame I am lumbering around with at the moment, the very first step up I felt the pain go through my knee, but knew that it was only sore, not injured, I struggled through 10 stepups both left and right feet and moved on.

It is now where the real pain began, all manner of core movements, various crunches etc, that with every one performed coursed pain through my abdominal region in areas I did not know muscles existed, I was pleasantly surprised though when I found planking was somewhat easy, but I was almost embarrassed when I found that I could not balance my body on a fitness ball to do some sideways crunch, the name of which currently escapes me.

Thankfully I got through to the end of the session, where I was told that it was an easy night to see where I was at and that a plan will be built around my strengths and weaknesses, I pick up my towel and drink bottle and head to the car, pretty chuffed with myself for doing the type of training session that I really hadn’t done since I last did Tae Kwon Do back when I was 25. I drove home, feeling a bit sore and tired and my body rapidly cooling down, pulling into my drive way, I found myself in a precarious situation and that was my body was not doing what it was supposed to do, I sat there with the door open, barely being able to move. I rang my wife and told her I was stuck in the car and that my body was not co-operating and that I couldn’t move it, she responded in fits of laughter and told me to stay there while she runs outside and takes photos of me in my dire predicament. This gave me the motivation required to haul myself out of the car groaning in pain as I did so and walk up the stairs, one at a time to the front door, within an hour of coming home I was in bed with every muscle in my body screaming in protest. Surprisingly though I have recovered quite well and not feeling too bad today.

Bring on Thursday night, it’s sprint night, oh my, I hope that is sprinting with a bike or I might be in a bit of trouble.