I had my last session with my trainer yesterday. I’m really going to miss him. Especially his inspiring words, unyielding optimism, and overbearing balls.

I think I’ve really learned alot from the training sessions. I was never the type of person that was good at sports–especially organized sports involving catching, hitting, or understanding rules. I once pretended to faint in gym class so that I didn’t have to run the mile. And now, thanks to my trainer, I can run twenty minutes on a treadmill without falling off.

I think the difference between then and now is that my trainer is a great motivator. Whenever I feel like I can not possibly do another pushup– even if my life and unborn children’s lives depended on it– he gives me a pep talk.

Trainer: You’re stronger than you think you are.
Me: No I’m not.
Trainer: I know you can do it. You just have to want it.
Me: What I want is a cheeseburger.
Trainer: How can you say that?
Me: There’s a Wendy’s commercial on tv right now.

He looks over and sure enough there is a commercial for one of those double beef patty cheese burger thingies. Normally I scoff at fast food but at that moment the cheeseburger looks like a piece of meat heaven. My trainer laughs. “You’re funny, ” he says. My trainer is always laughing. Especially when I am trying to lift a 15 pound dumb bell over my head and there are veins popping out of my neck.

If my P.E. teachers were as nice as my trainer then I probably would have made a little more effort instead of forging a sick note from my parents. And it’s not just my teachers who thought I sucked. My classmates and even my bestfriends wouldn’t pick me on their team. Kids in arm slings got picked before me.

I couldn’t even blame my lack of dexterity on being Asian. My younger brother was a star at sports, playing baseball, basketball, and football. I could care less. I just wanted to read my Nancy Drew books. My mother enrolled me in ballet classes so I could develop some coordination. I appreciate the thought, Mom, but doing pirouettes didn’t exactly help me avoid being pummeled to death by thirty balls in dodgeball.

But thanks to my trainer I learned that if you really focus and visualize doing something then you will succeed. You have to train your mind before training your body. This mentality has even transferred into my professional life, motivating me to work on my screenplay and not be afraid to take risks.

So I would totally recommend getting a trainer. Especially if you enjoy long periods of physical pain and humiliation and don’t know whether you want to pass out, puke, or both.